Proverbs 19
The first verse gives us the opinion of one of earth’s richest, (and certainly its wisest man; but it is after all, the judgment of the Holy Spirit; it is this that gives the Proverbs their value, being part of the Word of God. Uprightness of character cannot be bought with money, but it is worth more than anything money can buy; it is gained through the knowledge of God.
Self-will (perverseness) and self-confidence (folly) of the latter part of the first verse, so common in our day, do not come from God. He would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:44Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)). This is the best and truest knowledge for the soul (verse 2).
He that hasteth with his feet sins (or, makes false steps); it is a mark of the foolish to act without thinking soberly, without counting the cost. (See verses 20, 23, 27 and 29 in this connection). Unheeding the solemn and urgent warnings of death and judgment contained in the Word of God, the majority? of mankind are hasting after pleasure, after power, or what they consider success in some other direction. But few gain their object, and when the prize is won, it is short-lived and unsatisfying, and wasted effort as a preparation for that eternity which lies before each of us.
So it is that the foolishness, or folly, of man distorts his way, and his heart is irritated against God (verse 3 ). What a picture of worldly life is found in verses 4, 6 and 7. Wealth addeth many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend.
“Earthly friends,” as the old hymn says, “may fail or leave us, but this Friend (our Saviour-God) will ne’er deceive us; O, how He loves !”
He is the Friend that sticketh closer than a brother (chapter 18, verse 24), and among those who trust Him are many Christians whose friendship is not changed by either riches or poverty.
“Delight” in verse 10 is rather good living or luxury, and in verse 14 the New Translation is to be preferred:
“House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from Jehovah.” Verse 18 is better read:
“Chasten thy son, seeing there is hope; but set not thy soul upon killing him”—a warning not to carry punishment too far.
In verse 22 “desire” is charm, and in verse 24 read,
“A sluggard burieth his hand in the dish, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.”
All of this chapter (as with all of the Proverbs) is full of weighty instruction. As each verse expresses a different truth, we cannot in our limited space comment upon many of them. Attention is called particularly to verses 16, 17, 21, 23 in addition to those mentioned.
Messages of God’s Love 7/31/1932