Proverbs
Notes on Proverbs – Chapter 4
Proverbs 4:1-4
Hear the Instruction of a Father
TWO COMMANDS:
A. HEAR, YE CHILDREN, THE INSTRUCTION OF A FATHER…
1. Here Solomon switches from the singular word for sons to the plural word – translated “children.”
a. Probably not a lot of significance.
b. Some have suggested it would include daughters… all of his children… or children in general, not just his own sons.
2. He commands children to hear the instructions of a father.
a. Hear – hear; give heed to; implies to listen to and to respond with obedience.
b. Children are to hear when their father speaks… and they are to obey.
c. If a child is going to be able to obey, he must first listen!
d. Too often children use the lame excuse, “I didn’t hear you, dad!” Usually the reason they didn’t hear is because they were not paying attention!
e. The command is to PAY ATTENTION when you father speaks (and mother too!)
f. If you didn’t hear, because you weren’t paying attention—then you disobeyed this command!
3. Implicit in the command is the fact that fathers are to instruct.
a. The emphasis in the Bible on child rearing is on the father—not the mother.
b. Fathers are to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord! (Eph. 6:4)
• Fathers can provoke their children to wrath—or frustrate their children by NOT giving them the instruction they need—and then by expecting them to obey!
• A father can’t expect a child to do something if they have not been instructed!
• A father can’t expect a child to comply by rules that he has never been taught—or has never heard!
• Sometimes as parents, we expect kids to know things that they don’t know! And we expect them to follow rules of behavior they have never heard!
• The father’s responsibility is to be an instructor… a teacher… a trainer…
c. The father is to instruct—and the child is to listen and obey.
• There are two ways in which this plan could be short-circuited…
• Sometimes the father fails to instruct; sometimes the child fails to obey…
• If the father instructs, and the child refuses to obey—God has given the father the moral obligation and responsibility to make SURE that the child hears and obeys!
• Fathers are bigger and stronger than their young children… by God’s design!
B. AND ATTEND TO KNOW UNDERSTANDING
1. Attend to know – hearken, pay attention, listen
2. I Kings 4:29 – how much understanding did Solomon have? (Sand on seashore!)
3. Solomon charges his son to pay attention to—to listen—all of this knowledge and wisdom that God has given him.
4. That’s a lot for a child to absorb… but God gives the children 15 + years to absorb it!
5. This command is virtually the same as the first. With all of Solomon’s wisdom and knowledge, one would think that he would cover different subjects and would avoid repetition in his writings—wrong!
a. Because Solomon is wise, he knows that it is human nature to forget.
b. Solomon repeats MOST of the truths in this book—several times over!
c. That is the quality of a good teacher—repetition!
d. This is a good reminder to parents too—kids need to have things repeated! Don’t assume that they’ve really got something just because you told them once! (not talking about picking up their dirty socks—but the big principles of life need to be repeated)
REASONS FOR THE COMMANDS:
A. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. (vs. 2)
1. The first reason Solomon gives to his children to obey is a very positive one: it is GOOD doctrine!
a. Once again, Solomon seeks to make wisdom and obedience attractive to his children. (The wise shall inherit glory! 3:35)
b. The doctrine or instruction that he is giving them is first and foremost GOOD!
c. Note that his approach is positive—he does not tell his children to obey or he’ll knock their lights out! He was not afraid to use discipline or to warn his children of the consequences of disobedience—he does that often in this book.
d. But—FIRST he chooses to make wisdom and obedience attractive. It is GOOD! Hear it—pay attention—for it is GOOD!
2. It is good for them.
a. Like broccoli—it is good for them.
b. Sometimes, like broccoli, instruction from a father may not be pleasant—but it is good for you. It is for your own good!
c. Fathers should instruct their children for the good of the child—not just for the pleasure of the parents!
• Example: chores around the house—kids should learn these things, but not just to make it easier on the parents, but primarily because it is good for the child!
• Children don’t often understand HOW some instruction is good for them—any more than they understand HOW broccoli is good for them—but it is!
3. Doctrine (teaching) is GOOD for you!
a. This is true for adults in the local church too!
b. And often, folks in the local church do not want to hear doctrine. They, too, do not always see how it is good for us!
c. Eph. 4:14-15 – believers need doctrine that they be not carried about with every wind of doctrine—which is not good for them!
d. II Tim. 4:3-4 – the time is coming when men will not endure sound doctrine, but will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears!
e. Doctrine is good for us—even if it doesn’t always seem so practical.
4. “Forsake ye not my law.” (vs. 2b)
a. Solomon tells his sons that doctrine or teaching is GOOD for them.
b. Therefore—don’t forsake it!
c. Don’t ever grow weary of hearing law or instruction from your father!
d. Don’t ever stop listening… learning… obeying… don’t forsake it!
e. What often happens is the father will instruct his child, but the child will hear something contrary elsewhere…
• Dad says, “Don’t smoke”—but the son says, ‘Everybody’s doing it!”
• Dad says, “I don’t want you wearing that kind of clothing. You look punky.” “But dad, everybody wears them. They don’t look punky!”
• Dad says, “Be home when it gets dark.” Junior says, ‘But dad, I’m the only one who has to be home when it gets dark!”
f. This passage tells the child NOT to forsake his father’s teaching in order to follow the crowd.
• It could be that the crowd is dead wrong!
• The child is tempted to forsake what his father said—because everyone else is doing something different… or because it doesn’t seem fair… or because I don’t understand why I have to… or because of peer pressure to forsake it…
• The command still stands: forsake ye not my law!
B. For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother… (vs. 3)
1. This is the second reason given to obeying his father’s instruction.
a. Because dad’s doctrine is good… good for the child.
b. Because I was in your position once too!
2. I was my father’s son
a. His point is not just to share the obvious—but to tell his son that he was in his position once too.
b. Solomon, as a father, is letting his sons know that he understands what they are going through. He too was a young boy just like they are now. He too was a son who had to hear and obey the instruction of his father!
c. Sometimes kids don’t think of that. They assume that you were old forever!
d. This must have brought back sweet memories of his youth… listening to his father, David, teach him about the Lord… the laws of God… right and wrong… holy and unholy… how to be a godly young man.
3. Tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother…
a. Solomon also received instruction—tender, loving instruction from his mother.
b. Tender and only beloved—he was not really the only son of his mother. He is saying here that in the sight of his mother, it was as if he were an only child. That is how she treated him… only with tenderness and love.
c. Thus, Solomon received the firm, disciplined training and instruction from his father, and tender, loving instruction from his mother.
d. Note the relationship between firm instruction and tender love.
• The parents that truly love their children will train and instruct them!
• The more dearly the child is loved, the more carefully he will be taught!
• A child who is untaught and undisciplined will bring shame to the parents (Prov. 29:15)
• The child who is instructed and disciplined is the one who is truly loved. (Prov. 13:24)
• The child who is pampered and indulged could fit into the category of being left to himself. Just give him lots of things and we’ve done our duty! “Things” are no substitute for training and instruction!
4. Thus Solomon gives his sons two reasons to hear and obey his commands as a father.
a. Because his doctrine or teaching is good—good for them.
b. Because he knows what he is talking about. He has been young and now he is old. He was in their shoes once—and he knows what they need to know!
c. Because he loves them, he takes the time to instruct them.
C. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. (vs.4)
1. Solomon now tells his son what his father told him as a young boy.
a. RETAIN my words!
• He wants his son not just to hear (in one ear and out the other) but to retain what he hears!
• Take this doctrine and instruction with him the rest of his life!
• Solomon wants his words of wisdom to stick to their ribs the rest of their days!
b. Retain here speaks of retaining in the heart.
• It is not merely memorizing verses.
• It is possible to memorize many verses containing godly wisdom, and not retain it in the heart. It is in the head only.
• It is also possible that some children will have a hard time memorizing…they try hard and are only a D student… and yet are able to retain the wisdom in their heart.
• They can’t quite retain the exact words. They can’t quote the verse, but they know that stealing is wrong… or lying… That’s what counts!
• You don’t have to be an A student in school to be an A student in God’s school! There is no connection between those two schools!
2. Keep my commandments and live…
a. There is a connection between obedience and life… or the enjoyment of spiritual blessings in life…
b. Prov. 4:13 – hold on to instruction. That is your life! That is the path of blessing in life!
3. Solomon is passing on the wisdom God gave him to his son… and reminding his son that he was once a young boy… and his dad did the same. Godly wisdom and instruction is to be passed on from generation to generation. The result: life! Abundant, godly life!
Proverbs 4:5-9
Get Wisdom!
Several Commands Concerning Wisdom
Wisdom is the quality that keeps you from getting into situations where you need it. —Anon.
1. Get wisdom and understanding: (some translate wisdom and insight)
a. Get: to get, acquire, create, buy, possess; obtain; (whatever it takes!)
b. Vs. 5 & 7 – both make the same command: get wisdom and understanding!
c. Fathers can teach their sons many things… some of which becomes obsolete.
• Fathers teach their sons how to fix a car engine—then they become computerized!
• Fathers teach their sons how to fix the TV—then the TV’s change to high resolution…
• Fathers teach their sons how to use the computer software—which becomes obsolete a month later…
d. But if fathers pass on the principles of wisdom—that will stick with his son the rest of his days. It never becomes obsolete!
e. This is one thing the son can GET from his father that will serve him well the rest of his life.
f. HOW does a son GET wisdom?
• 4:1 – by “hearing the instruction of his father or mother.”
• Or by listening to the words of wisdom from an older, more mature saint.
• By reading God’s Word…
• By searching for it, like gold or silver! (2:2-4)
g. Is wisdom what you encourage your children to GET?
• Or are we more concerned that they get a great education? (a top notch education and wisdom are not the same thing)
• Or a good job? Or wealth? Happiness?
• Or are we content just for them to get through school without getting pregnant, thrown in jail, or hooked on drugs?
• What do we really want our children to GET?
• Solomon wants his sons to get wisdom—and he is DOING something to see to it! He is teaching them (he wrote a good book on the subject!) all about wisdom!
2. Forget it not.
a. It is possible to get wisdom and insight—and then forget it!
b. It is quite possible for a true believer to decrease in his level of discernment over the years.
c. II Pet. 3:18 – we are commanded to grow in the knowledge of Christ.
• Why the command? Because we sometimes get tired of study… tired of learning…
• Or, some might assume they have learned it all… and no longer pay attention…
• Some who at one time were diligent in studying and memorizing Scripture no longer study… and truth begins to slip away from their minds and understanding… they forget through neglect.
• Are we as diligent in our hunger for truth and God’s Word as we were before? Have we grown weary? Have we been neglecting God’s Word and wisdom?
• If so, then get back to where you once were!
3. Do not decline the words of my mouth
a. Decline – to be stretched out; bent; bowed; inclined in a different direction; turned away;
b. It is possible to obtain wisdom… and then decline from the words of wisdom.
c. This verb speaks of being turned away…
d. This could imply that something happened to turn you away…
• Do you know believers who have been turned away from wisdom… turned away from the church… or turned away from their walk with God over something that happened to them?
• Perhaps someone stabbed them in the back… perhaps someone gossiped about them and spread dirt about them… perhaps they were doublecrossed… used… abused… lied to… lied about…
• Thus, they become so disillusioned… so grieved… so discouraged, that they were turned away from following the way of wisdom.
• We have all had some very negative things happen to us as Christians. The devil wants to use those negative things to cause us to be turned away from following the way of wisdom.
• Have you been discouraged? Disillusioned? Don’t allow that to turn you away from the narrow way of God’s wisdom! It can!
e. It could also refer to a person who turned himself away from the way of wisdom…
• Our hearts are already BENT in the wrong direction.
• It does not require an outside source to cause us to turn away from wisdom. We can do that all by ourselves!
• It may be that nothing bad happens to us—but we begin to see the ungodly prosper and perhaps we begin to wonder like Asaph, if perhaps we followed the way of wisdom for nothing!
• Perhaps, through a neglect of our spiritual life, we just grow weary of following the narrow way… it begins to seem too restrictive… too narrow… too much of a cramp on our lifestyle…
• So, we decide to turn away.
f. This CAN happen to any one of us. I have seen it too many times!
• Get wisdom—but once we obtain it—take care of it!
• Don’t forget it—don’t turn away or decline from her words for any reason!
4. Forsake her not.
a. Some people, through neglect, forget wisdom. Others, through discouraging situations gradually decline away. But some outright forsake her—abandon her!
b. This isn’t necessarily a gradual declining away, but is more sudden… and complete!
c. Forsaking wisdom may creep up on a person for all kinds of reasons. But all of a sudden—the believer seems to forsake God, the church, his brethren overnight!
d. I have known believers who SEEMED to doing reasonably well, when out of the clear blue sky, we hear that they have gotten involved in immorality—or they have gotten a divorce—or they have been leading a double life—or have been stealing or cheating … and it blows you away, because you had no idea!
e. This doesn’t only happen to TV evangelists. It happens to what appear to be average believers in the pew!
f. It is possible for us as believers to have wisdom and walk in it one day, and then over time, forsake wisdom and walk in the way of folly all over again!
• I know Christians who done just that—they now walk in folly!
• Their behavior is immoral and foolish—as Solomon warns against!
GOD’S CURE…
1. Love her and embrace her! (vs. 6,8)
a. Love and embrace—speak of a relationship… one that requires work!
• Worldly men love and embrace their wealth; possessions; pleasure.
• We should love and embrace that which is truly valuable!
• A writer today may never attain to the status of a Shakespeare, but he can love Shakespeare and strive for that kind of quality in his writing.
• A Christian (an average Christian—like you and me!) may never achieve all of the wisdom in this book—but we can LOVE it—and make it our goal!
b. 4:21 – let these words of wisdom not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart!
• These are expressions of love!
• If you love someone, you want to BE with them… you want to SEE them… if you are away, you miss them…
• If you love someone, there is a special place in the center of your heart for that person.
• Solomon tells his son to reserve a special place in the midst of his heart for wisdom! Love her! Embrace her!
c. 2:10 – wisdom is to enter into our heart. When it does, it is pleasant!
• These too are words of love.
• It is pleasant to be with the one you love! It is uncomfortable being around enemies.
• Love wisdom! Wisdom should be pleasant—not a burden!
• Love removes the sense of burden and replaces it with pleasure.
• Do you love the truth? Do you love wisdom?
2. Get wisdom and understanding (vs.7)
a. Once again, Solomon repeats his exhortation to his children.
b. But here he states that wisdom should be obtained NOT as one of many equally valuable items. It is the PRINCIPLE thing! (first, best, chief)
c. Don’t just get it—but get this FIRST!
d. Prov. 8:34 – The blessed man is the one who waits daily at the gates of wisdom—waiting eagerly for the gates to open… that he might enter!
e. Matt. 6:33 – many things in this life are worth getting (food; clothing; shelter). But some things are worth getting FIRST!
f. Wisdom is not only important, it is all-important!
g. Solomon wants his sons to have the right priority… divine wisdom first!
h. Love it first! (Of course, we love divine wisdom as an expression of our love for God!)
i. Illustration – soldiers who were away serving their country in W.W. II received mail.
• Some of those men were engaged to be married, and received a love note from their fiancée.
• Don’t you think they would be EAGER to read that letter?
• It isn’t something they would throw in a pile of papers to get to if they have time some day. They would open it immediately and devour that letter!
• If we love God, we will love and embrace His word… and the wisdom which it contains!
3. God’s wisdom IS OBTAINABLE!
a. He commands that we get it—and this command is for EVERY believer, not just the highly educated or the intellectuals—it is for you and me too!
b. If God commands that we get, then it is possible for us all to get.
c. This wisdom is not obtained via great brains, but through great obedience.
• Many men with great intellectual minds are fools spiritually!
• Many believers who are quite slow are wise!
d. This wisdom is learned through experience—a life dedicated to DOING God’s will.
e. John 7:17 – if a man is WILLING TO DO GOD’S WILL, he will know doctrine… teaching… he will have wisdom!
• Thus, it is a matter of the WILL…
• If you WILL—if you have a hunger or desire for it—you can obtain it!
• We usually get in life what we hunger for!
• If a young person wants to be a musician bad enough, he will become a musician! The hunger and drive is more valuable than the raw talent!
• Thomas Edison said, “Genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration!”
• So too with divine wisdom. We are to hunger for it… strive for it… search for it… make it our goal… and GET it!
• We are commanded to—and we are ABLE to…
f. Wisdom is a heart issue… for out of the heart come all the issues of life!
Proverbs 4:8-12
The Blessings and Benefits of Wisdom
FOUR COMMANDS:
Exalt her (v. 8)
1. Exalt = to lift up; to exalt, esteem highly, prize.
2. Wisdom is to be lifted up; valued; highly esteemed; considered a prize to be sought after.
3. Real wisdom is God’s wisdom. (Job 12:13 – with Him is wisdom)
a. The world has wisdom—common sense—wisdom in the affairs of this life. Many unsaved men are wise with their time, talents, property, finances, and health.
b. The wisdom that counts is the wisdom that puts God and spiritual things first.
c. That which is missing from the world’s wisdom is GOD. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of real wisdom.
d. I Cor. 1:19-21 – The world in all their wisdom has been able to send men to the moon and back; they have been able to cure many diseases; but because they leave God out—their wisdom must be considered folly in one sense.
e. Men in worldly wisdom have built elaborate empires—but if it is built on sand—it is foolish from eternity’s perspective.
f. Wisdom that leaves God out will prove to be grossly deficient in eternity.
4. In order to exalt wisdom—it must be elevated ABOVE the wisdom of the world.
a. We are to exalt true wisdom—wisdom that has God right in the middle of it!
b. There are many religious people who demonstrate wisdom too—on a certain level. They display a sense of morality in their wisdom. That is greatly superior to wisdom that is cold and devoid of morality.
c. BUT—it is still infinitely shy of Divine wisdom!
d. Prov. 9:10 – There is no way to exalt wisdom apart from exalting God.
5. We HAVE this kind of wisdom—wisdom that comes from God and revolves around Him and His truth.
a. This kind of wisdom is God-centered.
b. It is a wisdom that has as its highest goal (not our own personal comfort, health or wealth) but God’s glory.
c. Solomon wants his son (and us) to exalt this kind of wisdom… hold it high… value it… esteem it highly… prize or treasure it…
6. We demonstrate in our lives that which we highly esteem… or value… or exalt.
a. Do you and I exalt wisdom?
b. Are we willing to say NO to opportunities because they are not in harmony with God’s wisdom? Or do we in fact exalt pragmatism in our lives—whichever seems to get the job done?
c. Are we willing to say NO to self-promotion—when it involves violating the way of wisdom—if it involves dishonesty… compromise?
d. Mark 8:36 – what advantage is it in the long run, if we violate God’s wisdom for personal gain and advantage? This isn’t a warning to the lost only. Jesus was addressing the disciples.
e. God’s wisdom demands obedience from us… truth… morality… submission to God and His Word. Any cutting of corners… any bending or stretching of the truth takes us OUT of the way of wisdom.
f. We demonstrate that we are exalting something other than wisdom in our lives… self advancement… self promotion… etc.
Embrace Her (vs .8)
1. This is a love word. We are to exalt wisdom—embrace her… hold on to her… be warm towards her ways… even when the way is straight and narrow.
2. Cf. vs. 6 – we are to LOVE lady wisdom.
3. Love and embrace Lady Wisdom. This speaks of a relationship… an ongoing relationship with wisdom.
4. Spending time in the book of Proverbs will kindle that love (though wisdom is found throughout the Bible!)
5. Our love for Lady Wisdom will be tested all throughout our lives.
a. Proverbs speaks of some of those tests.
b. Wisdom says to stay away from the strange woman. (Do we exalt wisdom above physical pleasure?)
c. Wisdom says to discipline our children. (Do we exalt wisdom above affection for our kids?)
d. Wisdom says to be a hard, diligent worker. (Do we exalt wisdom above leisure time or self indulgence?)
e. Wisdom demands that we bridle our tongue. (Do we value wisdom more than the pleasure we get from getting in the last jab?)
Hear (vs .10)
1. Hearing wisdom implies that we must LISTEN…
2. Some young people don’t listen when their parents are trying to tell them things they need to know and learn. They may sit quietly while the parent speaks… but they aren’t really paying attention.
3. This is the essence of folly “I know it all. I don’t have to listen. You can’t tell me anything I don’t know already.”
4. Prov. 7:24 – wisdom demands to be heard. “hearken!”
5. Do you children listen to your parents? Really listening? Do we parents listen to God’s Word—through messages we hear and in our private devotion time? Do we listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit when He inclines us to witness to our neighbor… or teach a Sunday school class… or apologize to someone we have offended?
Receive Her (vs. 10)
1. Genuine hearing will result in receiving the wisdom… taking it in… accepting its edicts…
2. To receive the words of wisdom means to allow them to sink into our heads and hearts… and to be practiced in our life. It implies obedience.
3. It is the opposite of rejection. When Lady Wisdom speaks, we either receive or reject her words. Ignoring her is rejecting her.
FIVE BENEFITS:
Promote thee
1. Promote: to exalt; to lift up; to set on high.
a. If we exalt wisdom—wisdom will exalt us!
b. Following the way of wisdom is GOOD for us.
2. Ultimately, wisdom will promote her followers to glory! (3:35)
3. There is a profit and promotion that comes to those who follow the ways of wisdom.
a. The wisdom in proverbs tells us to be diligent in our work.
b. That usually results in profit! A literal promotion at work!
c. Students: work hard and you will be promoted to the next grade… and perhaps will get into the school of your choice!
d. The wisdom in proverbs warns us against drinking strong drink.
e. Obey wisdom and it will profits our health… family life…
f. The wisdom in proverbs tells us to be careful with the use of out tongue.
g. Ignore Lady Wisdom and speak foolishly and you will pay for it.
h. Use your tongue wisely and it will be appreciated.
i. You will have friends… maybe promoted at work…
j. The wisdom in proverbs tells us to avoid evil companions.
k. That too results in profit in this life.
l. Evil companions will spiral downward and take you along with them!
m. Good companions will go places—good places—and take you along with them!
n. The wisdom in proverbs demands that we be honest. That will be of great profit too—if we can avoid going to jail! It promoted honest Abe Lincoln into the White House!
Bring to honor
1. I Sam. 2:30 – God honors those who honor Him. Honor God’s wisdom, and He will honor you.
2. This does not mean that we will necessarily be honored by men. The Lord told us to expect to be hated by man… dishonored by men because of our faith.
3. But—God will honor the one who follows divine wisdom at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
4. But often times, following wisdom results in honor in this life too.
a. A good name and credibility are valuable in the business world too. Sometimes the reason one man is chosen to be the manager is because people trust him… he has built up a reputation as being honest and fair!
b. Prov. 22:1 – a good name is more valuable than riches!
c. Sometimes an eminently qualified worker is overlooked in the promotion in favor of a less qualified but more respected and honorable worker!
5. Hear and receive Lady Wisdom’s exhortations, and it will bring honor to your life too!
Give an ornament of grace and crown of glory (vs. 9)
1. Solomon mentioned this previously (1:9; 4:9)
2. Examples:
a. Gen. 41:41-42 – Joseph was given a gold chain about his neck—and all others had to bend the knee before him! Great honor!
b. Dan. 5:7 – Daniel was given a gold chain around his neck IF he could interpret the dreams. It was a sign of great honor!
c. Both of these men are examples of men who were wise in a wicked environment. They followed the way of wisdom without compromise, and were exalted… promoted as a result.
3. An ornament of grace (laurel wreath?) is a sign of victory and beauty.
a. Life is often likened to running a race.
b. The one who runs wisely and stays on course is a winner.
c. The one who strays off course and wanders out of the way is a loser.
d. The winner gets the ornament… the crown.
e. We are challenged to live our lives according to Divine wisdom—God’s Word so that we too might be crowned. (I Cor. 9:24-25)
4. It is a crown of glory that can be worn the rest of one’s life!
a.) That son who listened to his father’s instruction about hard work and diligence will benefit from that the rest of his life! His hard work will pay off and he will wear a crown all his life!
b.) The daughter who did not forsake the law of her mother will be able to wear a submissive spirit as a necklace of honor the rest of her days! That will enhance her attractiveness the rest of her life!
Deliver thee (vs. 9)
1. Wisdom will SAVE you… (not from condemnation) but it will save you from many pitfalls in life.
2. Wisdom will deliver you from a wasted life in the gutter! (Prov. 23:29-35)
3. Wisdom will deliver you from the strange woman. (Prov. 2:16) (And all the other pitfalls associated with adultery—broken home; kids whose lives are forever hurt; financial loss; frustration; etc.)
4. A wise use of the tongue will deliver us from all kinds of trouble. (Prov. 12:6) (loss of friends; controversy; strife; anguish; division; etc.)
5. Wisdom (righteousness practiced) will deliver us from jail… loss of reputation… from shame… fines, fees, penalties…
6. Wisdom in doctrine will save us from false teachers and the wayward lifestyle associated with it. (I Tim. 4:15-16)
Sure steps (vs. 11-12)
1. Wisdom will keep us on the right road… and will keep our feet safe and secure… we won’t trip up.
2. All of this implies that so much of the trouble we endure in this life is our own doing!
3. If we do things RIGHT the first time, we avoid many potholes and pitfalls in life. If we try to cut corners, compromise, excuse our behavior, stretch the truth, etc… there are consequences.
