The "Dont's" of Practical Wisdom

Intro

Text - Proverbs 22.17-19

Proverbs 22:17–19 NKJV

17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge; 18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips, 19 So that your trust may be in the Lord; I have instructed you today, even you.

Title - The “Dont’s” of Practical Wisdom

Series - Lessons from the Book of Proverbs

Subject Sentence

Sometimes, the easiest way to share wisdom is by giving direct instructions.

Examples -

Do not litter

Do not cross yellow line

Do not blow horn

These wise sayings contain almost everything a person needs -

what not to do

what are the consequences

These wise sayings are mostly spoken in a negative way in order to provide the most impact and cause the hearer to listen and ponder.

List of “Dont’s” in the Book of Proverbs

Do not rob the poor nor oppress the afflicted

Proverbs 20:22–23 NKJV

22 Do not say, “I will recompense evil”; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you. 23 Diverse weights are an abomination to the Lord, And dishonest scales are not good.

What it means

do not take advantage of those who cannot compete with you

the disabled or PWD, in a public transport or similar situation

The reasons

God attends to their pleadings

What is the consequences

God can turn against you on their behalf

Do not make friends with the angry and the furious

Proverbs 22:24–25 NKJV

24 Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go, 25 Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul.

What it means

don’t tolerate bad attitude

Reasons

the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God

angry people attract violence

Consequence

you might become like them in the end

Example

Social media are full of angry expressions

Do not become surety

Proverbs 22:26–27 NKJV

26 Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge, One of those who is surety for debts; 27 If you have nothing with which to pay, Why should he take away your bed from under you?

What it means

do not guarantee other people’s debt

Consequence

you might end up paying their debts

Do not remove the ancient landmark

Proverbs 22:28 NKJV

28 Do not remove the ancient landmark Which your fathers have set.

What it means

it may mean robbing other people of their property

Deuteronomy 19:14 NKJV

14 “You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

this is usually done against the poor

Proverbs 23:9–10 NKJV

9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words. 10 Do not remove the ancient landmark, Nor enter the fields of the fatherless;

Consequences

God’s vengeance on their behalf

Do not desire the delicacies of a ruler

Proverbs 23:1–3 NKJV

1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you; 2 And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite. 3 Do not desire his delicacies, For they are deceptive food.

ruler - a secular ruler or man in authority, which are usually rich

What it means

earthly rulers often have ulterior motives when inviting people to dine with them

control your excitement for food

Consequences

you might fall into a trap like “utang na loob”

Example

politicians who “give away” food and stuff usually do this to secure people’s votes

Do not overwork to be rich

Proverbs 23:4–5 NKJV

4 Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! 5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

What it means

don’t work just to become rich in material things

know why you want to become “rich”

set a limit to your work

Consequences

we may become too busy for earthly things…

we may become slaves to money and wealth

we may lose our vision of the more important things in life

Ecclesiastes 5:10 NKJV

10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

Do not eat the bread of a miser

Proverbs 23:6–8 NKJV

6 Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies; 7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you. 8 The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, And waste your pleasant words.

miser - stingy

What it means

the stingy does not give with a cheerful heart

you will not be satisfied

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool

Proverbs 23:9 NKJV

9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

What it means

there are “fools” who are past correction and instruction, they will never appreciate wise counsel

Proverbs 26:4–5 NKJV

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

whether you answer a fool or not, the outcome is stille the same

Consequences

your words and effort are wasted

Do not withhold correction to a child

Proverbs 23:13–14 NKJV

13 Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. 14 You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.

What it means

correction and discipline does not kill a child

rather, they deliver his soul from destruction

Proverbs 13:24 NKJV

24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

Proverbs 19:18 NKJV

18 Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction.

Do not envy sinners

Proverbs 23:17–18 NKJV

17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; 18 For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.

What it means

don’t feel bad when sinners progress

don’t follow their ways

Proverbs 24:19–20 NKJV

19 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the wicked; 20 For there will be no prospect for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Consequence

Do not mix with winebibbers

Proverbs 23:20–21 NKJV

20 Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

What it means

don’t join yourself with drunkards

Proverbs 23:29–35 NKJV

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. 31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; 32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things. 34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: 35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”

Do not despise your parents when they are old

Proverbs 23:22 NKJV

22 Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.

What it means

don’t consider old parents a burden or useless people

Consequence

Ephesians 6:1–3 NKJV

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

Do not quarrel against a righteous man

Proverbs 24:15–16 NKJV

15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not plunder his resting place; 16 For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

What it means

when your opponent is in the right, it is best to give in or acknowledge your wrong

Consequence

the Lord upholds the righteous

Psalm 34:19 NKJV

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 37:23–24 NKJV

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls

Proverbs 24:17–18 NKJV

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him.

What it means

don’t rejoice when people you have something against falls

your attitude is more important to God than their fall

Consequence

God can reverse the situation when God is displeased at your attitude

What’s the point

always have a good attitude against people, even those you consider enemies

Proverbs 25:21–22 NKJV

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you.

Proverbs 17:5 NKJV

5 He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

Do not associate with insurgents

Proverbs 24:21–22 NKJV

21 My son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those given to change; 22 For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin those two can bring?

given to change - people who wwant to force a change of government for their own reasons

insurgents - rebels

What it means

don’t speak against the authority nor desire their downfall

Do not exalt yourself in presence of great people

Proverbs 25:6–7 NKJV

6 Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of the great; 7 For it is better that he say to you, “Come up here,” Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.

Consequence

those who humble themselves are exalted

Do not go hastily to court

Proverbs 25:8–10 NKJV

8 Do not go hastily to court; For what will you do in the end, When your neighbor has put you to shame? 9 Debate your case with your neighbor, And do not disclose the secret to another; 10 Lest he who hears it expose your shame, And your reputation be ruined.

What it means

a court is a public hearing

in court, secret things can become public knowledge and puts people to shame

What to do

settle the matter privately

consider giving way for the sake of peace

Do not boast about tomorrow

Proverbs 27:1 NKJV

1 Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

What it means

don’t assume everything you want to do will happen

James 4:13–15 NKJV

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

Do not forsake your friends

Proverbs 27:10 NKJV

10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

What it means

when friends are in need, always offer help

Consequence

Proverbs 18:24 ESV

24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Do not add to God’s words

Proverbs 30:5–6 NKJV

5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. 6 Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

what it means

take God’s word as it is

don’t make it mean something other that what it means

Consequence

God will rebuke you and expose you as liar

What to do

receive the Word of God in faith and put your trust in it.

Conclusion

It is amazing that we have these many practical wisdom in the form of proverbs.

Let’s learn them and apply them in our daily living

Proverbs 22:17–19 (NKJV)

17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge;

18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips,

19 So that your trust may be in the Lord; I have instructed you today, even you.

Ultimately, the objective of these “don’ts” guidelines is so that we may learn to put our trust in the LORD in everything we do.

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