Proverbs
Notes on Proverbs – Chapter 11
Proverbs 11:1
A False Balance
A false balance is abomination to the LORD:
1. This passage speaks about dishonesty and deception in business transactions.
a. Balances or scales were used to measure all the goods sold in the marketplace.
b. How they worked: a one pound weight was placed on one side of the scale…and one pound of grain on the other. When they balanced in the middle, the consumer knew that he was getting one pound for his money.
2. However, if the merchant was dishonest, there were two ways he could cheat his customers.
a. He could use a false or uneven balance.
• If the balance arms were of unequal length, the scale would appear to say that they were equal, but they would not be equal.
• It works like a sea-saw. The short end requires more weight to balance the bar.
• Thus, dishonest merchants could use a “false balance”—with arms of unequal length.
• They also used to come up with tricks to falsify their balances. (let one side get dirty and greasy and all gummed up with whatever they were selling, and keep the other side clean.
• The Talmud required merchants to clean their scales either weekly, daily, or monthly, depending upon the product they sold.
b. He would use unequal weights.
• Some merchants would shave off a few ounces from his “weight.” (or the yardstick)
• Hence, the consumer would think he was getting a full pound, but he was not. He was being cheated.
• The merchant claimed he was selling a full pound, but it may have been only 15 ounces. The customer was getting shortchanged and the merchant was getting rich.
• Years ago in America, when some of our coins were silver, men began shaving the edges off the coins and saving the silver.
• Then the government decided to put those little lines on the edges of quarters so you could tell if you were getting a full quarter.
3. Amos 8:5 speaks of this dishonest practice
• making the ephah small (the weight was shaved)
• making the shekel great (the money; cost; their profit increases)
• falsifying the balances by deceit
• vs. 6 – the rich merchants took advantage of the poor (the rich become richer and the poor become poorer)
• vs. 7 – God takes notice; He will never forget!
• Vs. 8 – the land will be judged for this deception and oppression
4. Micah 6:10-11 – Micah also rebukes the people for this sin of cheating.
• He calls that dishonest gain as “treasures of wickedness” from a “scant measure.”
5. This is not a new phenomenon! It is as old as the hills…
a. Ever since the fall in Eden, men have been lying, cheating, deceiving, and stealing from one another in the marketplace.
6. This kind of behavior is a violation of four of the 10 commandments.
a. Thou shalt not bear false witness (lie)
b. Thou shalt not steal
c. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself
d. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods
7. Unfortunately, the Jews did not always obey the law.
a. Lev. 19:35-26 – God had to record a very specific command to the merchants…
b. Here God spells out clearly that shaving the ephahs was contrary to His commandments. It was stealing!
c. Why were they not to do this? “I am the Lord.” I said so!
d. The real reason for honesty is because of who God is. He is true. He is pure. He is holy… honest… reliable…
e. For a believer to steal not only harms the person from whom he steals—it disgraces God! It is a poor reflection on Him!
f. Deut. 25:13 – they were not even to OWN different kinds of measures…because of the temptation to use them!
• They were to use only the standard nationally accepted weights…
• They were not even to possess in their bags anything that might even be used for deception…
g. I Chron. 23:29 implies that there was a national standard weight… and that it was likely kept in the Temple area and monitored by the Levites.
8. It is probably no great surprise, but merchants in our country don’t obey this rule either!
a. Have you ever bought anything in a magazine that looks much larger in the picture than it does when you get it in the mail?
b. Have you ever bought a roll of Christmas wrap?
c. Have you ever bought a large box of cereal only to discover that when you open the box, it is only half full?
d. Then there are the proverbial butchers who “accidentally” leave their thumb on the scale…
e. The gas station owners who skim… adding an extra cent or two to the price… or adjusting their pumps to give a hair less than a full gallon?
f. How about the grocery stores where you have one price on the shelf, but it rings up more at the counter?
g. Or the paving companies that charge an arm and a leg and leave only a thin membrane of asphalt on your driveway!
h. Have you ever really counted your bottle of aspirin to see if there are REALLY 100 tablets in it?
i. And how about all the fine print in contracts, which the merchants hope no one will ever read?
j. Recently many food companies were caught selling their products in slightly smaller packages for the same price. (A deceptive way of charging more)
k. We call it price gouging… cutting corners… skimming… fraud…or scams. The ancients called it “false weights.”
l. Regardless of whatever men call it, God calls it abomination!
