Book of Proverbs
Chapter 20:1-15
There are three basic types of proverbs: contrasting (but), comparing (better than), and completing proverbs (second part of the verse completes the thought of the first).
20:1 – Beware of the dangers of drinking alcohol
Wine was diluted with water, but strong drink was undiluted. Alcohol is deceptive and easily leads people astray. A wise person knows that alcohol promises a good time, but delivers only misery. Drinking promises things it cannot deliver and it delivers things it does not promise. Alcohol causes a person to act like a mocker and brawler (one who rages), one who is loud, violent, and angry. An old saying goes, “When the wine is in the mind is out.” Alcohol controls a person’s words, actions, and reactions. Remember what alcohol did to Noah (Gen. 9:20-21) and Lot (Gen. 19:30-36). See Prov. 23:19-21, 29-35.
20:2 – Respect government authority
See Prov. 14:35; 16:14; 19:12. The king had absolute power and was God’s ordained “minister” for the welfare of the people (see Rom. 13:1-6). If the king gets angry, a person could lose his life. Any person who resists government authority will pay the price.
20:3 – Avoid arguments and quarrels
In the past some men would fight duels to defend their honor, but Proverbs says that the person who avoids a fight deserves the highest honor. “Meddling” means quarreling. A wise person tries to avoid strife, but a fool stirs up trouble. This verse can apply to family life, the workplace, and the church. See Prov. 17:14, 19; 22:10; 26:21; example of Abraham, Gen. 13:1-9.
20:4 – Laziness leads to hunger
If a person doesn’t work in the fields he won’t have a crop and will go hungry. The lazy man looks for a reason not to work (“It’s too cold outside”), ignoring the laws of the harvest. You must plant if you want to reap. One lazy man had a leaky roof and he said the reason he didn’t fix it was he couldn’t work on it when it was raining and when it was dry it didn’t need fixing. See Prov. 6:6-8; 19:15; 24:30-34.
20:5 – Wisdom is a precious resource
Counsel (wisdom) is like drawing refreshing water from a deep well (Prov. 18:4). We should ask questions and probe the hearts of wise people to gain wisdom for ourselves.
20:6 – Most people claim to have genuine love, but few are faithful
Two great virtues are mentioned in this verse, goodness (loyal, unfailing love) and faithfulness. Both words imply steadfastness. It is rare to find a person with both qualities. It has been said, “After all is said and done, more is said than done.”
20:7 – Godly character affects daily conduct and personal influence
A godly person “walks” (lives) by integrity. He is the same in public and in private, and therefore, he has a positive influence on others, especially his own family (see Ps. 112:1-2). Bill Gothard, a man who has influenced millions of people with his teachings, describes the integrity of his father as a turning point in his own life.
20:8 – A king is responsible for administering justice
As God’s minister (Rom. 13:1-5), the king judges and scatters (a reference to winnowing, sifting and sorting grain) facts and situations, then renders sound judgment and punishment as needed (Prov. 20:26). He discerns good from evil and right from wrong (see Isa. 5:20).
20:9 – No one can cleanse his own heart from sin
The answer to this question is obvious. No one can make his heart pure. Only God can take the
deep, dark stain of sin away. See Job 14:4; Rom. 3:10, 23; 1 Jn. 1:8; Ps. 51:1-2, 9-10. This proverb is a warning against the deception of self-righteousness (Jer. 17:9). We can’t say we have made our hearts clean, but we can say our hearts have been cleansed by grace. That old song, Rock of Ages, states, “Let the water and the blood from Thy wounded side which flowed be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure.”
20:10 – God hates all dishonesty and fraud in business
Weights and measures represent the tools of business and commerce. Materials were bought and sold by weight and measure. Greedy businessmen may cheat others, but God sees every dishonest deal and hates it. Notice man’s deceit and God’s displeasure. See Lev. 19:36; Deut. 25:15.
20:11 – A child’s character is known by his actions
What is true of adults is also true of children. Our outward actions are the evidence of our inner character. At the early stages of life we reveal our character. That is why child discipline should aim at character development. Even a young tree is known by its fruit.
20:12 – God hears and sees all things perfectly
Hearing and seeing are means of evaluating people and situations. If man (the creature) has the capacity to hear and see, then surely God (the Creator) can hear and see (Ps. 94:9). He can hear and see better than any man. False gods (idols) have neither the capacity to hear or see (Ps. 115:4-8; 135:15-18), whereas God sees and knows everything (Ps. 139:11-16).
20:13 – Wake up and work if you want to eat
In other words don’t love sleep if you love to eat. Sleep is a good thing (Ps. 127:2), but wanting too much is a bad thing. An industrious person gets out of bed and works so he will have enough to eat (Prov. 6:9-11). We must not sleep when we should be working (Prov. 10:5; 23:21). See the causes of poverty below.
20:14 – The shrewd buyer boasts of his cleverness
This is another proverb that describes life as it is, not as it should be. Something may be legal, but not ethical. The shrewd buyer says, “It’s not worth much,” but then after the purchase he brags about his good deal. We should be honest and above board in all our business dealings for two reasons: our testimony is at stake and God is watching. This proverb applies to spiritual transactions as well (example of Esau selling his birthright).
20:15 – Wisdom is more valuable than anything else
Gold and rubies are highly esteemed by most people, but wisdom is far more valuable.
