Douglas Jacoby Podcast

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Salient points:

• Multiple voices vie for our attention.
• Wisdom calls us to a banquet. Think about how this connects with Luke 14 (the Parable of the Great Banquet) and Matthew 22 (the Parable of the Wedding Banquet).
• There is little point in correcting the mocker / fool / wicked, but the wise will always benefit from input (9:9).
• Here we meet the third of the four key women in Proverbs. She is Folly.
• We must learn to listen critically, lest she influence us. Christians should be well trained to see through deceptive advertising, and to teach their children to see through the misleading messages of the world.

Daily challenge: To listen critically and to welcome criticism.

Tomorrow: Proverbs 10.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Salient points:

• Wisdom speaks to all mankind; we are accountable; there is no one on earth out of reach of wisdom's voice.
• Repeated emphases in Proverbs: the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom; the superiority of wisdom to silver and gold.
• God in his wisdom created and sustains the world. He is plenty smart to take care of us. We should therefore rely on his wisdom, not our own.
• Many Christians identify Wisdom in Proverbs 8 with Christ. He is our wisdom (1 Cor 1:30), and through him God created the world (Col 1:15).
• To become disciplined people, it will be enormously beneficial to watch at wisd0m's door daily.

Bonus material: Many Proverbs are suited to instructing leaders, especially leaders of nations, beginning in this very chapter. When you read tomorrow's news, appreciate how accurately the Lord has the political pulse. Another biblical book with keen insight into the dynamics of politics is Ecclesiastes. Here is my selection from Proverbs:

• By me [the fear of the Lord ] kings reign, and rulers decree what is just -- 8:15
• By me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly -- 8:16
• Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety -- 11:14
• In a multitude of people is the glory of a king, but without people a prince is ruined -- 14:2
• Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people -- 14:34
• It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness -- 16:12 (see vv.10-13)
• The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD -- 21:3
• Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty -- 22:16
• Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel -- 25:4
• Take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness -- 25:5
• When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue -- 28:2
• When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves -- 28:12
• Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people -- 28:15
• A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days -- 28:16
• When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase -- 28:28
• When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan -- 29:2
• By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down -- 29:4
• If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked -- 29:12
• If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever -- 29:14
• It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink -- 31:4
• Lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted -- 31:5

Challenge for the day:

• Make time to watch daily at wisdom's door.
• "The vigour of our spiritual life will be in exact proportion to the place held by the Bible in our life and thoughts." – George Mueller

Next time: Proverbs 9.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Salient points:

• "Simple" doesn't mean unintelligent (in IQ), but deficient morally.
• Obedience and wisdom keep us from the wayward woman.
• The youth was looking for sin, and she found him.
• Notice the time of day. Night is falling. It's after working hours.
• She entices him and convinces him he won't get caught.
• In our sex-saturated society, we need to fortify ourselves before going out into the world!
• And we need to stay busy!

Challenge:

• Stay busy!
• Warning: "Many a man gets a reputation for being energetic when in truth he is merely fidgety."
• Imitate the life of Christ.

Next podcast: Proverbs 8.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Salient points:

• Although generally we need to keep our word, because being a man or woman of our word is a matter of integrity, still there may be times when higher principles require that we break a commitment. In this case, we should press hard until we are free. It's a useful passage for counseling anyone who has made an unwise commitment.
• The ant is a great model for us, for her industriousness. Oversleeping is the first act of indiscipline in a day we can commit. We need, therefore, to be especially wary lest we begin the day lazily, and end up being robbed of productivity and joy.
• Troublemakers, persons who lack righteous discipline and integrity, are always stirring up dissension. We should be aware that much dissension is only the activity of an undisciplined person to rationalize sinful behavior.
• Adultery is a particularly serious sin. Whereas nearly any capital offense in the O.T. could be settled by payment (except for first-degree murder), the adulterer can only look forward to fury and destruction.

