Proverbs 15 Verses 15 to 17 Desperate Families September 1, 2024 Lesson 9 The Search for Wisdom Series

Proverbs 15 Verses 15 to 17 Desperate Families September 1, 2024 Lesson 9 The Search for Wisdom Series Class Presentation Notes AAAAA

Background Scriptures:

· Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV) 1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

· Proverbs 15:18 (NKJV) 18 A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention.

· Proverbs 15:32 (NKJV) 32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.

· Psalm 68:4-6 (NKJV) 4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name YAH, And rejoice before Him. 5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

· Psalm 119:67 (NIV2011) 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.

· John 10:10 (NKJV) 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Main Idea:

· There is much turmoil in American families today because the most important missing ingredient for family happiness is love and laughter in the home.

Study Aim:

· To understand that desperation does not have to lead to despair; it can lead you to God.

Create Interest:

· Jesus clearly taught that people’s lives are not measured by their possessions (Luke 12:15). Life is not about money; it is about relationships. Loving God and loving others are the two most important aspects of life on earth. Solomon offers two proverbs about the value of relationships: first, a relationship with the Lord, and, second, a relationship with the most important people in life—family.[1]

Lesson in Historical Context:

· Proverbs are generalizations about life and not promises for us to claim, although there are some great promises found in the Book of Proverbs.

o The basic requirement for understanding and applying these proverbs is the fear of the Lord (1:7) and a willingness to obey (3:5–6; see John 7:17).

o The aim of the book is to give the godly person skill in human relationships and endeavors.

§ This begins with submission to the Lord.

· It is dangerous to lay hold of one or two statements in Proverbs but ignore the total message of the book. Also, though we can find examples of exceptions to some of the proverbs, this does not minimize the lesson they contain.

o Not all godly people live long lives (3:1–2) or become wealthy (3:10). In some parts of the world, believers are dying from famine and poverty.

o But generally speaking, those who obey God do not ruin their bodies or waste their substance. The Book of Proverbs summons us to understand and apply all of God’s revealed wisdom for all of life.[2]

· At least two dozen times in Chapters 10 to 22, the writers point to loveas being one of the highest of Wisdom’s values. The two key Old Testament texts which Jesus uses as his summary of the law of God are the commands to love God with heart and soul and mind and strength (Dt. 6:5), and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Lv. 19:18).

· These two texts are not only the high points of Old Testament understanding of moral values, but also sum up in themselves all that the rest of the Old Testament law involves.

· The common caricatures that are so often drawn to contrast the Old Testament and the New, the Old supposedly filled with judgment and wrath and the New centered on love and mercy, are simply untrue.

o Love is the highest value of the Old Testament, as in the New, because love is the nature of the covenant Lord.

o As Charles Wesley’s poem has it, ‘Thy nature and thy name is Love.’4Proverbs stresses the word ‘love’ and shows what love means in a variety of situations.[3] Families long for this love.

Bible Study:

Proverbs 15:15-17 (NIV2011) 15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. 16 Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil. 17 Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.

Note: To set up our study we need to look back two verses to set a reference for Vs.15:

· Proverbs 15:13-14 (NASB) 13 A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. 14 The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on folly.

· Vs. 15: The wise and the foolish differ dramatically in how they handle difficulties.

o Afflicted or oppressed (‘ani) describes people who are needy due to distress or a disability. Because they are defenseless, they are often oppressed and abused by the wicked.2Their lives are miserable; every day is a bad day because of their condition.

§ But notice in the discussion of verses 13 and 14 how an individual may live in the direst of circumstances, yet a cheerful heart is possible. How?

📷 Through the presence and joy of the Lord and through feasting on His Word.

📷 Generally speaking, a smile shows the absence of heartaches, and a sad countenance reveals a spirit crushed by trouble.

📷 Nevertheless, it is possible to smile through trouble by rejoicing in the Lord and being strengthened by His Word.

· This is not a contrast between the afflicted and the merry.

o It is a contrast between how men view their circumstances.

§ The man who allows his circumstances to control his spirit is marked by grief.

§ A man who keeps his heart right will have a continual banquet whatever his circumstances.

§ Paul had learned in “whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil 4:11). It was not stoical indifference or philosophical existentialist thinking which enabled Paul to rise to this plateau. It was grace which saw God as “the God of my life” (Ps 42:8).

· “The afflicted in health and or wealth may have the cheerful heart that enables them to endure and to overcome their circumstances.

o If v. 13shows (how) our prevailing attitude colors our whole personality, this saying makes it color our whole experience” (B. Waltke).

o Cohen’s translation brings this out even more forcibly: “But if he be of a happy mind, he hath a continual feast”[4]

§ “The attitude controls the experience, rather than vice versa.”[5] Discuss

· Verses 13–15 refer to a happy heart, a discerning heart, and a cheerful heart. Inner joy (śāmaḥ) shows on a person’s face, but inner grief (heartache; cf. 14:13) depresses a person’s morale (crushes the spirit; cf. 15:4; 17:22; 18:14).

