Proverbs 17:12-18:10

Proverbs 17 12-24

v.12  A mother bear robbed of her cubs is a very dangerous thing. Bears are protective of their young and they have been known to maul and kill humans that they believe may be a threat to their cubs. For this reason, a mother bear robbed of her babies is very dangerous.

However, a fool in his folly is even more dangerous to us than the mother bear. “Folly” describes the trouble that the fool brings with him. The fool can bring us physical and spiritual trouble. He may rob us, or he may convince us to help him rob another. The lesson is that just as we make it a point to stay away from the mother bear, we should also make it a point to stay away from the fool.

v.13 To reward evil for good is a terrible thing. It reveals an extremely evil person. It is like the dog that attacks its owner after the owner has cared for it for years. It takes a self-centered person to do such a thing. In essence, it is what humanity did to Christ. He did nothing but good and the world rewarded Him with the “evil” of the cross.

We all know people that have been blessed by others yet hurt those same people who helped them. We can be sure that the person who has no respect for those who help him will experience perpetual evil. The consequences will be eternal. We should respond to acts of goodness with respect and kindness.

v.14 “The beginning of strife” is the start of an argument. The argument is compared to the breaking of a dam. The water begins by slowly coming out of a small hole. Soon, however, the dam breaks and the water floods through. “Quit” means to “drop it”. To keep an argument from escalating, just drop the matter when you see the first drop of contention. If you don’t, the consequences could be devastating, just as the flood that a broken dam brings is.

v.15 The context of this verse is probably a judicial setting. The verse describes two things that are morally disgusting to God (abomination). To “justify the wicked” means to declare that they are righteous or innocent. Some judges may do this because of a bribe or because of whom the accused is. Regardless of why he does it, there is no excuse for justifying the guilty.  

To “condemn the righteous” is the complete opposite. It means finding someone guilty who in fact is not guilty. A wicked judge may condemn the innocent for the same reason he justified the wicked. God expects truth in our judicial system. He will hold such people accountable. To make this practical, we should remember never to justify sinful actions or condemn godly ones.

v.16 Money cannot buy wisdom. It can buy an education, but it cannot but wisdom. Wisdom is not only intellectual, but it is also moral. It involves the mind and the will. If a person rejects the fear of the Lord, they also reject wisdom. The fool has no heart (desire) for wisdom; therefore he will not receive it.

v.17 The “friend” and the “brother” are not contrasted here. They are included together because they offer similar support. Their relationships are strong and intimate. The friend loves at all times. His love is not conditional. The brother is in our life to help us in times of adversity. The verse teaches us that it is good to have close personal relationships with people. We need unconditional love and support when times are tough.

v.18 While a friend does love at all times, he is not to forget wisdom. It is foolish to make a deal (pledge) to pay for another person’s loan. Friends do have to draw the line. We cannot enable people and put our selves at financial risk. If we want to help a friend, we should just give them the money they need. Loans tend to breed strife.

v.19 Constant quarreling leads to constant sinning. Arguments always lead to bitterness, anger, grudges, etc. If you love to argue (argue a lot) then it must follow that you love to sin, because if you’re doing a lot of arguing you’ll be doing a lot of sinning. He that argues often also “makes his door high”. That is he builds walls around himself so that others cannot get close to him. He only invites destruction on himself by doing this. He will not have the friend or brother in verse 17 to support him.

v.20 “Discover good” speaks of prosperity and “fall into calamity” describes a life of trouble. The person who is perverse can expect this to be his lot in life. The crooked heart reveals itself by a dishonest tongue. This type of person does not please God. They are continually thinking and saying dishonest things.

v.21 This verse is a simple one. The mother and father of a fool suffer as well. Their life is full of sorrow instead of joy because of his actions. We must remember that foolishness is defined in a moral sense not an intellectual one. The parents are not depressed because their son is not rich or intelligent. They are depressed because he is so immoral.

v.22 Our emotions affect us physically. If we have a happy heart it will cure our emotional ailments. We will look, feel, and act better. On the other hand, a sorrowful spirit (broken) will suck the life out of us. It will impact the way we appear and feel.

v.23 Once again, it is a wicked man who takes bribes. In taking the bribes he is perverting justice (see verse 15).

v.24 The wise person is committed to following wisdom. He sets his eyes on it. The foolish person wanders all over the earth following his own hurtful lusts. In this verse we can see a picture of the broad and narrow roads. The person on the narrow road is heading straight toward the wisdom of God. The fool on the broad road is traveling to and fro seeking sin.

