THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
We have a great friend in Gary Godard. He has set up an archive page. To view ALL the prior devotions by Scripture, just clik
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for
the books of Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for
COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
PROVERBS
CHAPTER 27
1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
To believe in God is to believe that He may come at any time to take His redeemed from this world. We HAVE today; we do NOT have tomorrow promised.
Life is BRIEF and life is UNCERTAIN. We do not know that God will allow us to have tomorrow.
Let us say together with the Psalmist, "THIS is the day which the Lord hath made; we will be glad and rejoice in it." (Psalm 118:24)
And let us not fail to PLAN for tomorrow, based upon our faith in God. To fail to plan is to plan to fail. But we should make our decisions about tomorrow based upon God's WILL for tomorrow.
"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. (James 4:14-15)
2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Bragging and boasting of self is displeasing to the ear and soul of others. If our acts are worthy of notice, then someone else will speak well of us.
3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.
The physical weight of stone and sand is compared to the spiritual weight of the anger of a "fool" and the anger that he provokes.
The person who does not truly believe in God (the fool) cares not what he says or who he hurts when he is angry.
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
Envy is to desire having what another person has. Often, in the Bible, it is an emotion which provoked evil action (Acts 7:9, 17:5, Galatians 5:26, etc.).
Allowing envy in the heart, allows ill-feelings toward another person. These ill-feelings are expressed in even more ill actions.
5 Open rebuke is better than secret love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
"Secret love" is hidden and unrevealed. "Open rebuke" is at least known.
A "faithful" friends will rebuke kindly in order to help. But even the "kisses" of an enemy are meant to decieve and demean.
7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
A little boy stayed with his grandmother often. She always prepared pancakes on Saturday mornings. He loved them. One day, he ate too many. She asked if he wanted some more pancakes. He said, "No, Grandmother, I don't even want the ones I've already eaten!"
When we are FULL, we desire nothing. But when we are hungry, almost ANYTHING looks good!
Spiritually, this is a very important understanding. When people have every need met, and by the pleasures of life are "FULL," then they tend to think there is no NEED for anything. It is the HUNGRY person who desires to have.
Having all the joys and pleasures of life, a person is not open to the NEED of God. But the NEEDY person is more open to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
A bird, wandering from the nest, leaves security and perhaps will be snared. A man wandering from the place of submission to God will be snared by sin.
As for those who believe in Christ, we should be sure and stay within the work to which He has called us.
"Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called." (1Corinthians 7:20)
9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. 10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
Taking a bath, "cleaning up," makes us FEEL better. And kind and good advice from a dear friend will also make us FEEL better.
Some people can give advice and it makes us feel WORSE. But a "friend" - a TRUE friend - encourages as he advises.
Therefore, we should HEED and not forsake the kind and encouraging advice of our friends.
The reference to a "father's friend" is a reference to one who knows our life well. If he is our "father's friend" he has known about us most of our lives. Having been a faithful friend to the father, he will also be a faithful friend to the son.
There is no greater FRIEND than my father's Friend, the Lord of Glory, the Father of all living.
A faithful friend who knows us well, is better to help in a day of "calamity" than a brother who lives far away and is not familiar with our present life.
11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.
This is a transitional phrase in that it leads us into some good rules for living which follow. But it is also a "stand alone" phrase in that it can be read as coming from a father who genuinely loves his son.
The father is "glad" when the son acts in wisdom. Our Heavenly Father was "glad" when He could brag on Job (Job 1:8). Satan is our "accuser," and is constantly reproaching God for the creation and grace poured out toward mankind. We make our Heavenly Father "glad" when we act in pureness of heart.
12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
A "prudent" man is a reasonable man. He will look before he leaps. He will reason before he acts. The whole system of law in our USA is based upon the assumption of what a reasonable man would do.
It is reasonable to look beyond this physical life. We can look around us and see graveyards everywhere. Everyone that has ever lived can see that death is SURE. The reasonable man will want to know what happens AFTER death. He will search for meaning and understanding in life and will seek spiritual realization rather than physical gratification.
To NOT realize that there is more to the soul than this physical life is to be "simple" and to "pass on, and be punished."
13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
(((See the discussion on Proverbs 20:16)))
14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
To SHOCK a person out of sleep, or when he has just risen from sleep, is crude. This type of action shows little respect for the other person.
Certainly, we would not want to treat our FRIEND that way. Our FRIEND is considered our worthy companion, with whom we trust our lives.
15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. 16 Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.
The contentious wife is one that is constantly bickering and complaining, and is like a "continual dropping in a very rainy day." It just cannot be STOPPED.
A man cannot hide the wind. A man cannot hide the scent of perfume when it is open in his hand. A man would try to hide a contentious wife, but he cannot.
Now let us think in spiritual terms of our relationship to Christ. We are his BRIDE! (See Revelation 21:9, 22:17)
Let us not be contentious, or constantly complaining before our Lord, Jesus Christ.
17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
A good friend will sharpen our life. He will help and encourage.
18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
It requires WORK to maintain the fruit tree. The fruit of the tree is the reward of the work.
It takes WORK to maintain the relationship we have with Christ. It is not work to RECEIVE salvation, for salvation comes by "grace" to all who will surrender to Christ.
But once we come to Christ, then the relationship demands WORK. HE works to help us in that relationship. He works by giving us the fullness of His Holy Spirit, and by giving us His Holy Word. WE must also work by listening and being obedient children.
The REWARD of the work is the "fruit of the Spirit."
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)
19 As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.
Before mirrors there was water. Water, particularly still water, gives a good reflection of the person.
The "heart," or spirit of a man will give a good reflection of who he is. If you would know your own attitude of life, examine the "reflection" of yourself in your conscience.
Self-examination of the conscience reveals the sinfulness of the soul and the need of Christ's forgiveness and grace.
Realizing our sin and our need will keep us humble.
20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
As long as mankind exists, hell is "enlarging itself." (See Isaiah 5:14)
The REASON hell is getting bigger everyday is because men are dying everyday who have refused God.
Just as sure as hell gets bigger everyday, man will not be completely "satisfied" in his desires.
The man without God will not be satisfied with his selfish desires. And the man of God will not be satisfied until he SEES God.
21 As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.
Praise is the furnace by which we are tested. If a person responds humbly to praise, then his heart is genuine. If he gives glory to God for every accomplishment, then he realizes the value of his relationship with God is greater than the value of any accomplishment he may have.
22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
Keep in mind that the "fool" is defined in the Bible as one who does not believe that God is, and refuses to surrender to God.
You can't BEAT unbelief out of a person. The only way he can be unchained from that shackle is by his own self surrender.
23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. 24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? 25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. 26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. 27 And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.
Perhaps one of the greatest pieces of physical advice from God to man is to be "diligent" about his business.
When we look around us, we can see that "riches" do not always last. Even a king cannot be sure his child shall inherit the same kingdom. All things lie under the scrutiny, will and power of God.
But possessions are for use. If God has granted us such things, we should certainly be DILIGENT to maintain them.
This is PRACTICAL advice. It is by good maintenance of what one owns that provision is made for his family. If a man is not diligent about what he has, he will not keep it long. Therefore, it will not provide him usefulness for long, and will not be around for his children to enjoy.
This is SPIRITUAL advice also. What is it that you have, Christian, that will provide the best usefulness for you in this day and for your children in the future? GOD!! And God's WORD!!
Be DILIGENT then to know the STATE of your relationship with God. Be DILIGENT also to know the WORD of God and His promises, direction and guidance for life. MAINTAIN your relationship with God, and you will pass on an inheritance that truly blesses your children.
PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.