The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 31st on Proverbs 31:10-14

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 10-14.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 31

1 The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.


2 Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb!
Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!
3 Do not spend your strength[a] on women,
your vigor on those who ruin kings.


4 It is not for kings, Lemuel—
it is not for kings to drink wine,
not for rulers to crave beer,
5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed,
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
6 Let beer be for those who are perishing,
wine for those who are in anguish!
7 Let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.


8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
9 Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

By the Way: The rest of this chapter, verses 10-31, were written as an acrostic poem.  Each verse begins with a successive letter from the Hebrew alphabet.
10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

10) "A noble character".  This is what a man really wants in his wife.  Can we all agree (at least those of us who are not still in our 20s) that having the "hot wife", or the "trophy wife" or the "supermodel wife" is simply not that important?  It is her honesty, her integrity; her maturity and wisdom; her willing and loving heart that far outweigh any physical attributes that may provide only a bonus.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value. 

11) Picture all the things that have true value.  None of them cost a penny, but a good wife can make them all appear through the work of her godly love. [Please note: As a poetic effort, remember that this section describes a super ideal wife.  One that probably has never existed in total and probably never will (The church, which is called "the bride of Christ", is not pictured here!).]

12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

12) What man could ask for more than that? 

13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

13) She is practical, diligent, and sacrificial.

14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

14) Sounds like she makes an effort to provide, not just quality meals, but with promising variety and surprise.

15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.




By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 30th on Proverbs 30:10-14

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 10-14.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 30

The Sayings of Agur

1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.
This man’s utterance to Ithiel:

“I am weary, God,
but I can prevail.[a]
2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
I do not have human understanding.
3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is the name of his son?
Surely you know!


5 “Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.


7 “Two things I ask of you, Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.


10 “Do not slander a servant to their master,
or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.

10) It's the servant who can get you back in ways you may not like!  "He who handles your food handles your good!"  That's an old proverb I just made up.  It suggests that, while you may be the CEO or the big cheese, your welfare depends on so many "little people" that you should be careful about what you say, and of how you treat them.

11 “There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers; 

11) These four verses (11-14) go together in describing something much more horrible than alien invaders or gigantic monsters from the deep that might terrorize our cities. Something worse than "the Borg" who would come to assimilate, and far worse than the super villain that James Bond so readily defeats in a two hour movie. The real dread for this planet is the evil heart we each might bring to bear against our own family and friends. Without being redeemed and renewed by the work of God alone, we suffer most from the ruining work of man's contempt for God.

12 those who are pure in their own eyes
and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty,
whose glances are so disdainful;
14 those whose teeth are swords
and whose jaws are set with knives
to devour the poor from the earth
and the needy from among mankind.

12-14) I tremble at the non-fiction nature of this description of mankind's nature.

15 “The leech has two daughters.
‘Give! Give!’ they cry.


“There are three things that are never satisfied,
four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
16 the grave, the barren womb,
land, which is never satisfied with water,
and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’


17 “The eye that mocks a father,
that scorns an aged mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
will be eaten by the vultures.


18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me,
four that I do not understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a young woman.


20 “This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth
and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’


21 “Under three things the earth trembles,
under four it cannot bear up:
22 a servant who becomes king,
a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
23 a contemptible woman who gets married,
and a servant who displaces her mistress.


24 “Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:
25 Ants are creatures of little strength,
yet they store up their food in the summer;
26 hyraxes are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags;
27 locusts have no king,
yet they advance together in ranks;
28 a lizard can be caught with the hand,
yet it is found in kings’ palaces.


29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride,
four that move with stately bearing:
30 a lion, mighty among beasts,
who retreats before nothing;
31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
and a king secure against revolt.[b]


32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
or if you plan evil,
clap your hand over your mouth!
33 For as churning cream produces butter,
and as twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife.”



By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 29th on Proverbs 29:9-12

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 9-12.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 29

1 Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes
will suddenly be destroyed —without remedy.


2 When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
when the wicked rule, the people groan.


3 A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.


4 By justice a king gives a country stability,
but those who are greedy for[a] bribes tear it down.


5 Those who flatter their neighbors
are spreading nets for their feet.


6 Evildoers are snared by their own sin,
but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.


7 The righteous care about justice for the poor,
but the wicked have no such concern.


8 Mockers stir up a city,
but the wise turn away anger.


9 If a wise person goes to court with a fool,
the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

9) Fools never know when to quit do they?  Have you seen the videos of forlorn defendants who decide that their best last hope is to jump over the table and simply escape out the door?  Someone usually gets hurt, but never away.