• The one that really gets me is when you spend $20,000 on a new car and they give you a spare tire that’s just about big enough for your lawn mower!
• That’s an abomination in my books!
9. Prov. 20:10,23 – divers weights = abomination
a. Having a bag of slightly different weights enabled the merchant to sell an honest weight to his friends and to cheat those he did not like. It opens the door to being a respecter of persons; bigotry; discrimination…
b. Sometimes they would have two separate sets of weights… one for buying and one for selling… and would use them to his own advantage… when he bought, he would get more than he paid for; when he sold the customer would get less then he paid for.
c. God called divers weights abomination… what makes it SO abominable is that it is conducted under the pretence of truth and honesty… God hates it.
d. We should hate it too.
e. Jack the Painter…
But a just weight is his delight.
1. In contrast to the “abomination” of dishonesty is the “delight” of honesty.
2. The “just weight” is one that conforms to the national standard. It is the accepted weight… the one the customer is EXPECTING.
3. It represents fair trade… honesty… respect for other human beings made in the image of God…God delights in that.
4. God is pleased (delighted!) with honesty in all the affairs of life… whether a man is selling a 10 million-dollar estate or a pencil!
a. This passage indicates to us that God is cognizant of every transaction that takes place on earth.
b. Every transaction… every deal… every trade is conducted in God’s presence… under His watchful eye.
c. The consumer may not realize he is being taken, but God does.
d. God is angry with deception and thievery. He is pleased with honesty.
5. The Christian ought to be more interested in pleasing God in his business enterprise than making money.
a. Perhaps everyone else is the business is cheating… that does not mean the believer may.
b. Perhaps everyone in the business cheats the government in reporting taxable income… that does not give us permission to do so. That is no different than the butcher with his finger on the scale.
c. Our goal should be to bring pleasure to God with our WHOLE life… including the business side of life… our financial affairs…
6. A just weight and balance are the LORD’S: all the weights of the bag are his work. (Prov. 16:11)
a. They are the LORD’S. They are HIS work. Why?
• Because God is truth. God is trustworthy.
• God is fair and just… justice is His work.
• Honesty is a reflection of God’s character.
• Even the unsaved are made in God’s image. They too have a sense of righteousness… they understand honesty… they expect it.
• There are many unsaved businessmen who are honest in their dealings. If so, that is the Lord’s work… a reflection of His image in them.
• God DELIGHTS in that.
b. As believers, we should certainly want to please God. When we do our work… it should a reflection of His work… honesty…
Proverb 11:2
The Proud and the Lowly
When pride cometh…
1. Note that word pride is italicized, and was thus added.
a. Pride comes (a statement of declaration!)
b. Solomon states an obvious fact: pride comes.
c. Hence, the word WHEN (although not needed) does capture the correct meaning here. It is not a matter of IF, but WHEN.
d. Pride will come. Count on it.
2. Pride is so deeply embedded into our fallen human nature, that it is our NATURE to be proud.
a. Pride is our constant enemy.
b. We need to KNOW our nature… and BEWARE of our pride.
c. It does no good to hide and try to proclaim, “I’m not a proud person!” We ARE proud people. God says so. No exceptions apart from the Lord Jesus.
d. The act of denying that we are proud is an expression of pride!
3. I Tim. 3:6 – pride was the original sin in the universe.
a. The sin of pride is here called “the condemnation of the devil.”
b. It was pride that condemned Satan and caused him to be cast out of heaven.
c. His 7 “I wills” were expressions of his pride. (Self-will opposing God’s will—that’s sin—that’s pride!)
d. He became proud of his beauty and intelligence.
