Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Pr 17.1 and following. Indeed, peace in a house is more important than any form of wealth and prosperity (verse 1). Verse 14 teaches us how quarrels begin. Unfortunate words are let out “as when waters are allowed to flow” (verse 14). Then try to catch up with them! But when the argument has begun and threatens to heat up, the wise attitude, let’s remember it, is to leave. It also happens that, without being part of the quarrels, one is at the origin of a disagreement. For example, by repeating something instead of covering it (verse 9). “Love covers all transgressions” (Pr 10:12; 1 Peter 4:7-9). To silence the faults of another is not to excuse them, on the contrary, it is to suffer to the point of being ashamed to repeat them.
The intelligent man is one who, in order to make progress (verse 10), knows how to take advantage of all teachings, including rebuke. Faith in the believer’s heart is far more precious than gold. She cannot perish. But it is necessary that the trial purify it of every alloy, so that it may be found to turn to praise and glory and honor in the revelation of Jesus Christ (v. 3; 1 Peter 1:3-9). God works for this purification as the refiner of Ml 3:1-3. His work purifies His own of anything that is not compatible with His holiness, and it is in our best interest to let Him do it (Job 23:8-12).
“It is truly a great grace on God’s part to apply divine wisdom to every detail of man’s life, in the midst of the confusion that sin has produced.” Hence our responsibility to put this wisdom into practice in our daily lives! It is given to us to be lived, and the intelligent man keeps it “in front” of him (verse 24; Ec 2:14). The fool, on the contrary, disperses his imagination at the end of the earth in chimeras and vain lusts. We think of the prodigal child crazily dissipating his father’s possessions in a distant country. And what sorrow a foolish son causes to his parents! (verses 21, 25). Let us imitate Solomon, the author of this book who had asked for for himself “an intelligent heart that understands” (1 Kings 3:7-9). The one who acts as a guarantor is a false friend. He recklessly trusts his neighbor and prompts him to expect him (verse 18; Jeremiah 17:5-8). Verse 17, on the other hand, gives us a way to recognize a true friend. It is in difficulties that he reveals himself, and that we discover what a brother is. “The friend loves at all times…”. Who deserves this name better than the Lord Jesus? (John 15:9-17). “He is our Supreme Friend,” said the hymn… – His heart alone never tires – Immense love!”
Better a dry piece and peace, than a house full of meats of sacrifices and quarrels (v. 1). This verse is like a complement to Pr 16:8 and 15:17, but it deals especially with peace in the house. It is better with the bare necessities for life than the abundant meals of sacrifices of prosperity, giving guests the impression of family union, while this appearance covers infighting.
A wise servant will rule the son who shames, and he will share in the inheritance among the brothers (v. 2). This passage still deals with family life. One can be infinitely wiser, in a position of humble dependence, than one who possesses, from birth, privileges and authority, and whose conduct is the opprobrium of his family. To this wise servant the government, therefore the authority over the one who possesses it only externally, will be entrusted. Moreover, without any apparent rights, he will share in the inheritance and will be put on an equal footing with the brothers. How this thought applies to the relations between Gentiles and Jews, and then to the relations of true servants with those who have the name to lead the house of God! The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but the Lord experiences hearts (v. 3). Silver and gold, these precious materials, need the crucible to be enhanced; the hearts of the saints, members of His family, are for God this precious thing. It is necessary that their faith, far more precious than the gold that perishes, be tested to be delivered from every alloy (1 Peter 1:6-7). He who does evil is attentive to the lip of iniquity; the liar listens to the pernicious tongue (v. 4). The truth presented in this passage is not that bad advice leads to evil, but that the wicked and the liar are friends of bad words and pernicious words and are attracted to that side. Birds of a feather flock together.
Who mocks the poor outrage who did it; who rejoices in calamity will not be considered innocent (v. 5; Pr 14:31). This sentence serves as a complement to that of 14:31. To mock the poor is not only, as we noted above, to make his poverty a joke, but to treat him with contempt as a worthless being. It is an insult to the God who did it, and who identifies with the poor; honoring him is an act of obedience to Christ. Is it not said about him: “Blessed is he who understands the poor?” (Ps. 41:2). If this poverty is calamity – the evil falling unexpectedly on the one who was prosperous , – to rejoice in it is to be held guilty. Nothing may have been done against the unfortunate, but the thoughts of the heart towards him came to light. How free these feelings have given themselves in the enemies of Judah, and, much more, around the cross of Christ! Has God forgotten them?