10 The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity
and seek to kill the upright.

10) I used to think I could talk someone out of their evil intent, but this type of hatred speaks only its own language.  So if I am ever "upright" enough, or so full of integrity as to be the target of such a bloodthirsty hate, will someone make sure to tell my wife I love her, and my kids that I'm sorry I never made a list of who gets which of my tools, so they'll have to just fight over them.


11 Fools give full vent to their rage,
but the wise bring calm in the end.

11) I heard this proverb mentioned on the radio recently, and thought "uh-oh".  You see, I have another blog called MILLERVENTS!  Though I do not necessarily give "full vent" to any "rage" exactly, perhaps I should be extra careful to make an attempt to "bring calm in the end" of those posts, lest the "fool" label fit.

12 If a ruler listens to lies,
all his officials become wicked.

12) Indeed.

13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common:
The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.


14 If a king judges the poor with fairness,
his throne will be established forever.


15 A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.


16 When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
but the righteous will see their downfall.


17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;
they will bring you the delights you desire.


18 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.


19 Servants cannot be corrected by mere words;
though they understand, they will not respond.


20 Do you see someone who speaks in haste?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.


21 A servant pampered from youth
will turn out to be insolent.


22 An angry person stirs up conflict,
and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.


23 Pride brings a person low,
but the lowly in spirit gain honor.


24 The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;
they are put under oath and dare not testify.


25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.


26 Many seek an audience with a ruler,
but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.


27 The righteous detest the dishonest;
the wicked detest the upright.




By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

Life in the Cards

I was writing about the various forms of solitaire this morning; working my way around to observations about the abrupt endings we all do come to, when I received a phone call from my sister.  


Since then I marked the spot, and completed the work. 

Does anyone play regular old solitaire anymore?  No, I am not so naive as to ask if anyone plays solitaire with actual cards anymore!  That would be ridiculous, of course.  But in the world of computer games, it seems that FreeCell or Spider solitaire have won out over the old standby that I always played—with real cards—when I was growing up. 

Recently I played a few games of the old style again, just to reminisce, and I think I discovered why it has fallen out of favor.  FreeCell is attractive to the lone, diversion seeking card player, for several reasons.  All the cards are face up right from the start!  And secondly, at least in theory, every possible layout of cards is winnable.  There are websites devoted to the game, where I have been gratified to learn that the same specific set ups that I have wrestled with are well known for their difficult solutions.  It is especially gratifying to beat one of those!

Spider solitaire is also very challenging, and is offered in various degrees of intricacy.  I was greatly intimidated by the four suit level until the day I found my daughter playing in those upper echelons, and winning!  Immediately I was no longer intimidated by a stupid cyber card game, and became completely intimidated instead by my daughter!  (Yes, I went on to beat that level, but just because I HAD to.).

These newer solitaire games, and others I am sure, have become popular on their own merits.  But the old style that everyone played for years and years (with real cards) is simply not as fun as it used to be.  Why?  Have you played it recently?  You can hardly ever win! Here is how it works: 1) You spread your cards out according to the given system, 2) make a few moves, and then 3) you lose.  At first you might move a red card onto a black card without even touching the supply pile; and when you turn over the newly exposed facedown card you may, stunningly, find another moveable card, and if you endure the shock, be tempted to smile thinly while vain hope sings its solitary siren song.  THEN everything locks up and you lose!

The computer version of the game has settled all discussion on how many cards are counted off before the flip of the supply cards.  Manual players have long argued for a mere one-at-a-time allowance, but that was just to make winning the game an actual feasibility, instead of a childish fantasy.  The computer turns three, and adds the traumatic tease by showing you the cards just under the one on top, which can rarely be placed into the game.  There seems to be a guiding program that determines the arrangement of these cards.  If you can use a red three, it’s right there; directly under the other black four!  No matter what the limit on aces in a standard deck of cards, one is always buried, but showing, in each flip of three cards, just below one or two unplayable bastions.