4. I Tim. 3:6 – pride is commonly found in new believers.
a. It is only a new or untaught believer who would ever make such a claim as to say, “I’m not a proud person.” It is a display of pride and immaturity… and inexperience in the Christian life.
b. I’ve heard people say, “I don’t have a proud bone in my body.” Poor soul—he doesn’t know what he’s made of! He hasn’t got much of a grasp of human nature.
c. He may genuinely believe it—which can only be attributed to the fact that the heart is deceitful above all things… who can know it?
d. Obadiah 3 – The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee (speaking to Edom)
e. Pride is there. Our hearts are proud. Rather than trying to deny it, we should face up to reality and learn to deal with it God’s way.
f. Denial is of no help. That’s what Peter did.
• Matt. 26:31-33 – Peter in pride said he would NEVER be offended in the Lord. He had to eat his words that night.
• What pride! The Lord said that they would be offended in Him, and Peter said that the others might, but he NEVER would!
• He had a puffed up view of himself… of his strength… of his bravery… (We always think more highly of ourselves than we ought—don’t we?!)
• Matt. 26:75 – why do you suppose he wept so bitterly? He realized that he had denied the Lord AND he got a glimpse at how sinfully proud and deceitful his own heart was. That hurts!
5. Solomon wrote: Pride comes. It will come. It will rear its ugly head… in your life and in mine.
a. Come: to go; to come; or to enter in;
• Entering in seems to fit best here.
• Pride enters into our minds and hearts—when we let it.
• It resides in our fallen heart and it will come in and take over unless we keep it in check.
• If we DON’T keep it in check—it will come…
b. If we know that pride will come… and if we know that it is our nature to be proud… then we should be on constant alert for it in our lives.
c. Beware of it. Watch for it. Learn to nip it at the bud.
d. It is EASY to see pride in others.
• And we hate it when we see it.
• It is disgusting… repulsive… obnoxious… nauseating…
e. But somehow, it is not so easy to recognize it in ourselves.
• We seem to have blinders on when it comes to our own faults. We like to call it by some other name… to justify it… excuse it… tolerate it…
f. We would do well to be looking for pride—not in others, but in ourselves.
g. Turn a blind eye to the pride in others… but be critical about the pride in our own heart. DEAL with it, don’t ignore it.
h. That is the only pride we can DO anything about: our own! There’s enough there to keep us busy till the cows come home.
Then cometh shame…
1. Pride brings shame… either as the natural consequence of the foolish things pride does—
a. Luke 14:8-11 – exalting self leads to shame!
b. How much better to walk lowly… and let others exalt you!
2. OR God may bring the proud to shame Himself.
a. God hates pride and cannot tolerate it. (Prov. 16:5)
b. Nothing is more detestable to God than fallen creatures with sinful flesh (which has NOTHING to be proud of) that exalts self.
c. NO flesh should glory in His presence.
d. There are six things the Lord especially hates—pride was at the top of the list! This is no small matter with the Lord. He hates it. So should we.
e. We should cut off pride in our life because God hates it. That’s a good enough reason in itself.
3. We should avoid pride also because it leads to shame.
a. Pride comes. So does the shame. This is a certainty.
b. Pride itself is shameful. It leads to more and more shame.
c. Pride manifests itself in countless ways… with all kinds of disastrous results… all of which could be characterized as shameful!
4. Prov. 28:25 – proud hearts stir up strife. (shameful!)
a. Prov. 23:10 – only by pride cometh contention!
b. Fights; arguments; strife—can all be traced back to PRIDE.
• I demand my way! I demand to have the last word.
• I think I’m right! My way is the only way!
• This kind of fighting is shameful all by itself.
• But it can lead to divorce; church splits; friendships breaking up — shameful behavior… trace it back to pride.
5. Prov. 29:23 – a man’s pride shall bring him low (humiliate; abase)
a. Dan. 5:30-33 – King Nebuchadnezzar exalted himself in pride… taking all the glory to himself—as if he single-handedly built Babylon to its height of splendor!
b. God brought him low—like an animal for 7 years!
c. How shameful… and how ashamed Nebuchadnezzar later was—think of it—a king going from the ruler of the world to walking on all fours and eating grass like a madman… like an animal!
d. God knows how to bring proud people DOWN to earth!
