Solomon begins with the home, our early learning environment, and the family, the foundation of society. Our lives and our actions affect the feelings of other people, especially our parents. Are we bringing them joy or heaviness by the way we live, and is that important to us? If we need to make changes, where do we begin? We have choices to make – to be wise or to be foolish. What specific step can we take today? What one thing will we do differently tomorrow as a result of reflecting on our life today?

Parents generally try to give sound advice to their children, and wisdom must come more easily to those who have been encouraged to develop good habits of thought, speech and action in childhood. Did we act on that advice, however, or ignore it? Do we ever consult our parents, discuss issues with them, benefit from their experiences and learn from their mistakes?

Can we reverse Solomon’s statement? Does a wise father make a glad son? What responsibilities do we bear if we are parents? How can we help our children to be happy and successful? What positive interests can we encourage? How can we help them discover and develop their talents? How can we model wise behavior for them?

We have to make a living in this life, but how do we go about it? Do we work diligently to build a solid career, or do we resort to dishonest practices and even crime as a short cut to riches? The crook thinks he can cheat and steal and buy happiness with the proceeds, but he is wrong. Crime does not and can not pay, says Solomon, for in his heart the wicked person knows that he is despicable, and the satisfaction he seeks inside eludes him.

However, Solomon’s divine wisdom also looks to the long-term, to the principles of enduring, eternal success – as do the teachings of Jesus and his apostles. Perhaps this is why Paul says: "We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it"(1 Timothy 6:7). The wicked cannot use their riches to purchase eternal life, so when they die what profit do they have from their wickedness? "The wages of sin are death", says Paul again, "but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23).

Solomon continues to deal with the fundamental facts of life, in this case the need for security. Can we really afford to be honest and righteous in our business dealings in this dog-eat-dog world? The wise man understands that we are not alone in this universe, and that God knows the sparrows in the hedgerow, as Jesus points out, and even numbers the hairs on our head. He is ready, willing and able to guide, protect and bless those who respond to his call and pursue the path of righteousness.

Perhaps Jesus has this proverb in mind, then, when he assures his disciples that God can and will provide the necessities of life they need, saying: "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well" (Matthew 6:33). The wise person makes right living his top priority, not money, assured that God will guide him now and give eternal life later. But the wicked will be destroyed and their wealth with them.

The fundamental thread continues. Solomon does not mean to imply, in the previous section, that the wise man simply prays and leaves everything to God. We have an active part to play in our success, and diligent work is a vital key to prosperity. Although the crooked businessman may lie and cheat, he probably also has some sterling personal qualities, such as industriousness, courage, imagination, attention to detail and persistence, qualities the weak of the world tend to lack. In Jesus’s parable of the unjust steward, the dishonest manager is commended for his resourcefulness.

How diligent are we in our work? Do we work robotically or intelligently? Do we look for new and better, more efficient and more effective ways to do things? The word translated "diligent" comes from a root meaning "to cut with a sharp instrument", implying perhaps the production of fine quality work, accurate in every detail, of a kind that could not be produced with crude and blunt tools that have lost their edge.

A slack hand, when holding the reins of horses, for example, can let the wagon slip out of our control. Slackness soon becomes evident on a farm, where vermin multiply and weeds spring up and ruin crops. Do we have a slack hand in dealing with finances? Slack controls in business lead to bankruptcy.

The focus on fundamentals continues. Timing can be vitally important in any business, but more obviously so, perhaps, in agriculture. When harvest time is over and the winter weather begins, an important opportunity to work and make money has passed. The son who sleeps in harvest, rather than rising early and working late to get the job done, is neglecting urgent tasks that require his attention now, before it is too late. What urgent matters might we be neglecting, or failing to face up to?

Timing can be crucial in our careers. What opportunities for self-improvement and personal advancement are we overlooking? Why are we failing to take advantage of them? Do we need further education and training? Are our minds like fallow fields, crying out for careful cultivation to make them productive?

Solomon continues to weave his introductory theme, like a thread through a piece of cloth. The virtuous man has good character traits and sound habits that smooth his way through life -- unlike the lazy son in the last section who lies in bed and lets the harvest spoil in the field. Many people fail to achieve the success they seek simply because of their own foolishness -- by complacency, by lack of ambition and initiative, by virtue of personal weaknesses and bad habits.