· As we address the issues of “Desperate Families”, I think we could agree that happiness and depression are issues of the heart. What a person is inwardly has more lasting impact on his emotional state than do his circumstances. Some people hold up under difficult circumstances better than others because of inner strength. I bet if we paused and worked on a list of what is challenging families today the list would be long!

o But heartache denotes the pained and troubled psyche that comes from living in folly, not wisdom. It is equated with a broken spirit and its adjectival derivative means “beaten, broken”; as a result, he falls into depression.

§ “A troubled heart quenches the spirit, so that one’s vital energy cannot flow.”32

o The next proverb explains the source of the joy that enlivens and of the hurt that depresses. The vague opposite assumes that the spiritual state of a person’s inner being is manifested in the vitality, or the lack of it, in a person’s eyes, genuine smile, and the like.[6]

· Vs. 15:14. A person who has discernment seeks more knowledge and it comes to him easily (14:6). But … a fool feeds on (rā‘âh, “grazes” like cattle), and is content with, his folly, (cf. 15:2, 21).

· Vs. 15:15. In contrast with the oppressed “those who are bowed down,” the humble, afflicted; often translated, “needy” as in 14:21), who are miserable, are those who are cheerful (cf. 15:13) and as a result have a continual feast; they enjoy life despite adverse circumstances.

o Therefore, people ought to encourage the oppressed by helping them.[7]

Thoughts to consider from the Paul’s life:

· Paul and Silas were thrown into prison after being brutally beaten for preaching the gospel at Philippi (Acts. 16:23–24). They lay in chains as the filth, vermin, and insects of their dungeon infected their excruciatingly painful, open wounds. One of the most powerful verses in the New Testament records their actions that night:

o “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (Ac. 16:25).

§ Paul later wrote the great epistle to the Philippians from prison. This was his testimony:

§ “Rejoice in the Lord always: andagain I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Ph. 4:4–7). Discuss on how this relates to desparate families

· Paul knew from experience that prayer is the key to God’s peace in the midst of problems.

o When the peace of God floods the heart of a suffering believer, the joy of the Lord is overwhelming. Praying and committing the pain of our suffering to the Lord is the path from despair to joy.

Note: Solomon had said in verse 15 that he who has not a large estate, or a great income, but a cheerful spirit, has a continual feast; Christian contentment, and joy in God, make the life easy and pleasant; now here he tells us what is necessary to that cheerfulness of spirit which will furnish a man with a continual feast, though he has but little in the world—holiness and love.[8]

Proverbs 15:16 (NKJV) 16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble.

· Vs. 16: “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord”: Especially in our materialistic and consumer age, we constantly want more and we fear living with little. Yet life is better with little if lived with reverence and honor to God (the fear of the Lord).

· Nothing is more valuable than a relationship with the Lord. Jesus said that the things of the world and the deceitfulness of riches would prevent God’s Word from bearing fruit in many people’s hearts (Mt. 13:22). But those who fear the Lord—who have a genuine relationship with Him—would not trade that relationship for all of this world’s wealth. In fact, they would unanimously choose to be materially poor rather than spiritually poor.

o Discuss!

· Though trouble or turmoil is paired with wealth in this verse, the unique problems that accompany wealth are not the focus here.

o Notice that the contrast is between the fear of the Lordand trouble. In all but two of its Old Testament uses, the word translated as trouble refers to some destruction or turmoil sent by the Lord in judgment.

o Though the ungodly rich may not suffer the worldly problems the godly poor endure, they doubtless have immeasurable trouble awaiting them in eternity.

§ Their riches can buy them no favor with God. Their wealth will be of no value to them in hell.

📷 Luke 16:22-25 (MSG) 22 "Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. 24 He called out, 'Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I'm in agony in this fire.' 25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It's not like that here. Here he's consoled and you're tormented.

· “Than great treasure with trouble”: To have great treasure and great trouble is not a good life. Because the fear of the Lord spares us from much trouble, it is better to have that than great treasure.

o “Riches, though well got, are but as manna, those that gathered less had no want, and those that gathered more, it was but a trouble and annoyance to them.” (Trapp)[9] Tie this to the Exodus and discuss😊

o Exodus 16:18-21 (NASB) 18 When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. 19 Moses said to them, "Let no man leave any of it until morning." 20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21 They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt.

· This proverb has its completion in the teaching of Matt. 6:33.[10]

o Matthew 6:33 (NASB) 33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Proverbs 15:17 (NASB) 17 Better is a dish of vegetables where love is Than a fattened ox served with hatred.