6. Prov.16:18 – pride goeth before destruction
• Destruction: breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash, ruin, shattering
• Pride fractures, crushes, and ruin all kinds of relationships: marriages; parent/child relationships; church families; work relationships…
• The deterioration and abasement brought about by pride will result in shame.
• Such destruction causes people to say and do shameful things… hurtful things…
• Nebuchadnezzar learned the lesson. He learned that God is able to ABASE (crush) those who walk in pride! (Dan. 4:37).
• Pride is a killer.
But with the lowly is wisdom.
1. Here again, Solomon uses a common poetic form – a parallelism that highlights a contrast: the proud and the lowly.
2. Pride is associated with shame. Lowliness is associated with wisdom.
a. This of course makes perfect sense.
b. If a person knows that pride results in destruction… being abased… and shame, then it isn’t very wise to be proud. It is quite foolish!
c. Thus, those who humble themselves are the truly wise ones.
3. The world doesn’t see it that way. The world associates lowliness and meekness with weakness!
a. The world’s way is to demand our rights… to seek for self esteem… to aggressively push to advance self… to step right over people in order to climb the ladder… take care of number one… to be assertive… and don’t let anyone push you around…
b. God’s way is quite different. God honors the meek… and the lowly. God says things like “humble yourself”… “turn the other cheek”… “walk… in all lowliness and meekness”… walk humbly with God…
c. God’s ways are certainly not the ways of the world—that’s for sure.
4. While walking in lowliness and humility might seem foolish to the world, God says it is WISE.
a. It is wise because it keeps us from the destruction and shame that result from pride!
b. Prov. 3:34 – it is wise because God gives grace to the lowly!
c. Prov. 15:33 – before honor is humility. (In other words—humility is followed by honor! Pride is followed by destruction, shame, and a fall… but humility is followed by honor) It makes good SENSE to walk humbly… to be lowly… exercise humility…
d. Isa. 57:15 – It is wise because only the lowly can have sweet fellowship with God.
e. James 4:10 – it is wise because it is the lowly that God lifts up!
f. Prov. 22:4 – by humility are riches and honor!
• Proud arrogant people cannot keep a job; cannot keep friends; cannot handle life well…
• It is wise to be humble if it results in true riches in God’s sight… and honor before the Lord!
Proverbs 11:3, 5
Led by Integrity and Righteousness
Introduction:
1. Verses 3 & 5 will be taken together, because they are so close in meaning.
2. Both of these passages speak about “guidance” through life—a most practical lesson. Who doesn’t need guidance in decision-making?
Led by integrity and righteousness
A. WHO
1. The upright: (v. 3) straight; upright; correct; right; straight; level
a. The term “upright” is found in Proverbs 16 times—4 times in chapter 11.
b. This is a description of a man who goes by the rules.
c. He does things the “correct” way, rather than cutting corners…
d. He is “on the level”… straight… true… right… not crooked.
e. This man cares about ethics and morals and truth.
f. 12:6 – their words are true and right… and helpful
g. 15:8 – his prayers are a delight to the Lord—because his heart is right.
h. 16:7 – the upright depart from evil. They avoid it… separate from it.
i. 29:10, 27 – they are hated by evil men, but godly men seek them out.
• They are hated by the wicked because they take a stand against their wicked ways. No one likes their sin exposed.
j. The upright man is upright in his heart, his speech, his motives, and his actions. This is GENUINE uprightness being described—not a mere outward show.
2. The perfect: (Vs. 5) complete; whole; entire; sound; grown up; mature
a. This does not refer to one who is sinlessly perfect. Only the Lord was sinless in that sense.
b. It refers to a person is whole… balanced… has a mature perspective… sees the bigger picture… not childish, but grown up…
c. This verse runs parallel to verse 3—and the term perfect is parallel to “upright.” It does not appear as often in Proverbs as the term “upright.”
d. Taken together Solomon is describing a person who is well balanced, and who does things right… he’s on the level… he is mature and is accustomed to walking on the straight and narrow path…
e. These are the kinds of people who will experience this kind of guidance through life.
