For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body.   Proverbs 4:22

The wise father will place before his sons that fact that living according to God's ways and commands is the very best way to live.  Living this way is how to experience, "Life and life abundantly" as Jesus said in John 10:10.  He will also let them know that God's ways are also the most healthy way to live for their physical bodies as well.  This should be almost a "no-brainer" when we grasp that God, Who is omniscient and all-wise, would of course know the very best way for us to conduct ourselves for the most healthy and meaningful life the few years we have on this planet.

The father begins by frankly telling his son that the ways of God are life to those who find them.  Jesus warned us in John that the thief, who is the devil, comes to kill, steal, and destroy.  We should take note that also in 1 John we read that the world lies in the power of the evil one.  Therefore it should be no surprise to us that the world and its ways are destructive to our health and well-being.  To follow the world is to ultimately harm ourselves.  God made the world around us to function in a certain way.  To follow Him is to follow the designer and creator of all that we see and know.  When God gave His Law to Israel He said something very powerful in Deuteronomy 30,

"See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply . . . I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days . . ."  (Deuteronomy 30:15-16,19-20) 

God made it clear to His people that His ways were best - actually they were penultimate over all other ways of living.  To love, serve, and obey Him would bring them great blessing and life.  Again, He tells Israel this in Deuteronomy 32:46-47 when He says, "Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law.  For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life."

The God who gave these very frank statements to Israel - also commanded the fathers of that nation to impress those same words upon the hearts of their sons.  So all we are reading here in Proverbs is a restatement of what God has commanded previously.

The father also seeks to say to his son that obeying the Lord's commands is also "health" to the body.  Here is where things get fascinating.  I attended Auburn University for my undergraduate work.  While there I knew a couple of brothers in Christ who endeavored to study the Scriptures and test the Old Testament dietary laws to see why God gave them.  Later I also read extensive articles out of a ministry in Chicago where doctors began treating patients based upon God's dietary and cleanliness laws.  Both groups adamantly stated to me that what God gave in the Old Testament is the most astounding public health system known to mankind.  If these commands were followed, it would lead to a marvelously healthy society.  When the Jewish slums followed these laws in Europe - the beubonic plague did not affect their populations.  Another way to say this is - the commandments of God are health to our bodies.

Dads, we need to speak frankly to our sons concerning life - and what enhances and offers life to them.  The world will not tell them such things, in fact, the world will tell them the opposite.  We are the ones God has designed to speak such things to them.  Actually, we are commanded to do so.  Blessed is the son who has a wise father who will speak frankly with him about life - and life abundantly!

The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, But as for a broken spirit who can bear it? Proverbs 18:14

There are two kinds of sickness that can come upon us.  One is a sickness that we can endure and bear - but there is a second type mentioned in the Scripture that is impossible to bear without the work and grace of God being upon us.

We are told that the spirit of a man can endure his sickness.  This sickness mentioned here is the word used for various illnesses that come upon us due to the face that we live in a fallen world.  The entrance of sin into our world ruined it.  It also introduced sickness and death into our world as well.  But a man's spirit can help him endure his sickness.  I am about to share something that will cause some to react badly.  If we live in this world, we are going to face illness and sickness.  Because of the fall of man and the entrance of sin into our world - sickness also came into it as well.  What I mean by this is NOT that anyone who is sick must have sinned.  That is false doctrine.  But what I do mean is that when sin entered the human race - death did as well.  Now all things are running down - aging - and generally falling apart.  The second law of thermodynamics tells us that things are moving from order to disorder.  That is true in our very makeup itself.  Our cells are breaking down - our DNA is liable to mutation (which is never good) - and we will slowly fall apart until we physically die.  This is fact.  Those who think we can go through all of life simply confessing divine health - and therefore never having to be sick or adversely affected by the degeneration of our world or ourselves are sadly mistaken.  They to will die due to the sin of man.

Now, before I completely depress you, let me return to our proverb today.  Our spirit can help us endure sickness.  There is an inner strength that is granted to us in our spirit that helps us deal with the fact that we are human.  We will make it through sickness.  I've seen the extreme of this in believers who glorify God in the midst of terminal illnesses.  There is something so alive and strong in them - even in the midst of their last days.  They conquer death - even as they face it.  That is the power of God working in our spirits. 

