King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Chapters: Proverbs 22-24
Message: Proverbs: The Rod of Discipline
Hello My Friend,
As we continue in the reading of Proverbs we learn the importance of training children in the fear of the LORD, trusting God to provide for us, and not becoming envious of the riches of the wicked, [Psalms 73:1-3,17 A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. 2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.]
[Rod; Discipline; ecclesiastical censures; support; power; authority.] Naturally when people see or hear the word rod they associate it with some stick or staff used to correct someone with. And believe it or not there are people who believe that when the Bible talks about beating a child with a rod that it is referring to striking them. There are different forms of discipline and sometimes we do need a good kick in the backside from our Father God in order for Him to stop us from doing something. However, literally beating a child is not the way to discipline them, the reason being is that they are often struck out of anger. There is a reason why the Bible also says, [Colossians 3:20-21 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.]
Discipline is something that we all need, otherwise everything will be in utter chaos as we all have our own idea on what is right and wrong. That is where the Word of God comes in, we do not need it to know that some things are just wrong, but we do need it to show us what God sees as right or wrong. God, keeps everything simple, man is the one who complicates things as they try to get around the simple and whether or not we were born here through wealth or poverty, He is no respecter of persons.
[Proverbs 22:1-5 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. 2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all. 3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. 4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. 5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.]
What does it mean to have a good name? It means to be well spoken of and leave a legacy of being a good person in the life they lived rather than one who was infamous. Riches, honor, and life really do come to those who fear God and I do not mean in the from of money and fame. Jesus, said it this way, [Matthew 6:19-21,33 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.]
The keeper of our soul, Jesus Christ Himself, may in fact, give us a thorn in the side so to speak, it may be in the form of an infirmity as a reminder that we need Jesus every day, and He will tell you that He will keep it there for one reason, His grace will suffice, [2 Corinthians 12:8-9 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.]
Did you know that there is a difference between keeping things simple and being simple? [Simple; Weak in intellect; not wise; silly; Not complex or complicated;] Keeping things simple is believing that every word of God is true and accepting it as it is. The simple are weak in the knowledge of Christ, they may know who He is, but are weak in intellect and do not know how to accept Him as their Saviour. Those who believe in the simple Gospel have the assurance of heaven through their faith alone in Jesus Christ. That is known as salvation by grace through our faith in Christ, and once we are saved, we are to get in His Word and start to apply it to our lives and the more we do we will not depart from it.
[Proverbs 22:6-11 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. 8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail. 9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor. 10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease. 11 He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.]
[Bountiful; Free to give; liberal in bestowing gifts and favors; munificent; generous.] Being bountiful to the poor is not all about giving money, food, and clothes to them, and this goes beyond someone living on the streets, the bountiful give their time, they pray for them, talk to them, comfort them, they may not need goods at all, what they do need is Jesus. Those who seek Jesus with an open heart will find that His name is the sweetest name they will ever hear.
[Proverbs 22:12,15,17-19 The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor. 15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. 17 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. 18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. 19 That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.]
Now, with that said, many people ignorantly draw the conclusion that since Jesus was not here in the flesh prior to His passion there has to be some other way to be saved. Well, that is exactly why we are not to lean on our own understanding. I will say this until Jesus brings me home, those who were here during Old Testament days may not have known Jesus in the flesh, but they knew Him as their LORD and that He was the only one to save them. A word from the wisest man in history, listen to God and live.
[Proverbs 22:20-21,26-29 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, 21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? 26 Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. 27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee? 28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. 29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.]
Wow! This is the great commission in a nutshell, we who are saved are to teach those who are not about Jesus and as Jesus would say, the truth shall set them free, [John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.]
Those who believe in the simple Gospel have the assurance of heaven through their faith alone in Jesus Christ. That is known as salvation by grace through our faith in Christ, and once we are saved, we are to get in His Word and start to apply it to our lives, the more we learn and apply it the wiser we become in the knowledge of God and Christ. God does not expect or even allow us to know everything there is to know the instant we are saved, He expects us to learn and grow in our walk with Him as we become obedient to it.
[Proverbs 23:1-7 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: 2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. 3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. 4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. 6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.]
Keep in mind that how we perceive God’s Word does come from the heart. The heart that is pure, seeks the truth, and will accept that every word is true, but the heart that is dark, blinds itself from the truth, and will only accept what it wants to believe is true. You cannot pick and choose what to believe, otherwise, that will lead to confusion. God, is not the author of confusion nor will He be mocked, [1 Corinthians 14:26-28,33 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. 27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. 28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.]
