Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15:1-4:
A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Many of the Proverbs have a bit of a scattershot quality to them. But in Proverbs 15:1-4, the Hebrew sages linked four sayings that showed how words can wound and damage, but also heal and give life. The values that guide all healthy interactions apply, if anything, more strongly to our closest relationships. The principles in these proverbs, though not limited to family life, speak clearly to it.

“These proverbs do more than simply urge us to watch what we say and how; they also inspire us to examine the intentions of our hearts….We may find that our motives are more complicated than we imagined.” * Does responding to anger with more anger usually make things better or worse? When have you seen wisely chosen words break down barriers that harsh speech would only have made higher and more rigid?
The Hebrew word for “covers,” said commentator Paul Koptak, in verse 12 meant “the covering that promotes healed relationships, the way that a bandage covers a wound. Hatred stirs up, love smoothes over. Discord and dissension spring from hatred, but love nurtures harmony (cf. James 5:20, 1 Peter 4:8).” ** When has love healed a close relationship, not by ignoring a problem, but by being the glue that points beyond the problem to an essential connection worth preserving? -Paul E. Koptak, Proverbs: The NIV Application Commentary.

Proverbs 15:5-12:
5 A fool despises his father’s instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent.
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.
7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, But the heart of the fool does not do so.
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But He loves him who follows righteousness.
10 Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way, And he who hates correction will die.
11 Hell and Destruction are before the Lord; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men.
12 A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, Nor will he go to the wise.

Proverbs: 15:13-15:
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

In these three verses we see the word “heart” appear four times. We learn that there is a direct correlation between the countenance of our faces and the condition of our hearts. We see that a discerning heart is hungry for godly knowledge; it will lead us to a lifetime of learning about the Lord and His truths for living. Last of all, we learn that a cheerful heart allows us to continuously taste of the good things of life.

Proverbs 15:15-17:
15 All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances].
16 Better is little with the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord than great and rich treasure and trouble with it.
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it.

fore·bod·ing
noun
plural noun: forebodings

fearful apprehension; a feeling that something bad will happen.
"with a sense of foreboding she read the note"

foreboding: Other forms: forebodings; forebodingly
When you get a foreboding, you get a sense that something bad is going to happen. A foreboding is a foretelling, a sign or a glimpse, that "something wicked this way comes" — or might come.
If something doesn’t "bode" well, it means that the future doesn't look good. A foreboding is a glimpse or a feeling that bad things are going to happen. It's a premonition, or look into the future. Most times foreboding implies that something evil is coming, but sometimes it's used for anything bad up ahead, as in "she had a foreboding that the trip would get canceled due to the hurricane." Even if the future looks bright, a foreboding casts dread over what's ahead.

Proverbs 15:18-26:
18 A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention.
19 The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway.
20 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, But a man of understanding walks uprightly.
22 Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.
23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!
24 The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below.
25 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow.
26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, But the words of the pure are pleasant.

Proverbs 15:27:
He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live.

Here we have a quote that specifically pertains to greed and why it is a negative force in the world. “The greedy bring ruin to their households” tells us that if you pursue greed and want to accumulate more and more wealth, you will eventually be the cause of ruin in your home. You could cause your family to go hungry, fail to pay your rent, or stop paying your bills on time due to greed and subsequent loss. It’s important to ensure this doesn’t happen if you gamble.

Proverbs 15:33:
33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor is humility.

” I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” — John 17:14-17
Throughout the Bible, when individuals exhibited Godly discernment, they displayed many of these character qualities: humility, seeking God’s perspective, seeking Godly wisdom from others and thinking about the impact their decisions would have on others. Conversely, those who chose poorly displayed the opposite characteristics: self seeking for individual profit, prideful reactionary responses, not seeking the Lord’s direction and not considering the impact of their decisions on others.
Godly discernment begins with humility. We must humbly realize that we don’t have all the answers to life’s situations. Proverbs 15:33 states in part that, “humility comes before honor.” Are we humble enough to ask if we have all the information before we decide or react to a situation? Knee-jerk responses usually lack discernment. -Mickey Weston