DAWN

     Explanation: Proverbs 23 contains comparisons and contrasts between the righteous and the wicked. Most of the proverbs are contained in two or more verses. Today's painting depicts elements mentioned at the beginning and at the end of today's chapter -- the dangers of gluttony and of thirst for wine.

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Proverbs 10. Proverbs 11. Proverbs 12. Proverbs 13. Proverbs 14. Proverbs 15. Proverbs 16. Proverbs 17. Proverbs 18. Proverbs 19. Proverbs 20. Proverbs 21. Proverbs 22. Proverbs 23. Proverbs 24. ]

          [ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

          [ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

          [ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Proverbs 23. Book of Proverbs. ]

     The subjects of chapter 23 are these: Do not allow your appetite for the luxurious food of a ruler to bring you under his deception (1-3).
      Do not exhaust yourself to be rich; cease from your own wisdom; riches grow wings and fly away like eagles toward heaven (4-5).
      Do not eat the food of one who has an evil (lustful, selfish) eye; do not desire his delectable food: for as he thinks in his heart so is he. He will urge you to eat and drink, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit what you have eaten and lose your sweet words. Similar ideas occur in Proverbs 22:9; Deuteronomy 15:9; and Matthew 6:23. (6-8).
     Do not speak to a fool, because he will despise your wisdom (9).
     Do not remove the old landmark, especially in the fields of the fatherless, because their redeemer is mighty, and he shall plead their cause (10-11).
     Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge (12).
     Do not withhold correction from a child, because a beating will not cause him to die; instead, it will deliver his soul from hell (13-14).
     If your heart is wise, your instructor shall rejoice within when your lips speak right things (15-16).
     Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the LORD all the day long. Surely there is an end, and your expectation will not be cut off. So hear, be wise, and guide your heart in the way (17-19).
     Do not be among wine drinkers, among riotous eaters of flesh; for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags (20-21)
     Listen to your father; and do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy the truth, and do not sell it not, and wisdom, instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice; and he who begets a wise child shall have joy. Your father and your mother will be glad and rejoice (22-25).
     The writer of the Proverbs asks his son to give him his heart and let his eyes observe his saying. He warns him that a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit. She lies in wait, as if she were waiting for prey; and she increases the transgressors among men (26-28).
     Who has woe, sorrow, contentions, babbling, wounds without cause, and redness of eyes? These things happen to those who tarry long at wine and seek mixed wine. Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles, when it goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things. You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. "They struck me," you will say, "but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink." (29-35).

¹ When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently [understand understand this] 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 [this] 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.
⁸ The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
⁹ Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
¹⁰ 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.
¹⁵ My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
¹⁶ Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
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.
¹⁹ Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
²⁰ Be not among winebibbers [drinkers of wine]; 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 [rejoice rejoicing]: 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.
²⁷ For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
²⁸ She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
²⁹ Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
³⁰ They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
³¹ Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
³² At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
³³ Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
³⁴ Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
³⁵ They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.