PRIDE AND STRIFE
OBSERVATION: PROVERBS IS A COLLECTION OF WISE SAYINGS. IT SPEAKS TO A WELL MANAGED LIFE. YOU MIGHT VIEW IT AS “COMPRESSED EXPERIENCE ( DOUGLAS CONNELLY). THE PROVERBS ARE BRIEF, INSTRUCTIVE, PAINT A VIVID PICTURE, AND SUGGEST PROBABILITY. KING SOLOMON IS CREDITED AS AUTHOR.
INTERPRETATION: PROVERBS 13: 10 (NKJV) BY PRIDE COMES NOTHING BUT STRIFE, BUT WITH THE WELL ADVISED IS WISDOM. PRIDE LEADS TO ARGUMENTS; THOSE TO TAKE ADVICE ARE WISE.
POINTS TO PONDER:
SOME SCHOLARS SUGGEST FIVE CAUSES OF STRIFE: PRIDE, HATRED, CONTENTIOUS SPIRIT, ANGER AND FOOLISH QUESTIONS. THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES ARE FROM “THE BOOK BIBLE”.
PRIDE: PRIDE LEADS TO ARGUMENTS; THOSE WHO TAKE ADVICE ARE WISE. (PROVERBS 13:10). HATRED: HATRED STIRS UP QUARRELS, BUT LOVE COVERS ALL OFFENSES (PROVERBS 10:12). A CONTENTIOUS SPIRIT: A QUARRELSOME PERSON STARTS FIGHTS AS EASILY AS HOT EMBERS LIGHT CHARCOAL OR FIRE LIGHT WOOD (PROVERBS 26:21). ANGER: A HOT-TEM PERSON STARTS FIGHTS AND GETS INTO ALL KINDS OF SIN (PROVERBS 29:22). FOOLISH QUESTIONS: ANYONE WHO TEACHES ANYTHING DIFFERENT IS BOTH CONCEITED AND IGNORANT. SUCH A PERSON HAS AN UNHEALTHY DESIRE TO QUIBBLE OVER THE MEANING OF WORDS. THIS STIRS UP ARGUMENTS ENDING IN JEALOUSY, FIGHTING, SLANDER, AND EVIL SUSPICIONS (1 TIMOTHY 6:4).
APPLICATION: PROVERBS 16: 18-19 (THE BOOK) PRIDE GOES BEFORE DESTRUCTION AND HAUGHTINESS BEFORE A FALL. IT IS BETTER TO LIVE HUMBLY WITH THE POOR THAN TO SHARE PLUNDER WITH THE PROUD.
