Summary: Loving discipline and instruction is loving knowledge. Hating reproof is stupidity. God favours the good people, hates those with wicked plans. Success through righteous ways is more permanent. Good wife is glory to the husband. Prudence is the wise way of life. Spend prudently and live a humble life. Avoid lavish spending and owing debts.
1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. (RSV)
1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. (NIV)
1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,But he who hates correction is stupid. (NKJV)
Wise person who loves knowledge will also love discipline and instruction. The person who hates reproof and correction is stupid. To be wise, we must be open-minded to reproof and rebuke because reproof/rebuke can make us improve. We must not be proud and haughty, otherwise our hearts will be hardened to accept reproof and rebuke.
2 2 A good man obtains favor from the Lord,
but a man of evil devices he condemns. (RSV)
2 2 Good people obtain favor from the Lord,
but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes. (NIV)
2 2 A good man obtains favor from the Lord,
But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn. (NKJV)
God likes and favours good people who are righteous, live a gody life. God condemns wicked people who have evil intentions, schemes of deception, etc. We must not have evil plans/plots in our hearts because God hates it. God hates malicious people with wicked plans against their friends/relatives.
3 3 A man is not established by wickedness,
but the root of the righteous will never be moved. (RSV)
3 3 No one can be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted. (NIV)
There are several ways to move up the ladder and establish our career and our business. We can achieve high esteem through crafty and cunning ways. We could be promoted by doing things right and doing the right things. We could also achieve high position by evil means (e.g. bribery, slander, backstabbing, character assassination).
But the preferred way of "climbing the ladder" of success is through righteous means. We should choose the godly way. We should the path of righteousness. We should do the right things, and doing the things right. Strive to do our work well, be good with our superiors, peers, and subordinates. Strive to serve the customers well. By climbing the ladder righteously, our achievement would be more solid, more permanent. Because our success had a good foundation, a strong root.
4 4 A good wife is the crown of her husband,
but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones. (RSV)
4 4 A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones. (NIV)
4 4 An excellent[a] wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones. (NKJV)
We must appreciate the important of a good, noble wife. A good wife is the glory of the husband. The person who has a good wife is like the king upon the throne, wearing the royal crown.
Who is a good wife? Proverbs 31:10-27 says...
10 10 A good wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 14 She is like the ships of the merchant,
she brings her food from afar.
15 15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and tasks for her maidens.
16 16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 17 She girds her loins with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 20 She opens her hand to the poor,
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 22 She makes herself coverings;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 23 Her husband is known in the gates,
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers girdles to the merchant.
25 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 27 She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. (RSV)
On the contrast, a disgraceful wife is a pain in the neck for the husband. Hence, selecting a suitable wife of virtuous character is very important for a man. Virtues and inner beauty is more vital than beauty and charm, pretty face and sexy body. Beauty will deteriorate as she ages. But inner beauty can last.
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:30) (RSV)
5 The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.
but the speech of the upright rescues them.
7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
but the house of the righteous stands firm. (NIV)
but the house of the righteous stands firm. (NIV)
As righteous believers, we must plan what is good, what is just, what is win-win. We must think about whatever which is kind, true, noble, good intent, just. What we think will be what we do. To do good, we must think good.
For those who think good and righteously, their speech will also be good and beneficial to others. Their family and living will be stable.
The wicked who thinks of deceitful plans, and evil schemes, will be doing many evil and sinful things. With wicked thinking, comes speech that are destructive eventually. Slanders, lies, arguments, criticisms will end up in more trouble. Evil doing is abomination to the Lord. The wicked will suffer punishment and condemnation.
8 8 A man is commended according to his good sense,
but one of perverse mind is despised. (RSV)
8 8 A person is praised according to their prudence,
and one with a warped mind is despised. (NIV)
A person who lives with prudence and wisdom will be praised and commended by other people. On the contrary, the person with perverse heart and crooked ways will be despised by other people. We must live our lives with prudence, good common sense, wisdom and understanding. We must live in righteous ways which are favoured by God and men.
9 9 Better is a man of humble standing who works for himself
than one who plays the great man but lacks bread. (RSV)
9 9 Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food. (NIV)
Prudence is the way of life. It is better to have enough food and necessities, and be humble and low profile, than to spend lavishly to look rich. Spending unnecessary money on luxury home, luxury car, expensive watches and jewellery, high fashion, and owing big debts is foolish financial management. To be wise in financial management, we should be prudent in our expenditures.
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2014.
Michael Yeap.
NIV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2012&version=NIV
RSV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2012&version=RSV
NKJV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2012&version=NKJV
Commentaries:
1) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.1
2) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.2
3) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.3
4) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.4
5) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.5
6) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.6
7) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.7
8) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.8
9) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.9
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