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| 1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. |
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| 2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
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The spirits – Ruach, mind, thoughts, motives. E318
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| 3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. |
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| 4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. |
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| 5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. |
Proud in heart – Pride is an inordinate and excessive amount of self-esteem and self-conceit. R5704:1, R5001:1
Those who feel haughty toward others and are not sympathetic; who despise others. R5000:6
Pride is very deceitful and frequently cloaks itself with humility. R5000:2
No kind of pride would be more detestable in God's sight than pride of the truth. It is not our Plan. R5001:1
Worldly pride challenges faith in God and obedience to him. R4898:5
Certain conduct which sometimes seems to be pride is not pride; as those, lacking self-esteem, who have much approbativeness. R5000:3
Sometimes manifest by elders in attempts to override the liberties of the congregation and hold power in their own hands. R5001:4
Applies also to the angels. R5000:6
An abomination – Not a creature in the universe has anything to be proud of, has nothing of his own creation, has only been a recipient of favor, blessing. R4898:2, R5704:1
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| 6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. |
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| 7 When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. |
Enemies to be at peace – At the proper time, in the future. Now, whoever will live godly will suffer persecution. Q528:3
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| 8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. |
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| 9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. |
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| 10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment. |
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| 11 A just weight and balance are the LORD's: all the weights of the bag are his work. |
A just weight – We should apprehend the principle of divine justice, and deal justly and keep judgment. R3635:5
He who fails to appreciate justice must proportionately fail to appreciate mercy; for mercy is merely the difference between love and justice. R3635:5
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| 12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness. |
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| 13 righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right. |
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| 14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it. |
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| 15 In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain. |
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| 16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! |
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| 17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. |
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| 18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. |
Pride – Of wealth; sectarian pride; family pride; personal pride. R2459:6
Pride has been a general guide for the world which has accomplished much harm. R5723:4
Alas for the power of pride; the proud cannot see their difficulties. R5068:3
Humility is important because the other graces of the holy Spirit cannot be cultivated without it. R4787:1
If you find a humble one with ability, encourage him in its exercise; but if he be not humble-minded, encourage him not, even though he have the ability, for the higher you push him the greater will be his fall. R1629:3
Illustrated by King Uzziah. He forgot that he was merely the Lord's representative and that his first duty was to obey the divine commands. (2 Chron. 26:8-21) R4786:2
Before destruction – Contrary to the Universalist theory. R3083:2
The greater the blessing, the more serious would be the loss by destruction. R3385:6
An haughty spirit – Society's real danger is not from anarchists, but from friends of law and order who, in putting down enemies of the law, will tend toward haughty austerity. R991:3
Ruach, mind, will, disposition. E318
A domineering, self-satisfied disposition tends to undermine the character. R3385:6
Before a fall – "Thou wilt save the humble people, but wilt bring down high looks." (Psa. 18:27) R3337:2
We have a standing never previously granted to any, and the higher the standing the more serious the fall. R3385:6, R1629:3
The time of trouble toward which Christendom is hastening. R2459:6
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| 19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. |
An humble spirit – Ruach, mind, disposition. E318
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| 20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he. |
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| 21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. |
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| 22 Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly. |
Understanding – Not merely of the head, but of the heart especially. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." (Rom. 10:10) "Out of the heart are the issues of life." (Prov. 4:23) R2038:2
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| 23 The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. |
Teacheth his mouth – To speak "words of truth and soberness." (Acts 26:25) R2038:2
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| 24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. |
Pleasant words – Of wisdom, of counsel, of loving-kindness. R2038:3
Health to the bones – In that they refresh and comfort and stimulate courage, and thus fortify the soul and strengthen it to noble deeds. R2038:3
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| 25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. |
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| 26 He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him. |
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| 27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. |
Diggeth up evil – Apparently finding satisfaction in so doing. R2038:4
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| 28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. |
A froward man – A bad man whose acts and words tend to produce envy, bitterness, misunderstandings and strife. Q46:T
Whisperer – A busybody or slanderer. Q46:T
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| 29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good. |
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| 30 He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass. |
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| 31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. |
The hoary head – Blessed is the man who sets his house in order and who maintains that order to the end of his days. R3630:1
Crown of glory – When the hallowed influences of ripened Christian graces are manifest to every beholder. R2038:5, R3630:4
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| 32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. |
Ruleth his spirit – His own mind or will. R2892:4, R3985:6, R4904:6, R5975:5
Bringing it into full subordination. E112
By changing the allegiance of his will from self to God and overcoming the foes that are entrenched in his mind as a result of the fall. R3629:5,3, R1860:1, R4904:6, R5056:3, R5488:4
We must be taught to rule ourselves, that we may know how to rule others. R12:6*
The little and more numerous battles, keeping the mind cleansed from the secret faults, are principally the ones in which we gain the victories. R4904:6
The greatest power in the universe is the power of the will. OV195:4
God wants all Christians to practice self-denial in respect to sins and everything which would hinder his cause in any degree. F552
Our dealings with ourselves are our chief concern, our chief battle. R3985:6
He that continues to rule his own spirit has not only routed the enemy, sin; but continues to keep him at bay. R3629:3
To rule one's own spirit cannot be done singlehandedly. The wise general will invoke a stronger power, the almighty arm of God. R3629:5
Illustrated by John the Baptist, all of whose aspirations and human ambitions were made subservient to his one mission of introducing Jesus. R1916:1
We have three departments of government: the legislative, which should always be the conscience; the judicial, the judgment; and the executive, the will. R3629:5, R5488:6
Than he – Destructiveness and combativeness, which serve a Christian well if directed against his own blemishes, are out of place when one becomes contentious with the brethren. R5056:3, R4803:5, R3858:3
In overcoming pride and selfishness (by confession of his sin with Bathsheba) David proved himself a greater hero than in his youthful conflict with Goliath. R2017:4
That taketh a city – To take a city one must have the skill and equipment necessary to conquer a nation. R3629:2
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| 33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD. |
The lot is cast – Those things which men may regard as mere chance. R2038:5
Is of the LORD – Will be overruled to the accomplishment of his purposes. R2038:5
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