Proverbs 13:15
The Way of the Transgressor
A. Good Understanding
1. Understanding: prudence; insight; prudence; good sense.
a. Solomon is speaking about the man (woman or child!) who has good common sense… a good head on his shoulders… insightful… discerning… wise…
b. This term is used 6 times in Proverbs.
2. Nehemiah 8:8 – Our term is translated sense in this passage.
a. The Scriptures were read, and then the SENSE was explained to the people.
b. In other words, not all the people understood the word of God as read, so men stood and explained it in such a way that it was understood by the crowds.
c. They had a good understanding of its meaning once it was explained to them. It made sense to them.
d. This term has the idea of “sense…good, intelligible sense…”
3. Prov. 19:11 – The discretion of a man deferreth his anger.
a. The term “discretion” is the same term as is translated “understanding” in Prov. 13:15.
b. A man with discretion is one who has the good common sense to know when to show anger and when to suppress it.
c. Have you ever seen a young mother blow up at her kids in the frozen foods dept. at the grocery store? No discretion… not a woman with a good sense, timing or control.
d. Have you ever seen a husband and wife fight in a most inappropriate setting? (the mall… church parking lot… at the office…) People with a good sense of discretion may get angry, but they have the good sense to defer that anger — and take up that issue at a later and more appropriate time.
e. Have you ever heard a father yelling and cursing out his young son… calling him an idiot and a jerk and a loser in front of all of his friends?
f. Sure — we all get angry… but there are some things you just don’t say… that is if you have discretion… good understanding…
4. I Sam. 25:3 – Abigail was said to be a woman of good understanding (same term).
a. The context tells us what the author meant by good understanding.
b. David was about to make a fool of himself by over reacting to the ingratitude and cold heartedness of Nabal.
c. David had protected this man and his property… and yet Nabal wouldn’t even provide him and his soldiers with some food…
d. In a rage, David was going to fight against this man and put him to death… which really was not the wisest thing to do.
e. David was caught up in the emotions of the moment.
f. Abigail saw the whole scene from a distance… was used to the folly of Nabal… and just had the good common sense to know what to do.
• She didn’t fall to pieces…
• She didn’t over react…
• She didn’t just start crying… she didn’t faint…
• She didn’t get angry… yell…
• She handled herself with poise… dignity… calm… and approached the situation with good common sense.
• She instinctively knew just what to do… how to handle this potentially volatile situation.
• She immediately came up with just the right procedure… and followed it.
• Have you ever met people like that? Make friends with them!
• They just know how to handle situations… discretion… common sense… wisdom…
• They are able to see the big picture…
• They are able to extract the emotion from the scene and act rationally… calmly… sensibly… prudently.
• Such folks are priceless in the local church… especially during turbulent times.
• Such folks are invaluable in the office…
• What an asset to the home life…
• In other words, a person with this kind of discretion is going to demonstrate discretion in whatever setting they find themselves.
g. She went to David, spoke softly to him (a soft answer turneth away wrath)… and convinced David to think about his actions.
h. Vs. 32-35 – David responded well. Abigail’s good sense MADE sense to David…
i. This woman proved herself to be a woman of good understanding.
j. Evidently as Solomon observed human behavior, he realized that when it comes to discretion… some people have it… and some people don’t.
B. Giveth Favour
1. Favor – grace; good standing; acceptance;
2. Giveth – bestow; give; yield; produce; entrust; extend…
3. Good understanding (good sense) yields favor… it produces favor… acceptance…
4. Those who demonstrate this kind of discretion and good common sense find themselves in favor…
a. This favor is broad enough here to include favor with God and man.
b. The person with this kind discretion and good sense is going to find themselves in favorable standing… before God and men.
c. This was certainly the case with Abigail. She demonstrated good sense — and David married her! She found favor with David!
d. But Abigail found favor with God too. The passage implicitly praises her wisdom.
5. In human affairs, those who demonstrate this kind of good sense often find themselves in favor with men.
a. Prov. 14:35 – The king’s favour is toward a wise servant. Kings notice the servants in whom dwells wisdom and discretion… and they are often rewarded… as Pharoah rewarded Joseph. Joseph’s discretion brought him favor.
b. Those who demonstrate wisdom and discretion in the office will be noticed… and recognized… and promoted accordingly.
c. Those who demonstrate discretion and discernment in the local church are the kind of people we want serving in positions of leadership!
d. Those who demonstrate discretion and good sense in the social realm usually have no problem making and keeping friends.
