Proverbs - Chapter 10

God Takes Care of His Own! A verse-by-verse study of chapter 10 of the Book of Proverbs

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The Book of Proverbs
Chapter 10

Review

Before we continue on any further, let's keep in mind some highlights of what we have learned so far.  

  • It all begins with having a fear of the Lord.  If you don't believe and honor God with a reverential fear, you will never seek out his wisdom.  It is the beginning of wisdom - the wisdom that comes from God.
    • Having the fear of the Lord, we can then begin by doing the three-steps I have repeated talked about - Knowledge, understanding and wisdom. 
    • We first purpose to seek knowledge - God's knowledge through His written Word.  We've got to get His Word on the inside of us. 
    • Then we purpose to understanding it, precept upon precept. 
    • The more we seek His knowledge, and the more we purpose to understand, then when we apply that knowledge that we have come to understand, we can walk and operate in wisdom - God's wisdom. 
    • So then whenever we speak of wisdom, we are not speaking of man's wisdom, but God's wisdom or godly wisdom because it is wisdom that comes from God.  
  • We have learned that anything contrary to the will of God, God considers it as sin - and throughout the Book of Proverbs, sin is listed as wicked or evil. 
    • There are no degrees of sin in God's eyes, whereas we may look at something as a little or terrible sin; but in God's eyes sin is sin, and God calls sin wicked or evil.
    • Fools also fall into this category.  Fools continuously do things that are contrary to the will of God; therefore, what they do is wicked or evil.
    • And yes, Christians can fall into this category of sin as well,  doing wicked or evil things as well, because we often do things that go contrary to the will of God.
    • The whole time we have studied the Book of Proverbs, it appears to have extremes - the totally righteous versus the totally wicked.  We may think that we fall somewhere inbetween - being just little sinners, but again, sin is sin in the eyes of God.

  • There will be, however, a time of judgment where all men will stand before God to account of everything done sinful upon the earth.  The books will be open as God pronounces judgment upon everyone.

    • For the unbeliever, he/she will stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment and God will then look at the sins committed, in what we knew of as degrees of sin. This time, they will be listed here as degrees of sin where each person will be punished according to his sin for all eternity in the Eternal Lake of Fire.  The degree of punishment will be given by God and it will last forever.
    • For a believer in Jesus Christ, each will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, and Christ will open up the books.  There will be no judgment or punishment for sin, however, because Jesus paid the penalty for our sin on the cross of Calvary.  Our sins are no longer listed in that book.  There will be, however, in that book listed what we have done for Christ to show how faithful we have been to Him and what He has called us to be and do.  In that, we will receive rewards.  No punishment - all rewards.  The amount of rewards will be determined on our faithfulness to the Lord.  If you did little for Christ, little will be your rewards to take into eternity.  If you did much, many rewards you will take into eternity.
  • We can never forget that we, as New Covenant believers, living under grace because of Jesus' blood shed for our sins, we are not under the Mosaic Law.  While sin is still sin, wicked or evil in its intent or action, we do not have to bring blood sacrifices for our sin to the altar for the covering of our sins committed.  Jesus shed His blood on the cross of Calvary for our sins, no matter how severe we may feel we sinned, and all God asks of us is that we humbly come before Him in repentance, asking for forgiveness as we learned from 1 John 1:9.  God's promise to us is not only forgiveness, but a complete cleansing for our sin.  We have something far better than the Law to lean on. 
    • In the same way that some of the Old Covenant believers violated the Law by intentionally committing sin, knowing they would then bring a sacrifice to the altar in hopes of the covering of their sin, we too, under the New Covenant must never misuse the grace God has bestowed upon us by cheaping God's grace by intentionally sinning, but then, not having a heart of repentance, go before God, expecting that God would forgive our sins and then go out and do the same sins over and over again without any remorse. 
  • So then, even though, as New Covenant believers, living under grace, doesn't nullify what the Book of Proverbs tells us.  We need to take what the Book of Proverbs has to say, because the Law is our teacher to show us right from wrong, righteousness from sin, and good from evil.  We need the Book of Proverbs in our life.