If by some supernatural cause the game continues and columns of alternating color are established on your screen, rest assured that, depending on your geographical location, a tornado, a hurricane, an earthquake, an alligator, or a home invader is bearing down on your house and you will not finish this miracle.  If none of those things occur, you are likely about to be abducted by aliens. While most people see this as only a slim possibility, the chances that your game will somehow avoid its typical, abrupt and final end are much, much more specious.  (You might do well to continue with your very foreign language course:  Repeat after me.  “Nanu nanu!”)

The old habit of “playing” this game was so popular for two reasons.  Until that world famous book came out, 202 Ways to Play Solitaire, no one knew there was another game one could play alone!  And the second reason is that classic solitaire is so much like life itself.

At birth we are dealt a set of cards.  We place them in some minimally ornate order, trying to achieve a final and satisfying sequence, but are so often inhibited by circumstance that we simply can not get that King on top.  We may claim that we deserve a more ready distribution of good opportunity, but our claims fall flat, for life simply is what it is, and it is interminably controlled by its own small set of outwardly ordained rules. 

All over the world and in every age we take what we find before us and work at rearranging the pieces into a semblance of pleasure…but lack the power or the authority to complete the process.  Too many untoward situations block the way.  Rules guide our steps and are a delight as long as our cooperation reaps a benefit, but when such laws inhibit our desired progress we balk, and are tempted to cheat.  With real cards on a real table, it was easy to undo a stifling move and try another route; or to pluck the unauthorized, but needed card, from the supply deck and play it out as if it were there by providence.

***At this point in my writing this morning, I received a phone call from my sister.  She had just heard from our sister-in-law, that our oldest brother Tom had suddenly died of a heart attack in the night.  Here I continue in tears.***

But with the computerized version of the game, as with life itself, there is no true cheating.  The cards must indeed all be placed in the correct piles.  There is an order and a fitting (a “God-shaped vacuum” inside us all that can only be filled by God) and a simple but singular process that needs to be accomplished.  Victory at the game of life, like winning at classic solitaire, is rare indeed, and depends entirely on the dealer.  The game of solitaire that best relates to our reality is FreeCell.

God deals the cards with a seeming randomness, but everything starts within certain bounds, and we are then given space to work and a place to go. Some set ups are easy to beat, while others require much concentration and endurance. Nothing is hidden. The cards are face up, as the law is written on our hearts, and claims of ignorance will be overruled.  The fact that every deal is “winnable” does not suggest that all roads lead to success; we need to work within the Dealer’s parameters.  By His grace, God gives us every reason to hope in His salvation; every reason to know that through our acceptance of the work of Christ on the cross, the KING will end up where He belongs; on top of every area of our lives, and reign there forever.

Whatever card game or picture, or analogy best describes this life for you, there are certain truths that are better left undenied. 

1. God made us all, and the place where we dwell.

2. For whatever reason, our nature is to repel God and deny His rule.

3. God loves us anyway, and has provided a way for our sin to be forgiven and our spirits redeemed.

Only in Him can we find our way.  Only by following His way, can we find Him.

By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 28th on Proverbs 28: 9-12

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 9-12.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 28


1 The wicked flee though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.


2 When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.


3 A ruler[a] who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.


4 Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,
but those who heed it resist them.


5 Evildoers do not understand what is right,
but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.


6 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than the rich whose ways are perverse.


7 A discerning son heeds instruction,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.


8 Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor
amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.


9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
even their prayers are detestable.

9) Compare this to another obvious truth: 
 If anyone ignores the invitation to my eternal party in heaven, rejecting even the dress code (the white robe of righteousness I would provide through my Son), even their later wails of despair (their repentance wrought from duress only) will be ignored.

(Yes,I already know I'm not a good proverbialist!)


10 Whoever leads the upright along an evil path
will fall into their own trap,
but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

10) Good.  Again, God promises to avenge the blameless!  The catch?  Well, without Christ's righteousness covering our sin, there are no "blameless"!


11 The rich are wise in their own eyes;
one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.

11) Why would "the rich" ever equate their net worth with wisdom?  Some of course, are, but the two do not automatically go together.  (Why are not the rich prone to be "lucky in their own eyes"?)


12 When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;
but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.

12) "Oh Lord, help us, to be governed by the (more) righteous."  


13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.


14 Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.


15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.


16 A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.


17 Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
will seek refuge in the grave;
let no one hold them back.


