This proverb should be understood to mean that when there is no special revelation, people cast off moral restraints; however, when people obey God’s word, they are blessed: “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction”. This verse has tremendous theological and practical significance for us. Just as there was a direct correlation in the Old Testament between Israel’s moral condition and their knowing and submitting to God’s special revelation, so there is a direct correlation between our moral state and our knowing and submitting to God’s special revelation, the Bible.
Happy Is He Who Keeps the Law
01 He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck,
00 Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
02 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
00 But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.
03 Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice,
00 But a companion of harlots wastes his wealth.
04 The king establishes the land by justice,
00 But he who receives bribes overthrows it.
05 A man who flatters his neighbor
00 Spreads a net for his feet.
06 By transgression an evil man is snared,
00 But the righteous sings and rejoices.
07 The righteous considers the cause of the poor,
00 But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.
08 Scoffers set a city aflame,
00 But wise men turn away wrath.
09 If a wise man contends with a foolish man,
00 Whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.
10 The bloodthirsty hate the blameless,
00 But the upright seek his well-being.
11 A fool vents all his feelings,
00 But a wise man holds them back.
12 If a ruler pays attention to lies,
00 All his servants become wicked.
13 The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:
00 The LORD gives light to the eyes of both.
14 The king who judges the poor with truth,
00 His throne will be established forever.
15 The rod and rebuke give wisdom,
00 But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases;
00 But the righteous will see their fall.
17 Correct your son, and he will give you rest;
00 Yes, he will give delight to your soul.
18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
00 But happy is he who keeps the law.
19 A servant will not be corrected by mere words;
00 For though he understands, he will not respond.
20 Do you see a man hasty in his words?
00 There is more hope for a fool than for him.
21 He who pampers his servant from childhood
00 Will have him as a son in the end.
22 An angry man stirs up strife,
00 And a furious man abounds in transgression.
23 A man's pride will bring him low,
00 But the humble in spirit will retain honor.
24 Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life;
00 He swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing.
25 The fear of man brings a snare,
00 But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.
26 Many seek the ruler's favor,
00 But justice for man comes from the LORD.
27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
00 And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.
The purpose of Writing the book of Proverbs was to reveal the mind of God in matters high and lofty and in common, ordinary, everyday situations. It appears that no topic escaped King Solomon's attention. Matters pertaining to personal conduct, sexual relations, business, wealth, charity, ambition, discipline, debt, child-rearing, character, alcohol, politics, revenge, and Godliness are among the many topics covered in this rich collection of wise sayings.
Without wisdom, knowledge is nothing more than an accumulation of raw facts, influenced by emotional feelings. Many highly educated people are in positions of power in the United States, but very few of those educated leaders have the wisdom needed to rule properly.
One can say that they have been educated well beyond their intelligence. A cursory look at the court system will prove my point that knowledge without wisdom will only lead to an immoral society that eventually crumbles from within. Judges are supposed to be above the fray, and immovable to emotions. Instead, the vast majority of judges today are Godless individuals who are vacant of wisdom. So their rulings are totally based upon emotional feelings.
We the people are to blame, because we ignored God's guidance in appointing our leaders. Instead of putting leaders full wisdom in power, we instead chose those who would scratch our itchy ears to lead us.
Of the 31 Proverbs, only the first 24 were written by Solomon. King Hezekiah wrote 5, Proverbs 25 to 29, Agur wrote Proverb 30, and Lemuel wrote Proverb 31. Now many believe Lemuel was in fact King Solomon and Lemuel was just a nick name his Mother, Bathsheba gave him. We are told that Solomon write over 3000 Proverbs and composed 1000 songs, but the only Proverbs God decided to preserve for us are Proverbs 1-24. Like the New Testament epistle by James, it is impossible to get a chronological outline for a study since they all bounce from subject to subject.
Along with my daily routine of reading the Bible, I try to read through the book of Proverbs once a Month. It's an easy task when you consider there are 31 Proverbs. So all you need to know is what day of the Month it is. In the Months that have 30 days, or in the case of February, I just double up by reading more than one two proverb so I can begin the next month with Proverb 1 on the first again.
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