Audio Download

“But godliness with contentment is great gain” Part 3

(Pro 17:18-28)

[Study Aired August 21, 2025]

Pro 17:18  A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.
Pro 17:19  He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.
Pro 17:20  He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.
Pro 17:21  He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.
Pro 17:22  A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Pro 17:23  A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.
Pro 17:24  Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
Pro 17:25  A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.
Pro 17:26  Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.
Pro 17:27  He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
Pro 17:28  Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

our first verse:

Pro 17:18 A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.

Physical Meaning

“A man void of understanding”: This refers to someone lacking wisdom, discernment, and good judgment.

“striketh hands”: In ancient times, striking hands was a way to seal a deal or agreement, similar to shaking hands today.

“becometh surety”: This means becoming a guarantor or co-signer for someone else’s debt.

“in the presence of his friend”: This highlights the friend’s presence as the one benefiting from the surety, often without fully appreciating the risk involved for the guarantor.

A person who lacks wisdom will recklessly make financial commitments for others—like co-signing a loan or guaranteeing someone else’s debt—without thinking it through. (Pro 17:18) warns against foolishly putting yourself at risk for someone else’s obligations financial or otherwise, as does (Pro 6:1-5).

Pro 6:1  My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
Pro 6:2  Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

Spiritual Lesson

The physical lessons are all true in these proverbs, however we must remember that the natural precedes the spiritual (1Co 15:46) and the more important spiritual lesson we are to learn is to “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another” and appreciate where God has them, while at the same time being ready to give an answer for the hope that is within you, without proselytizing or casting our pearls before swine, or giving that which is holy unto the dogs (Rom 13:7-8). We all fish through the day by our own power at first, until Christ comes along and tells us, “Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find” (Joh 21:6-11). If we are granted to have God do the dragging and the converting, the fish will come into the net as God determines, and they will both [fisher and fish=those God is working with] be indebted to help bear each other’s burden in the Lord (Gal 6:2). Being our brother’s keeper indebts us to each other, similar to being “surety to a friend”, but in the positive, spiritual relationship in Christ that we’re called unto.

Rom 13:7  Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law (Gal 6:2).

Pro 17:19 He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

Physical Meaning

Someone who loves conflict also loves sin—they go hand in hand. And a person who shows off (“exalts his gate”, meaning makes a big show of himself or his wealth) is heading for ruin. Pride and fighting both lead to downfall.

Spiritual Lesson

The fruit of our lives, the gentleness of spirit, and kindness to one another is the opposite of someone who loves conflict. Someone who ‘stirs the pot’, so to speak, is not someone who is demonstrating the fruit of love, even if they have all sorts of knowledge, if that truth is not being spoken in love (1Co 13:2-3). There is likely an element of pride in that person’s heart, and that pride is manifested in how they express their wealth [God’s wealth, his words, and his works], that they have kept from their youth up, which wealth is really nothing more than their own self righteousness that prevents us from truly selling all that we have and coming and following Christ with the understanding that we are ‘dirt poor’ in his sight (Rev 3:17, Joh 9:41) and have nothing to offer to our own salvation (Mat 19:20-24, Php 3:9, Eph 2:8)

1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Mat 19:20  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Mat 19:22  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Mat 19:23  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness [“All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?”], which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: [Php 2:12-13, Eph 2:8]

Pro 17:20 He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

Physical  Meaning

A person with a twisted or dishonest heart won’t find true goodness in life. Someone who speaks in a corrupt or deceitful way will eventually get into trouble. Being men and woman of our word, matters both in thoughts and speech.

Spiritual Lesson

It is the “froward heart” that has to be answered according to the idol of that heart (Eze 14:4, Mat 25:24), and that froward heart will not find the truth because at this time it is being withheld by God who has given Satan the power to rule over our hearts and minds (2Th 2:8) causing us to have a perverse tongue that will bring us to fall into mischief, as we hold back or, “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2Th 2:10) and keep back part of the price of the land, meaning part of our complete devotion to God as a living sacrifice [our land, our bodies] (Act 5:3).