18 The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe,
but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit.[b]


19 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.


20 A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.


21 To show partiality is not good —
yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.


22 The stingy are eager to get rich
and are unaware that poverty awaits them.


23 Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
rather than one who has a flattering tongue.


24 Whoever robs their father or mother
and says, “It’s not wrong,”
is partner to one who destroys.


25 The greedy stir up conflict,
but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.


26 Those who trust in themselves are fools,
but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.


27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,
but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.


28 When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;
but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.



By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 27th on Proverbs 27:9-12

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 9-12.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 27

1 Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.


2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
an outsider, and not your own lips.


3 Stone is heavy and sand a burden,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.


4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?


5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.


6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses.


7 One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.


8 Like a bird that flees its nest
is anyone who flees from home.


9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the pleasantness of a friend
springs from their heartfelt advice.

9) "Heartfelt advice" is always a good thing.  Even if the idea expressed may sting, knowing it is given with love and sincerity makes all the difference.  In fact........I've been meaning to shape you up, so give me a call and I'll talk!  Only kidding!  

10 Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—
better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

10) I guess it's OK to go to your relative's house when disaster strikes them; if you want to bring non judgmental help, but rely on the good relations established with your neighbors when trouble comes.  Interesting.

I like the part about not forsaking "your friend or a friend of your family".  This is probably more important than we realize.  Except that Solomon forgot to call it "networking".

11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;
then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

11) Knowing your son is wise, does cover a lot of other pains.  Funny how that works.

12 The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

12) I think about this proverb a lot.  And I actually replaced a bad tire on my Explorer this week BEFORE it failed me on the highway in a rainstorm on the way to work and threw me into a ditch where I rolled over and over and killed three other people!  Whew!  That was close! Thanks Solomon!

13 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.


14 If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
it will be taken as a curse.


15 A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping
of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind
or grasping oil with the hand.


17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.


18 The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and whoever protects their master will be honored.


19 As water reflects the face,
so one’s life reflects the heart.[a]


20 Death and Destruction[b] are never satisfied,
and neither are human eyes.


21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but people are tested by their praise.


22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
grinding them like grain with a pestle,
you will not remove their folly from them.


23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;
24 for riches do not endure forever,
and a crown is not secure for all generations.
25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats with the price of a field.
27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
and to nourish your female servants.




By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 26th on Proverbs 26:9-12

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 9-12.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 26

1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the backs of fools!
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8 Like tying a stone in a sling
is the giving of honor to a fool.

9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 

9) Isn't good imagery a fantastic thing?  This word picture, of a  "thornbush in a drunkard’s hand", is very scary.  And then to compare THAT to what seems so simple, "a proverb in the mouth of a fool" is very telling.  We begin to imagine how hurtful it is to use a proverb carelessly.

10 Like an archer who wounds at random
is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.

10) Some kids in Wisconsin did this recently.  One shot an arrow and hit a 10 year old girl in the back, and then they ran away pretending nothing happened.  Fortunately, their sin did find them out.  But the point of the proverb is that people are not all the same.  All are equally made, and have the same rights, but not all are equally qualified to perform a specific task.  Discernment (egad, even JUDGEMENT) is necessary before hiring, before honoring, before celebrating, before marrying; indeed before making any personal commitments.

11 As a dog returns to its vomit,
so fools repeat their folly. 

11) I object strongly (read: scream) when I see my dog do this gross thing!  But to her it's some kind of natural instinct (I guess).  Would that she would interfere (read: bark savagely) when I am about to repeat one of my natural follies!

12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.

12) I just heard a message this week about self-confidence.  It is oft promoted, but Mary Whelchel suggests that it is greatly overrated.  We are better off living our lives with "God-confidence" because the self will certainly fail us.

13 A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.


17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.


18 Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
19 is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”


20 Without wood a fire goes out;
without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.


23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
are fervent[a] lips with an evil heart.
24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,
but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
25 Though their speech is charming, do not believe them,
for seven abominations fill their hearts.
26 Their malice may be concealed by deception,
but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;
if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.




By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 25th on Proverbs 25:9-12

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 9-12.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 25

More Proverbs of Solomon

1 These are more proverbs of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:


2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
3 As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.


4 Remove the dross from the silver,
and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
5 remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,
and his throne will be established through righteousness.


6 Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
7 it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.


