Proverbs 10:1

 We are now about to begin the Proverbs. Let's begin by defining what a proverb is.

Proverbs - The purpose of a proverb is to present wisdom in a short, memorable format; a short well-known saying containing a wise thought; truths or words of wisdom; a quote which gives advice or tells you something about life; a brief, simple, and popular saying, or a phrase that gives advice and effectively embodies a commonplace truth based on practical experience or common sense; phrase expressing a basic truth which may be applied to common situations.

The Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament is a collection of wisdom. It is one of the "Wisdom Books" of the Old Testament: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Song of Solomon), and Job. Here is a general outline of the Book of Proverbs. We've already been through chapters 1-9 which are the "Call to pursue wisdom" chapters.

Outline of Proverbs (Willmington's Bible Handbook Outlines)
A CALL TO PURSUE WISDOM (1:1-9:18)
PROVERBS OF SOLOMON  (10:1-22:16)
WORDS OF THE WISE (22:17-24:34)
MORE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON (25:1-29:27)
THE WISDOM OF AGUR (30:1-33)
THE WORDS OF LEMUEL (31:1-9)
THE WORTHY WOMAN (31:10-31)

Topics in Proverbs (Barry, J. D., Grigoni, M. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software)

Anger
Prov 12:16; 14:17; 14:29; 15:1; 15:18; 16:32; 19:3; 19:11; 19:19; 20:2; 21:14; 22:24–25; 29:22
Children
Prov 10:1; 13:1; 13:24; 14:26; 15:20; 17:6; 17:21; 17:25; 19:13; 19:18; 19:26; 20:11; 20:20; 22:6; 22:15; 23:13–14; 23:22–25; 28:7; 28:24; 29:15; 29:17
Contentment
Prov 13:25; 14:30; 16:8; 19:23; 23:4–5; 25:16; 30:15–16
Courage
Prov 24:10–12; 25:26; 28:1
Debt
Prov 6:1–5; 17:18; 20:16; 22:7; 22:26–27; 27:13
Dishonesty
Prov 6:16–19; 10:18; 11:1; 12:17; 12:19; 12:22; 13:5; 14:5; 14:25; 16:28; 16:30; 17:7; 17:20; 19:5; 19:9; 19:22; 20:10; 20:14; 20:17; 20:23; 21:6; 21:28; 24:28–29; 25:14; 25:18; 26:18–19; 26:23–28; 29:12; 30:8
Envy
Prov 3:31–32; 12:12; 14:30; 23:17–18; 24:1–2; 24:19–20
Foolishness
Prov 1: 32–33; 9:13–18; 11:29; 12:15; 12:23; 13:16; 14:1; 14:7; 14:8; 14:16; 14:18; 14:24; 14:29; 15:2; 15:5; 15:14; 15:21; 17:10; 17:12; 18:2; 18:13; 20:3; 24:8–9; 26:4; 26:5; 26:11; 27:22; 28:26; 29:9; 29:11
Friends
Prov 13:20; 14:20; 16:28; 17:9; 17:17; 18:24; 19:4; 19:6; 19:7; 20:6; 20:19; 22:24–25; 27:6; 27:9; 27:10; 27:17
Generosity
Prov 11:24; 11:25; 14:21; 14:31; 19:6; 19:17; 21:25–26; 22:9; 25:21–22; 28:8; 28:27; 31:20
Government
Prov 8:15–16; 14:28; 16:10; 16:12; 16:14; 16:15; 19:12; 20:2; 20:8; 20:26; 20:28; 21:1; 24:21–22; 25:1–7; 28:2; 28:12; 28:15; 28:16; 29:2; 29:4; 29:12; 29:14; 29:26; 31:4–9
Greed
Prov 1:10–19; 11:26; 12:12; 13:11; 15:27; 17:23; 20:21; 21:13; 21:25–26; 22:16; 22:28; 23:10–11; 27:20; 28:8; 28:20; 28:22; 28:25; 29:4; 30:15–16
Honesty
Prov 4:24; 11:1; 12:17; 12:19; 14:5; 14:25; 16:11; 16:13; 24:26; 27:5; 28:13; 28:23
Humility
Prov 11:2; 12:9; 12:15; 13:13; 15:33; 16:19; 18:12; 22:4; 25:6–7; 25:27; 27:2; 29:23
Injustice
Prov 1:19; 13:23; 15:27; 16:8; 17:15; 17:23; 18:5; 21:7; 22:8; 22:16; 24:23–25; 28:16; 28:21; 29:27
Justice
Prov 2:6–8; 11:1; 12:5; 16:10; 16:11; 19:28; 20:8; 21:3; 21:15; 22:22–23; 28:5; 29:4; 29:14; 29:26; 31:9
Laziness
Prov 6:6–11; 10:4; 10:5; 10:26; 12:11; 12:24; 12:27; 13:4; 14:23; 15:19; 18:9; 19:15; 19:24; 20:4; 20:13; 21:25–26; 22:13; 24:30–34; 26:13; 26:14; 26:15; 26:16
Marriage
Prov 5:15–19; 15:17; 18:22; 19:13; 21:9; 21:19; 27:15–16; 30:21–23; 31:10–11
Neighbors
Prov 3:28; 11:9; 11:12; 14:20; 14:21; 16:29; 21:10; 24:28–29; 25:8–10; 25:17; 25:18; 26:18–19; 27:14; 29:5
Patience
Prov 13:11; 14:29; 15:18; 16:32; 19:2; 19:11; 20:22; 20:25; 21:5; 25:15; 28:20; 29:20
Poverty
Prov 6:10–11; 10:4; 10:15; 13:7; 13:8; 13:23; 14:20; 14:23; 14:31; 15:16; 16:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:23; 19:1; 19:4; 19:7; 19:17; 20:13; 21:5; 21:13; 21:17; 22:2; 22:7; 22:16; 22:22–23; 23:10–11; 23:20–21; 28:3; 28:6; 28:19; 29:7
Pride
Prov 8:13; 11:2; 12:9; 12:15; 15:12; 15:25; 15:32; 16:5; 16:18; 16:19; 18:12; 21:4; 21:24; 25:27; 26:12; 26:16; 27:1; 29:1; 29:23; 30:11–14
Sexual Immorality
Prov 5:1–23; 6:20–7:27; 22:14; 23:26–28; 29:3
Wealth
Prov 10:4; 10:15; 13:7; 13:8; 13:18; 14:20; 15:16; 16:8; 16:19; 18:23; 19:4; 22:2; 22:7; 28:6; 28:8; 28:11
Work
Prov 6:6–11; 10:4; 10:5; 12:11; 12:14; 12:24; 12:27; 13:4; 14:23; 16:26; 18:9; 20:13; 21:5; 22:29; 23:4–5; 24:27; 24:30–34; 26:10; 28:19; 31:27

