Thy Strong Word — Sharathon 2024: Proverbs 10:13-24: Wealth, Work, and Words

These proverbs emphasize the stability and satisfaction that wisdom brings, such as providing an enduring foundation and the fulfillment of desires for the righteous. In contrast, the foolish face insecurity and the dread of their fears coming true. The chapter reinforces that the blessings of the Lord enrich the life of the righteous, whereas the prospects of the wicked lead only to disappointment and ruin.

The Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX, joins the Rev. David Boisclair, guest host, to study Proverbs 10:13-24.

Learn more about Sharathon 2024 and give now at kfuo.org/sharathon.

Step into the spiritually rich landscape of the Book of Proverbs, a text divinely inspired and attributed to Solomon, the sage king endowed by God with unsurpassed wisdom. This ancient scripture begins with heartfelt lessons from a father to a son, laying a foundation of moral and ethical guidance before unfolding into a collection of timeless proverbs. It uniquely personifies wisdom and folly as two paths that stand before humanity, offering a choice between a life filled with virtue, fear of the Lord, and understanding, and one marred by shortsighted pleasures and foolishness. Proverbs serves as a compass for those seeking to walk in righteousness, offering insights that resonate deeply with the human experience, guiding us toward a life of purpose and discernment according to God’s will.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

Proverbs 10:13-24

¹³On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found,
    but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.
¹⁴The wise lay up knowledge,
    but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.
¹⁵A rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
    the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
¹⁶The wage of the righteous leads to life,
    the gain of the wicked to sin.
¹⁷Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,
    but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.
¹⁸The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
    and whoever utters slander is a fool.
¹⁹When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
    but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
²⁰The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
    the heart of the wicked is of little worth.
²¹The lips of the righteous feed many,
    but fools die for lack of sense.
²²The blessing of the Lord makes rich,
    and he adds no sorrow with it.^[a]
²³Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool,
    but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
²⁴What the wicked dreads will come upon him,
    but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

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Footnotes

Proverbs 10:22 Or and toil adds nothing to it

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Native North Carolinian Rev. Dr. Phil Booe serves pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio. His parishioners probably think he can’t teach Bible study without a mug of coffee in his hand, and he’ll always be happy to eat a plate of sushi. When he’s not shepherding his flock or teaching on the radio, you might find him watching bad movies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and especially binging RiffTrax and MST3K episodes. Some day he’d love to travel to the Lutheran homeland in Germany, but for now he spends time in Minnesota with his wife, son, daughter, and cat, and looks forward to Holy Week every year.