Proverbs 20:18
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Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
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Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, for our deceitful hearts convince us that our plans are brilliantly devised and certain to succeed (16:2,25; 18:17; 21:2; 28:11; Jer 17:9). So we must use a multitude of counselors for safety (11:14; 15:22; 24:6). Rushing forward in heady pride is foolish and will eventually cost you dearly. If you are prone to be impulsive and hasty by temperament or training, you must doubly heed this warning.
It is a sin to be hasty. See the comments on 19:2. Haste is destructive, as our own adage says, haste makes waste (21:5; 25:8). Paul condemned a sin he called heady, which is to impetuously and rashly rush ahead in some course recklessly (II Tim 3:4).
If you neglect seeking counsel, you are proud, heady, hasty, and foolish. If you reject counsel you have been given, you are rebelliously wicked. If you avoid counsel for fear of its criticism, your heart is foolishly involved in a risky proposition; you are already emotionally attached to a plan. It is foolish to get your heart involved before your head.
The only perfect counselor is the Lord Himself (Is 9:6). But He has not left us without other counselors. We have His perfect Word, which is able to make us wise (Ps 19:7-11; 119:98-100). We have His ministers, who can be perfect counselors by His Word (II Tim 3:16-17; Mal 2:7). We have parents, who usually have much greater wisdom and experience, and they also have strong motivation to save us from trouble (Ex 18:13-27). We have friends and brethren who are known for wisdom (20:25; 27:9-10; Acts 15:1-6).
What kind of counselors do you seek and use for your weighty decisions? Though older men are not always wise (Job 32:9), they generally are (Job 12:12). A saint is better than a pagan, if there are any moral considerations at all; they should have God's wisdom in their heart and the highest degree of concern for your safety and prosperity. Look for critical counselors for sure, for the landscape is littered with the corpses of optimists.
When a plan or purpose is established, it is made stable, secure, and permanent. It has a solid foundation for the future, and this is obtained from counselors. When plans and purposes are pursued without good counsel, they are usually disappointed (15:22).
Merely seeking counsel to fulfill this proverb is not enough, for you must also listen to the advice and follow it. Otherwise, the whole mechanism of safety and success is violated and overthrown. Rehoboam sought counsel, but he rejected the advice of the wise men who had counseled his father (I Kgs 12:1-19). And he lost the kingdom for it.
A multitude of counselors is not needed for every decision, and we see this by the inclusion of war in the proverb. War is the weightiest decision made by men, for it determines the lives and futures of whole nations, with enormous hardships. It should only be pursued after thorough counsel from many angles (Luke 14:31-32). So our lesson does not apply to all decisions, but rather to those of serious consequence and risk.
But matters like marriage are certainly worthy of counsel. The pain and consequences can be horrible; and most people entering marriage have no experience at it, so they need the good advice of others. See the comments on 19:13. An uninvolved third party can save you much grief in this decision, and they can probably spot any problems easily.
Other matters like business ventures, employment changes, housing moves, child training, health issues, investment alternatives, and similar plans should be subject to counsel. Why would you rush ahead in such decisions without seeking good advice?
A multitude of counselors is the wisest course, for they will give you much to think about from different perspectives and a variety of experiences. If their counsel is shared by a wise man, it will result it even better counsel. The bottom line should be found by considering the overall weight of answers, the answers of the wisest counselors, and the advice on the most important aspects of the plan or purpose.
Of course, this choice to seek counsel takes time. It also requires humility to ask others for their opinion, implying your need of their assistance. Such caution is prudent discretion; and such humility is wisdom. Do not let either men or devils convince you that you cannot afford the time or you can make better decisions than counselors anyway.
Young man, you need wise counsel more than most. Folly and vanity are yet resident in your heart, and sober counsel can save you from much trouble and pain. Older man, you are not above this lesson, for the hearts of all men are deceptively dangerous.
The ultimate counselor is the Holy Spirit, Who guides us by His word, not feelings. It is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps 119:105). If you submit your plans to the Lord, He will establish your thoughts (16:3; 3:5-6). If your heart is in fellowship with Him, you can move ahead with your plans, submitting all to His will (16:9; Jas 4:13-15).
The more you learn the word of God, the more wisdom you will have (Ps 19:7-11; 119:98-100; Is 8:20). And this book of Proverbs is filled with the wisdom of the wisest man with the most experience in life, and he wrote by the inspiration of God (1:1-9). Our Lord Jesus has all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and the closer you are walking with Him, the more you will have yourself (Col 2:8).
Good advice is necessary to good decision-making, and good advice is only obtained from good counselors. The Preacher teaches us to submit our major plans to the scrutiny and criticism of wise counselors, who can save us from disappointment and trouble. This is true wisdom - to deliberate before we act, and to establish our plans by wise counsel.
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