6. Those who do NOT have good sense find just the opposite.
a. The man who does not defer his anger proves he doesn’t have discretion… and he will invariably turn his friends off… get them angry…
b. The man who is constantly doing foolish things at work a lack of wisdom… no discretion… no common sense… this is not the man who will find good favor with the boss…
c. Ps. 111:10 – The young person who does not have good understanding demonstrates it by habitual disobedience.
• This person is not going to find favor with God OR with men…
• At least not with men of good understanding!
• He might find favor among other disobedient fools… but not with men of wisdom and understanding.
7. But those who manifest wisdom, discretion, and good sense in their lives will always have friends… and will be in favor with men in whatever setting they find themselves in.
1. BUT—in contrast to the way of the wise man of good understanding.
a. Generally speaking, those with good sense do well in life.
b. They are in favor with God and men.
c. It shows in their home life; their career; and in the local church.
d. They have friends. They advance. They are respected.
e. BUT—such is NOT the case for the transgressors.
2. Transgressor: to act treacherously, deceitfully, to act or deal faithlessly, deceitfully, offend.
a. In context, the transgressor is seen as the opposite as the man of good understanding.
b. A man of good understanding is NOT going to be a transgressor.
c. The term transgressor implies one who is deceitful… not faithful… and even offensive.
d. This person is not going to find favor… nobody likes a sneak… a cheat… someone who cuts corners when everyone else has to do it the right way…
3. Way: road; pathway; journey; course of life.
a. The men are different… and so are their ways…
b. They take different routes in life… and their experiences are also quite different.
c. The way of the one with good understanding is the way of favor… grace… acceptance…
d. The way of the transgressor is just the opposite.
4. Hard: this term is not easy to translate.
a. Defined: perpetual; constant; perennial; ever-flowing; firm; hard.
b. It is translated either as “strength, strong, mighty, or rough.”
c. The English version might give the wrong impression. The term does NOT mean “difficult.”
• The verse is not saying, the way of the sinner is difficult… fraught with difficulties.
• While that is certainly true, this isn’t the best verse to support that concept.
5. There are two possible meanings of this term in this verse.
a. The way of the transgressor is hard in the sense of firm… stubborn… calloused… hard hearted.
• All throughout life the transgressor takes this hard heart with him…
• Of course that makes his way rough…
• But he himself is the hardened one…
• After a person commits a sin or a crime… he becomes calloused to it.
• His conscience may have convicted him the first time he beat someone up… or the first time he stole… but after doing it year after year, he becomes hardened…
b. The way of the transgressor is constant… unchanging… perpetual… immoveable…
• The idea here would be that the transgressor isn’t going to change his ways…
• He has walked this way so long… he is stuck in it…
• No amount of exhortation or even punishment is going to change him. He is set in his ways…
c. These two ideas can be harmonized: the way of the transgressor is hard: he is hardened; calloused; and is set in his ways… and thus unchangeable… like cement.
• As clay or cement becomes hardened… it becomes unchangeable…
• Solomon may have observed that some criminals are hardened… they have lost sensitivity… they become hard and set in their ways…
• His sin became a habit… his habit became lifestyle…his lifestyle had a grip on him…
• He is hardened in his ways…
• A correctional institution isn’t going to do this man any good. He is incorrigible… set in his hard hearted ways…
• Apart from the miracle of the new birth, this man has no hope.
• He is set in his evil ways… and on a road to ruin.
6. What a contrast to the man of good understanding…
a. He has good sense. He listens. He learns. He changes. He knows what to say and when to say it… and when to keep quiet.
b. He has discretion and is in favor with God and men.
• Like Joseph—who found favor in prison—because he demonstrated discretion and good sense…
• Like Daniel who found favor in the court of Babylon for the same reason…
• Like Jesus—who found favor with God and man… because as a young boy He showed good understanding. (Luke 2:52)
• Good understanding… discretion… common sense… are respected everywhere…
c. The transgressor on the other hand has become hardened… set in his ways… He is respected nowhere.