Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20110918.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Proverbs: Motivating Teens And Adults To Align With God's Fixed Moral Order
Part III: Solomon's Proverbs Reflecting God's Fixed Moral Order For Blessing, Proverbs 10:1-22:16
A. Contrasting Wise, Righteous Living With Foolish, Wicked Living, Proverbs 10:1-15:33
3. Studying Proverbs 10:11-16
  1. Introduction
    1. Solomon's actual proverbs hop from one subject to another, likely "to force readers to grapple with and meditate on the thoughts of one verse before moving on to the next," Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 925.
    2. We then focus on each one to draw out its deeper insight that Proverbs 1:5-6 implies exists (as follows):
  2. Studying Proverbs 10:11-16.
    1. Proverbs 10:11 claims the mouth of the righteous is a fountain (NIV, ESV) of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. The last part of this proverb repeats the last part of Proverbs 10:6 in the Hebrew text (Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 1166), so we can combine the lessons of both proverbs. In doing so, we note the righteous are blessed in community relationships as the elders lay hands on their heads to bless and promote them (v. 6a) in part because the mouths of the righteous give edifying words to others (v. 11a). In stark contrast, the mouths of the wicked conceal plans of violence against others that leads to having bad community relationships, Proverbs 10:6a,b with 10:11a,b. The degree we are righteous affects the degree we say edifying things, and that affects the degree of good relationships we enjoy with others!
    2. Proverbs 10:12 (ESV) asserts that hatred stirs up strife, but that love covers all offenses. Hatred is very destructive to relationships, creating strife whether wrongs that justify strife were or were not committed while love both nullifies hatred and its resulting strife and annuls the force of wrongs committed that would usually lead to strife, creating peace! Hatred thus has huge effects of relationship unrest where love produces great effects of peace even amid normally tumultuous unrest due to real wrongs!
    3. Proverbs 10:13 claims that wisdom is found on the lips of one who has discernment (nabon, Ibid., Kittel; B. D. B., A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, p. 106), but a rod of punishment is for the back of him who is destitute of mind (Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 524). Discernment between good and evil (in the context) thus not only makes one avoid punishment from overseers and the government, but it eventually leads him to align with God's fixed order to where he is able to instruct others to avoid punishment! In great contrast, those who lack discernment become destitute of mind, lacking sense to the degree that they not only fail to gain wisdom, but get into trouble with overseers and eventually suffer great punishment. Thus, it is absolutely necessary that one discern good from evil to have a decent life!
    4. Proverbs 10:14 claims the wise treasure up (saphan, Ibid., p. 860) knowledge, but the mouth of the arrogant or flippant (ewil, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. K. C., O. T. , p. 908) brings or invites (NIV) ruin. This proverb implies that arrogant, flippant folk do not pay attention to knowledge available to them, leading to inevitable ruin, where serious-minded people closely heed whatever insight they can glean, leading to their making wiser decisions that cause them to avoid unnecessary ruin. It is thus important to view life seriously in order to pay attention to what knowledge is available if we would avoid inevitable ruin.
    5. Proverbs 10:15 claims a rich man's wealth is his fortified city, but the poverty of the poor is their ruin. It is important to guard and wisely invest what income we gain for use as insurance against calamity versus treating the income carelessly so that it is soon gone, leaving us uninsured against unseen future calamity.
    6. Proverbs 10:16 NIV, ESV asserts that the "wage(s)" of the righteous brings them life where the "income" of the wicked brings them punishment. Since "wages" were what a laborer was paid by the self-employed and the "income" of the self-employed was usually much higher than the laborer's pay, it is always better to enjoy legally-acquired gain even if it is less in amount than to gain more income sinfully only to be punished for it, losing that "income" and future opportunities for gain! Besides, a righteous laborer will become wealthy by wisdom (Pr. 10:4), which wealth will not to be confiscated in punishment (Pr. 10:22)!
Lesson: May we live righteously in God's power (Gal. 5:16-23) to edify others and build relationships that make for peace, to discern good from evil and treasure up knowledge and wealth gained as insurance against life's calamities and gain our income rightly to be able keep it in peace before others!

Application: May we thus align to God's fixed moral order in these realms for blessing!