The Bryce Crawford Podcast - Proverbs Series Chapter 18 (EP 118)

Episode Date: July 18, 2025

Proverb 18

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fall. What's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Crawford podcast. I'm Bryson. Today we are on Proverbs 18 out of the 31 chapters in Proverbs. Guys, we're breaking down the whole book. If you guys want to follow along, download the free PDF. Jesus in the street dot org slash proverbs. I almost said podcasts slash proverbs to get the free PDF today. We're going to be reading it and diving into it today. Let's read. Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire, he breaks out against all sound judgment. A fool takes no pleasure and understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. I want to highlight verse one really quick. Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire. There's something important and beautiful about community.

And there's an emphasis around a community. That's why God preserved at the early church we see through the book of Acts. There's importance of surrounding yourself with people who chase the same goal, which is Jesus. And oftentimes we say, well, you know, it's healthy for me to isolate myself. Well, I think it's okay to be alone, but to isolate yourself is to separate yourself completely from people. And that's actually going to cause two things, what Proverbs is saying, to seek your own desire, right? To fall into sin, to succumb to temptation, right? But the second thing that's going to happen is you're going to give the devil the license to use your sin against you, to feel guilty and shameful, and he's going to attack you from within.

And so we need godly community around us to confess to one another, to build each other up, and to walk in right standing with God. Verse three, when wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes grace. The proud superior attitude that thinks itself better is better than the others, right? This prideful attitude that the wicked bring, it looks at those to be lesser than,

with a scornful attitude, with a scornful face. And it says contempt follows the wicked because God will scorn those who scorns others. God will deliver just punishment to those who deserve the punishment necessary. It's hurtful, but God, what does the Bible tell us? That vengeance is the Lord's. I mean that God handles it in the end.

Verse four, the words of a man's mouth are deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. So, Proverbs is now saying, we're going to read a few verses later in verse 8, that this idea that not everyone's speech is necessarily deep and meaningful, we know that some people abuse the power of the tongue, Some people use it rightly, but when it says that the words of a man are the words of a man's

mouth are deep waters, what it's saying is that we reveal the depths of our heart by what we speak. You can tell the depth of someone's soul and heart by just merely by what they say, because when the wellspring of a man's being is rooted in wisdom, it will flow out in their words. But when the fountain of someone's being is coming out in foolishness, you will know as well. Verse five, it is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice. A fool's lips walk into a fight and his mouth invites a beating. A fool's mouth is his ruin and his lips are a snare to his soul. Maybe the fool just needs to be quiet sometimes like we remember in the last episode.

Verse 8, I love this verse. This is about gossip. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels. They go down to the inner parts of the body. Gossip seems to be like this. desirable thing. It seems to quench your soul, right? It says the words of a whisper are like delicious morsels. Gossip has the appearance of substance, but then when you consume it, it actually goes down into your body and affects deeply. Your heart words go down into us,

and it often changes the way we think and feel about people, the way we think and feel about ourselves. Even if the person that's gossiping, what they're saying isn't true, it still affects us. So we have to be careful at what we consume. Proverbs actually told us that our eyes are the lamps and windows to our soul, right? So what we consume is what we can become and we have to be careful on what we consume. Verse 9. Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous man runs into it and is safe. So God provides a wonderful, strong defense and protection. Psalm 91, hence to that as well. A rich man is a

His wealth is a strong city and like a high wall in his imagination. Before destruction, a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. Pride leads to destruction. Humble yourself or your sin will humble you. Humble yourself before God and his character and his word and his wisdom, or it will humble you. And that's not a place we want to be in. God doesn't want you to get humbled by his word. He wants you to humble yourself before him. the last thing he wants to see you do is hurt yourself because you were too prideful

so take the words of the lord and humble yourself before him if one gives an answer before he hears it is his folly and shame how often do we speak we're so quick to speak we're so quick to get our opinion out we're so quick to do this and the other but don't do it wise people know that humility leads the way to honor verse uh i forgot where i was at because i looked at verse 13 if one gives an answer before you, sorry, I just read that, it is his folly and shame. A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear. An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of wisdom seeks knowledge. Your heart and ears must both be seeking knowledge. Not just your head, but it has to rest in your heart. A man's gift makes room for him and brings him

before the great. Verse 17, the one who states his case first seems right until the other comes and examines it. Oftentimes we think the first one to plead his cause is going to be the correct. Oftentimes we think the first one to share their side of the story is right because we're quick to take their side against other people, but that's not true. Judgment is very different when the other side is heard from his neighbor. We have to be able to weigh things in a just manner. Verse 18, the lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders. When an outside authority settles tension, settles strife, settles disagreements, it can keep mighty warriors, best friends, and family from fighting and killing each other,

killing their relationships. It is important to have some outside opinions sometimes. Verse 19, A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and querling is like the bars of a castle. There's a price to pay when you offend a brother. Be careful what you say and do to those closest to you. Because to win him back to friendship,

to win friends back to friendship, it's difficult. It's hard when you break the trust of people, and then you try to win it back and build it back. verse 19 i mean sorry verse 20 from the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied he is satisfied by the yield of his lips death and life from the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruits verse 22 he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains a favor of the lord what does solomon mean when he says he who finds a wife finds a good good thing and obtains favor from the lord there's a special blessing that no one can receive outside of the covenant of

marriage you make before god to the opposite sex and why lifetime. It's powerful. There's a beautiful, special favor and blessing you receive from God when you make a covenant to a significant other for a lifetime before God. For the man and for the woman. But he's speaking to the son here, right? The context of Proverbs. Verse 23, the poor use entreaties, but the rich answer roughly. A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Guys, I pray Proverbs 18 was encouraging to you, these nuggets of wisdom, if we could summarize all of Proverbs 18

into a thesis statement, it would be, tame the tongue. Watch what you say. Watch what you listen to. Watch what words you submit to. And hold steadfast to your heart. Love you guys.

See you guys tomorrow for Proverbs Chapter 19. Guys, thank you so much for watching and listening to this episode. If you guys like it, subscribe to us on YouTube, follow us on Spotify, Instagram, and TikTok. Bless you guys and see you guys next week for the next episode