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I find it interesting that in the “seven deadly sins” there are no sins of communication, like lying. As the Roman Catholic Church identified them, the list includes pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth. Compare that list with what we find in Proverbs 6:16-19, There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. Of the seven things that the Lord hates, two of them are related to speech: a lying tongue and a false witness. If the Lord hates crooked speech this much, you might think that it would make the list of seven deadly sins. In fact, there are more than 80 proverbs that directly address matters of speech. This is a significant issue for wise living in covenant relation with God. ... Keep Reading

Ever since the Lord drew me to Himself back in high school, He’s placed a growing burden on my heart for those who don’t know Christ. This stirs in me a deep desire to be more equipped and, in turn, to equip others to share the truth, beauty, and goodness of Christ with boldness and compassion to all. One Scripture passage that has continually shaped how I think about having gospel conversations is Acts 17, where Paul finds himself in Athens surrounded by idols. Paul doesn’t withdraw or mock the culture around him. Instead, he engages it thoughtfully, truthfully, boldly, and compassionately for the sake of the gospel. Recently I was reading The Gospel After Christendom, where Sam Chan unpacks Acts 17 as a model for having gospel conversations in everyday life. His reflections have been helpful, and I’d like to share a few of them along with some of my own observations. ... Keep Reading

The Roman Catholic Church has identified seven deadly sins: pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth. Some of these are directly addressed in the Ten Commandments. Most of these are confronted in the Proverbs. While we normally don’t use the category of “deadly sins,” this list does highlight some of the most common sins by which people are ensnared. We have already considered the Proverbs’ teaching on lust in chapter 5-7. Today, let’s consider sloth. Proverbs addresses sloth, or laziness, with some vivid illustrations and a repeated memorable warning. Consider 6:6-11: 6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. The “ant” is mentioned again in 30:24-25, “Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer.” In both places, the ant is commended as a wise, diligent worker, which provides food in a timely manner. In contrast, “The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth” (19:24). The sluggard is so lazy that he does not even make an effort to feed himself. ... Keep Reading

After three chapters that focus on resisting sexual sin, personified as the “forbidden woman,” Proverbs introduces us to Lady Wisdom in chapters 8 & 9. This is a powerful analogy to contrast the two paths of wisdom and folly. Both paths are represented by a woman giving an invitation. Each woman opens her home and offers a meal (9:1-6 compared with 9:13-17). But the similarities end there. The contrast between Lady Wisdom and Woman Folly is to make plain the choice before each one of us. Will we not heed the call of Lady Wisdom? Let me highlight some of the differences emphasized in Proverbs 8 & 9. First, their character is vastly different. Lady Wisdom is marked by prudence, sense, what is right, truth, and righteous words (8:5-9). Woman Folly is “loud; she is seductive and knows nothing” (9:13). These character markers reveal the heart of each woman. Wisdom fears the Lord and seeks to conform to his holy standards. Folly rejects God and his authority, giving herself to your own selfish desires. This touches on the central theme of Proverbs: your heart steers your life. So, which woman models the character you want for your life? ... Keep Reading

We have established the methodology of Proverbs: the massaging of biblical wisdom into one’s heart using short, memorable statements to ponder. This is how one “Keeps his heart with all vigilance” (4:23). Such biblical wisdom is the application of God’s moral law to the practicalities of life. As we work through these reflections, we will see how the Ten Commandments are explained and expanded upon in the Proverbs. One such commandment is the seventh commandment: You shall not commit adultery. Proverbs contains much wisdom to apply this command. And much of that wisdom is packed into chapters 5, 6, and 7. Let me touch on some of the highlights from these chapters. The battle against sexual sin is a battle for your heart. I start with a verse at the end of these chapters because this is the central issue, not only for sexual sin, but all sin. 7:25 says, “Let not your heart turn aside to her ways.” As we established before, all of our actions flow from our heart (4:23). What we treasure, that is what we believe to be good and true and beautiful, shapes what we do. That battle against sexual sin starts with our heart. An appropriate “battle” prayer is from Psalm 90:14, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love” so the temptations of sexual sin will not sway us. ... Keep Reading

When you read the Proverbs, you quickly notice that they are a different genre of literature from the historical books like 1 and 2 Samuel, or the Gospels, or even Paul’s letters. The Proverbs are poetry, but different than the Psalms, which also are poetry. A single chapter can contain a singular focus, like Proverbs 7 that warns against the adulteress, or chapter 8 that personifies and celebrates wisdom. But then there are many chapters that seem to bounce between various topics like speech or work ethics or the poor or integrity in relationships. A single verse can pack a full sermonic punch. Therefore, Bible scholars categorize the genre of Proverbs as wisdom literature and it is quite unique compared to most other literature we read. It is meant to be pondered and meditated upon. We are meant to let a verse or two soak into our hearts and reshape our perspective on life. And the Proverbs circle back on various topics to press home the wisdom of living life in the fear of the Lord. In these reflections I plan to focus on a few of those topics that Proverbs repeatedly addresses. Today, however, I want to highlight the methodology that Proverbs commands for acquiring wisdom. In our fast-paced, instant-gratification, overly-entertained society this methodology seems foreign. The method takes practice and even discipline. But without it, the wisdom of Proverbs will not take root or produce fruit in our lives. What is this method? It centers on our hearts. Consider the repetition of the commands concerning our hearts:... Keep Reading