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Act 5:3  But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Pro 17:21 He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

Physical Meaning

A parent who raises a foolish child will experience sorrow and disappointment. A foolish child brings grief, not joy, to their parents. This reflects the emotional burden of raising someone who rejects wisdom.

Spiritual Lesson

God is in as much control with the spiritual increase in our lives as He is in determining who and what kind of character our children are going to have in this life, meaning when he wants us to have an idol of our heart, a disobedient child, it’s going to remain there until he determines otherwise (1Co 3:6-7). Our physical children may show us who we would be spiritually except for the grace of God, and their success in this life or their failure are all for the sake of the elect who have come to see by the faith of Christ that water is thicker than blood and not blood than water as this proverb is taught in the world. Here is Christ’s perspective on his own family and what should truly matter in our hearts and minds when we think of our own personal families compared to the family of God that we are a part of, Lord willing (Mar 3:33-35). The world “thy brethren without” are seeking God, but Christ made clear that seeking alone does not determine who it is who is the mother [church] or the disciples indeed of Christ (Joh 8:31-36).

Mar 3:32  And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
Mar 3:33  And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? [physical blood line does not matter]
Mar 3:34  And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mar 3:35  For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. (Those who are washed with the word are Christ’s brother, sister, and mother Joh 8:31-32, Joh 13:14)

Pro 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Physical Meaning

A joyful heart has a healing effect—like good medicine. But a broken or crushed spirit can drain a person emotionally and physically. This highlights the power of emotional health on the body and soul.

Spiritual Lesson

The “merry heart doeth good like a medicine” comes about, for God’s elect, by clearly knowing what the gospel message is, which is the joy of our salvation that gives us the incentive to strive for the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ (Psa 51:12). As we discussed last week, the way the Lord restores our joy is by bringing us unto our safe haven after we have gone through the red sea, or the lion’s den, or the fiery furnace of affliction (Act 14:22). God’s elect are blessed to see a “broken spirit” that “drieth the bones”, and those dry bones are healed through His mercy that leads us unto repentance, a repentance that the rest of the world will experience in the second resurrection, where the manifest knowledge of the church will be made known (Eph 3:10) to re-hydrate those dry bones [the valley of dry bones Eze 37:4].

Psa 51:8  Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Psa 51:9  Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Psa 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Psa 51:11  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Psa 51:12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Psa 51:13  Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Pro 17:23 A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.

Physical Meaning

A corrupt person accepts secret bribes (“out of the bosom”) to twist justice. It’s a warning against corruption and how it destroys fairness in society.

Spiritual Lesson

If we aren’t respecters of persons, we won’t be corrupt in our dealings with others, and we will never accept a gift ‘out of the bosom’ of one who is trying to bride us, or pervert the ways of judgement. This is happening all the time in Babylon, and it is the kind of guile that defines who we all were in our appointed time, in our former conversation in the churches of Babylon, where we exchanged gifts and did so unknowingly over the dead bodies of God’s true witnesses who we now are if we are granted to be lying dead in the streets of that great city today (Rev 11:10-11).

Rev 11:10  And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
Rev 11:11  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Pro 17:24 Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

Physical Meaning

A wise person keeps their focus on what matters — wisdom is right in front of them. A fool, however, is always distracted, chasing distant or unrealistic things, never grounding themselves in what’s truly valuable.

Spiritual Lesson

Our eyes are on the church, which at first is the earth, Jerusalem below (Rev 18:21, Rev 11:8), being tossed about by every wind of doctrine and ‘chasing rabbits’ down holes with dead ends which are contrary to the Truth (Mat 14:24, Eph 4:14, Jas 1:6), “in the ends of the earth”. However, if we are dragged to Christ in this life, our eyes will be on Him who is our wisdom, and the one who gives us understanding, “Wisdom is before him that hath understanding”(1Co 1:24, 1Co 1:30).

