Happy Thursday, I hope that your day is going well. Thanks for joining me on this journey with only one week left!
This is the last chapter of the proverbs of Solomon which he wrote and arranged. After this we come to proverbs of Solomon that were arranged by the aids of Hezekiah. Evidently Solomon wrote a great many proverbs. We have only a very small percentage of the total number. These are tremendous truths that have been given to us which can challenge and direct our lives.
24:1–2 In these proverbs we are again challenged to not be enticed by wrong doers or their ways. It will only end up in violence and trouble.
24:3–4. The rare and beautiful treasures that fill the house are a harmonious, loving family and a sense of security and stability.
24:5–6. The athlete who thinks — who assesses the situation and plans strategies — has an advantage over a physically stronger but unthinking opponent. And wisdom, not muscle, is certainly why God has put people in charge of the animal kingdom. We exercise regularly and eat well to build our strength, but do we take equal pains to develop wisdom? Because wisdom is a vital part of strength, it pays to attain it.
24:7. Matters discussed at the gate (this is where city politics took place) are too important to waste time listening to the arguments of the fool .
24:8–9. Those who connive soon have a reputation for being connivers. The loss of your reputation is no small penalty, since it is not easily regained.
24:10 Times of trouble can be useful. They can show you who you really are, what kind of character you have developed. In addition, they can help you grow stronger. When Jeremiah questioned God because of the trouble he faced, God asked how he ever expected to face big challenges if the little ones tired him out (Jeremiah 12:5). Don’t complain about your problems. The trouble you face today is training you to be strong for the more difficult situations you will face in the future.
24:11–12. Here is more injustice that God does not like: prisoners who have been wrongfully condemned to die. God knows, and he expects those who know to do something. Wow, this is convicting to me. We are to make right what is wrong. We can’t say about injustice, “God why?”And do nothing.
24:13–14. This associates wisdom with sweetness. In other words, right behavior is not recommended only because of morality but also because it is the best route to happiness and the fulfillment of dreams.
24:15–16. This proverb is a warning addressed to the wrongdoer to leave the righteous alone. The resilience of the good man (expressed in his getting back up seven times) means that evil will not ultimately win
24:17–18. To gloat over others’ misfortune is to make yourself the avenger and to put yourself in the place of God, who alone is the real judge of all the earth (see Deuteronomy 32:35).
24:19–20 “Don’t fret or worry about evil doers.” Anyone who has ever watched the evening news broadcasts has experienced this worry. Faith in a just God is the only remedy. The phrase “no future hope” refers to judgment and eternal life.
24:21–22 God and the king are the sustainers of justice. In this the king is God’s earthly representative (Rom 13:1–7). Submission to governing authorities is the best way to live a life of peace and security.
24:23–26. These verses introduce the principle of jurisprudence that there should be no prejudice or favoritism. All attempts to deceive the court and pervert justice fail when the upright man stands and gives a straight analysis of the case before the other elders.
24:27 We should carry out our work in its proper order. If a farmer builds his house in the spring, he will miss the planting season and go a year without food. If a businessman invests his money in a house while his business is struggling to grow, he may lose both. It is possible to work hard and still lose everything if the timing is wrong or the resources to carry it out are not in place.
24:28–29 These verses, returning to the courts, move from the role of the judge to the role of the witness. The witness is urged not to commit perjury or use the courts as a tool for settling a personal score against another person. Verse 29 is a reverse version of the Golden Rule (see Luke 6:31). Revenge is the way the world operates, but it is not God’s way.
24:30–34 In these proverbs, Solomon tells how he sees a lazy guy and his home or business that is overrun with problems that are a direct result of his laziness. He reflects on what he sees and remembers another proverb (vv. 33–34). He reminds us to remember the cost of being lazy.
Until tomorrow, Darrell
Upwards Church 