4. If we don’t do things right… we have no guarantee that we will not fall. In fact, we can expect a big fall.
a. I have observed the lives of different kinds of believers over the years.
b. Some have behaved foolishly and don’t do things right… and their lives show it. They are paying for the lack of wisdom.
c. Some others have followed the paths of wisdom, have paid a price in doing so, and their lives show it too—happy; well adjusted; spiritually strong homes; consistent and faithful.
5. Follow the way of wisdom and you won’t trip up! What a promise!
a. The way of wisdom is narrow… difficult… it takes a long time to walk it and learn it… it involves sacrifice… it runs contrary to the way of the world… it is hated by the world… it has no short cuts… but those who follow this road inherit glory!
b. Those who follow this road will not slip.
c. Those who reject the way of wisdom are walking in slippery places.
6. Follow the principles in Proverbs, and you will avoid 90% of the troubles that cause others to fall!
Proverbs 4:14-17
The Path of the Wicked
INTRODUCTION:
1. In this section, Solomon likens life to a pathway… a road with many turns and twists.
2. There are many cut offs and forks in the road, and the pilgrim must make choices all along the way.
3. John Bunyan’s Pilgrim Progress has this as its theme… pilgrims journeying through life on their way to the Celestial city—with many evil men and seducers trying to cause them to swerve off the straight and narrow way.
4. Bunyan alludes to many passages from the book of Proverbs.
5. Solomon wanted his son to view life that way—a long journey down a road. This journey requires wisdom, discernment, and the ability to make good choices.
WARNINGS ABOUT THE PATH OF THE WICKED (VS. 14-15)
1. The path of the wicked
a. Path – path; road; way; figuratively used of a way of life.
b. Wicked = criminal; guilty one;
2. The way of evil men
a. Way: way, road, distance, journey, manner of life…
b. Evil men—evil (hurtful); bad, unkind (vicious in disposition); wicked (ethically)
3. The two expressions are synonymous.
a. Evil men are walking down the wrong road.
b. Prov. 2:12-15 – Evil men have left the path of uprightness and are wallowing in the ways of moral darkness. Their ways are crooked.
c. Prov. 1:10-19 – the way of the greedy criminals…
d. Prov. 7:24-27 – The way of the prostitute is the road to hell!
e. Prov. 16:25 – some ways SEEM right, but end in death.
f. Prov. 21:16 – the way of wandering away from understanding.
g. Ps. 1:1 – there is the way of ungodly counsel and scorning…
h. Jesus spoke of the broad way that leads to destruction. (Matt. 7:13-14)
i. Phil. 3:18-19 – The way of the enemies of the cross end in destruction.
j. Isaiah calls the wicked to forsake their wicked way (Isa. 55:7)
4. Wicked, evil men have forged their own way of life.
a. This road is contrary to the way of wisdom… to the way of godliness.
b. Every step taken down this road is a step AWAY from the straight and narrow way.
c. This road is filled with stumblingblocks. It is a slippery road. It is a dangerous road… and it leads to destruction of one’s spiritual life.
d. This road is deceptive—because they do not usually begin with a sharp right turn. Often the way seems so close and parallel to the straight and narrow way… but over time, the gap between the two is wider and wider.
5. Avoid it!
a. Solomon uses six verbs to make his point. (vs. 14-15)
b. Doesn’t that sound like a father? He repeats himself many times over—so that what he says will SINK IN his son’s head.
c. Kids of all ages (2-102) need to have truth and warnings repeated!
d. At times, when warnings are repeated, it might be irritating… but it is necessary because we have a tendency to forget.
e. Solomon repeats this warning many other times in Proverbs too.
• 1:15 – walk not in the way with them! Refrain thy foot from their path!
• 4:27 – don’t turn to the right or the left
• 5:8 – remove your way from the foolish woman.
• 9:6 – forsake the way of the foolish!
6. This is the doctrine of separation.
a. Solomon warns his son to AVOID the way of immorality, foolishness, and idolatry or false doctrine.
b. The New Testament is full of such warnings to Christians, too—mark them which cause division and offences contrary to the doctrine you have learned and AVOID them! Come out from among them and be ye separate!
c. If we are going to walk in the way of holiness, we are going to have to separate—avoid—go not by the way of evil men.
d. We are going to have to draw a line in the sand… take a stand… and refuse to be persuaded to compromise.
7. Why did Solomon give such warnings?
a. Because he loved his son! Any father that loves his son is going to warn him about the evil in the world!
b. If there is one thing a father wants for his son it ought to be discernment—so that the son will be able to make wise decisions and good choices in life—and stay off dead end streets.
c. Love rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth… love hates the way of the evil man and rejoices in the way of truth… holiness… righteousness… godliness.
d. So too, the preacher that has a warning ministry does so out of love for the sheep—not because he is a picky, unloving, and mean-spirited! It is love that motivates such warnings to avoid the way of evil men.
e. Acts 20:31 – Paul warned day and night for three years—with tears. Why do you suppose he was crying? He knew the dangers—and he loved the Ephesian believers! It broke his heart to think of some of them leaving the path of righteousness and following the way of evil men—wolves! But he knew it was going to happen. (vs. 29)
EVIL MEN LOVE THEIR MISCHIEF (VS. 16-17)
1. Solomon describes the evil criminals in this passage.
• They lie awake at night devising their evil plans… ways to steal or kill. (vs.16)
• These men can’t sleep unless they have caused someone else to fall… unless they have hurt or caused damage to another. (vs. 16b)
• They do not experience rest until they have taken away the rest from others.
• They are not happy unless they have done their damage.
• Crime is a game for the criminal… an evil game.
2. Ps. 36:4 – He deviseth mischief upon his bed.
a. These men are foolish—but they are not unintelligent.
b. Many criminals are extremely intelligent—consider the hackers on the web… they have the FBI and CIA confounded!
c. Those men must have stayed up at night devising how they could pull this one off… and they did.
d. Criminals get a sort of morbid pleasure from hurting and stealing… it isn’t just for the money, it is often for the thrill of it! The web hackers didn’t get any money—just the pleasure of causing trouble!
3. Micah 2:1-2 – Woe to them that devise evil upon their beds!
a. They sit up at night coveting what others have (because they earned it!)
b. They plot ways to obtain the wealth of others…
c. When it is in the power of their hand to do it—they practice their crime!
d. This speaks of evil men plotting evil schemes—and just waiting for the right time to strike!
4. Prov. 24:1-2 – evil men STUDY destruction!
a. Just like some men go to college and study engineering or math, these men study violence…
b. Some of them get quite good at their trade too.
c. In prison, these criminals share the tricks of the trade—it is sort of like a trade school!
d. God gave them brains and hands that COULD have been used for good. But because their hearts are evil, they use the tools God gave them for evil purposes. What a waste!
5. Prov. 4:17 – wicked people THRIVE on evil and violence!
a. This is the gang life—criminals who get pleasure from inflicting pain and injury on others.
b. Ex: an older couple took a wrong turn in Los Angeles a few years ago, into the territory of a notorious gang. The gang members blocked off the road with barrels so the car could not escape—and they then beat the couple to death—just for the fun of it.
c. A steady diet of violence, immorality, perversion, and vice creates an appetite for even more…
d. Job 15:16: “How much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water?” (thirsty for evil and violence)
e. This does not speak well of human nature! Solomon knows it all too well.
6. Solomon knows HOW wicked men lure new recruits and he warns his son.
a. Evil men might come to an inexperienced young man and hope to capture him… make him their victim… infect him with their evil ways.
b. They may begin by speaking filthy language… to see how he responds. They may continue by showing him some dirty pictures… and eventually lead him to the prostitute…
c. They may entice him with promises of easy money (1:13-16)
d. They may entice him with strong drink or drugs…
e. Of course, they always begin on a small scale… then on to bigger and better things… more evil… more violence.
7. Solomon warns his son to AVOID the way of the evil man at all costs!
a. Young men might protest, “What’s the harm? What if I stay real close to the right path—I won’t go far down the other road. I’ll be able to come back at any time!”
b. Vs. 15 – Pass not by it—
• Not only is the son told not to walk down the road—he is told not even to go near it!
• If he goes near it he might become enticed to “test the waters”.
• He might not have the strength to say no—to come back—
• Prov. 5:8 – don’t even go near her house lest you be tempted!
c. Human pride tells us that we can handle it. God’s wisdom says that we cannot! Pride cometh before a fall! Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall!
• Solomon fell; David fell; Peter fell—and we think we won’t?!
d. I Cor. 15:33 – evil company/communication corrupts good manners.
• You can’t walk with evil men and expect that it will not have an effect on you! It will!
• It will have an evil effect! You will be contaminated.
• First the evil company is enjoyed; then the evil OF the company is enjoyed.
e. Beware lest any man SPOIL you through the rudiments of the world—(Col. 2:8) – context = false philosophy—but the principle is the same. Evil men will try to spoil the believer—entice him to follow his evil ways.
f. Eph. 5:11 – have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness!
8. Psalm 119:63 – “I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts.” (vs. 115 – depart from me ye evildoers!)
9. Harry Ironside: “The true pilot may not know every rock or reef, but his wisdom consists in taking the safe channel.”
Proverbs 4:18-19
The Path of the Just
Introduction:
1. Solomon has just described the path of the wicked (vs. 14-17)
a. It is called the path of the wicked or the way of evil men. (vs. 14)
b. He described the thinking of the criminal mind. (they can’t sleep until they have plotted harm; they stay up at night devising their evil schemes)
c. They thrive and flourish on wickedness and violence.
2. Now Solomon speaks of the path of the just for a moment—before reverting back to the path of the wicked in vs. 19.
3. Thus, in vs. 18-19, Solomon presents one more contrast between the way of the wicked and the way of the just or the godly.
The Path of the Just (vs. 18)
1. In this text, Solomon likens the path of the godly man to the rising of the sun… a glorious sunrise!
a. It begins as the shining light—the first ray of light over the horizon that dispels the darkness of the night.
b. Then the sun shines more and more—brighter and brighter until the perfect day … until the day is complete…
• Perfect = firm; fixed; established; ready
• The perfect day speaks of a day that has been fully established… no more dawning but brilliant daylight!
Several implications about the path of the just by this illustration.
1. Light – truth; holiness; righteousness
a. Believers are to walk in the light.
• For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light. (Eph. 5:8)
• In this passage light and darkness represent two different realms—the realm of evil and the realm of holiness.
• We WERE darkness, but salvation changed us!
• Now, we are LIGHT in the Lord… because of our union with Christ.
• We now dwell in light—holiness; truth; righteousness… that is our position as children of light.
• Therefore, we should WALK in the light!
• Our position in the light brings the responsibility to WALK in light!
• Our walk, life, speech, thoughts, attitudes should all be in harmony with truth and holiness… pure… in the Light.
• This is the path of the just… it is a path of light.
b. John 8:12 – Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
• Jesus said that those who follow Him will be following LIGHT. He is the Light!
• Thus, those who follow Him are following the way of truth, holiness, and purity… light!
• Staying close to Christ and following Him will have an effect on us!
c. I John 1:7 – the way of light is the place of fellowship too!
• The one who is NOT walking in the light (truth; purity; holiness) does not have fellowship with God—even if he thinks he does!
• The one who walks in the light has fellowship… and his sins are covered.
d. The path of the just is a pathway of light—which first of all speaks of purity—moral and doctrinal purity.
2. Illumination
a. The next thing implied is that the path of the just is well illuminated.
b. The well-lit pathway speaks of understanding too… vision… sight.
c. Free from stumbling
• The path of the wicked is dark and they don’t know where they are going, and thus, they stumble. (vs.19)
• They walk in darkness (ignorance; immorality; doctrinal error)
• We are not nocturnal creatures. Those who walk in the night will stumble!
• Not so with the path of the just! The light shines on their path. They see… they understand… they discern what is ahead for them…
• John 11:9-10 – walking in a well-lit path is the way of safety.
• Are you walking in the path of safety? Why not?
d. Useful and precious. Ecc. 2:13 – the way of wisdom and light by far exceeds the way of darkness!
e. God’s favor is described as His light shining upon us—lighting our way. That is a blessing from God! (Ps. 4:6)
f. Ps.119:105 – the word illuminates our way. Forsake the word and we forsake the light and favor of God in our life!
3. Increasing light – maturity…increasing discernment… growing in wisdom.
a. The light begins as an almost imperceptible ray over the horizon, and increases in brightness, warmth, and intensity until the full blazing glory of it reigns over the day!
• Note that the illustration stops at the perfect day.
• It speaks of increasing light unto noonday—it speaks not of the sun setting. The illustration breaks down at that point—and Solomon omitted it.
• The point he makes is that the life of the believer increases in light… like climbing a mountain… higher and loftier heights sought after…
• We are to be increasing in the knowledge of Christ — filled with the fulness of God…reaching forth unto those things which are before… pressing toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus…
• II Pet. 1:19 – Peter uses the same illustration as Solomon used—only Peter uses the illustration of a rising sun to describe the increasing light that comes from God’s Word… as we lay hold of it.
b. In the straight and narrow pathway of light, light increases day by day
• The new believer walks in the light… and his eyes are opened to the spiritual realm!
• As that believer continues down the path of the just, the light becomes brighter and brighter.
• Thus, as he looks at himself, the light illuminates more and more dirt and dust that was previously not noticed… but now, with increasing light, comes increasing responsibility… and in turn, increasing holiness!
• Some of that dirt and dust may not even be recognized as such by the new believer… but in time, the light increases and so does responsibility.
• It is not a good idea for an older believer to make demands of a new believer that he is not ready to understand or perceive. That is God’s job to illuminate the mind and heart.
c. This is the norm for the believer… growth in the knowledge of Christ.
d. Increasing light ought to result in increasing gratitude to God.
• The more God shines His light on our heart, and the more we understand the depravity of our heart, the more appreciation and gratitude we will have for God’s cure for our sinful heart—salvation!
• This should increase our love for God too…
e. However, not all believers stay on the pathway of light. Some wander.
• Heb. 5 warns believers of the possibility of the Christian life becoming less and less discerning… decreasing in wisdom and discernment rather than increasing!
• Solomon wants his son to do just the opposite!
4. Testimony
a. The believer walking in the pathway of light is a light to others… a testimony for the Lord Jesus!
b. Not only should our WAY be the way of light, but WE should shine as lights too!
c. Matt. 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
d. Phil. 2:15-16 – we are to shine as lights in a dark world. That is God’s purpose for us living in the world!
e. As the believer walks in the light… and his pathway increases in light, his capacity to shine increases!
f. Before long, with every step along this pathway—his testimony radiates with God’s love, grace, holiness, righteousness, and purity.
g. Opportunities arise to share Christ!
5. A glorious future!
a. The path of the just keeps getting brighter and brighter… closer and closer to glory!
b. It is as if he sees the path of the just in the way John Bunyan did—a long pathway that leads up to the dazzling brilliance of the Celestial City! The closer you get, the brighter the path…
c. Rev. 21:21-25 – the heavenly city—God Himself is the light of it! No night there! This city is at the end of our journey! Imagine that!
d. Whatever we suffer along the way will not be worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us in that day! A far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory awaits us at the end of this path—in that city!
e. Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow!
Proverbs 4:20-22
My Son, Attend to My Words
PAY ATTENTION! (VS. 20)
1. Solomon addresses his son.
a. Many of the exhortation and the words in this book have a fatherly tone to them. Solomon wants the best for his son’s life.
b. He is not scolding… rebuking… or angry. Rather, what he says, he says out of love for his son.
c. Solomon knows the awful consequences of folly, and doesn’t want his son to have to suffer those consequences. What father would?
d. Any father would want his child to obtain wisdom and avoid the pain, suffering, and trouble that come by folly.
e. It can be frustrating—and scary—when you know the juvenile mind set (I can handle this! It won’t happen to me!)—and when you know the life long consequences of making foolish decisions as a youth. (missing school; getting pregnant out of wedlock; drugs; alcohol…)
2. Solomon charges his son to attend to his words and incline his ears to his sayings.
a. Attend: to hear, be attentive, heed, hearken, pay attention, listen to
b. Incline: to stretch out, pitch, turn, bend
c. Both expressions amount to the same exhortation—pay attention!
3. Solomon makes this exhortation OFTEN in Proverbs.
a. 3:1
b. 5:1
c. 6:20,21
d. 7:1
e. 22:17
4. Solomon employs 3 important teaching tools in this book: repetition, repetition, and repetition!
a. As we go through the book of Proverbs, this will become more and more apparent—there is a LOT of repetition in this book… and in the Bible for that matter!
b. This technique ought to be employed by all parents—and Sunday school teachers—and all Bible teachers.
c. Important truths and exhortations NEED to be repeated—even if some folks get tired of hearing the same old thing.
5. The exhortation to incline the ear to his father’s words are nearly identical to what God says to us! (Ps. 78:1)
a. Do we incline our ears to God’s Word?
b. This implies an eagerness to hear… wanting to hear every last word He says…
c. We can either incline our ear towards the word, or turn our ears away from what we hear.
d. The difference is a hunger for the truth. Some believers are hungry… some are not. Are you? If you are not hungry, then what have you been feeding on? It’s normal for a believer to hunger for God’s Word!
e. Are you hungry? Do you incline your ear to hear God’s Word—OR has it become old hat? Same old same old?
BE CAREFUL! (VS. 21)
1. Let them not depart from thine eyes…
a. This command implies that the sayings of a father COULD depart from a child’s eyes!
b. Even a child who inclines his ear and hears, CAN arrive at a point where the words he once heard and obeyed begin to DEPART…
c. This too is a truth repeated in Proverbs (3:21)
2. We too should not allow the words of our heavenly Father to depart from our eyes!
a. We should open up God’s Book before our eyes every day.
b. Do you? Are we faithful?
c. We shouldn’t let God’s word depart from our eyes for even one day!
d. We wouldn’t skip a whole day without giving our body any food. We shouldn’t skip a whole day without giving our soul any food either!
3. Rom.15:4 – whatever is written in this book was written for our learning and admonition!
a. We should never allow this book to depart from our eyes! It is just what our souls need.
b. Our eyes are bombarded with 1001 images every day.
c. Never before have human eyes had so many options to look at… so many things to read… to observe… to view…
d. But with all the videos, Internet web pages, magazines, TV shows, books, multimedia presentations, etc… there remains this command from God. “Don’t allow my words to depart from your eyes!”
e. Charles Bridges: “A neglected Bible is the melancholy proof of a heart alienated from God.”
4. Keep them in the midst of thine heart…
a. This is the more important part of the exhortation.
b. It is possible to read God’s Word, and let it go in one ear and out the other.
c. Here the author exhorts his son to hear his words and KEEP them… guard them… protect them… don’t let them slip away.
d. The object is to RETAIN the wisdom for the rest of your life!
• It is one thing to obtain godly wisdom. It is quite another thing to retain it.
• A man can absorb many words of wisdom rather quickly.
• It takes a lifetime of faithfulness to retain it… keep it.
e. They are not just to be stored in the head, but in the heart.
f. The author MAY have meant to memorize these sayings… keep them in your heart by memorizing them. (learn it by heart) Then you will always have them nearby.
g. Scripture memorization is a good practice.
h.) 4:20-21 – KEEP them in the midst of thine heart… the center of your thinking.
• This is more than keeping them in our mind intellectually. It implies that we keep them NEAR to our heart… for out of the heart are all the issues of life. (vs. 23)
• God’s wisdom is to be kept in our heart and applied to all the issues of life.
• The heart ought to be HOME for God’s wisdom. It should LIVE there… not be buried in a back closet. It should be right in the MIDST of all we think and say and do.
• Are the principles in God’s Word right in the center of all the choices you make in life? Are they right in the center of your thinking when making a decision?
i. When the Word of God is kept in our heart, it will be obvious in one’s life. God’s Word changes us.
• This was so in David’s life (Ps. 40:8).
• Lit = in the midst of my bowels.
• This was true of Christ as well! God’s law was in His heart.
j. Ps. 119:11 – Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. It can help us have victory over sin too!
k. Our heart should be a HOME for God’s Word. (Col. 3:15-16)
• Is God’s Word at home in your heart?
• Our heart should be a sanctuary for God’s Word!
• Are you comfortable reading it? Hearing it? Talking about it?
THE BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE (vs.22)
1. They are LIFE unto those that find them…
a. 4:4 – Solomon links obedience with living—disobedience with dying.
b. 4:10 – he links obedience to a long life. (Cf. 3:1-2)
c. 4:22 – he seems to be linking obedience to a QUALITY of life… a good, healthy life.
• Life does not refer to salvation here—although one could certainly make application to salvation. (God’s wisdom is demonstrated in His plan of salvation—and those who seek it shall find and shall receive eternal life!)
• The Jews thought of life as life on earth… a long, healthy, prosperous, life on earth with the hopes of inheriting the kingdom promises.
• Solomon wanted his son to hear and obey his words so that his son might enjoy a long, healthy, prosperous, life upon earth…
2. The believer today who obeys God’s word and hides them in his heart will enjoy a superior quality of life.
a. His life will be lived in a right relationship to God.
b. Hence, no guilt… peace of mind… a level of rest in his conscience…
c. He will enjoy good relationships with other men—for when we employ the principles of God’s Word to our life, it will have a positive impact on our interpersonal relationships as well.
d. We won’t have to live in fear—fear of getting caught… (lying; stealing; cheating; gossiping; cutting corners) When we obey God, we don’t have to worry about such things.
e. We should enjoy the abundant life—full of God’s blessings and mercies!
f. John 10:10b – Christ came that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly.
• Christ speaks here of eternal life.
• But in addition, we should have an abundant life on earth—a life full of God and full of God’s blessings.
• Christ gives us a life that is full and overflowing.
• This eternal life does not begin when we get to heaven, but begins the moment we trust Christ as Savior!
• The quality of life improves… from darkness to light! From dirty to cleansed! From condemned to forgiven! From alienated enemies of God to God’s own dear sons!
3. Has the quality of your life improved since you came to know Christ?
a. Not every believer’s life has. Some believers do NOT keep God’s Word in their hearts. They do not obey, but go off into the world of sin—and pay a dear price!
b. They have lost the joy of their salvation… their hope is dimmed… they have lost their assurance of salvation… some believers lead quite miserable lives!
c. Solomon doesn’t want that to happen to his son. He wants the BEST for his son. He wants his son to pay attention to his words, hide them in his heart—and live by them the rest of his life! (Don’t you want that for your children?)
4. Hiding His words in his heart will result in “health to all their flesh.” (vs.21)
a. Health = the term for medicine.
b. Obedience to the words of wisdom results in health to the soul and to the body. It is good for the whole person.
c. Prov. 3:8 – it shall be health to thy navel.
• In a word, humbling self, exalting and fearing God, and departing from evil is GOOD for you! (Prov. 3:7)
• It seems to point to a physical health as well as health to the soul. Spiritual health and physical health are related.
• Fear, worry, envy, hatred, anger, depression, resentment, guilt—are NOT good for you physically!
• If we don’t depart from these evils—they could kill us!
• A merry heart—a joyous heart, free from guilt and worry—is good for you like medicine! (Prov. 17:22)
d. Solomon wants the best for his children. So did John want the best for his spiritual children. (III John 2-4)
• The most important factor in enjoying an abundant, joyous, healthy, and prosperous life is to follow the words of wisdom!
• Advertisement of TV for some diet supplement: They will add years to your life… and life to your years!
• Obeying God’s words of wisdom will do that for you.
Proverbs 4:23
Keep Thy Heart with All Diligence
1.) Heart: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding; reflection; emotions;
• Heart = as seat of thought life; our appetites; seat of emotions and passions; as seat of courage.
• It is the seat of either sin or holiness. (Luke 6:45)
• Renald Showers refers to the heart as the “inner control center of the human being.”
• I Sam.16:7 – no wonder it is the part of man that God is most concerned about! God looks at the heart.
» How has your heart been lately?
» Has it been a source of that which is good, lovely, pure, holy, joyous… OR has it been a source of malice, bitterness, resentment, subtle, evil intentions?
» Do you want to know what kind of person you really are? Very often we put up a “front” that is not a good reflection of what is really going on inside. (hypocrisy)
» Prov. 23:7 – for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
» Examine your heart. THAT is the kind of person we really are!
• I Thess. 2:4 – God tries the heart…
2.) Issues: outgoing, border, a going out, extremity, end, source, escape.
a.) Every issue of life is SOURCED in the heart.
• Issues – that which flows out of a source…
• NIV = for it is the wellspring of life.
• NASV = For from it flow the springs of life.
b.) Matt. 12:34b-35 – Everything that flows out of our mouth originated in our heart.
c.) Everything our hands do; our feet go; our mind thinks; everything we plan, desire, determine, and chose—all of these originate in the heart.
d.) OVERHEAD
3.) Keep: to guard, watch, watch over, to preserve, guard from dangers; observe, guard with fidelity.
a.) Since our heart is like the well spring of our life—doesn’t it make sense to protect the well?
b.) You wouldn’t want any poison in your well or in the town water supply. If there was poison in it, it would affect everything that came out of that well!
c.) So too with our heart. If there is poison there—it will affect every other aspect of our life—our words, deeds, direction of life!
d.) Heb. 3:12-13 – we need to exhort one another lest one of us develop an evil heart of unbelief—not trusting in the Lord, and ends up walking away from the Lord! It could happen to me, or you, or anyone in our church!
e.) We need to be confessing our sins daily… hourly… moment by moment… to keep our hearts clean and pure… undefiled. If our heart is defiled, it will manifest itself in countless ugly ways!
