Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20000611.htm

PROVERBS: ALIGNING TO GOD'S FIXED MORAL ORDER
Part III: Displaying God's Fixed Moral Order
B. Viewing Specific Proverbs Of God's Fixed Moral Order
(Proverbs 11:1-31)
  1. Introduction
    1. After motivating a young man to heed an observed fixed moral order, the literary genre of the Egyptian sboyet that the Book of Proverbs uses works to supply actual proverbs to reveal that order, cf. Bruce Waltke, "The Book of Proverbs and Ancient Wisdom Literature," Bibliotheca Sacra, 136:543, p. 221-238.
    2. Solomon reveals that order to be God's order for his son to heed. We continue a study of that order:
  2. Viewing Specific Proverbs Of God's Fixed Moral Order From Proverbs 11:1-31.
    1. Since God Whose blessing in business is essential for its security demands businessmen be fair in their transactions with others, a son must be told to be careful to be upright here for his own fiscal welfare, 1.
    2. A son must be told he will be honored in life to the degree he combats conceit with modesty, Prov. 11:2.
    3. A son must learn that his having integrity will even guide him where its lack will devastate him, 11:3.
    4. A son must value integrity over business earnings as only the former will save him from God's anger, 4.
    5. A son must value business integrity over sin as the former makes life's pathway easier unlike the latter, 5.
    6. A son must see that integrity keeps him from trouble where its lack leads to addiction to lusts that harm, 6.
    7. A son must learn that doing evil in his life will lead to unreached goals and no lasting achievement, 11:7.
    8. Sons must be told that the degree they are righteous will affect how free of trouble they are in life, 11:8.
    9. A son must see that evil will lead him to destroy his neighbor with his words where being righteous will not only keep him from doing such harm, but withdraw him out of harm's way from such verbal abuse, 9.
    10. A son must learn that the degree he is righteous will affect the degree of happiness he brings to others, 10.
    11. A son must see that to the degree he is upright, his speech will help or harm his entire community, 11:11.
    12. A son should learn that it is often better to remain silent with negative news as it is so destructive, 11:12.
    13. A son must see that others will trust him with sensitive issues to the degree he keeps them to himself, 13.
    14. A son must learn that to the degree he obtains counsel affects the degree of safety in his decisions, 11:14.
    15. A son must be told to avoid leaving his financial welfare at the mercy of others by being collateral, 11:15.
    16. A son must learn kindness gains him greater long-term advantages than even force with wealth, 11:16.
    17. A son must see that the degree he exhibits loyal love toward others affects the degree it is returned, 11:17.
    18. A son must be told the degree to which he is upright in business will affect the security of his income, 18.
    19. A son must be told that the degree to which he is upright in business eventually affects his longevity, 19.
    20. A son must learn that the degree he is upright will directly result in God's blessing or opposing him, 20.
    21. A son must see the degree to which he is righteous will determine the degree he escapes punishment, 21.
    22. A son must see that the degree even a beautiful woman has moral perception affects how she is valued, 22
    23. A son must be told that to the degree he is upright in life will affect the degree his goals are attained, 23.
    24. A son must learn that generosity with his possessions before the needy affects his own final welfare, for generosity breeds good business relations where hoarding wealth eliminates them for future times, 24-26.
    25. A son must see the degree he seeks to promote goodwill for others affects the degree it comes to him, 27.
    26. A son must be taught to seek security in being upright over being wealthy when there is a difference; the former will make him very productive where valuing the latter will eventually crush him, Proverbs 11:28.
    27. A son must learn that the degree to which he preserves good relationships with his extended family will also affect the blessings of the estate he shares in when the estate is portioned to its heirs, Proverbs 11:29.
    28. A son must learn that to the degree he aligns to God's fixed moral order will affect the degree he attracts others to it as they witness God's blessing, dramatically affecting his degree of becoming a blessing, 30f.
Lesson: From these proverbs, it is clear that a youth is much better off being told by his parents that heeding God's ways is to his distinct advantage in the adult world.

Application: (1) We as parents need to have the courage under God's leading to inform our maturing sons and daughters of the VALUE of heeding God's fixed moral order. (2) As maturing children or as adults ourselves, we can apply these truths to our own lives for eventual blessings.