The Bryce Crawford Podcast - Proverbs Series Chapter 23 (EP 123)

Episode Date: July 23, 2025

Proverbs 23

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and Birmingham this fall. What's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Crawford podcast. I'm Bryce and today we're on Proverbs 23 out of 31 chapters in Proverbs, guys. Today's episode is incredible. Like I said, there's a lengthy amount

from Proverbs 10 to about Proverbs 30 of just nuggets of wisdom. But I love Proverbs 23 because it's the do nots. We're going to see a lot of do nots in here, okay? So let's break it down. Versus 1 through 3. When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you

and put a knife to your throat if you're given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies for they are deceptive food. Don't be deceived at the ruler's table. Okay, people with authority can deceive you and seduce you by an overwhelming atmosphere of power and luxury. And it says, don't let those people deceive you. Use discernment of the Lord. Verse four and five, do not toil to acquire wealth.

Be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone. for suddenly it sprouts wings flying like an eagle toward heaven. Don't make an idol out of wealth. Verse six, do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy. Do not desire his delicacies. For he is like one who is inwardly calculating,

eat and drink, he says to you, but his heart is not with you. He will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten and waste your pleasant words. What is that little old past? He says, don't sit with someone that's stingy that actually doesn't care about your heart. I think he's going to encourage you.

Yeah, eat, eat, but he doesn't want to eat. He's stingy. He doesn't care about you. He cares about himself. He's selfish. Verse nine, do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words. Don't waste your words on a fool. He won't receive them or appreciate the wisdom that you're inclining on him.

First 10, do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, for their redeemer is strong. He will plead their cause against you. What's the other, what's the next? Do not. Do not steal from other people and echo of the Ten Commandments. Verse 12. Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge. Do not withhold discipline from a child.

child, if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with a rod, you will save his soul from shield. There's benefits to discipline. Discipline your children. It's okay, if it's necessary. Unreward to discipline is abuse. But when discipline is proper and wisely delegated, you reap the harvest of that. Verse 15. My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. My inmost being will exalt when your lips speak what is right? What is Solomon writing right here? He says that the joy of a father is imparting wisdom, that a joy that a father receives. They love.

They get this joy from actually delivering wisdom to you. Wisdom is often seen in the words that we speak. And Solomon is delivering wisdom to his son, just as God is delivering wisdom to you and I. Verse 17 through 18. Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue to fear the Lord all the day. Surely there is a future in your hope.

will not be cut off. Do not be jealous of sinners, but have an active recognition and reverence for the greatness of God. 19 through 21, hear my son and be wise and direct your heart in this way. These next two verses I am so passionate about because I know a lot of people that I've seen this verse be fruit in their life. Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty and slumber will clothe them with the racks. I know so many people that allow their gluttonous desires and their lack of self-control for alcohol, consume them to where they literally have no money. They're a bad financial steward.

They become mockers and they are abusing and hurting their bodies. I witness to some of my friends do not be amongst those people because their behavior and character can affect you. so be not among them. Verse 22, listen to your father who gave you life and do not despise your mother when she is old. By truth and do not sell it. By wisdom and instruction and understanding. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice. He who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.

Let your father and mother be glad. Let her who bore you rejoice. Versus 26 through 28, we're now going to revisit this idea of the immoral woman, the seductress, the adulterer, right here. My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways. For a prostitute is a deep pit and adulterous is a narrow well. We're going to come back to that phrase, a narrow well. She lies in weight like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind.

This is a dangerous of an immoral woman. And the adulterous is like a narrow well. What is a well? A well is a source of satisfying water. And what the seductress, I mean, the adulteress is promising, The seductress is offering this great satisfaction, but ultimately doesn't deliver. It is selfish, self-seeking, and doesn't care about you, only cares about themselves, ultimately destroying you.

Stay away from sexual morality. Versus 29 through 35. To close us out, Solomon is going to end Proverbs 23 discussing the misery of abusing alcohol. Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds?

without calls, who has the redness of the eyes. Those who tarry long over wine, those who go to try and mix wine, do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end, the result of abusing alcohol, in the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things,

and your heart will utter perverse things. You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mass. They struck me, you will say, but I was not hurt. They beat me, but I didn't feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.

When you abuse alcohol, you become this perverse, crooked human being, and it's like weird. It's like you reap all these negative benefits of the result of the abuse of alcohol, but when you snap out of it, you somewhat desire and you say, I just want to give me one more drink.

But the drink isn't to act like that. The drink is to numb the pain. Solomon is warning us against the abuse of alcohol. Guys, I pray that the do nots from Proverbs 23, we're encouraging to you guys, and I will see you guys tomorrow. Proverbs chapter 24. Guys, thank you so much for watching and listening to this episode.

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