Often as we drive to a revival service or travel from city to city I will share with Deb some exciting new Truth the Lord has shown me. Especially interesting is the way some of the godly and wise authors and expositors and professors, all fundamental men, see "linkage" or "relationship" between two and three and sometimes four verse "sets" throughout the Book.

Proverbs, what a Volume!

The Bible's great Book of Wisdom!

Let me invite you to read it this month. A chapter a day and you will complete it ever 31 days! That's basically twelve times a year!

"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise!" So promises the Book itself, in 13:20. And God's Word is always right!

                  --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 2, VERSE 14:

Our Text encompasses four verses from Proverbs. They all seem to relate to the world of business, buying and selling. Here they are, unusual as they may be. Yet do note that they occur together, a four-verse tandem. They have a relationship with each other.

"It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman. Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel." Proverbs 20:14-17

Today help us think about the first verse of our set, verse 14. It is set in a Jewish marketplace apparently. "It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth."

A man has come to purchase an item. It might have been anything, just a product he needed. But instead of paying an honest price for it, he "tricks" the buyer! Maybe dishonestly so.

"It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth."

He first sees the "for sale" thing. He then depreciates its value by saying "naught, naught." The word here in Hebrew is "ra," twice repeated. It means "bad, disagreeable," even "evil." Translated into everyday language the man is evaluating the commodity in question. "This thing is no good. It's worth very little!"

So the consumer, by confusing and deceiving the seller, buys at a very low price. Much lower than the item was worth.

Then ... once the sale is final, the buyer "boasts," in Hebrew "halel," he brags about his shrewdness! He praises himself for his lying ingenuity!

"It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth."

Some have taken this Proverb and called it "good business practice." A skilled way to turn a profit!

God says otherwise.

This buyer is not being commended here.

God wants honesty in all our affairs!

                         --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 3, VERSE 15:

Today we study Proverbs 20:15. "There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel."

The verse obviously concerns what we today call money. It is set in a paragraph, Proverbs 20:14-17, which teaches us how to properly behave in the marketplace. When we go to buy groceries, for example. Or visit the mall.

Yesterday's verse taught us not to "haggle" and "cheat" and "harass" the seller ... until he or she sells to us for a ridiculously low price! Do not bid downward on the item they're selling ... until they take a loss instead of a gain. A profit for them to feed their family.

Now today money, gold and rubies anyway, are listed again. Such commodities are valuable. They exist! They can ease some of the pressures of life. But there are other things more important!

"There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel."

More important than any Fortune 500 list?

More important than cash?

Yes, a more "precious jewel" exists than all the gold in Fort Knox, as the old timers used to say.

And what might that be, according to today's text?

"The lips of knowledge!" That's godly knowledge, Bible knowledge, Holy Spirit imparted knowledge!

Not lips of deceit! Not cheating lips! Not conniving tongues, not that old cheat-you but bless-me approach to life!

The noun "knowledge" used here is from the Hebrew root verb "yada," certainly meaning "to know," but in this sense, "to perceive, to discriminate, to consider." More than the acquisition of data!

Our word for "knowledge" here also grammatically insinuates "teaching" and "declaring" what God has taught you!

If you know someone with such "lips," listen to him or her diligently! Stay around them. Hear and apply the Scripture they share!

Here's the same truth, still in Proverbs, just in reverse. "Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge." Proverbs 14:7

In other words, hang around the man with holy knowledge, the man who walks with God!

His lips speak nuggets of wisdom, far more valuable than any money anywhere!

Amen!

               --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 4, HOW VAST THE BOOK OF PROVERBS:

The Text we're currently studying is taken from Proverbs chapter 20, verses 14-17. It discusses the Christian at the store, when shopping for example. And these verses highlight how vast the Old Testament Book of Proverbs can really be!

Psalm 119:96 says to the Lord, "Thy commandment is exceeding broad." Lord, Thy Word covers a wide range of subject material!

Enter the Book of Proverbs!

It teaches us how to grow in grace.

It teaches us how to honor our parents.

It tells how to choose a mate, one's husband or wife.

