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𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝟐𝟓:𝟏𝟎 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲. Gossip can ruin your reputation. Yet gossip is incredibly easy. Wise men will know you are wicked and will rebuke you, and you will be disgraced and shamed. The lesson is simple: do not talk critically or negatively about others; do not spread news or rumors; do not slander anyone. Gossip is a heinous sin, and it can permanently stain your reputation. This is half of a proverb. The first half says, “Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another” (Pr 25:9). Good men only discuss differences or offences with the person involved, not with others. If you tell others about a conflict with someone, those others will know you are hateful, malicious, and wicked. Jesus Christ taught the same rule of godliness and wisdom. He said, “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone” (Matt 18:15). If you cannot ignore the offence of another, go tell him his fault. Instead of telling others about the problem, tell him alone. The rule is clear and definite. When you have a problem with someone, it is cruel and malicious to tell others about it. You do so in order to defame and injure the other party and obtain sympathy for your cause. You seek to hurt another person’s reputation and exalt your own. The holy God of heaven considers such intentions and actions to be murder (Matt 5:21-26). Beware! You should keep controversies and offences between you and your adversary. If you tell others about them, it is called gossip. In the Bible, it was called backbiting, talebearing, tattling, and whispering, if you told the truth. These are terrible sins that God hates. If you lied about the matter, then it was also called slander. It does not matter that these sins are popular today and no longer preached against: they are heinous in God’s sight. Godly men despise this evil treatment of others, and they will despise the person doing it. They will angrily rebuke those who gossip about others. It is a duty to do so. Solomon wrote, “The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue” (Pr 25:23). It is terrible that more wise men do not put backbiters, talebearers, whisperers, slanderers, and gossips to shame by angry rebukes (Lev 19:17; I Thess 5:14). If you have a problem with someone, and you cannot gloriously overlook it, go to him alone and settle it through Christian charity. Put a guard on your heart, and do not even think about telling others. Only say complimentary and kind things about other people. Let your reputation be glorious and gracious, always edifying others (Eph 4:29; Col 4:6). https://letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/index/chapter-25/proverbs-25-10/

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝟐𝟓:𝟏𝟎 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲. Gossip can ruin your reputation. Yet gossip is incredibly easy. Wise men will know you are wicked and will rebuke you, and you will be disgraced and shamed. The lesson is simple: do not talk critically or negatively about others; do not spread news or rumors; do not slander anyone. Gossip is a heinous sin, and it can permanently stain your reputation. This is half of a proverb. The first half says, “Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another” (Pr 25:9). Good men only discuss differences or offences with the person involved, not with others. If you tell others about a conflict with someone, those others will know you are hateful, malicious, and wicked. Jesus Christ taught the same rule of godliness and wisdom. He said, “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone” (Matt 18:15). If you cannot ignore the offence of another, go tell him his fault. Instead of telling others about the problem, tell him alone. The rule is clear and definite. When you have a problem with someone, it is cruel and malicious to tell others about it. You do so in order to defame and injure the other party and obtain sympathy for your cause. You seek to hurt another person’s reputation and exalt your own. The holy God of heaven considers such intentions and actions to be murder (Matt 5:21-26). Beware! You should keep controversies and offences between you and your adversary. If you tell others about them, it is called gossip. In the Bible, it was called backbiting, talebearing, tattling, and whispering, if you told the truth. These are terrible sins that God hates. If you lied about the matter, then it was also called slander. It does not matter that these sins are popular today and no longer preached against: they are heinous in God’s sight. Godly men despise this evil treatment of others, and they will despise the person doing it. They will angrily rebuke those who gossip about others. It is a duty to do so. Solomon wrote, “The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue” (Pr 25:23). It is terrible that more wise men do not put backbiters, talebearers, whisperers, slanderers, and gossips to shame by angry rebukes (Lev 19:17; I Thess 5:14). If you have a problem with someone, and you cannot gloriously overlook it, go to him alone and settle it through Christian charity. Put a guard on your heart, and do not even think about telling others. Only say complimentary and kind things about other people. Let your reputation be glorious and gracious, always edifying others (Eph 4:29; Col 4:6). https://letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/index/chapter-25/proverbs-25-10/