But the Proverb does warn of a second sickness that is unbearable to the human condition.  "But as for a broken spirit who can bear it?"  The word for broken here is so telling.  It does not refer to what we experience at the end of a romance - the famous broken heart of romantic movies and novels.  This broken spirit is one that is stricken and scouraged.  It refers to more than just suffering.  It refers to when we come to see that everything we can live for in this life means nothing.  It is the brokenness that God actually seeks to bring us to in life.  It is a brokenness that cannot be cured with more stuff or more power.  It won't be solved by a new romance - or another boyfriend or girlfriend.  This brokenness goes to the very depths of our spirit.  It is God telling us that we cannot be self-repaired.  We need Him.  That is why the wise man poses the question, "Who can bear it?"  No one can - except he turn to God.  Only He can reach to the very core of our deadness and cause our spirit to come alive.  This work He does by the Spirit of God as He applies the gospel of Jesus Christ to our broken condition.  Then we find ourselves fixed - and actually far more than fixed.  We are reborn - and our spirit comes alive as the Holy Spirit grants us the very life of God. 

The wise man knows as he sees and endures the sicknesses of this present world that something is terribly wrong with this world.  The death that reigns over this present world points us to a much deeper death that reigns over our souls.  This brokenness of spirit can only be repaired by God.  He has given the cure in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  And . . . a wise man knows to turn to God for His ultimate remedy for a broken spirit.

And you groan at your final end, When your flesh and your body are consumed; Proerbs 5:11 

The latter end of our days.  The consequences of our actions not after a few moments - but a week later, a month later, a year later, a lifetime later.  This is what verse 11 of our proverb today is calling out to us today.  It is a challenge to think beyond the moment when we make choices.  It is a challenge to think longer in to our future and consider where our choices are going to take us.   

This chapter of Proverbs deals primarily with the adulterous woman and what she will do to the poor schlub who decides to engage in sexual immorality with her.  So far this proverb has told us of some very harsh consequences that will come to the one who does this.  We've seen so far that we will give our vigor to others (11), we will give our years to the cruel one which is a reference to the devil (11), the divorce that will likely come will end up having us send our goods to the house of someone else (12), and we will watch strangers be given the money we've earned with our strength (12).  These are pretty difficult things to handle - but now we see that the latter end of our lives will be bad.  The term "final end" is only one word in the Hebrew.  It is the word "acharith" which means to the end of the matter.  It has to do with having the wisdom to see what the final end of something is going to be.  According to today's proverb, our latter end - our acharith will be that we will groan as our flesh and body are consumed.  Let's take a look at what that may mean for us.

The rabbis speak about this passage and beleive it speaks to a problem with disease.  When you engage in sexual immorality it opens you up to the world of STD's that run rampant among the sexually active crowd.  I just took a few minutes to peruse the CDC website on sexually transmitted diseases and it was frightening to consider how many in our society are infected already.  What is even more frightening is that these are statistics from those who report that they have STD's.  Some experts believe that these numbers would at least triple or quadruple if we knew everyone who is truly infected.  Most of these diseases do not have an immediate effect on someone, but just about every one of them have devastating long-term problems that come with being infected.  This is what we would expect when we read what God has to say about sexual immorality here in Proverbs.  It is at the latter end of your days that you find your flesh and body consumed by the consequences of your actions.  It is a sad reality though that when these things begin to strike, we will groan because of them.  The groan mentioned here refers to a groan or a growl - even a roar could be the meaning.  What is being communicated to us is that the pain involved here is pretty excruciating.  If you've ever seen or heard of how someone dies of AIDS or syphilis, it is not pretty.  But this is what awaits those who indulge in sexual immorality very often. 

Wisdom is this - God's way in sexuality.  He desires for us to reserve ourselves for our husband or wife.  He desires abstinence in singleness and faithfulness in marriage.  If our society were to adopt these practices we would watch STD's plummet in number - and eventually be gone from our world.  But the truth is that fallen men and women engage in sexual immorality.  The result therefore is that we have a world that is unfortunately running wild in a very dangerous area - and that the infection rates will continue to rise.  May God give us wisdom to avoid being one of the statistics and hold fast to God's way.  May we also be wise as fathers in instructing our children - especially our sons as to the true dangers that are out there for the sexually immoral one. 

For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you. Proverbs 9:11

I receive health food, supplement, and exercise information on a regular basis.  I do this because I realize that there are benefits to eating and doing the right things for my physical body.  But there are those in the health-conscious world who think that this alone is how to have a long, healthy, happy life.  They are sadly mistaken.

Here in Proverbs 9 we have wisdom personified telling us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - and that the knowledge of the Holy One is the way to live with understanding in this world.  Immediately after that statement wisdom then tells us that He is the One who can add to our days and give us a long, happy life.  It is wisdom that mattters - and God is the One who can give it to us.