Some of the most influential “preachers” are sending people straight to hell their false doctrines like, “Jesus loves you just the way you are and accepts you,” The problem with this statement is that they are not teaching the Gospel, they do not even know that they are sinners, and what the punishment for sin is because they omit the fact that any sin is an abomination to God and there is hell to pay for it. Which by the way, all sin is punishable with hell if we have not accepted Christ as our Saviour. What is the saying, “If something is not broke don’t fix it.” Well people need to stop trying to change the words of the Bible, it is working just fine.
[Proverbs 23:10-14,17-18 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: 11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee. 12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. 13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. 17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. 18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.]
All these fools taking down statutes, renaming streets, and rewriting the history books in an attempt to push their immoral agendas are in for a huge awakening, this will backfire on them. We try so hard to forget the past, especially the mistakes, but we must not forget that they are what made us into who we are today. Do you think you would have found Christ if your life had been any other way? Do you think that you would have the faith, strength, and courage you have today if your life would have been any other way?
[Proverbs 23:20-26 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. 22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. 23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. 25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. 26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.]
The desire to seek the things that the wicked has in the first place comes when we talk ourselves or I should say, the devil talks us into believing that we are not content with what we have. However, do you think you would have found Christ if your life had it been any other way? Do you think that you would have the faith, strength, and courage you have today if your life would have been any other way? God, uses each and every circumstance, even the biggest blunders we have ever made, to mold and shape us into He wants us to be.
[Proverbs 24:1-7 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. 2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. 3 Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: 4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. 6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.]
Let me tell you, earthly securities do not last, in an instant we can lose everything we have. Envying what others have gets you no where, and selling your soul for riches will get you somewhere, but not where you want to be. We can rest assure that if we simply trust God, do the work He calls us to do, then He will give us everything we need and then some.
[Proverbs 24:10-14 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. 11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; 12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works? 13 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: 14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.]
Let me tell you, the Bible is so powerful that it gives strength to the weak, sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, freedom to the slave, and life to the dead. The Bible gives us the power to stand up to adversity, to win with its two-edged sword, Christians who live a defeated life are not getting their power from God, they are trying to overcome their adversity in their own strength, [Hebrews 4:11-12 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.]
I have been in the world and got caught up in the love and money of it all, but then Jesus showed up and gave me a glimpse of where I would be if I continued where I was. Christians, who live a defeated life are not getting their power from God, and have no strength to fight, they are dragging their feet in the mud that Satan pulled them in.
[Proverbs 24:15-20 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: 16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. 17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: 18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. 19 Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; 20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.]
You see, while the just do fall from time to time because we do get weary, they get back in the strength of Christ, and He leads us to victory, [1 Corinthians 15:56-58 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.]
There is something to be said for the simple who rejoice in the fall of the true Christian, their fall will be much worse. And as for us true Christian, we cannot rejoice either when we see them fall, and let me tell you, we do not rejoice because we know where they are headed, [Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.]
There is one more thing, if you are going to put so much time and investment in something why not make sure that it is something that has a return investment. Jesus, will return, and each day that passes is one more day closer to His return, and we do not want to be here on earth when that happens. We must understand that God does not want us to be vagabonds, He wants us to live, so while we take are of our house here first.
[Proverbs 24:21-26 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: 22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? 23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. 24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: 25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them. 26 Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.]
In other words, take care of the foundation first. If we are not saved, we might as well be digging our own hole into the lake of fire because it will do us absolutely no good as God does not recognize us unless we have accepted Christ as our Saviour. If we are saved, then let it be known and be not fearful to spread the Gospel, [Psalms 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your Word, it truly is life, and it is simple. Without it we would all be making a mess of things trying to understand your ways, and boasting about all our good deeds in our attempts to reach you in our own righteousness. Thank You for setting the record straight, and simplifying everything for us. You are not of this world, Your Son is not of this world, and none of us who choose to believe in and receive Him as our Saviour are of this world. And there is nothing that You will not do for or give us because we trusted Him as our Saviour. Lord, Lead us and guide us, teach us, grow us, fill us with Your power, wisdom, understanding, discernment, judgment, love, mercies, and grace. Let us seek You with a pure heart, willing and open to receive Your simple Word, and not only be a hearer of it, but a doer as well. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen!
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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