# 17 2023 Dev. Prov.14:26. The Fountain of Life! Read all of chapter fourteen first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s story! Do you believe that this is also our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Proverbs 14:26-27 “Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is the fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.”
Proverbs 14 has in this chapter also 29 verses of couplets of opposing ways of living, right verses wrong by God’s standards, standards to think about in our time. There are also seven verses that are not in opposition. Three verses 7, 17 and 19 are negative and four that are positive vs 10, 26, 27 and 33. We take vs. 26-27 as the theme of this Proverb.
Vs.1-6. Verse 1 is a wake up call and is supported by verse 2 about foolishness and wisdom. In verse 4 we see that oxen bring abundance, vs. 5 speaks to honesty and falsehood and verse 6 compares mockers and knowledge.
Vs. 7 stands as a negative couplet, “Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips.”
Vs.8-9 “The wise give thought to their ways… the folly of fools is deception.” Fools do not repent… goodwill is for the upright.”
V.10 Stands as a positive couplet, “Each hearts knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.” Only God knows our hearts.
Vs.11-14 “the wicked will be destroyed… the upright will flourish.”“There is a way that appears right, but in the end it leads to death.” Many people say a way is right, even church leaders, but it leads to death, my heart aches, “rejoicing may end in grief.” Referring to the “right way the faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs.”
Vs.15-16 “the simple believe anything, the wise fear the Lord and shun evil…”
V.17 stands as a negative couplet, “A quick-tempered person does foolish things, and the one devises evil schemes is hated.”
V.18 “The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.”
V.19 stands as a positive couplet, “Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.”
Vs.20-25 “The poor are shunned even by their neighbors… It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor. But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness. But mere talk leads only to poverty. The wealth of the wise is their crown, but a false witness is deceitful.”
Vs.26-27 stand as positive couplets, “Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.” This is the main message of Proverbs fourteen. Thanks be to God!
Vs.28-32 “but one who is quick-tempered displays folly…A heart of peace gives life to the body. Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their maker…but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.”
V.33 stands as a positive couplet, “wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known.” There is no excuse for foolishness in the life of followers of Jesus.
Vs.34-35 Righteousness exalts a nation… A king delights in a wise servant. May God delight in us today!
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