Three Breakdowns in Proverbs

There are three break-down sections in the Book of Proverbs.  As we now go into chapter 10, we have closed out the first section and now entering into the next.  For the next few chapters, the Book of Proverbs seems to be laid out a little differently than the previous chapters.   In this next section, we will find many proverbs that are simply a verse or two, some being only a sentence long, instead of paragraphs or stories laid out in themes as we have seen in all of the other previous chapters. 
 
  • They are short and to the point! 
  • Within them, we will find a lot of comparisons - wisdom versus folly, good versus evil, and laziness and diligence, etc.
  • Sometimes, even within a sentence, one half does not seem to even work together with the other half, and you can't help but wonder why they are listed together. 
  • Then, in many of the scripture verses we will find the word "but" between each phrase, showing a comparison between the two phrases.  
  • Because of all of that, I am going to read this section to you from the New Living Translation where it is much easier to understand, but I will continue to give explanations as we go along. 

Chapter 10

So, let's begin here with chapter 10, verse 1 as King Solomon continues with speaking forth his proverbs of wisdom.


Proverbs 10: 1  The proverbs of Solomon:  A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother. 

  • A wise child is one who has been taught the wisdom of God.  Fathers tend to boast in their children when they are good.  In contrast, mothers, as the nurturer, are by nature more emotional regarding their children. 
  • As a general principle, a mother would tend to show her grief more than the father as she has invested so much of herself into the child. 

2  Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.

  • Wealth obtained in the wrong way will disappear.  Some earlier - some later.  Those who obtained it in an evil way  lacks God's wisdom, and eventually they will be found out, and their wealth will one day disappear. 
  • God turns His back on these kinds of people, and they live their lives completely on their own without the help of God.  Often their wealth is stolen from them in the same way they stole it from others.

We have spent the last nine chapters talking about living the right kind of life - and yes, right living can save your life in many different ways.

3  The Lord will not allow the godly to go hungry, but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked. 

God takes care of His own people - those who follow after Him.  He promises to meet all of our needs.  Remember, God has our back - He watched over us.  He makes sure all of our needs are met - our wants, however, may not come, but God will always take care of our needs.  We will never go hungry, nor lack any needs.

  • But for those who seek, or crave after wickedness, they are on their own.  God turns His back on these kind of people.
4 Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.
 
  • The Word of God also says, if you don't work, you don't eat.  The fool does not know the value of hard work.
  • In order to gain wealth, you will have to work at it.
5 A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.
 
  • Do you remember back a few chapters ago regarding the ant?  Ants do not need anybody to direct them.  They are by nature workers, always planning ahead.  They work all summer to prepare for the winter.  King Solomon said, "go to the ant, you sluggard."  We can learn from the ant.
  • In contrast, those who are so lazy to even yield their harvest, loses out and starves all winter.  He may even be so lazy as to not even plant.  Not only is it a waste of food not to plant or harvest, but it points out how much of a fool that person is.  Solomon calls this a disgrace.
 
6 The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.
 
  • We have also learned in past chapters that those who follow the wisdom of God are blessed and God gives out His favor to those who wisely follows after His ways.
  • The words of the wicked, however, hold back their intentions because they know that people will not like what they are up to.  In other words, the intentions of the wicked is not for the good of people, but for the good of that wicked person only.  Therefore, the wicked conceal their violent intentions.  Once the people are stung by these kind of people, all trust in them, as well as their good reputation, is gone.
 
7 We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away.
 
  • There is a lot of truth here.  How we remember the godly because they leave lasting impressions of how kind or good they are.  In other words, they leave a good, lasting legacy for others to have happy memories over.
  • A wicked person, unless unusually wicked, will soon be forgotten, and will rot away.  The legacy of a wicked person is nothing to be proud of.

8 The wise are glad to be instructed, meaning the wise want instruction - they are always learning, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.

I sure would hate to be remembered as a babbling fool.

9 People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. - in other words, your sins will find you out!

10 People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace...

  • In other words, when someone winks at wrong doing, meaning they approve of it, it generally is done in hiding, but only done to those who think the same as them.  It won't be long, however, and they will be found out.

  • A bold reproof means speaking out when trouble begins to stop that trouble in its track.  Therefore, peace can be maintained.

