Expository Study: Proverbs

What (or Who) is an hypocrite? And how does a hypocrite destroy with his or her mouth? We will discuss this and see what the Bible tells us in regards to dealing with hypocrites. Hint: we don't let them stick around to do their damage. https://bbfohio.com

The hope of unjust men will perish. But who exactly is an "unjust" man? And why does his hope perish? We will answer by discussing who IS a just man and why those justified by faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ have a hope that will not perish. https://bbfohio.com

Why does God repeat himself, or at least repeat the same truths only worded somewhat differently? Sometimes that happens in two verses where the same basic truth appears. Why? We will see that there is very good reason for this. And you can say that, again! https://bbfohio.com

When we read that "with the lowly is wisdom", what does that word "lowly" bring to mind? If it brings to mind someone being weak and cowering, then you have the wrong idea. We will look at Jesus and Moses for examples of what it means to be lowly. https://bbfohio.com

Riches of wealth, power and influence has it's momentary perks and privileges but can do nothing for a man when it comes time to die. The "elites" who reject Jesus Christ have no hope in the eternal future. Jesus spells this out for us very clearly. https://bbfohio.com

While God does destroy the wicked at times, nearly all transgressors are destroyed due to their own perverseness. It's a simple enough truth but one that the, "Why did God allow me to suffer my own choices?" crowd never gets. https://bbfohio.com

The integrity of the upright is not genetic. It comes from the influence of God and His word. Even unbelievers... even ATHEISTS and Agnostics do the right thing because Biblical morality and ethics have been ingrained in them by parents and by our once-Christian and once-Bible based culture. https://bbfohio.com

Once establishing what constitutes being "lowly" in our previous devotional, we now look at why the Bible says there is wisdom with the lowly. And we look at the opposite of lowly for this lesson, as we see Lucifer at his fall uttering his own five "I will" statements in Isaiah 14 against God's five "I will" statements in Ezekiel 28. SPOILER ALERT: God wins. https://bbfohio.com

Pride leads to shame. Shame in this life and the next. And the key to putting off pride is repentance. One must repent in order to believe the Gospel and be saved. Christian must watch for pride in our lives and when it creeps up and shows itself, we must repent so as not to bring shame to the cause of Christ and our own witness. https://bbfohio.com

Pride is a sin. Yet, we are constantly told to be proud in American culture whether it's the educational curriculum, children's programming, political propaganda and even in so-called "faith and family" movies and productions. All of this has produced the Pride movement of Sodom and it's "allies". What are we to do? https://bbfohio.com

What exactly is "a just weight"? What does that mean to believers? We will look at the reality of the doctrine of judging and how that understanding the motivation and the standard in judging others is the key to the ministry of reconciliation. https://bbfohio.com

Like me, most people probably get the basic truth of this proverb. Don't rig the weights when weighing things so that you can cheat others. God hates that. But there is a more general application that I missed for some time and might be something you need to consider... https://bbfohio.com

When we read of the wicked having their tongues cut out, we know that HAS happened. But we also know that it is rare. So, taking the Bible literally, what do we make of this? We will discuss what it means to be a Bible believer literalist and learn about "hyperbole". https://bbfohio.com

Have you ever considered what your life would be like if you were not the recipient of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, both imputed and practical? The effect on your life and upon the world around you is profound. https://bbfohio.com

The Lord truly is the strength to the upright. Christians would profess to believe that no matter how old or young, no matter how long they have been a Christian. But there is something to be said for going beyond faith and head knowledge of a thing and really experiencing the truth in our own lives. https://bbfohio.com

Have you given any thought to the fact that the wicked have their own expectations regarding this life and the next? And that those expectations will PERISH? That stands in contrast to our hope in Jesus Christ and His word. https://bbfohio.com

The sluggard does not make for a good friend, employee or church member. We look at some clarifications and then discuss the realities of the disappointment that awaits when we depend upon a sluggard and what that has to do with vinegar, teeth, smoke and the eyes. https://bbfohio.com

We discuss the "big picture" and see that the sons of Adam (Abel, Cain and Seth) provide a very important example of the truth of this Proverbs. And the repercussions of the labours of all three eventually gave us our Saviour! https://bbfohio.com

What are your desires? Are they YOUR desires or do you have God's desires in your heart? The way you answer that question makes all the difference in the life of the born again Christian. https://bbfohio.com

"The fear of the wicked" is a turn of phrase with a dual-meaning. The wicked live in fear AND the wicked fear the wicked! And eventually that fear comes home to roost. We will look at Biblical examples with emphasis on Pontius Pilate. https://bbfohio.com

We discuss the meaning of the word "sport" and it's use in this Proverb and then get the the point: Fools make trouble and only a fool would get pleasure out of doing so. https://bbfohio.com

As God blesses, the world and the enemy with the effects of the Fall continue to bring sorrow to our earthly lives. But the two are NOT connected. God doesn't bring sorrow with His blessing. It's important to see what the text actually YS and to put the blame for sorrow where it belongs. https://bbfohio.com

The Earth is the Lord's and the righteous shall never be removed. What exactly does the Bible teach about this earth in regard to the saints and where we go when we die, the Millennial Kingdom, the New Earth, etc.? Bible believers simply read the Bible and believe what it says... https://bbfohio.com

The phrase "for want of wisdom" describes all who live in contradiction to God's word. It describes this present "woke" generation and every generation that gives way to apostasy. We will look at the difference between the righteous and the fool... https://bbfohio.com

Life for the wicked just blows by. Like a whirlwind (a virtual tornado) filled with drama and then they are gone. We will discuss the unbiblical mentality and utter foolishness of this mildest and the eternal ramifications. https://bbfohio.com