What you have seen with your eyes
8 do not bring[a] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame?


9 If you take your neighbor to court,
do not betray another’s confidence,


9) Interesting; not even to pin your rotten neighbor to the wall, can you use something someone else told you in confidence as evidence!  God has great ethics, methinks!  The terribly much, as far as standards go, are so worth it because each of us becomes an eventual recipient of the good standards.



10 or the one who hears it may shame you
and the charge against you will stand.


10) This seems to be a charge unrelated to your 'neighborly' claim.  This charge, the one that would stand, is probably worse than your complaint: the charge that you are a GOSSIP!

11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver
is a ruling rightly given.


11) So picturesque!  This image is used elsewhere, as in ....is a word fitly spoken.  I suppose it's the same idea, but one is more official than personal.

12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.


12) Oh that the dumb kid who just made a stupid, rash decision, would stand and listen to the stern rebuke  of the good judge.  No matter if the judge is his dad, or a municipal official.  It's time to grow up; plus you still get to wear the earring!


13 Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time
is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;
he refreshes the spirit of his master.
14 Like clouds and wind without rain
is one who boasts of gifts never given.


15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,
and a gentle tongue can break a bone.


16 If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.


18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.
19 Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
or like vinegar poured on a wound,
is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.


21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.


23 Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain
is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.


24 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.


25 Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land.
26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
are the righteous who give way to the wicked.


27 It is not good to eat too much honey,
nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep.


28 Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control.




By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 24th on Proverbs 24:10-14

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 10-14.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 24

Saying 20


1 Do not envy the wicked,
do not desire their company;
2 for their hearts plot violence,
and their lips talk about making trouble.
Saying 21


3 By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.
Saying 22


5 The wise prevail through great power,
and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
6 Surely you need guidance to wage war,
and victory is won through many advisers.
Saying 23


7 Wisdom is too high for fools;
in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.
Saying 24


8 Whoever plots evil
will be known as a schemer.
9 The schemes of folly are sin,
and people detest a mocker

Saying 25

10 If you falter in a time of trouble,
how small is your strength!

10) So having any "strength" at all is defined by its ability to carry us through "trouble" without faltering.  Notice that trouble is assumed.  We all will have a measure of trouble in life, and in fact, the longer we live, the more trouble we should expect.  Under the right conditions, however, strength should keep up with the trouble, and even grow at a greater rate.

11 Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

11) Would that it were so easy!  At least spiritually speaking, "those staggering toward slaughter" resist being "held back".  I am convinced, however, that the reality of a guilty concience's voice is never truly unnoticed.  It is waving its arms to help avoid the slaughter as well, but needs the heart to relent, so the very spirit can be saved.

12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

12) Thankfully, when it comes time to be judged by God, none of us will be tempted to try to lie our way out of the trouble we deserve.  Standing (or falling) before the righteous, all-knowing God, all truth is self-evident.  No denials, excuses or fingerpointing blame games will impact what God already knows to be the truth.  Adam tried to blame Eve, and Eve tried to blame the serpent, but God's judgement did not flinch.  He already knew what was needed and had to be done.  Death did indeed enter the world that day, and man and women both began to live under the symbolic curses God imposed.

BUT BY GOD'S EXTREME LOVE AND GRACE, HE ALREADY KNEW WHAT HE WOULD HAVE TO DO TO REDEEM MANKIND!  Also that day, God began His plan of redemption through the Son, and predicted (promised) that His Son would crush Satan's head!

Saying 26

13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
13) Amazing!  He mentions nothing here about eating the honey with peanut butter!  That must come in Proverbs 32.

14 Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:
If you find it, there is a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.

14) I guess we will find out later what peanut butter "is like" for you.  The first month that comes along with 32 days, we will discuss among ourselves!

Saying 27


15 Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous,
do not plunder their dwelling place;
16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,
but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
Saying 28


17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
18 or the Lord will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from them.
Saying 29


19 Do not fret because of evildoers
or be envious of the wicked,
20 for the evildoer has no future hope,
and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
Saying 30


21 Fear the Lord and the king, my son,
and do not join with rebellious officials,
22 for those two will send sudden destruction on them,
and who knows what calamities they can bring?
Further Sayings of the Wise

23 These also are sayings of the wise:


To show partiality in judging is not good:
24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,”
will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and rich blessing will come on them.


