Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20111002.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Proverbs: Motivating Teens And Adults To Align With God's Fixed Moral Order
Part III: Solomon's Proverbs Reflecting God's Fixed Moral Order For Blessing, Proverbs 10:1-22:16
A. Contrasting Wise, Righteous Living With Foolish, Wicked Living, Proverbs 10:1-15:33
5. Studying Proverbs 10:25-32
  1. Introduction
    1. Solomon's actual proverbs hop from one subject to another, likely "to force readers to grapple with and meditate on the thoughts of one verse before moving on to the next," Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 925.
    2. We then focus on each one to draw out its deeper insight that Proverbs 1:5-6 implies exists (as follows):
  2. Studying Proverbs 10:25-32.
    1. Proverbs 10:25 asserts that when the tempest of the storm passes, the wicked exists no more, but that the righteous is established forever. (ESV) Trials are a part of this life (Job 5:7), so being wicked leaves one vulnerable to destruction when -- not if -- life's trials rise, where the righteous is established forever. To insure against being destroyed by life's trials, one must be righteous, heeding Scripture, 1 John 3:4!
    2. Proverbs 10:26 (NIV, ESV) claims that like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes is a sluggard to those who send him. Vinegar irritates the teeth and smoke irritates the eyes, so a slothful messenger to one who sends him makes him an irritant to the sender. We must begin to address the tasks we have offered or agreed to do for our employer, associates or family members to perform for them sooner rather than later if we wish to preserve good relationships and avoid making ourselves obnoxious to them.
    3. Proverbs 10:27 teaches that the fear of the Lord adds days (yamim, Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 1167), but the years (shenot , Ibid.) of the wicked are cut (NIV) short. Reverence for God adds length of life, but huge chunks of time -- years, not just days -- are cut from the lifespan of the wicked. Merely considering the effects of substance abuse, poor diet and wild living by the wicked reveals this proverb to be very true!
    4. Proverbs 10:28 uses a play on two words translated "hope" that have different shades of meaning: the proverb holds the "hope" the righteous have of what might occur (tohelet , Ibid.; B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 404) is joy, but the things the wicked "hope" that they expect to gain (tiqvah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 876) will perish. God gives the upright what he might merely dream to acquire while what good the wicked presumes will come his way is actually totally destroyed!
    5. Proverbs 10:29 claims the way of the Lord is a stronghold, a refuge (NIV, ESV) to those who have mental integrity (tom, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1070), but it is the terrorizing ruin (mehitah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 369-370) to those who practice (pa'al, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 821) what is vain or unprofitable (aven, Ibid., Kittel; Robert B. Girdlestone, Synonyms of the Old Testament, 1973, p. 83). When a party applies God's way of living as to his thought life, it affects his actions which in turn supply protection from destructive foes (strongholds protect against invaders), but those who think and thus practice vain, unprofitable things leave themselves open to eventual terrorizing ruin from their enemies.
    6. Proverbs 10:30 claims that the righteous will never even be shaken (mot, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 556-557) but the wicked will not even be able to settle down to dwell (yishkenu, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1014-1015) in the land. Righteousness brings one under divine protection so that he enjoys much more stability in his life where sin leaves one exposed to God's discipline that prevents all such stability!
    7. Proverbs 10:31 claims the mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom (NIV, ESV) where the tongue of the perverse (tahpukot, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 246) will be cut out (NIV). Righteousness and sin affect our speech in very contrasting ways, and that in turn greatly contrasts the reactions of others to us!
    8. Proverbs 10:32 asserts that the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable or of goodwill (rason, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 953), but that the mouth of the wicked knows only what is perverse, the same word "perverse" that appears in Proverbs 10:31 (Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 246). Righteousness not only leads one to bring forth wisdom in his speech that keeps him from making others retaliate in hatred against him (Proverbs 10:31), but it also guides him to say what is acceptable and thus produces goodwill with others in vast contrast to the experience of the wicked (Proverbs 10:32). We must be upright since it greatly affects our speech for the better, leading to massive blessings in our relationships with others.
Lesson Application: May we thus align to God's fixed moral order in each of these realms for blessing!