Solomon Says...

Proverbs 10:

The main focus through the first 9 chapters of Proverbs has been Wisdom, Folly, Adultery & the paths to life or death. There's been other stuff included but those are probably the main things that have risen out so far. Now we move to what my Bible says is the 'Proverbs of Solomon.' We will see more 'one-liners' now, but there is still structure. Verses 1-5 show diligence versus laziness. Verses 6-11 show the mouth of the wicked. Notice that verse 6b and 11b are the same...sort of like bookends. You will probably notice that a lot in proverbs. However, there are principles that cover a wide array of subjects in each chapter. Verse 4 'lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.' Not a guarantee to be wealthy...I know many people that work 'hard' but may not be wealthy. However, you have to define wealth. We usually like to compare with our neighbor...not the best thing to do. It's a principle, not a get-rich scheme. Meaning, if you want to be poor...be lazy. You want to be wealthy? Work hard. I like verse 17 which is a good verse for leaders. 'He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.' People that can't stand correction, based on this verse, are not ready to lead. Solomon says they will lead others astray. I know many people that resist correction from people with good intentions. That's not a healthy thing to do. Leaders are learners. Once you stop learning, you stop leading. There is so much wisdom packed into each of these chapters.

Solomon Says...

Proverbs Chapter 9:

This chapter introduces a new character, Woman Folly. This new character reinforces the whole theme of Proverbs…that there are two paths to choose from. She is clearly the opposite of Lady Wisdom and bears the characteristics of the prostitute…loud, careless and a temptress. The thing to remember is all of our decisions lead us down a path. Even if we feel the decision is very minor, it still leads us to a destination. The introduction of Lady Folly reveals that we either choose wisdom…the way of life or folly…the way of death.

Solomon Says...

Proverbs Chapter 8:

I love how we just left a chapter that talked about an adulteress woman pursuing a man and now we see Lady Wisdom also pursuing a man. The whole theme of having two paths to choose from continues to stay alive. One path leads to death and the other leads to life. We’ve heard from Lady Wisdom a lot in just a few chapters in Proverbs, so who is she? Is it God, Christ, some Egyptian or Greek god? Actually, Lady Wisdom is a personification of the wisdom that God has built into the world. When Solomon talks about creation we see wisdom woven into the process. Remember, Proverbs is a book of principles and agreeing with them doesn’t make any difference…they are still active. Wisdom is woven into our world and according to verse 4 it’s available to anyone and verse 17 implies she is easy to find. Young men were being challenged by Solomon to pursue the woman that brings life…Lady Wisdom.

Solomon Says...

Proverbs Chapter 7:

Chapter 7 is a further warning about adultery. It’s interesting because it has a lengthy story from verse 6 to 23. Solomon is peeking through the lattice of his window and watches a young man fall prey to an adulteress woman. He watches the young man as he is lured by the woman to have sex. It’s not just her dress that is seductive but her words. She mentions fellowship offerings in verse 14. Basically, what she is doing is justifying making money for sex so she can use it for worship. Also, she mentions her husband is gone and took the money purse with him. She somehow convinces the young man that he is actually doing a good deed by paying for sex. It seems crazy but that shows how naïve people can be in certain situations. The young man goes to the bedroom with the woman and the picture Solomon paints is not the one the young man has in his mind. Solomon says ‘an ox going to the slaughter’…’a deer stepping into a noose.’ The young man is probably thinking…’I’m the man’…’this is going to be awesome.’ Whenever you’re involved in sin it’s sometimes difficult to see what is really going to happen. As Solomon peeks through the lattice he is watching something he has seen many times and he knows the ending. According to Solomon, it’s a path that leads to the chambers of death. Some people struggle with this passage because it seems to portray the young man as innocent and the woman as the seducer. However, we have to remember that many of these proverbs were written to the young men since they would become leaders of their household and communities. Also, the culture was different then and all of the ‘good girls’ would be at home under the protection of their father. That’s different from today since men and women can hook up almost anywhere at anytime. So, for a book written to young men it makes sense to tell a story from this perspective.

Solomon Says...