While I do agree that certain health-conscious choices will lengthen our days - none of the sage advice of the health guru's has anything on the revelation of God in the Scripture.  When you look at the Old Testament laws concerning food and cleanliness, you realize that within that system that is nearly 4000 years old is the best way to stay healthy and free from disease.  It is really shocking to some when they realize this.  I mean, these folks didn't even have hand sanitizer! 

God's Word goes far beyond just physical well-being though.  It moves into the area of spiritual well-being.  That involves far more than just sitting on a floor chanting and centering yourself in . . . yourself.  It involves being in a right relationship with God.  It is moving all your temporary, momentary physical health toward what God intended for you in the first place - to know, serve, and love Him.  If we are not doing this - it really doesn't matter how many "pain-free" and "vital" years we live on this earth.  Things WILL go badly for us the moment we die.  So, may God give us wisdom to follow Him . . . in what is best for us physically, and what is best for us spiritually.  That is the way to a long, healthy, wonderful life here on earth - and a life after your days here are ended - that will last throughout all eternity.

It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:8

It is actually healthier to your general health and to your bones to walk in wisdom and in the fear of God.  God says that doing these things leads us to turning away from evil - and steering clear of evil is something we should aspire to do each and every day of our lives. 

This verse derives its meaning from verse 7 - which speaks of the things that will make for healing in our bodies and refreshment to our bones.  The activities that encourage this boon to our health are not being wise in our own eyes, fearing God, and turning away from evil.  But how can God's Word make such outrageous statements!  This is not a medical journal!  These are the comments I would expect from those who prefer to trust themselves and the present world system than trust the Word of God.  Therefore, I'll take a few moments to comment on why walking in wisdom and the fear of God is so healthy.

Peace . . . in a word the benefits of walking in wisdom and the fear of God is that we walk in peace.  Study after study has been done in the medical world that trumpets the health benefits of being at peace.  The peace that God gives us is far more valuable than the temporary peace achieved by some in this present world.  God's peace is valuable both now - and for all eternity.  If we choose not to be wise in our own eyes, we will know a peace that Scripture says passes all understanding.  It is also a peace that will garrison both our heart and mind in Christ Jesus.  The world's peace lasts as long as we have the world's goods - or the good fortune to not have troubles and trials.  That poses and very difficult problem - because this world is filled with troubles and trials.  God's peace is strong no matter what our current circumstances - because He tells us that all things are working together for our good - when we live for the transformation that He Himself works in us to make us more like Jesus Christ His Son. 

Sin, on the other hand, is devastating to our mental and physical well-being.  David spoke of the year he was in his sin with Bathsheba as a year when he groaned under the weight of his guilt and shame.  He spoke of how his bones were drying up - and his health failed due to the discipline that was upon him from the Lord.  We learn from God's Law in the Old Testament an entire system of how to maintain good hygiene and good eating habits.  It might fascinate you to know that studies done on the Old Testament Law regarding how one ate - how one kept themselves from disease - and how one was to act in sexual matters - is the healthiest way to live.  God's wisdom always yields marvelous results when we choose to walk in it rather than walk in the stubbornness of our own hearts.  Truly, we will enjoy healing in our bodies and refreshment in our bones when we do so. 

Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter. 7 Let him drink and forget his poverty And remember his trouble no more. Proverbs 31:6-7

Is the Bible encouraging drunkenness here?  When I read this - at first glance I come away with the thought that the Bible is encouraging us, if we know someone who is struggling with poverty and bitterness, to encourage them to knock back a few - and they will forget all their troubles.  Is that what the Bible is saying here?  If it is - then this contradicts badly the passages that warn us against the harm that over indulgence in alcohol can do in our lives.  

To understand this Proverb we once again need to understand it based upon what it says in context.  God just moved on Bathsheba to instruct her son NOT to drink wine or strong drink.  Her reasoning is that such an action would lead her son to forget the Law.  With his thinking and reasoning impaired - he might pervert the rights of those who are afflicted.  So, two things we know here are that drunkenness is out of the question in what is being said - and - that Bathsheba is interested in how her son, as king, deals with the afflicted within his kingdom.