4.) Diligence: place of confinement, prison, guard, jail, guard post, watch, observance; jail, prison, guard-house; guard, guard post, act of guarding
a.) Keep with all diligence = to guard with great care… keep it in confinement… like a prison house.
b.) Gesenius: “Guard your heart above all things that are to be guarded.”
c.) We have a lot of areas in life to pay close attention to and to guard with great care. (spouse; children; job; money; church ministry; mouth; actions; property; time; etc…) They all require care, protection, and watching over… guarding.
d.) But above them ALL, we are to give the greatest diligence in guarding and protecting our heart.
e.) One writer said that the heart is the citadel of man. If the citadel is taken, the whole town must surrender to the enemy!
5.) But can WE really keep our hearts? Isn’t that God’s job? How can I keep or guard my heart?
a.) In one sense it IS our responsibility to keep our own hearts. (Deut. 4:9)
b.) This is not a self-help program that Moses and Solomon are proposing. Of course we are not able to “keep” our own heart by ourselves.
c.) Rather, we are to commit the keeping of our soul (our whole life, including our outward circumstances and inner heart) to God for safekeeping. (I Pet. 4:19)
d.) Ps. 25:20 – God keeps our heart as we commit it to Him by faith.
e.) Our responsibility
‣ Confess and forsake sin… when God illuminates sin in our heart… an evil motive… selfishness… covetousness… bitterness… unbelief… rebellion…
‣ We are to “watch unto prayer.”
‣ Bathe our mind and heart in the Word of God daily.
‣ Make no provision for the flesh.
‣ Refuse to allow anger, wrath, malice, bitterness, grudges, etc. to fester in your heart.
‣ Love not the world… neither the things in the world.
‣ Keep a pure conscience, void of offence.
‣ Fill your mind and heart with good thoughts… pure, lovely, of good report… full of virtue and praise…
‣ We are to keep constant vigilance over our heart… guard it with a holy jealousy…
Matthew Henry: “Our lives will be regular or irregular, comfortable or uncomfortable, according as our hearts are kept or neglected.”
Life can get so complicated. Don’t complicate the Christian life. Keep your heart—and the whole course of your life will flow in sync with God’s will.
Proverbs 4:24
The Froward Mouth
Context:
1. Solomon has just told his son to keep or guard his heart with all diligence, for out of it are all the issues of life. (vs.23)
2. The heart affects every other area of our life… it is the inner control center of our being.
3. Thus, Solomon expands on that same thought and mentions a few of the issues of life that have their source in the heart. (mouth; eyes; feet)
4. Tonight we will consider what he says about the mouth…
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
1. This passage is a synonymous parallelism – he states the same thing in two different expressions for emphasis.
a. The froward mouth is equal to the perverse lips.
b. Putting away is = putting far from thee.
2. Froward mouth = distortion, crookedness
a. A froward mouth is one that speaks of distortion… distorts the truth… and is crooked… dishonest… not straight…
3. Perverse lips = deviation, perversity, crookedness
a. Perverse lips are lips that deviate from truth or holiness.
b. Perverse lips speak of perverse things… vile… immoral…
c. Both terms (perverse; froward emphasize lying and deceit)
4. Put away… Put far from thee…
a. Put away = to cause to turn aside, cause to depart, remove, take away, to put aside, reject, abolish
b. Put far from thee = to send far away, to make distant.
5. The passage is quite simple and straightforward. It is not hard to understand! That’s simple. But it is hard to obey!
a. Jas. 3:2 – we all offend others with our tongues… our speech.
b. Jas. 3:8 – no one has been able to tame the tongue yet.
c. Nevertheless, both James and Solomon have given us commands to TRY to tame the tongue.
d. We tame the tongue the same way we have victory over any other sin – by trusting in Christ…
• Reckon or believe that the old man who had perverse lips is dead.
• Reckon or believe that a new man with a tongue of praise is alive.
6. In context, Solomon’s point is that his son (and us!) ought to concentrate not on our tongue, but concentrate on our heart!
a. Out of the heart are all the issues of life… including the things our tongues say.
b. Matt. 15:18-19 – Whatever we SAY originates in our heart. False witness (lies) and blasphemy (evil speaking) originate in the fallen heart of man.
c. Prov. 12:19-20 – The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counselors of peace is joy.
d. Solomon’s advice is quite sensible.
• We should guard our heart… and in doing so, we will be putting away evil speaking.
• Don’t concentrate so much on the words we say… but concentrate on the attitude of our heart.
• If the heart is right with God, the words that proceed out of it will be pleasing to Him because they flow from a heart that is right with Him.
• If our heart is NOT right with God—the words that proceed from our heart will NOT be pleasing to Him… even if they were good and truthful words! The source was evil!
• Prov. 26:24-26 – There can be much evil in the heart—and that heart attitude makes whatever comes out of the mouth evil! Hypocrisy is deceitful.
7. The expression “froward mouth” is used a couple of other times in Proverbs.
a. 6:12 – a wicked person walks with a froward mouth
• vs.14 – note that the frowardness was first in his heart before it was expressed in words.
• He is up to mischief continually…
• He sows discord…
• If this is the kind of mouth that characterizes the wicked person, let it not characterize us as Christians! Put it away—far away!
b. 8:12-13 – divine wisdom HATES the froward mouth… so should we!
• Different but similar word for froward… (perverse)
• If you fear God, you will hate a froward mouth.
• Once again, it is a heart issue. If we fear God in our heart, that will have an immense effect on the kind of things we say… and the tone with which we say them…
• There will be a reverence for God and spiritual things… and a hatred for that which is perverse and evil.
• Prov. 6:16 – again, God states that HE hates the sin of lying. (it ranks #2 on God’s list of hated things!)
• Prov. 12:22 – lying lips are an abomination to God.
• Prov.13:5 – we too should hate lying!
8. Psalm 52:2-3 – the tongue can be like a sharp razor… deceiving.
a. The tongue can do a lot of damage… and inflict a lot of hurt… like a razor!
b. It is often deceptive—and that seems to be Solomon’s main point concerning the tongue in the proverbs passage… a crooked or dishonest mouth… “forked tongue”
9.) Prov. 26:28 – A lying tongue hates those that are afflicted by it;
a. It afflicts another person with distorted, froward words because it hates them.
b. It often smites them secretly—behind their back, when they are without defense.
c. When someone spreads lying gossip about another person, it demonstrates that they HATE that person.
d. They are trying to harm him or her. It is just like punching them in the face… or stabbing them in the back with a knife… only words can hurt longer.
e. No wonder we are told to put away such a lying tongue. We should not be demonstrating hatred towards others, but grace and forgiveness and kindness.
9. Ps. 31:12 – what do we do if someone is lying about us or slandering us?
a. Ask for God’s mercy (vs.9) Why mercy? Haven’t YOU and I been guilty of speaking evil of others? We need mercy!
b. Vs.13-14 – Place your trust and confidence in God—that He will take care of the situation. We need not take matters into our own hands and strike back. Leave it to God.
c. Vs.15 – realize that God is sovereign over our times… trust Him.
d. Vs.16 – pray for His blessing in the situation.
e. Vs.18 -Pray that the slander will come to nothing.
f. Vs.19 – Rejoice in God’s goodness; don’t dwell on their evil!
10. Prov. 12:13 – eventually the wicked will be snared or caught in his own web of lies!
11. Solomon tells his son to put away a dishonest mouth.
a.) Paul tells us to put away a lying tongue too (Eph. 4:25)
b.) Paul takes it a step further too—put away lying and speak the truth! Holiness is MORE than the absence of evil. It includes the positive side too—goodness and truth! (Cf. vs. 29 – no corrupt speech but that which is edifying)
c.) Eph. 4:31-32 – once again Paul says to put away all kinds of evil speaking.
• But notice that in verse 32 he speaks of concentrating on the heart!
• Be tenderhearted… kindhearted… forgiving heart…
• THAT will result in kind, truthful words!
12. Ps.19:14 – we should PRAY that the words of our mouth which arise from the meditation of our heart would always be acceptable in God’s sight!
13. Ps.141:3-4 – PRAY that God would enable us to watch our mouth… and that our heart (from which our words arise) would be inclined toward God and not toward evil.
Proverbs 4:25
Let Thine Eyes Look Right On
Context:
1. In vs. 23, Solomon tells his son to keep or guard his heart with all diligence for out of it are all of the issues of life. Every thought, word, deed, motive, and intention has its source in the heart.
2. Then Solomon lists a few of those “issues of life.” (mouth – vs. 24; eyes – vs. 25; feet – vs. 26-27)
3. Read verses 26-27 – he continues the theme of looking straight ahead and says to walk in a straight line too—don’t swerve to the right or the left.
4. Thus, when he says to look straight before you—he implies that we are NOT to allow our eyes to wander to the right or left … straight ahead as we journey down the straight and narrow path.
5. In verse 25 the warning or command it to keep our eyes looking straight ahead—this has always been good advice—but in our video age, this command is more needful than ever!
Things on the right and left to avoid looking at…
Riches
1. Prov. 23:5 – don’t set your eyes on riches
• Our eyes are not to be on riches… material things… bank rolls…
• They are only fleeting—they are just for this life which is a vapor.
• They fly away—fleeting…
• Even if you obtain them, they are not forever… they could be stolen… lost… worn out…
• We tend to set our eyes on the things that our hearts lust after… thus, if we keep our heart with all diligence, material things will not be as appealing.
2. Josh. 7:21 – I saw, I coveted, I took—like Eve.
• If we set our eyes on “things”—we will covet them in our hearts.
• When we keep on looking… we strengthen our inner desire for them… we are practicing covetousness.
• If we allow that kind of coveting to go on inside—eventually, we will be tempted to take it to the next level—and go for it… do whatever we have to do to get it… even if it takes us out of God’s will.
The world and the things in the world…
1. Mt. 4:8-9 – things we see can entice us to forsake the pursuit of the knowledge of God.
• Jesus was given a vision of all the glories of the nations—and was tempted to worship the devil in exchange for it all.
• All too often obtaining the things of this world have a hook attached. How many fathers have taken their families out of a good local church in order to take a better paying job—where they do not have a good church. There is a hook involved!
• When our eyes are upon the things of the world, there is always a hook. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. You cannot serve God and mammon.
3. Gen. 19:26 – Lot’s wife LOOKED back at her world and was judged.
• Here is another example of a person whose heart was attached to the world. She did not keep her heart with all diligence.
• As a result, her eyes were on the things of the world—and God judged her for it.
• She wasn’t looking straight ahead.
4. I John 2:16 – the lust of the eyes is NOT of the Father…
• When our eyes lust after the material things of the world, the source of that desire is NOT the Father.
• There is nothing wrong with owning possessions or making purchases.
• What John forbids here is the wandering of the eyes and the covetousness that causes the eyes to wander.
• We are living in a prosperous country in prosperous times. As Christians we need to be extra careful about the lust of the eyes…
• When our eyes are on the things of the world, it can cause our spiritual vision to become dim.
5. Ecc. 6:9 – Two possible ways to understand “the sight of the eyes.”
a. It refers to that which we have already and are able to see.
• Thus, the passage means be content with the things you have and can see now, rather than the things your eyes are wandering to see but you do not possess.
b. It could refer to the ability to see.
• Thus, eyesight is better than lusting after that which the eye sees.
• Be thankful you can see—rather than coveting the things you see.
• A blind multimillionaire would trade all his wealth for sight! What good is a pile of gold if you can’t even see it?
The strange woman
1. Prov. 6:25-26 – do not look with a lustful gaze upon a woman.
• The eye gate is a direct channel to the heart.
• Looking with the eye can cause lusting in the heart.
2. Matt. 5:28-29 – adultery can be committed in the heart merely by looking. God takes the use of our eyes seriously.
3. Job 31:1 – Job’s covenant not to look upon a maid.
• II Sam.11:2 – David did not have such a covenant.
• Do we dare to make a covenant with our eyes? This speaks of a heart commitment to purity and holiness.
• The click of a mouse can bring up any kind of image imaginable on our computer screen.
• We too should make a covenant with our eyes—that we will NOT look at anything on the computer—or TV screen that is of a sexual nature.
• Will you make that commitment? God will honor that resolve.
Wine
1. Prov. 23:31-33 – don’t look upon the wine when it is red
• vs. 33 – looking at wine will cause us to covet it and eventually take it—like Achan and Eve.
• Vs. 33 – Drinking wine can cause us to lust in our mind and heart and say perverse things.
• Don’t even look at it…
Wicked things
1. Ps. 101:3 – I will set no wicked thing before my eyes.
• David has determined NOT to set… appoint… place wicked things or wicked people before him.
» As King, David must have had 1001 temptations that most men never face!
» Some kings would have the most beautiful women in the kingdom dance before them. Not David!
» Some kings would arrange drunken parties and orgies. Not David!
» Some kings placed sons of Belial, worthless, evil men before them to extract more taxes from the people and to acquire more wealth… often unscrupulously. Not David!
» Some kings had great statues and images made of themselves for vain glory. Not David!
» David determined that he would NOT set evil things before him.
• For the believer today, we too are told to “Make no provision for the flesh”!
» An obvious application here is the TV and videos, magazines, books!
» Have you resolved before the Lord that you will put no wicked thing before your eyes?
2. Mt. 6:22-23 – an evil eye fills the body with darkness
• Jesus states that if our eye gate takes in darkness… our whole body—our heart—our whole life—will be filled with darkness!
• A single eye is good (single minded dedication to Christ)
• Anything other than a single eye is evil = an eye that wanders away from Christ and spiritual things.
• In this context, the eyes had wandered to mammon (vs.24)
3. Isa. 33:15-16 – he that shuts his eyes from beholding evil will dwell on high!
• vs.15c – he shuts his eyes from seeing evil—he looks the other way…
• This man will be blessed of God! (vs.16)
• He will see the king in his beauty too! He will enter the Kingdom and see the King—for his behavior is an indication that he is one of God’s redeemed!
Vanity
1. Ps.119:37 – turn my eyes away from beholding vanity
• vs. 36 – he is concerned about the covetousness he observes in his heart.
• That is the vanity mentioned in vs. 37 – it is vain—useless—a waste of time to have a heart attached to things.
• There are 1001 other vain things that our eyes might be beholding…
• This world is full of vain pursuits!
• We too should pray that God would enable us to turn away our eyes from vanity… pray for a heart that loves God and treasures things above…
Good things in the center of the road to look at…
Reminders
1. Num. 15:39 – they will look upon the fringe and remember the commandments.
• The tassels on the corner or border of the priestly garments were intended to be reminders of God’s commandments.
• It was like tying a string around your finger…
2. We might do something similar too—put Bible verses in our house as a reminder of God’s Word… listen to good Christian music to remind of God’s Word… a visual reminder of God’s Word is a good idea.
Christ
1. II Cor. 3:18 – we behold the glory of God in our mind’s eye as we read.
2. Looking unto Jesus—Heb. 12:1-2—
• We are to run the race with our eyes fixed on Christ.
• Thus, as the runner runs with His eyes fixed on the finish line, he will run straight towards it… not turning to the right or left.
• We cannot see Christ with our literal eyes, but we can with the eyes of faith—our heart and mind is focused on Christ…
Christ’s coming
1. Phil. 3.20 – we are to be looking to the heavens for the coming of Christ.
2. Titus 2:13 – looking for that blessed hope…
• If our mind’s eye is focused on Christ and His coming it will:
• Have a purifying effect on our life…
• It will fill us with hope in this life… blessed hope… no room for depression when the Lord is coming at any moment!
God’s Word
1. Ps. 119:18 – open mine eyes to behold wondrous things from thy law
• Here again is something GOOD to look at—the Bible!
• Pray that God would open our mind’s eye to SEE some of the nuggets of gold found in this book…
Looking above
1. Eph. 1:18 – pray that God would open our spiritual eyes to see spiritual realities clearly.
2. Look unto God for help – Isa. 31:1
• Don’t be like Israel who looked to the world for help when they should have looked to the Lord!
• Be like the psalmist who lifted up his eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord! (Ps.121.1)
3. There are lots of things vying for our attention… clamoring for us to look at… especially in our generation.
• More than ever we need to guard what our eyes see…
• Our eyes are bombarded with thousands more images than saints in past generations had to deal with.
• Yet, the Holy Spirit is still able to give us self-control… IF we keep our heart with all diligence. THEN our eyes will refuse that which is evil… and look unto Jesus…
Proverbs 4:26-27
Ponder the Path of Thy Feet
Ponder the path of thy feet
1. Ponder = to weigh, make level, balance
a. The idea is that we should weigh carefully every step we take.
b. Weigh/balance = ancient scales; we should weigh every step against the knowledge of the known will of God in His Word.
c. There are snares and traps and stumbling blocks all along the way. It is vital to PONDER the path of our feet!
d. Ps. 39:1 – I will take heed to my ways…
• Take heed = to watch or be a watchman.
• That’s how we ought to be with our feet—watch where we are headed!
2. It is a good thing to THINK about where we are headed… the pathway that lies ahead… where each step will lead and what will be the consequences or ramifications of taking that step.
• If I take that new job, how will it affect my family? My service in the local church? My spiritual life? My ability to witness?
• Is joining that sports league going to be good for my family spiritually? How will it impact my family? Will it lead to something else?
• Am I taking on too many ministries in the local church? Am I working too many hours at my job? How will this affect my family and me?
• If we are not careful about where we are headed spiritually, we could end up HURTING ourselves… or our family… or other believers.
3. Sometimes much time goes by, and we seem to just drift through life being carried along by circumstances that seem beyond our control.
• If we don’t stop and think about where we are headed, we WILL just drift along.
• Thinking is one of the major ways that God leads us!
• When we THINK about our life and actions we should then THINK about what the Bible says…
• It is a good idea to sit back and observe the whole course and direction of our life.
• Where have we been headed for the last few years? Were there some steps I should not have taken? Did I neglect to take some steps I should have?
• Have I even given any thought to where I am headed? What am I doing with my life?
• Have I been serving God the way He intends, or have I just be drifting and wasting God’s time?
4. Ps. 119:59 – I thought on my ways, and TURNED! Sometimes thinking produces some radical changes in our life!
• Sometimes that’s all it takes!
• It’s like a look in the mirror. When we are busy with the activities of the day, we might forget to look at our face in the mirror—only to discover later that we have a big smear of grease.
• Sometimes all it takes is a look… Solomon wants us to take the time to THINK about the path of our feet… where our life is headed… what our goals are… what we are aiming for…
5. The paths of thy feet
a. Vs.11 – Solomon told his son that he has led him in “right” paths. (straight; right)
b. Every father wants his son to walk down the right paths in life. Nothing is more disheartening than to see a beloved son make foolish decisions and choose paths that are not good spiritually.
c. Are we as fathers leading our children down the right paths? Setting a godly example for them to follow?
6. Prov. 4:18 – the path of the just is a shining light!
a. In this text, Solomon likens the path of the godly man to the rising of the sun… a glorious sunrise!
b. It begins as the shining light—the first ray of light over the horizon that dispels the darkness of the night.
c. Then the sun shines more and more—brighter and brighter until the perfect day … until the day is complete…
• Perfect = firm; fixed; established; ready
• The perfect day speaks of a day that has been fully established… no more dawning but brilliant daylight!
d. As a father, Solomon wanted his son to choose the right path in life… and to stay off dead end streets.
e. Prov. 2:13, 15 – what a contrast to the path of the wicked!
7. What is the difference between ending up on the path of the just and ending up on the path of the wicked?
a. Often it is just a wrong step or two that were never corrected.
b. It starts off as one little step… then two… and the road seems to run parallel to the straight and narrow for a while…
c. The foolish man who takes that step might be admonished by a concerned brother, “Hey, you have stepped off the straight and narrow! You should come on back!!” — to which he replies, “You people are so picky! What’s the big deal? I’m only a few steps away. Mind your own business—don’t be such a legalist!”
Let all thy ways be established.
1. Established: to be firm, be stable, be established; to be directed aright, be fixed aright, be steadfast (moral sense)
» When we stop to THINK and ponder the path of our feet, our ways WILL be established… fixed aright… directed aright…
2. We should not dare to take one step unless that step has been established as right…
a. Josh. 9:14-15 – Joshua was fooled by the Gibeonites BECAUSE he failed to take it to the Lord in prayer!
» Then Joshua and his people had to LIVE with that mistake!
» Later, the Gibeonites were attacked, and because they were Joshua’s servants, Joshua was obliged to risk the lives of his men to defend them!
b. How many wrong steps have WE taken because we moved before we were sure it was the right thing to do?
» Sometimes the wrong steps we take in life have consequences that stick with us a long time… like the Gibeonites.
» How much better to ponder the path of our feet and make sure that our ways are established BEFORE we make a move!
3. Prov. 3:6 – in all our ways we are to acknowledge God and He will direct our paths. If the Lord will we will do this or that!
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left:
1. This is to be linked to verse 25. His eyes were to look straight ahead.
a. First he fixes his eyes on the goal, then he heads straight for it.
b. Like the plowman who cuts a straight row by keeping his eyes on a distant target… and walking straight toward it.
c. After one has set his goal, he is to aim for it—without swerving to the right or the left.
d. As a Christian, we are to set our eyes on the Lord and keep on walking straight toward Him. (Heb. 12:1-2)—looking unto Jesus—RUN!
e. When our eyes are focused on Christ in glory—when our affections are on things above—when we are constantly looking unto Jesus, then our walk will be on the straight and narrow…
2. Gen. 39:7-9 – Joseph PONDERED this step… and refused to turn to the right or the left.
a. He was tempted to lie with a beautiful woman…
b. BUT—he pondered this temptation—and thought about the ramifications.
c. He reasoned that it would be a real disgrace to his master… and after all, his master had treated him so well!
d. By being faithful thus far, he had done quite well. He had become steward over all in his master’s house, and there was none greater!
e. But most importantly, it would be a sin against God! (vs. 9c)
f. He pondered that step and decided to REFUSE! (vs. 8a)
g. Pondering the path of our feet will keep us out of a lot of trouble and will enable us to avoid a lot of heartache.
h.) David came across a similar temptation and did not ponder the path of his feet—and he paid dearly for it!
i. David chose to act on his feelings at the moment. Joseph chose to THINK first.
Remove thy foot from evil.
1. When one is genuinely concerned about his “ways”, he is going to turn away from evil in any form.
2. In walking on the straight and narrow, there will be some crosses to bear… suffering involved.
a. The temptation is always to step OFF the straight and narrow to avoid it.
b. But that always involves evil—it is evil to turn to the right or the left.
c. Solomon tells his son to remove his foot from evil—don’t take any steps that would involve sin—or lead toward sin. Stay away, even if there is a price to pay!
3. It is possible that if we choose to depart from the straight and narrow, and embark on a wrong path, others might imitate that evil!
a. Our actions can be a stumbling block to ourselves and to others who are watching.
b. Gal. 2:11-14 – Peter stepped out of line, and caused others to follow.
4. We should PRAY like David did that God would cause us to know the way to walk… (Ps. 143:8-10)
» Pray that we should KNOW where and how to walk. (vs. 8)
» Pray for deliverance from enemies and wrong paths. (vs. 9)
» Seek God’s will and the leading of the Spirit in every move we make. (vs. 10)
5. Prov. 5:21 – The Lord is pondering all of our ways and goings!
a. We had better do the same!
Proverbs 3:1-2
My Son, Forget Not My Law
FORGET NOT MY LAW
1. “My son…”
a. He begins with words of affection and love—for his own son.
b. The message is an exhortation given out of love. It is not a scolding or a rebuke, but an exhortation.
c. Others may neglect these words, but he wants his own son never to forget them!
d. In fact, one of the strongest motivations to remember these laws, is the family tie… they came from dad…
e. Nobody wants this son to succeed in life and do well more than the dad!
f. Ex: A car salesman may give you advice on selecting a car. That advice may not be coming from the purest of motives. He may or may not have your best interest in mind. BUT—when the advice comes from your father—his motives are pure. He wants the best for you!
2. “My law…”
a. The law here refers to the counsel, advice, and commandments this father (Solomon) gave to his son.
b. No doubt, Solomon spent many hours with his sons teaching them truth… teaching them the Scriptures… passing on lessons he learned from life… and from his mistakes…
c. The section almost sounds like the words of a father to his older son as that son is about to strike out on his own…
d. By way of application, we should note that the wisdom Solomon passes on to his son here is MORE than just fatherly advice—in the Bible it becomes divinely inspired fatherly advice!
e. Thus, we could apply Solomon’s words concerning his laws to his son to GOD’S LAW to us.
3. “Forget not my law…”
a. Forget: to forget, ignore, wither; to cease to care…
b. A young son striking out on his own is going to be tasting freedom… making decisions on his own… no more parental oversight…
c. The father warns him: Don’t forget what I taught you!
d. We too need to be reminded not to forget Gods’ Word!