B. WHAT
1. They (upright; perfect) are GUIDED through life (vs. 3)
2. Their ways will be DIRECTED (vs. 5)
3. Their ways are DIRECTED (21:29)
4. They will be KEPT in the way… prevented from wandering. (13:6)
5. Their souls (lives) will be PRESERVED from many of the pitfalls and troubles that others face. (16:17)
C. HOW
1. Guided by integrity. (vs.3)
a. Integrity: innocence; simplicity; integrity; honesty; loyalty
b. How does integrity lead a man or woman or child through life?
• The person of integrity is led BY his integrity or sense of innocence and honesty… in that many of life’s choices are already decided BECAUSE of the love of honesty and innocence.
• Ex: the boss called in sick today… should I loaf like everyone else, or should I do my work as diligently as if he were here? Integrity answers that for you! The decision has been made already!
• Or any other issue that arises which calls for a decision—integrity will make the decision for you! If it’s shady, you don’t do it! If it is questionable, you stay away! If it involves dishonesty, integrity will guide you in another direction.
• Integrity will ALWAYS guide us away from that which is dishonest or shady… and will always direct us TOWARD that which is upright and fair and truthful.
• A person of integrity doesn’t have to debate these issues or agonize over them. He isn’t puzzled over which route to take. His integrity guides him. (Joseph before Potiphar’s wife)
• He instinctively KNOWS which route to take… integrity guides him! (Abraham refusing money from Sodom)
c. The upright man who has integrity is GUIDED by that integrity. His way is DIRECTED by that integrity.
d. It’s quite simple: “Which way do I go?” Go the way of integrity… avoid all other ways!
• He doesn’t chose on the basis of what he wants, and then attempts to justify his actions.
• He doesn’t make excuses for his choices; you don’t have to when integrity guides you!
• He doesn’t merely try to make his decisions LOOK like integrity guided him.
2. Directed by righteousness. (vs. 5)
a. Direct: to make the way straight; smooth; level; right;
b. How does righteousness direct the steps of a mature man? It greatly LIMITS his choices… narrows down the alternatives dramatically: he does what is RIGHT! End of the argument.
c. We live in a world that Paul calls a “present EVIL world.” We are surrounded by things that are not right all the time.
d. We are faced with many decisions in this evil world too… the choices we are faced with each day seem to be multiplying faster than we can compute.
e. It is sometimes difficult in making decisions—but here is a sure-fire way of simplifying our decision-making processes: do what is right!
• How should I do my job? Do it right! The way you were told.
• How should I do my homework? Do it right! Don’t cut corners… do whatever your teacher said to do… and the way they said to do it…
• How should I treat my spouse? Do it right… according to God’s standard of righteousness—the Word of God.
• How should I bring up my family? Do it right! Follow the instructions in the word!
f. If you brought your car to the garage because it is not working well, you want the mechanic to do the job right!
• You certainly hope that the doctor who is cutting you open is going to do his job right.
• Having a heart that is SETTLED on doing things right will simplify your life immensely.
• It will eliminate debates and conflicts. It eliminates many—perhaps most choices—because they are not right.
g. The mature man does what is right. That’s Solomon’s point.
• The choice for the mature man is already made for him—he will always do that which is right.
• It may be harder (usually is)… it may take longer… but in the end it is the BEST route to take.
• Direct: to make straight; remove obstacles—the stumblingblocks are removed, making it less likely to trip.
• A mature man can often tell instantly what is the right thing to do…
• There are some difficult issues in which right and wrong is not so clear—but the vast majority of decisions are obvious. Do what is right.
• The mature man often knows instinctively, deep down inside, what is the right thing to do. And he does it.
• The perfect or mature man has his WAY DIRECTED by righteousness.
• He comes to that crossroad—and righteousness is like a signpost directing his steps.