· Better is a dish (dinnerportion) of vegetables where love is.

o A dish of vegetables would be the common meal, whereas flesh would be reserved for festive occasions. Where love presides, the simplest food is cheerfully received, and contentment and happiness abound. (ch. 17:1). Lesètre quotes Horace’s invitation to his friend Torquatus (‘Epist.,’ i. 5. 1)—

· “Than a fattened ox served with hatred”.

o A stalled (fattened) ox is one taken up out of the pasture and fatted for the table. Thus, we read (1 Kings 4:23) that part of Solomon’s provision for one day was ten fat oxen and twenty oxen out of the pastures; and the prophets speak of “calves of the stall” (Amos 6:4; Mal. 4:2; comp. Luke 15:23).

o The fat beef implies luxurious and magnificent entertainment; but such a feast is of little worth if accompanied with feelings of hatred, jealousy, and ill will. This and the preceding verse emphasize and explain ver. 15.[11]

Thought to Soak on

· To me the central proverb that the group calls to our attention and leads to the Inductive Conclusion is found in Proverbs 15:15.

o Proverbs 15:15 (NIV2011) 15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

· Is there anything more blessed in life than a meal enjoyed in rich fellowship with family and friends? Many of life’s most precious memories revolve around celebrations, holidays, and even ordinary occasions when loved ones gathered together around the table.

o Mealtime is a special time. Jesus looked forward to feasting with His disciples in the kingdom (Mt. 26:29: Lu. 22:30).

o It is not the richness of the food that makes such events special, but the richness of fellowship and love with people we care for.

o A portion of herbs or vegetables was the everyday fare for common people. Meat was frequently enjoyed by the rich, but most ordinary folks consumed it only on special occasions.

§ A stalled ox or fattened calf was reserved for rare celebrations, even by the wealthy (Mt. 22:4; Lu. 15:23).

§ It is better to eat simply and meagerly at a table spread with love than to indulge in the luxuries of the rich in a house filled with hatred.

§ All the world’s delicacies and luxuries cannot make a house a home or turn a bitter relationship into a tender, loving one.[12]

Listen to a comment from Adrian Rogers

· Listen: “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6) And I want to remind you again what Epicurus the philosopher said, “To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough.”

o Do you have food and clothing? Be content. That doesn’t mean that you can’t try for more, and it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t want you to prosper.

o The Bible says, “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”

o (Psalm 35:27) But you learn to be content with whatever you have, and praise God. And if you don’t, I can tell you, before long, the string is going to snap. And that big house won’t mean anything to you—not a thing![13]

Synopsis

· When I considered the deeper meaning of the text and identified the theological principles taught by the passage, in an inductive approach, I determined that joy, peace and happiness result from following Jesus Christ, together with the hope of being like Him and with Him in heaven. This is anticipated in the OT, which stresses the importance of obedience to the Lord, especially and primarily in the home. Although I found many “perks” from this lesson, the following is submitted for your evaluation about your position in being disciples of Christ.😊. jsj

· Blessings result from obedient discipleship ………………….

o Luke 11:28 (NASB95) — 28 But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

§ See also Jas 1:25; Jn 14:21; Pr 8:32; Mt 7:24–25; Jn 13:17

o James 1:25 (NASB95) — 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

o John 14:21 (NASB95) — 21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

o Proverbs 8:32 (NASB95) — 32 “Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways.

o Matthew 7:24–25 (NASB95) — 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

o John 13:17 (NASB95) — 17 “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

o Ps 37:16 |Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked.

o Pr 16:8 Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice.

o Ec 4:6 One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

o 1 Ti 6:6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

o Ps 37:17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But the LORD sustains the righteous.

[1]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Proverbs, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2012), 239. [2]Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1993), Pr. 4 Charles Wesley, ‘Come, O thou Traveller Unknown.’ [3]David Atkinson, The Message of Proverbs: Wisdom for Life, ed. J. A. Motyer, John Stott, and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 103–104. 2 Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. WORDsearch. [4]A. J. Higgins and E. Currie, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, What the Bible Teaches (John Ritchie, 2008), 171. [5]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Proverbs, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2012), 237. 32 Van Leeuwen, Proverbs,p. 150. [6]Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 1–15, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004), 624–625. [7]Sid S. Buzzell, “Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 938. [8]Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 988. V. verse [9]David Guzik, Proverbs, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2017), Pr 15:16. [10]Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Jeremiah, Lamentations & Ezekiel, ed. F. C. Cook and J. M. Fuller (London: John Murray, 1879), 46. [11]H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Proverbs, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), 293. [12]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Proverbs, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2012), 239. [13]Adrian Rogers, “When the String Snaps,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Pr 15:13–22.