God’s Word for Today

20 Mar, 2025

9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop

than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

-Prov 21:9 ESV

THE NEED OF HARMONY

Here, Solomon points out the stress and misery caused by an argumentative, negative wife. This proverb is repeated in Proverbs 25:24 and is stated exactly the same. “A wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.” (Prov 19:13b). The phrasing here is literally about a woman bringing grief to a man, but the principle applies to either spouse. Why causes the spouse to become a nagger and quarrelsome?

Houses during these times had flat roofs accessible by stairs. Both literally and figuratively, a man would rather be cold, alone, and uncomfortable at the roof top than inside with a wife who "nags" and finds fault.

Harmony and helpfulness are sought for in any marriage, are they not? However, there is always a clash of personalities that may disrupt that partnership. When one's spouse is constantly complaining, arguing, or bringing insults, the other spouse suffers a great deal of stress and anxiety. There is no perfect marriage. But, a healthy marriage will be achievable. Sin is the culprit in destroying relationships. Thus, both spouses should be patient and forgiving toward each other.

God gifted Adam with Eve to live in harmony with him. He created her to be a helper and treasured partner (Gen 2:18). This was destroyed by sin. After the fall, the Lord has said about the struggles in the relationship of husband and wife. He said to Eve, “Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”[Gen 3:16b]

The apostle Peter, however, exhorts wives to adorn their hearts "with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious" (1 Pet 3:4). With equal importance, God called on husbands to love and sacrifice for their wives by following the example of Jesus Christ (Eph 5:28). This relationship mirrors the relationship of Jesus and His church, wherein love and harmony truly exist.

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God’s Word for Today

19 Mar, 2025

7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,

because they refuse to do what is just.

8 The way of the guilty is crooked,

but the conduct of the pure is upright.

-Prov 21:7-8 ESV

THE CONDUCT OF THE PURE IS UPRIGHT

Wickedness always backfires. Those who persist in sin are likely to be destroyed by their own crimes.

“Behold, the wicked man conceives evil

and is pregnant with mischief

and gives birth to lies.

He makes a pit, digging it out,

and falls into the hole that he has made.

His mischief returns upon his own head,

and on his own skull his violence descends.” (Psa 7:12–16]

“Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,

and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.” [Prov 26:27).

There is no way for someone to hide their sin from God (Hebrews 4:13) and rejecting His truth leads to eternal ruin. “But he who fails to find me[wisdom] injures himself; all who hate me love death.” (Prov 8:36). Asaph confidently expresses, “Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!” [Psa 73:18,19]

The way of the guilty is crooked. Often, the use of the metaphor of a ‘way’ to refer to one's life and life choices (Prov 2:12–15). The term used for "crooked" here suggests something being turned or rolled over. Though the wicked is depicted as sinning deliberately, all human beings wander away from the path of righteousness (Isa 53:6; Rom 3:12).

However, the conduct of the pure is upright. The conduct reflecting purity may prove a life saved by grace as differentiated from a life fully engaged in the lifestyle of sinfulness. The unsaved walk "following the course of the world, following the prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2 However, those who are saved engage in good works (Eph 2:10). The grace that saves produces uprightness. Paul says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” [Titus 2:11-13]

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Text: Proverbs 21:5-6 (ESV)

5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,

but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue

is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.

THE REWARD OF DILIGENCE

Diligent work is rewarded in contrast to last-minute decisions and sloppy choices. Those who think before they act, and who think well, tend to see better results than those who act on impulse or at the last moment. As a proverb, this is meant as a general statemen to happen most probably but not an absolute guarantee. We know that well-prepared people may also suffer loss while careless people can stumble into success. Common sense, however, supports the idea that being lazy or negligent in planning typically leads to disaster and loss (Prov 10:4; 12:23; 18:9).

Jesus has allusion to this, when he said, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?" (Luke 14:28). Starting to build without planning might lead to ridicule if the builder only had enough funds for the foundation (Luke 14:28–30). Moreover, Jesus also referred to a king who considers whether his soldiers can defeat an army twice their size. Usually, the wisest thing to do is to negotiate for peace (Luke 14:31–32).

Even when it comes to responding to Jesus' call to discipleship, a purely emotional reaction is unlikely to lead to anything but failure. Diligent thought about the cost of discipleship, leading a person to respond positively to Jesus' call, is far more likely to lead to loyalty and growth.

Some people resort to lying and manipulation to get wealth. it's possible to gain temporary wealth through dishonest means. But those who ignore God's goodness and seek money, instead, are headed for terrible disaster. “Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.” (Prov 15:27).

