Proverbs 13
By Pastor David Groendyk

Now that we’ve made it past the introductory plea to listen to wisdom in chapters 1–9 and have dived into the proverbs themselves beginning in chapter 10, you may actually find it slightly more challenging to continue reading through this book. Why? Because most of the proverbs are individual statements that are unrelated to all the other verses around them. Once in a while, a few proverbs can be strung together to communicate a similar idea (as in Prov. 11:1–4), but most of the time they feel like disjointed thoughts compiled at random. Over the next couple weeks as we finish up Proverbs, it may be helpful to simply keep in mind one or two verses from the daily chapter rather than trying to keep all the disjointed thoughts stuffed in your brain.

Verses 20–25 form an interesting string of proverbs that give sound parenting advice. Notice how these verses all work together to form a larger picture. A good parent strives to provide for his or her children, and they do so to the point that even their grandchildren can benefit from it (v. 22). More than material provision, however, a good parent also disciplines their child and seeks to train them in moral and righteous living (v. 24). In a parent’s effort to provide for and discipline their children, they must recognize that grave injustices may happen (v. 23). Generally speaking, though, the Lord will bless, preserve, and satisfy those who pursue righteousness and seek him (vv. 21, 25). Therefore, surround yourself with these types of wise companions and friends, because you will inevitably be influenced by them (v. 20).

Verse 10 is another good proverb that teaches a timeless principle. The ESV Bible says, “By insolence comes nothing but strife.” ‘Insolence’ could also be translated as ‘pride’ or ‘over-confidence’. Whether it’s in families, churches, or governments, pride and over-confidence will always lead to fighting and contentiousness. Humbling yourself by taking advice from other people is the wise way to live. This continues a similar thought from verses 2–3: prideful people speak before listening, speak harshly, and always speak as if they know everything. Humble people guard their lips, assume they could use counsel, and seek peace. One writer links Proverbs 13:10 to Philippians 2:3–4: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” A good dose of counting others more significant than ourselves will go a long way toward staving off conflict. Where do you see this sort of prideful conflict being played out? What would it look like to grow in humility and fight against that pride?