2025.09.29 Hopewell @Home ▫ Proverbs 17:21–25

Read Proverbs 17:21–25

Questions from the Scripture text: Whom has the man in v21 begotten? With what effect? What sort of heart has what effect (v22a)? And what other sort has what other effect (v22b)? What does the wicked man do (v23)? Where is wisdom (v24a)? Bu where does the fool look instead (v24b)? Whom does the foolish son affect in what way (v25)?

What grieves a parent to death? Proverbs 17:21–25 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the unchecked folly of a child grieves a parent to death.

The bookends (v21, 25) of this section both mark it off and give its theme: the deadly grief of children who remain fools because left to themselves. 

These verses teach children that part of honoring father and mother is to desire to bring them joy rather than grief. 

One of the greatest sources of grief for the parent of a fool is the part played in the child’s folly by the parent’s own failure to apply v10–15. 

Holy joy is life-giving (v22a), but the grief of sin brings the death of the curse (v22b). 

How harmful is it for the child’s folly to go unchecked? He develops into the wicked, who accepts bribes that put him in exact opposition to the Lod (v23, cf. Dt 10:17). 

For the child’s part, how does he come to be such a hardened fool? Although the Lord has brought wisdom near him in the form of his parents (v24a), the child’s focus is anywhere else but the good that the Lord has provided for him (v24b). 

This makes the same point as v16. A parent, who doesn’t apply the Lord’s discipline and instruction; or, a child, who doesn’t heed the Lord’s discipline and instruction; is a great grief (v25).

Whom have you been assigned to give the Lord’s discipline and instruction? Whom has the Lord assigned to give you discipline and instruction? How receptive are you to it? What joy do you take in holiness?

Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for providing us discipline and instruction that You use to bring us out of folly and into wisdom. Give us the joy of holiness, and spare us the grief of wickedness, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

Suggested Songs: ARP14 “Within His Heart the Fool Speaks” or TPH400 “Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me”