Proverbs 30:18-19
There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Four which I do not understand:
The way of the eagle in the sky,
The way of a snake on a rock,
The way of a ship in the middle of the sea,
And the way of a man with a maiden.
Proverbs 10:1
A proverb of Solomon.
A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.
Proverbs 10: How to bring Honor to Your Home
1. Live with Righteousness: (Proverbs 10:2-3)
2. Be Diligent and Hardworking: (Proverbs 10:4)
3. Live with Integrity: (Proverbs 10:9)
4. Be Wise in Speech: (Proverbs 10:11)
5. Avoid Dishonesty and Deceit: (Proverbs 10:18)
6. Show Generosity: (Proverbs 10:22)
1. Live with Righteousness: Proverbs 10:2-3
“Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.”
Luke 12:16-21
Jesus tells a parable:
“The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. And I will say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’ Such is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich in relation to God.”
2. Work Diligently: Proverbs 10:4
“Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.”
Diligence (charuts) in Proverbs is about more than just effort; it’s about skill, wisdom, and care in one’s work. The person who works and lives with diligence, Charuts brings honor to their family.
3. Live with Integrity: Proverbs 10:9
“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.”
4. Be Wise in Speech: Proverbs 10:11
“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”
5. Avoid Dishonesty and Deceit: Proverbs 10:18
“Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.”
6. Show Generosity: Proverbs 10:22
“The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.”
Laurence Shames: The Hunger for More
“Personal disasters ranging from cocaine abuse to sundered marriages to alcoholism to suicide were ascribed not to the stresses of failure, or even the stresses seeking success, but rather the disillusionment that came with success itself”
Watchman Nee: The Spiritual Man
Believers who live in the soul incline towards either will or mind or emotion.
Those who are disposed towards volition, will walk according to their own delight and refuse the will of God.
Those whose propensity is towards mind will order their way according to their own wisdom and neglect to receive with quietness, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and their intuition.
While those whose natural disposition is emotional, will seek for pleasures in their feelings.
No matter the direction of the inclination, one thing in common to all such people: all live in themselves: all live, and what they naturally possessed before, believing the Lord-with talent, ability, eloquence, cleverness, attractiveness, zealousness, or whatever.
In principle soul life is natural strength; and manifestation, its expression is either by stubborn unyielding or by self-conceit or by pleasure-seeking.
The Discussion Questions
- Proverbs 30:18-19 says: There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Four which I do not understand: The way of the eagle in the sky, The way of a snake on a rock, The way of a ship in the middle of the sea, And the way of a man with a maiden. Name something that you observe in your life that you consider “too wonderful”
- In Jesus’s parable of the foolish Rich Man he teaches us four powerful lessons about life. What are the four lessons and how do they personally affect you?
- The Rule of Diligence is If you work hard on your job you will live a good life…But If You want to live an extraordinary life work harder on yourself than you do your job. What does that look like for you?
- Was there one particular thing that you heard in the sermon that made you think: If I can do that one thing I could bring greater glory to God and bring honor to my home?