Sunday, August 1, 1999 This Week's Lesson:
In this week's lesson, which came from Proverbs 11:19-22, Solomon shared even more tidbits of wisdom. While much of the discussion in the earlier chapters of Proverbs talked about seeking and acquiring wisdom, all of Proverbs 11 delivers many pieces of useful information and sound wisdom. In Proverbs 11:19, the reader is encouraged to choose life over death, to choose a righteous lifestyle over an unrighteous one. According to Solomon, living right leads to life while living wrong leads to death. The Hebrew word for pursue means to ardently or zealously go after something, perhaps even with reckless abandon. We should never be ardent pursuers of an evil lifestyle. Psalms 5:4 says, "For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee." The Lord forsakes those who do not have a healthy regard to do the right things, but He stays close to those who try to live right. For the Christian, God becomes their life and victory. Psalms 23:4 says, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
The froward heart does not please the Lord. Froward comes from the Hebrew word that means twisted, distorted, crooked, perverse, or perverted. Abomination comes from the Hebrew word that means a disgusting thing. II Samuel 22:27 says, "With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury." We should avoid close involvement with those that have a froward heart. Proverbs 8:13 says, "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate." The person that tries to do the right thing pleases him. The wicked will not escape judgment, but the righteous will be delivered. Psalms 9:7-8 says, "But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness." Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 says, "And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."
Solomon has taught throughout this great Book that it is important to have discretion. We study the Book of Proverbs so that we can gain wisdom so that we can have discretion because discretion will keep our life on the straight and narrow and out of trouble. Proverbs 2:11 says, "Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee." As you go through the coming week, try to live the life that the Lord would have you live and try to be the person that He would have you be. Ask Him daily to turn you into the person that He wants you to be.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
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