Monday, January 27, 2025

2025.01.27 Hopewell @Home ▫ Proverbs 10:6–21

Read Proverbs 10:6–21

Questions from the Scripture text: What is on whose head (Proverbs 10:6a)? But what covers whose mouth (verse 6b)? What else is blessed about the righteous (Proverbs 10:7a)? How does this contrast the wicked (verse 7b)? What does the wise in heart do (Proverbs 10:8a)? But what happens to “a fool of lips” (verse 8b, more literal)? Who walks securely (Proverbs 10:9a)? What happens to the one who makes his ways crooked (verse 9b)? Who causes trouble (Proverbs 10:10a)? But what happens to “a fool of lips”(verse 10b)? Whose mouth is what (Proverbs 10:11a)? What covers whose mouth (verse 11b)? What does hatred do (Proverbs 10:12a)? But what does love do (verse 12b)? What is found on whose lips (Proverbs 10:13a)? But what happens to the opposite one (verse 13b)? What do wise people do (Proverbs 10:14a)? But what is near destruction (verse 14b)? What does the rich man trust to protect him (Proverbs 10:15a)? What does the poor consider his poverty to be (verse 15b)? Whose labor leads to what (Proverbs 10:16a)? Whose wages to what (verse 16b)? What does the one in the way of life keep (Proverbs 10:17a)? What happens to the one refusing correction (verse 17b)? How does someone hide hatred (Proverbs 10:18a)? What does the fool do (verse 18b)? What is present in a multitude of words (Proverbs 10:19a)? What do the wise do (verse 19b)? What is choice silver (Proverbs 10:20a)? But what is worth little (verse 20b)? What feed many (Proverbs 10:21a)? Who can’t even keep themselves alive, and why (verse 21b)?

What use is wisdom? Proverbs 10:6–21 looks forward to the sermon in this week’s midweek meeting. In these sixteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that wisdom produces either life-giving or life-destroying words.

In last week’s portion, we saw the Spirit applying the fifth (Proverbs 10:1) and eighth (Proverbs 10:4-5) commandments. This extended section is tied together by its application of the ninth commandment in the proper use of the tongue.

The first six verses are held together by the repeated theme: “violence covers the mouth of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:6b, Proverbs 10:11b). The blessedness of the righteous crowns him(Proverbs 10:6a), so that he is able to be a blessing to others as well (Proverbs 10:11a); but, the wicked is unable to use his mouth for good (Proverbs 10:6b, Proverbs 10:11b)—a defect which lingers, when he is gone (Proverbs 10:7).

Within the section as a whole, Proverbs 10:8-10 are tied together by another repeated refrain: “a fool of lips will fall” (Proverbs 10:8b, Proverbs 10:10b). One of the main reasons for receiving commands (Proverbs 10:8a) is that it affords the security of walking with integrity (Proverbs 10:9a). But if one’s lips are untrained, he will instead be crooked in his own ways (verse 9b) while attempting to corrupt others as well (Proverbs 10:10a). This fool of lips will, indeed, fall.

Wise lips go into motion (largely by not moving!) when someone has offended you (Proverbs 10:12). But, behind the lips is the inner condition of genuine understanding (Proverbs 10:13). That inner condition is reflected in an outward condition: one will have either wise words on his lips or a rod on his back. Wisdom and folly affect more than the individual. The wisdom on the lips of one, accumulates knowledge (i.e., for understanding) for others (Proverbs 10:14a), but the mouth of the foolish is attended by the destruction of others (verse 14b).

These theme of either destruction or blessing ties the rest of the section together. The rich and the poor of Proverbs 10:15 are both mistaken. Wealth does not protect (verse 15a) so much as righteousness (Proverbs 10:16a) and keeping of instruction (Proverbs 10:17a). Poverty does not destroy (Proverbs 10:15b) so much as wickedness (Proverbs 10:16b) and refusing correction (Proverbs 10:17b). How does this destruction occur? By lips that either lie to conceal the ticking time-bomb of a hateful heart (Proverbs 10:18a)or otherwise lips that “go off” and spread the destruction of slander (verse 18b). Even if there is no hatred, just the multiplication of words unleashes the destruction of sin (Proverbs 10:19a), so the wise restrain their lips (verse 19b). The righteous heart, carefully only letting the best bits out, forms a choice-silver-tongue (Proverbs 10:20a) and lips that nourish life for many (Proverbs 10:21a)! But, though the entire heart come gushing out of the wicked, the sum of it all is still little (Proverbs 10:20b), and he dies of a starved heart (Proverbs 10:21b)

Thinking about the way you use your tongue, why do you think others might be blessed to be around you? Or maybe cursed? How do you use your tongue when people offend you? What have you been storing up in your heart? How are you governing both the quantity of what comes from your lips? And, how, the quality?

Sample prayer: Lord, Your Word gives eternal life. Grant that we would be full of Your Word, so that our words would be few, but as choice silver that feels many. So, do with us according to Christ, making us like Him, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP15“Within Your Tent, Who Will Reside” or TPH400“Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me” 

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