11 The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

  • The wise keep their knowledge to themselves only to have it be used at the right time.  They know when to speak and when to be quiet.  They know what to say, and how to say it.  They have learned that first comes knowledge, then understanding, then God's wisdom.

    Have you noticed that when wise people speak, they have already gained the favor of the people because they have proved over and over again that they can be trusted.  As such, the people are comforted by what they say. 
    The wicked, however, are never open and above board in their intentions, hiding the truth from people because they are self serving, which eventually brings on distrust.
12 Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses. 
 
Love and hatred are polar opposites.  You will never find the two together.  
 
  • Love is of God
  • And hate is of Satan
 
13 Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding, but those lacking sense will be beaten with a rod.
 
  • We know that those who speak wisely have already developed knowledge and understanding. 
  • Those lacking sense are being torn down continuously by those around them.
14 Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.
 

Again, wise people seek knowledge and understanding so they can be wise.

  • Have you every listened to the babbling of the mouth of someone?  Some of us may call them motormouths - one who babbles on and on continuously like a motor and often does not make a lot of sense - or else, they give out information that should not be said.  A person who talks and talks and talks will eventually say something they may regret.  Yet, they still continue to talk and talk.
15 The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor is their destruction.  
 
  •  There is a form of protection in wealth where it provides some things for people where if they didn't have it, they would not be able to obtain it.  That is the plus side.  Peace and contentment, however, generally is missing from their lives.
  • But then, another way to look at someone who has a lot of wealth is that their wealth is a fortress, holding them prisoner because there will always be someone who will try to steal it from them.  So they have to protect it at all costs.
  •  Poverty, on the other hand, puts a person in want, and if living in poverty long enough, it can destroy a person. 

The important thing to remember here is that as believers in Christ, God meets all of our needs.  Our trust is in Him.  If God wants us to have wealth, He will direct us in how to obtain it in a godly way.  And when obtaining it, God will also show us how to use it for His glory.  Seeking after wealth on our own, for our own benefit, without the direction of the Lord, will eventually bring on its own consequences.

16 The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.
 
  • Wise people's money works for them instead of against them.  Their lives are enhanced as God directs us how to use that money in a way that honors the Lord.
  • Evil people or fools squander their money on worthless things, and are in danger of losing what they have.
17 People who accept discipline in godly wisdom are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.
 
  • Correct sound godly discipline is given for the purpose of keeping a person on the path of life so he or she does not sway off into deception that leads to death.
  • Those who refuse to accept godly discipline will, on their own, leave the godly path and deceptively sink into their own destruction.
18 Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool.
 
  • Godly people who walk in the wisdom of God are honest and sincere, choosing to guard their words carefully and not hurting or offending anyone.  If people have hatred in their hearts, however, their words will be either hypocritical or slanderous. 
  • Hypocrites hide their hatred within and have to lie to keep from showing his or her true feelings.  Slanderers, on the other hand, slander to demean others to lifting themselves up, showing themselves to be a fool in front of others.  
  • Therefore, to avoid going into either category, go to God, repent of that hatred, and deal with it in prayer so you can be set free.
19 Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
 
  • As pointed out, too much babbling with the mouth causes one to say too many things, therefore, subject to sinning.
  • We need to be sensitive to other people's feelings and learn when to open our mouth and when to keep it closed.  We are called to edify one another, not tear anyone down.

Next, I will read verses 20 and 21 together because they fit together.

20 The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless.  21 The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.
 
  • A person of godly wisdom has learned through the process of knowledge, understanding and wisdom when to talk and when to be silent.  A godly person who carries wisdom is one who edifies others.  Thus, the words that come from a godly person who is walking in the wisdom of God encourages and is valuable to the hearer.
  • Fools, on the other hand, lack common sense, and what is on the inside of his or her heart comes out of the mouth exposing the heart, which, as a fool, carries destruction and death - which is of no value to others. 
22 The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
 
  • The Lord blesses those who follow in His ways, and as such, if the Lord blesses the person with the gain of wealth, it will never bring on regrets because he or she followed the leading of the Lord.
23 Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.
 