Rev 18:21  And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Pro 17:25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

Physical Meaning

Again, like verse 21, this emphasizes how deeply a child’s foolishness affects parents—it causes sorrow to the father and pain to the mother. A reminder of the weight our actions have on family.

Spiritual Lesson

The foolish son represents our immaturity in Babylon where we held onto false doctrines, that were a grief to us, during a time when our own bitter experience was being felt by not being free from sin that had dominion over us (Joh 8:36).

We had to bear that sinful nature that was controlled by powers and principalities we wrestle against to this day (Eph 2:3-4). Our doctrine in hindsight could be likened unto a foolish son that caused grief to our heavenly Father (Psa 95:10), and bitterness to her who bore with our infirmities (Rom 15:1), Jerusalem above, which God mercifully drags us to, as we’re dragged out of Babylon and unto our Lord (Rev 18:4, Joh 6:44). Christ never sinned but he identifies with this journey of overcoming sinful flesh (Hos 11:1).

Pro 17:26 Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.

Physical Meaning

It’s wrong to punish innocent people or to harm leaders who are doing what is fair. Justice must be upheld, and punishing the righteous is a perversion of what is good.

Spiritual Lesson

God’s elect by His grace are quick to hear and slow to speak, and in matters of judgement love is slow to expose (1Co 13:4-7). We know the world rejected Christ’s judgements, and if they hated the master of the house, what are they going to do to the servants of his house, Christ asks us (Mat 10:25). So the world with the spirit that currently resides in it will ‘punish the just and strike princes’, meaning the elect for the righteousness of Christ in them and the works that God is accomplishing through them, and so we need the miracle of God’s powerful hand in our lives to endure those fiery trials of rejection (1Co 10:13) that He knows we must experience in order to mature in His service (Joh 10:32).

1Co 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.(Php 4:13)
1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

Mat 10:25  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

Joh 10:32  Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:(1Pe 4:17) because as he is, so are we in this world.

Pro 17:27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

Physical Meaning

Wise people don’t talk too much—they speak carefully and thoughtfully. A person with understanding stays calm and composed, showing maturity and strength of character.

Spiritual Lesson

This ‘quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath’ mindset spoken of in (Jas 1:19) is a gift from God, that is witnessed in those who are maturing in the body of Christ (1Ti 4:15-16, Joh 15:8-10). The spiritual decorum that God is forming within us is needful in order to do all things decently and in order in the house of God (1Co 14:40, 1Ti 3:15).

1Ti 4:15  Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
1Ti 4:16  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Joh 15:9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

As we grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and saviour we become more settled and strengthened and established in the Lord, like a tree that is deeply rooted and not moved around (Psa 1:1-3) by the false doctrines that are likened unto “wind of doctrine” (Eph 4:14) that the Lord is giving us victory over with an “excellent spirit”, the spirit of God that each joint supplies to that end (Heb 5:14).

Pro 17:28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

Physical Meaning

Even a foolish person can appear wise if they stay quiet. Silence can give the impression of wisdom. In other words: better to be silent and thought wise than to speak and remove all doubt.

Spiritual Lesson

Mercifully God does give us the power to put a bridle upon our lips (Psa 39:1, Jas 3:2-5), but we certainly could not be anything other than what He has ordained for us to be in this life, and so if He does give us this blessing to hold our peace, and not stir up strife, or be argumentative, if He gives us a bridle on our tongue so that we shut our lips, then we will be a peculiar people who are zealous of good works that are coming forth from hearts that have the wisdom of Christ within them, and we will be esteemed as men and woman of understanding blessed to have been given the power to experience this process of bringing every thought into subjection unto God (2Co 10:5, 1Co 9:27). This is truly the spirit of great gain that God has called His son’s bride to be adorned with, “the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price”(1Pe 3:4-6).

1Pe 3:4  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
1Pe 3:5  For after this manner in the old time the holy women (typifying the Church) also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands (Christ):
1Pe 3:6  Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. (Rom 5:5, 1Jn 4:18).