It's really amazing how God has enabled you to interpret scripture. Thank you for these videos.

Thank you for taking the time to make these words important tonight. I see in the first case that it speaks of self, man. I see in the second case it is applied to a tool, one can say battle, hunting or work. And finally to a flower or bush with thorns or to a potential partner in life or food, survival. They are different uses and perspectives.

God bless everyone 🙏 thank you

I once had a boss who had no business running an office or supervising anyone. He was great at strategy and sales, but his whole approach to people could be typified by the mentality that "I'm a rockstar; the rest of you are not, and I'm going to criticize you unfairly and dress you down within earshot of everyone in this small office, so we can all watch me - the rockstar - declare you to be the incompetent you are." Shortly after being hired, I became the target of his nonsense, but I purposely took the approach of Proverbs 15:1 - "a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." I never raised my voice to him, and just took it on the chin, only a couple of times trying to explain myself to him. DIDN'T WORK!........He only intensified his unkindness towards me and the other staff. This made me question the meaning of Proverbs. There are also a number of verses in Proverbs that state something to the effect that if you rebuke a scoffer, he will hate you for it, but rebuke a wise man and he will love you for it. So the Bible itself states that rebuke has to be carefully applied and may backfire when directed at the wrong person, though that person may very well need and be a worthy object of that rebuke. I think Proverbs is kind of like best case scenario.........like, yes, a soft answer will turn away wrath, IF that person is receptive to God's chastening, and has ears to hear God's voice, but not if they are stiff-necked, unredeemed, and suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. I also think another purpose of applying the Proverbs (and other scripture) is not to change the given person or help them see the "light," but to sort of prove and make manifest the reprobate nature and substance of that person. Yes, I think Proverbs has to be applied skillfully, and one needs to have the right expectations when "employing" the Proverbs. I think Proverbs implies this itself.

AMEN GLORY TO BE GOD THANK YOU

This was wonderful to watch and so crucial to my understanding of the book of Proverbs. Thank you for this video in 2020!

John Piper, I thank God for you. I am struggling on if hedonism is correct and so much focus should be on finding pleasure in God.

Thank you, for these.

Thanks for sharing. It seems like you're talking about the distinction between knowledge and wisdom. We can know the proverbs, know God's Word, and still not know how to combine it with application (wisdom). This is convicting to me, I don't think I generally pray for wisdom to apply what God's saying, vs to see what He's saying. Thanks for the explanation and encouragement. 💕

Solomon wrote Proverbs and he had some good ideas..like we all do. He also wrote Ecclesiates which I like better. At the end he says.."the most important thing is to Obey the commandments of God"..which he learned by Not following the commandments of God. I have to chuckle at some of his observations in Proverbs..it is entertaining at least.

Hey John. I’m really struggling because I don’t trust modern versions but also sometimes struggle reading KJV. Please pray for me

I am here

Not sure what version of Bible you are using here. I like the KJV's legs are not EQUAL as it makes better sense in that the fool, i.e. [thee] self confident who leans unto his own understanding his understanding is not EQUAL to His discerned by searching out His word; and I can give a very clear example here. Go to Matthew 13:33 where the woman hid leaven in three measures of meal, most believers interpret the leaven as the word of God itself filling the world. This could not be the proper understanding as the understanding of leaven is not EQUAL to the law/Torah of God which defines leaven as sin/evil and forbids its use. Three measures of meal is also used in Genesis when the Angel of LORD appears to Sarah & Abraham. There are other verses to look at too, Mt 13:10-11 where Jesus reveals He was concealing truth on purpose. Ezekiel 17:2 which reveals parables are riddles , which are designed to conceal truth, and, Proverbs 25:2 King James Version (KJV) 2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 26:9 (riddles can not be taken at face value, see Proverbs 26:9 replace fool here with self confident)