• Prov. 4:5 – get wisdom—and don’t forget it! We CAN forget!
• Deut. 4:23 – Take heed that you do not forget the covenant of your God! The Jews often forgot!
e. The Psalmist was concerned about forgetting God’s law! Ps.119:93
• We should resolve NOT to forget God’s Law! They are life and revival to our soul!
• cf. 119:16, 109,141, 153,176
• It should be a concern to us too…
• HOW do we prevent forgetting God’s law? Fill our minds with it daily!
f. Prov.31:4-5 – Strong drink causes men to forget the law… and pervert judgment… discernment level decreases.
• Any kind of intoxicant can cause men to forget God’s law…
• Strong drink… drugs… worldliness… materialism… there are a lot of intoxicants out there…
• They all have the same effect—they blur the mind and reduce our level of spiritual discernment—and cause us to forget God’s law. (A good reason to stay away!)
g. That young man or woman NEEDS good training under their belt BEFORE they get to that place of freedom!
• Solomon taught his son… now he says, “Don’t forget it.”
• The fact that he says “Don’t forget what I taught you” implies that he DID teach him! Are we?
• That son is going to need his dad’s wisdom and advice.
• But the important point is to make sure that we as fathers are TRAINING our children… teaching them important lessons about life… teaching them principles from God’s Word…
• The NT gives this responsibility to the FATHERS! (Eph. 6:4)
• Sooner or later those young lives are going to be out on their own, facing the world system with all of its intoxicants designed to cause us to forget spiritual things…
• Solomon was concerned that his son FORGET NOT his law!
KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS
1. Keep = guard; observe;—hence,—obey.
2. Note that they are not to be kept in the head—but in the heart!
a. The heart is like the Ark of the Covenant in which the tablets of the law of God were stored and preserved.
b. The heart is the keeping place of God’s Word… or ought to be.
3. Ps.119:11 – thy word have I hid in my heart—that I might not sin!
4. Prov.4:4 – Let thine heart “retain” my words…
a. Retain = to grasp, hold, support, attain, lay hold of, hold fast; seize…
b. Does our heart grasp on to truth… hold it fast? We should!
c. ALL truth… ALL of God’s Word—the blessings and the cursings!
5. Deut.11:18 – lay up these words in your heart…
a. Vs.19 – and teach them to your children!
b. This is what Solomon did. He laid up the word in his own heart. Then, he taught it to his son—and pleaded with him NOT to forget it, but to lay it up in his heart too… treasure it… like laying up a treasure!
6. Throughout Proverbs, the HEART is the main issue. (Prov.4:23)
a. The heart is the first to wander away from the Lord…
b. The body may still be in church… but that is no guarantee that the heart has not wandered away.
c. It is so vital to KEEP the heart… guard it…
d. And how do we guard our heart? Keep it filled with God’s Word!
THE BLESSINGS OF REMEMBERING GOD’S LAW
A.) Length of Days and Long Life
1. Solomon tells his son that there is also a REWARD for keeping the Law… for obedience—a long and happy life!
2. This was considered the highest good to a Jew—a long and happy life. Who could ask for more? (Ps.34:12)
3. Cf. Prov.4: 10 – obey—and the years of your life shall be many!
4. Prov.9: 10-11 – the blessing of fearing the Lord is a long life! (cf. 10:27)
B.) Peace
1. Peace = shalom – has a wide range of applications—just as in English.
a. Shalom is usually translated peace—but it means more. It means something closer to “peace and prosperity… wholeness and health and harmony.”
b. “Shalom” as a saying is similar to the meaning of III John 2.
2. A long miserable life would not be much of a motivation to obey. But a long, happy life of peace sure is!
a. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow.
3. Ps.119:165 – those who love thy law have great peace. That makes life worth living!
4. Solomon makes it clear that the reward for obedience is not just the length of life, but the QUALITY of life –peace! Quantity time and quality time!
5. Living a life of obedience—with a pure conscience tends towards a happy, well adjusted, longer, happier life!
a. However, living in disobedience and rebellion—means living with a guilty conscience… and bearing that heavy burden on the soul day by day… God’s heavy hand upon your heart, weighing you down… is an unbearable burden! (Ps.32:3-4) David was miserable! His life was not characterized by SHALOM that year!
b. Cf. Ps.38:1-8 – another miserable point in David’s life!
c. That’s no way to live! Sin destroys the quality of our life…
d. A life of rebellion and disobedience is a life full of guilt, worry, anxiety, fear, despair, depression—and that will take its toll on anyone! It may even shorten your life!
e. Solomon wants something better for his son! God wants something better for me and you too!
Proverbs 3:3-4
Mercy and Truth
Introduction:
1. Solomon is giving his son words of wisdom to live by.
2. It is almost as if his son were about to strike out on his own. Dad wants to impress these important truths in his heart one last time.
3. First he tells his son never to forget the law… the truths that his father has drilled into his mind and heart. (vs.1)
4. Then he tells his son the results of taking heed to those truths = a long and peaceful life—rather than a short life in the fast lane that knows no peace!
5. In vs.3-4, he tells his son about the importance of two other virtues: mercy and truth.
TWO IMPORTANT VIRTUES: MERCY AND TRUTH
1. Mercy: goodness, kindness, loyalty; fidelity;
a. This term implies a good, kind, loyal, benevolent spirit…
b. One man defined this Hebrew term as “love and loyalty/faithfulness blended together… overlapping”
c. This Hebrew word is used in all 26 verses of Ps.136 (for His mercy endureth forever!)
d. The Good Samaritan is the one who showed “mercy.” He was the man who was loyal… kind… good… benevolent… (Luke 10:37)
e. This seems to be the spirit or the virtuous attitude that Solomon is trying to inculcate in his son…
• Prov.21: 1 – the one who follows after this kind of mercy will find life, righteousness, and honor! No wonder Solomon wants his son to remember mercy! He wants the very best for his son.
• Prov.14: 31 – Those who honor God will show mercy to the poor.
2. Truth: firmness, faithfulness, truth; sureness, reliability; stability, continuance; faithfulness, reliability;
a. This term means something solid… firm… reliable, and hence comes to refer to truth.
b. While it may connote truth in the objective sense–a body of doctrine from God—it seems to speak more of the virtue or quality of being TRUE…
c. A young man needs to be true… firm… stable… reliable…
d. He will need that quality with respect to his schooling… (steady; faithful).
e. He will need that quality with respect to his job—firm—reliable—steady—loyal.
f. He will need that quality as a husband—firm—stable—true to his wife.
g. He will need that quality as a father—a firm, steady, stable, man to uphold and guide and lead his family.
h. Many schools and universities have mottoes similar to what Solomon is challenging his son with here—virtue and truth!
i. This is almost a summary of everything that a father would teach his son throughout his life—all the lessons of life could be condensed into “virtue and truth.” It is like the book of Proverbs in a nutshell. Be true… be kind. Speak the truth in love.
3. The terms mercy and truth appear 10 times in the Old Testament.
a. Mercy and truth preserve the king. (Prov.20:28) Solomon’s son was the son of a king!
b. Mercy and truth purge iniquity! (Prov.16:6) It will purge both moral and doctrinal iniquity.
c. We may not be kings in this world, but we are kings and priests before God! A royal priesthood!
d. Mercy and truth will preserve us too… and will keep us from sin… purge sin out of our life.
e. A life dedicated to pursuing virtue and truth will be safe indeed! Safe from the many ills and troubles in life that sinful men fall into.
FORSAKE NOT; BIND THEM ABOUT THY NECK; WRITE THEM UPON THE TABLE OF THINE HEART (HOW TO TREAT THESE VIRTUES)
1. Forsake: to depart from, leave behind, leave, abandon.
a. Solomon admonishes his son not to allow mercy and truth to depart from his life… don’t let them depart from you…
b. Of course, it is not really that truth or mercy abandons men. Men abandon them!
c. This is the equivalent of saying, “Hold fast to mercy and truth!” Don’t ever let them go!
d. The point is that WE are the ones who slip away from showing mercy… and from the truth.
2. Bind them about thy neck!
a. Tie up; tie together; bind up… like a necklace.
b. If we tie them tightly around our neck, we will not depart from them.
c. His point is that we are to keep them near to our hearts. (like a pendant hanging from a necklace—figuratively speaking) (Prov.6:21)
d. Wearing them around one’s neck seems to imply more than the fact that they are near to one’s heart. It also implies that we are wearing them PROUDLY (in a good sense)—
• as one would proudly wear his school’s letter on his sweater…
• or as one would proudly carry the flag…
• or proudly wear a Red Sox hat…
• It speaks of not being ashamed. Solomon wants his son to be virtuous and true and not to be ashamed of it!
• In many circles it’s bad to be good. Solomon wants his son to know that it is good to be good!
e. Solomon tells his son to wear mercy and truth around his neck… and not to be ashamed to let others see it.
• Let your light so shine… (Matt.5:14-16) Don’t hide it under a bushel!
f. It may well also speak of the fact that when worn around one’s neck, they are always in view.
• Like frontlets before the eyes… (phylacteries)
• If mercy and truth are worn around one’s neck, it will be a constant reminder.
• Solomon wants his son always to REMEMBER them… keep them always before your heart and your mind’s eye.
3. Write it upon the table of your heart…
a. This speaks of making virtue and truth almost “second nature”!
b. Write it so indelibly in your heart that it IS your nature to show mercy… to be loyal and true…
c. This is language similar to that which God uses to describe what He does in our heart when saved.
• God writes his law in our hearts.
• Before, sin was engraved and deeply etched into our hearts.
• At salvation, God writes His law in our heart… so that it becomes our nature—our new nature—to obey.
d. Solomon wants truth and virtue to become second nature to his son.
• Good training does that. It etches right thinking and right behavior deeper and deeper into the heart of a child.
4. Solomon wanted mercy and truth worn around his neck (external) and written in his heart (internal).
a. This speaks of both an inner work and an outward demonstration of that inward work.
b. Solomon wanted these truths in his son’s heart… but he also wanted them demonstrated in his outward life…
c. Mercy and truth should be found in his inner life of mind and heart as well as in his outer actions!
SO SHALT THOU FIND FAVOUR AND GOOD UNDERSTANDING IN THE SIGHT OF GOD AND MAN
1. Vs.4 – Solomon tells his son here that IF he holds fast to mercy and truth and wears it around his neck… living it… THEN he will find favor before God and men. (if you do A above, then B will follow)
2. Mercy and truth will put you in good stead before both God and men.
3. Favor = acceptance…
4. Example: Joseph (Gen.39:2-4,21 – Joseph was true and virtuous… merciful. He continually found favor in the sight of God and men.
5. Example: Samuel (I Sam.2:26) Samuel was loyal, true, faithful, and was kind and merciful. God honors that. So do men.
6. As wicked as our world is—and perhaps even more so today—men acknowledge loyalty and virtue in a man. While many sneer and mock, deep down inside, they wish they had it!
7. Dan. 1:9 – Daniel was brought in favor before men. He too was loyal and true!
8. Luke 2:52 – this was also said of the Lord Jesus! He was certainly merciful and true!
9. Rom.14:18-19 – The believer who is sensitive not to needlessly offend others is showing mercy… he is being true and loyal to the Body of Christ. That brother will also find favor before God and men.
a. Some of these believers were binding TRUTH around their necks (they KNEW they could eat meat) but had forsaken virtue and kindness! They were destroying their brethren in the way they flaunted their exercise of truth.
b. Others may have had mercy, but were lacking in truth.
c. Paul exhorts the believers to demonstrate BOTH mercy and truth!
• Truth without mercy is cold orthodoxy.
• Mercy without truth is wishy-washy and easily led into sin and error.
• BOTH are essential.
10. When both are combined, it sends forth a powerful testimony!
11. Do you want friends? Do you want to find favor with men?
a. Prove yourself to be loyal… and kind… merciful… You will find favor with men!
12. Do you want to be a friend of God? Be loyal and faithful… practice mercy… and you will find favor with God too!
13. If we want this favor, WE MUST wear mercy and truth around our neck! That is OUR responsibility for the rest of our days!
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord
TRUST
1. Trust defined: trust in; to have confidence in, to be bold; to be secure.
2. Everyone has confidence in something.
3. Examples:
a. You have confidence that those 18-year-old metal chairs are going to hold you up. (They don’t always!)
b. We have confidence in the car that drove us here.
c. We had confidence that the food we ate tonight was not poison.
d. We are all demonstrating confidence that this roof will not cave in on us.
4. WHY do we trust the chairs, our cars, and this roof?
a. Because we have tried them and found them to be true… trustworthy.
b. We have tried them over and over again… with the same results.
5. In the physical world, we TRUST things every day to work… cars, planes, refrigerators, alarm clocks, banks, computers, food, etc…
6. When we TRUST something, we put it to good use…
a. We BOARD that plane that we trust will take us to our destination.
b. We DRIVE that car where we want to go.
c. We EAT that chicken… and enjoy it!
d. We SIT in the chair and rest comfortably.
e. We GET IN that elevator and it takes us to the right floor.
f. In reality, we are entrusting our LIVES to such things every day!
7. If we did NOT trust in those things… our actions would be quite different.
a. There are people who will not cross a bridge or fly or get on an elevator.
b. What we trust and don’t trust has a big impact on the way we live.
c. What or whom we trust affects what we do.
d. Our actions are thus largely based upon what we believe and what we trust.
e. Therefore, the foundational facts upon which we place our trust is VITAL!
• If you place your trust in an airplane that is unreliable, you could lose your life!
• If you place your trust in a bank that is about to fold, you could lose your shirt!
• If you trust your child in the hands of a babysitter who is not what she claims to be you could lose your child!
• If you place your confidence in the advice of someone who is dishonest, you could get trampled!
• If you trust a doctor to operate on you, he could make a mistake!
IN THE LORD
1. Solomon tells his son WHERE his trust is to be placed… a solid foundation that will never let him down… never fail!
2. All of the things mentioned so far involve men. (Machinery; advice; etc.)
a. That could malfunction… their advice could be lacking wisdom…
b. Sometimes things we trust in the world fail us… with or without malice.
3. But ultimately, our trust should be in the Lord.
a. We still have to board airplanes, eat food, and lie under the surgeon’s knife… but our confidence is to be in the Lord.
b. Sure—choose the best doctor you can; fly the airline you trust; eat only in restaurants you trust—but ultimately, we have to place our trust in God.
c. Men can and do fail us. God never does.
4. How is it that we are able to sit in these chairs with confidence? Because we have sat in them many times and they held us up… and we have sat in many other chairs that held us up. We have tried them… proved them… and found them to be true.
a. We are to trust God like this too. “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
b. Rom.12:2 – “proving” what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God!
c. We come to KNOW God. We have proven God’s Word and His will to be right… able… reliable… God has never failed us. We KNOW Him. We KNOW we can trust Him. He is tried and true!
d. There are not many things in life that are truly reliable. (Jobs; people; finances; health; plans we make—all are pretty “iffy”.)
e. But God is not like that. God is a SOLID ROCK. You can trust Him.
f. That is just what Solomon is communicating to his son.
5. The better we KNOW God… the easier it is to trust Him in all things!
a. The more we know men—the harder it is to trust them.
b. But God is not man that He should lie… neither the son of man that he should repent!
c. Ps.118:8-9 – It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
d. It is better to trust in God because He never lets us down!
e. How do we know that? Taste and see that the Lord is good! He’s better!
f. We have to KNOW God in order to trust in Him. You cannot trust someone you don’t know… someone about whom you know nothing!
g. The more we come to know the Lord, the easier it will be to TRUST Him in the time of storm!
WITH ALL THINE HEART
1. Solomon not only tells his son WHERE to place his trust but also HOW to place his trust: wholeheartedly
2. ALL thine heart means an UNDIVIDED heart.
a. Lots of people trust in the Lord—but not with ALL their heart.
b. The Samaritans trusted in the Lord… but they also trusted in Baal and Chemosh!
c. Jesus warns us about trusting in two masters! (Matt. 6:24)
• The eye (what we gaze at) should be single! (6:22)
• The opposite of a single eye is an evil eye! (6:23)
• Jesus describes a man whose eyes are looking in two directions… because his allegiance is divided…
• His allegiance to GOD is divided… he does not love the Lord or trust the Lord with his whole heart—just half his heart!
d. Ps.62:9-10 – Trust not in riches but in God. He is the One with real power!
3. With God it is all or nothing! He does not tolerate competition. He wants our heart… ALL of it.
a. He wants us to trust Him with ALL our heart…
b. He refuses to share allegiance with another.
c. If the Lord be Lord then serve Him… trust Him… and only Him!
d. I Kings 18:21 – How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.
e. Who or what do YOU trust? Is it the Lord? Do we trust Him with half our heart? ¾? Or with ALL our heart?
f. When we face a financial crunch… when we face bad news from the doctor… when we face opposition… our confidence and trust must be in God 100%.
AND LEAN NOT UNTO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING
1. Riches and strength are enemies to putting our confidence in God. But intellectual pride is an even greater enemy to trusting in the Lord!
2. Solomon warns his son about intellectual pride: lean NOT on your own understanding!
a. Don’t think you are so smart! (This often plagues young people…)
b. Many young people know everything already. I did as a teenager.
c. Remember, it was pride of intellect that caused Lucifer to fall! (Ezek.28:17)
d. Pride was the “condemnation of the devil.” (I Tim.3:6) It is the reason many young people fall… “Who needs advice? I know everything!”
e. Trusting in SELF will keep us from trusting in the Lord. You can only have ONE master!
f. Prov.28: 26 – He that trusts in his own heart is a FOOL!
g. God has given us His Word to lead and guide and direct in ALL of our decisions in life.
• Anyone who departs from the wisdom of this book is a fool!
• Anyone who trusts in his own heart—wisdom—demonstrates that he does NOT trust in the Lord. That is folly.
• Ps. 147:5 – God’s understanding is infinite! How does our intellect compare?
h. Jer. 17:9 – our hearts are so deceitful, we cannot know them! How foolish to trust in a heart like that!
i. Mark 14:27-31 – The Lord said that ALL of them would be offended in Him. Peter—who trusted in his own heart—and was NOT trusting Christ said “Not me Lord!” Who was the first to forsake the Lord? Peter!
j. Jer.9: 23-24 – Let not the wise man glory (or trust) in his wisdom… but let him glory in the fact that he knows (relies upon) a God with infinite understanding!
• Who would you trust to invest all your hard earn savings? A man who is deceived or someone with infinite understanding?
• Who would you want to operate on you? Someone who is riddled with intellectual pride (I don’t have to study those medical books!) or a physician with infinite understanding?
• Doesn’t it just make SENSE to trust God?
k. Jer.10:23-24 – “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.”
h.) In any decision we make—big or small—we need to examine it in light of God’s Word… we need divine guidance.
i. Unfortunately, many folks examine God’s Word in light of their own understanding… and their own understanding is given preference OVER God’s Word. Disaster!
3. Phil.3:3 – we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh!
a. Paul knew better than to trust himself!
b. Trusting in the flesh… trusting in self becomes an idol… another master!
c. Jer. 17:5 – you cannot trust in SELF AND GOD! Cursed is the man who trusts in man!
d. Jer. 17:7 – BLESSED is the man who trusts in the Lord.
4. Either we walk by FAITH (trusting God) or we are walking by sight (trusting in that which we can see—the earthly, physical things—including self—human talents, riches, power, wisdom)
a. We can kind of stumble through our Christian life assuming we are walking by faith. A test will PROVE to us whom we are trusting!
b. Every day, we need to PRACTICE trusting God and NOT leaning on our own understanding.
Proverbs 3:6
Acknowledge Him
ACKNOWLEDGE GOD
1. Acknowledge: to know or to recognize… acknowledge…
2. The command is to acknowledge God. But HOW do we acknowledge Him?
a. We acknowledge God when we are conscious of His presence.
• The opposite would be to ignore Him… act as if He were not there.
• Ps.14:1-2 – the unbeliever does not consider God… he does not think about God… he does not acknowledge God. To him, there is no God!
• Rom.1:28–The wicked do NOT want to acknowledge God. They do not want to retain God in their thoughts… in their knowledge.
• Many men go to great lengths to block out any thoughts of God…
• For the sinner, thoughts of God make us responsible and accountable to Him! Unbelievers do not want to acknowledge that… hence, they do not want to acknowledge Him!
• If He’s there—even if we acknowledge His mere existence—then we are accountable to Him!
• Unbelievers do NOT acknowledge Him. We should!
• We SHOULD retain God in all our thoughts. We should be conscious of Him… of His presence in all of our choices and decisions in life.
• I Cor.10:31 – whatever we do—should be done with the consciousness of God… with concern for Him and His glory.
• Col.3:23 – all is to be done under the watchful eye of God—acknowledging that…
• Acknowledging God should have an effect on every part of our life!
b. We acknowledge God when we recognize who He is.
• He is everywhere… all knowing… all powerful. (Ps.139:1-12)
• These truths about God are to be acknowledged at all times.
• If we think a thought—acknowledge God’s omniscience!
• If we decide to go to a certain place, acknowledge God!
c. When we recognize who He is, we will reverence Him… fear Him…(Prov.23:7)
• Therefore, we walk humbly before Him… seek His will…
• We are to walk in the fear of God all day long… acknowledging Him…
d. When we acknowledge Him, we recognize His authority over our life.
• We acknowledge God when we are conscious of His Word… and restrict our actions accordingly.
• We acknowledge God’s authority over us by saying NO to things that appeal to our flesh… yet we know they are not pleasing to God.
e. When we give Him credit and glory, we acknowledge Him.
• Jas.1:17 – we acknowledge God when we recognize that every good gift is from Him ultimately!
• 2 Cor. 8:16 –Titus show concern and care for the Corinthian believers. Paul acknowledges that even that concern in his heart was from God!
• Ezra 7:27 – Ezra acknowledged that it was the Lord who put this in the king’s heart! GOD did that!
IN ALL THY WAYS
1. God is to be acknowledged in ALL of our ways.
2. WAYS: road, distance, journey, path; course of life (fig.)
a. In other words, God is to be acknowledged all through our journey here on earth.
b. God is to be acknowledged and considered in every way or direction our life takes. No turns are to be taken without acknowledging Him!
c. This would mean that we are to acknowledge God in every road we pursue… at every turn we take in that road…and each step along the way… in ALL thy ways…
d. God is to be left out of nothing!
e. Jer.10:23 – Jeremiah acknowledged that he needed God to direct his every move.
3. A good illustration of the opposite of this is found in Jas.4:13-15 – leaving God out of their plans. These men did NOT acknowledge God and His will in their plans.
a. They made good plans… but James rebukes them.
b. The rebuke is NOT for making plans, but for not acknowledging God in it all! (vs.15)
c. Does this sound like us? We make grandiose plans—and perhaps well thought out plans… but what about God? What does HE want us to do? Sometimes praying is the last thing we resort to—long after the plans are already made! We simply pray and ask God to bless what we have determined we are going to do. That is not acknowledging God.
d. In all of our steps… in all of our plans, we should acknowledge God! Don’t leave Him out!
e. Are you looking for a new job? Considering buying a new house? Thinking of changing careers? Thinking of serving in the choir? Considering quitting a ministry? Looking for a mate? A Pet? A new doctor? Thinking of putting up a church building? Let’s not leave God out!
f. Leaving God out invites disaster—and we may be led down the wrong road. These men THOUGHT they knew what to do. They thought they didn’t need to consult God or His will.
• Sometimes, we are like that. The way might seem so clear that it seems obvious to us what to do… so we forget to seek God’s face… no prayer!
• At other times, we have no idea of what to do… and therefore we seek God. (II Chron. 20:12) “We know not what to do but our eyes are upon thee…”
• BUT—our eyes should be on God at all times… we should seek when we don’t know what to do… AND when we THINK we know what to do.
• Don’t ever leave God out of your plans.
4. We acknowledge God in ALL of our ways, when God is on our mind and our heart at all times.
a. Neh. 2:4-5 – praying on your feet! Nehemiah was God-conscious all through his conversation with the king.
b. Are we God-conscious in our daily lives? We should be!
c. Matt. 10:29-31–We should acknowledge God in ALL events in life… see His hand in it all… every last bit. Not a sparrow falls… acknowledge that He is sovereign!
d. Ps.19:1 – the heavens declare the glory of God. Do we acknowledge Him when we look up in the sky? We should!
e. Rom.1:20 – the invisible things of Him are clearly seen. Do we acknowledge Him when we see His creation? God holds the whole WORLD accountable to acknowledge Him in creation. Do we as His sons?
f. Phil. 4:6- in EVERYTHING let your request be made known unto God. Acknowledge God and His will and His power in everything we do!
g. We are to acknowledge Him as Lord and Sovereign over every detail of life—no matter how small and insignificant it might seem.
AND HE SHALL DIRECT THY PATHS
1. God promises to direct our steps. BUT—there is a huge prerequisite. He expects us to acknowledge Him in EVERYTHING!
2. In other words, He will direct the overall path of our life IF we acknowledge Him every step of the way—and not take a step without Him!
3. If we start leaving God OUT of even the smallest decisions—we have no assurance that we will be led in the right direction.