Proverbs Chapter 6:

Man, this chapter is loaded. We have financial issues, laziness, a list of things the Lord can’t stand and more adultery warnings. I’m not going to hit them all, but I’ll focus on verses 6-11. We can learn from an ant. Wow! Ants seem so useless when you think about it? I mean you’ve probably killed thousands of them by just walking across the yard, spraying your yard or maybe setting bait traps in your house. If I was going to pick something to learn a lesson from, ants would probably be at the bottom of the list. However, Solomon says ‘go to the ant and consider its ways.’ Think about the ant for a second. Have you ever seen one just layin’ around not moving…like your dog? Have you ever watched an ant carry something bigger than its own body? Yeah, I bet you have. In fact, every time I see ants they’re working, moving and doing something. They always seem to be busy. If there’s anyone that needs a vacation it’s probably the ant. Solomon says they do all this on there own…no leader…no boss…no commander saying, ‘get busy, go to work.’ The ant will really make you look hard at your own life and ask, ‘what should I be busy doing?” Most of us are probably hard workers and need some rest. However, spiritually I think is where we tend to get lazy. Reading your Bible, praying, leading your children in devotions, all that stuff takes time and because there are no instant results…we get lazy in that area. Solomon says the ant works hard all summer to store provisions. The ant works hard during one season so it can be prepared for the next. That’s exactly what we should be doing spiritually. Growing in Christ everyday seems so monotonous, but it helps you prepare for every season of life. Maturing in Christ doesn’t just happen, it takes work and Solomon says we can learn from the ant. There are a lot of other topics in this Chapter. Which one spoke to you?

Solomon Says...

Proverbs Chapter 5:

Wisdom has been the main theme for the 1^st four chapters of Proverbs. There was a brief talk on avoiding gangs in chapter 1, but since then it’s been wisdom. Now, we get to one of the main reasons why we need wisdom. This chapter is really geared towards men, but it also applies to women. The message is pretty simple, don’t cheat on your spouse…enjoy each other in the marriage bed. One thing I like about this chapter is verse 3. “For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil.” In other words, she will be very desirable and pleasing. Also, it’s not just her looks that will get you but her personality can be attractive…notice…“her speech is smoother than oil.” I think the message is to just be honest with your kids. They will desire someone of the opposite sex someday and when they do…applaud. It’s a good thing. Now, you have to teach them where to channel that desire and according to Solomon, it’s the marriage bed only. Be honest and acknowledge the desire is normal and move from there. Now notice where Solomon goes after he reveals the lure of the woman. He goes on a tear for the rest of the chapter revealing that ‘yeah she’s pleasurable’ but it’s only temporary. Afterwards, you will wish you had never gotten near her because the path she’s on leads to death. He lists all of the negative things about having sex outside of marriage. Verse 19 is a cry for 1 man and 1 woman for life. Solomon says we can be satisfied for always and the scary thing is verse 21. God has ‘full view’ of all we do. I’m not sure we think about that enough. We laugh at Adam & Eve hiding from God in the garden but we still do the same thing today. It’s really kind of funny when you think about it. Adam & Eve didn’t get to read about someone before them hiding from God and learn a lesson. They were the 1^st people. We do and we still hide…hmm.

Solomon Says...

Proverbs Chapter 4:

The great thing about this chapter is how the father is practically begging his son to seek wisdom. Normally, the parental appeal takes a verse or two, but this one goes on and on for about 10 verses. You can really see the passion in the Father as he pleads with his son to seek wisdom. Also, wisdom is seen as a woman, which is interesting. Normally, a father will talk to his son about women and encourage his son to date. The agenda of this father is very different. Verse 6…“love her and she will watch over you”…verse 8…”esteem her”…”embrace her.” It sounds like he’s talking about a girl, but he’s really talking about seeking wisdom. I love verse 3…”when I was a boy.” You’re probably thinking he’s about to tell how he walked 10 miles to school in the snow and it was 105 degrees outside. However, he relates to his son and lets him know he’s not the first to go through struggles. It may be hard to do, but somehow we have to let our children know we’ve been there, without coming across as a know it all. Let them know you made some mistakes and what you learned from them. We just have to be honest. And truthfully, I think we as adults still battle with this issue. Every time we go through something it’s as if we are the only one with problems, or the only one to go through whatever it is we are going through. It’s just more proof that we need advice and direction as we go through the trials and difficulties of life. Verse 11 says wisdom will lead you to straight paths. I think that should be the desire for all Christ followers.