chapter20

Wine deceives

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise (Proverbs 20:1).

Consumption of wine or alhocol deceives a person who consumes it. When he or she is a habitual drunkard his or her life becomes violent. It destroys the family. A drunkard may be intelligent or knowledgeable but not wise. Drinking alhocol has become a part of food in many families. It is a slow poison that would destroy the whole family in due course.

Fear of king

The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul (Proverbs 20:2).

We need to fear the ruler or the king because his law or commandments roar as a lion to be heard by us. We cannot claim innocence. Ignorance of law is no excuse. If we obey the lawful orders of our ruler, we can save ourselves. If we challenge his authority, we incur his wrath. We challenge his law of righteousness at our own peril by hiding the truth and telling the falsehood. If we do so, we commit sin against our own souls. A ruler is a God's servant to execute judgment on the evil doers. If we disobey him, we disobey God.

Ceasing from strife

It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling (Proverbs 20:3).

We should avoid strife and seek peace in every circumstance. We bring honor for ourselves as peace makers. But if you meddle in the affairs of others so as to cause strife instead of peace, you would be considered a fool in the sight of God.

Sluggard begs

The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing (Proverbs 20:4).

We have to be brisk or active in our daily work. We should not postpone our work due to laziness citing some excuse. Time is precious and we cannot redeem time which is wasted. There is no "lean" season for the people of God not to work. The harvest season may make a debut any time in our life. If we have not ploughed our land and sowed seeds during the cold season, we cannot harvest during the due harvest season.

If you do not do your work appointed of God today, tomorrow you will never receive His blessing.

Counsel in deep heart

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out (Proverbs 20:5).

God puts His counsel in the deep of our heart. If you are a man of understanding, you will definitely dig it out from your heart. You need not go to any pastor to know what God has put into the deep of your heart. It is like deep water. You have to dive into it to know it. It is hidden from others but you can find it if you search for it with all your heart.

Men boast

Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? (Proverbs 20:6)

Many people proclaim in a boastful manner their own goodnesses. They love to tell the whole world about the good things done by them. But it is difficult to identify a faithful man among them. A person has to be faithful to his or her spouse. Children need to be faithful to their parents. Employees need to be faithful to their employers. In other words, when we easily find many people who believe in self-advertisement, we find only a few faithful people in this world.

Just man with integrity

The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him (Proverbs 20:7).

A person who is justified by the blood of Jesus as righteous does walk in his or her integrity. If a Christian does not walk in his or her integrity, then he or she is not just. Integrity is an essential part of justification by faith. A person who claims to have been saved by the blood of Jesus has to walk in his or her integrity. He or she must remain honest and truthful.

King in judgment seat

A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes (Proverbs 20:8).

A king or a ruler has to be a judge who would remove all evil in his kingdom with his eyes. He has to examine every matter with his eyes and should not depend upon any extraneous matter to write his judgment. If the king has to judge a matter in which he is also a witness or has an interest, he should appoint a judge and should not arrogate himself to the throne of judgment. There would be a conflict of interest if the king sits on the judgment seat.

The king in judgment has to see all things with a clear mind and without any partiality. It is through his eyes he has to judge and should get rid of all evil. Even if he cannot get all the evidences to punish an evil doer, he has to use his own eyes on the basis of the circumstantial evidence.

Clean heart

Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? (Proverbs 20:9)

No person under the Old Covenant or under the Law can claim that his or her heart is clean and is pure from the sin. But under the New Covenant, you can say, "By God's grace and by the blood of Jesus Christ, I have made my heart clean and I am pure from sin". You need to examine your heart daily to ensure that no sin lurks in your heart.

Diverse weights

(Verses 10 and 23 of Proverbs chapter 20 are clubbed).

Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 20:10).

Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good (Proverbs 20:23).

In this world, the organs of a state i.e the executive, the legislative and the judiciary adopt different yardsticks and divers measures for judgment and for execution of law. A court which has delivered a verdict using a particular yardstick or measurement delivers a different verdict on same or similar facts. A government which implements a scheme using a particular yardstick or measurement fails to implement a similar or same scheme with respect to another group of people. Businessmen also use divers weights or measures to sell their products which are not worth the money paid by customers.

In the Christian world, pastors and evangelists use divers weights and divers measures while dealing with the people who seek their ministries. They have special prayer ministries for businessmen or rich people who help their ministries financially.

Judgment by actions

Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right (Proverbs 20:11).

All the people including children in this world are known for their doings. They cannot do anything in secrecy. Whatever they do is exposed in the light. Their intentions are revealed. We can judge the goodness or the badness of their actions.

We can easily identify a child who tells a lie or truth.

Ear and eye

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them (Proverbs 20:12).

We hear and see through our senses because God has created us with such faculties. As children of God, we have to make use of these two faculties to hear God speak to us and to see what God is doing in our midst. These days, we do not hear God by reading His word and by communication with Him in prayer. We also do not see what God has been doing in our lives and in the lives of people living in different parts of the world. We have to sanctify and dedicate our ears and eyes for God. We have to hear and see. Be patient to hear others and then consider their problems. We mostly want to make use of our faculty to speak daily to the people around us without hearing and seeing them.

Love not sleep

Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread (Proverbs 20:13).

Sleep means wasting our precious time in idle gossip or entertainment. You have to sleep well to take rest. But you should not love to sleep more than necessary. You need to keep working with your hands to earn your livelihood. It is also applicable to all ministers of God. Celebrity preachers do not work with hands but employ their subordinate staff to do their jobs when they are in a position to work with their hands. I testify to a dear servant of God who was my spiritual mentor in 70s. He is no more now. During gospel outreach meetings, he used to put chairs in the meetings. When people looked for the preacher, he would emerge from the place of the audience. If you work with your hands, you will be satisfied with your bread. God blesses your bread and keeps you healthy.