Are we creating problems and real pain for ourselves, negative blessings, so to speak, by our words and actions, by our whole approach and attitude? If so, where are we going wrong? What specific things can we change?

Notice the poetic comparison – blessings come on the head, like a crown, perhaps, but a rod comes on the back.

Highly successful people, such as the great scientific genius Michael Faraday, are usually receptive to correction, no matter where it comes from, and look for the positive value in it. Do we listen and learn and make changes, or are we too busy talking and trying to impress? Do we think we know it all already?

The "chattering fool" is out of touch with reality, talks too much and not conscious of his foolishness. What kind of person have you become? Can you see yourself as others see you? How aware are you of bad habits and personal faults and weaknesses that limit your progress?

James says: "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like" (James 1:23-24).

Solomon continues to cover the foundational factors of success. To walk in integrity is to walk surely and safely, by being honest and trustworthy in all we do. If we do this, we will never be "found out" or exposed in some way, because there will be nothing to find out -- unlike those whose paths are crooked, devious and dishonest. The person of integrity, unlike the proud, is willing to admit to his mistakes rather than lying and covering up.

Are we people of integrity? Is it of paramount importance to us? Are we craftsman-like in our approach to our work? Do we have standards?

In our dealings with other people, do we close our eyes to problems and hope they will go away. Do we take the easy way out, or do we have the courage to confront the people concerned, sort things out, make peace and restore harmony?

"If your brother sins against you", says Jesus, "go and show him his fault, just between the two of your. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses" (Matthew 18:16-17). To take this advice requires courage, and the wisdom to reflect first on one’s own attitudes and actions and find out who really is at fault.

Metaphorically, the mouth is like a well, a shaft that descends into the heart. Are the words that are drawn out of it motivated by righteousness, and are they life-giving, like water poured on parched plants? Can we consciously use our words to encourage and uplift other people?

Wells were often covered or enclosed and the water in them was in effect concealed from view. In a similar fashion, the violent and hostile thoughts in a wicked man’s heart are effectively concealed until he opens his mouth and we hear his words. Are we conscious of our words and the attitudes that motivate them? Are we positive and constructive?

Water is drawn from a well in measured amounts, by the bucket, but it gushes uncontrolled from a fountain or spring. Perhaps this is why James comments: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig-tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water" (James 3:9-12)

The theme of personal effectiveness continues. Animosity towards other people, and personality conflicts, can cause us to make mountains out of proverbial mole-hills. The wise person refuses to indulge in such immature nonsense because it can only divert him from his goal. Can we learn to work constructively even with difficult people? Can we work to their strengths instead of getting offended by their weaknesses? And if someone has done us wrong, can we find the love to cover up and paint over the offence?

Peter says: "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8).

We can take charge of our emotions, if we really want to, instead of letting them control us. Anthony Robbins tells people who are feeling down, and demonstrating their dejection by their body language: "You don’t have to do that!"

10.13 In the lips of him that has understanding, wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

Once again the thread continues from the previous proverb. Hatred is usually stirred up and expressed by words. The foolish person speaks rashly without consideration for the consequences, and so lets his mouth get him into trouble and alienate others. The man of understanding is wise and cautious in his speech.

Do we sometimes create problems for ourselves by the way we speak, by our manner and the way we phrase things? Do we weigh our words, and consider the emotional impact of our comments? How can we become more persuasive and influential?

The law of cause and effect is at work in our lives. The foolish person we have just read about never learns, and so never modifies his self-destructive tactics, especially his unwise use of words. It is as if he actually calls out and invites Ruin into his life. The wise man, on the other hand, is a life-long learner and a student of human nature, always thirsting for the insights and understanding that lead to success. He builds up a valuable store of useful knowledge and applies it.

Do we really listen and learn from the words of people who are older, wiser, and more successful than ourselves? Can we observe and analyze and then model the strategies and even the specific speech patterns of successful people?

