15:1 A gentle response turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.
Those who possess strong Bible doctrine can give a soft answer when they are confronted with someone else’s verbal anger.
15:2 The tongue of the wise treats knowledge correctly, but the mouth of the fool spouts out folly.
Those with strong Bible doctrine are able to use their knowledge wisely. Those without strong Bible doctrine will gush out words which will show their foolishness.
15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on those who are evil and those who are good.
God is omniscient. He knows and sees everything in the past, present, and future all at one time. He even planned out every single event of history. History is not just the simple study of a bunch of boring dates, causes, and effects. It is the study of God’s sovereignty.
God watches every act of both the evil and the good. He is the perfect Judge and jury, because He is an eyewitness to every event in history.
15:4 Speech that heals is like a life-giving tree, but a perverse tongue breaks the spirit.
Those with strong Bible doctrine will use the Word of God to bring spiritual healing to others. Those without strong Bible doctrine will speak evil words which attempt to break the faith of the believers. Satan has placed these evil tongues in churches, schools, the work place, and the media.
15:5 A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds reproof shows good sense.
If a son refuses to listen to his father’s discipline, then he is a fool. Those sons with strong Bible doctrine will listen to their father and bring honor to God, their family and themselves.
15:6 In the house of the righteous is abundant wealth, but the income of the wicked brings trouble.
Under the Mosaic Law, righteous living brought material and spiritual prosperity. Money acquired by illegal means brings trouble.
15:7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but not so the heart of fools.
Those who possess strong Bible doctrine spread their knowledge to others. Those who do not possess strong Bible knowledge will spread the foolish ideas of the satanic world system. Some examples of the latter are multiculturalism, humanism, evolution, feminism, abortion, transgenderism, and same-sex marriage.
Multiculturalism is the philosophy that all cultures are equal to the Biblical principles of the written Word of God.
Humanism is living as though God does not exist.
Evolution teaches that Jesus evolved from a monkey.
Feminism is debasing women into becoming like men.
Abortion is murdering innocent babies who cannot defend themselves.
Transgenderism is switching the male and female roles which were given to one by God.
Same-sex marriage is a reversal of God’s view of marriage.
All of these philosophies come from the satanic world system. Hollywood teaches gullible people (who are ignorant of Bible doctrine) to accept and spread these godless views.
15:8 The Lord abhors the sacrifices of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.
God hates the sacrifices of the wicked, because they are given hypocritically. God loves the prayers of the righteous, because it parallels the will of God. Those who master Bible doctrine know who, when, and what to pray. Those without Bible doctrine are praying for the wrong things. To become an effective prayer warrior, one must understand Bible doctrine from the entire counsel of the Word of God.
15:9 The Lord abhors the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness.
The way of the wicked is the one who lives as though there is no God. Atheists, agnostics, evolutionists, feminists, liberals, homosexuals. lesbians, thieves, and murderers live as though there is no God to judge them for their sins. God hates this kind of lifestyle.
Those who pursue righteousness are those who master and apply Bible doctrine. They will love what God loves and hate what God hates. God loves this kind of lifestyle.
15:10 Severe discipline is for the one who abandons the way; the one who hates reproof will die.
God will spank His own children. The one who hates God’s discipline may commit the sin unto to death. When God’s children no longer testify to the glory of God, then God brings them home.
15:11 Death and Destruction are before the Lord— how much more the hearts of humans!
The Hebrew word for “death” is שְׁא֣וֹל (sheol), meaning the place of the dead. The Hebrew word for “destruction” is אֲבַדּוֹן (abadon), meaning destroyer. The latter could possibly be one of the names of Satan.
If God can look into the underworld, then He can also look into the hearts of humans. Man does not know his own heart, but God does. The human heart is desperately wicked. The heart is the intellect. It is the thought life of the individual. When one does not master Bible doctrine, then he will develop a filthy thought life. This verse emphasizes God’s omnipresence and omniscience compared to man’s total depravity.
15:12 The scorner does not love one who corrects him; he will not go to the wise.
The scorner is the one who mocks God. The wise man is the one who understands and applies Bible doctrine. The scorner does not want someone with strong Bible doctrine to correct his ungodly lifestyle. He will not listen to sound Bible doctrine. He will not seek counsel from one who understands Bible doctrine. The scorner will actually mock God by mocking Bible doctrine.
15:13 A joyful heart makes the face cheerful, but by a painful heart the spirit is broken.
The one who masters and applies Bible doctrine is doing the will of God, so he will be inwardly cheerful. He will be satisfied with his physical life, even under bad circumstances. Those who do not possess strong Bible doctrine will become depressed and unhappy with their lives. Unbelieving millionaires show outward happiness, but they are not happy inwardly.
15:14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly.
