Reading for February 5th

Read Proverbs 17.1-28. In verse 2: Wisdom surrounts natural boundaries and limits. Slaves of the time could enter a great household and their conduct, if prudent and trustworthy, would win everyone's respect. A perversely foolish child could lose out to such wise servants. In verse 8: A neutral observation on money. A bribe can seem like a magic stone since it opens doors hiterto closed. In verse 9: A paradox: One finds friendship if one loses or hides (forgives) an affront, and loses (alienates) a friend if one finds or makes public (dwells on) disputes. Friendship has a price-bearing with the faults of the other. In verse 13: Paradoxically, evil stays in the house of anyone who tries to inflict it on others. In verse 19: Whoever loves an offense in the sense of dwelling on it is equivalently asking for a quarrel in the same way that any one who builds an overly high threshold is asking for injury. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 4th

Read Proverbs 16.16-33. In verse 16: Tradition of declares wisdom more precious than gold and silver (3.14; Job 28). Gold and silver can buy many things, but wisdom invites God to give the priceless gifts of long life, wealth, and honor. In verse 20: The saying declares that success and happiness depend both on God and on our own efforts. It does not explore theological issues arising from such an assertion. In verses 27-30: Sayings on three types of wicked people and their speech and demeanor. The first three verses begin with the Hebrew word "ish," tranlated "man" or "individual." The second line of each saying states the particular damage a villian's words inflict on others. The final saying (v. 30) sketches the facial mannererisms common to all malefactors; compare 6.12-15. In verse 33: A lot, similar to dice in giving varying results when thrown was given a designation "yes" or "no" and cast for it answer. See 1 Sam 10.16-26; Num 26.55; Josh 14.2. The answer was believed to be from God. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 3rd

Read Proverbs 16.1-15. In verse 1: The heart (mind) is the organ of planning and the tongue is the organ of speaking and execution. It is not fully in the power of a human being to put plans into effect or control their course. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 2nd

Read Proverbs 15.16-33. In verse 26: Abomination, orginally a ritual term for an unaccepatble offering is here used metaphorically. Pure in this usage means acceptable to God. In verse 33: As one must first be low (humility) in order to be raised up (honor), so fear of the Lord comes before wisdom. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 1st

Read Proverbs 15.1-15. In verse 1: In responding to angry pepple, one might be tempted to use harsh and violent language. The verse states the paradox that when one responds to angry people, soft is strong and harsh is weak. In verse 14: Heart (mind) and mouth are often contrasted as the organ of strong reflection (mind) and the organ of expression (mouth). Here, the wise use their minds to seek even more knowledge, whereas fools use their mouths only to feed on more folly. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 31st

Read Proverbs 14.16-35. In verse 28: The glory of a king is not absolute but depends, surprisingly, on the people he rules. A witty crtique of royal power. In verse 30: Passion can also be rendered "jealousy." Inner calmness has a benefical effect on health. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 30th

Read Proverbs 14.1-15. In verse 5: How to assess a witness in court is a common concern (6.19; 12.17; 19.28). The best criterion is the character of the witness: How does the person ordinarily act? In verse 13: As observed in v. 10, external behavior does not always mirror internal thought and feeling. People are too complex to be known completely from their actions. Comments or Questions..