EGW WritingsProverbs 18

Ellen G. White

Proverbs 18:1-24

Manuscript Releases, vol. 18 [Nos. 1301-1359]

MR No. 1350—God will Solve Crises When Men Do His Will; Church in a Backslidden Condition; Beldens on Norfolk Island

18MR 348.2

It is well for us to dwell often upon the words of Christ in Matthew 5. I was reading in Proverbs 18, “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is a folly and a shame unto him.” I feel deeply [that] we must give most earnest labor through the grace of Christ to work to break up in the church the many words that tend to separate very friends. Let us represent this evil as it is.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 9 (1894)

Lt 21, 1894

9LtMs, Lt 21, 1894, par. 9

O, how can God bear with the misdeeds of those who have had great light and advantages, and yet follow the course of their own choosing, to their eternal harm? Solomon, who had solemnly charged the people at the dedication of the temple, “Let your heart be perfect with the Lord your God” [1 Kings 8:61], chose his own way, and in his own heart separated from God. The mind that was once given to God and inspired of God to write the most precious words of wisdom (the book of Proverbs)—truths which are immortalized—that noble mind, through evil associations and yielding to temptations, became inefficient, weak in moral power, and Solomon dishonored himself, dishonored Israel, and dishonored his God.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 13 (1898)

Ms 40, 1898

13LtMs, Ms 40, 1898, par. 15

Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs, but after a time his wisdom became mingled with chaff. When came the chaff? After a manhood of such glorious promise, a change came in Solomon’s history. He did not continue true to his purity and allegiance to God. He broke through the barriers which God had erected to preserve His people from idolatry. The Lord had singled out Israel as a nation, making them the depositaries of sacred truth, to be given to the world. But Solomon cherished pride of political powers. He encouraged alliances with pagan kingdoms. He procured the silver of Tarshish and the gold of Ophir, but it was at the expense of destroying sacred trusts. Evil communications corrupted good manners. One false movement led to an acquaintance with idolaters. He formed marriage alliances with the daughters of pagan worshipers, and his wives led him away from God. His separation from God through communication with idolaters ruined him.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)

Lt 181, 1901

16LtMs, Lt 181, 1901, par. 6

This is the time that all we do in the cause and work of God must be without “spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.” [Ephesians 5:27.] The present state of the church is far behind the correct standard, and the backsliding has been so gradual and so imperceptible that it is a hard matter to represent its true lamentable condition. The members of the church seem to settle in so low a grade that no power but the Lord God of heaven can place her where the evil shall be seen and corrected. There are existing evils in the church which no human power can heal. We must hold the standard high, and then in our own words and attitude and actions represent the One “altogether lovely.” [Song of Solomon 5:16.] All misapprehension produces unkindness consciously or unconsciously, and then unkindness provokes retaliations, and strife propagates itself. I am thankful that Christ has given us such a clear, definite expression of His will that if we will to do the will of God, we shall not fail to “know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.” [John 7:17.] We need the divine virtues brought into our lives constantly. It is well for us to often dwell upon the words of Christ in Matthew 5. I was reading in Proverbs 18, “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” I feel deeply we must give most earnest labor through the grace of Christ to work to break up in the church the many words that tend to separate very friends. Let us represent this evil as it is.

Proverbs 18:4

Patriarchs and Prophets

Chapter 37—The Smitten Rock

PP 413.1

The same beautiful and expressive figures are carried throughout the Bible. Centuries before the advent of Christ, Moses pointed to Him as the rock of Israel’s salvation (Deuteronomy 32:15); the psalmist sang of Him as “my Redeemer,” “the rock of my strength,” “the rock that is higher than I,” “a rock of habitation,” “rock of my heart,” “rock of my refuge.” In David’s song His grace is pictured also as the cool, “still waters,” amid green pastures, beside which the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock. Again, “Thou shalt make them,” he says, “drink of the river of Thy pleasures. For with Thee is the fountain of life.” Psalm 19:14; 62:7; 61:2; 71:3 (margin); 73:26 (margin); 94:22; 23:2; 36:8, 9. And the wise man declares, “The wellspring of wisdom [is] as a flowing brook.” Proverbs 18:4. To Jeremiah, Christ is “the fountain of living waters;” to Zechariah, “a fountain opened ... for sin and for uncleanness.” Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 13:1.

That I May Know Him

The Living Water, January 18

TMK 24.5

References: Deuteronomy 32:15; Psalm 19:14; 62:7; 61:2; 71:3 (margin); 73:26 (margin); 94:22; 23:2; 36:8, 9; Proverbs 18:4; Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 13:1; Isaiah 26:4 (margin); 32:2; 41:17; 44:3; 35:6; 55:1; Revelation 22:1, 17.

Proverbs 18:9

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 1 (1844 - 1868)

Ms 7, 1868

1LtMs, Ms 7, 1868, par. 8

I beg of you, have done with your idleness. It is a continual curse to you. God requires you to make every moment fruitful of some good to yourself or to others. “Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” [Romans 12:11.] “He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.” [Proverbs 18:9.]

Proverbs 18:10

Christ Triumphant

Jesus Gained the Victory for Us, July 31

CTr 219.1

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Proverbs 18:10.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 23 (1908)

Ms 15, 1908

23LtMs, Ms 15, 1908, par. 13

So we may resist temptation and force Satan to depart from us. Jesus gained the victory through submission and faith in God, and by the apostle He says to us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” [James 4:7.] We cannot save ourselves from the tempter’s power; he has conquered humanity, and when we try to stand in our own strength, we shall become a prey to his devices; but “the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and are safe.” [Proverbs 18:10.] Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty name.