For your own study, I would suggest you make your own topics and add each proverb in the next 21 chapters into your own chart or list like the one above. The topics must make sense to you because it will be a list you would go to in order to find a specific proverb.

Now let's look at the first verse in Chapter 10.

Proverbs 10:1 (KJV) The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

Proverbs 10:1 (NIV) The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
brings joy - יְשַׂמַּח־ (yə·śam·maḥ-) - Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 8055: To brighten up, be, blithe, gleesome

but a foolish - כְּ֝סִ֗יל (kə·sîl) - Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3684: Stupid fellow, dullard, fool

grief - תּוּגַ֥ת (tū·ḡaṯ) - Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 8424: Depression, a grief

We have been learning in chapters 1-9 how wisdom in these books refers to godly wisdom. A "wise" child would be practising godly wisdom. He follows God, has a relationship with God. He knows God's Word and tries to live how God shows him to live. He is obedient to God. He puts God in first place in his life. He practises relationship with His Father God by prayer and meditation on God's Word. He is spiritually growing.

A parent is proud of a child who is in relationship with God and exhibits godly wisdom. We are naturally proud of our children when they graduate from college, get a good job, marry well, get a commendation, get a promotion, have their children. But these are worldly achievements. We should be proud of them and congratulate them. But what should bring the most joy to our hearts is their relationship with God. A child who has a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. A child who is baptized as a believer. A child who reads the Bible and is involved in Bible study. A child who knows how to pray and reaches out to pray for others. A child who tries to obey God. A child who is growing spiritually. A child who knows how to praise and worship his God! These achievements are of far more value! They have eternal value! They mean your child is saved, going to heaven and will have accumulated treasure in heaven. Your child may have been used to bring souls to salvation and there is great reward in heaven!

When I see one of our children in the family practicing kindness, generosity, love, prayer, worship, Bible study... my heart wants to burst and I'm so thankful to God I can't stand it. This is what is meant by this proverb.

But the terrible grief that is caused by a wayward child who has no relationship with God is unbearable to a parent. We aren't just talking about the grief caused by worldly concerns such as addiction, incarceration, sexual relationships, etc. But knowing that these are signs of, either not being saved, or of pushing God away in order to have worldly pleasures. Those behaviors and actions come from a place of coldness towards God. To a Christian parent, this would be their worst nightmare. They love their child and want their child to be saved through Jesus Christ and to be walking towards God, not running away from God. The child is not exhibiting godly wisdom. They are pushing godly wisdom away as though it were nothing of value. They may have been raised right but are now rebelling against their raising.

This brings great heartbreak, depression and fear to a Christian parent. They are constantly having to go to the Lord in prayer and trying to give their child into God's Hands. It's a real struggle to let go and let God. And it's so hard they probably are having to deal with the struggle daily. Trying to make right decisions, use godly wisdom; when to use tough love or to be merciful and forgiving, it is all wrapped up in dealing with a wayward child. It's heartrending.

Parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, great aunts and great uncles, cousins and siblings, are all affected by the wayward member of the family. Christian families will be on their knees praying and seeking God for that wayward member. They pray, they grieve, they try so hard to do what God would have them do. Sometimes it's almost co-dependent. You don't want to be co-dependent. That's the struggle. You want to be there for them but not have your life dependent on their behavior because when they do bad things, it destroys you and you had nothing to do with their choices. It's a very hard balance to have and to keep. It takes godly wisdom and that comes through prayer and God's Word.

• How would you categorize this proverb?
• Have you experienced the joys of a child who is following God? Journal about how that makes you feel.
• Have you experienced the heartache of a child who is not following God? Journal about how that makes you feel.
• Have you experienced the heartache for a long time? How are you dealing with it? What is your struggle like? Do you feel like you are in balance or out of control? The only balance will be found in God. And, being a fallible human being, you will go in and out of balance. But the only balance you will find is in God so keep going back to Him, daily. He loves you and He loves your child(ren).

Click here for all my studies on Proverbs.