The crown of the old men is the sons of the sons, and the glory of the sons is their fathers. This passage is a supplement to Pr 16:31. There is not only a personal blessing for the old man who follows the path of righteousness, but according to God’s government this blessing extends to all his posterity and his children are honored to belong to such a father. This governmental blessing will be fully realized in the millennium, as so many passages from the Psalms and prophets show us (Ps. 127:128). This first division of the chapter deals, albeit in a rather unobvious way, with the home and the family.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
The Lord and Daily Life:
- Tranquility, ordered
Pr 17:1 Better a piece of dry bread, with peace, than a house full of meats, with quarrels. Ps 131.2 Far from it, I have a calm and tranquil soul, like a weaned child who is with his mother; I have the soul like a weaned child. Pr 1:33 But he who listens to me will rest confidently, He will live quietly and without fear of any evil. Isaiah 32:17 The work of justice will be peace, and the fruit of justice will be rest and security forever.
- Honoring Parents, Order of
Ex 20:12 Honor your father and mother, that your days may be extended in the land that Jehovah your God gives you. Dt 27:16 Cursed be he who despises his father and mother! -And all the people will say: Amen! Pr 30:17 The eye that mocks a father And that disdains obedience to a mother, The crows of the torrent will pierce it, And the little ones of the eagle will eat it. Mt 15:4 For God said: Honor your father and mother; and: He who curses his father or mother will be punished with death.
- Unsuccessful sin, general references
1 Sam 12:21 Do not turn away from it; otherwise, you would go after things of nothingness, which bring neither profit nor deliverance, because they are things of nothingness. Isaiah 44:9 Those who make idols are all vanity, and their finest works are useless; They testify to it themselves: They have neither sight nor intelligence, so that they may be in confusion. Jer 12:13 They have sown wheat, and they harvest thorns, They have grown tired without profit. Be ashamed of what you reap, as a result of the burning wrath of jehovah. Lk 9:25 And what would be the point of a man gaining everyone, if he destroyed or lost himself?
- The language must be restrained
Ps 34:14 Preserve your tongue from evil, and your lips from deceitful words; Pr 13:3 He who watches over his mouth keeps his soul; He who opens big lips runs to his loss. Jas 1:26 If anyone believes he is religious, without holding his tongue in bridle, but by deceiving his heart, that man’s religion is in vain. 1 Pet 3:10 If anyone, in fact, wants to love life and see happy days, let him preserve his tongue from evil and his lips from deceptive words,
From all of the above, we note that afoolish son is a sorrow for his father and a bitterness for the one who gave birth to him. This verse is the counterpart of 15:20 and at the same time a complement to v. 21. It is no longer a question of the relationship according to the flesh, but of the son vis-à-vis his father and mother. We have already highlighted these relationships in chapter 10:1; 13:1; 15:20. One may be born of a father and a mother, possessing God-like authority to instruct their son in the ways of wisdom, and yet be assimilated in his conduct and thoughts to the world, willingly removed from God’s thoughts. In this way, sorrow and bitterness are introduced into the hearts of those who teach and love us according to God. What a heartbreaker for this foolish son, when, like the prodigal son, he returns to himself! It is not good to punish the righteous and strike the nobles because of their righteousness. “He’s not good”: Beware of the consequences! Punishing the righteous is Israel’s story toward Christ. “Hitting the nobles”: example: the conduct of the principals towards the disciples who spoke righteously (Acts 10:29-32). He who has knowledge retains his words, and a man who has intelligence is of a cold mind. Knowledge and intelligence belong to wisdom, as we have often seen. He who has knowledge retains his words, knowing that in their “multitude there is no shortage of transgression” (Pr 10:19); he who is able by intelligence to appropriate the thoughts of God, does not heat himself up either on his own thoughts or on those of others (Jacq. 1:19). Even the fool who is silent is reputed to be wise, – the one who closes his lips an intelligent man. Being silent even gives the fool the appearance of wisdom and intelligence, thus shaming the many. The wise man is warned here against appearance. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to react to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “Collections of proverbs on the moral life ( Pr 18).
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.