Thoughts To Consider

1. It is dangerous to keep company with foolish people.

2. Every argument has a beginning but many do not have an end.

3. Support your brother and love your friend, but do not excuse sin or enable foolishness.

4. What does it take for you to look the other way? (family, money, position)

Proverbs 17 25-18:10

v. 25 This verse echoes verse 21. The character of a child affects his/her parents. Parents desire that their children become wise. There is no greater trial to a godly couple than to see their child forsake the ways of the Lord.

v.26 This proverb repeats the warning against perverting justice. It is not good to punish the just. False accusations are probably implied. To “impose a fine on a righteous man” is to punish people in power for doing the right thing. “Uprightness” is a person’s integrity. It is the habit of some to try and pervert justice through blackmail or bribery. This is a foolish thing to do seeing that God is just and that ultimately, He will right every wrong. In doing so He will hold those responsible that contributed to perverting justice.

v.27-28 Wisdom causes us to watch our words. The term “cool spirit” is a figurative way of describing quietness. Even a fool appears to be wise when he keeps quiet. These verses teach us that we can discern the level of wisdom a person has by listening to their speech.

Chapter 18

v.1 The man in this verse is a selfish man. His desire is his own way. As a result, he separates himself from people and rejects sound judgment. Selfish people are by nature divisive and foolish. They forsake God’s way because they love their own way more. This is the person who will take all their toys and go home if they don’t get their way. This type of behavior may be expected in children, but it is unbecoming especially in adults.

v.2 Understanding comes by listening. The fool has no desire to learn anything. He simply wants to talk. The fool reveals his heart by always talking. He wants to tell everyone about himself and his own desires. We should be careful of people who only want to talk about themselves. It reveals an unteachable and proud spirit.

v.3 This verse describes the fate of the wicked. His actions bring contempt. That is, people will despise him. Next comes dishonor. This word means shame. Shame comes into the wicked person’s life. Shame of self and shame on the family. Shame is followed by disgrace. People will mock the wicked person, calling him out and making a mockery of him. While wickedness may bring temporary pleasure it eventually brings shame and rejection.

v.4 The words of the man’s mouth should be interpreted as wise words. The wise man’s words are deep. That is, they have significant meaning to them. They convey the deep truth of Gods word. They are like the bubbling brook in that they bring refreshment to those who receive them. They are not stagnant and full of death. They are deep and flowing, bringing wisdom and life to those who receive them. 

v.5 This is another verse warning against injustice. It is not good to overthrow the good and accept the wicked. The wicked should be punished and the righteous should be rewarded. This is God’s way, and it should be reflected in the affairs of man.

v.6-7 These two verses describe the trouble that fools mouth brings him. They cause him to quarrel with others and invite discipline upon him (strokes). This could be a result of people attacking him or it could refer to a beating done by officials for a crime committed. In the end a fool’s word will destroy him. They will set the snare that his soul is trapped in.

v.8 A whisperer is a person who spreads gossip. His words are like wounds. They hurt deeply. They do not hurt us physically. They cause us pain in the deepest parts. They hurt us emotionally and scar us oftentimes for life. We should be careful not to be violent with our words. We may hurt someone deeper than we know.

v.9 This verse compares a lazy worker and a “destroyer”. The context is probably the job site. One is not producing the product through his laziness; the other is destroying the product through his apathy. These two men are kinfolk. They are both hurting production and affecting others with their sin. Godly people should be diligent and concerned about the quality of work they give to their employer.

v.10 The “name of the Lord” refers to His character. In the Bible the name of a person often described the actions of a person. It is in God’s character to receive and protect those who come to Him in repentance and faith. If we respond to our knowledge of who our God is by turning from sin and coming to Him in simple faith, we can be sure that we will be safe (John 6:37, Heb. 11:6).

Thoughts To Consider

1. If I am interested in other I will talk little about myself and ask question about others.

2. Be careful about wanting your own way, God might just give it to you.

3. If we want to benefit from the words of the wise we must listen closely and appropriate them into our life.

4. The more we talk the more our chances of bringing trouble on ourselves increase.

5. The greatest thing that lazy people waste is time!