Solomon’s Proverbs: The Wise Son
”The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother. Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness brings deliverance from death. The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but He denies the craving of the wicked. Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. A wise heart will receive commandments, but foolish lips will come to ruin. He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. He who winks the eye causes grief, and foolish lips will come to ruin.
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions. Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment. The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool invites destruction. The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. The labor of the righteous leads to life, but the gain of the wicked brings punishment. Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.
The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked has little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of judgment. The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.
The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom. What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are secure forever. Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the slacker to those who send him.
The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be cut short. The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectations of the wicked will perish. The way of the LORD is a refuge to the upright, but destruction awaits those who do evil. The righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not inhabit the land. The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.”
“The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother. Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness brings deliverance from death. The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but He denies the craving of the wicked. Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” Traditionally, parents have been held responsible for the actions of their children, particularly their sons. According to the Law of Moses, parents could bring a recalcitrant son before the elders of the city, and if the son was truly unrepentant, he could even be stoned to death. Whether or not that ever actually happened is another question; the fact remains that a child’s behavior can bring shame to a family.
“Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. A wise heart will receive commandments, but foolish lips will come to ruin. He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. He who winks the eye causes grief, and foolish lips will come to ruin.” Live long enough, and your character will show through. Long after you are gone, people may still remember you for your integrity, or for the lack of it. In our small community, there were three men of truly exemplary character. Whenever there were disputes, these three men found themselves adjudicating between aggrieved parties. Now all three have died, and there does not appear to be anyone to take their places.
“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.” We can bless or curse people by our statements. We have all experienced both sides of this matter. A few years ago, there were some individuals working in our facility who appeared to delight in being as rude as possible. No matter what happened, these men were never grateful and were always creating dissatisfaction among their fellow workers. The two men who were the worst offenders in this regard have moved on. Personally, I find myself going to extreme lengths to thank all those helping me, lest I fall into the trap of ingratitude.
“The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” Abraham Lincoln told a story about himself: he once wrote a letter out of anger and posted it as soon as it was finished. Later, Lincoln bitterly regretted having written in such a fashion. Lincoln’s advice to others was to write out one’s frustrations but NOT to share those sentiments with others. Certainly, Lincoln was cautioning others to restrain their lips.
“The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom. What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.” A new reality TV show documents the efforts of the Tourist Police in Bangkok, Thailand, to protect visitors from thieves, pickpockets, and scammers of all kinds. One of the main problems is drunken tourists who behave foolishly, making it difficult for the Tourist Police to help them. Amazingly, many people come to Thailand and behave far more outrageously than they ever would in their home countries because they are coming to PARTY!.
“The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be cut short. The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectations of the wicked will perish. The way of the LORD is a refuge to the upright, but destruction awaits those who do evil.” The fear of the Lord helps protect us from all kinds of horrible things. My husband was smoking two packs of cigarettes a day; however, once he became a Christian at the age of 38, God convicted him, and he threw away his cigarettes. At this point, my husband has been free from cigarettes for so long that statistically it is as if he never smoked in the first place. Many years ago, a friend’s father was in a coma in an ICU due to liver failure. But when our pastor prayed for the man, he responded to the pastor’s prayer, turning to God, and God healed his liver completely.
“The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.” Why is this so? People are not righteous all by themselves but because they follow God. Visit most day care centers and you will see what human nature is like without godly teaching. Children must be taught to do right, and such teaching comes from God.
APPLICATION: Sometimes we might feel as if each chapter of Proverbs is some kind of grab bag; reach in and you get something different every time. But the main theme of this chapter is to contrast righteous behavior with foolish unrighteousness. God wants us to live fulfilled lives in peace and harmony with those around us. When we follow His Word, He can guide us. But when we choose to go our own way, we can wind up in a mess. Truly, it’s all about choices. Choose wisely!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to listen for Your still small voice so that we choose Your ways and not our own. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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