A LESSON FROM PROVERBS ON FAMILY LIFE

INTRO:

1. The Book of Proverbs is completely different from any other book found in the Bible.

2. It is made up of many terse, succinct gems of wisdom with a little humor thrown in here and there.

3. The wisdom of Proverbs is in concentrated form, a little goes a long way.

4. It is heavenly wisdom that is down to earth.

5. This wisdom, if applied in the right way, will certainly help us in our every day walks of life.

6. It is a book of discipline that touches every department of life.

7. The thoughts are rich, clear, crisp, and are highly useful.

8. I have gone through the Book of Proverbs and have chosen passages that will relate to four different areas of family life.

A. These four areas are as follows:

1) Husbands in Relation to Their Wives.

2) Wives in Relation to Their Husbands.

3) Parents in Relation to Their Children.

4) Children in Relation to Their Parents.

I. HUSBAND TO WIFE.

A. Finding a Wife. Prov. 18:22; Gen. 24 -- Finding a wife for Isaac. The servant prayed. Isaac meditated or prayed. Gen. 2:18; Heb. 13:4; Prov. 12:4; 19:14.

B. Marriage is a Shared Commitment -- Keep it. Prov. 5:15-23; 15:3; 6:27-35.

II. WIFE TO HUSBAND.

A. I did not write the Book of Proverbs. There are some pretty sharp statements found therein.

B. A wife is not to be Contentious, always Nagging, Antagonistic. Prov. 19:13; 27:15, 16.

1. There is an old Arabian Proverb that says: "There are three things that make our houses intolerable: a leaky roof, a contentious wife, and bugs."

2. As one trying to catch the wind or hold oil in his hand, is one that tries to conceal a contentious wife. Prov. 21:9,19. "A wife with good horse sense never becomes a nag."

3. A woman wrote to Ann Landers complaining about her husband's snoring.

a. Sometime later, another woman wrote in response. She too, did not like to listen to her husband's snoring. But her husband had recently passed away, and she said that she would give anything just to be able to hear him snore again.

C. A Virtuous and Worthy Woman. Prov. 31:10-31.

III. PARENTS TO CHILDREN.

A. Set the Right Example Before Them. Prov. 20:7; 14:26; 22:6. "Train" in the Hebrew="Start him in the right direction." As a twig is bent, so becomes the tree. 2 Tim. 3:15.

B. Corrective Discipline. Prov. 13:24. The Bible does not say: "Spare the rod and spoil the child."

1. This proverb goes even further than that. If you spare the rod, you hate your child. There are no two children alike. Prov. 22:15; 29:15,17.

IV. CHILDREN TO PARENTS.

A. Hear the Instruction of Thy Father. 1:8,9; 1 Pet. 3:1-6; Prov. 4;1-4; 6:20,21; 15: 20; 30:17, 11-13.

CONCLUSION:

1. These things, even though written thousands of years ago, are just as timely today as they were back then.

2. In reflecting upon the wisdom of Solomon, we are really reflecting upon the wisdom of God.

By Jim Sasser

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