Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20000618.htm

PROVERBS: ALIGNING TO GOD'S FIXED MORAL ORDER
Part III: Displaying God's Fixed Moral Order
C. Viewing Specific Proverbs Of God's Fixed Moral Order
(Proverbs 12:1-28)
  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 12:1-28.
    1. A son needs to know that heeding corrective discipline is part of normal, healthy learning, but hating it makes one unreasonable. The idea is that we all need correction, so we might as well get used to it, 12:1.
    2. A son must know that God impartially rewards all men alike if they avoid wicked devices, Proverbs 12:2.
    3. A son must learn that a man cannot be established through wickedness where the upright cannot be uprooted: hence, there is a direct and sure correlation between being upright and stable in endeavors, 12:3
    4. A son must learn to wed a woman of high morals, for to the degree he does, it will help & not hurt him, 4.
    5. A son should know that he can discern how upright a party is by what he plans or advises others, 12:5.
    6. A son must see that he can discern how upright a party is by how well his advice and plans help others, 6.
    7. A son should be told to discern how upright a party is by how well his acts do not backfire on himself, 7.
    8. A son must learn he can discern how upright a party is by how respected he is for his advice, Prov. 12:8.
    9. A son needs to see it is more honorable to undersell his achievements than to oversell them, Prov. 12:9.
    10. A son must learn to discern the uprightness of a party by how well he treats even lowly animals, 12:10.
    11. A son should learn the value of putting his livelihood affairs above other imaginative pursuits, 12:11.
    12. A son should be told that using ungodly means for making a livelihood makes one very insecure where uprightly gained income provides an endless income supply (like a flourishing root), Prov. 12:12.
    13. A son must learn that the degree he is upright in his speech affects the degree he escapes trouble by it, 13.
    14. A son should learn that how well he uses his words affects his income the same as how hard he works, 14.
    15. A son must learn that to the degree he is open to advice determines the degree he is wise, Prov. 12:15.
    16. A son must learn that it is in his best interests to restrain himself from knee-jerk reactions to insults, 16.
    17. A son can discern how upright a man is by how candid he tries to be in giving testimony in court, 12:17.
    18. A son can discern how upright a party is by how well he uses his words to heal and not harm others, 12:18
    19. A son must learn that the degree he speaks the truth will affect the stability he enjoys in life, 12:19.
    20. A son must see he can discern how upright a party is by how peaceful and not ruinous is his advice, 12:20.
    21. A son should see that his degree of uprightness will affect the degree his life's pathway escapes harm, 21.
    22. A son should know that the degree he speaks the truth will affect the degree God blesses him, 12:22.
    23. A son must learn that it is prudent not to share all he knows as soon as he learns it: there is an appropriate time to share such insight so it will bless him and others around him with maximum results, Prov. 12:23.
    24. A son should see that the degree he diligently applies himself to his life's work will directly affect the degree he will rule and not end up in an impoverished state (slave labor in Solomon's era), Prov. 12:24.
    25. A son must learn that empathizing with others' greatly encourage even depressed noblemen (ish), 12:25.
    26. A son should know he can discern how upright a party is by how carefully one chooses his friends, 12:26.
    27. A son can discern how diligent and not lazy a party is by how well he uses what he already owns, 12:27.
    28. A son must see that the degree to which he seeks God's true, righteous way will lead not only to a happier earthly life, but to God's revealing and supplying Him the way of eternal life, Proverbs 12:28. [See Acts 17:24-30; 10:30-32, 33-48 an illustration of the fulfillment of this!]
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.