◄ Proverbs 13:19 ►
Desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but turning from evil is detestable to fools.
Study Bible
Desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul
This phrase highlights the universal human experience of satisfaction and joy when one's hopes or aspirations are realized. Biblically, this aligns with the idea that God grants the desires of the righteous (Psalm 37:4). The sweetness to the soul suggests a deep, internal joy that transcends mere physical satisfaction, pointing to the spiritual fulfillment found in alignment with God's will. In the context of Proverbs, wisdom literature often contrasts the outcomes of the wise and the foolish, emphasizing that true fulfillment comes from living according to divine principles.

but turning from evil is detestable to fools
This part of the verse contrasts the joy of fulfilled desires with the stubbornness of fools who reject moral correction. In biblical terms, a fool is someone who lacks wisdom and understanding, often choosing a path contrary to God's commands (Proverbs 1:7). The detestability of turning from evil to fools underscores their resistance to repentance and moral change. This reflects the broader biblical theme of the hardness of heart, as seen in Pharaoh's resistance to God's commands in Exodus. The fool's aversion to turning from evil highlights the spiritual blindness and pride that prevent them from experiencing the sweetness of a righteous life.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
Traditionally attributed as the author of Proverbs, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom.

2. Israel
The nation to whom the Proverbs were originally addressed, providing guidance for living a life pleasing to God.

3. Fools
A recurring character in Proverbs, representing those who reject wisdom and moral instruction.
Teaching Points
The Sweetness of Fulfilled Desires
When our desires align with God's will, their fulfillment brings deep satisfaction and joy to our souls.

The Folly of Rejecting Righteousness
Fools find it detestable to turn from evil because they are entrenched in their sinful ways, highlighting the importance of seeking wisdom.

Aligning Desires with God's Will
To experience the sweetness of fulfilled desires, we must ensure our desires are in harmony with God's purposes.

The Danger of Sinful Desires
Unchecked desires can lead to sin and destruction, emphasizing the need for discernment and self-control.

The Role of Wisdom in Decision-Making
Wisdom helps us discern between desires that are beneficial and those that lead us away from God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How can we ensure that our desires align with God's will, and what practical steps can we take to achieve this?

2. In what ways can the fulfillment of a righteous desire be "sweet to the soul," and how have you experienced this in your own life?

3. Why might fools find it detestable to turn from evil, and how can we guard against this mindset in our own lives?

4. How do other scriptures, such as Romans 12:9 and Galatians 5:16-17, reinforce the teachings of Proverbs 13:19?

5. Reflect on a time when a desire you had was fulfilled. How did it impact your relationship with God and your understanding of His will for your life?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 37:4
This verse speaks about delighting in the Lord and receiving the desires of one's heart, connecting to the fulfillment of righteous desires.

James 1:14-15
Discusses how desire, when it is not aligned with God's will, can lead to sin, contrasting with the sweetness of fulfilled righteous desires.

Romans 12:9
Encourages believers to hate what is evil and cling to what is good, paralleling the idea of turning from evil.

Proverbs 3:7
Advises not to be wise in one's own eyes and to shun evil, reinforcing the detestable nature of turning from evil for fools.

Galatians 5:16-17
Talks about walking by the Spirit to avoid gratifying the desires of the flesh, aligning with the concept of fulfilled desires being sweet to the soul.
Sermons
Soul Pleasure and Soul PainHomilistProverbs 13:19
The Blessings of Obedience and Their CounterpartE. Johnson Proverbs 13:18-25
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Abomination, Accomplished, Depart, Desire, Detest, Disgusting, Evil, Foolish, Fools, Fulfilled, Longing, One's, Realized, Soul, Sweet, Turn, Turning
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 13:15-22