That consequence often comes in this life, either by legal ramifications or revenge from those who've been cheated. But it will certainly come in eternity; God judges those who reject Him in favor of wealth (Prov 10:2). One way or another, sin leads to destruction (Prov 21:7). In Jesus parable of the rich fool, we learn that riches can only last so long as earthly life. “And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:19–20).

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Text: Proverbs 21:2-4 (ESV)

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,

but the LORD weighs the heart.

3 To do righteousness and justice

is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,

the lamp of the wicked, are sin.

THE LORD WEIGHS THE HEART

No heart is beyond God’s sovereign control. [v.1] Why? He knows the smallest details of our inner thoughts. A person may think his behavior is fine but the ultimate Judge is God. No matter how good a person may think he is, the Lord looks upon the heart and sees whatever sin is there. The Lord sees what we cannot see (1 Sam 16:7).

Thus, let’s not trust our hearts for they are prone to self-deception about sin (Jer 17:9). Like the Pharisee, he stood in the temple and arrogantly compared himself to others. He confidently assumed he was righteous because he performed religious acts. However, God knew his heart and did not justify him. He justified the humble person who acknowledged his sin and prayed, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (Luke 18:13).

Our attitudes are more important to God. “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”[v.3] Attitudes drive actions. He is not pleased with hollow rituals. He said to Micah, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of youbut to do justice, and to love kindness,and to walk humbly with your God?”[Micah 6:8] Samuel replied, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?" (1 Sam 15:22).

A lamp is in reference to what guides a person. A positive example of this would be the one who lets God's instruction lead their choices (see Prov 6:23; Psa 18:28). A negative example is the one controlled by their temptations and urges (Mat 6:22–23). Lamps are also sometimes used to depict a person's life, itself (Prov 24:20; Mat 5:14–16). King Saul and the Pharisee are examples of haughtiness, that God sees and is displeased.

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Text: Prov 21:1 ESV

1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.

-Prov 21:1 ESV

HE CAN CHANGE HEARTS

In ancient times, kings and rulers hold tremendous power in this world. (Prov 19:12). But, this verse affirms the Lord has sovereign control over kings. “No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord.”[Prov 21:30] Should God decide to move, He can shape a person's inner desires. One example is Pharaoh’s heart having been hardened by God. “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.” (Ex 10:1–2).

In other words, the Lord can use anyone, even secular government leaders as instruments to serve His purposes. In 538 BC the Lord moved King Cyrus of Persia to pass an edict allowing the Hebrew captives to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Cyrus said, "The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem. which is in Judah" (Ezra 1:2).

Then, hundreds of years later, God used Caesar Augustus to cause Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. This is in fulfillment of the prophecy of Micah 5:2. Luke records the fact that Caesar Augustus, Emperor of Rome, passed a decree that all the world should be registered. Therefore, everyone went to his own town to be registered (Luke 2:1–3). The decree caused Joseph to go to Bethlehem, his ancestral town, and to take Mary with him (Luke 2:4–5). While they were in Bethlehem, Jesus was born (Luke 2:6–7).

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Text: Prov 20:30 ESV

30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.

-Prov 20:30 ESV

STROKES CLEAN SOULS

All human beings are sinners and possess a sinful nature. Reason? Adam's sin passed upon the entire human race (Rom 5:12). We are not just sinners by nature only but by choice. All of us are ‘ like sheep we have all gone astray, choosing to follow our will instead of God's’ [Isa 53:6] Definitely, Christians yet sin but not make it a practice. When he sins, God will discipline him. He does use the "blows" and "strokes" of discipline to steer us away from sinning and produce righteousness in us, does He not?

Solomon is talking here about the benefit of corporal discipline. It’s more than punitive but remedial. The erring person would learn that crime carries a harsh consequence. Most likely, he would resolve not to commit the crime again. “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. (Prov 29:15). The meaning here is not entirely symbolic, but neither is it meant to encourage punishments which lead to injury.

Godly discipline, including consequences, is an important part of our spiritual growth and maturity. The writer of Hebrews explains:

"It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Heb 12:7–11).

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God’s Word for Today

13 Mar, 2025

29 The glory of young men is their strength,

but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.

-Prov 20:29 ESV

THE YOUTH AND OLD MEN

Definitely, the younger people are usually healthier and stronger than the older. Youths can display their athleticism and energy. In contrast, older people is marked with wisdom. The longer they live, the more experiences and knowledge they can gain.

Gray hair is a sign of aging, is it not? In the Old Testament times, this was associated with increased knowledge. “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” (Prov 16:31). Symbolically, those with white hair were the wisest and most knowledgeable of all (Dan7:9–10; Rev 1:14).

