Proverbs 9:6 “Forsake Foolish Friends”

“Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.”

Wisdom has prepared a set a table and prepared a place for you to come, sit, learn, and become wise, but there is a price of admission. You must separate from the wicked, from the foolish. No conversations, no fellowship. How can you become wise if you cling to the foolish? Their ways are death, and we are called to live. Next we must ‘go in the way of understanding.’ It is not enough to forsake the foolish. You must choose the path of wisdom. Don’t just forsake the foolish, walk in the way with the wise.

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Related Scriptures: Proverbs 4:14-15; 10:17; Psalm 119:115; Matthew 7:14-15; 2 Corinthians 6:17; Revelation 18:4

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“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” – Proverbs 13:20

Proverbs 8:7 “Wisdom Speaking”

“For my mouth will speak truth, wickedness is an abomination to my lips.”

The mouth of wisdom speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to the lips of wisdom. Lying is an abomination to God. As Christians, it is our duty to maintain propriety in our speaking. Lies, perverse words, wicked jokes, and innuendos must all be put far from our lips for sadden the heart of the righteous and strengthen the hands of the wicked. Speaking words of truth that encourage and reflect the light of our Savior will draw unbelievers out of the darkness.

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Related Scriptures: Proverbs 6:16-17; 12:22; Ezekiel 13:22; Revelation 21:8

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“The ideals which have always shone before me and filled me with the joy of living are goodness, beauty, and truth. To make a goal of comfort or happiness has never appealed to me; a system of ethics built on this basis would be sufficient only for a herd of cattle.” – Albert Einstein

Proverbs 7:6-7 “Observations of the Wise”

“For at the window of my house I looked through my casement and beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding.”

A wise man will observe those around him. In this instance, the observation is of a young man who has not learned to control his passions and is heading to the house of an adulteress woman. The young man is void of understanding because he is only looking at the momentary pleasure and not looking toward the future consequences of his action. The wise man understands that what he does today impacts tomorrow. Right choices today provide opportunities and happiness for tomorrow.

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Related Scriptures: Psalm 19:7; 119:130; Proverbs 10:13; 22:3; 27:12

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And Jesus said, “Are ye also yet without understanding?” – Matthew 15:16

Proverbs 6:1-5 "The Dangers of Secured Loans"

“My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids; deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.”

The Bible clearly warns not to become surety for another person, whether they are a friend or a stranger. Many parents fall into the trap of becoming surety for their children by cosigning for a loan (car, credit card, etc.). This puts the child in debt, stresses the parent-child relationship, teaches the child to use debt instead of discipline, shows a lack of wisdom, and prevents both the child and parent from trusting God to supply needs. As this passage suggest, it is a trap and you must do everything possible to deliver yourself. Instead of looking to the bank or the credit card company, we should focus on God and prayerfully ask Him to provide our needs. After all, He is the One with unlimited resources.

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Related Scriptures: Proverbs 11:15; 17:18; 22:6

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“Never spend your money before you have it.” – Thomas Jefferson

Proverbs 5:3-6 “Too High a Price”

“For the lips of a strange woman drop as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.”

In addition to wisdom, avoiding the promiscuous woman is a common theme in Proverbs. No doubt Solomon warns his son of this danger because he realized the damage that could be done. (Ecclesiastes 7:26). In his latter years, he had many wives and many concubines. While this may have been pleasurable for a season, it led his heart away from God to idolatry, which in turn caused the nation to divide. All men should heed this warning: the cost of immoral sexual gratification is much too high – it takes away your very life.

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Related Scriptures: Proverbs 2:18-19; 6:24-35; 7:21-23; 9:18; Revelation 17:2-6

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“Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” – 1 Corinthians 6:18-20