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝟏𝟏:𝟐𝟗 𝐇𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝: 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. Here are two ways you can cause trouble and cost yourself dearly. You can abuse privileges, or neglect duties, in your family, and you will end up with nothing. Potential prosperity will disappear like wind through fingers. These and other foolish choices will take you down: you will end up serving those who are prudent and wise in their choices. Fathers can trouble their houses in many ways. Being greedy of gain is a clear one (Pr 15:27). They work too many hours, waste money in foolish ventures, deprive their family of personal attention, are stingy with money, compromise integrity, and are carnally minded, all in their vain pursuit of wealth. Lazy and foolish men also hurt their families by depriving them of needs and opportunities through sloth and ignorance. Fathers can also be too overbearing, harsh, critical, and domineering, which may discourage wives and children, or provoke them to wrath (Eph 6:4; Col 3:21). On the other hand, a father who avoids decisions or being a leader troubles his house. The wife and children are at sea without a captain. They lack security and direction for their lives. While fathers are mentioned here, everyone knows overbearing wives and mothers are also an evil (Pr 12:4; 19:13; 21:9,19; 25:24; 27:15-16; 30:21-23). They drive children to anger, bitterness, discouragement, frustration, and even hatred, though they whitewash their odious conduct by saying, “I was just trying to help.” They are full-time meddlers, always digging, nagging, and pressing suggestions about unimportant aspects of life. What is the punishment for these selfish persons – foolish fathers and mothers? They lose their families. The children can hardly wait for marriage to get away. Some will run away before marriage. These children only come home under duress. They want so much to escape the vexation of living with selfish or critical parents. They want peace and quiet, with affection and happiness, where love reigns; they want to escape their cruel parents. Such fools also lose the contest of life. Cream rises – prudent and wise men; dregs fall – foolish and impulsive men. These losers end up serving the wise in heart. They envy their success; they beg for charity; they borrow from them; they likely work for them. Wise men win in the game of life, and fools end up losing to them. Embrace wisdom today. Troubling your family has consequences. Foolish parents, who selfishly neglect their children or odiously interfere in their lives, will lose them. They will die lonely, even if the children visit them out of obligation. Foolish choices will cost a man his standing; the prudent man will take dominion over him. These judgments are natural and appropriate. The proverb also applies to children that do not honor their parents. They also will inherit the wind – they will lose by natural and divine judgment the benefit that could or should have been theirs. They will end up serving their siblings or others that are wise of heart. The constant lesson of Proverbs is the great benefit of righteousness and wisdom. https://letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/index/chapter-11/proverbs-11-29/

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝟏:𝟏𝟓 𝐌𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦; 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡: A wise man will avoid fools. A righteous man will avoid sinners. Cheating here will cost you dearly; evil communications corrupt good manners (I Cor 15:33). These rules are especially true for youth, so Solomon taught his son to avoid the evil influences and the sinful lifestyles of fools and rebels. Peer pressure is a powerful force. A wise father will protect his children from it, and he will teach his children about it and against it. Consider the context. Solomon first introduced the purpose for Proverbs: instruction in wisdom (Pr 1:1-6). He then stated the key axioms of fearing God and obeying parents to achieve this goal (Pr 1:7-9). After that he gave a lengthy description of the temptations and dangers of fools (Pr 1:10-19). And he closed with a personification of wisdom as a woman appealing to young men to heed her advice and warnings, or else (Pr 1:20-33). The section