Proverbs 13

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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Proverbs Chapter 13

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Solomon, Agur, and Lemuel

Date Penned: (970-931 BC)

Overview: Wisdom to Teach People to Live Godly (c 1-31)

Theme: Wisdom for All People (c 10-24)

Message: Receiving Instruction (v 1-25)

Proverbs 13 Commentary

(13:3) Our Speech - You have not mastered self-control if you do not manage what you say. Words can cut and destroy. James recognized this truth when he stated, "The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body" (James 3:6). If you want to control yourself, begin with your tongue. Stop and think before you react or speak. If you can control this small but powerful member, you can control the rest of your body.

(13:6) Blameless Lives - No one is perfect, but that doesn't mean we can't try to live blameless lives. Each day, picture yourself posting a guard outside your heart. What you let in and what you let out determine what kind of person you are becoming. Every choice for good sets into motion other opportunities for good. Evil choices follow the same pattern but in the opposite direction. Each decision you make to obey God's Word will bring a greater sense of order to your life, while each decision to disobey will bring confusion and destruction. People trying to live blamelessly may still sin and make mistakes, but they won't hesitate to recognize their errors, repent of them, and ask God for forgiveness. Let God guard, guide, and correct your every step, and you will be on the path toward a blameless life.

(13:10) Be Open to Advice - I was wrong or I need advice. These are difficult phrases to utter because they require humility. Pride is an ingredient in every quarrel. It stirs up conflict and divides people. Humility, by contrast, heals. Guard against pride. If you find yourself constantly arguing, there is a good chance that pride has taken root in your heart. You need to ask God to dig it up immediately before its roots grow any deeper. Be open to the advice of others, ask for help when you need it, and be willing to admit your mistakes. That is a good antidote for keeping pride from growing unchecked within you.

(13:13) God's Instruction - God created us, knows us, and loves us. It only makes sense, then, to listen to his instructions and do what he says. The Bible is God's unfailing Word to us. As with an owner's manual for a car, if you obey its instructions, you will "run right" and find the power to live up to your full purpose and potential through a close relationship with God. If you ignore God's instructions, you will inevitably have breakdowns, accidents, and failures.

(13:17) God's Messages - In Solomon's day, the king had to rely on messengers for information about his country. These messengers had to be trustworthy. Inaccurate information could even lead to bloodshed. Today, reliable communication is still vital. If a message received is different from the message sent, marriages, businesses, and diplomatic relations can all break down. Choose your words well and avoid reacting quickly until you clearly understand what the person communicating with your means.

(13:9) Discernment - Whether a desire accomplished" is good or bad depends on the nature of the dream or desire. It is pleasant to achieve worthwhile goals, but not all goals are worth pursuing to the end. When you set your heart on something, you may lose your ability to assess it objectively. With your desire blinding your judgment, you may proceed with an unwise relationship, a wasteful purchase, or a poorly conceived plan. Faithfulness is a virtue, but stubbornness is not. Screen your dreams and desires and allow the Holy Spirit to help you discern what is right before you carry out your plans.

(13:20) Godly Friends - The old saying "A rotten apple spoils the barrel" often applies to friendships and with good reason. Our friends and associates affect us, sometimes profoundly for good or bad. Be careful whom you choose as your closest friends. Spend time with people who bring out the best in you, because you and your friends will likely grow to resemble each other.

(13:20) Wisdom - When most people need advice, they go to their friends first because friends accept them and usually agree with them. But that is why friends may not be able to help us with difficult problems. Our friends may be so much like us that they cannot offer any answers we haven't already thought of. Instead, we should seek out older and wiser people to advise us. Wise people have experienced much of life--and have seen much success and failure. And they are often not afraid to tell the truth. Who are the wise, godly people you know who can warn you of the pitfalls ahead:

(13:23) Fighting Injustice - An unjust society can victimize those who are poor. A poor person's soil may be good, but unjust laws may rob that person of his or her produce. This proverb does not take poverty lightly or wink at injustice; it simply describes what often occurs. We should do what we can to fight injustice of every sort. Your efforts may seem inadequate, but fighting poverty and injustice often works best by helping one person at a time. A good place to start is through your church or another well-respected organization committed to helping those in deep need. In the end, God's justice will prevail.

(13:12) Discipline - No loving parent enjoys disciplining their child, but sometimes they have to do it. The greatest responsibility that God gives parents is the nurturing and guidance of their children. A lack of discipline puts parents' love in question because avoiding it shows a lack of concern for the character development of their children. Disciplining children averts long-range disaster. Without correction, children grow up with no clear boundaries or understanding of right and wrong and with little clear direction in their lives. Don't be afraid to discipline your children. It shows you really love them

Dave Burnette's Life Application

Foolishness

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue with the Book of Proverbs with Chapter 13. In our text today, we see wiser instruction for practical living. What catches my eye is the contrast between Wisdom and foolishness, as we know the cause and effect of making decisions. In making an application, we see that foolishness is rooted in selfishness. We generally make foolish decisions when we insist on our own way versus God's way. How about you? Is your life yielded to God's way? Let us learn from our text today to remember that our selfishness leads us to make foolish decisions.

Proverbs 13

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Proverbs 13

¹A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.

²A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.

³He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

⁴The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

⁵A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.

⁶Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.

⁷There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.

⁸The ransom of a man's life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke.

⁹The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

¹⁰Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

¹¹Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.

¹²Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

¹³Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

¹⁴The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

¹⁵Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.

¹⁶Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.

¹⁷A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.

¹⁸Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.

¹⁹The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.

²⁰He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

²¹Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.

²²A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

²³Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.

²⁴He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

²⁵The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.

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