Ethics in business

It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth (Proverbs 20:14).

It is not proper to run someone else's merchandise down just so you can buy it cheaper. A buyer uses to reduce the value of the merchandise even putting the seller at a grave loss by shouting the reduced price in front of other buyers. This is not ethical bargaining. When he succeeds in his efforts to cause loss to the seller, he boasts of his cleverness to tell others how he was able to reduce the price. The seller who wanted to sell the merchandise at any cost on that day just to convert his merchandise into money even incurring a loss might have cursed the buyer concerned. God is not pleased with such unethical bargaining in business.

Lips of knowledge

There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel (Proverbs 20:15).

In this world, people value gold and rubies more than anything in life. But they do not know that the lips of knowledge are more precious than the perishable gold and rubies. The knowledge that emanate from their lips is very precious. The scientific inventions or the words of wisdom emanating from the knowledge reservoir of a man are used in all ages. The lips of knowledge which make us great cannot compared with precious metals.

Surety and pledge

Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman (Proverbs 20:16).

In this world, we have to be wise. Whenever a stranger takes a loan from us, we have to take a serety from a third person in the form of an asset or any possession from him. We cannot believe the stranger who is not known to us. In the event of failure to repay the loan, we can take possession of the asset pledged. Similarly for a strange woman also, we have to take a similar pledge. We cannot believe the strange woman who has no integrity.

Bread of deceit

Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel (Proverbs 20:17).

Whatever you earn from deceit or fraud may look palatable or enjoyable but afterwards your life would be full of trouble leaving a bad taste in your mouth. The money earned by you in this manner would be a curse on you and your family. This curse would be inherited by your descendants.

Good advice

Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war (Proverbs 20:18).

Counsel is for our good. We need counsel by good people while taking a decision. Rulers should take counsels from godly people in their nations for waging a war. War is a very dangerous thing for a nation. If it is unavoidable, then godly counsel is necessary. Many rulers do not consult the ministers of God in their nation before waging wars.

Talebearer and secrets

He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips (Proverbs 20:19).

Do not believe a talebearer because he would reveal your secrets. The talebearer is one who flatters you with his lips. If you identify the one who flatters you as a talebearer, you should not have any kind of friendship with him. Do not meddle with him in his affairs.

Cursing parents

Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness (Proverbs 20:20).

Children should honour and obey their parents. If a son or a daughter does not honour and obey his or her parents, eternal darkness will befall him or her. God's abiding presence will not be with the wayward child.

Inheritance

An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed (Proverbs 20:21).

Children get inheritance from their parents or forefathers. If such an inheritance was obtained by fraud or deceit in the beginning, the end of inheritance may not be blessed of God.

Repaying evil with evil

Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee (Proverbs 20:22).

We should not repay evil with evil but should wait on the Lord who would avenge our enemies. The Lord shall save us from our adversaries if we do not take upon ourselves the act of revenge.

Man's goings

Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way? (Proverbs 20:24)

Whatever we, the children of God, do in this world, either planned or accidental, is ordained of God. How can we understand our own ways? We can do so if we seek the Lord through prayers. Though we do not understand whether we go by the way as ordained of God, we can seek His light on our path. When our path is illuminated by God, we can clearly see the path by which we are being led by Him.

Snare to man

It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry (Proverbs 20:25).

The things of God in our life are holy. Whatever we dedicate to God are sacred. When we dedicate our new house to God through prayers, it becomes sacred. All our assets or bank balance in our accounts which we earn by our hard work in a legal manner are of God. We are forbidden from disposing them off in our own ways. We have to know His will for doing so. Once dedicated, we cannot make use of it according to our own will. Your vows should have the sanction of God. As a father, if you bequeath your property to one of your favourite child without equally distributing the same among all your children, you are devouring which is holy. As a pastor, you have to ensure that the offerings of the people of God are spent for your livelihood and for the poor saints in your church. If you use the same for your luxurious life or for purposes like foreign tour, purchase of a luxury vehicle, etc, then you are devouring which is holy.

Wise king

A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them (Proverbs 20:26).

A wise ruler does not allow the wicked to prosper but scatters them. The ruler gets rid of the corrupt ministers/counsellors by giving them due punishments under the law. He dispenses justice to the wicked according to the law of the land.

Spirit of man

The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly (Proverbs 20:27).

A child of God has the indwelling Holy Spirit which is the candle of the Lord. The Holy Spirit searches his/her heart for the hidden thoughts and the motives. Nothing is hidden before this candle. Do not quench this candle by your sins! If the sin dominates your spiritual life, then you will not be able to get enlightened by the Holy Spirit. In due course, the Holy Spirit will leave you.

Mercy and truth

Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy (Proverbs 20:28).

If a ruler has no mercy for His people and does not abide in the truth, then God will be against him. There are many rulers in this world who do not abide in the truth but in lies and unrighteousness. God turns His face against them. The throne of a king is sustained by his mercy. If he has no mercy for His people, then his throne will be destroyed. No autocratic ruler in this has remained in power for a long time.

Glory of young men

The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head (Proverbs 20:29).

Young people have to work hard because their glory is their physical strength. They should earn well before their retirement. Old men need not strain their bodies to work during old age but their counsels are sought after by the people around them. The grey head is their beauty.

Blueness of wound

The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly (Proverbs 20:30).

When a punishment is given to a criminal, his wound becomes blue. The punishment has to be exemplary so that other criminals may not indulge in such criminal acts. The blueness of this wound cleanses the society of evil. The stripes of punishment are not only felt by him on the outside but also touch his inner soul. A convict undergoing a sentence in a jail gets convicted in his heart for his sins.

Next...Chapter 21