- Proverbs 17:6-10
- Prov 17:6 (KJB)
- Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of
children are their fathers.
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- In some verses we saw that those who are wise in this world will be
blessed with long life. In this verse, we read that a man’s grandchildren
are their crown. As a king wears a crown, the grandfather portrays his
grandchildren, especially if they are walking in wisdom and growing in the
faith. Then in the second part of this verse, we see that the glory of
children is their fathers. If their father is walking in wisdom and in
concert with the Scriptures, then the children will brag on him as the glory
of their lives. This verse also shows a cross-generation of wise people. Not
only are the children walking in wisdom but the grandfather, father, and the
grandchildren. This is the result of walking in obedience to the Scriptures.
There are many family lines that have produced many godly people.
Contrariwise, there are many families which have produced nothing but fools
and criminals because of their neglect of the ways of the Lord.
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- Prov 17:7 (KJB)
- Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.
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- Here we have two kinds of speech which are not suited for their class.
First, excellent speech is not what you would expect to hear from a fool.
Normally, their speech is embedded with expletives because they have a very
limited vocabulary, education and refinement is not high on their priority
of life. The second type of speech which is improperly placed is lying for a
ruler of the people. The people need to know truth and if a ruler is a liar,
then that does not fit his status nor his position. However, it is
unfortunate that most in government are habitual liars when it comes to
informing the people. There is also a spiritual application here. The fool
does not bring the true gospel of Christ because he is unfit by means of him
being unsaved. His actions will dictate whether he is truly saved or not and
whether he is to be believed.
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- Prov 17:8 (KJB)
- A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him
that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
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- Gift - Bribe or present
- Precious stone - A stone of favor - Where a person finds favor or
acceptance in the eyes of another person.
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- Solomon is not endorsing the practice of bribing but is stating that
there are people who are basically addicted to bribing people because they
know it simply works. When a bribe is given to a person by someone, in turn,
the person receiving the bribe does some kind of favor for that person which
may turn a profit for them. However, ill gotten gain by means of either a
bribe or other means will always yield problems later on. Bribing is a
practice which normally brings a person down. Let us now look at a second
meaning. A person may give a legitimate gift or present to someone and with
wise investment, they will turn a profit with it. Let us look at the
spiritual meaning in this verse. A person gives the Gospel of grace to
another person, they become saved which is spiritually profitable for the
one giving the Gospel and then in turn, the one who became saved goes out
and preaches the Gospel and it prospers by adding souls.
(1 Tim 4:8 KJV) For bodily exercise profiteth
little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the
life that now is, and of that which is to come.
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- Prov 17:9 (KJB)
- He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a
matter separateth very friends.
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- In the first part of this verse, we read about a person who covers a
transgression, not for the purpose of expecting a bribe but for the purpose
of love.
(Prov 10:12 KJV) Hatred
stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
If someone we love sins against us, we will not hold that sin to their
account and we will forgive them. This is the essence of Christianity as God
has forgiven us, we forgive others. (Mat
18:22 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times:
but, Until seventy times seven. The Lord is not
stating that you stop at 490 times, but is saying that since we believers
are on perpetual forgiveness by God because of Christ, therefore we need to
treat others in that respect. In the second half of this verse, we read
about a person who continually repeats a matter, that is, they gossip about
the situation until they have successfully ruined a person’s reputation.
This type of person, if he is a true friend, would not do such things but
one who is not a true friend would attempt to destroy another person by
their tongue. A wise person seeks to quell a matter but the fool seeks to
perpetuate a matter. We must be careful to never make a close associate out
of a person like this if we can help it.
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- Prov 17:10 (KJB)
- A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a
fool.
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- Reproof - Rebuke
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- Here is another verse which speaks of the difference between the wise
and the fool. A wise man will hearken to the reproof given to him because he
knows there is value in it and if it is a legitimate rebuke, then he can
change his way and will learn from his wrong doing. On the other hand, the
fool can be given 100 lashes, which under the law was forbidden. Only 40
were allowed under the Mosaic Law but the 100 is being used as an example of
even extreme punishment which will not even cause the fool to become the
least bit wise. Once the fool’s back heals from the punishment, he will go
right back to doing what it was that caused him to be punished. Fools remain
fools unless the Lord saves them and imparts His wisdom into them.
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