Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Summary: Some kinds of knowledge are good for us. Other kinds a bad, even poisonous. Learning to tell the difference requires that we rely on Jesus to guide us.
Continue reading “Proverbs 9:10 — The Knegg Detector”
Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
Summary: Learning is a sign of a particular kind of mind. Wisdom and righteousness are the marks of a learner with humility.
Continue reading “Proverbs 9:9 — The Humble Learner”
Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;
rebuke the wise and they will love you.
Summary: There is something different between the mocker and the wise. Solomon shows us that difference and explains why it is important.
Continue reading “Proverbs 9:8 — Blind Spot”
Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.
Summary: Figuring out who are the mockers and who are not is not hard. We know. Sometimes we don’t know why we know, but we know.
Continue reading “Proverbs 9:7 — Good Advice”
Leave your simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of insight.
Summary: Sometimes we look at God’s Word and think, “That makes sense,” and then go on as if nothing had happened. Proverbs encourages us to learn from what we read in the Bible and apply it in our daily life.
Continue reading “Proverbs 9:6 — Stop the Stupid”
“Let all who are simple come to my house!”
Summary: The complexities of life are brought on by trying to live by our human standards instead of God’s.
Continue reading “Proverbs 9:4a — Simple Me”
For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the Lord.
But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.
Summary: We all make choices in life. Sometimes we even realize that we are making them.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8:35-36 — Love Hate”
NOTE: The “all right now” joke is not original here. If you want to claim this portion of the cartoon we are happy to acknowledge the original source.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice...
Summary: Righteousness is a deep subject. Today’s passage brings us to the edge of the ocean of things there are to know about righteousness.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8:20 — Bildad’s Question”
The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;
I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
Summary: Solomon provides us with another insight into the nature of wisdom; she pre-existed time.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8: 22-23 — Before Time”
My fruit is better than fine gold;
what I yield surpasses choice silver.
Summary: Talking about the benefits of wisdom is a daunting task. Solomon compares wisdom’s fruit with precious metals.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8: 19 — Fine Fruit”