Proverbs: Words to Live By: Chapters 21-25

Prov. 21:9 It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home. [see also: Prov. 21:19 and 25:24]
· What’s the main point of this proverb?

Prov. 22:7 Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.
· How is this proverb illustrated today?

Prov. 22:10 Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too. Quarrels and insults will disappear.
· Does “throwing out the mocker” strike you as a Christian response? Why or why not?

Prov. 22:11 Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech will have the king as a friend.
· What does this mean?
· Which king is he talking about?

Prov. 22:13 The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!”
· What do you think the point of this proverb is?

Prov. 24:3-4 A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.
· What does it meant to “build a house”?
· What other ways do people try to build their houses?

Prov. 24:10 If you fail under pressure, your strength is small.
· What’s the message for us?

Prov. 24:11-12 Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and He sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
· What’s the basic point?
· How can you fulfill this command individually?
· How can we as a church?

Prov. 24:27 Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.
· Do you understand?
Prov. 24:28-9 Don’t testify against your neighbors without cause; don’t lie about them. And don’t say, “Now I can pay them back for what they’ve done to me! I’ll get even with them!”
· Is there any reason these proverbs are stuck right next to each other?

Prov. 24:30-34 I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense. I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
· What’s the point of this?

Prov. 25:3 No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth, or all that goes on in the king’s mind!
· What are some possible meanings of this proverb?

Prov. 25:18 Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow.
· The ancient rabbis saw slander as a violation of the commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.”

Proverbs: Words to Live By: Chapters 11-15

Review
If you boil Proverbs down to two choices, what would you say they are?

What does it mean to describe Proverbs as “a floodlight” rather than “a spotlight”?

Speech
Prov. 10:19-21; 11:9, 12-13; 12:6, 26; 13:2-3; 17:27-28; 18:4, 20; 20:15

What light does James 1:26; 3:1-12 shed on the topic of speech?

Have you ever considered how God created the world in the first place; or how when Isaac was tricked into offering his blessing to Jacob, he could offer no blessing for Esau? (Gen. 27:1-37)

How would you summarize Proverbs’ teaching/perspective on wise words?

Do you think that our society respects the power of words? Why or why not?

Wealth & Work
Prov. 11:4, 15, 18, 24, 28; 12:11, 14, 24; 13:4, 7-8, 11, 22-23; 14:20, 23-24, 31; 15:16, 27; 16:8; 17:1; 18:9, 11; 19:4, 15, 17, 24; 20:13

How would you sum up Proverbs’ teaching on wealth? Is it a gift from God, or the result of your own hard labor? Is wealth good or bad?

Chapter 13
Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. Prov. 13:20 [see also Prov. 14:7]
· How is this relevant to your life?

Chapter 14
Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest. Prov. 14:4
· What does that mean?

Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy. Prov. 14:10
· What does this mean?
· Why would it be important for people to remember this?

Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. Prov. 14:13
· Why do you think God wants us to face this reality?

Chapter 15
The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but He delights in the prayers of the upright. Prov. 15:8
· What’s the difference between sacrifice and prayer?
· How is this relevant today?

Proverbs: Words to Live By: Chapters 6-10

Chapter Six
What situation is Solomon addressing in 6:1-5? Why does he think it’s so dangerous?





Proverbs directs us to “consider the ant, and be wise…” (6:6-8) Why do you think Proverbs uses this sort of “animal example”? Is it merely an illustration point, or is there something deeper…something more profound that Proverbs is attempting to say about Creation? (Consider this question in light of 3:19-20; 8:22-31)

Good article on bestiaries






Chapter Seven
What is the seventh chapter about? Why do you think so?
· You’ll notice a lot of talk in Proverbs centering upon sexual relationships. Proverbs repeatedly calls its readers (whom it presumes to be young men) to avoid the immoral woman and instead remain faithful to the wives of their youth. While on one level these passages are to be taken literally (at least I think so), there is also a symbolic level at work. The overall message of Proverbs seems to be that there are two paths to choose from: the path of wisdom, or that of folly. These “two ways” are personified by women. Scholars typically refer to these personas as Lady Wisdom and Dame Folly. (Notice the comparison between 8:11 and 31:10)

Assuming this is accurate, why do you suppose God would have chosen to use women as the personification of the two ways?


Chapter Eight and Nine
Lady Wisdom and Dame Folly make their respective pleas to men. Do you notice anything about how Wisdom & Folly make their pleas? (9:3, 14)? Also, notice the difference in the length of Wisdom’s cry versus Folly’s (8:1-9:12; 9:13-18) Do you suppose there could be any significance to this?






Chapter Ten
How true do you think 10:3-4 are? Is this a message that our culture reinforces, or one that it challenges? Why do you say so?





How do we reconcile these verses with the biblical commands to care for the poor?





What is the meaning of 10:15 and 16?





What do you suppose is the relationship between the people in 10:17 and those in 10:4, 16?



How does 10:19-21 impact your understanding of 10:18? Does all this talk about the power of words remind you of anything in the New Testament?
· Bring in James 1:26; 3:1-12. Also, have you ever considered how God created the world in the first place? Or how when Isaac was tricked into offering his blessing to Jacob, he could offer no blessing for Esau? (Gen. 27:1-37)

Do you think that our society respects the power of words? Why or why not?