Challenge of the day:

• May we be self-motivated.
• Emulate the ant, starting with the time we get up in the morning.
• As someone put it, "Oversleeping is a mighty poor way to make your dreams come true."

Next lesson: Proverbs 7.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Salient points:

• The wayward woman is blind to spiritual reality.
• We too will join her in spiritual blindness unless we watch our step.
• Let's stay as far away from sexual sin as we can! Genesis 39 illustrates the attitude we should have; 2 Samuel 10 illustrates what can happen when we are careless, without a plan and lacking in discipline.
• We are all only a few bad choices away from spiritual disaster. Even though we still assemble with the saints, that doesn't mean we're in a good place spiritually. In fact, we could be in great danger!
• Our spouse is the one who should meet our sexual needs.
• For those married: This means we need to so appreciate them that we refuse to look at someone else's spouse just as we would refuse to share our spouse with anyone else (1 Cor 7).
• Sin ruins our discipline just as indiscipline exposes us, making us vulnerable to sin's temptation.
• We should live as though we were in the presence of God -- because we are!
• In the Lord's eyes, there is no acceptable excuse for indiscipline and the temptation to which it leads; such is folly, the opposite of wisdom.
• Indiscipline enslaves. As the ancient Stoic put it, "No man is free who is not master of himself." — Epictetus (60-110 AD)

Challenge of the day:

• Today let's stay as far away from sexual sin as possible.
• "There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity." -- Tom Peters

Next lesson: Proverbs 6.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Salient points:

• Training instills obedience. Jesus himself underwent this process (Heb 5:9).
• It’s easier to accept guidance from someone who accepts guidance (3:3).
• Many years (v.10) isn’t an iron-clad promise. Like most proverbs, it’s a general truth. When we follow God we tend to live longer lives (indicated by gray hair).
• We must guide our hearts (v.23) and keep our gaze directly ahead – stay focused! Jesus did, so we should take him as our model.
• Final verse: Veering to the right or left means disobeying God’s word. (See Deut 5:32 etc.)

Challenge of the day:

• Stay focused.
• "One man has enthusiasm for thirty minutes, another for thirty days, but it is the man who has it for thirty years who makes a success of his life." — Butler (1612-1680)

Next lesson: Proverbs 5, the first of three chapters targeting sexual sin.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Salient points:

• Keeping the commands in our hearts, or writing them on the tablet of our hearts, isn’t just scripture memory; it’s obedience.
• Trusting in the Lord – really letting go – is hard!
• Straight paths means not that life is easy, but that we are doing right morally – on the straight and narrow.
• Honoring God with our wealth includes resisting materialism. See Amos 6:1-7; Prov 1:19.
• Vs. 11-12, cited in Heb 12, encourages us not to take God’s correction lightly or too hard.
• The “tree of life,” from Gen 3, reappears four times in Proverbs and 4x in Revelation.
• “Watery depths” is the sea beneath the earth (in the ancient cosmology).
• 3:27-28 are similar to a passage in ch 24.
• The final verses: Mocking proud mockers – opposing the proud – but showing favor / grace to the humble (and oppressed) is cited a number of times in the NT.

Challenge of the day: Humility. Let go and let God…

Next lesson: Proverbs 4, another chapter highlighting fundamental heart issues important for developing a disciplined life.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Some salient points:

• Wisdom is a true treasure.
• The Lord wants us to be successful. This depends on our being upright.
• Understanding follows having a right attitude.
• When knowledge is pleasant to us, we will take joy in learning, meditating, reading...
• Notice the contrast in Proverbs between the crooked and the upright. Crooked words, crooked paths, crooked people (2:15; 8:8; 10:9). As C.S. Lewis put it, the crooked are actually "bent" -- not upright. Someone else said "Following the path of least resistance is what makes rivers and men crooked."
• Wisdom will keep us from bad company (the group mentioned early in chapter 1).
• It will also protect us from the Adulteress -- the 2nd of the key women in Proverbs.
• At the end, only those who choose wisely will remain. The wicked have no permanent place.

