Proverbs 14 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study
Proverbs 14 Short Summary:
Proverbs 14 continues the short proverbs of Solomon that began in chapter 10. Solomon’s proverbs are recorded in Proverbs chapter 10 through chapter 29. These proverbs are typically short and concise statements of wisdom for the medication of the reader.
Proverbs 14 Summary
DEFINITIONS:
Scoffer (14:6) – A Mocker; Someone who makes fun of something or someone.
Prudence (14:8) - Acting carefully; moving through life cautiously and thoughtfully.
Guilt Offering (14:9) – The Israelites were required to offer a guilt offering when they sinned against the Lord (see Leviticus 5:15ff).
Tranquil Heart (14:30) – A quiet heart, one that is at rest and enjoys peace.
HIGHLIGHTED PROVERBS:
PROVERB #1:
Proverbs 14:4 – “Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.”
You need an ox to plow the field and bring in the harvest, but the ox is dirty and makes a mess. Success doesn’t come without a little mess.
Very little of value is created without some mess, chaos, or disorder. You can’t cook a meal, build a house, or raise a family without a little mess.
People who are learning new things and aiming for growth aren’t perfect, so they’re journey will have some disorder in it.
I believe this principle also applies to churches that want to grow, develop new leaders, and don’t want to stagnate.
“This is an important principle when it comes to church life and Christian community. There are some who, out of good intentions, are obsessed with making sure there is never any kind of “mess” to address among believers. Each and every expression of spiritual life must be hyper-regulated and suspiciously watched with the expectation of grave error. Not only is this an offense against Christian liberty, but it also creates an environment where, spiritually speaking, there is little increase – because no one will tolerate any mess in the trough.” (David Guzik, Enduring Word Commentary).
Churches that want to “keep things the way they’ve always been” can keep a clean house with minimal mess, but a church that wants to grow, with Christians who are constantly looking to develop, with an unrelenting goal of maturing the flock and reaching the lost, will inevitably encounter some messes along the way.
PROVERBS #2
Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
Men and women do not inherently know how to live a life that will lead them to Heaven.
Many people believe they are living a life that would please God even though they’ve never asked Him or gone to His instruction book (Bible) to find out.
Many of these people believe they are “good” people because they share similar cultural values with those around them. But this proverb is clear, and God’s Bible is clear, that men are not naturally in tune with what God wants.
Men tend to downplay their sins, assuming they can do a few good deeds to make up for them. This contrasts with God, to whom sin is an eternally serious matter.
In a world that often calls sin a virtue and virtue a sin, we must look for God’s clarity on the matter.
A person must learn to define sin according to God’s word, and then understand God’s solution to sin, if they want to walk in the way of life.
A man who refuses to seek the guidance of his Creator will surely walk his way into death.
PROVERBS #3
Proverbs 14:31 – “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors Him.”
Oppressing anyone is shameful behavior because all men are made in the image of God.
In comparison to God, all of us are poor people. God possesses all the resources and distributes them to us.
God could withhold His generosity from us, but He doesn’t, He gives us the things we need.
What if God’s generosity towards us was proportional to our generosity to the poor? Would we be getting any blessings from God? Or would we feel the pain of our own stinginess?
When we help the poor, we mimic the nature of our Maker. When we withhold assistance to the poor, we insult Him.
