Proverbs 20:1-5
Wine is a Mocker
Proverbs 20:6-10
Who Can Find a Faithful Man?
Proverbs 20:11-20
A Child Is Known By His Deeds
Proverbs 20:21-30
Blows That Hurt Cleanse Away Evil
Proverbs 21:1-10
A Contentious Wife Makes Life Miserable
Proverbs 21:11-21
A Wise Person Stores Food Like an Ant
Proverbs 21:22-31
Wisdom Gives Strength And Security
Proverbs 22:1-11
Train a Child Right and He Will Not Depart From It
Proverbs 22:12-21
Sayings of The Wise
Proverbs 22:22-29
The Problem of Co-signing For Someone
Proverbs 23:1-11
Trying to Teach a Fool is Useless
Proverbs 23:12-23
A Wise Child Will Hear His Parents Instruction
Proverbs 23:24-35
Drunkenness Leads to All Kinds of Problems
Proverbs 24:1-10
What is in Your Heart Comes Out in Your Talk
Proverbs 24:11-22
Rejoicing for The Wrong Reasons
Proverbs 24:23-34
Priorities in Establishing a Home
Proverbs 25:1-10
Tell a Person His Fault Alone
Proverbs 25:11-28
Self Control is Important
Proverbs 25:21-28
Compromise Invites an Attack by Satan
Proverbs 26:1-9
The Man of Wisdom Will Not Dispute a Fool
Trying to Teach a Fool is Useless
Proverbs 23:1–11
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Service stations everywhere are using do-it-yourself credit card pumps. No attendant is needed since the customer can make his gasoline purchase and never go inside. Soft drink machines are ... More
When invited to a banquet, hosted by someone who is of a higher station in life, a person needs to exercise self-restraint and remember where he is (vv. 1-3). A ruler host may seem to be friendly and try to “butter up” with a nice meal but, he may be planning to later take advantage of his guest. There are many warnings in Scripture about making the accumulation of wealth the object of a person’s life. These verses do not speak against being industrious but against making money the primary goal of your life (vv. 4-5). Restraint is needed, especially in the present day when materialism drives many people to excessive workloads to accumulate more money.
A stingy host who entertains solely for the purpose of gaining a good personal relationship with others is pictured in verses 6 through 8. He will seek to take advantage of those who eat at his table by putting them under obligation to him. Ultimately, you will be sorry you ever partook of his food and will even wish that you could vomit it up.
Trying to teach a stubborn fool is useless (v. 9). It is a waste of time to try to teach someone who has no desire for wisdom. It is better to spend our time teaching those who really want to learn. To steal land from a neighbor by moving his boundary stone is bad but to take things from orphans is worse yet (vv. 10-11). The Lord opposes all who mistreat and steal from fatherless children.
Application
I need to be very careful about my motive in developing personal relationships with others. Is it for personal gain or to honestly be a help and encouragement to the other person?
Proverbs 23:1-11 (English Standard Version)
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