Her admonition to her son, next, is to give wine and strong drink to the one who is perishing.  This word means to perish, to be lost, or destroyed.  It was understood by the Jewish rabbis as dealing with two primary situations.  The first is when someone is suffering greatly with sickness - especially when that sickness is terminal.  It was a custom due to this admonition to medicate the dying with strong drink so that they would drink and forget the pain of their dying.  We do this today with terminal patients through morphine.  It is not evil to do so - it is merciful.  It is giving them something to help with the throes of dying.  The second instance where this was used was with those given to a death sentence - especially crucifixion.  We know this because Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall when He was on the cross.  This was a pain killing mixture that was given by godly women to those who faced the death penalty.  Jesus refused this because He needed to embrace all that the cross meant for sin.  But to offer some merciful pain killing substance to someone in the midst of horrific pain is something God counsels us to do. 

These admonitions are given for those "perishing" and also for those who are "bitter of soul."  Here is where things get a little bit more dicey.  For the one who is perishing - it is easy to see that we are easing their suffering as they draw near to death.  But what about the bitter of soul?  What is going on here?  Again, context is so important to remember.  We are in a section of Scripture where a mother has just warned her son against alcohol abuse - and how it clouds judgment and could lead to her son disregarding the Law in a moment of drunkenness.  Therefore, we can be assured that when it comes to those who are "bitter of soul" she is not advocating drunkenness to alleviate their problems.  This passage cannot be used therefore to justify men or women drowning their sorrows in whiskey or beer. 

What we do see though is that there is a benefit for the bitter of soul in having a drink.  The Bible itself says that "wine makes man's heart glad," in Psalm 104:15.  That verse is in the midst of a list of things that God Himself provides, including oil for the skin and the food that sustains a man with strength.  Wine was used in the feasts of Israel as well - and even offered up to God as a sacrifice.  Our problems with alcohol come from living in a society where drinking is too often done for the sake of partying - and with a view to getting drunk.  But God knows that drinking in moderation (let me stress here that this means NEVER getting drunk - and it also means drinking apart from the party scene, which in itself has more sins than just the drinking) can lift someone's spirits.  Wine does make a man's heart glad - and can lift someone's spirits.  Thus, Solomon was advised to give it to those who are bitter in soul to help them be lifted temporarily and cheered. 

I'm going to venture into an area where there is much disagreement and where I can be heavily criticized.  But in light of this passage, I feel the need to go there regardless of the dangers.  There are believers who struggle with periods of depression.  You could call these periods of time being bitter in soul.  Often a psychologist, psychiatrist, or a doctor encourages them to take something for a while to help them with their depression.  When this happens there is a cry from some that this is wicked, sinful - and it is only because the person does not trust God.  Yet here we have counsel given to the king that he should give wine or strong drink to someone who is too struggling with being bitter in soul.  Verse 7 in this section speaks of having him forget his poverty and trouble no more.  Poverty speaks of a lack - something is missing here - and it is further described as a man's "trouble."  This second word means a troublesome time - a time of labor and toil - and was used of the difficulties and hardships of life that lead to sorrow in a man's heart.  These times can be very difficult to handle - and I've actually watched brothers and sisters helped for a period of time by a medicine - something that lifts their spirits as they walk through a very difficult time.  Needless to say - or maybe it is better to say, Needful to say - God is not advocating drunkenness and the proverbial drowning of our sorrows in beer or hard liquor - but I do think what is advocated is something that would temporarily lift ones spirit and soul through a very difficult time.

Here is where I offer what I hope to be the other side of wisdom on this issue.  Although I do see a situation and a period of time where this might be profitable - I do not see it as "the answer" for depression and for times when we are bitter of soul.  Psalm 4:7 tells me that God puts, "gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and new wine abound."  A period of time may require this verse to be applied (if it does not refer solely to the perishing - and the bitter of soul is just another way of saying someone who is perishing) but we need to see God ultimately as our source of joy and as the ultimate One who can lift us out of any funk in which we find ourselves in life.  The one who turns to wine, strong drink, or even modern medicines as a permanent solution to their difficulties - and who does not turn to the Lord with them - is placing themselves in danger of looking to something rather than looking to Somone - as the answer to their problems.

Remember this - as we close today's look at Proverbs.  There is a mountain of Scripture dealing with the abuse of alcohol - of wine, new wine, and strong drink.  The Bible is overflowing with examples of how people lost their reason and their discernment with these things and wound up in grevious sin.  So as we see the wisdom of using wine and strong drink in the ways specified here - we need to do so with extreme caution and with God's wisdom guiding our every move in this area.  Too many, thinking they were just needing a little lift - have turned to alcohol and found it to be worse than their original problem in the end.  Wisdom, dear saints, should always color our use of such things.  May God give us grace and wisdom to do just as His counsel suggests here - and not find ourselves falling into sin by abusing something meant for a temporary benefit.  In the end, He is and always will be our source of comfort and of encouragment in difficult times - even in death.