• If you are driving to Providence, you follow the signs for Providence. You don’t debate whether to go north or south… or whether to take the exit that says Cape Cod… or Hartford… You take the right road.
• If you are headed for Providence, not all roads are the right roads. The mature driver will take the right road… and he will arrive at his destination.
3. The UPRIGHT man who is guided by integrity and righteousness will also be ABLE TO BE LED by the Lord.
a. 15:8 – God delights in his prayer… and answers his prayer.
b. This man already has most of life’s choices answered for him: he does what is right because of integrity and honesty.
c. In those areas where it is not so easy to discern what the right thing to do is—he can pray and be heard and guided by God—because God delights in the prayers of such an upright man.
d. God will lead and guide those who are sensitive to Him… and to truth and honesty… and who desire to do things right. If that is the character of his heart—God can lead him.
4. His integrity, uprightness, and righteousness will also keep him safe.
a. 13:6 – Righteousness “keeps” (watch over; preserves) the upright man in the way.
• Ps. 25:21 – integrity and uprightness will preserve us… as we wait on the Lord.
• If you are walking in the straight and narrow way, righteousness will keep you there… prevent you from taking a turn out of the way…
• It’s a safety valve… it not only tells us what is the right way to go—it also warns us to avoid all the wrong ways.
• He is delivered from the TRAPS that ensnare others. Safe!
• Eph. 6:14 – a “breastplate” of righteousness… keeps us safe…
• Prov. 2:7 – God is a buckler (shield) to all those who walk uprightly. (If you want to do things right—God is right there to help, guide, and protect.)
• If we DON’T want to do things right, we are on our own.
Led by perverseness and wickedness
1. In these two verses (3, 5) the opposites of the upright and perfect man are recorded: transgressors and the wicked.
2. Instead of their lives being guided and directed, their lives are destroyed (vs. 3b) and they shall fall into more wickedness. (vs. 5b).
3. The perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. (vs. 3)
4. The wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. (vs. 5)
5. The transgressors (who lack integrity) and the wicked (who have no righteousness) will also be guided through life—guided right to destruction… directed to a fall.
6. It’s pretty clear which way God wants our lives to be guided and directed. The results are much better too.
Proverbs 11:4
Righteousness, Not Riches
Riches profit not in the day of wrath…
1. Riches: wealth, riches, substance; anything with a high value
a. Solomon knew a lot about riches. He was a great collector of gold.
b. It would be wise for us to do as he says, not as he did.
c. The riches here refer to ANY kind of wealth: gold; cash; property; real estate; stocks, bonds, jewelry… baseball cards…
2. The day of wrath is used of the day of God’s judgment… especially upon the heathen.
a. Wrath: speaks of God’s wrath
b. Job 21:30 – the day of destruction and wrath… for the wicked.
c. One day every unbeliever will face the wrath of God.
3. Riches will not profit in that day.
a. Profit: to gain, profit, benefit, avail
b. Ezek. 7:19 – in that day men will realize how useless silver and gold is!
c. Zeph. 1:15, 18 – God will devour and will not be bought off with silver or gold!
d. Rev. 6:15-17 – in the day of God’s future wrath in the Tribulation Period, the world’s wealthiest men will find their wealth worthless… and they will hide in the rocks and caves and hope for death rather than face the wrath of the Lamb!
e. September 11th was a day of wrath (not THE day of wrath).
• The thousands of people in the world trade center faced the wrath of mad men…
• Many of the people in those towers had great personal wealth… the movers and shakers in the financial world.
• But they all perished—no differently than did the janitors and room servants in that place.
• The flames and the falling walls did not discriminate between the wealthy and the poor in that day.
• The same will be true in the day of God’s wrath. When judgment falls it is no respecter of persons.
f. When judgment begins to fall, men will finally realize that earthly wealth is unable to deliver… but it’s too late then.
• The folks who died in those towers would gladly trade their bankrolls to reverse those events… but it was too late.
• When the sinner stands before God in the Day of Judgment, he will realize how foolish his trusting in uncertain riches really was… but it will be too late.
g. Do wealthy people really believe that they can buy God off in that day?