When you read the Proverbs, you quickly notice that they are a different genre of literature from the historical books like 1 and 2 Samuel, or the Gospels, or even Paul’s letters. The Proverbs are poetry, but different than the Psalms, which also are poetry. A single chapter can contain a singular focus, like Proverbs 7 that warns against the adulteress, or chapter 8 that personifies and celebrates wisdom. But then there are many chapters that seem to bounce between various topics like speech or work ethics or the poor or integrity in relationships. A single verse can pack a full sermonic punch. Therefore, Bible scholars categorize the genre of Proverbs as wisdom literature and it is quite unique compared to most other literature we read. It is meant to be pondered and meditated upon. We are meant to let a verse or two soak into our hearts and reshape our perspective on life. And the Proverbs circle back on various topics to press home the wisdom of living life in the fear of the Lord. In these reflections I plan to focus on a few of those topics that Proverbs repeatedly addresses. Today, however, I want to highlight the methodology that Proverbs commands for acquiring wisdom. In our fast-paced, instant-gratification, overly-entertained society this methodology seems foreign. The method takes practice and even discipline. But without it, the wisdom of Proverbs will not take root or produce fruit in our lives. What is this method? It centers on our hearts. Consider the repetition of the commands concerning our hearts: ... Keep Reading

We have an idiom in English about dangling a carrot in front of someone. It speaks about offering a tantalizing incentive in order to motivate someone to do something. The kicker, however, is that the incentive is usually unattainable. This is how sin works. It promises pleasure, security, acceptance, or even significance, but can never make good on those promises. But the allure of the promises is strong. That’s why we fall into sin and temptation. The Bible, namely God, Jesus, and the biblical authors, also uses promising incentives to help motivate us to obey God’s will. The difference, however, is that the incentives of the Bible are real. Pastor John Piper loves to highlight how the Bible uses incentives to motivate people. He will speak of fighting the temptation of sin with “superior pleasure.” What sin promises and can provide pales in comparison with all that God has for us in Jesus Christ. If we are going to overcome sin and temptation, our hearts must be drawn by the superior pleasure offered in obedience to God. Chapter 2 of Proverbs is all about giving incentives to make it one’s priority to pursue wisdom. Every time I read Proverbs 2 I pray that God would grip my heart with the wonders of what is promised there. The entire chapter is structured with the conditional if-then statements. A series of eight different verbs set up the conditional “if” statements in verses 1-4. The consequences that play out if the conditions are met are spelled out in verses 5-22. Let’s consider these in turn. ... Keep Reading

One of the distinctives of Proverbs is the author’s comparison of the way of the wise versus the way of the fool. We will see this throughout the book as we make our way through these reflections. The author utilizes this comparison immediately after his introduction in chapter 1. He contrasts the enticement of sinners in verses 10-19 with the call of wisdom in verses 20-33. Let me highlight some truths that this contrast reveals. Both the head and heart are engaged in choosing your path. The sinners “entice” us with appeals to the heart. They say in verses 13 and 14, “We shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder. Throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse.” The longings of the heart for pleasure and security are tempted by such promises. People fall into such temptations, even if they “know better,” because the appeal to the heart is so strong. Wisdom makes a similar appeal to the heart in verse 33, “Whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” Again, this is an appeal to the longings of the heart for pleasure and security. Which path will make good on its promises? The end for both paths is clearly spelled out. First, the end of the way of sinners is highlighted in verse 19, “Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.” Pursuing pleasure and security by sinful means leads to death. The promises might look good, but they prove to be empty promises. The end of the way of the wise is highlighted in verse 23, “Behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.” These words reflect the promises of the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) and highlight the gift of God himself. The path of wisdom leads to the blessings of God. The author invites his listens to choose their path based upon the end result. ... Keep Reading

In my personal Bible study and meditation, I am slowly working through Proverbs. I have always appreciated Proverbs as a jammed packed book of practical wisdom for godly living. As a systems-loving person, however, I have always struggled with seeing an order or organization to Proverbs. For some of my reading, it seems like the random stream of conscientiousness from an old, wise man who can’t sleep at night. And how does Proverbs tie to the larger unity of the Bible that centers on God’s redemption plan accomplished in the work of Christ? These are the kinds of things on my mind as I work my way through Proverbs. In this series of articles, I will share my reflections on the Proverbs. Christopher B. Ansberry is a professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College. He wrote the commentary on Proverbs for the Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament series. He likens the opening seven verses to that of a college syllabus. You have the professor identifying himself with his credentials: “Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.” This is the Solomon who prayed for wisdom when God offered to give him anything (1 Kings 3:9). God honors his request and declares, “Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you” (1 Kgs. 3:12). With his God-given wisdom and the guidance of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21), we can expect great things from this teacher. It’s like getting into a class with limited seats of the most sought-after professor on campus. We should feel honored to have a seat in the class. Next are the course objectives in verses 2-6. These verses begin with a series of purpose infinitives: to know, to understand, to receive, and to give. These verbs typically are associated with the acquisition of knowledge. “Let’s learn something new!” But Solomon has something more in mind. Verse 3 gets to the heart of the matter: “to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity.” Biblical wisdom is no mere head knowledge. It is the discernment of how to live rightly under God’s rule. Righteousness, justice, and equity are three terms repeated throughout the Old Testament as a summary of what God requires of his people (cf. Isaiah 1:17; Micah 6:8). The ESV Study Bible defines wisdom as “the skill in the art of godly living.” And so wisdom and insight are linked to virtue and godly living. And this virtue is largely outward facing in how we treat others. Ansberry summarizes Solomon’s objective as the “inculcation of wisdom and virtue.” ... Keep Reading