1. Is wine (in the form of alcohol) a good thing?
No: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1).
Christians don’t drink alcoholic beverages because we realize the warnings (Proverbs 20:1, Proverbs 21:17, Isaiah 5:11, Isaiah 5:22, Hosea 4:11, Habakkuk 2:15, Luke 21:33-34, I Thessalonians 5:7-8, and I Peter 4:1-5).
Christians don’t drink alcohol because we realize that it clouds our judgment (Proverbs 31:4-5). We cannot allow our judgment to be clouded (Romans 12:1-3, Titus 2:1-6, Titus 2:11-14, I Peter 1:13, I Peter 4:7, and I Peter 5:8).
Christians won’t drink that which we are not even supposed to look upon (Proverbs 23:29-35) or be around (Proverbs 23:20-21)!
The word “wine” in the KJV does not always mean alcohol (Isaiah 65:8).
2. Is it wise to provoke a king and make him angry?
No: “The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul” (Proverbs 20:2).
Proverbs 16:14-15 and Proverbs 19:12.
3. Should we cease from strife?
Yes: “It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling” (Proverbs 20:3).
Strife is not good (Proverbs 17:14, Proverbs 25:8-10, Proverbs 28:25, Philippians 2:3, and James 3:16).
4. Do sluggards find excuses not to work?
Yes: “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing” (Proverbs 20:4).
Proverbs 19:15, Proverbs 19:24, Proverbs 26:13-16, and Matthew 24:14-30.
5. If counsel is deep, what will a man of understanding do?
Draw it out: “Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out” (Proverbs 20:5).
We need to be people of deeper thoughts (cf. I Corinthians 2:9-16 and Hebrews 5:12-14).
6. While men are willing to “toot their own horns”, is it easy to find faithful men?
No: “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find” (Proverbs 20:6)?
For one, we do not want to call all men evil in haste (Psalms 116:11; cf. Ecclesiastes 5:2).
That being said, there are never many faithful on the earth (Genesis 18:16-19:25, Psalms 12:1, Ecclesiastes 7:28, Matthew 22:14, Luke 13:23-34, Luke 18:8, and I Peter 4:17-19).
We should not be boasters of our own good (Proverbs 25:14, Proverbs 27:2, II Corinthians 10:17-18, Galatians 6:3, and James 4:16).
7. Do children benefit from having fathers who are just men?
Yes: “The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him” (Proverbs 20:7).
Ephesians 6:4; cf. Proverbs 22:6.
8. Can a king purge evil from among his nation?
Sure: “A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes” (Proverbs 20:8).
Proverbs 20:26 and Romans 13:1-7.
9. Can any of us purify ourselves without God’s involvement?
No: “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin” (Proverbs 20:9)?
Philippians 3:9.
We don’t want to be the one’s who trust in ourselves that we are righteous (Luke 18:9-14 and Revelation 3:14-22).
We need Christ to be righteous (Romans 5:14-21, Ephesians 2:1-13, and II Timothy 1:8-9).
This verse DOES NOT mean we’re not to be pure from sin (II Corinthians 7:1, I Timothy 5:22, II Timothy 2:19, and I Peter 1:13-16).
10. What is God’s view of dishonesty in perverting measurements?
“Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 20:10).
Leviticus 19:35, Proverbs 11:1, Proverbs 16:11, and Proverbs 20:23; cf. Romans 12:17.