  • The wicked and the fool have this in common.  They look for excitement and fun, having their lives built on things that are material and temporary.  
  • The wise, however, thinks things through beforehand sensibly on what really is fun, so that there will be be no regrets afterward.  What brings pleasure to the wise person may be entirely different from that of a wicked person or fool. 
24 The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted.
 
  • Those who walk in wickedness live in continuous fear of consequences should they be discovered.  As such, they will do many things to protect and cover up what they have done - lie, cheat, or whatever so they are not found out!

    The Bible tells us that we do reap what we sow (Gal 6:7).  That's a principle that     God put in the earth to help keep us from turning to evil.  And...God will not be mocked.  What He says will come to pass! You do reap what you sow!  Good or bad!

  • For the godly, however, we live in hope, and we trust that God is taking care of us.  Again, the godly who walk in the wisdom of God have favor with God and the Lord has our back.  God says, He will never-ever leave us nor forsake us Heb 13:5.  So, then, if we sow good things, we will reap good things.  
25 When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.
 

  • The storms of life comes to everyone.  We live in this flesh upon the earth, and the storms will come.  Just as we read in our last verse, whatever we do in life will catch up with us.  We do reap what we sow!  When the storms of life come to a wicked person, and they will come, these people  have no firm foundation to stand on.  If allowed to continue, their pathway leads to destruction and death, having to suffer for an eternity for their choices.   

  • The godly who follow the wisdom of God build their lives on things of lasting value.  When the storms of life come, as they will from time to time, we have a firm foundation in Christ Jesus and the Word of God to lean on.  Our foundation in Christ will not only lift us up, we will be strengthed because Jesus is  our victor in every situation.  As believers in Jesus Christ, we have a lasting foundation for good living and a foundation for our eternal salvation.  No matter what, we win because we follow after Christ and His wisdom!

26 Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.
 
  • No employer ever wants a lazy employee.  Nothing gets done!  The company loses money and will eventually go out of business for the lack of work they produced.  Lazy employees are irritants, a loss and a danger to the company each and every day while they remain within that company.   A wise employer will get rid of that employee fast!
 
27 Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
 
  • From the very beginning of the Book of Proverbs it has been written that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  While there are exceptions, in it's principle, living in wisdom will lengthen a wise godly person's life because they know how to direct the affairs of life.
  • The wicked - those living contrary to the will of God - however, make foolish mistakes, and in principle likely to shortens their life because of their wickedness and foolish mistakes.  They become vulnerable to the ploys of Satan, and for some have even put their life under his control.

I'm going to group the next three verses together.

28 The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.  29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.  30 The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land.

  • We see here that the godly live in happiness, they have integrity, and will remain strong.  Those who walk in God's wisdom are under a special covering because God is watching over them.  (Psm 91:11)  He gives His angels to guard and keep us in all our ways - and even if we dash our foot against a stone, they are right there to pick us up in their hand.  God promises long life, peace and contentment to His righteous.
  • God, however, turns His back on the wicked - those who refuse the wisdom of God.  They will come to nothing, they will be destroyed, and they shall be removed from the land.  That simply points out again that God turns His back on those who refuse His wisdom, and they run their lives as they think best, which in turn will eventually destroy them.  Their bad choices will catch up with them and they will end their life in disappointment and despair.  Remember, you reap what you sow!  
  • Sow to good, and God will take care of you.  Sow to bad and God will turn His back on you.  You, by your own efforts will suffer the consequences of your own actions.
31 The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice, but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.  32 The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.
 

  • The speech of the righteous who walk in the wisdom of God purposes to give out words of edification which is meant to lift up others.  Wise advise comes out of their mouth as a means of helping others.   

  • The ones who walk contrary to the will of God, however - those who walk in wickedness - speak forth deceitful and hurtful things, and their own wickedness will eventually destroy themselves.  Remember, you reap what you sow.  

We have seen lots of wisdom of Proverbs here in this chapter.  Allow them to minister to you so then you can pass them on to others.  Let your life become contagious to where others will want what you have in Christ.  Giving out little lines of mini proverbs is a good way to draw people to you.
 
That's it for today.
 

 

 
 

Written by Pastor Joyce A. Erickson

Believers Bible School, Founder https://believersbibleschool.com/