It teaches us how to rear our children.

It tells us what kinds of people to avoid.

It also instructs us in the right friends to seek.

And it reflects the Beauty of Jesus in doing so!

Again, this week with a new lesson each morning, we see the child of God in the business world.

The Bible, what a book!

It gives us everything we need to be the right kind of Believers in Christ our dear Lord.

Paul wrote it in Second Timothy 3:16-17. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

Amen!

                  --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 5, VERSE 16:

Our verse today concerns the practice of what we call "co-signing." In the world of finance that means obligating yourself to pay the indebtedness of one for whom you have pledged security. Should he or she default, that is.

Co-signing is risky business.

And that's what Proverbs 20:16 is teaching us. Just that it uses a little bit of holy sarcasm. "Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman."

This inspired sentence is addressed to Solomon's general reading audience, anyone who studies the Book of Proverbs. We are being told to "take" a man's possessions, his last garment here, if he has been unwise enough to "sign" a loan with a complete stranger! That is, if the stranger fails to "pay off" that indebtedness.

That's right! Some people are so financially naive that they will list themselves on a loan with someone they virtually do not know! Apparently never checking their credit!

Go ahead. Impound the collateral the co-singer has posted! Even if it's the shirt off his back! He deserves it. This is what Solomon seems to be telling us. To "take a pledge" means to go collect whatever the guarantor has posted!

"Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman."

The expression "strange woman" is "nokriy," a noun in the feminine gender simply meaning a "foreigner." Someone outside the family of Israel in that ancient day, around 1000 BC really.

It's probably all we can do to faithfully pay our own debts. Don't take on the financial responsibilities of a bunch of unknown folks, or anyone you do can't trust. Again, there's not even a hint here that the co-signer checked the borrower's credit history!

This practical verse nearly interprets itself, doesn't it? Very little help is needed. Some folks do not pay their bills. Do not obligate yourself to do so, to pay their bills, either!

Now it's true in some circumstances that a parent might co-sign for a loan with a nearly grown child. Or a man or woman for a dear friend. But even then it would be far better to help that individual "save" enough cash to buy the needed item in the first place.

Very good advice from a 3,000 year old Book!

Let's practice it.

                    --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 6, VERSE 17:

I realized when we began this series of Bible studies from Proverbs 20:14-17 that it would be of short duration. Four or five days at the most. Yet it addresses a paramount issue in life, the Christian and his money!

How honest or dishonest we are in our business transactions. I've been calling some of these verses "The Christian in the Marketplace."

Today we reach the last verse of our paragraph, Proverbs 20:17. Here it is. "Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel."

What's this got to do with the financial world?

The person being described is planning to transact some business deal. An opportunity for profit. But this man is using "deceit" to achieve his goals!

The noun "deceit" translates "sheqer" in Hebrew. It means "falsehood, lies, misleading someone." It is derived from a verb meaning "trick, cheat," deliberately wronging someone.

"Bread" here means that the merchant or whomever earns his "food" that way, deceitfully. A "crooked" way of life! That's how he makes his living, underhandedly!

Fast money!

Lots of it!

Sure seems "sweet!" And the Hebrew "areb" implies something "pleasing, agreeable" even.

But later, after all the crooked buying and selling, this sly "money-man's" mouth shall be filled with ... not meat! Not delicacies! Not profit or reputation or eminence!

"Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel."

Filled with "gravel!"

"Chatzsatzs" means "small ground stones." It also can carry the meaning of "arrows!" Either way, broken teeth due to chewing gravel ... or ultra sharp needles of pain stabbing one's gums ... mouthfuls of any such thing are painful!

The real lesson behind all this? "Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel."

Keep cheating people at the store! Lying and robbing and selfishly dealing with others! And in the end your "bread" will be impossible to digest!

Sounds like God always beautifully "evens" things according to His perfect Will! An entrepreneur getting "ahead" by deceit ... will one day get yanked way "behind" by an Almighty God who is righteous in judgment.

Amen.

                      --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

This has been a short series of Bible studies, but certainly worthy of our attention!