This morning I want to look at two themes in Proverbs 16: Where do you want to go and who do you want to become on your way there? First, planning where you want to go.  If you are a serious Calvinist or a devout Muslim you might say, “God willing or Inshallah” as you make plans because you believe whatever plans we make are completely dependent on whatever God wills so we don’t really make plans ...[Read More]

The picture of women in the Old Testament is not a simple one. It is more like Jackson Pollock’s style than a black and white photograph. They are virgins, wives, prostitutes, adulteresses, and widows.  They are heroes and villains. They are naive and wise.  They are seducers and seduced. They are sinners and saints. In other words, they are just like men. The wife of Job says, “Curse God and die. ...[Read More]

Is Proverbs just for the young? I don’t think so. This passage reminds me of Psalm 1 because it is asking us to consider the same questions about our lives – even now when we are older. In what direction are we walking and with whom? The Road Less Travelled is not just for the young looking forward but for us looking back at our choices: “I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages an ...[Read More]

We need to remind ourselves every week of two important things in the study of Proverbs: First, these are the instructions from a father to a son about the son’s eventual role in leadership.  They are not simply rules for a happy life.  They are part of his training for responsibility and we should not read them without our own increased responsibility in mind.  Again, all of this life is an appre ...[Read More]