More Valuable than Gold:
ü Godly wisdom (Job 28:12-19; Prov. 3:13-15; 8:10-11, 18-21; 16:16; 24:3-4)
ü God’s judgments (His Word, Ps. 19:10; 119:72, 127)
ü A good name and loving favor (Prov. 22:1)
ü Our faith (1 Pet. 1:7)
ü Christ’s blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19)
The Causes of Poverty:
ü Talking instead of working (Prov. 14:23)
ü Trying to get rich quick instead of diligently carrying out plans (Prov. 21:5)
ü Holding onto things greedily instead of sharing with others (Prov. 11:24; 28:22)
ü Loving pleasure and spending too much (Prov. 21:17)
ü Taking advantage of the poor or courting favor of the rich (Prov. 22:16)
ü Drinking, overeating, and excessive sleeping (Prov. 23:20-21; 24:30-34).
Book of Proverbs
Chapter 20:1-15
There are three basic types of proverbs: contrasting (but), comparing (better than), and completing proverbs (second part of the verse completes the thought of the first).
20:1 – ______
Alcohol is deceptive and easily leads people astray. A wise person knows that alcohol promises a good time, but delivers only misery. Drinking promises things it cannot deliver and it delivers things it does not promise. Alcohol causes a person to act like a mocker and brawler (one who rages), one who is loud, violent, and angry. An old saying goes, “When the wine is in the mind is out.” Alcohol controls a person’s words, actions, and reactions. Remember what alcohol did to Noah (Gen. 9:20-21) and Lot (Gen. 19:30-36). See Prov. 23:19-21, 29-35.
20:2 – ______
See Prov. 14:35; 16:14; 19:12. The king had absolute power and was God’s ordained “minister” for the welfare of the people (see Rom. 13:1-6). If the king gets angry, a person could lose his life. Any person who resists government authority will pay the price.
20:3 – ______
In the past some men would fight duels to defend their honor, but Proverbs says that the person who avoids a fight deserves the highest honor. “Meddling” means quarreling. A wise person tries to avoid strife, but a fool stirs up trouble. This verse can apply to family life, the workplace, and the church. See Prov. 17:14, 19; 22:10; 26:21; example of Abraham, Gen. 13:1-9).
20:4 – ______
If a person doesn’t work in the fields he won’t have a crop and will go hungry. The lazy man looks for a reason not to work (“It’s too cold outside”), ignoring the laws of the harvest. You must plant if you want to reap. See Prov. 6:6-8; 19:15; 24:30-34.
20:5 – ______
Counsel (wisdom) is like drawing refreshing water from a deep well (Prov. 18:4). We should ask questions and probe the hearts of wise people to gain wisdom for ourselves.
20:6 – ______
Two great virtues are mentioned in this verse, goodness (loyal, unfailing love) and faithfulness. Both words imply steadfastness. It is rare to find a person with both qualities. It has been said, “After all is said and done, more is said than done.”
20:7 – ______
A godly person “walks” (lives) by integrity. He is the same in public and in private, and therefore, he has a positive influence on others, especially his own family (Ps. 112:1-2).
20:8 – ______
As God’s minister (Rom. 13:1-5), the king judges and scatters (a reference to winnowing, sifting and sorting grain) facts and situations, then renders sound judgment and punishment as needed (Prov. 20:26). He discerns good from evil and right from wrong (see Isa. 5:20).
20:9 – ______
The answer to this question is obvious. No one can make his heart pure. Only God can take the
deep, dark stain of sin away. See Job 14:4; Rom. 3:10, 23; 1 Jn. 1:8; Ps. 51:1-2, 9-10. This proverb is a warning against the deception of self-righteousness (Jer. 17:9). We can’t say we have made our hearts clean, but we can say our hearts have been cleansed by grace.
20:10 – ______
Weights and measures represent the tools of business and commerce. Materials were bought and sold by weight and measure. Greedy businessmen may cheat others, but God sees every dishonest deal and hates it. Notice man’s deceit and God’s displeasure.
20:11 – ______
What is true of adults is also true of children. Our outward actions are the evidence of our inner character. At the early stages of life we reveal our character. That is why child discipline should aim at character development. Even a young tree is known by its fruit.
20:12 – ______
Hearing and seeing are means of evaluating people and situations. If man (the creature) has the capacity to hear and see, then surely God (the Creator) can hear and see (Ps. 94:9). He can hear and see better than any man. False gods (idols) have neither the capacity to hear or see (Ps. 115:4-8; 135:15-18), whereas God sees and knows everything (Ps. 139:11-16).
20:13 – ______
In other words don’t love sleep if you love to eat. Sleep is a good thing (Ps. 127:2), but wanting too much is a bad thing. An industrious person gets out of bed and works so he will have enough to eat (Prov. 6:9-11). We must not sleep when we should be working (Prov. 10:5; 23:21). See the causes of poverty below.
20:14 – ______
This is another proverb that describes life as it is, not as it should be. Something may be legal, but not ethical. We should be honest and above board in all our business dealings for two reasons: our testimony is at stake and God is watching. This proverb applies to spiritual transactions as well (example of Esau selling his birthright).
20:15 – ______
Gold and rubies are highly esteemed by most people, but wisdom is far more valuable.
More Valuable than Gold:
ü Godly wisdom (Job 28:12-19; Prov. 3:13-15; 8:10-11, 18-21; 16:16; 24:3-4)
ü God’s judgments (His Word, Ps. 19:10; 119:72, 127)
ü A good name and loving favor (Prov. 22:1)
ü Our faith (1 Pet. 1:7)
ü Christ’s blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19)
The Causes of Poverty:
ü Talking instead of working (Prov. 14:23)
ü Trying to get rich quick instead of diligently carrying out plans (Prov. 21:5)
ü Holding onto things greedily instead of sharing with others (Prov. 11:24; 28:22)
ü Loving pleasure and spending too much (Prov. 21:17)
ü Taking advantage of the poor or courting favor of the rich (Prov. 22:16)
ü Drinking, overeating, and excessive sleeping (Prov. 23:20-21; 24:30-34)