Under Gods Command
Proverbs 12:16 A fool show his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
When someone annoys or insults you, it is natural to retaliate. But this solves nothing and only encourages trouble. Instead, answer slowly and quietly. Your positive response will achieve positive results. Remember Proverbs 15:01: A gentle answer turns away wrath.
Under Gods Command
John 3:18 whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
People often try to protect themselves from their fears by putting their faith in something they do or have: good deeds, skill or intelligence, money or possessions. But only God can save us from the one thing that we really need to fear-eternal condemnation. We believe in God by recognizing the insufficiency of our own efforts to find salvation and by asking him to do his work in us. When Jesus talks about unbelievers, he means those who reject or ignore him completely, not those who have momentary doubts.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (6) in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 5:3-8 – For the lips of an adulterous drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edge sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not. Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. Keep to a path far from her; do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your best strength to others and your years to one who is cruel,
This “adulteress” is a prostitute. Proverbs includes many warnings against illicit sex for several reasons. First, a prostitute’s charm is used as an example of any temptation to do wrong or to leave the pursuit of wisdom. Second, sexual immorality of any kind was and still is extremely dangerous. It destroys family life. It erodes a person’s ability to love. It degrades human beings and turns them into objects. It can lead to disease. It can result in unwanted children. Third, sexual immorality is against God’s law.
Any person should be on guard against those who use flattery and smooth speech (lips that drip honey) that would lead him or her into sin. The best advice is to take a detour and even avoid conversation with such people.
Proverbs 3:3
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
Love and faithfulness are important character qualities. Both involve actions as well as attitudes. A loving person not only feels love; he or she also acts loyally and responsibly. A faithful person not only believes the truth; he or she also works for justice for others. Thoughts and words are not enough. Our lives should reveal whether we are truly loving and faithful. We all should be asking ourselves, do our actions measure up to our attitudes?
Under Gods Command
John 2:6-10 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”, so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
People look everywhere but to God for excitement and meaning. For some reason, they expect God to be dull and lifeless. Just as the wine Jesus made was the best, so life in him is better than life on our own. Why wait until everything else runs out before trying God? Why save the best until last?
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (6) in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 19:02 – It is not good to have zeal (enthusiasm) without Knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.
We often move hastily through life, rushing headlong into the unknown. Many people marry without knowing what to expect of their partner or of married life. Others try illicit sex or drugs without considering the consequences. Some plunge into jobs without evaluating whether they are suitable to that line of work. Don’t rush into the unknown. Be sure you understand what you’re getting into and where you want to go before you take the first step. And if it still seems unknown, be sure you are following God.
We often move hastily through life, rushing headlong into the unknown. Many people marry without knowing what to expect of their partner or of married life. Others try illicit sex or drugs without considering the consequences. Some plunge into jobs without evaluating whether they are suitable to that line of work. Don’t rush into the unknown. Be sure you understand what you’re getting into and where you want to go before you take the first step. And if it still seems unknown, be sure you are following God.
Two things can ruin your future success – ignorance and haste. You need to understand what you are doing before you do it, which means you must slow down for research first. You must know what is happening and what could happen before you take any action.
Ignorance is not bliss; it is not good. Ignorance is only helpful in matters of Christian liberty and in matters of sin and error (I Cor 10:25-27; Rom 16:19). Only in these areas can ignorance be useful. In all other areas, you should be knowledgeable and prudent.
Speed is not a virtue, except to obey God, hear others, or finish a job correctly (Ps 119:60; Jas 1:19; Pr 26:14). Only in such things should you hurry. Otherwise, caution and wisdom require you to slow down lest you make an error in judgment or in execution.
Both ignorance and haste are condemned by this proverb, which marks them as traits of the fool, connected to the previous proverb by “also.” Before decisions are made and actions started, Solomon required careful study and knowledge. Haste does make waste!
If others criticize or tease you for being cautious and wanting to know more, ignore the impulsive fools. There is no honor or virtue in rushing decisions without adequate research. Do not be intimidated or pressured to make decisions or start actions quickly.
Fools have no heart to learn (Pr 17:16); they are impulsive by nature (Pr 13:16). They rush decisions and actions without knowing the facts, and life punishes them. Wise men question everything (Pr 14:15); they do not rush decisions (Pr 14:29; 18:13; 25:8). They look ahead to see potential trouble and avoid it, but fools rush into pain (Pr 22:3; 27:12).
Many men might have been saved, if they had slowed down to consider the consequences of a seductress (Pr 7:21-22). Being slow to wrath is far superior to haste of spirit (Pr 14:29; Eccl 7:9). It is folly and shame to answer a matter before fully grasping the issues (Pr 18:13). Haste in financial things will bring poverty (Pr 21:5). Entering a conflict hastily will often bring shame in the end, when your ignorance is exposed (Pr 25:8).
The New Testament also teaches knowledge and caution. Paul condemned ignorance, for Christians are to prove all things (I Thes 5:21; Ac 17:11; Phil 1:9-11). Wise men examine in all directions and from all angles – they are circumspect (Eph 5:15-17). He warned against being “heady” – headstrong and impetuous actions hurried on by passion (II Tim 3:4). He listed “without understanding” as an inconvenient sin of reprobates (Rom 1:31).
Reader, do you prove the facts before deciding or acting? Are you cautious and slow with decisions? Avoid emotional reactions, rash purchases, wild speeches, impetuous decisions, and impulsive actions as folly condemned here. God expects you to be sober, calm, circumspect, cautious, prudent, and wise. The warning here is for your own good.
This generation commends marriages on emotion alone, but the proverb demands that there be knowledge as well. How many divorces and dysfunctional marriages could have been avoided by learning more about the other party? When haste is added to mere emotion, folly and its deserved pain will follow. Fifty years in marital hell is a long time.
Parents, especially fathers, should oversee dating and courting: they should be actively involved in the proving process. A young, single person does not have a clue about marriage, and he or she needs the combined wisdom and experience of parents to save him or her from great pain. To rush into such an abyss impatiently is the height of folly.
Others make investment and business decisions by foolish optimism rather than prudent caution and wise counsel (Pr 14:15; 15:22; 22:3). They are punished for these hasty decisions. It is truly better to be safe than sorry. Hard work in a boring job always works better than hastily or ignorantly following vain ideas (Pr 12:11; 14:23; 21:5; 28:19,22).
There are more means today to gain knowledge quickly on any subject than ever before. By Google searches or Bible software, answers for natural or spiritual questions can be found easily, yet many are more foolish than their parents. How can this be? They did not take the time to prove things, and Internet clutter is assumed as truth without any basis.
There are also more means to be hasty today than ever before. Instead of the days or weeks it would take to make an investment in the past, you can do so in less than a second via the Internet. Instead of courting a person for marriage who could be verified by many others, fools can connect via dating services without ever proving each other.
Many join churches without examining them by Scripture out of laziness or to please friends or family. Pastors preach things they have not thoroughly studied. But when the Lord sees such ignorant haste in His worship, He blinds to the truth and sends judgment (Mal 2:1-9; II Thess 2:9-12). Ignorant haste in religion is a horrible compound sin!
God has revealed religious truth in the Bible, where knowledge can be obtained easily and freely, for those who will search its pages and submit to its teachings. All doctrine and practice should be searched and proven from the scriptures (Acts 17:11; I Thess 5:21). There is no reason to be without knowledge or to act hastily, except in obedience!
Your success in life depends on following the wisdom of this proverb. Will you study and prove all things, retaining only what can be fully established as truth? Will you slow down in a faster-faster-faster generation to soberly consider what is right before acting?
Under Gods command 