4. Another way of stating this: IF we know God… and keep our mind and heart FULL of God… THEN God will direct our steps.
a. The better we know God—the more assurance we will have that we are headed in the right direction.
b. The better you know the road map—the better your chances of not getting lost!
c. God’s Word is our road map. KNOW God. Acknowledge Him and His will as recorded in the Bible. We will NOT lose our way!
d. Matt.6:22 – if thine eye be single (looking only unto Jesus) then the whole body will be full of light! We will not be lacking for light and guidance and direction from God! BUT—wholehearted, single-minded acknowledgement of God is required!
5. God WANTS our pathway to be clear and safe. Therefore He said, “Consult me in everything!”
a. God has plenty of wisdom… and He wants us to come to Him and seek it!
b. Seek it wholeheartedly! (Prov. 2:3-5)
c. If we need wisdom—and we DO—then come to God for it. Ask Him for it—He giveth liberally! (Jas.1:5)
d. God will give us the wisdom we need to walk down the pathway of HIS choosing.
e. Acknowledge Him as LORD… as the One who has the right to set our course… to change our direction… to command us to stop… turn… march… as our commander in chief! Acknowledge Him as Lord, and He shall direct thy paths!
Proverbs 1:1-4
Reasons for the Proverbs
To Know Wisdom and Instruction
1. It is quite amazing to think that the God who created the universe, would even care enough about us to stoop and cause a book to be written for us, to tell us how to live… what to pursue and what not to pursue…
2. First of all note that this book was written that we might KNOW something.
a. It was not written so that we might FEEL good… or feel warm… or feel anything.
b. It was written that we might PERCEIVE the words of understanding.
c. Solomon wrote that knowledge excelleth folly and ignorance as light excelleth darkness. Ignorance causes men to wander in darkness.
3. God wants us to KNOW wisdom
a. The term for wisdom in vs. 2 is used 37 times in this book!
b. It means skillfulness; the ability to use knowledge properly.
c. It is possible to have lots of instruction and information in our head, and yet not have the wisdom to put it into practice in our daily lives.
d. We have many brilliant men and women throughout our country who have mastered their field… specialists in computer science… specialized fields of medicine… masters of literature… and yet have not the wisdom to get along with their neighbor or maintain a healthy family life!
e. Knowledge isn’t enough. If it were, our generation would be doing just fine! Knowledge has doubled every year since 1955. We have more information and data than we know what to do with. But we do NOT have the wisdom to use it properly.
f. The world has plenty of knowledge and information—but by anyone’s standards: the world today is a mess!
g. Unfortunately, the man who wrote this book failed on this very point! Read the account of the end of Solomon’s life. What a warning to us!
4. God wants us to KNOW instruction
a. Instruction – this term is used 26 times in proverbs.
b. It is sometimes translated “chasten”. (Cf. 13:24 – chastening a son.)
c. It means to instruct by discipline.
d. Instruction or training is a form of discipline… discipline of the mind… and ultimately, when the truth sinks deeper, into the heart.
e. Like a father who loves his son, and therefore chastens him, so God wrote this book as part of our “instruction”… discipline… chastening…
5. God wants us to KNOW the words of understanding
a. This term has virtually the same meaning as our English term.
b. It might be translated “discernment.”
c. This kind of spiritual discernment is what WE need today more than anything!—the ability to approve things that are excellent—
d. God wants His people to be able to discern between right and wrong… holy and unholy… clean and unclean. The devil is doing his best to blur those lines of distinction today.
e. Let’s make this our prayer: that we would all be better able to perceive the words of understanding… grasp a discerning mind…
f. The decisions many believers make today reveals a dearth of discernment.
g. It is far better to be poor and discerning, than rich and lack discernment; It is far better to be sick and discerning, than healthy and lack discernment; It is far better to be lowly and discerning, than important and famous and lack discernment; It is far better to be a failure in the eyes of the world and discerning, than to be a worldly and lack spiritual discernment.
h. The book of Proverbs has been written to help us put things in order… to give us discernment in ordering our lives… arranging our priorities…
To Receive the Instruction of Wisdom, Justice, Judgment, and Equity
1. Receive: God wants the readers of this book to KNOW wisdom… to learn in their heads all these wise principles… but also to TAKE IT IN!
It is possible to memorize the words of wisdom—but never “receive” it inwardly.
Ex: You can give your son a lecture. Once lectured, he has your words of wisdom in his head. He heard you. But that is not a guarantee that he “received” them! He could be just politely nodding to all you say… and not taking any of it in!
2. The purpose of the book is not accomplished in our life—even if we have memorized the whole book! God’s purpose is that we would RECEIVE these truths… take them to heart… make them “yours”… make them your words to live by… not just a dry lecture from an ancient king!
3. This term for wisdom in verse 3 is a different Hebrew word than was used in verse 2.
a. Harry Ironside wrote that this term for wisdom comes from a root meaning “bereavement”…
b. He concluded that this term differed in that this term described learning from unhappy experiences… the hard way… either on your own, or through the unhappy experiences of others. (the school of hard knocks)
c. Proverbs records many unhappy experiences and the results of folly… the young man and the harlot; the drunkard; the sloth; etc…
4. How much better to learn “by means of God’s Word”!!!
a. Ps. 17:4 – “By the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.”
b. That is the best way to learn—by God’s word rather than by experiencing all that Proverbs warns about—sloth; greed; lust; etc.
c. We can gain wisdom about the dangers of drugs by trying them out and paying the price—or by listening to words of wisdom!
d. We can gain wisdom about the consequences of laziness by experience OR by taking heed to the words of wisdom in God’s Word!
e. Proverbs was written that we might RECEIVE this wisdom the easy way—by learning through God’s Word rather than having to learn the hard way all the time!
5. Unfortunately, Solomon learned many of these lessons the hard way—by experiencing the emptiness of following his own understanding…
a. He pursued many of the foolish things he warns us about in Proverbs!
b. He sought happiness through fun and parties and having a good time! (Ecc. 2:1-3)
c. He sought happiness through collecting great possessions. (Ecc.2:4,7-11) But it was all vanity!
d. Solomon pursued wisdom through experience… the hard way.
e. Proverbs is written that we might obtain wisdom the easy way—by taking heed to the inspired word of God!
f. RECEIVE this wisdom… take it in — just as if we had experienced all these things ourselves!
6. God wants the readers of Proverbs to “receive” the instruction of justice
a. Justice = righteousness; right kind of behavior; fair; just behavior
b. One learns in proverbs not to be a respecter of persons. The rich are not always right or kind. The powerful are not always wise. Treat people justly and fairly…
c. God wants us to TAKE IN these truths that deal with justice… into our heart, not just our head.
d. Make these truths that deal with justice OUR truth… words that WE live by…
e. Proverbs has a lot to say about being fair and just in our daily lives.
• Prov. 14:20 – Justice will keep us from being a respecter of persons… as such we will not treat the poor harshly…
• Prov.22.2 – the poor and rich are the same in God’s sight!
• Proverbs will keep us from all the ungodly biases and prejudices of the world. It will make us fair and just—if applied!
• 29:27 – Being “just” is a way of life = and one that will often be opposed. But that is the path God wants US to pursue!
7. Next, God wants the readers to “receive” the instruction of judgment
a. Judgment = the quality or ability to hear and decide a matter or a case fairly. This is the work of a judge. Every one of us needs to have this quality of good judgment.
b. Proverbs was written that we might learn to have good judgment. Far too many have poor judgment!
c. Proverbs has a lot to say about exercising good judgment…
• Prov. 18:17 – One with good judgment does not make up his mind on a matter after hearing “him that is first in his own cause.”
• Solomon demonstrated that when the two mothers came with their own version of who was the real mother of the child.
• Solomon showed good judgment. Proverbs can give US that kind of good judgment too… if applied.
• Jesus said, “Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
• We all make decisions every day. Decisions on all sorts of issues and matters. How we need good judgment in making all those little decisions… because when you string all those little decisions together—that IS our life… that IS the course of our life.
8. Next, God wants the readers to receive the instruction of equity
a. Equity = even; upright; level; honest.
b. The author talks about a “just weight”—honesty and equity in business dealings! (Prov.11:1)
c. Honesty with our tongues… honesty with God…
Note what the author is doing here:
He is mingling together moral qualities with intellectual ones.
• Wisdom and instruction for the head;
• But they must be accompanied by justice; judgment; and equity for the heart.
• A truly wise man is a godly man.
• Wicked men can use their intellect and craftiness for evil purposes.
• But a truly wise man uses his intellect for that which is righteous; and equitable… Proverbs was written that we might KNOW wisdom and RECEIVE it… and allow it to produce its fruit in our lives: justice; good judgment; and honesty—integrity!
• Time spent in Proverbs is time well spent!
• One man likened Proverbs to medicine or vitamins. You shouldn’t make it your complete diet—but we need a little every day!
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honour the Lord with Thy Substance
9HONOUR THE LORD
1. HONOR = TO BE WEIGHTY; TO BE HEAVY; TO HONOR;
a. There is a similar connection between weight and honor in English too.
• A man carries a lot of weight in town—he is important…
• His word carries a lot of weight around here—people highly esteem his opinion.
b. Originally it came from the fact that money was measured in weight. The more weight, the more value gold coins had.
c. Thus, the concept has to do with the value we place on something or someone.
2. Here, we are told to honor the Lord.
a. We are to value Him… give glory to Him.
b. We should esteem His word highly.
c. The Lord is the One we should value… highly esteem… glorify with our lives.
d. Imagine if there was an objective way to measure and assign everything in our life a certain weight? What would really have the most weight in your life? Imagine if there was a scale we could use to weigh the value we place on things… on pleasure… career… family… friends… money… on sports… etc? Which way would the scales tip?
WITH THY SUBSTANCE…
1. The particular WAY in which this honor is demonstrated is with material possessions.
a. Substance: wealth, riches…
b. Whatever substance we have comes from God anyway! (Jas.1:17)
c. Cf. I Chron. 29:11-16 –
d. Vs.11 – Everything in heaven and earth belongs to God
e. Vs.12 – Riches and honor come from God—God is sovereign in distribution
f. Vs.13 – He is to be thanked and praised
g. Vs.14 – the only reason we are able to give is because we have received from God!
h. Vs.15 – our time on earth is fleeting away
i Vs.16 – all the good saved to build the Temple came from God’s hand anyway!
2. We are to honor Him by sacrificing our material possessions to Him and His service.
a. Thus, there is a link between the concept of honor “weighty” and possessions or money, that which is “weighed.”
b. If you were buy a ticket to see the Boston Symphony Orchestra or Red Sox, you pay top dollar. You could see a AA team for $4! You can hear Salem High band for free. But to see a team or orchestra that has much weight—highly esteemed—you must pay a weighty price!
c. I Tim.5: 17-18 – double honor refers to remuneration for their labors. Their pay is a form of showing honor for the work they do.
d. Thus, we see a link between honor, weight, and giving.
3. Giving to God is one way to honor Him…
a. It shows how much weight we assign to Him…
b. It demonstrates how much we value Him…
c. It demonstrates that we value Him more than earthly possessions…
d. There is a link between our giving and the value we ascribe to God.
• We are not talking about the # of dollars given.
• Rather, it has to do with the degree of sacrifice!
4. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He doesn’t need anything.
a. But when we sacrifice in order to give to Him, it is a form of worship.
b. It shows Him what we think of Him.
c. Luke 21:1-4 – this poor woman honored God more than others who gave many more “dollars” than she did. God measures the honor given Him according to the degree of sacrifice involved.
d. Matt. 6:1-4 – Some men gave lots of money, but did so in such a way so as to be seen of men. Their real goal was not to honor the Lord, but to honor themselves!
e. Our giving should have as its goal the honor and glory of God! (It is far more than paying the mortgage, salaries, and electric bill of the church).
AND WITH THE FIRST FRUITS OF ALL THINE INCREASE:
1. Firstfruits – the first fruit on the vine or the tree.
a. It was a special fruit—the first one! Highly prized—like a firstborn son.
b. It was tantamount to giving the “best.”
c. The firstfruit also implied that after the first fruit, there were more to come. Offering the firstfruit to God was a way of showing that it ALL belongs to Him. The firstfruit also represented the whole.
2. God doesn’t want us to give second best. He was our firstfruit…
a. Mal. 1:6 – God laments because His children were not giving Him the honor He deserved.
b. Vs.7 – they demonstrated what they thought of Him by offering polluted bread on the altar—something that had gone moldy and had no value.
c. Vs.8 – they offered sacrifices that were blind, or lame and sick. God was not impressed!
d. Vs.13 – they were tired of offering sacrifices to God and began to offer Him the leftovers—something that had little value—because they did not value God!
e. Vs.14 – God wanted them to know that He was a great King and deserved their best—not their leftovers.
3. Increase – The increase is in contrast to the “substance” which is already in their possession.
a. We are to honor God with the “substance”—that which we already possess.
b. We are also to honor God with any “increase” He sends our way.
c. When God sends an increase to us, it is only right and fitting to express thanksgiving, and to show honor and respect to Him by giving back to Him from that increase.
d. It is a way to acknowledge that we realize that it came from Him.
10SO SHALL THY BARNS BE FILLED WITH PLENTY, AND THY PRESSES SHALL BURST OUT WITH NEW WINE.
1. This verse records the RESULT of honoring God sacrificially: God will supply all your needs!
2. Caution should be used in interpreting this passage.
a. There is a big push today in what is called the “gospel of success.”
b. It is found primarily in charismatic churches. They believe that God wants us all to be healthy and now, wealthy too!
c. Bible verses are YANKED out of their contexts to support their claims.
d. They wrongly assume that passages that promise physical blessings to Israel apply to the church.
e. Example: Deut.28:1-6 – physical blessings for obedience.
• This is not a promise to us!
• Jesus obeyed His Father, and had not a place to lay His head!
f. Example: II Cor.8:9 – He became poor that ye through His poverty might be rich!
g. Example: Matt.6:12 – and forgive us our debts… (Bring your bills and tear them up! We are going to have a debt forgiving.)
h. Have you ever wondered why there is such a market in Christian circles today for Larry Burkett’s books… with an inordinate emphasis on money?
3. The passage in Prov.3:10 does NOT give us the MOTIVE to give (so that we will get). Rather, it gives us a PROMISE in giving… that when we give sacrificially, God will provide for our needs!
a. Some charlatans I have heard on the radio have suggested that God will give you threefold if you give to his ministry. (Give 100 and God will give you 300!)
b. What is the motivation in giving? GREED!
c. They have turned the whole concept of giving around. Instead of a sacrifice, it becomes a means of getting more for self!
d. Instead of an investment in eternity, they see it as an investment in the here and now! It is giving in order to get! It is self oriented.
e. In the Bible giving is an investment in eternity. We give sacrificially—we turn over riches in this life that we might have riches in heaven. That is based on faith and grace.
• II Cor. 9:6 – the farmer that hoards his seeds and wants to keep it all now, is really a fool.
• He needs some “long range vision.” If he scatters his seed now, much later, he will have a large harvest… with many MORE kernels of corn!
• Long range investments pay off. The application is to the believer giving sacrificially and generously today—and in heaven he is richly rewarded! Long range planning is wisest and best.
f. The PROMISE found in this passage is that if we give sacrificially to God, He will provide all of our needs. We will have plenty in our barns to meet our needs.
g. This promise is similar to that found in Col. 4:14-19
• Vs.14-16 – The Philippians gave sacrificially to Paul that he might preach the gospel.
• Vs.18 – their sacrificially giving was well pleasing to God.
• Vs.19 – Because of their sacrificially giving, they have assurance that God would provide for their needs…
• The promise is NOT given to selfish, greedy believers who are seeking financial gain. Rather, it is given to those who are already giving sacrificially.
4. If we are giving SO THAT God might bless us, our motive is wrong.
a. God MAY bless us if we give generously. But our giving should not be done that we might get.
b. Rather, our giving should be gracious… selflessly… sacrificially… and for God’s glory. God knows those who are giving for selfish reasons and those who are giving for His glory.
c. God honors those who honor Him.
5. I Kings 17:8-13 – Elijah told this poor woman to take her last meal, and feed him with it first!
a. It sounds quite selfish and not very manly of Elijah. BUT—this was really a test from the Lord.
b. Vs.14 – it came with a promise from that her oil and wheat would not diminish.
c. Vs.15 – she obeyed…she gave sacrificially by giving to God’s prophet first. She put God first—others first—and God provided for her needs.
d. Vs. 16 – and God kept His promise!
Proverbs 3:11-12
The Chastening of the Lord
11MY SON, DESPISE NOT THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD;
1. Chastening: discipline, chastening, correction
a. The term refers to a type of correction that leads to education.
b. Used in Lev.26:18 – “punish”. But note the PURPOSE of the punishment:
• Vs.19 – Break the pride of your power
• Vs.20 – Demonstrate the vanity of trusting in your own strength—the vanity of independence from God.
• Vs.23 – To reform our ways—correct us—straighten us out…
c. Deut.8:1-5 – The wilderness experience was a 40 year period of chastening—as a Father does with his son.
• Vs. 2 – chastening is designed to humble man; and prove to us what we are like.
• It is a teaching tool…
• Vs. 3 – the chastening was designed to teach man that He needs God’s Word more than earthly goods…
• Vs. 5 – They were to know and consider in their hearts, the significance of the fact that Jehovah was disciplining them! (Do you know that? Do we consider it? Life is God’s university.)
• When the 40 years of chastisement were over, God wanted them to CONSIDER what had happened. Ponder what God did… that they might learn the lesson and not forget it!
• A loving father will chasten his son his whole life through. (Not endless spankings—but endless lessons to be learned…)
• God chastens us to keep us humble… to keep us obedient (vs. 2c) and to teach us our need for Him and His word.
• These are lessons we will never stop learning and relearning in this life.
2.) There are several illustrations of this truth in the Bible:
a. God is a Husbandman who prunes His vine branches (John 15)
b. God is a Father who corrects His sons
c. God is a Potter who removes the lumps from the clay
d. God is a Refiner who seeks to remove the dross from the metal
e. God is a Builder who has to cut, chip away at, and polish the stones He uses in the building.
3. Lessons from the illustrations. They all teach similar truths.
a. We all have need of endless correction… none are sinless.
b. God is the Teacher…Craftsman… we have a good Teacher.
c. God’s purpose is to change us and improve us—not hurt us.
d. The chastisement DOES hurt… but it is good for us. (Ps. 39:10-11)
e. The work will never be finished in this life.
4. Despise – refuse; reject; resist; it does not refer to a passive, inner “hatred”… but rather implies an active resistance.
a. It makes no spiritual sense to resist God working in us.
b. He is changing us—and making us more like Himself.
c. It is silly for the branch to resist the work of the Husbandman—His purpose is to make the branch MORE fruitful!
d. It is silly for the clay to resist the Potter. He is transforming a useless piece of clay into a masterpiece of craftsmanship that displays the glory of the Craftsman!
e. It is silly for the gold to resist the Refiner. The Refiner is purifying the gold… removing the dirt and dross… making it more valuable.
f. Yet, we DO resist.
• We get mad when things don’t go our way—when we should rejoice, knowing that the trial of your faith worketh patience!
• We get frustrated at our failures and foibles, when we should rejoice—realizing that when we recognize our weakness, then are we strong!
• God sometimes sends health problems, poverty, rejection, and failure our way so that we will lean on HIM—and not on our own understanding and strength.
• These trials and difficulties are often the chastening of the Lord… to humble us… keep us dependent… strong.
• And dare we resist?
5. Solomon exhorts his son (and us!) NOT to resist the work God wants to do in his life.
a. Jer.2: 30 – that was the problem in Judah. God was chastening them, but they refused to respond! (Cf. Jer.5:3; 7:28; 17:23)
b. Judah’s behavior is a warning to us. She refused the chastisement of the Lord—and the result was the Babylon captivity! 70 years in exile!
c. One way or another, God knows how to MAKE us respond to Him. If we refuse to respond to the lesser forms of chastisement, He knows how to heat up the oven.
NEITHER BE WEARY OF HIS CORRECTION:
1. Be weary: abhor, weary, loath, distressed, vex, grieved
a. The term refers to a deep emotional reaction issuing in a repulsion of the object.
b. The word is used to describe God’s feelings toward the ungodliness among the Canaanites… and to describe His feelings toward idolatry.
c. Num. 21:5 – It was used to describe Israel’s feelings towards the prolonged feeding upon the manna. They loathed it! They were tired of it… sick of it… They didn’t want it any more.
d. That seems to be the meaning of the term in Prov. 3: 11.
• We are warned NOT to grow sick and tired of the Lord’s chastening.
• We should expect it the rest of our lives.
• Trials and troubles CAN seem to linger on an on… difficulties and disappointments and discouragements never seem to end…
• We CAN even begin to hate it… loath chastening.
• But isn’t that the way children behave? They loath the punishment they receive.
• Rarely does a child really appreciate being chastened by his parents.
• Too often they complain, murmur, chafe, resist, and hate it.
• Thus, they are not learning the lesson… and may need to experience the chastening for a LONGER period of time… or more severe discipline.
• Rather than loath it, we should see it as an example of the love of God. He is reminding us that we belong to Him! He chastens out of love.
2. Job began to FAINT at God’s chastening. (Job 6:1-10)
a. He began a morbid brooding over his situation… dwelt upon it.
b. Even so much he wanted to die. (He was not the only godly man who ever had such thoughts! So did Elijah!)
c. Job became weary of His chastening.
d. David too became weary of God’s chastening. (Ps. 38:1-8)
e. Perhaps you have been there too. It is GOOD to be brought low by the Lord. It is DANGEROUS to brood over it… or to REFUSE to be comforted, like Rachel … and like Asaph (Ps. 77:2)
3. Solomon tells his son neither to RESIST the chastening of the Lord… nor to RESENT it. Instead, he should learn to appreciate it.
12FOR WHOM THE LORD LOVETH HE CORRECTETH; EVEN AS A FATHER THE SON IN WHOM HE DELIGHTETH.
1. In verse 12, Solomon gives his son the REASON why he should not resist but appreciate the chastening of the Lord: it is a sign that the Lord loves you!
a. Can’t you just envision this father telling this to his son.
b. No doubt Solomon wanted his son to realize that whatever chastening he received from him was an expression of love too!
2. When a father corrects his son, it is for the GOOD of his son… and an expression of the father’s love.
a. The same is true of a coach. A good coach will constantly be pointing out picky little things that his players are doing wrong… that need to change. But he does so for their good and the good of the team!
b. A good piano teacher will be constantly correcting a student…
c. The student, or athlete or son who understands this… and responds positively is going to excel.
d. It is never easy to be criticized or corrected. But it is a mark of wisdom to be mature enough to take it.
e. Solomon is REASONING with his son. He wants his son to respond properly to the correction of the Lord. Knowing WHY God chastens will make a positive response easier.
3. You young children—it is hard to be chastened by your parents, isn’t it. But did you know that it is just as hard for your parents to receive correction from the Lord?
a. Even when you grow up and are no longer under the authority of your parents, chastening never ends… correction never ends.
b. Solomon wanted his son to know that. But now, it is no longer DAD who is doing the chastening. It now comes directly from the Lord!
4. We need to know that chastening is GOOD for us.
a. Heb.12:10 – for our profit… that we might again be a partaker of his holiness!
b. Heb.12:11 – Afterward, it yields fruit… and fruit results in joy. (Like the husbandman pruning and bringing forth much fruit!)
c. Heb.12:12-14 – If God chastens, benefit from it! Don’t grow weary of it… discouraged… but say THANK YOU LORD and get on in your pursuit of good things!
d. Prov. 3: 13 – HAPPY is the man that finds wisdom—even this wisdom!
e. Solomon wanted his son to learn what the Psalmist learned…that it is GOOD to be afflicted by the Lord!
• Psalm 119:67 –to become obedient to His Word!
• Psalm 119:71 – to learn His statutes more deeply!
• Psalm 119:75 – learn of God’s faithfulness to us!
Proverbs 3:13-15
Happy is the Man
13Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
1. Happy = blessed; it is often used as an interjection. (O how happy is…)
2. The term is used 25 times in Psalms. (Ex – Ps.1:1 – blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly…)
3. Prov. 8:1-3 – Wisdom cries out to all who will hear… as in ch.1
a. Vs. 32 – Blessed is the one who keeps her ways… practices wisdom.
b. Vs. 34 – Blessed is the man who HEARS wisdom speak… watching daily… (Seeking to hear and learn more…)
c. Prov.8:36 – Whoever rejects wisdom will NOT be happy. He is sinning against his own soul… wronging himself!
d. Ex: the young boy who refuses to do his homework against the wisdom laid down by his father. He is only hurting himself! He is the one who will pay in the end…
e. Ex: wisdom says, “Obey God and you will experience blessedness; happiness.”
f. It is the fool who says that obeying God and walking the straight and narrow is boring. The fool will pay for his folly eventually.
g. The fool says, “I won’t be happy until I break away from God and do my own thing. God is too restrictive. I can’t be happy if I follow Him!”
4. Solomon has already described some of the “happiness” or “blessedness” associated with following divine wisdom.
a. 3:4 – you will find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man!
b. 3:8 – health! Follow divine wisdom will keep a man or woman away from dangerous lifestyles. God’s wisdom leads to purity—you won’t have to worry about sexually transmitted disease. You won’t worry about cirrhosis of the liver if you follow God’s wisdom and stay away from strong drink!
c. 3:10 – Following God’s wisdom will bless you with having your needs all met.
d. 3:2 – long life too!
e. Remember, these are proverbs—not promises in each and every case. But over all, the one who follows God’s wisdom will be BLESSED.
