Proverbs 10:1-4 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. 2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death. 3 The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked. 4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

In the first 9 chapters on Proverbs, God made the case that it is better to heed the Word of God (Wisdom) than the whims of man (Woke Foolishness & Cultural Kowtowing). Now we actually come to the Proverbs of Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. The Bible says:

1 Kings 4:29-34 (ESV) And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, 30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. 34 And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

Now Solomon did not create 3000 proverbs, but “HE SPOKE” 3000 proverbs. Some of the proverbs of Solomon may have been contributed by others, and he repeated them. But as the wisest man who ever lived, what Solomon said was wise was – because of the inspiration of God – wise. The first of the proverbs is:

Proverbs 10:1 The proverbs of Solomon. A WISE son maketh a GLAD father: but a FOOLISH son is the HEAVINESS of his mother.

As we go through these proverbs, we will see them presented as two sides of a coin. On the one side you have blessing, but on the other side you have cursing.

The first proverb warns us against the danger
of idolizing our children.

A WISE son maketh a GLAD father

Word Study: The son who is WISE (Hebrew ḥāḵām, pronounced khaw-kawm’) is the son who has been taught the Word of God and how to apply it. When Joseph was elevated to the right hand of Pharaoh because of his relationship with God (Genesis 41:33), the Pharaoh told Joseph:

Genesis 41:39 … Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and WISE (ḥāḵām) as thou art…

Wisdom comes from God, from God’s Word. And wisdom must be passed down. The fact that Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived is not an accident. Solomon was taught to love God and His Word by his father King David. Though David was certainly not perfect, and made many terrible mistakes in his life (for which God punished him), David always repented and returned to the God he so loved. David wrote:

Psalm 17:7-9 Wondrously show your steadfast love {my God}, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me.

David loved God with all his heart, and cherished the relationship he had with Christ. He asked that God guard him as “the apple of your eye”, as a person would guard the pupil of their eyes from damage. My commentary notes:

“The apple was the ancients’ way of referring to the pupil. It was seen as the most precious part of the body that was to be protected above all else. David suggests that God protects his children like the body protects the pupil. High cheek-bones shelter it from incoming blows. Bushy eyebrows keep sweat from the brow from getting in. Eyelashes act like fences, keeping all unwanted intruders out, and eyelids can shut to provide rest and quiet.

God treats his children like that. He is like a mother bird standing, with his mighty wings outstretched, sheltering us chicks from harm (verse 8b). He has already proved this to us by allowing his Son to stretch out his arms on the cross to protect us from the harm of our sin and rebellion.”

David taught Solomon to love God with all his heart, and perhaps chastised his son when he failed to do so. Children who are not idolized, but are taught to love God’s Word and cherish the Lord above all else will grow up to be both good citizens and good Christians. Children are never to be idolized, to be petted and served. Children are not to run the household, but the parents do so under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said:

Matthew 10:37 Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of me

and again in Luke 14:26 (ESV) If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

People say “How can I love God more than I love my child?” My question is, how can you NOT? God gave you that child. You will not lead your child to Christ as David did Solomon if you have a wishy-washy faith. The first and primary commandment is:

Matthew 22:37-40 … Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment…

The very first of the Ten Commandments is “You shall have NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME” (Exodus 20:3). When you idolize your children you hurt your children. But when you put God first, it will draw your children to Christ.

a FOOLISH son is the HEAVINESS of his mother.

God uses the word FOOL or FOOLISH in Scripture to describe the person who has no relationship with Him.

Psalm 14:1 (ESV) The FOOL says in his heart, “THERE IS NO GOD.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.

Psalm 53:1 (ESV) The FOOL says in his heart, “THERE IS NO GOD.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.

Word Study: A child raised without a concept of God and His greater good, the child raised to be self serving and self absorbed, will in time bring HEAVINESS to his mother. The word translated HEAVINESS is the Hebrew tûḡâ (pronounced too-gaw’), which means “deepest sorrow, inconsolable grief, depression”. The parent who idolizes his or her child will one day reap the fruit of the seed they sowed. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen children stand in front of a judge and receive a stiff sentence, while their mother wails and begs that the boy get another chance. Nothing good comes of idolizing a child. Teach them to love God and His Word.

Illustrate: Esau, who was spoiled by his daddy Isaac, disobeyed God when he came of age. He went outside of the faith and married two Hittite women (Genesis 26:34-35), shaming both Isaac and his mother Rebekah. Esau was greedy, disrespectful to both God and his parents, and idolatrous. He lost his birthright and his blessings because he rejected God’s Word. And Beloved, Isaac and Rebekah were much to blame.

Do Not Idolize Money

Proverbs 10:2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but RIGHTEOUSNESS DELIVERETH FROM DEATH.

It may seem that TREASURES OF WICKNESS are a great blessing, but in time that which is evil brings death. People may live comfortable lives with bulging bank accounts – but in the end their riches do not bless them in God is not in it. The Prophets frequently wrote:

Zephaniah 1:18 (ESV) Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Ezekiel 7:19 (ESV) They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.

In many ways, those who are rich are to be pitied. Their riches become their gods. Many of the rich get ahead by trodding on the backs of the poor. One of my favorite books of Scripture is the Book of Esther. In that book, the rich man Haman plotted against the Jews, seeking to destroy them as a nation. But Mordecai, a righteous and God fearing man, did his duty and guarded King Ahasuerus from harm. In the end the wicked Haman died, but Mordecai lived on to serve both God and King. “RIGHTEOUSNESS DELIVERETH FROM DEATH”.

Another example? Who can forget that it was “Noah who found grace in the eyes of God” (Genesis 6:8). His righteousness – that is, his willingness to walk with God – saved him and his family from harm, whereas the rest of the world drowned.

Proverbs 10:3 The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but He casteth away the substance of the wicked.

God takes care of His children. King David, in looking back over his life, wrote:

Psalm 37:23-29 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. 27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. 28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

Follow the Lord Who saved you, and you will have abundant life. Jesus said:

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The THIEF, the devil and his world system, comes and offers us golden calves and silly idols that cannot truly bless us. But if we cling to God’s Word and do as He directs, we can expect to be blessed. Not just now, but into eternity. We close with:

Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Whether or not you are idolizing money is shown by how you treat it. Those who are stingy with their funds, hoarding and hiding money from righteous use, are idolizing money. As Jesus said, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). Money is a means to an end. Do not be enslaved by it, but use it for the glory of God.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.