26 An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips.


27 Put your outdoor work in order
and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house.


28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause —
would you use your lips to mislead?
29 Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me;
I’ll pay them back for what they did.”


30 I went past the field of a sluggard,
past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
31 thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest —
34 and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.




By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 23rd on Proverbs 23:10-14

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 10-14.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 23
Saying 7

1 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well what is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
3 Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive.
Saying 8


4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
do not trust your own cleverness.
5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
for they will surely sprout wings
and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
Saying 9


6 Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
do not crave his delicacies;
7 for he is the kind of person
who is always thinking about the cost.
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten
and will have wasted your compliments.
Saying 10


9 Do not speak to fools,
for they will scorn your prudent words.

OK, so we find ourselves in the middle of "30 Sayings of the Wise".  My "Proverbs Pull-A-Part" system wreaks havoc here.  For example; if you want to know what I think about the first wise saying, you have to wait until July 22nd, and number 6 doesn't come up until December 22nd!  In January of this year, I wrote about sayings 7 and 8.  My best advice?  Read the whole chapter that goes with each day of the month and you will read all of Proverbs in all of its correct order.  My comments don't matter that much, and they just come along when they do!

Saying 11

10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Defender is strong;
he will take up their case against you.

10,11) Guess who "their Defender" is.  Throughout the scriptures we see many attributes of God highlighted.  His care for widows and orphans ranks near the top of His priorities.  If you want to get in trouble quick; pick on a "fatherless"!  This concern, I think, also reflects God supreme interest in welcoming home each and every one of us who have left His home for the promises of being a prodigal, and would find loving redemption back under His care.

Saying 12

12 Apply your heart to instruction
and your ears to words of knowledge.

12) Back to basics.  I know one young lady in particular (who used to be a Miller) who seemed to think she should not go in to a class until she already knew what they were going to teach her (?).  Silly girl!  Your heart was always "applied to instruction" and your ears to "words of knowledge":  These are the only prerequisites for any class, and serve you well for a good life of many years.  Being so teachable is vital, and I am proud to be your Daddy (ooops)!

Saying 13

13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.
14 Punish them with the rod
and save them from death.

13,14) I love Solomon's understatement; "they will not die."  And I see from his need to say it, that there were folks in his day decrying, probably, the "abuse" of the rod!  It's good to know that this fear is not some kind of pinnacle of the ages, but just another repetition of the cycle's namby-pamby phase.

Remember though, that while some "wise guy" is the author of this saying, we count the whole Bible as God's inspired Word.  So it is God who has connected punishment with "the rod" and the saving "from death"!

Saying 14


15 My son, if your heart is wise,
then my heart will be glad indeed;
16 my inmost being will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.
Saying 15


17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.
18 There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.
Saying 16


19 Listen, my son, and be wise,
and set your heart on the right path:
20 Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat,
21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Saying 17


22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it—
wisdom, instruction and insight as well.
24 The father of a righteous child has great joy;
a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.
25 May your father and mother rejoice;
may she who gave you birth be joyful!
Saying 18


26 My son, give me your heart
and let your eyes delight in my ways,
27 for an adulterous woman is a deep pit,
and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Like a bandit she lies in wait
and multiplies the unfaithful among men.
Saying 19


29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Those who linger over wine,
who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly!
32 In the end it bites like a snake
and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange sights,
and your mind will imagine confusing things.
34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
lying on top of the rigging.
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up
so I can find another drink?”












By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 22nd on Proverbs 22:11-16

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 11-16.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 22

1 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.


2 Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the Maker of them all.


3 The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.


4 Humility is the fear of the Lord;
its wages are riches and honor and life.


5 In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,
but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.


6 Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.


7 The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.


8 Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,
and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.


9 The generous will themselves be blessed,
for they share their food with the poor.


10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
quarrels and insults are ended.


11 One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
will have the king for a friend.

11)  I worked with a guy years ago who could talk a Packer fan into rooting for the Bears!  We used to call such a guy a "schmoozer."  But I think the person described here is much more than that.  He is genuine.  He actually does "love a pure heart" and his speaking "with grace" is not calculated to charm.  The trick is for the King to discern the authentic loyal friend, from the schmoozer.

