Chapter 20

I was going to talk about one verse that jumped out at me, when I realized that this chapter had so much more to offer than that.

It’s first segment (1-11) has a bit to say about leadership. Given that its writer was a king, and not only that, but a king KNOWN for his WISDOM, It’s worth listening to what he says about it!

Lets see . .

• “Quick tempered leaders are like mad dogs – cross them and they bite your head off!”

Well, yes. True. An astute observation. But is it anything we don’t already know?

• “It is a mark of good character to avert quarrels; but fools love to pick fights.”

Yowch! That’s a problem for me! I love picking arguments. . .

• Leaders who know their business and care keep a sharp eye out for the shoddy and cheap, For who among us can be trusted to be always diligent and honest?

Yes, that’s true. . . there’s wisdom in being alert to the tricks of others.

Then we get into the second section, verses 12 – 20, is an eclectic collection of basic wisdom. Some good nuggets there.

Finally, verses 21 – 30 are about our interactions with others, which range from father/son to purchaser/merchant.

What can we do with all this?

I think it is fairly simple and straightforward. We have many areas in which wise living will impact, and therefore it’s no great surprise that Proverbs is such an eclectic book. Wisdom can be found anywhere, and no matter what you do, you can do better with some extra advice. And whether you are a seller in the bazaar or the leader of a country, no-one can say that they’ve arrived.

Everyone needs wisdom, bar none. For everything.