Proverbs 24:23-34
Proverbs 24:23-34
New King James Version (NKJV)
Further Sayings of the Wise
23 These things also belong to the wise:
It is not good to show partiality in judgment.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Him the people will curse;
Nations will abhor him.
25 But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
27 Prepare your outside work,
Make it fit for yourself in the field;
And afterward build your house.
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
For would you deceive with your lips?
29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”
30 I went by the field of the lazy man,
And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns;
Its surface was covered with nettles;
Its stone wall was broken down.
32 When I saw it, I considered it well;
I looked on it and received instruction:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest;
34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.
My Thoughts:
- So let’s start with (v. 24) we read “He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Him the people will curse; Nations will abhor him.”
- When any man stands up and says the wicked are just, he not only puts a stain on himself he is telling the world that it is ok to be unjust. What kind of example are we sending to our children? We have a responsibility to stand up against the evil doers and say this is wrong. Compare to (Isa. 5: 23, 24).
- In (v. 27) we read “Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house.”
- In the time of Solomon a man must prove himself capable of supporting a wife before he was able to get married. So this verse could be a literal statement.
- It also could be saying that before we take a spouse we need to clear our hearts of the weeds and stones. It is only with a pure heart can you truly love someone with the type of love that was meant for two people to share.
- Let’s finish with (v. 29) we read “Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”’
- There is a new show on TV right now and it is called “Revenge” this lady has spent her life setting up a group of people that has done her family wrong. While it does make for good TV it is not the way God wants us to live our lives. I know we have talked about this before but it cannot be said enough. When you live your life in the past and not in the future then you will suffer the same fate as the people that have been unjust to you.
- Live your life with love and forgiveness and let God be the judge.
Thought of the Day
“The less we do today, the more we have to do tomorrow”
In the late 1960s, I witnessed a carefully planned bombing raid. I remember watching as the planes methodically worked the Florida skies in an attempt to wipe out the enemy. In this case, however, the enemy was not human. It was a creature known as the fire ant–little in size but causing a major problem. The planes were spreading a pesticide aimed at ridding the South of this invader.
Just as big efforts were required to stamp out the little fire ant, so we must seriously tackle what may seem to be a little problem–laziness. The author of the book of Proverbs speaks of the sad results of “a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest” (Prov. 24:33).
Anyone who is inclined to be lazy knows that a big effort is needed to combat it. If we don’t attack it, poverty (both spiritual and physical) will come “like a prowler” (v.34).
So what can be done about laziness? You can begin by evaluating how you spend your time. If you discover that you are wasting it, you need to develop a strategy to combat the problem. Tackle those small tasks now. Keep on working diligently and those little jobs won’t turn into big problems. You’ll soon realize how much better it is to succeed than to slumber. —Mart De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
Don’t put off until tomorrow
What you can achieve today;
Working hard until you’re finished
Will keep poverty away. –Sper
Personal Reflection and Discussion
- What do you think (v. 34) is saying?
- What other things do you see in the text?
Prayer Activities
- Call your Partner and discuss this devotional.
- Continue to have a prayer list and continue to praying for them.
- Pray with them and ask for the following;
- For God to give us the strength to stand against the unjust.
- For God to help us cleanse our hearts and be more like Him.
- For the individuals on your pray list.
- Let’s use (John 15:9) for today’s prayer verse.
About bobh6
40 Days of study 
There were so many things in todays study. Your first thought was about men who say evil and wickedness is ok. How often do we hear that today. It seems like every time we turn around. It is ok to do whatever makes you feel good. Life today is all about “me” and what “I” want. It is so sad. Then you talked about living in the past. I used to do that. I would go back to 1971-1975 in my sleep, daydream about it all day and cry because I couldn’t go back. It was not healthy and it was years before I could move on. We must move on and look to the future. Our future that God has in store for us and is better, so much better than anything we live for now. Verse 34 is saying that our laziness is going to bring about poverty because we do nothing to help ourselves. It won’t happen overnight or when you are looking but it will slip up on you unaware and then you will wish you had some sort of shield to defend yourself like an armed man.
I remember doing that. We moved from Brooklyn eventually to NJ and I remember wishing we could go back. I missed our aptment and friends, and all the places linked with sweet memories. Even today I still dream of being back in Brooklyn. But, I remember some years later visiting our old friends and the area and seeing how it changed. It’s never the same. People change, locations change, and even we change. We wish we could just freeze time. The sad truth is we can’t make the past the present; and the present and future often seem so scary and uncertain. All we could do from getting dizzy with the motions of life is stay focus on our constant… God and his care. With our Protector and Insurance in place we’re encouraged to plan and perpare for the future without worring of loss or waste…we understand everthing and all our experience are trail run for something better in the far future.
Being in the Navy all those years, I would come home every two or three years and when I crossed the Texas state line I knew I was home. But the truth is when I pulled in to Fort Worth so much had changed that I did not even recognize it. I like so many other Christians look forward to the day Christ returns and we all will go home one last time.
I like reading and visualizing Solomon looking around and learning from houses run downed to hearing cases presented neighbor against neighbor. How many stories do we hear of neighbors holding grudges against one another and finding ways to get back at the other. While I was over in Ecuador last year, I was shocked at the crime rate. I asked why there was so much crime and they explained alot of it was based on neighbors who have feuds for generations. People there don’t just pack up and move, they’re invested in the land and house they built and can’t afford to move commute; they’re stuck with eachother and get caught up in the revenge game. Even here in the US where we do tend to move frequently, neighbors fighting over fence yard have ended up in even murder.
Funny even though we’re soo many years later than Solomon, we could still learn the same lessons from observing life around us. There isn’t anything new under the sun.
You are so right; when I lived in Japan I saw the same thing. It takes more than one generation to pay off a house there and the Japanese can hold a grudge. We need to pray for those who wish us harm and ask god to touch their hearts.