The Bryce Crawford Podcast - Proverbs Series Chapter 20 (EP 120)

Episode Date: July 20, 2025

Proverb 20

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fall. What's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Carver podcast. I'm Bryce, and today we are on Proverbs 20 out of 31 books in the Proverbs. Let's just, guys, let's just dive right into it. Let's get into Proverbs chapter 20. Okay. Wine is a macker, strong drink, a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. Okay. There's going to be a lot of nuggets of wisdom here. Let's break it down. The Bible isn't saying alcohol is a sin. It's saying, drunkenness is a sin. But what Solomon is writing here is he saying two things about alcohol. Alcohol mocks and fights with those who abuse it. So alcohol actually harms the one who abuses it. And then alcohol leads someone to be a mocker and brawler. So alcohol fights the consumer

and mocks the consumer through their behavior. But then alcohol leads the person that's abusing it to become the very thing that is being harmed by alcohol, the mocker and brawler. So wisdom is displayed in alcohol by having the ability to not be led astray by it. And the Bible is very clear that alcohol isn't the sin. Drunkenness is a sin. So what is verse one echoing about alcohol? Self-control. So all my brothers and sisters that ask me, Bryce, am I allowed to have a glass of wine?

Sure. If it doesn't lead you astray. if it doesn't cause you to lose sober-mindedness because what Proverbs 20 verse 1 is telling us that alcohol that is abused will mock and fight with those who use it. So we have to be careful. Verse 2.

The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion. Whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life. It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. What is verse 3 saying? Many men feel that it is honorable. to dispute with other people and argue with other people. But it's oftentimes more honorable to hold your tongue and not argue.

Verse four, the slugger does not plow in the autumn. He will seek at harvest and have nothing. What does that mean? Listen, some of you guys need to hear verse four right now. The slugger does not plow in the autumn. He will seek at harvest and have nothing. The lazy man always finds an excuse not to do his work. And it breaks to my heart that we have a lot of people in this day and age.

that are like the lazy man. Because the only work the lazy man is doing in verse four is begging. And his begging goes unrewarded, we see in verse four. And whenever we're lazy, we're sinning against God because we're taking for granted the very breath and body that he has graciously given to us. Verse five, the purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding would draw it out.

Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find. the righteous who walks in his integrity blessed are his children after him the righteous man will walk out uprightness and what is a benefit what is a what is something that people reap

from the righteous man walking out uprightness so when you when you walk up for my men in the room if you're a man listening to this right now if you walk out righteousness become set apart and live a holy life submitted to the Lord it will create a home and atmosphere that blesses your children, that blesses your wife, that blesses people that walk in the door. If you desire your children and your home to be under control,

raised in the ways of the Lord, and that means you need to walk it out. There's a statistic that says that if the father is the one to go to church, then their family is 92 more percent likely, 92% more likely to go to church and have a relationship with God than if the mother without the father is the one. Verse 8. A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes. Who can say, I've made my heart pure. I'm clean from my sin.

Verse 10. Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the Lord. God wants business and training to be done fairly. Did you know that God cares about the marketplace? We even see that in the Gospels. When Jesus flips the money changers tables in the temple because they're taking advantage of new believers for the sake of a quick buck. And now outside of just that circumstance, God cares about business in the marketplace. So that phrase to have diverse weights and measures means that you're willing to cheat both the buyer and the seller. Verse 11. Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright. The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.

Love not sleep lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes and you will have plenty of of bread. There's some good benefit to a little bit of discomfort. Verse 14. Bad bad, says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts. The buyer always wants to speak less of what he wants to buy in hopes of getting a better deal. So it's a strategy of negotiation is what verse 14 is saying about a buyer. Verse 15, there's gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. There's no monetary value that can be placed on wisdom. You can't buy wisdom. You can't buy wisdom. Verse 16, take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners. So back in this time period, verse 16 is saying back in this time period, if someone had a debt to you, it was natural to take their outer garment as a placeholder for the debt.

That's kind of like when you go to crunch fitness or you go to planet fitness and you have to give them your car keys or your wallet in order to take the ropes to use on their machines because people steal the ropes and the hand grips. you put a placeholder for there, right? So in the same, back in this time period, if someone had a debt, this placeholder for a debt was the outer garment. Isn't it crazy? Look, we could see the gospel everywhere in the Bible, and I totally see the gospel here.

You know, I'm going to rephrase that analogy we just did. Whenever I go to the gym and I want to use the ropes or the hand grips, I have to go up to the front, and I have to give my car keys or my wallet as a placeholder to use the hand grips and to use the ropes so that I don't steal them, right? Jesus Christ puts himself in the place of our sin so that this bridge can be mended between me, you, and God

from our sin so that we can have relationship with him. So this was a cultural thing back in that time period for verse 16. Verse 17, bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth will be full of gravel. plans are established by counsel by wise guidance wage war what is that verse saying in verse 18 plans are established by counsel by wise guidance wage war there is help and wisdom in realizing our own limitations and seeking counsel having mentors brothers that have a voice in my life have significantly helped me navigate life and this often leads to our plans being established is what verse 18 is saying

whoever goes about slandering reveal secrets therefore do not associate with simple babbub babbler with a simple babbler. If one curses his father or mother, his lamp will be put out in other darkness. Respect your parents. An inheritance gained... Wait, hold on. Before I read verse 21, one thing I struggled with growing up

was wanting to rebel against my parents because I thought I knew better than them. Even if you don't fully understand what your parents are doing or saying you're asking you, please respect your parents. They care about you. Take that verse to heart, verse 20.

Verse 21. One. An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end. When we get too much too soon, it's often not helpful for us. Do not say, I will repay evil, wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you. Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord, and false scales are not good. Again, money place. A man's steps are from the Lord. How then can man understand his way? It is a snare to say rashly, it is holy, and to reflect only after making vows. A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them. The spirit, of man is the lamp of the Lord searching all his innermost parts steadfast love and faithfulness preserved the king and by steadfast love his throne is upheld the glory of young men is their strength but the splendor of old men is their gray hair blows that wound cleanse away evil strokes make clean the innermost parts guys i pray that proverbs 20 was a blessing and i'll see you guys tomorrow for Proverbs 21. Guys, thank you so much for watching and listening to this episode.

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