Jesus, Name Above All Names

Never-Failing Source of Strength, December 29

JNN 381.1

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe.
—Proverbs 18:10

God’s Amazing Grace

The Rulership Forfeited, February 2

AG 41.6

Jesus gained the victory through submission and faith in God, and by the apostle He says to us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” ... (James 4:7, 8). We cannot save ourselves from the tempter’s power; he has conquered humanity ...; but “the name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).6The Desire of Ages, 129-131.

In Heavenly Places

Victory in the Mighty Name of Jesus, September 6

HP 256.1

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Proverbs 18:10.

Prayer

“Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:13, R.V.

Pr 302.1

Live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold you firmly by a hand that will never let go. Know and believe the love that God has to us, and you are secure; that love is a fortress impregnable to all the delusions and assaults of Satan. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10.

The Desire of Ages

Chapter 13—The Victory

DA 130.4

So we may resist temptation, and force Satan to depart from us. Jesus gained the victory through submission and faith in God, and by the apostle He says to us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.” James 4:7, 8. We cannot save ourselves from the tempter’s power; he has conquered humanity, and when we try to stand in our own strength, we shall become a prey to his devices; but “the name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10. Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty name.

Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing

“Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”—Matthew 6:13, R. V.

MB 119.2

From Heaven With Love

Chapter 13—The Victory

HLv 79.3

So we may resist temptation and force Satan to depart from us. Jesus gained the victory through submission and faith in God, and by the apostle He says to us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.” James 4:7, 8. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10. Satan trembles before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty name.

With God at Dawn

His Name Is My Refuge, September 21

WGD 266.1

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Proverbs 18:10.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Lt 72, 1897

12LtMs, Lt 72, 1897, par. 18

“Wash you, make you clean” from all sin in the blood of the Lamb. [Isaiah 1:16.] “The Lord is a strong tower. The righteous runneth into it, and are safe.” [Proverbs 18:10.] This God must be all our confidence and all our trust. The streams of grace must be fresh, and fertilize our own souls, thus they will be in us a well of water, springing up into everlasting life. Let the praise of God go forth from human lips. Praise Him with heart; praise Him with soul. Let the voice speak forth His praises at all times. It should be thus, and it will be thus when Christ is abiding in the soul. Our sufficiency is in God. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous runneth into it, and are safe.

Proverbs 18:16

Guiding Principles for the Young

Purposefulness

PH036 4.6

A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. Proverbs 18:16.

Proverbs 18:21

Education

Chapter 26—Methods of Teaching

Ed 235.5

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 5 (1887-1888)

Lt 64, 1888

5LtMs, Lt 64, 1888, par. 18

“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” James 1:26. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:21. “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:37. “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Verse 36. “Whosoever keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.” Proverbs 21:23, 24.

Proverbs 18:22

A Call To Stand Apart

Chapter 13—Relationships

CSA 48.2

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord. Proverbs 18:22.

Daughters of God

The Setting of the Letters

DG 265.6

“Marriage marks an important era in the lives of men. ‘Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord,’ is the language of wisdom. Proverbs 18:22.... We were married August 30, 1846, and from that hour unto the present she has been my crown of rejoicing.”—Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 125, 126 (1880).

In Heavenly Places

Marriage a Sacred Institution, July 14

HP 202.1

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord. Proverbs 18:22.

Letters to Young Lovers

What a Young Man Should Look for in a Wife

LYL 20.2

“A prudent wife is from the Lord.” “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.” “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.” Proverbs 19:14; 31:11, 12, 26-29; 18:22.

The Ministry of Healing

Chapter 29—The Builders of the Home

MH 359.4

“A prudent wife is from the Lord.” “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.... She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her,” saying, “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” He who gains such a wife “findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord.” Proverbs 19:14; 31:11, 12, 26-29; 18:22.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 3 (1876 - 1882)

Lt 67, 1876

3LtMs, Lt 67, 1876, par. 21

“Marriage marks an important era in the lives of men. ‘Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord,’ is the language of wisdom. Proverbs 18:22. ... We were married August 30, 1846, and from that hour unto the present she has been my crown of rejoicing.”—Life Sketches of James and Ellen White (1880), pp. 125, 126.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 3 (1876 - 1882)

Lt 65, 1876

3LtMs, Lt 65, 1876, par. 17

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 3 (1876 - 1882)

Lt 64, 1876

3LtMs, Lt 64, 1876, par. 20

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 3 (1876 - 1882)

Lt 66, 1876

3LtMs, Lt 66, 1876, par. 26

Proverbs 18:24

Education

Chapter 15—Business Principles and Methods

Ed 136.3

“A man that hath friends must show himself friendly.” Proverbs 18:24.

My Life Today

To Have Friends We Must Be Friendly, July 19

ML 204.1

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly. Proverbs 18:24.

Our Father Cares

Jesus Is a Friend That Is Closer Than a Brother, January 18

OFC 29.1

There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24.

Our High Calling

Jesus Our Best Friend, February 18

OHC 55.1

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24.

Sons and Daughters of God

Jesus Is a Friend That Is Closer Than a Brother, June 9

SD 167.1

There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24.

The Faith I Live By

The Sinner’s Friend, April 2

FLB 98.1

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24.

Jesus, Name Above All Names

Friend That Sticketh Closer Than a Brother, February 18

JNN 57.1

A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
—Proverbs 18:24