The poor are people who have been brought to ruin, perhaps over the generations, possibly because of a lack of wisdom, as we saw in the previous proverb. Poverty tends to repeat itself in a cyclical fashion – as self-destructive attitudes and a lack of education and ambition in one generation leads to the same unsuccessful outlook in the next. Wealthy people have the resources to help their children get on, become well educated, and find good jobs. A successful family achieves financial security that offers its members protection like the walls of an ancient city. Another lesson here might be the importance of working together with like-minded members of the extended family for mutual benefit.

One of the underlying themes of Proverbs is that of cause and effect -- so why are people poor? Are there reasons? Can the cycle be analyzed and broken apart? Is failure the natural consequence of unwise actions? To what extent could a poor man be a victim of his own and perhaps his parents’ foolishness? What advice might Solomon offer him?

Once again the thread continues from the previous proverb. How well do we use our income? Are we frugal? Do we save? Do we systematically budget, and plan ahead for future bills and emergencies -- or simply look with dismay at where the money has gone?

Do we use our income to indulge in vices of various kinds, or pleasures we cannot really afford? Careful control can bring blessings, but careless expenditure can bring great pain.

There is a well-established way that leads to health, wealth and happiness. We are not frontier pioneers, struggling to find a new way through the wilderness of life. The instruction and correction we need are readily available if only we are willing to accept them.

However, as Solomon seems to be suggesting, although some people actually know what to do and have been given the necessary instruction, they have somehow lost it or thrown it away, perhaps because they failed to appreciate it value. They do not keep instruction.

Why is that some people learn from the experience of others and accept reproof and make changes in their lives, when some, equally capable individuals do not?

To function in the world we have to work with other people, and that is not always easy, and conflicts are inevitable. Two common ways of dealing with personal animosity are mentioned here. One is to store it up inside and pretend everything was all right, even though you may be seething inside and looking for vengeance -- and the other is to express it in a very negative fashion by spreading lies and slanderous statements about the other person. Both are foolish, says Solomon, but what is the alternative?

Perhaps the reference to the lying lips concealing the hatred implies that we should talk about our feelings to person concerned in a constructive manner, get to know them better, and get the grievance, real or imagined, sorted out. It is foolish to go on living with a problem.

The thread of the previous proverb continues. The wise person takes conscious control of his tongue and restrains his lips from speaking evil. The more we speak and chatter and gossip, the more likely we are to say something stupid and unwise that we will regret later. Do we talk too much? Has it become a habit?

As James explains, although we can tame and train all kinds of animals, nobody can tame their tongue. It will always need to be kept under conscious control (James 3:7), like a dog on a lead. The tongue is restless and full of evil, and the source of many problems.

The wise person, as we have just seen, does not talk too much. Instead, his statements are like choice silver. His comments are carefully constructed using well-chosen words, and they convey valuable information.

One reason the foolish person cannot make constructive conversation is that he has little of value to say. He learns nothing and knows nothing, and is content to stay that way.

Notice Solomon’s poetic choice of words here – nourishing food enters through the lips, and life-giving words of information and inspiration can emerge from them.

Generally speaking, better educated and informed individuals tend to live longer than the foolish and ignorant who may neglect and abuse their health. The knowledge they need is readily available, but they will not listen and choose to ignore it. Foolishness can shorten our lives.

Notice the continuing stress on education. Unlike animals, that operate by instinct from the moment of birth, human beings have to learn and take charge of their lives. An acorn becomes an oak, and a kitten becomes a cat – automatically. But a human being becomes what he chooses to become, and achieves what he chooses to achieve.

We should not toil and make ourselves miserable struggling to get rich, whatever "rich" means in this age when ordinary people wear finely woven clothes and own cars and electronic devices that were unavailable to even the most wealthy just a century ago. Commit your life to God and seek his blessing in all you do, and you will find the true riches.

"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction", says Paul (1 Timothy 6:9). He continues: "For love of money is a root of all kinds of evil". Righteousness and the enduring riches of eternal life should be the driving force of our lives.

Mindless hooligans find a perverted sense of pleasure in destruction and excess, as we often read in the newspapers. To them, everything is a joke. They have not time for serious thought and quiet contemplation of the issues of life.

