The Book of Proverbs Practical Wisdom for Everyday Life. Lesson 8: Getting the Heart Right

Transcription

1 The Book of Proverbs Practical Wisdom for Everyday Life Lesson 8: Getting the Heart Right

2 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov. 16:18) A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. (Prov. 25:11) few words, right sense, and fine image shortness, sense, and salt

3 Outline Joy and Sorrow Our Words Our Thoughts Pride Envy Anger

4 Key Lessons last week Arguing with a fool is a waste of time. Do not get caught up in it. Anyone who trusts in his own heart is called a fool. Some wise caution for us! Do not try to cover up your sins. They will be found out and you will not prosper. The consequences for the fool and the wicked are dire. Let us avoid falling into their ways.

5 Key Lessons A joyful heart is medicine to the soul and is wonderfully contagious. Do we have this spirit? Words are powerful things. Are you doing the most good you can with them? The Lord knows our heart, our thoughts, and our every word. Is He pleased with what He finds? Pride can be a subtle yet dangerous thing. Don t let it sneak up on you and overtake you.

6 Joy and Sorrow A Joyful Heart (15:15; 17:22; 18:14) Joyful heart has treasure no matter its physical circumstances (15:15) Joy is like medicine (17:22) Joy helps one endure (18:14) Heart knows its own sorrow (14:10) Only the person who actually suffers or rejoices can intimately speak of those experiences. Laughter ends in sorrow (14:13) Hebrew has two phrases say "but its end " Every life ends in death. See Eccl 2:2; Lk. 6:25 Faces betray feelings (15:13)

7 Our Words Power and Persuasion Power of the tongue - death and life (18:21) Persuasion (25:15) The good they can do A good word helps others (12:25) Speak what is good and enjoy good (13:2) Good words promote life and health (15:4; 16:24) Good words are spoken at the right time and appropriately (15:23; 25:11-12) Words of the pure are good (15:26) Words reveal deepest thoughts (18:4)

8 Our Words Answering another (15:1; 16:1; 18:13; 24:26) Carefully and kindly (15:1) Answering before hearing it out (18:13) Give an honest answer (24:26) Avoiding flattery (28:23; 29:5) Rebuke is better than flattery (28:23) Flattering others can harm them (29:5) Gossip (11:13; 18:8; 20:19; 25:23; 26:20-22) A gossip doesn't keep secrets (11:13) Gossip can be addictive (18:8) Do not associate with a gossip (20:19) Results of a backbiting tongue (25:23) Gossip causes strife (26:20-22)

9 Our Words Hurtful or inciting (18:6-7; 26:2; 30:32-33) Words can get you into trouble (18:6-7) Hurtful words cause anxiety (26:2) Exalting yourself can incite (30:32-33) Inconsiderate speech (27:14) Being inconsiderate to others early in the morning

10 Our Words Speaking too much (10:19; 13:3; 15:2; 15:28; 21:23; 29:20) Too many words can produce sin (10:19) Consequences of speaking much or little (13:3) Fools pour forth (15:2) Righteous studies how to answer (15:28) Guarding your mouth (21:23) Hastiness with words (29:20) Truth vs. Lying (16:13; 12:17-19) Speaking truth promotes justice; lies are like a sword Speaking what is right (16:13) Rashly vowing (20:25) Reputation - Value of what others say about you (27:21)

11 Our Thoughts Reveal The heart reveals the man (27:19) Consideration The righteous thinks before he speaks (15:28) Pure Purity of heart (22:11) Conscience Our spirit illuminates our thoughts (20:27)

12 Our Thoughts Guided by the Lord (16:1,3,9) Guidance of the Lord (16:1,9) Trust in God (16:3) Commit to the Lord and your plans will succeed Omniscience of God (15:11,26; 17:3) The Lord knows the heart (15:11) Thoughts and words of the pure are pleasing to God (15:26) The Lord tests the heart (17:3)

13 Pride How It s Described (14:3; 21:24; 25:14,27; 26:12; 27:2) Like clouds and wind w/o rain (25:14) Is not glory (25:27) A man wise in his own eyes (26:12) Let praise come from and others not yourself (27:2) Scoffer is his name (21:24) Sets himself up as his own authority against God. Proud, haughty, arrogant. The foolish are proud (14:3) What it Produces Strife (13:10; 28:25) Shame (11:2) Sin (21:4)

14 Pride It s Consequences Destruction and a fall (16:18; 18:12) Better to be humble which brings honor. (18:12) An abomination to the Lord wrath (16:5) Will bring him low (29:23) House will be destroyed (15:25) Relative value Pride with treasure is worthless (16:19)

15 Envy Power of jealousy (27:4) A powerful motivator, but not one for good Envy is rottenness (14:30) A healthy mind produces a healthy body, but things such as jealousy can actually make one sick

16 Anger Need for self-control Wrath of fool is uncontrolled (12:16) Slow to anger (15:18; 16:32) Stop contention before it's a problem (17:14) Discretion makes one slow to anger (19:11) discretion - sekel - intelligence, prudence, wisdom A short temper gives no control over one's spirit (25:28) Stirs up more strife (29:22) Acts foolishly (14:17) Appeasing A peace offering appeases wrath (21:14) Provoking Provoking anger can cause one pain or death (20:2)

17 Anger Associations Avoid friendship with an angry man (22:24-25) Consequences Wrath of a ruler can be deadly (16:14) Punishment Will suffer punishment (19:19) Fool A fool's wrath is a load of trouble (27:3)

18 Key Lessons A joyful heart is medicine to the soul and is wonderfully contagious. Do we have this spirit? Words are powerful things. Are you doing the most good you can with them? The Lord knows our heart, our thoughts, and our every word. Is He pleased with what He finds? Pride can be a subtle yet dangerous thing. Don t let it sneak up on you and overtake you.

19 Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established. (Proverbs 16:3)