God Speaks
Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism
will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.
2 When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.
But when the wicked are in power, they groan.
3 The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted.
4 A just king gives stability to his nation,
but one who demands bribes destroys it.
5 To flatter friends
is to lay a trap for their feet.
6 Evil people are trapped by sin,
but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.
7 The godly care about the rights of the poor;
the wicked don’t care at all.
8 Mockers can get a whole town agitated,
but the wise will calm anger.
9 If a wise person takes a fool to court,
there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction.
10 The bloodthirsty hate blameless people,
but the upright seek to help them.
11 Fools vent their anger,
but the wise quietly hold it back.
12 If a ruler pays attention to liars,
all his advisers will be wicked.
13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common—
the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.
14 If a king judges the poor fairly,
his throne will last forever.
15 To discipline a child produces wisdom,
but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.
16 When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes,
but the godly will live to see their downfall.
17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind
and will make your heart glad.
18 When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
But whoever obeys the law is joyful.
19 Words alone will not discipline a servant;
the words may be understood, but they are not heeded.
20 There is more hope for a fool
than for someone who speaks without thinking.
21 A servant pampered from childhood
will become a rebel.
22 An angry person starts fights;
a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.
23 Pride ends in humiliation,
while humility brings honor.
24 If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself.
You are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare not testify.
25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap,
but trusting the Lord means safety.
26 Many seek the ruler’s favor,
but justice comes from the Lord.
27 The righteous despise the unjust;
the wicked despise the godly.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
[TBR 134: Psalms 32, 51, 86, 122 (May 14, 2023) Prayers and action points for these psalms are covered in the PTTB archives. Therefore, we will go back and present prayers and action points for Proverbs 29.]
Reflection: For the purpose of study in comparison and contrast, Proverbs 29 is presented here with the good or godly statements in italic.
1. Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.
2. When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.
3. The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted.
4. A just king gives stability to a nation, but one who demands bribes destroys it.
5. To flatter friends is to lay a trap for their feet.
6. Evil people are trapped by sin, but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.
7. The godly care about the rights of the poor; the wicked don’t care at all.
8. Mockers can get a whole town agitated, but the wise will calm anger.
9. If a wise person takes a fool to court, there will be ranting but no satisfaction.
10. The bloodthirsty hate blameless people, but the upright seek to help them [or and they seek to kill the upright.].
11. Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.
12. If a ruler pays attention to liars, all his advisors will be wicked.
13. The poor and the oppressor have this in common–the LORD gives sight to the eyes of both.
14. If a king judges the poor fairly, his throne will last forever.
15. To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.
16. When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes, but the godly will live to see their downfall.
17. Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and make your heart glad.
18. When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law [of God] is joyful.
19. Words alone will not discipline a servant; the words may be understood but they are not heeded.
20. There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.
21. A servant pampered from childhood will become a rebel.
22. An angry person starts fights; a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.
23. Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.
24. If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself. You are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare not testify.
25. Fear people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.
26. Many seek a ruler’s favor, but justice comes from the LORD.
27. The righteous despise the unjust; the wicked despise the godly.
Consider the following questions regarding Proverbs 29:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God and His word are the ultimate source of wisdom.
2. People who turn away or reject God and His wisdom are foolish indeed.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Proverbs 29?
Dear LORD God Creator of the universe and sustainer of all life, thank You that You promise to give wisdom without criticism to all who will humbly ask. LORD, as You well know, my nation as a whole has turned its back on You. Therefore, we lack wisdom in all levels and arenas of society. Please, Holy Spirit, convict individuals of their sin and of the righteousness that is found in Jesus Christ so that we all may escape the judgment that is to come for those reject the truth that is found only in Him. Save us, O LORD, out of our foolish wickedness. People continue to stubbornly reject Your correction, O LORD. Please remove the wicked from power and replace them with those who fear You, LORD God, and walk in Your ways. We need the stability that only those who obey You can give. The wicked flatter their friends and lead many astray. Regardless of political party, many people in positions of authority are mockers and oppressors, thieves and speak without thinking. Many have been pampered from childhood and are now rebels. We need people in positions of authority in every arena of society who will judge fairly. Please help us remove the angry and hot-tempered people. Words are not sufficient to induce people to obey the law. We need You to change people’s hearts. We need You to discipline Your children so that we can have peace of mind and heart. LORD, please bring multitudes into Your kingdom and enable us to obey Your just laws. Then, You will receive the glory You deserve. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Proverbs 29? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will continually call on God to intervene in the affairs of mankind until things change for the better.
- I will take time to think before I speak. (The old “count to ten” rule.)
- When I am upset with someone, I will remember that it is God who made both of us.
- I will tell someone who is trapped in sin how they can escape and experience freedom in Christ.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.