Understanding Proverbs-Part Two...Pastor Bob's Sermon

Understanding Proverbs – Part 2
Okay. How many of us picked a proverb to memorize this past week? How many of us picked a proverb that helped us in our “most stupid” area of life? Did it do us any good?
Today we’re going to look at six proverbs. The first one has to do with the human mouth. This is one that the person sitting next to you really needs to hear about! So … let’s read Proverbs 10:19 together out loud.
When words are many, sin is not absent,
but he who holds his tongue is wise. (Proverbs 10:19)

Look at that first phrase again: “When words are many, sin is not absent.” Does this strike us as profoundly true? One of the things that means is, what’s the simplest way to cut down on sin? Stop talking so much!
A loose association … just forgive me for ten seconds. Remember that old TV show, Mr. Ed? In the theme song, it says, “Mr. Ed will never speak … unless he’s got something to say!” That’s why I tell the kids I don’t need no stinkin’ Ipod … it’s all up here!
The point is … how many of us have nothing of substance to say, but that doesn’t stop us at all. We just keep on talking. And the writer of Proverbs says, “When words are many, sin is not absent.”
There’s a book out on the Proverbs called Making Life Work. The author makes the point that it’s as if the writer of the Proverbs believes we can make a graph of the relationship of words to sin. It’s almost mathematically predictable.
So, imagine in your mind, a little graph that we will call the “Sin Predictor Index.” On one axis we have “words.” On the other we have “sin.” Let’s just estimate that the average person says ten thousand words a day. Now, how many verbal sins would that involve? William Back, a Christian psychologist, wrote a book called Telling Ourselves the Truth. He cites research that indicates the average American citizen lies 200 times a day. 200 lies a day. Add to that gossip, slander, anger, bragging, insults, flattery, un-kept promises, intimidation, judgementalism. For the sake of argument, let’s say there’s a ten-to-one ratio of words per sin. Okay? So, if you use ten thousand words a day, that means you’d be committing a thousand sins. If you cut it down to five thousand words, how many sins would you be committing? Five hundred. If you get it all the way down to, let’s say, ten words in a day, how many sins? One! You’ve made a huge gain … and all you’ve done is just shut up! Nine words or less, and you’re a saint! Just think, if this is really true, we all know Dave Forbey is going to hell!
Now, we laugh at this, but it’s serious business. Henri Nouwen writes about this in his book called The Way of the Heart. He tells about the early Christian wisdom figures, the early Church Fathers, who strongly recommended the spiritual discipline of silence; to cut ourselves off from noise, but also to speak as little as possible for specific stretches of time. The number one reason they advocated this is because they believed it is so hard to talk without sinning. Silence as a spiritual discipline.
And when we observe this proverb, an amazing thing happens. We begin to discover that we can live without getting in the last word. We find out that we survived … it’s not easy at first, but we do. We find out we can live without trying to make sure we control how everybody else thinks about us. We find out we can live without winning every argument. We can live without “powering up” over every decision. We can live without always drawing attention to ourselves.
One last observation. If this is your proverb, use wisdom about where you will apply it. If, for instance, you are a husband and you come home from work and your wife wants to connect, soul to soul, and asks you how your day went, you might not want to say, “’When words are many, sin is not absent.’ Proverbs 10:19.” Because if you do, and your wife is wise, she may reply, “Proverbs 25:11; ‘A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.’ Which means, start talking, honey, or I’m going to buy jewelry.”
Next one. Proverbs 19:24. Let’s read this together. “The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!”
Have we ever wrestled with procrastination? Do we have any area where we know that God is calling us to diligence and initiative, and we’re just blowing it off?
This is a very colorful proverb. It’s a picture of a person who is so lazy that he puts his hand in the nacho bowl, and decides it’s not worth the energy it will take to transport the food to his mouth. He’s thinking, “Whoa, this is work. I’ll just leave my hand right there. Maybe the wind will blow one of those nachos my way.”
The point is … no one is ever nurtured by laziness. No life ever gets nurtured by laziness. Lack of action, lack of initiative, always leads to loss of life. And, for some of us here this morning, if our area is lack of wisdom, lack of initiative, passivity, procrastination, avoidance, then Proverbs 19:24 may be for us. Just don’t take forever getting ‘round to it! Remember, God wants us to use our energy, our strength, and our abilities for His glory.
Proverbs 10:25. Let’s read it together. “When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.”
Jesus was immersed in this book of Wisdom. Which one of Jesus’ parables does this verse remind us of? The house on the rock. (Matthew 7:24-27) The house built on the sand … the storm comes … it gets swept away. The house built on the rock, on Jesus’ words, on Wisdom … the storm comes … it stands firm. His parable was actually a commentary on this proverb.
We read this one aloud because some of us here are in the storm right now. You’ve been abandoned or betrayed. You’ve been wiped out by a financial disaster. Somebody you love has died, and there’s a sadness in you you’ve never known. You’re in a depression that just won’t go away. You stay up late at night worrying about a child. You just lost a job. You wonder some days if you can even make it. This is your proverb.
Listen, it doesn’t give us an easy answer, nor does it guarantee that everything will be hunky-dory by tomorrow morning. What it does give is hope that when the storm passes, and it will, those who cling to God will still be standing. And as you meditate on this proverb, you will be encouraged to say, “I’m not going to let go. I don’t care how bad the storm is. It will be over. It will be over in this life, and, if not, it will be in the next. And I will still be standing.” “When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.”
Next one. Proverbs 12:1; “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.”
This means … we all need to hear the unvarnished truth from people who love us. A fool ignores, even resists, loving correction. One sure sign we are growing in spiritual maturity is that we humbly receive criticism. Now, that doesn’t mean every criticism is right or that we have to agree with it. But a listening ear and a receptive heart honors God.