12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

12) In this campaign season I hear so many "words of the unfaithful" thrown out there.  This is how I see so many ads and talking points that deliberately veer away from taking a real stand on a real issue.  When a candidate is afraid that his worldview position is untenable or unpopular, he avoids "knowledge" and ends up only frustrating himself with "unfaithful (to the truth) words."


13 The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed in the public square!”

13) Solomon leaves us on our own here, to finish the typical second half of the proverb.  It is usually either an emphasis of the preliminary statement, or a contrasting revelation.  This one seems to call for a contrast.  Something like... 

The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! 
I’ll be killed in the public square!”

"But the courageous runs out to protect his friends!"


14 The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;
a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.

14) Does the Lord actually SEND the adulterous woman to punish someone?  I don't think so.  But "a man who is under the Lord's wrath" is there for a reason.  He has previously demonstrated his rebellion against God and because he is in such a state, God predicts that adultery is just one more of the bad choices he is likely to succumb to.  Since the man avoids God's truth, he will probably fall for the lie of the seductress.

15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

15) What a shame that so many generations (perhaps every third or fourth?) are "protected" from the rod of discipline by societies ever oscillating moral outrages.  Right now, America is in the mood for choosing "hearts full of folly" in lieu of the "rod of discipline".  When the deeds of such folly again overwhelm us all, the pendulum (hopefully) will swing back, and a new generation will grow up delivered from such ruin.

16 One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

16) The first "one" is represented well in so many books and movies.  The factory owner who doesn't care, or the corrupt politician driving through the big deal to "make a killing" make us all sick.  And then there is the other "one" with the brown nose and the "schmoozing" compliments that weedle into good graces:  More sick.

Thirty Sayings of the Wise
Saying 1

17 Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach,
18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I teach you today, even you.
20 Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
sayings of counsel and knowledge,
21 teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth,
so that you bring back truthful reports
to those you serve?
Saying 2


22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
and do not crush the needy in court,
23 for the Lord will take up their case
and will exact life for life.
Saying 3


24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
do not associate with one easily angered,
25 or you may learn their ways
and get yourself ensnared.
Saying 4


26 Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge
or puts up security for debts;
27 if you lack the means to pay,
your very bed will be snatched from under you.
Saying 5


28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
set up by your ancestors.
Saying 6


29 Do you see someone skilled in their work?
They will serve before kings;
they will not serve before officials of low rank.










By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 21st on Proverbs 21:11-15

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 11-15.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 21

1 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
that he channels toward all who please him.


2 A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.


3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.


4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.


5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty.


6 A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.[a]


7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
for they refuse to do what is right.


8 The way of the guilty is devious,
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.


9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.


10 The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.


11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.

11) This makes easy sense.


12 The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked
and brings the wicked to ruin.

12) It does society good when crack houses etc. are torn down.


13 Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
will also cry out and not be answered.

13) This is one of those promises God makes, that we don't really want to hear.  And giving a homeless schmoozer a dollar to get him away does not count.


14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.

14) OK, but is that second part ever justified?

15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.


15) So can justice be defined by who it brings joy to, vs. who it terrorizes?  Or can the righteous and evildoers be designated by their respective response to justice?  Both sides of the coin seem to be subjective here, but the truth of the matter is that all people everywhere are able to make all the judgments necessary to recognize all three entities: justice, the righteous, and the evildoers.  There is a natural standard; inborn, and known by all, regarding every important behavior class.  


Notice that the righteous are joy filled, even if the justice done upon them if deserved by their wayward acts.  And that the evildoers complain and cower, even if they know their guilt.  Hell will probably not be a cool gathering place of camaraderie for the rebellious, who will celebrate their fellowship under the pall of "so called" justice. No:  But more likely a riotous and terrible maelstrom of denial and rebellion against justice's final word, until the true terror of reality and eternity combined, takes hold.


2 Corinthians 6:2 reminds us not to delay.
For he says,

“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.





16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.


17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.


18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.


19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.


20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.


21 Whoever pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity[c] and honor.


22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.


23 Those who guard their mouths and their tongues
keep themselves from calamity.


24 The proud and arrogant person —“Mocker” is his name—
behaves with insolent fury.


25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.


27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable —
how much more so when brought with evil intent!


28 A false witness will perish,
but a careful listener will testify successfully.


29 The wicked put up a bold front,
but the upright give thought to their ways.


30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the Lord.


31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.




By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?