The discerning heart is the one who loves to study and apply Bible doctrine. He will always want to study more and know the mind of Christ. The mouth of the fool is the one who lacks Bible doctrine. He does not feed on the Word of God. He feeds on the foolish things of the satanic world system.
15:15 All the days of the afflicted are bad, but one with a cheerful heart has a continual feast.
Those who do not possess strong Bible doctrine will be unhappy in their life, because there is no satisfaction without knowledge of God. Those who possess strong Bible doctrine will be satisfied in their lives, because they feast upon the Word of God daily.
15:16 Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth and turmoil with it.
Most people would choose wealth over poverty, but this choice brings many troubles. It is better to choose respect of the Lord over wealth.
15:17 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox where there is hatred.
The poor lived mostly on vegetables. The wealthy lived mostly upon fattened calves. It is better to eat in poverty where there is love among family members, than it is to eat in luxury with those who hate each other. Love makes one’s difficult circumstances endurable, but hatred strips away all of the enjoyments that good food might otherwise bring.
15:18 A quick-tempered person stirs up dissension, but one who is slow to anger calms a quarrel.
Those who lack Bible doctrine are quick to lose their temper. Those with strong Bible doctrine are slow to anger.
15:19 The way of the sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is like a highway.
Lazy people cannot accomplish God’s will in their lives, because they cannot clear the hedge of thorns which they have created in their own path. Those who possess and apply strong Bible doctrine will walk down a smooth path and accomplish God’s will in their lives.
15:20 A wise child brings joy to his father, but a foolish person despises his mother.
A wise child is one who possesses and applies Bible doctrine. He will make his father proud. The foolish child is the one who lacks Bible doctrine. He will even despise his mother. If a teenager is showing disrespect to the mother, it is because they were not trained in sound Bible doctrine when they were younger.
15:21 Folly is a joy to one who lacks sense, but one who has understanding follows an upright course.
The child with strong Bible doctrine will follow the path of God’s will. The child with weak Bible doctrine will delight in his foolishness.
15:22 Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with abundant advisers they are established.
It is better to get the advice from many reliable resources than from just one resource.
15:23 A person has joy in giving an appropriate answer, and a word at the right time—how good it is!
Timing is everything. It is best to give wise counsel at the right time. Those with strong Bible doctrine are good at this, because they know what to say, when to say it, and how to pray about it.
15:24 The path of life is upward for the wise person, to keep him from going downward to Sheol.
A wise person who masters and applies Bible doctrine will be more prone to escape the sin unto death.
15:25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but he maintains the boundaries of the widow.
The proud accumulates houses, but the Lord tears them down. Thieves would attempt to move the boundary markers so that they could steal the land of the widows. However, the Lord protects widows.
15:26 The Lord abhors the plans of the wicked, but pleasant words are pure.
What are real “hate crimes?” The Lord hates the thoughts of the wicked. He loves the thoughts of those who possess strong Bible doctrine. God is omniscient, meaning that He knows all things. He is never caught by surprise.
15:27 The one who is greedy for gain troubles his household,
but whoever hates bribes will live.
If a father accepts bribes, then he perverts justice. The innocent suffer. In return, the greedy will cause troubles for his innocent family members as well.
15:28 The heart of the righteous considers how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
The heart (intellect) of the righteous is filled with sound Bible doctrine, so they know how to provide sound advice. The one who does not possess strong Bible doctrine will blurt out foolish answers which benefit the satanic world system.
15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
God hates the wicked, so He stays far away from them. The righteous are those who possess strong Bible doctrine. They know how, when, and what to pray. God hears these prayers, because these types of prayers please Him.
15:30 A bright look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the body.
A genuine smile can bring joy to one’s heart. Good news brings health to the body. Many physical illnesses come to those who lack Bible doctrine. Worry is a sin. It is not trusting in God. Those who master and apply Bible doctrine will be healthier and happier than those who do not. Satisfaction in this life comes to those who master Bible doctrine.
15:31 The person who hears the reproof that leads to life is at home among the wise.
Those with strong Bible doctrine do not want their ears tickled. They do not mind being corrected in spiritual matters. They want to hear Biblical teachings from men with strong doctrine.
15:32 The one who refuses correction despises himself, but whoever hears reproof acquires understanding.
Those who refuse to intake Bible doctrine will begin to hate themselves. Many suicides come from those who lack Bible doctrine. They refuse to do the will of God, so their life becomes meaningless. They become bored and depressed, so they take their own life.
15:33 The fear of the Lord provides wise instruction, and before honor comes humility.
Those who respect God will deeply study and apply the Word of God at the deepest level. Before one is honored, he must be humbled. He must realize that he is totally depraved and evil, but God is good. Salvation is a gift of God. Knowledge of God is another gift of God. No one can know anything about God, unless God reveals Himself to his elect. This revelation comes only from the written Word of God expressed by those who possess the gift of teaching.