• Wisdom will keep him from doing foolish things that could result in disease, loss of friends, or an early death.
5. Blessed is the man that finds wisdom and gets understanding!
a. This kind of wisdom is God’s wisdom.
• Man must get or find it. We do not have this kind of wisdom in ourselves.
• This wisdom comes only from God—not the wisdom of the world.
b. What a stark contrast between divine wisdom which results in happiness and the wisdom of the world which sometimes results in grief! (Ecc.1:18)
c. How do we find it? Is it lost? Is it hiding?
d. It is found recorded in God’s word. It is available for all of us.
e. BUT—not every believer actually finds it! Many believers demonstrate by the foolish decisions that they make that they do not have this wisdom!
f. It is not because they CANNOT find it. It is because they WILL NOT find it.
g. We have 66 books of Divine wisdom in our Bibles. How much time do we spend getting spiritual understanding? It’s there for the finding… but we have to open the book and READ it!
h. If we are going to GET this wisdom or FIND it—it requires diligence! (Prov.2:1-4 – seek divine wisdom as gold diggers seek gold!)
i. BLESSED is the man who finds it! There is no blessing upon the man who watches TV… or who golfs… or skis… or puts around in his workshop on his hobby. But there is a blessing upon the one who finds wisdom!
j. You want some blessing in your life? Get into God’s Word!
k. Revelation 1:3 – Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
l. GETTING God’s wisdom means more than memorizing a verse. It means OBEYING the wisdom learned! BLESSED is that man in his DEED. (James 1:25)
14For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
1. Solomon wrote these words. He is preeminently qualified to speak on this subject. He had unimaginable wealth!
a. I Kings 9:26-28 – Solomon had gold shipped to him from all over the world… the world’s finest gold! (10:14-15)
b. I Kings 10:4-7 – This queen had her breath taken away by the extravagant wealth of Solomon! She was also taken in by his famous wisdom!
• She noted that even his servants were happy- they hear of his wisdom! (10:8)
• 10:23 – Solomon exceeded all kings of the earth in wisdom and wealth.
c. II Chron.9:20-28 – a brief overview of all the wealth brought to Solomon yearly. He was rich!
2. When Solomon spoke to his son and said that the merchandise of wisdom is better than that of gold or silver—he knew what he was talking about!
a. He was talking under divine inspiration—AND—experience!
b. In his official dealings with kings and princes of foreign lands, he no doubt came in contact with some very wealthy men. Not all wealthy men are wise. Many are quite foolish.
c. To become a king, all one had to do was to be the firstborn in the right family. That was no guarantee of wisdom!
d. No doubt Solomon knew some wealthy men who were foolish in their ways.
e. By observing Solomon came to realize that wisdom is better than wealth!
3. Merchandising = profitable
a. It is more profitable to have wisdom than gold and wealth.
b. It is even more profitable in a financial sense… on a purely materialistic sense—it is more profitable to have wisdom.
c. Which would you prefer?
• A million dollars and no wisdom? (eager to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?)
• OR no money, but the wisdom to earn a million $ a year?
d. On the news the other day they had a story about a man who won megabucks and was now in debt over his head. He lost it all gambling—and he even spent money he didn’t have!
e. It would make for an interesting book—to write about the lives of common people before and after they became instant millionaires through the lottery. Some of them would be pretty sad stories.
4. Even for the worldling—wisdom is more profitable than gold. But especially for the believer!
a. A believer might successfully accumulate wealth, but what profit is it if in the process, he loses his family? (divorce or neglect)
b. A believer might successfully accumulate wealth, but what profit is it if it causes you to forget God? (Deut. 8:11-14)
c. A believer might successfully accumulate wealth, but what profit is it if he ruins his health in the process and cannot enjoy it? (Ecc. 6:1-2)
d. A believer might successfully accumulate wealth, but what profit it is if he can’t even sleep at night worrying about it? (Ecc. 5:12)
e. A believer might successfully accumulate wealth, but what profit is it if when he stands at the Bema, he has no true riches? (Matt. 6:19)
5. Wisdom will NEVER allow us to put making money above the spiritual needs of his family… nor will he allow making money above God… nor will wisdom allow us to put earthly treasures above heavenly treasures…
a. WISDOM knows how to prioritize.
b. Wisdom knows what is really valuable.
c. The wise believer will realize that obtaining God’s wisdom is more valuable from eternity’s perspective than obtaining gold, silver, and rubies in this life.
15She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
1. In fact, wisdom is more precious than rubies or ALL THE THINGS you could ever desire or want or imagine!
2. There is nothing that can even qualify to be put in the same category as wisdom! She is in a class by herself.
3. Paul demonstrated this in the choices he made. He practiced this truth!
a. Col. 2:3 – in Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
b. Phil. 3:4-8 – Paul left a lucrative position in Judaism behind in order to pursue the knowledge of God in the person of Jesus Christ! He chose wisdom over earthly wealth and success. He is our example today.
c. Paul knew that what he left behind was not even to be compared to the knowledge of God—the wisdom of God in Christ that he found! By way of comparison, he said they were like dung!
d. The things of this world cannot even be compared to the knowledge of God… God’s wisdom…
4. If we really BELIEVE this, then it will affect the decisions we make.
a. Paul believed it—and he left his earthly success behind and CHOSE Christ.
• In one sense, Paul TRADED his earthly success for the knowledge of God.
• Solomon said the “merchandising” of wisdom is better than the merchandise of gold.
• Merchants trade and swap their goods. Paul made a good trade.
• Often we make terrible trades… lousy decisions… horrible choices.
b. If we really believe this, we too will CHOOSE Christ and the knowledge of God—Divine wisdom over the things of the world that seem so valuable.
c. Paul PRACTICED this kind of wisdom. HAPPY is he who gets wisdom!
d. Earthly success would not have provided Paul with happiness.
e. Half hearted seeking does not result in this kind of happiness. God’s wisdom must be sought with all the enthusiasm and vigor that men exert in digging for gold—for what we are looking for is far more valuable! It deserves at least that much effort to find!
Proverbs 3:16-20
Benefits of Wisdom
Introduction:
1. Solomon has been teaching his son about the importance of Divine wisdom.
2. This isn’t the kind of wisdom you get at Harvard or on the street. This is God’s Wisdom—recorded in His Word. Much of this kind of wisdom is ridiculed at Harvard and on the street.
3. Solomon just told his son that wisdom is more valuable than silver and gold. (vs.14)
4. It is the source of true happiness. (vs.13)
5. He continues to instruct his son concerning the value of God’s wisdom.
16Length of days is in her right hand…
1. Wisdom is personified as a woman offering gifts to all who will listen to her.
2. First, she offers “length of days.” (a long life)
3. Keep in mind that these are Proverbs—truth crystallized into one little gem. They were never intended to cover each and every possible situation.
a. For example, if a man dies at the age of 20, that does not necessarily mean that he was foolish or did not employ God’s wisdom.
b. And if a man lives to be 95, that does not necessarily mean that he is wise.
c. Many fools live to a ripe old age… and many wise men die young (like the Lord Jesus!)
4. The proverb means that, generally speaking, if a man violates the principles of wisdom… he may well be endangering his life perhaps cutting it short.
a. Ex: if you want to ignore God’s Words of wisdom (obey man made ordinances) and speed down route 93 at 100 miles an hour—you may well cut your life short! That kind of folly tends to shorten one’s life!
b. Ex: if you want to indulge in drinks or drugs—and ignore the wise warnings in God’s Word of wisdom—you may make yourself sick, addicted, or wind up dead! (Prov. 23:29-30,34,35)
c. Ex: If you want to ignore God’s words of wisdom concerning the strange woman and indulge in illicit sexual activity—you may well be cutting your life short. (Prov.5:1-5)
d. God’s wisdom says, stay where it is safe. The fool wants to skate on thin ice… live life on the edge. That kind of behavior may result in a life cut short.
e. Solomon wrote, “A soft answer turneth away wrath.” Practice this and you are less likely to become a victim of road rage! Shout back at someone on the highway—an uncontrolled tongue—could result in a short life!
f. But Lady Wisdom has “length of days” in her hands—offering it to those who follow her!
And in her left hand are riches and honor
Riches…
1. She has long life in one hand. In her other hand she is offering us riches and honor.
2. Solomon just said that wisdom is far better than riches. (vs.14-15)
3. He is not contradicting himself in the next verse.
a. Rather, he is simply stating that although wisdom is far better than riches, wisdom often results in riches.
b. Again, remember that this is a proverb—not a promise. Not every wise person is going to have riches. Some wise people are quite poor—like the Lord Jesus. Nor does it mean that every wealthy person must have Divine wisdom. That is hardly the case.
4. Solomon means that when a person employs the principles of wisdom to his life, it will tend to cause him to prosper. When a person abandons the principles of wisdom, it tends to bring poverty.
a. God’s wisdom exalts diligence and hard work. (Prov. 10:4; 12:11; 13:4)
• This diligence goes for the student in school; the child at home doing his chores; and for the worker in the plant or office.
b. Wisdom also exalts honesty. The one who obtains money by dishonest means usually loses his wealth…
• The fool attempts to get his riches the easy way—usually by some dishonest means…stealing, cheating, etc.
• Prov.28:22 – He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
• Prov.13:11 – Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
• It is the fool who tries to attempt to obtain riches by a manner other than the way of wisdom. It often results in poverty.
Honor…
1. Lady wisdom offers HONOR to all who hear her and obey.
2. 4:7-8 – Embrace lady wisdom and she will promote you and bring you to honor!
3. 8:12,18 – riches and honor are with me!
4. 22:4 – true wisdom teaches us to FEAR GOD! That will in turn bring honor!
a. True wisdom also teaches us to be humble. That will in turn bring honor!
b. 15:33 – before honor is HUMILITY. Wisdom instructs us to humble self. Folly tells us to exalt self. If we want to be honored, we have to follow Lady wisdom’s advice!
c. Prov. 5:8 – Wisdom demands PURITY. The fool runs into the strange woman and in doing so gives away his honor! He has lost it!
d. Prov. 21:21 – if we follow after RIGHTEOUSNESS we will have honor. Lady wisdom demands that we pursue righteousness.
e. Lady Wisdom demands that we be God fearing, humble, pure, and righteous. THAT is the way to honor!
f. One does not become honorable by seeking honor for himself. Rather, he obtains honor by seeking righteousness, purity, humility, and by fearing God!
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness…
1. Pleasantness = kindness, delightfulness, beauty, favour
2. Again, this is a proverb. This does not mean that if we practice wisdom life will be nothing but blue skies and good cheer all our days.
3. But it does mean that by following the advice of Lady Wisdom, life will be so much more pleasant!
4. It will keep us off dead end streets… away from sins that will eat away at us…
5. There is a sense of joy and satisfaction that comes from doing what is right and wise. That is pleasant to the soul.
6. The devil would like nothing more than to convince men and women that if you follow God’s narrow path of wisdom, life will be boring… you will be miserable… unhappy… Not so! Her ways are the ways of pleasantness and peace!
7. Ps.1:1 – Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful!
8. Ps.19:11- there is a great reward to hearing God’s Word of wisdom and keeping it. The reward is a blessed, pleasant life—free from all the troubles and snares that folly brings.
9. The world knows nothing of Christianity. It’s only religion. Religion lays heavy burdens on souls. It gives men much to DO, but nothing to enjoy. But Christ frees us from sin, and gives us all things richly to enjoy! The world cannot imagine spiritual pleasures… reading the Word… fellowship… singing praises…
10. The world knows nothing of being totally satisfied in Christ or the joy of the Lord.
And all her paths are peace…
1. Peace = completeness, soundness, welfare, peace; tranquility
2. The person who follows Lady Wisdom will have so much more peace in personal relationships.
a. Prov.15:1 – a soft answer turns away wrath. Instead of wrath, wisdom enables you to defuse situations that could potentially disturb the peace!
b. Prov. 28:25 – some people are constantly stirring up strife and trouble. They seem to thrive on it. Wisdom teaches us how to avoid it.
c. Ps.119:165 – great peace have they that love thy law! God’s Word is God’s Wisdom in print. It is a great source of peace!
3. You can tell God’s wisdom from the world’s wisdom. God’s wisdom is pure and peaceable. (Jas. 3:14-17) The world’s wisdom is full of strife.
4. This means true peace. It does not involve compromise over the truth. He is talking about interpersonal relationships… not doctrinal issues.
5. When it comes to the truth, we are engaged in an unending battle. But in our dealings with people on a day to day basis, we are to be peacemakers. That is the way of wisdom.
6. The world would never give the kind of wise counsel we find in the Scriptures: turn the other cheek; suffer yourself to be defrauded; bless those that curse you; overcome evil with good!
7. Wisdom provides not only length of days (quantity) but pleasantness and peace (quality).
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:
1. Wisdom is A tree of life… not THE tree in the Garden of Eden.
a. THE tree of life was created to preserve life… eat of it and live forever.
b. Wisdom is LIKE a tree of life. It provides continual preservation and protection for us in our spiritual life.
c. Wisdom enables us to MAINTAIN our spiritual life…
d. Col. 2:7 – We need to be rooted and built up in Him… for HE is the source of all wisdom. (vs.3)
2. It is a tree—a continual source of life to those who lay hold upon her.
3. As an apple tree provides apples to those who lay hold of them… so too wisdom provides her fruit continually to those who will come by and lay hold.
And happy is every one that retaineth her.
1. Once again, Solomon states that the one who retains this kind of divine wisdom is a happy or a blessed man!
2. If you want a happy blessed life—then dig into God’s Word and begin to practice the principles of wisdom found therein! That is the real key to happiness… the only way.
3. Get it—and don’t ever let go! (Prov. 4:5)
19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens. 20 By His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
Proverbs 3:21-24
Keep Sound Wisdom
1. Another “my son” section begins in vs.21.
2. Here, Solomon gives his son a new line of advice.
a. It is quite similar in theme to what he has been saying for the last couple of chapters, but there is a significant difference as well.
b. He has been advising his son to obtain wisdom throughout the book.
• 2:2 – incline your heart to obtain wisdom and understanding
• 2:4 – seek after wisdom like silver or a hidden treasure.
• 3:13 – you will be happy if you FIND wisdom or GET understanding.
• Thus far, he has been advising his son to OBTAIN wisdom… at any cost—get it!
c. Now Solomon advises his son to KEEP it—retain it at all costs too!
• It is one thing to acquire something. It is another thing to keep it.
• A man might acquire wealth quickly—[inheritance; lottery; find it]. But he can blow it as soon as he gets it too. I have known people who make lots of money, but they’re always broke. They don’t know how to retain it.
• A man might become a talented musician through years of labor—a master pianist. But he needs to maintain that skill or he will lose it.
• A man might be a talented athlete. But no matter how talented, those skills need to be maintained—or they will begin to dissipate.
• A man might acquire wisdom too. But, he must be diligent to retain it too… or it could be lost through neglect.
• The clear implication here is that wisdom must be maintained or it can be lost… diminished… faded… become dim… darkened…
3. This is a truth found often in the Bible.
a. II Pet. 1:8-9 – it is possible for a true believer to become blind (shortsighted).
• His vision begins to fail him! He can’t see so clearly any more.
• WHY? Because he was not diligent in adding virtue to his life. He wasn’t practicing what he learned!
b. Heb. 5:12 – they should have been teachers, but had to be taught the ABC’s all over again! They had discernment, but through neglect, they lost it!
4. The advice given to the son in Prov. 3:21 is worthy of contemplation, especially in light of the personal history of the one giving the advice: Solomon.
a. Solomon was the son of the one of the godliest men in the Bible: David, a man after God’s own heart.
b. David had discernment. He was a wise man.
• II Sam. 5:2 – David knew how to come in and go out… conduct himself wisely.
• I Sam. 18:16 – all Israel loved David for the wisdom he demonstrated in his comings and goings…wise personal conduct.
c. Solomon did not. I Kings 3:7 – he did not know how to come in and go out.
• Solomon was no David!
• Somehow, when Solomon was a young man, he did not have nearly the wisdom that his father had when he was a youth.
• Vs. 9 – at least Solomon had common sense enough to realize that he lacked wisdom—so he asked God for it.
• Vs.10-12 – God was pleased that Solomon wanted wisdom. God granted wisdom to him. He was given more wisdom than any king on earth!
• Thankfully, the Holy Spirit led him to record much of that wisdom in the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
• God GRANTED this wisdom to Solomon.
d. David earned his wisdom by practicing what he learned. He tested it. He walked in it. He made it his own. David grew in wisdom. He learned lessons, and accumulated this truth and wisdom… and then lived it. You could say David got his wisdom the old fashioned way. He earned it!
e. Solomon on the other hand had his wisdom handed to him on a silver platter. He went from an inexperienced child who didn’t know how to come in or go out, to the possessor of more wisdom than anyone on earth—in an instant. (Like winning the lottery).
f. Although David did a few foolish things in his life, over all, he retained his wisdom.
g. Solomon received his wisdom overnight… but did not retain it.
• I Kings 6:38c and 7:1 – Solomon spent more time building his own house than he did building the Temple!
• I Kings 11:4-8 – foreign women turned him away from the Lord. He built places of worship for false gods in Jerusalem!
h.) Solomon reminds me of in a sense, of our young athletes today. Overnight, they are transformed from a 19 year old nobody from nowhere into a multimillion-dollar celebrity with people screaming for their autographs. Many of them are unable to handle it—and make a mess of their lives.
i. It is one thing to obtain wealth and success. It is quite another thing to handle it well and retain it.
j. It is one thing to obtain godly wisdom. It is quite another thing to retain it.
k. A man can absorb many words of wisdom rather quickly.
l. It takes a lifetime of faithfulness to retain it.
5. This is the message Solomon is communicating to his son in 3:21.
a. Unfortunately, Solomon was the kind of father that said, “Do as I say, not as I do,” because he did not retain wisdom in his own life!
b. I have seen quite a few believers start off well and wisely—but then end up like Solomon… making one foolish decision after the next…
c. Keeping wisdom requires practice. It requires practicing the restraint and self discipline of making wise choices which are usually harder… even if it FEELS GOOD to make the easy choices…
• Deut. 6:6-9 – practice means they are part of every day life, not just when you go to church!
6. Keeping (guarding) wisdom and discretion requires constant, diligent effort.
a. 4:20-21 – KEEP them in the midst of thine heart… the center of your thinking.
b. This is more than keeping them in our mind intellectually. It implies that we keep them NEAR to our heart… for out of the heart are all the issues of life. (vs.23)
c. God’s wisdom is to be kept in our heart and applied to all the issues of life.
d. The heart ought to be HOME for God’s wisdom. It should LIVE there… not be buried in a back closet. It should be right in the MIDST of all we think and say and do.
• Col.3:16 – the Word of God should be DWELLING in us… in our heart.
• Col.3:17 – it should affect every area of our life—all the issues of life.
e. Are the principles in God’s Word right in the center of all the choices you make in life? Are they right in the center of your thinking when making a decision?
f. Somewhere along the line, Solomon began to push God’s wisdom into the background of his life.
• These principles didn’t seem to be in the center of his heart during his building projects.
• These principles certainly were not in the midst of his heart when he married all the foreign women.
• He was not putting these principles in the midst of his heart when he had high places built to the pagan gods in Jerusalem!
• He HAD this wisdom, but didn’t keep it in the center of his heart.
• He HAD this wisdom, but did not retain it… He didn’t KEEP it… guard it.
g. Solomon had wisdom. He knew that it needed to be retained and guarded. He admonished his son to guard and keep sound wisdom and discretion. But he failed in this very area himself.
h. It’s not how much you know. It’s not how wise you have been. It’s how faithful you are in the little things right now… practicing the principles of wisdom… keeping them in the front of our mind and heart daily… that is what makes or breaks a believer.
Proverbs 3:23-26
Results of Sound Wisdom
SAFETY
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble
1. The first result of sound wisdom is safety. When applied faithfully and consistently, wisdom will keep us safe—in every way (physically and spiritually).
2. Remember that these are proverbs. It is not a guarantee under every possible set of circumstances!
a. It doesn’t mean that if we walk in God’s wisdom that we will never stumble or have an accident!
b. Rather, his point is that following sound wisdom will lead us down safer roads in life!
3. Sound wisdom is NOT like a lucky rabbit’s foot or a St. Christopher medal. It is much more practical, more like a flashlight!
a. When you are walking in darkness, a flashlight will keep you from stumbling.
b. That doesn’t mean in each and every case. It is possible to be using a flashlight, and still trip.
c. BUT—you take a flashlight to AVOID that if at all possible!
d. Ps.119: 105 – God’s Word and wisdom is a lamp unto my feet.
e. Wisdom says, “Walk in the light, not in the darkness!”
4. Following wisdom’s advice, our chances of falling and stumbling are FAR less!
a. Prov. 2:16-18 – wisdom says to avoid the strange woman—the harlot. If we follow the advice of wisdom, it will keep our home safe and secure!
b. Prov.1:14-15 – fools cry out to us to follow them in their mischief and crimes. Wisdom says, “Stay away!” Following the advice of wisdom will keep us safe from the law!
c. Every word of wisdom found in this book is for our spiritual well being… for our good. Obey it—apply it—and it will keep you safe from trouble.
d. Violate the words of wisdom in this book, and there are serious consequences—which we will not be able to avoid!
COURAGE
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid:
1. Many folks are afraid when they lie down to sleep at night. They are full of fear.
2. However, the man who incorporates God’s wisdom into his life need not be afraid at night.
3. If you have stolen money from your place of employment, you might lie in bed at night in fear of getting caught!
4. If we lied to someone at work, we might fear being discovered and exposed as a liar!
5. If you cheated on your income taxes, you might well lie in bed at night in fear of getting caught!
6. When we don’t do things right, we have good reason to fear.
7. But wisdom exhorts us to do things RIGHT… obey the laws… obey God’s Word… treat people honestly… and when we apply this sound wisdom to our life, we will NOT be afraid!
8. We will not fear! If our heart is right with God, we need not fear what men can do unto us.
PEACE
Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. (vs.24b)
1. Psalm 4:8 – The psalmist could sleep at night—because he trusted in the Lord to keep him safe!
a. Perhaps some of us worry at night. Will our house be broken into?
b. With all the violence in our country, many worry at night.
c. As Christians, we should be able to sleep… because we know a God who never slumbers or sleeps! (Ps.121:4-7)
2. Acts 12:6-7 – Peter slept like a baby!
a. vs.1 – James had just been killed with the sword. Peter was next.
b. But on the night in which he fully expected to be executed, Peter was in prison, sleeping like a baby!
c. Could you sleep under such circumstances? Peter did.
d. Vs. 5 – the church was praying for him.
e. But more importantly, he was in prison for preaching Christ. He had rest in his soul. He was at peace with God. Therefore, his sleep was sweet—even though his circumstances were not very sweet!
f. If Peter lied to get out of jail—if he told the authorities that he would not preach Christ again, he may have been released. However, he would not be able to sleep at night! He would have been tossing and turning with an aching, guilty conscience!
CONFIDENCE (vs.25)
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
1. The one who is applying sound wisdom to his life need not fear sudden fear!
a. He need not fear the future…
• We need not fear WWIII—we trust in a sovereign God.
• We need not fear being laid off—we can trust in God who holds our future in His hand.
• We need not fear becoming suddenly ill—God has already determined our days.
b. There are many sudden calamities in life—things for which we could never adequately prepare, but they come anyway!
c. Such sudden calamities cause many people in the world to live in constant fear.
d. Part of the reason for this fear in man is the guilt of knowing that he is not right with God—and whatever evil befalls him, he deserves!
e. We need not live like that. Things that terrorize the unbeliever need not cause us to fear.
f. We can have the confidence of the Lord in our lives. (Deut.33:27) He is our Refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. That should give us assurance and confidence!
g. When our heart is right with God, and we know how much He cares for His own, then we should be able to sleep like a baby—we are held up by His everlasting arms. (arms = strength)
2. Psalm 27:1-3 – no need to fear. If we know the Lord and trust Him, THAT is our confidence! That is all the confidence we need!
a. It matters not how tumultuous things are all around us. God is our Refuge. He is our strength. In Him there is no need to fear.
b. The LORD is our confidence!
3. Ps. 91:1-6 – we are under His wings… in a place of safety… security. In vs. One, the psalmist describes a relationship to the Lord by two similar figures.
a. Dwelling in the secret place of the Most High
• This speaks of abiding close to the Lord… the Sovereign Creator
b. Abiding under the shadow on the Almighty
• This is essentially the same thought …
• They both speak of the Lord as the place of “dwelling” for the believer.
• They both also speak of the Lord as the All Powerful One… hence, One who is quite ABLE to provide such safety and security.
c. Note here that he is not speaking about the Lord as One to whom we come running only when we are in trouble or danger.
d. Many people have that idea about God. When things are going fine we don’t need Him. But when we get in serious trouble, we pray… we seek His help… and when He helps us out, we don’t need Him any more!
e. Vs. 9-10 – Rather, the psalmist is speaking about an individual believer who DWELLS in the Lord… one who ABIDES… under the shadow of His wing.
