Saturday, 30 June 2018

Proverbs 27:11-16 - Practical Wisdom (1)


Wisdom as we know is knowledge applied. It is practical. It evaluates a situation and its surrounding conditions and chooses the best course of action to bring the best outcome. Wisdom always benefits one who exercises it. When a wise advice is given and the recipient acts on it, the heart of the one who imparted the wisdom is always made glad. For example, a father will be glad and finds satisfaction when his son takes his wise counsel and acts on them. Furthermore, any critics of the adviser will be silenced. That’s what verse 11 tells us. And what’s important about practical wisdom, verse 12 says, is that it will keep one from danger. A wise person knows how to quickly appraise and identify evil and keeps out of its way. In contrast a senseless person will cast headlong mindlessly, not considering the dangers. He will find himself needlessly exposed to evil and pays dearly for it. The advice is to evaluate a situation and keep out of harm’s way.

Verse 13 reiterated the danger of being a co-signee discussed in Proverbs 6:1-5. It is best not to be trapped in such a situation where one has to be a guarantor to another. It is because a creditor will always hold the guarantor responsible and makes sure he discharges his obligation.

Verse 14 is not dealing with the volume or the time of a greeting. Rather it is seeking to tell us that when a good thing is offered at the wrong time it is undesirable. Why? It is just that we can never tell what volume is loud and when it is early to someone, so our good intention may be wrongly read. It is difficult to determine when and how our greeting will be appropriately received. The crux is this: we must be sure to assess a situation and act appropriately.  

Verses 15-16 provide wisdom in choosing a life partner. When a man fails to carefully choose who he wants to be his wife, he will end up in a life of misery, and also the vice-versa. A quarrelsome woman is certainly not a good choice. She will be contentious and a constant nag. Verse 15 compares her to the constant dripping of water, much like a leaky tap. Verse 16 tells us that trying to restrain her contention is like trying to catch wind and contain it. It is also like trying to grasp an object with an oily, greasy hand. The idea is that such a contentious woman is impossible to restrain. Any man seeking a wife must bear this in mind. It must be said that some men can also be petty and contentious. A woman must also wisely choose the man she wants for a life-partner. The important thing is this: Marriage is a life-long commitment. We must choose our life partner wisely and carefully. A wrong choice will mean a life of unending despair.  If you are going to be married be sure you have a right partner. It is better to stay single than marrying the wrong person.  

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