CHAPTER 20 Apr. 10 
The Deep Things of the Heart
Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. 2The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his own life. 3It is an honour for a man to keep aloof from strife; but every fool will be quarrelling. 4The lazy will not plough by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing. 5Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. 6Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man? 7A righteous man walks in integrity; blessed are his children after him. 8A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes. 9Who can say, I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin? 10Differing weights and differing measures, both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh. 11Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work is pure, or whether it is right.

Drink from the Cup of Knowledge
12The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Yahweh has made even both of them. 13Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread. 14It’s no good, it’s no good, says the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasts. 15There is gold and abundance of rubies; but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel. 16Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman. 17Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel. 18Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage war! 19He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips. 20Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.

Truth in the Innermost Parts
21An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning won’t be blessed in the end. 22Don’t say, I will pay back evil. Wait for Yahweh, and He will save you. 23Yahweh detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are not pleasing. 24A man’s steps are from Yahweh; how then can man understand his way? 25It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows. 26A wise king winnows out the wicked, and drives the threshing wheel over them. 27The spirit of man is Yahweh’s lamp, searching all his innermost parts. 28Love and faithfulness keep the king safe; his throne is sustained by love. 29The glory of young men is their strength. The splendour of old men is their gray hair. 30Wounding blows cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the innermost parts. 

Commentary

 20:1 Beer is a brawler- It is people and not liquid who brawl. The alcoholic drink is therefore put by metonymy for the alcoholic; they become identified with the substance of their addiction. Anything in human life with which we become totally identified, be it football teams or alcohol, is an addiction which takes us away from being the persons God intends us to be.
20:5 There is good wisdom within many faithful people which never becomes apparent until another person draws it out. This should be the result of good company and true spiritual fellowship- bringing out the best in each other which is often latent and would be otherwise unavailable for others’ benefit.
20:6 There’s much talk in the world about “love”, but no word is more misunderstood. Love must be connected to faith and hope if it is to be love as God intends (1 Cor. 13:13); although faith and hope produce love in their ultimate term (Col. 3:14).
20:7 Integrity is what will most influence our children in practice.
20:16 Hold him in pledge for a wayward woman- An allusion to Judah’s sin with Tamar (Gen. 38:25).
20:22 If we are wronged, the ultimate justice will be done when we are eternally saved at the time of Christ’s return- and not in this life.
20:24 There is an element of Divine guidance in our lives over and above our own efforts; see on 16:1.
20:27 Our self-examination is what reveals us to the Lord. What we think about at the memorial meeting, as we are faced with the memory of the crucified Saviour, is therefore an epitome of what we really are. If all we are thinking of is the taste of the wine, the cover over the bread, the music, what we didn’t agree with in the meeting, all the external things of our Christianity; or if we are sitting there taking bread and wine as a conscience salver, doing our little religious ritual to make us feel psychologically safe- then we simply don’t know Him. We are surface level believers only. And this is the message we give Him. Our spirit / attitude is the candle of the Lord, with which He searches us. Our thoughts when confronted by the cross reveal us to Him who died on it. Likewise Joseph (one of the most detailed types of the Lord Jesus) knew / discerned his brethren by his cup (Gen. 44:5). 1 Cor. 11:31,32 suggests that our self-judgment at the breaking of bread is in fact the lord’s judgment of us.