Proverbs: Words to Live By: Chapters 16-20

Marriage and Family
Prov. 17:6 Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.
Prov. 17:21 It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel.
Prov. 17:25 Foolish children bring grief to their father and bitterness to the one who gave them birth.
Prov. 18:22 The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD.
Prov. 19:13 A foolish child is a calamity to a father; a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping.
Prov. 19:14 Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the LORD can give an understanding wife.
Prov. 19:18 Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.
Prov. 19:26 Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace.
Prov. 20:11 Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.
Prov. 20:20 If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness.

· What is the Bible (particularly, the OT) perspective on how to deal with those who bring grief to the family? Do you think this is still valid?
· The New Testament often speaks of the church as a “family.” In what ways do the family principles of Proverbs apply to the church?

Chapter 16
Prov. 16:26 It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on.
· What do you think of this? Does it sound cruel?
· In what ways has life given you an “empty stomach”?

Prov. 16:32 Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.
· Why?

Chapter 17
Prov. 17:8 A bribe is like a lucky charm; whoever gives one will prosper!
· So…is God saying we should bribe people? [see also: Prov. 17:23 and 18:16]
· What are some ways in which we “bribe” people today…but may not think of it as wrong or as bribery?

Prov. 17:19 Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster.
· What do the first and second parts of this proverb have to do with each other?

Chapter 18
Prov. 18:17 The first to speak in courts sounds right—until the cross-examination begins.
· What lesson are you supposed to get from this?

Prov. 18:18 Flipping a coin can end arguments; it settles disputes between powerful opponents.
· What do you think is the main point of this proverb?

Chapter 19
Prov. 19:2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.
· How is this relevant to you?

Prov. 19:3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.
· How does this fit with what we read in 16:3?

Chapter 20
Prov. 20:4 Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest.
· Notice, it’s not enough simply to be willing to plow…you have to plow in the right season.
· How might that idea relate to our lives?

Prov. 20:21 An inheritance obtained too early in life is not a blessing in the end.
· Are there any biblical examples? (Prodigal Son – Lk. 15:11-32)

Prov. 20:28 Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king; his throne is made secure through love.
· What is the real basis of authority?
· What is it that makes God, “God”?