Challenge of the day:  Seek wisdom as a treasure.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Some salient points:

• Purpose of Proverbs: to help us to get control of our lives, to live wisely for God.
• In Proverbs, an older person (parent, teacher, friend) gives counsel to a younger person (son, daughter, pupil)
• We must choose wisely whom we associate with.
• The undisciplined hope to get something for free--to gain wealth without having to work for it.
• There are victimizers and victims, but even the victimizers are victims; sin is reflexive.
• Wisdom (a feminine noun in both Hebrew and Greek) calls out, and we should listen to her.
• God is generous, and will bring us into his confidence if we respond to the voice of wisdom.
• If we do not respond, there will be no one to blame but ourselves.
• Fearing the Lord is a choice!
• There is no room for complacency. We must take our walk with the Lord seriously!

Challenge of the day:

• Don't be complacent. Listen to God's wisdom!
• Discern this voice. It may come in counsel, conscience, a class or sermon.

A note about translations:

• The first translation, before we highlight some key points, is the NIV (1978--O.T.)
• The second translation, before the prayer, is the ESV (2001). (The NIV is the most popular English version in the world. The ESV is more accurate, lying midway between the stricter versions like the NASB and the more informal versions like the NIV.)

Next lesson: Proverbs 2.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

This podcast (8 minutes) will introduce you to the Proverbs Podcast series. This podcast covers the preface to Proverbs (1:1-7), and explains how the thought behind the Disciplined Life series.

1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple
    knowledge and discretion to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
    and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
    the sayings and riddles of the wise
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and instruction. -- Proverbs 1:1-7
 

• The Book of Proverbs, the 20th book of Scripture, is perfect for anyone who wants to make a fresh start.
• Proverbs are both compact and powerful!
• Questions for self:
  • Do I begin projects, but not complete them?
  • Could I use some help with my key relationships?
  • Would I like to listen to God's wisdom on marriage and family?
  • Do I overeat -- is this area of my life yet to be brought under the lordship of Christ?
  • How about my speech: Do I talk too much? Am I too negative?
  • Am I advancing in my career? Perhaps I need more wisdom in my social interactions?
  • Do I struggle with any sexual sin?
  • Would I like to be wiser or more observant?
  • Do I abuse drink?
  • Could I use some tips on better managing my employees?
  • Are there money issues in my life that need the Lord's discipline?
  • Am I impetuous, acting too quickly? or too slowly?
  • Am I disorganized?
  • Do I easily become over-committed? Do I have a hard time saying no?
  • Is there sloth in my life?
  • Do I want to become more mature?
• Imagine how much you could change in the next month, if you simply focused on the pearls of wisdom that make up Proverbs!
• No quick fix, but we can build biblical conviction.
• How it works:
  • Read chapter
  • Comments
  • Reread or recap chapter
  • Identify a challenge for the day
  • Prayer
• Ideal for personal devotions. Please consider committing to the entire series.

Responses to the series:

• "Simply phenomenal! Thank you for the daily devotional from Proverbs. I find it very helpful personally, and I like the daily challenge, the prayer, and the fact that you read two different versions for opening and closing -- this gives me a pattern for future Bible studies. Well put together."
• "I want you to know that every morning my wife and I are listening to the series. It's giving some real structure to our Bible study. Thank you."
• "80% of the family group I lead are using the Disciplined Life devotionals. They're great. I thought you'd like to know that."
• "I just want to take this time to let you know how grateful I am for you and for the incredible impact the disciplined life series from Proverbs is having on me. I love these lessons. We need this kind of teaching here in Africa!"

"I just want to thank you for putting out the Disciplined Life series! I'm really enjoying it, and it has been such a great help for kicking off the New year with more intention and purpose- and consistency- than how I ended 2015."

"I appreciate the challenges and how relevant they are. They help me see better how to relate a proverb to my life, as sometimes I can acknowledge the general wisdom but not see the practical implication for me personally... Thank you also for doing so humbly and for often sharing the vulnerable things that you are learning in your own life."