Are all old people wise and all young people not wise? Neither every aging person is wise (Heb 5:11–12; 1 Sam 25:23–25). Youth can be wise too like Timothy and Daniel. (1 Tim 4:12; Dan 1:17).

Paul writes that in Jesus "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col 2:3). As we age, our physical strength will fade, but our wisdom will increase if our relationship with God becomes closer. Let’s see some scriptures, such as;

“29 He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength.

30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint. (Isa 40:28–31;

“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” [Heb 5:14];

“16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4:16–18).

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God’s Word for Today

12 Mar, 2025

26 A wise king winnows the wicked

and drives the wheel over them.

27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD,

searching all his innermost parts.

28 Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,

and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.

-Prov 20:26-28 ESV

THE WISE KING

"Winnowing" is done by tossing processed grain into the air, so the wind could blow away the chaff. [see v.8] This symbolism is often used to represent sorting or separating through wisdom or judgment. This highlights the importance of justice in leadership. The wise king, therefore, should properly discern persons either guilty or innocent. This wisdom starts with proper respect for God and His will (Prov 1:7; 3:1–6). One of the reasons God institutes human government is to restrain evil (Rom 13:1–5), which involves separating the guilty from the innocent. Then, those who are guilty should be punished, to deter others from committing the same crimes.

Verse 27 refers to a just king using proper judgment. God is aware of every aspect of our inner lives (I Sam 16:7; Hebrews 4:13). A person's spirit is seen by God; it shows everything needed to know to properly judge them (Psa 7:11;139:7). Only Jesus knows the heart of man. Jesus knew what was happening in each person's spirit (John 2:24–25). Indeed, the Lord "knows the secrets of the heart" (Psa 44:21).

The caring and faithful leaders do inspire loyalty in their people, don’t they? A king who is just (Prov 20:26) and good to his people (Prov 29:2) will typically be rewarded by a nation, that loves and defends their king. While it's possible for good leaders to be unfairly attacked, or evil leaders to cling to power, the expected pattern is for good leaders to inspire happy, devoted followers. But, it’s not all the time. Good leaders are abused by wicked constituents like Jesus. He was accused in nothing wrong He did.

Jesus rules with justice and righteousness. As the perfect king, He will also judge the nations before inaugurating His kingdom. He will wisely separate the sheep from the goats; the righteous from the wicked. The wicked will be sent into eternal punishment (Mat 25:31–46).

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Text: Proverbs 20:20-22 (ESV)

20 If one curses his father or his mother,

his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

21 An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning

will not be blessed in the end.

22 Do not say, “I will repay evil”;

wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

CURSES, HASTE AND VENGEANCE

Cursing and insulting parents breaks God's commandment to "honor your father and your mother." There is a corresponding promise "that [your] days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving [you]." (Exo 20:12). A disrespectful child grows without any discipline.” Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.” [Prov 19:18] Later on, the parents will feel the reproach. “He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach.”[Prov 19:26] If he can disrespect his parents, he may disrespect any authority outside the home, most likely.

An abusive child to his parents may want to be rich quickly. When godliness is thrown aside in pursuit of wealth, that wealth is not likely to last. A classic example is the prodigal son from a parable of Jesus. God won’t mock His words.

An abusive child can be vengeful also. But, believers should rest assured that God will settle all accounts. To "wait" for God's intervention requires faithful patience. This is not easy, but it's critically important. Moses reminded Israel that God only has the authority to take vengeance. He said, "'Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.' For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants." Paul expresses the same sentiment in his writings (Rom 12:19).

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Text: Proverbs 20:17-18 (ESV)

17Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.

18 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.

WISE COUNSEL

Seeking advice from others is an often-repeated theme in the book of Proverbs. Strategic plans based on wise guidance are valuable when waging war, are they not? Good planning applies to all situations. Diligence and planning have to be done even as we recognize that everything is subject to God's sovereign will (Prov 12:24; 15:22; Jas 4:13–15). Most importantly, we have to seek God’s guidance through His words and prayer. [Prov 3:5-6; Eph 6:13–18; Psa 119:105]

In verse 19, Solomon warns us about staying away from simple babbler or slanderer. He is the person who is making false statements about someone to ruin their reputation. It can also refer to things like gossip, which is often unsubstantiated rumor or scandal, or undue criticism. The word used here has the similarity of terms for shrewd merchants and those for liars and deceivers. By all means, the "gossip monger" or "tale bearer" should be avoided.

Even in his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul warned about those who depart from faithful pursuits and occupy their time as slanderers: gossips and busybodies. Referring to some erring widows, he said “Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. (1 Tim 5:13,14)

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