The man of understanding, on the other hand, finds lasting pleasure in positive achievement, and the acquisition and exercise of wisdom. Can we make understanding and acting wisely our hobby? Can we delight in wisdom, and find joy in contemplating the best course of action in any situation?

Part of Solomon’s message here may be that painful penalties come automatically upon the wicked person as a natural consequence of his actions. He knows he is doing wrong, but hopes he can get away with it, but he cannot. Contrary to popular belief, the wicked person does not live life to the full, but to the empty. On the other hand, God intervenes in the natural course of events in order to grant the desire of the righteous person.

Life is short and we are all going to the grave. The wicked know they are wicked, and try to close their minds to the consequences. The righteous, on the other hand, prepare themselves for eternal life. It is their desire, the driving force of their being.

"Fear not little flock," says Jesus to these righteous, "for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). Their desire shall be granted.

"What is your life?" says James. "You are a mist that appears for a little time then vanishes"(James 4:14). Perhaps the life of the wicked man, with his trail of violence and deceit, is more like a whirlwind. Sooner or later, the whirlwind passes away, as will the wicked, and is no more.

The righteous, however, build their lives securely on an everlasting foundation. "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock" says Jesus. "The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock" (Matthew 7:24-25). Notice that hearing and knowing are not enough. We have to put his words into practice.

Vinegar is an acid that can eat away the calcium in the teeth, if used in excess, and so can lead to pain. Similarly, smoke in the eyes can be very painful and annoying. An unreliable, lazy person entrusted with a mission has the same effect because he fails to follow through and complete the mission entrusted to him. Smoke in the eyes brings immediate pain; that from too much vinegar develops later.

How reliable are we in carrying out the missions and tasks entrusted to us? Can we create a positive, pleasant reaction instead of a painful one, and perhaps advance our careers by so doing? How can we avoid employing sluggards or "cowboys" to do jobs for us?

Do the wicked all die young? Obviously not. As already observed, Solomon’s wisdom looks to the long-term, beyond death and on to eternal life and the Kingdom of God.

"Blessed are the meek", says Jesus to those who fear and obey God, "for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Their lives will be prolonged into eternity. The same good news is found here.

The gospel theme continues as Solomon encourages us to focus on the things that are really of lasting importance in life. In the parable of the talents, Jesus describes how God will richly reward the righteous and makes their hopes of happiness an eternal reality, saying: "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. Enter in to the joy of your master" (Matthew 25:23).

What is our expectation? What is our goal in life? What is real success?

The focus on true wisdom continues, as Solomon encourages us to set the right priorities in our lives. The righteous can rely on God for his protection and long-term security, but the wicked shall be destroyed, sooner or later. Peter describes their fearful fate: "The present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men" (2 Peter 3:7).

Even in this present life, the Lord is a safe stronghold to the righteous who rely on him and seek his guidance. We do not need to throw in our lot with the workers of iniquity.

This particular proverb may well mark the end of this first section which has dealt with some fundamental issues of life. It sums up the whole matter – righteousness will pay off and lead to eternal life, but wickedness will end, ultimately, in destruction. Take your pick!

Solomon, like Jesus, expresses the gospel message very simply: The righteous shall inherit the earth and the wicked shall be wiped out. Peter’s sobering description of the downfall of the wicked, that we read a moment ago, seems to be taken from the writings of Malachi who says: "Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire" (Malachi 4:1). He adds: "Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet."

Here is the key to long-term security.

In certain circumstances, our words can get us into serious danger or save our life. Are we developing discretion and diplomacy? Are we wise in what we say? Do we know how to deal with difficult people and defuse hostile situations? Think on these things and learn. Look back on unpleasant experiences and mentally rehearse wiser ways of dealing with them.

The theme continues. Careless, unwise words can cause great calamity, as we have just seen. Rash words can provoke arguments and get people killed. The lips of the righteous, on the other hand, frame pleasant, acceptable and persuasive words.

Can we become more aware of the impact of our words on the emotions of other people? Can our lips drip with words of kindness, like honey? As we saw earlier, even the harlot and the wandering wife recognize the power of this principle.

With regard to the importance of words and the way we use them, Jesus says: "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken" (Matthew 12:36).