     6024   sin, effects of

Library
The Tillage of the Poor
'Much food is in the tillage of the poor.'--PROVERBS xiii. 23. Palestine was a land of small peasant proprietors, and the institution of the Jubilee was intended to prevent the acquisition of large estates by any Israelite. The consequence, as intended, was a level of modest prosperity. It was 'the tillage of the poor,' the careful, diligent husbandry of the man who had only a little patch of land to look after, that filled the storehouses of the Holy Land. Hence the proverb of our text arose. It …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Poor Rich and the Rich Poor
'There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing; there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.'--PROVERBS xiii. 7. Two singularly-contrasted characters are set in opposition here. One, that of a man who lives like a millionaire and is a pauper; another, that of a man who lives like a pauper and is rich. The latter character, that of a man who hides and hoards his wealth, was, perhaps, more common in the days when this collection of Proverbs was put together, because in all ill-governed …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Practical Methods of Studying the Old Testament
[Sidenote: The various methods of approach] The Old Testament may be studied as literature, as history, as the record of an important stage in the evolution of religion, as the revelation of God to the race, or as a practical aid to the individual in living the true life. Each angle of approach calls for different methods and yields its correspondingly rich results. Studied in accordance with the canons of modern literary investigation, a literature is disclosed of surpassing variety, beauty, and …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

The Song of the Redeemed
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou ... hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation ... T he extent, variety, and order of the creation, proclaim the glory of God. He is likewise, ^* Maximus in Minimis . The smallest of the works, that we are capable of examining, such for instance as the eye or the wing of a little insect, the creature of a day, are stamped with an inimitable impression of His wisdom and power. Thus in His written Word, there …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

The Heavenly Footman; Or, a Description of the Man that Gets to Heaven:
TOGETHER WITH THE WAY HE RUNS IN, THE MARKS HE GOES BY; ALSO, SOME DIRECTIONS HOW TO RUN SO AS TO OBTAIN. 'And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain: escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.'--Genesis 19:17. London: Printed for John Marshall, at the Bible in Gracechurch Street, 1698. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. About forty years ago a gentleman, in whose company I had commenced my …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

"And this is his Commandment," &C.
1 John iii. 23.--"And this is his commandment," &c. There are different tempers of mind among men, some more smooth and pliable, others more refractory and froward. Some may be persuaded by love, who cannot be constrained by fear. With some a request will more prevail than a command. Others again are of a harsher disposition. Love and condescension doth rather embolden them, and therefore they must be restrained with the bridle of authority. It would seem that the Lord hath some regard to this in …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Second Sunday after Easter
Text: First Peter 2, 20-25. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

How is Christ, as the Life, to be Applied by a Soul that Misseth God's Favour and Countenance.
The sixth case, that we shall speak a little to, is a deadness, occasioned by the Lord's hiding of himself, who is their life, and "the fountain of life," Ps. xxxvi. 9, and "whose loving-kindness is better than life," Ps. lxiii. 3, and "in whose favour is their life," Ps. xxx. 5. A case, which the frequent complaints of the saints manifest to be rife enough, concerning which we shall, 1. Shew some of the consequences of the Lord's hiding his face, whereby the soul's case will appear. 2. Shew the …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Opposition to Messiah Ruinous
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel T here is a species of the sublime in writing, which seems peculiar to the Scripture, and of which, properly, no subjects but those of divine revelation are capable, With us, things inconsiderable in themselves are elevated by splendid images, which give them an apparent importance beyond what they can justly claim. Thus the poet, when describing a battle among bees, by a judicious selection of epithets …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

"But if Ye have Bitter Envying and Strife in Your Hearts, Glory Not," &C.
James iii. 14.--"But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not," &c. It is a common evil of those who hear the gospel, that they are not delivered up to the mould and frame of religion that is holden out in it, but rather bring religion into a mould of their own invention. It was the special commendation of the Romans, that they obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine into which they were delivered, (Rom. vi. 17) that they who were once servants, or slaves of sin, had now …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and all These Things Shall be Added unto You. "
Matth. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The perfection even of the most upright creature, speaks always some imperfection in comparison of God, who is most perfect. The heavens, the sun and moon, in respect of lower things here, how glorious do they appear, and without spot! But behold, they are not clean in God's sight! How far are the angels above us who dwell in clay! They appear to be a pure mass of light and …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Having spoken of the general notion of blessedness, I come next to consider the subjects of this blessedness, and these our Saviour has deciphered to be the poor in spirit, the mourners, etc. But before I touch upon these, I shall attempt a little preface or paraphrase upon this sermon of the beatitudes. 1 Observe the divinity in this sermon, which goes beyond all philosophy. The philosophers use to say that one contrary expels another; but here one contrary begets another. Poverty is wont to expel …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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