• It is BECAUSE we have made the Lord our abiding place that we are safe…
• He uses the figure of a young chick under the shadow of the wing of the mother hen… the point: he LIVES there! That’s home! Safe and secure!
4. Psalm 112:7 – he shall not fear evil tidings.
a. Some worry about future “tidings”—what MIGHT happen!
b. Some folks lose sleep over things that haven’t even happened yet—and may not ever happen… but we worry.
c. Isn’t that kind of worrying a lack of trust in God to do what is right?
5. Isa. 41:10 – fear thou not for I am with thee…
a. If we were only MORE conscious of God’s Person, God’s Power, and God’s presence, we would worry less, and trust more!
b. Our sleep at night would improve!
c. Vs.13-14 – we may be but a worm, but we are a worm protected by the Almighty God! No need to fear!
6. I Pet. 3:14 –15 – Peter warns us NOT to fear men, even those men who may be persecuting us.
a. Instead of worrying about men, fear God! Sanctify Him in your heart!
b. That will put an end to our fear… even those sudden terrors!
c. The LORD is our confidence!
7. In a world that is so unstable and insecure, as Christians, we need to TRUST God and experience this rest and peace.
a. This is our testimony in the world too! It is a powerful testimony too.
b. Prov. 14:26 – In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
c. Sound wisdom will send us straight to God… sound wisdom will demand that our heart be right with God… and when that is so, we will experience assurance and safety. We will be able to sleep at night…
d. We will be able to trust God for our health… our future… our children and their future… for our job… people problems… all those things that so often cause worry and anxiety—we can turn over to God and let Him be God!
Proverbs 3:27-28
Withhold Not Good from them to Whom it is Due
1. The subject here is withholding dues… money owed to another.
2. “Them to whom it is due” = baal;
a. Baal is a term for lord; or owner.
b. The author is using a play on words.
c. Someone else is the real owner (lord; baal) of this money or product or goods—whatever it is that is DUE.
3. To whom would our money be due?
a. If we borrow money from another person…
b. If we borrow money from a bank or finance company…
c. If we borrow someone else’s property (car; snow blower; bicycle; stereo)
d. If we owe someone a service—by bartering your time of service for money or for property—or even someone’s else’s service. (the plumber who promises to fix the carpenter’s leaky sink if the carpenter promises to fix his leaky roof!)
e. If we purchase items with a credit card…
f. If we hire someone to do a job, and they do the job…
g. If we live in a country, enjoy its services, then we owe taxes…
h. If we have been saved and appreciate God’s grace, we are responsible to give to the Lord’s work… it is due…
i. If we borrow money, time, or service, we have become a debtor to that person or company or country.
j. That person becomes a baal of our money, time, or service—that other person becomes the lord; master of our money, time, service.
k. If we owe someone—that person is the master of our money / service.
4. Those to whom it is due does not refer to anyone who WANTS your money or asks you for money. He is speaking someone to whom you OWE money.
Withhold Not Good
1. Withhold: to hold back, keep back, refrain, deny, restrain, hinder
2. Withhold not good is a command!
3. If our money, time, or service is DUE, then we are commanded by God to pay it!
4. Actually, the command is that we are NOT to withhold money when due.
a. Not withholding is different than a command to pay.
b. This command implies that there might be times when a person HAS the money to pay, but for some reason, chooses NOT to pay. This is forbidden.
c. Why would a person withhold money due to his debtors?
• Usually selfishness. We would rather KEEP it or spend in on self!
• Some might say they are withholding tax dollars because they do not agree with the government’s policy on Iraq or abortion, or because we don’t like the President, etc…
• Cf. Matt.22: 17-21 – Jesus said to pay taxes to Caesar!
• This is hardly an endorsement of Caesar or his regime by Christ.
• Jesus told Peter to pay his taxes so as to avoid offences. (Matt.17:26)
• We are not to withhold that which is due because it may be an offence—it will tarnish our testimony for Christ.
• There is no excuse for withholding taxes. It is money owed!
5. Before we ever begin a project (building a house; buying a car; etc) we are to sit down and count the cost whether we are able to finish the project—and pay for it! (Luke 14:28-30)
a. The point is that we are NOT to get in over our heads.
b. We are NOT to borrow more than we can pay back.
c. We are NOT to live beyond our means.
d. We are NOT to involve ourselves in a commitment we are not able to finish.
e. Doing our homework AHEAD of time will prevent us from making this mistake. It will keep us out of that awkward position of owing… being in debt… and finding ourselves unable to pay…
6. However, the passage in Proverbs seems to be warning about something even worse. The warning is about REFUSING to pay money owed, even when we have it!
a. This brings to mind the warning to the wealthy landowners in James.
• James 5:1-3 – James is addressing rich men.
• Vs. 4 – These landowners hired peasants to work their fields, but were withholding their paychecks by fraud.
• Either they were LYING about the amount owed… or coming up with an EXCUSE to hold on to their money as long as possible.
• The Lord knows all about it. And He is coming one day to make the crooked things straight! (vs.8)
b. We too can commit this kind of sin.
• In running a business, we have no right to withhold payment to our creditors… or to companies that have supplied us with goods or services.
• In running a household, we have no right to hire servicemen come and fix our home or car, if we know we can’t pay them… and we are going to put off payment when the bill comes in…
• We might be mad at a company/doctor/serviceman and refuse to pay.
• We can withhold good because of a grudge; anger; procrastination; laziness; revenge;—all of which are wrong and forbidden by this passage.
When it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
1. The specific example here is of refusing to pay when we have the money or the ability.
2. Power = el (the other half of the play on words).
a. The play on words is between baal and el – a name for God.
b. It is an unusual expression, consistently translated in a manner similar to the KJV.
c. El, God is powerful; able.
d. If we have the power and ability to pay off our baals, do so!
3. There are times when we may NOT have the power or ability to pay off a loan or a bill.
a. A man may begin a project, count the cost, and crunch all the numbers and the project may seem quite do-able.
b. But the economy could turn sour—suddenly and unexpectedly… any number of things could happen.
c. We might find ourselves without power or ability to pay. That is not the point of this passage.
d. This passage speaks of someone who is ABLE to pay but refuses.
• The McCoys and the Joneses having a feud…
• The man who piles up bills and doesn’t pay them, in order to save money for his vacation…
• The man who promised to do a good deed for someone, and is able to do so, but keeps putting it off… procrastination.
28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
1. The specific reason mentioned for putting off payment here seems to procrastination. (Mañana!)
2. Very often this kind of postponing is done with ulterior motives…
a. We put it off—secretly hoping that the other party will forget about it… or not bother to ask again… or grow tired of asking…drop it altogether…
b. This is often a cover for selfishness… covetousness. We put off paying because we love money and don’t want to pay what we owe… we like to keep it.
c. Sometimes the need is urgent and CANNOT be put off until tomorrow! Tomorrow might be too late.
3. WHY would someone (who had the ability to give) say, “Go and come again; tomorrow I will give?”
a. Probably because of greed. He really doesn’t really WANT to pay.
b. He wants to put it off…
c. It reveals what his heart is like… greed… self centered…
Applications:
1. While this text seems to be speaking specifically of paying back something that is owed to another, there are many applications that can be made about our responsibility to do GOOD unto others.
2. In principle, this passage is similar to James 2:15-16
a. In this text, nothing is actually OWED to the poor man.
b. But there is a moral obligation to help.
c. If a brother is destitute (starving; naked; etc)—drastic circumstances—we are morally obligated to help.
d. This does not refer to the brother who comes to borrow money for a new leather coat or one who needs money to eat at the Tavern on the Green.
e. It speaks of a brother who is destitute. This is more like the situation of the Good Samaritan who found a man lying destitute on the side of the road.
f. Vs.16 – saying, “Depart, be warmed and filled” is sending him away without helping. You are withholding good! It is just like saying, “Go and come again; tomorrow I will give.”
g. If we can help a brother or sister in Christ, we should.
• We may be used at times.
• There will always be freeloaders who take advantage of Christian generosity.
• But over all, if we can help, we should.
• If it is within our ability and power—don’t withhold.
2. Gal. 6:10 – as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to those of the household of faith.
a. As we have opportunity—speaks of a person who has the power or ability to help.
b. We have been called to do GOOD works… we are to walk in the good works that God has ordained for us. (Eph. 2:8-10) This is the natural FRUIT of salvation, never the root!
c. When opportunity arises to do good, DO it. Don’t withhold it.
d. The question always arises—where do we draw the line?
• If we give money away, there will be a line of people at our door every day!
• I am ABLE to work every night—helping out a different brother every night of the week.
• But we also have to prioritize the use of our time.
• We also have to consider other things: our health; our family; responsibilities; our limits.
• We ARE to help and not to withhold help… but do it WISELY! Certainly the book of Proverbs while promoting KINDNESS also is promoting WISDOM in how we live our lives!
3. Titus 3:1 – We are to be READY to every good work.
a. That means we are NOT to put it off till mañana!
b. Ready = ready; prepared; even eager
c. We shouldn’t be withholding good from others. It shouldn’t take a crowbar to get us to do good to others.
d. Good should naturally FLOW out of one who is saved by grace!
4. While making application about paying our debts, consider Rom. 1:14-15.
a. Paul considered himself a debtor to the gentiles.
b. He had been given a responsibility to preach the gospel to them.
c. Paul saw this responsibility as an obligation and a debt.
d. It is a moral obligation… like a man who has the cure to cancer would be morally obligated to tell others. We have the cure to eternal condemnation!
e. Thus, he was READY to fulfill this obligation… to pay this debt. He was ready to preach the gospel wherever he was.
f. Are we? Do we see this as an obligation or a debt? Perhaps we should.
Proverbs 3:29
A Breach of Trust
DEVISE NOT EVIL AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR, SEEING HE DWELLETH SECURELY BY THEE.
1. In this verse, the neighbor is dwelling securely by you.
a. Securely = assurance; sense of safety; confidence;
b. This speaks a neighbor who feels safe by you… he trusts you… he is at ease around you. He has confidence in you. He is totally unsuspecting of any evil being plotted.
c. Neighbors should feel safe around us. We should have a testimony that says we are able to be trusted.
2. These proverbs were written to Jews living in a Jewish community.
a. In that setting there should be a sense of safety.
b. If they were dwelling in a foreign land, surrounded by enemies, they would not be dwelling securely.
c. But Solomon is describing a scene at home… where they should feel at home.
3. The command is that we not devise EVIL against a neighbor.
a. Devise: to plough; to plot evil; usually an evil devise
b. Evil = anything bad; unpleasant; injurious; etc.
c. Prov. 6:14 – he devises mischief and sows discord
d. Prov. 16:29 – evil men lead others in the wrong direction – on purpose!
e. These terms are vague enough to include any number of applications.
• It would include devising evil against a neighbor by speaking evil of him… sowing discord among the brethren.
• It might include giving a person misleading information to make someone else look bad… giving only half the story… leaving out key details…
• It might include prejudicing people against your neighbor…
• It would include stealing from him; cheating him; moving the landmarks; taking advantage of him; borrowing and not returning; coveting your neighbor’s goods; his wife; slandering him;
• Evil, hurt, and injury take many forms.
4. But the proverb seems to be getting at something even deeper than the evil devise itself. Solomon is speaking about a breach of trust.
a. The picture here is of a neighbor who is dwelling safely with someone he assumes is a friend.
• He is at ease in his presence. He is comfortable around him.
• But, that man devises evil against his neighbor.
b. Perhaps this man feels at ease with his neighbor and begins to speak candidly, openly, and freely around him. He trusts that the conversation is confidential. BUT—the other man breaks that trust, and tells others what was said.
c. Perhaps a man trusts his neighbor, and shares with him some of his shortcomings. James tells us to confess our faults one to another. His trust is breached when that so-called friend begins blabbing to others the shortcomings of his neighbor.
d. It might not be with words only. One brother might be in the same business as another brother. When he discovers that you are planning to open up a new office in the next city, he tells your competition, and works behind the scene to harm you.
e. Deut. 27:24 – “Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbor secretly.”
• This is causing harm to someone behind their back. That hurts.
• They might have a sweet smile to your face, but a knife in your back.
• One might imagine an evil person offering a neighbor a refreshing drink, but it has been spiked with poison!
• We may not actually poison a person’s drink, but we could be guilty of poisoning the minds of people against someone… secretly.
5. Plotting to harm your neighbor is a double crime. Not only is the plot evil, but the breach of trust is worse!
a. It’s bad enough to plot harm against an enemy. But when it is done against an unsuspecting friend or neighbor, it is much more painful.
b. Psalm 41:4-9 – that’s what really hurts.
• Vs. 4 – What makes this experience so painful for David is the fact that he is agony inwardly, apart from the trouble his enemies are stirring up. He realizes that his troubles are in part because of his sins.
• Vs. 5 – David’s enemies spoke evil of him—waiting for him to die!
• Vs. 6 – the so-called friends who do speak to him come in vanity (empty words) and they then go spread rumors about him!
• Vs. 7-8 – others hate him and whisper evil about him, plotting evil against him!
• Somehow, David knew what they were saying about him. From his sickbed, this must have been like a knife in his heart! These are the things they were saying about him, behind his back.
• It’s understandable when our enemies speak evil of us and plot to harm us.
• Vs.9 – But when a friend or neighbor or a brother does—that digs in much deeper!
• This psalm no doubt, speaks of the time of Absalom’s rebellion,
• The friend who turned against David was no doubt Ahithophel, who was a trusted friend of David (he thought).
• However, when the opportunity came, he betrayed him and sided with Absalom.
• Regardless of the exact circumstances, this was the icing on the cake!
• David was sick… in body and soul….
• Some of his enemies pretended to be friends, visited him on his sickbed, but did so with evil in their heart.
• The rest of his enemies were secretly meeting, pooling all the dirt they had against the king…
• And now to top it all off, one of his trusted friends even joins the conspiracy! This is the ultimate betrayal. (The Lord quotes this in reference to Judas!)
• What hurts so, is not the actual deed. Enemies do the same thing, and it doesn’t hurt as much. It is expected. What hurts is the breach of trust—from a friend! A neighbor—someone we trusted!
c. Psalm 55:12-15 – again, the psalmist speaks of the pain that arises from a breach of trust.
• We expect such behavior from enemies.
• But the closer the friendship, the deeper the pain when that trust is breached.
• That is why discord in the local church hurts so much—because it is among brethren… friends who have shared so much together over the years…
d. I have had brethren stab me in the back—believers with whom I have had sweet fellowship! It does hurt more. Have you?
• If so, then you know what kind of pain it can cause. You know how hurtful it can be.
• Our deepest wounds as Christians will not come from the world, but from right here—in the local church!
• Thus, the command—Don’t YOU be guilty of devising evil against someone who trusts you!
• A breach of one’s trust is a painful experience.
6. This principle is especially applicable in a family setting.
a. Husbands and wives are “neighbors” in the closest sense.
• There MUST be trust in that relationship. The relationship must be built on trust.
• That which erodes relationships is not so much this or that particular deed—but rather the erosion of trust.
• When that goes, the relationship is in need of a complete overhaul.
b. So too with parents and children.
• Lots of topics are discussed around the dinner table.
• Many of those topics should not leave the dinner table—they certainly should not be spread around.
• There ought to be a sense of trust in a family setting. We should feel free to speak openly at home…
• We see and hear of the shortcomings of our family members. That is not to be spread around!
• Family members feel betrayed when things shared in confidence in the home are blabbed at school or at church… or in the neighborhood.
• The home should be a place where each member can dwell securely… and have a sense of assurance.
• Kids—if your brother is 10 years old and he still wets the bed, the kids at school don’t need to know that. If your sister lied to her father, the Sunday school class doesn’t need to know about that. If Dad got a speeding ticket, no one else needs to know that.
• We can embarrass, humiliate, and break the trust of those who should be able to trust us.
• Solomon says, “Don’t you be like that!” Don’t double cross someone that should be able to trust you.
• Trust is too precious a thing to ruin.
c. In the local church setting this trust can be breached too.
• James 5:16 – confess your faults one to another and pray for each other.
• Sometimes at testimony services or at prayer meeting a brother may open up and confess a fault. He does so because he senses safety and security in the Body. He trusts his brethren. It is an awful thing to breach that trust, and use his words against him… to put him down, or slander him.
7. Perhaps the reason this proverb is given is because neighbors and family members… and yes, even church members, have a lot of squabbles.
a. That is because we are so close!
b. And with neighbors and family members (as opposed to total strangers), we usually have a lot of “dirt” on them! We KNOW more about them… we know more of their failures…
c. Thus, when people who are close get in a squabble, there might be a tendency to use some of that knowledge to seek revenge!
8. Prov. 14:22 – Those who devise evil err. How much better is it that we seek to devise GOOD for our neighbor!
a. If we are going to do anything behind our neighbor’s back, let it be a NICE surprise, not evil!
Proverbs 3:30
Striving without Cause
Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
STRIVE NOT
1. A clear command is given in this passage NOT to strive.
a. Strive: complain; quarrel; contend; argue; strife either physically or with words.
b. Strife ought NOT characterize the life of a believer. “The servant of the Lord must not strive.”
2. We ARE called to certain kinds of strife and contending:
a. We are to contend for the faith… (Jude 3)
b. We are to strive together in prayer (Rom.15:30)
c. But that is not the kind of strife Solomon refers to here.
3. Solomon is speaking about a kind of strife that we should AVOID like the plague.
a. This kind of strife is the work of the flesh. (Gal.5:20)
b. This kind of strife is an evidence of carnality. (I Cor.3:3)
c. This kind of strife is demonic! (James 3:14-16)
4. The reason for the command: Some folks seem to gravitate toward strife. (Prov.25:8)
a. Some folks seem to have to stick their noses in every dispute or argument or disagreement among the believers.
b. Some folks seem to be able to stir up strife when there is no strife. They can manufacture it!
c. Solomon warns us NOT to haste toward stirring up strife.
• He gives an interesting reason—because while strife can be stirred up easily, it is often difficult to end it!
• It is like starting a forest fire. One little match is all it takes, but it could end up requiring fire fighters from many states to come to put it out!
• Spiritually, starting strife is just as damaging and dangerous as starting a fire. Many people can be hurt. Much damage can be done… damage you never intended to do!
• It’s like throwing a rock in a pond. It’s easy to throw the rock, but difficult if not impossible to stop the ripples!
• Prov.17:14 – it is like the letting out of water (from a dam). It may start off as a trickle, but it can soon escalate into an uncontrollable flood!
• Therefore, don’t meddle with it! Leave it alone! Stay away!
d. Thus, Solomon warns not to be hasty about jumping into an argument! You don’t always know what you are getting into! You may not have an easy way to escape!
• Like US involvement in many hot spots around the globe.
• It is relatively easy to send troops into one of those hot spots. But it is not always easy to END the dispute and bring the troops home!
• Once our troops are involved, we discover how dangerous and sticky the problem really is. Once you commit troops, it’s hard to un-commit them!
• Some troops remain in the hot spot for years to follow…
e. Solomon’s warning to us is similar. Don’t be so quick to jump into the fray!
• Don’t be so quick to stick your nose in someone else’s problems!
f. “When thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.”
• Sometimes we jump into a dispute, and discover that we jumped in on the wrong side!
• We might hear one side of the story and assume that we are fighting for the right, only to discover later that we were dead wrong! Our neighbor comes with the rest of the story and we are put to shame!
WITHOUT CAUSE…
1. Strife should be avoided. But especially strife “without cause.”
2. Without cause refers to strife that is not necessary.
a. Folks always insist that they have a “cause” for their fight.
b. Sometimes we create strife over someone’s oversight. We make mountains out of molehills.
c. But is that cause WORTHY of disrupting the peace? Is it worthy of breaking fellowship? Is it worthy of tarnishing the testimony of the Lord? Is it worthy of damaging the local church? Is it worthy of destroying friendships? Is it really worth all that heartache?
d. In the heat of the argument, many would declare that they were RIGHT… and therefore it IS worth fighting over.
e. BUT — later on, as time goes by and as we look back at the event, very often we might be forced to admit that it was really NOT worthy fighting over! There really was not a just cause for that fight.
3. Very often all it takes is to apply the salve of God’s Word—OBEY these principles and discover how causeless our cause becomes!
a. Suffer yourself to be defrauded… (I Cor.6:7)
b. In lowliness of mind, forbear one another in love…
c. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
d. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven us…
e. Be kindly affectioned one to another in brotherly love, in honor preferring one another…
f. Not rendering evil for evil, but contrariwise, blessing…
g. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace…
h. Let love cover a multitude of sins…
i. Turn the other cheek…
j. Applying any one of those principles will usually cause the strife to cease! It is when we REFUSE to incorporate those principles that the strife continues… and drags on and on…
4. Instead, we feel that we have a just CAUSE for the strife to continue!
a. Some folks seem to be on a crusade to make their point… and to prove that they are right… and that they have just cause to continue the strife…
b. If that is our nature, we will ALWAYS find some cause of strife!
c. Prov.16:27-28 – if you want a reason to fight, you can always dig one up!
• Note that the evil is buried. Everyone wants it to stay buried.
• But the ungodly person digs it up! The ungodly man is not content until every piece of dirty laundry is dug up and displayed!
• The ungodly man then SOWS strife—like planting seeds. (Planting thoughts in people’s mind… to sway them to his or her side in the fight…)
• This kind of strife promoted by ungodly men results in separating chief friends!
d. Prov.17:9 – love is willing to bury a transgression. A person who demonstrates the love of God is going to demonstrate Christlikeness… willing to turn the other cheek… bury dirt… and get on with life!
e. Prov.10:12 – a person driven by hatred is unwilling to bury the offence. A person driven by love IS willing to bury it.
f. Prov.15:18 – A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
g. Prov.26:21 – As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
• A contentious person will keep a fight going and going and going… like the energizer bunny.
• It is the SPIRIT of contention that keeps it going. It is like adding coals to a fire. God wants this kind of fire to burn out… and usually they will… stop adding fuel to the fire!
• Bury the fuel and the fire will go out by itself.
• God wants us to be peacemakers—driven by love—not driven by hatred and a contentious spirit!
• Prov. 22:10 – Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
• If nobody is there to keep strife going, it will die out…
• If no fuel is added to the fire, it will burn out…
• I Pet.4: 8 – this is the kind of love God wants US to demonstrate in the local church.
IF HE HAVE DONE THEE NO HARM…
1. The warning in this verse is for us NOT to get involved in strife—especially if it is none of our business.
2. If two people are fighting… because one has stepped on the toes of another, what is that to you?
a. What does the BIBLE say to do?
b. The offended party is to go to his brother ALONE. No one else is involved.
c. MOST offences can be easily resolved ALONE.
d. Once you add more people into the formula, it becomes much more sticky, difficult, entangled, and complicated… and harder to end.
e. Then more and more people jump in… sides begin to polarize, and before you know it, you have a BIG problem…
3. Prov.25:9 – The RIGHT way to settle a dispute is for two parties involved to go to each other privately.
a. Don’t involve other people in your debate. It doesn’t involve them.
b. All other parties are without cause in this argument!
c. The only one who has a CAUSE is the one offended… no one else has a cause, unless the church leaders need to be called. But that is rare.
4. If two people are having a dispute, stay away!
a. Prov.26:17 – don’t get involved—don’t meddle in strife that is not yours!
b. If you pick up a dog by the ears, you will get hurt… you will be bitten! Picking up a dog by the ears causes a lot of hurt and pain! So don’t do it!
c. If you see two people having a dispute, and you meddle in that strife—you will cause a lot of hurt and pain! So don’t do it!
d. If the person has done YOU no harm, stay out of the strife! You have no cause to step in!
e. If he has done YOU no harm… stay out of the debate… stay out of the strife… don’t complicate matters… don’t cause polarization… don’t add fuel to the fire.
5. Even in those situations where the party who was RIGHT seemed to get the raw end of the deal, let’s not forget God!
a. He knows everything. He knows all hearts, motives, and the intents of the heart.
b. He is keeping score—perfectly! He is unbiased and is no respecter of persons.
c. He is omniscient and a righteous Judge.
d. All parties will eventually have to give account of their actions to Him.
e. That is the judgment that really counts.
f. Every crooked thing will be made straight in that day. Justice will prevail.
g. In the meantime, as we live in an imperfect world, we are to follow the rule book left by the perfect judge:
• Don’t strive with men when it doesn’t concern you.
• Don’t promote hate and dig up dirt!
• Promote love and bury dirt!
• Bury the hatchet. Suffer yourself to be defrauded.
• Don’t add fuel to the fire to keep strife going…
• Be a peacemaker—and bury the fuel.
• Commit the situation to the Lord… who shall judge the living and the dead with RIGHTEOUS judgment!
• Rom.12:18 – in the meantime, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men!”
• Heb.12:14 – Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
6. If we would simply OBEY these passages, we would be able to either prevent strife from occurring… or if it does occur, cause it to die out!
a. What happy families we would have in the home!
b. What glorious fellowship we would have in the local church!
c. Why, we might even get along with that cantankerous neighbor!