When we want to become the people God wants us to be, we want to be humble enough to accept and even invite constructive criticism. When we only surround ourselves with people who agree with us and affirm everything we do, we will never grow. Proverbs gives us this powerful word of wisdom: “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” (Proverbs 27:6)
Who can we learn from? Anyone who speaks the truth lovingly. Look at Numbers, chapter 22. It’s the story of Balaam and his talking donkey. That’s a lesson for all of us. If Balaam could learn from a donkey, then God can certainly teach us through all kinds of people. If we are humble and listen, God can instruct us through the most surprising of people … even an … well, that other word for “donkey.”
Okay … moving along. Next proverb.
Proverbs 30:15a; “The leech has two daughters. `Give! Give!' they cry.”
Ever see a leech? Nasty little bloodsuckers! They attach onto a host body with both ends of their soft, slimy little bodies. That’s where that image of “two daughters” comes from. These two daughters constantly cry, “Give, give!” The leech is a taker, and it never gives anything back to its host. A leech never latches on to you and says, “I have a gift I’d like to give you.” Leeches only make withdrawals, never deposits. This proverb is pointing, in a very graphic way, to people who take and take and never learn to give. They are not walking in the way of wisdom.
Know anybody like that? Of course we do. It’s all too easy for the human spirit to become leech-like in its selfishness. So much in our culture pushes us towards that. Television commercials and magazine ads encourage us to live self-centered lives. Saw an ad for an expensive car … it read, “Go ahead. You can have it all.” A lot of really bright and well paid people stay up at night figuring out ways to promote leech-like living. Jesus gave us many warnings about the power of things and the human propensity for always wanting more. So did Howard Hughes. When he was asked how much does it take to make a man happy, he answered, “Just a little bit more.”
If this proverb speaks to us, it may be time to start identifying behaviors in our life that have a “feed-me, give-me” feeling to them. As God begins to show us areas of life where we are always wanting and demanding more, we want to give those up to Him and pray for a contented and generous spirit.
Which leads us to our next and last parable. God always gives us an antidote to our foolishness. And the antidote to taming the leech in us is Proverbs 19:17. Let’s read it together.
“He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”
Remember Jesus said, “Whatever you did for the least of these … my brothers, my sisters … you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25)
It’s a remarkable statement: “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD.” When we are giving to the poor, in some sense, we are giving to God.
Now, maybe, our heart, our actions, on behalf of the poor have cooled off. After all, the economy is in turmoil, our stock values and home equity are shot … we can only afford to go out for dinner once a week. But this proverb says to us, “When you give to them, you give to God.” How can we say “No” to God? Maybe this is the proverb we want to take home with us, and pray that God will help us develop a generous spirit.

Last time, I asked us to pick a proverb for the week … memorize it … live it … and watch how it changes our life. Did we do it? If not, then pick Proverbs 19:24 to start. I challenge you to do it. Remember, Paul says in Roman 12:2; “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This is how our minds get renewed … this is our part to play in the renewing of our minds.

Let’s pray.
Again, Father, we have studied Your proverbs … pearls of wisdom given to us that we may avoid folly and the empty end to which it leads us. May Your Spirit be with us and inspire us to renew our minds, that we may resist fitting into the pattern of this world … and fit into the plan Your have for each and every one of us.
Thank You for Your grace and love and wisdom.
And the people said, “Amen.