begins, “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not” (Pr 1:10). It is not “if” sinners will entice a young man, but rather “when.” They will solicit him. They will offer advantages, if he will join them (Pr 1:11-14). But the consequences will be fatal to his desire and need to be wise and successful (Pr 1:15-19). My son, consent thou not! Fools always seek others to join in their wickedness (Pr 1:10-19; 2:10-15). Whores entice men to enjoy sinful sexual pleasures (Pr 2:16-19; 5:3-21; 7:6-21; 9:13-18). A wise young man will reject both. He will keep friendships only with wise and righteous men (Pr 2:20-21), knowing the judgment that is certain to come on fools and wicked men (Pr 2:22). God wants Christians to be separated people. The reason is simple – the world hates God, truth, wisdom, and righteousness. Take a strong Bible stand on any subject, and you will soon know this by experience. Almighty God wants His people to love only Him and live only for Him. The world will do everything it can to keep you from this objective. Friendship with the world is enmity with God (Jas 4:4; I John 2:15-17). There is grave danger you are deceived. You either think you can survive a few worldly friendships, or you will not examine your life to see where you are allowing the world to entice you. Paul wrote forcefully, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (I Cor 15:33). You will be corrupted; or more likely, you already are. Friends with a worldly philosophy or lifestyle will destroy you. They will influence you to reject a holy God, to believe you are a product of evolution, that religious formalities are sufficient, that love makes everything acceptable, that you should follow your own heart, that you should accept those differing from you, that no one has all the truth, that confidence in a position is arrogant and divisive, or that God does not mind your sins. The proverb warns against two dangers – walking in friendship with sinners, or choosing their lifestyle. In order to learn wisdom and follow righteousness, you must first avoid friendly relationships with compromisers, fools, or sinners. This is the basic requirement. You must also reject their lifestyles, for choosing their activities, attitudes, philosophies, and goals is just as corrupting and damning. Get away from them and their ways. Where is the world enticing you or your children? Here are a few tools or institutions that will corrupt your love of God and righteousness: television, movies, music, public schools, contemporary churches, colleagues, public opinion, friendly neighbors, bestseller books, lifestyles of the rich and famous, advertising, fashion trends, and so on. How is the world enticing you or your children? Here are its top arguments to convince you that worldly friendships are acceptable: they won’t really hurt you; they are such nice people; you need to be moderate; we can agree to disagree on certain things; I need them for professional success; I need them for social success; limiting myself to church friends is too restrictive; it is the only way I can win them to the truth; they are better than many others; and God loves us all equally just as we are. These are ten lies to destroy you. If wisdom and success are goals, you must avoid foolish persons, for they will destroy you (Pr 13:20; 14:7; 28:7). This is not a suggestion; this is a commandment. How far should you get away? Solomon wrote, “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Pr 4:14-15). If wisdom and success are dear to you, then you must associate with wise and successful persons. Who are these people? They are good men by God’s definitions that fear Him and live wise and holy lives (Pr 13:20; Ps 119:63; Titus 1:8). Such friends can provide invaluable counsel and correction when you need them (Pr 15:22; 27:5-6,9-10,17). They will help you toward wisdom and righteousness, not away from it like worldly friends. This proverb also applies to religious associations. You must mark and avoid anyone differing from Paul’s gospel (Rom 16:17-18). And you may justifiably curse any that preach a different gospel (Gal 1:6-9). You are to withdraw from those that violate his apostolic tradition (II Thess 3:6; I Tim 6:3-5). And you are to turn away from contemporary Christians (II Tim 3:1-5), for most of them gladly compromise (II Tim 4:3-4). It is the duty of every believer to earnestly contend for the apostolic faith (Jude 1:3). Friends are good, if they are good friends. But good friends are only measured by their fear of God and righteous living. Where can you find such friends? In a true church of the Lord Jesus Christ, where the world and all its compromises and inventions are rejected. There the pure truth and wisdom of the apostolic gospel and the inspired scriptures are exalted, defended, and taught boldly and clearly. How do you stand regarding this rule? https://letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/index/chapter-1/proverbs-1-15/