Proverbs 3:31-32
Envy Not the Oppressor
31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
ENVY
1. In the last passage, Solomon warned his son not to strive.
2. In this verse, he warns his son not to envy.
3. Envy: envy or jealousy; wanting, craving what someone else has. Envy pains to hear of others doing well. Envy is grieved to see others prosper, or to hear them praised. (all stems from selfishness)
4. It is the opposite of contentment.
a. God has commanded us to be content with such things as we have… (Heb.13:5)
b. We are to be content in whatsoever state we find ourselves. (Phil.4:11)
• God is the One who sovereignly places us in our lot in life.
• Think of Christians who live in India under the caste system. They are born into a certain caste, and are stuck there the rest of their lives. That is God’s doing. They are to be content.
• So too for Christians born in poverty or great wealth in this country.
• It is entirely Lord’s doing… we are not to envy what others have. We are to learn to be content in whatsoever state we are in.
• Don’t envy others! You don’t know all the baggage that comes with their position that is not seen by others!
c. If we have food and clothing, we are to be content. (I Tim.6:8)
• How many of us really WOULD be content if that is all we had in this life?
• Folks in Ethiopia don’t even have food and raiment. They envy other tribes who have food and clothing.
• We have food and clothing and so much more. Yet, we are not more content. Instead, we envy what the wealthy in this country have…
• It is human nature to look around at what others have, and envy it… lust for it… we tend to covet our neighbors goods.
• Even if we obtained what our neighbor has… there is always someone with more… there is no end… unless the heart is changed.
5. Prov.14:30 – it is the rottenness of the bones!
a. It is the opposite of a healthy heart. It is sick… rotten.
b. It will eat away at the inner man, like a disease eats away at the body.
c. Envy gets under the skin—and burns away—when we hear others praised, promoted, and prospering… because we want the praise, promotion, and prosperity for ourselves!
6. Prov.27:4 – it is worse than wrath or anger!
a. Who can stand before it? It can engender more passion and rage than mere anger. It is an endless reservoir of rage!
b. It can totally control one’s life.
c. It can lead to all kinds of other sins… even murder!
d. Anger and wrath usually swell up for a while and then simmer down. Envy remains under our skin…
e. Anger and wrath may be appeased. Envy doesn’t go away so easily.
7. Prov.23:17 – the cure is to fear God!
a. People that fear God are conscious of Him… of His presence… His power… aware of His omniscience and omnipotence…
b. The more conscious we are of the Lord, the more satisfied with Him we will be. The more satisfied with the Lord, the less we will crave after what our neighbor has!
8. Another cure for envy is a closer relationship to God.
a. Heb.13:5 – we are told to be content with what we have—because we have Christ! He should be all we need! He is the one who satisfies the soul and brings contentment. When Christ is our life, we won’t be looking for contentment and satisfaction in the things our neighbor owns. We will glory in the Lord!
b. I John 2:15-16 – John commands us NOT to love the world… for the love of the Father is not in him! His point is that our heart can only love one Master—either the things of the world, or God.
OPPRESSOR
1. The particular kind of envying mentioned here is envying the oppressor.
2. Oppressor: violence, wrong, cruelty, injustice (margin reads: violent man)
3. One might ask, “Who would ever envy a cruel, violent oppressor?
a. Answer: Lots of people!
b. It is not the oppression that is envied, but the power and wealth often associated with it.
• Some men crave to exercise power over others.
• They get a sort of morbid pleasure in tyranny.
c. Some evil men trample over others to get where they want to go.
• They use people. They abuse people.
• They lie, cheat, steal, misrepresent, use fraud, violence, stab others in the back—all to get to the top of the ladder.
• Obviously, not all people in positions of power are like this. Some are quite godly—but Solomon is speaking about “oppressors!” (men of violence)
d. By mistreating others and trampling over the backs of others, some men manage to push and shove themselves into positions of power and great wealth.
• In the world, wicked men often prosper, and godly men are often taken advantage of.
• You don’t get ahead in the world by turning the other cheek, by putting others first, suffering yourself to be defrauded, by sacrificial love, or by esteeming others better than yourself.
• Sometimes ungodly men take advantage of those traits. In doing so, they may even prosper.
• The wealthy land owners in James 5 were such oppressive men. They took advantage of the lowly workers and obtained great wealth in the process.
e. Solomon is warning his son (and us) not to envy the power and wealth that men accumulate by oppressive, violent, and dishonest means.
• This passage would be especially applicable to Christian businessmen.
• Running your business in such a way as to please the Lord means that many tricks of the trade—used by all your competition—you may not be able use!
• Other companies may take advantage of their lowly workers, you may not. Other companies may employ questionable practices. You may not. You KNOW that those tricks work… and that other companies have grown, prospered, and expanded as a result.
• Don’t envy them!
• Be more concerned about pleasing the Lord than pleasing your accountant or your stockholders!
• The same principle is true in running a local church! In observing how local churches in the valley have operated in the past 20 years, I have seen some unsavory, unethical practices too… worldly tricks that draw in crowds, keep people happy, and result in numerical growth. We are NOT to envy that kind of “success.”
CHOOSE NONE OF HIS WAYS
1. The temptation would be to FOLLOW the ways of the oppressor… or of the man who uses dishonesty, violence to obtain power or wealth.
2. For the Christian businessman who observes another business use ruthless tactics and prosper—one might be tempted to imitate those actions—because they work!
3. One might be tempted to justify by saying, “Business is business. It’s a dog eat dog world out there. You gotta fight fire with fire…”
4. Yet the Bible says NOT to choose his ways. We are to follow in the ways of God—even if they don’t seem to advance our ambitions —even if they don’t seem to produce the kind of results we would like to see.
5. DON’T choose the ways of the dishonest oppressor… of the evil man. Follow God and trust Him for the outcome.
6. So too in running a local church—the principle is the same. We are NOT to choose the ways of the church growth movement just because they work. We are here to follow God’s ways (Bible) and to please Him (not men) and leave the increase to the Lord.
32For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
1. The REASON we are not to envy that kind of success is because the froward is an abomination to the Lord!
a. Froward – crooked; devious; all kinds of evil practices.
b. Don’t envy it—God hates it!
2. The end of the ungodly is anything but enviable! The oppressors… the froward will one day be judged by God. Their days are numbered. Don’t envy that!
a. Prov.24:19 – Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
b. Prov.24:1 – Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
c. Psalm 37:1-2 – Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
d. Psalm 73:1-3 – Asaph was envious at the foolish.
• UNTIL he went into the house of the Lord and saw their end. (vs.17)
• Vs.18 – they are but a step away from destruction.
• That is nothing to envy. We would not envy these men if we saw them as one breath away from the Lake of Fire!
• Consider the terms used of them: there is no reward; their candle shall be put out; they shall be cut down like grass; they will be cast down into destruction; That is not an envious position to be in!
• When we get a heavenly perspective on things, our whole attitude will change. Envy will be turned into pity!
• Then, instead of wanting what they have, we will want to share with them what we have—salvation in Christ!
3. Solomon teaches his son the same lesson Asaph learned. Don’t envy wicked men.
a. They may prosper in the present world, but they are an abomination to the Lord, and in the life to come, they will experience judgment!
b. There is no cause to envy that!
c. Ecc.4:1 – later Solomon wrote about the oppressors. He noted all the sorrow and tears they created. He also noted that although they ended up with much power, they did not have any more inner comfort, rest, or peace than the people they oppressed!
d. There is no reason to envy them!
4. God’s secret is with the righteous.
a. God gives grace to the lowly… not the proud, powerful, arrogant oppressors! (Cf. Psalm 25:14 – the secret of the Lord is with them who fear Him, and He will shew them his covenant.”
b. The proud, ignorant oppressors know nothing of God and His ways.
c. God’s secrets… God’s counsel, which is hidden to the world is known to the righteous.
d. Sinners are an abomination to God. Saints are His delight!
e. Knowing God is FAR more valuable than any wealth or power the oppressors may have accumulated.
f. We have God’s secret—God’s word—which is far better than rubies… more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold!
Proverbs 3:33
Blessing and Cursing
Introduction:
1. Here is a simple 7 straightforward principle, which is found in many contexts throughout the Word.
2. It describes something very basic about God and His nature: He blesses the just and curses the wicked.
3. This stems from God’s nature: He loves righteousness and hates iniquity. (Heb.1:9)
4. The final verses in this chapter seem to be given as a conclusion to the several commands given in the chapter.
a. vs.27 – Don’t withhold good when it is in your power to do it.
b. Vs.29 – don’t devise evil against your neighbor… don’t betray his trust.
c. Vs.30 – don’t strive with a man without a cause.
d. Vs.31 – don’t envy the wealthy oppressors.
5. After saying all that, in vs.32, Solomon writes FOR… the froward is abomination to the Lord.
a. After listing many “don’ts” to his son, Solomon then gives some REASONS why not!
b. FOR it is abomination to God!
c. The “for” seems implied in the next three verses.
d. Each of the next three verses expands on that reason given in vs.32.
The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked…
1. Don’t withhold good; don’t devise evil; don’t strive; don’t envy… why???
2. Because the curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked! That’s why!
3. Those who behave in a wicked way expose themselves to the judgment of God!
4. Lev. 26:14-18 – This curse was literal in the nation Israel.
5. Those who persist in it bring a curse upon their own lives!
Prov. 21:12 – God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness. (lawlessness – men who don’t go by the rules)
a. The wicked are no match for God.
b. God will eventually overthrow all of their evil schemes and plots. They are doomed to fail… if not in this life, certainly in the next.
c. This thought is a good motivation NOT to behave in a wicked manner! We too could find God opposing us… bringing a curse upon our life!
d. The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked.
• Solomon suggests that instead of FOLLOWING the ways and lives of wicked men, we OBSERVE their lives!
• Great lessons can be learned by observing men—even believers—who do not walk the straight and narrow. Watch men who compromise and cut corners spiritually.
• They may prosper in the world, but they will wither up spiritually.
• Good lessons are there for us all. Watch and learn.
6. Psalm 106:14-15 – Sometimes, the curse of the Lord is not easily seen.
a. Sometimes, God seems to be blessing, but He sends leanness to the soul.
b. It has been my observation that when God sends leanness of soul to a believer because something isn’t right in his/her life, that believer tends to blame it on someone else! (the church has no love; the brethren don’t minister to me; I’m unhappy, it must be my spouses’ fault; etc.)
c. A curse on the soul is far worse than a physical malady!
d. The curse of God is often not seen at all by the outsider.
• Matthew Henry likened it to the leprosy consuming away in the timbers of one’s house… quietly… unseen… unknown by the casual observer—but very much a presence in that house!
7. Prov.26:2 – An undeserved cursed does not come!
a. Just as birds wander in the sky but never land on us—so too, a curse does not come upon us without cause!
b. In other words, God doesn’t judge us unless we deserve it! Unless it is earned!
c. Thus, if God chastens us—it is for a good reason!
d. This does NOT mean that bad things won’t happen to us. But there is a big difference between a trial designed for our good, and chastening which is the result of our sin or rebellion.
8. When God chastens the believer, that believer will waste away… wither away… consume away… until he can take it no more!
a. Isa.57:21 – there is no peace to the wicked!
b. Job 9:4 – you cannot resist God and win!
c. Ps.32:3-4 – God’s hand was heavy upon him!
But he blesseth the habitation of the just.
1. However, just the opposite is true in the habitation of the just.
2. God blesses the just!
3. In the previous verse, Solomon said that God’s “secret” is with the righteous, the just.
a. Vs.32 – The wicked know nothing of God and His ways.
b. God’s secrets… counsel, [hidden to the world] is known to the righteous.
c. God blesses the habitation of the just—He shares His secret counsels with them! His Word!
4. Lev.26:3-7 – so too, God’s blessing is promised to the just—here to the obedient. (That’s how one demonstrates that he is just—obey!)
a. In any age, the principle is the same: Obedience brings God’s blessing!
b. In the church age, our blessings are spiritual, and our reward for obedience is not obtained in this life, but at the Judgement Seat. Nevertheless, the principle is the same.
c. God blesses those who obey Him… who honor Him.
d. God honors those who honor Him. (I Sam.2:30)
e. Ps.1:3 – “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
5. Note Solomon’s use of the terms “house of the wicked” (vs.33) and “habitation of the just” (vs.34).
a. The two terms are used synonymously.
b. His point is that we can bring either blessing or cursing on our house, depending upon our behavior!
c. Prov.9:1 – wisdom builds a strong house!
d. Prov.11:29 – the fool troubles his own house—he brings trouble to it.
e. Prov.12:7 – The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.
f. Prov.14:1 – a wise woman builds up her household.
g. Prov.14:11 – the two houses are once again contrasted.
h. Prov.15:27 – the greedy man troubles his house.
• It is far better to have a humble house with only herbs to eat with God’s blessing—than to dwell in a large castle without the blessing of God!
6. Some houses are overthrown. Why? Usually, because wisdom is not applied! Obedience is lacking or inconsistent!
a. Some houses are strong. Why? Because those in the house exercise wisdom… they trust and obey. It really is as simple as that.
b. We bring either blessing or cursing upon our own house.
» Either we build it up or tear it down…we bring blessing or trouble.
» It is important that we take God’s Word seriously.
» You cannot play fast and loose with this principle and expect to come out ahead!
7. Deut.29:19-20 – for the proud, arrogant man who thinks that he shall escape the curse of God! But he is dead wrong! Watch out! There is no escape!
Proverbs 3:34
The Proud and the Lowly
The Proud and the Lowly
1. This proverb is another simple truth crystallized into a short, concise saying.
2. It is much like the previous verse: God curses the wicked and blesses the just.
3. Here, God scorns the scorners and gives grace to the lowly.
4. It is possible (even likely) that this verse (as well as verses 32-35) is given at the end of the chapter as a REASON why Solomon’s son ought to follow his father’s words of wisdom. (see FOR in vs.32)
SURELY HE SCORNETH THE SCORNERS:
A.) Scorners
1. Means: Conceited mockers; arrogant talkers; to be inflated…
2. Prov. 9:7-8 – it is hard if not impossible for us to know how to deal with proud talkers!
3. Prov. 13:1 – scorners love to talk proudly and mock others, but they will not listen to instruction or rebuke themselves!
4. Prov. 14:5 – scorners seek wisdom but don’t find it. Pride keeps him from real wisdom.
a. Real wisdom comes through humility… and the proud talker knows it all already! You can’t tell him or her anything!
5. Prov. 21:24 – his pride leads the scorner to wrath… and fighting… arguments.
6. Prov. 28:25 – Proud, arrogant talkers stir up strife!
7. Prov. 15:12 – He hates to be told what to do. He gets angry when someone dares to approach him about something! He won’t go to the wise man to hear or to obtain wise counsel.
8. Prov. 22:10 – and when there is an argument or contention, it will END if you get rid of the scorner—the proud, arrogant talker! (Only by pride cometh contention!)
9. Psalm 101:5 – David would not tolerate proud talkers!
a. Such proud talkers and scorners and slanderers cannot be tolerated in the local church either!
B.) God Scorns The Scorner
1. Prov.24:9 – the scorner is an abomination (disgusting) to men. Imagine how much it must disgust God?
a. God hates pride because He is jealous of His glory. He shares it with no one.
b. Pride seeks to remove God from His throne… and place self there. (Lucifer; men)
2. Prov. 19:29 – judgments are prepared for scorners.
3. Psalm 31:23 – God will recompense proud men.
4. Prov.26:12 – there is no hope for a man wise in his own conceits. (proud; arrogant scorner—no hope!) God is against him. His case is hopeless… worse than a fool!
5. Ps.138:6 – the proud He knows afar off. Arrogant talkers do not have a close relationship to God. Period!
6. This thought is important to God.
a. This verse was repeated two times in the NT
b. In both verses the NT writers use the word “proud” for scorner.
c. Also in both NT verses, the authors use the word “resist” as a translation of the verb “scorneth.”
• Resists: to range in battle against; to oppose one’s self.
• God not only is disgusted by the behavior of proud, arrogant talkers… scorners… He actively resists them… opposes them!
• He allows proud scorners to continue in this life. But He is preparing judgments for them all!
BUT HE GIVETH GRACE UNTO THE LOWLY.
1. Lowly = the humble; meek; poor;
a. This term helps clarify exactly what shade of meaning Solomon meant to attach to “scorner.” He means the “proud” talker… emphasis on pride.
b. That is how both James and Peter understood his usage of the term too.
2. God judges the proud talkers, but God gives GRACE to the lowly.
3. Isaiah 57:15 – God dwells with the lowly… the hearts of the lowly is God’s dwelling place—and He revives the spirit of the lowly.
4. Isa. 66:2 –God looks to the lowly… humble… contrite in heart.
5. I Pet. 5:5-6 – God wants us to be clothed with humility!
a. Col. 3:12-13 – PUT ON humility…
b. When that is the case, there will be no fighting or contention.
c. If we humble ourselves, God will lift us up!
d. Luke 14:11 – For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
e. We need to promote self-abasement, not self-esteem!
6. 2 Ch. 32:26 – Hezekiah humbled himself of his pride, and the Lord removed the judgment that was about to fall upon him!
* Cf. 34:37 – God answers prayer because of humility!
7. Prov. 22:4 – By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honour, and life.
a. God honors humility!
b. Note that the fear of God and humility appear together here. They are two peas in a pod. One who acknowledges God for who He is will fear Him AND will humble himself before Him! The bigger God is in our sight, the smaller we become!
c. A just apprehension of God will always lay us in the lowest dust before Him! (Charles Bridges)
d. For the Christian, humility and godly fear may not bring us earthly riches. But it will enable us to enjoy our true spiritual riches!
e. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of God!
8. True greatness is humility! Matt. 18:4 – Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
a. Matt.20:26-28 – If you want to be great = humble yourself—stop trying to be great!
b. Jesus is our example! He was great—and He was humble!
Proverbs 3:35
Glory or Shame?
The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Introduction:
1. Solomon has given his son a series of exhortations in this chapter.
2. He ends the chapter with a series of contrasts—given as reasons WHY his son ought to obey the previous commands.
3. Solomon contrasts the following:
a. The froward and the righteous (vs. 32)
b. The wicked and the just (vs. 33)
c. The proud scorners and the lowly (vs. 34)
d. Now he contrasts the fool and the wise. (vs. 35)
THE WISE SHALL INHERIT GLORY…
1. Solomon wanted his son to be wise. What parent wouldn’t want their children to be wise?
2. Solomon seeks to make wisdom attractive to his son. It results in glory!
a. Glory = honor; glory; dignity; good reputation…
b. This is attractive. A wise parent will seek to instill in his child a sense of honor… dignity… respect… integrity…
c. Solomon seeks to make this kind of glory a prize to be sought after. He wants it to be attractive to his son.
d. The world makes its evil ways look appealing and attractive!
• Cf. Prov.1:11-14 – they try to lure with promises of excitement and wealth!
• But what they don’t tell you is that this lifestyle is a trap! (1:17) and they are really laying wait for their own lives! (1:18)
e. The devil made evil look appealing to Eve. He showed her that the forbidden fruit was good for food; pleasant to the eyes… desirable to make one wise!
f. The devil made sin look appealing to Christ. He suggested that He turn the stones into bread when He was hungry. He showed Him all the kingdoms of the earth and their glory.
g. Solomon wants GOOD to look appealing to his son.
3. This is good advice to all parents. Make doing what is RIGHT appealing!
a. This doesn’t mean that we should make it look cool or acceptable to the world! That is a worldly approach.
b. Cool = “in”—acceptable with the “in crowd”. The “in crowd” is not the One we are trying to please!
c. Spiritual things will NEVER be cool with the world. The world hates truth! Darkness hates light.
d. But, as Christians, we should make light (truth; obedience; righteousness) look appealing to our children in a good sense.
e. Parents can do that by holding up and honoring that which is good and pure and holy!
f. Instead of holding up Michael Jordan or some other celebrity a role model, hold up Jesus Christ as a model! Or one of the apostles!
g. Reward good behavior in the home! Praise your children when they make wise choices! Praise them when they do that which is honorable… just for the sake of honor!
h. Make it appealing! It is appealing to God!
i. There ought to be an attractiveness to truth and light to those who are born again!
j. This is what Solomon is doing with his son. He wants his son to know that the wise will inherit glory!
k. He wants his son to know that there is great reward in following the way of wisdom!
4. This glory (honor; dignity) belongs only to the wise. It is their inheritance.
a. Inherit = to get as a possession; to acquire; to inherit.
b. It implies that it might not be acquired immediately.
c. The reward for wisdom is not always immediate… but it is sure.
• For us, the way of wisdom means to follow the Lord. That means suffering and persecution in this life.
• In this life, we may not inherit glory… we may inherit shame—at least in the eyes of the ungodly.
• The martyrs died a shameful death—in the eyes of the world. But they went on to inherit glory!
• If we follow the ways of wisdom, we will not be honored by the world… we will be treated shamefully. (I Thess. 2:2)
• The wise man who lives for the Lord and sacrifices in this life is considered to be a fool by the world. Their motto is “eat, drink, and be merry!” Why pick up a cross? Why suffer? Why sacrifice? The world thinks the godly saint to be a fool! (I Cor. 15:19)
• In this life, we don’t often see the result or the reward of wisdom. But we will in heaven!
• Whatever we suffer in this life for the Lord will seem like nothing compared to the glory that shall follow! (Rom. 8:18)
• When we follow the way of wisdom in this life, the immediate result is often suffering. But when we stand before the judgment seat, the reward will be glory! (I Pet. 1:6-)
• Even if we don’t see it right away, the way of wisdom results in glory! The wise shall inherit glory!
• The straight and narrow way may be quite straight and narrow now—but it leads to everlasting life… we inherit glory at the end!
• The Lord set the pattern—suffering in this life—and GLORY to follow! (I Pet. 1:11)
5. Sometimes, following the way of wisdom DOES result in glory NOW! (or at least profit… a degree of advantage)
a. There IS profit to godliness in this life too. (I Tim. 4:8)
b. Walking in wisdom is the way of godliness.
c. Those who walk in wisdom and follow godliness… will experience a certain degree of “profit” (glory) in this life AND in the life to come…
d. Examples:
• The wisdom in proverbs tells us to be diligent in our work. That usually results in profit!
• The wisdom in proverbs warns us against drinking strong drink. That profits our health… relationships… family life…
• The wisdom in proverbs tells us to be careful with the use of out tongue. That too will be profitable in this life!
• The wisdom in proverbs tells us to avoid evil companions. That too results in profit in this life.
• The wisdom in proverbs demands that we be honest. That will be of great profit too—if we can avoid going to jail!
e. We are rewarded from God at the Bema seat in heaven for wise behavior. But there is also some “glory” or profit to be had in this life.
6. Sometimes when we live godly and follow the way of wisdom:
a. We may suffer and be shamed in this life—but inherit glory in heaven!
b. We may experience honor in this life from following wisdom—and then ALSO inherit glory in heaven!
c. It is better to follow the way of wisdom all around.
d. At least ultimately—the wise shall inherit glory.
e. Psalm 84:11 – He gives grace and glory!
f. Prov. 4:8 – exalt wisdom, and she shall promote thee!
g. Dan. 12:3 – They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament for ever and ever!
BUT SHAME SHALL BE THE PROMOTION OF FOOLS.
1. Ultimately, fools inherit shame!
2. However, in this life, fools sometimes do well!
a. Folly in the Bible is not childishness… or silly pranks. It speaks of rebellion… ungodliness… evil… refusal to obey Lady Wisdom (God!)
b. They are eating, drinking, and are merry in this life! They seem to be having a grand old time!
c. The ungodly and those who reject the way of God’s wisdom might prosper in the world! (Ps. 73:1-3)
d. Jer. 12:1 – Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?
e. Job 21:7-13 – READ
f. This fact often puzzles the godly. It doesn’t seem fair!
• Solomon wants his son to know that while fools may seem to have power, wealth, and glory in this life, they have nothing but shame waiting for them in the life to come!
• Shame shall be the promotion of fools—regardless of what they say or think now!
3. Promotion: to exalt; to lift up; to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted
a. In this world, it seems that the ungodly are winning. They seem to be exalted. The fools seem to have their share of glory.
b. Who has glory in this life? Movie stars… celebrities… athletes… wealthy tycoons… CEO’s…
c. Many of them (not all!) are ungodly fools!
d. What is it that exalts them today?
• Good looks; money; fame; athleticism; power; etc.
• In the future, they will be exalted in SHAME!
• Charles Bridges: “Their fame will be infamous; their disgrace conspicuous; lifting them up, like Haman upon his elevated gallows!”
4. Daniel 12:2 – And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
a. They will be raised to an eternity of shame!
b. Their shame will be experienced in the Lake of Fire.
c. The only exaltation the fool will have in that day is SHAME!
d. IN that day, God will eternally separate the wise from the fools.
e. Eternal glory for one—eternal shame for the other.
5. Solomon wants wisdom to be appealing. He also wants folly to appear as it really is: shameful!
a. This is good advice for parents today!
b. Solomon wanted to make it clear to his son that he should NOT therefore envy the wealthy, powerful oppressor! (Prov. 3:31)
c. Don’t envy those who seem to be enjoying fame, wealth, power, and glory in this life. Eternal shame is their end.
d. There is nothing appealing about the life of a worldly, ungodly fool! It ends in shame.