• Evidently, they do… indirectly.
• The Bible says that many TRUST in their riches.
• They trust in wealth as their security… their safety… all the security they will ever need.
• That is because there is a deceitfulness that accompanies riches.
• Riches provide a FALSE sense of security.
• Job 31:24 – “If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence…” Job knew that some men DID make gold their confidence…
• Ps. 52:7 – “Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
• Here trusting in riches is seen as the opposite of trusting in God!
• Some men trust in their wealth… find their security in their money… make riches their strength… instead of God. It IS their God.
• While wealthy men may not actually believe that they can give God a bribe in the day of wrath—unbelievers do trust that money is all they need—ever. They are dead wrong.
• Prov. 11:28 – “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall.” When the day of wrath comes, this man will fall flat on his face.
4. Not only will riches not profit in the day of wrath, but they can even HINDER a person from getting saved today.
a. Mark 10:17-25 – the rich young ruler’s riches prevented him from coming to Christ to be saved. He loved his riches too much. The life of a disciple did not seem too appealing to him…
b. Prov. 28:11 – the rich man is too proud and self sufficient to be saved. The thought of humbling himself, admitting he has a need; and trusting in Another is repulsive to him.
c. I Tim. 6:7-8 – Rich men cling tightly to their wealth in this life, but when they face death, they are forced to let go. We take nothing with us.
• Job 1:21 – And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
• Prov. 27:24 – For riches are not for ever: (only our heavenly riches last forever!)
• Ecc. 5:14-15 – But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. 15As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
But righteousness delivereth from death.
1. The Old Testament saints looked at the life of a believer differently than we do. They did not have much revelation about the afterlife. They considered life on earth… a long healthy life on earth to be a desired goal.
2. Hence, the “deliverance” and “wrath” mentioned in this passage are not so much to be understood in the sense of eternal and spiritual, but rather temporal and earthly.
3. The wrath of God previously mentioned had to do primarily with God’s wrath poured out upon the earth… and certainly we can apply this to the final day of His wrath at the Great White Throne Judgment.
4. The death from which men are delivered here also seems to refer an earthly deliverance…
a. His point here is similar to other similar passages: live a righteous life and you can expect to live longer than the fool who lives in the fast lane.
b. Righteousness DELIVERS us from many tragedies in life… it may even deliver us from death!
c. Those who lead righteous lives don’t have to worry about contacting the deadly diseases contracted through drugs or illicit sex.
d. Any unrighteous lifestyle is quite risky. Those who lead righteous lives will be rescued by that righteousness.
e. They will be delivered from jail… from punishment… from sickness… from tragedies… from heartaches… and perhaps even DEATH… all by simply leading a life in harmony with God’s Word.
5. Eph. 6:14 – part of our Christian armor: the breastplate of righteousness.
a. Like a breastplate which protects our vital organs, righteousness protects us…
b. Gen.7:1 – Noah was righteous in God’s sight. He was delivered from death.
6. Prov. 12:28 – in the way of righteousness is life… there is no death in its pathway!
7. Righteousness will deliver a man from temporal judgments and physical death. However, righteousness will also deliver a man from eternal judgment and the second death!
a. The believer is robed in the righteousness of God… and hence, is safe forever. (Rom. 3:22) That is the righteousness that counts!
b. For a man to get into heaven, he must be righteous. Yet no man is ABLE to produce righteousness on his own.
c. If we are going to have the kind of righteousness that will permit us to enter heaven, we must RECEIVE that righteousness as a gift… through faith.
d. It is often helpful to witness to folks along these lines: explaining that righteousness is needed; righteousness is impossible to produce; but righteousness is available freely through the grace of God. (Rom. 3:23)
RICHES WON’T PROFIT IN THE DAY OF WRATH, BUT RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL.
Proverbs 11:6, 8
The Righteousness of the Righteous
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them…
1. This verse fits into a context of proverbs that speaks of the benefits of righteousness.
a. Vs. 3 – Integrity will guide the upright through life.
b. Vs. 5 – the righteousness of the perfect will direct his ways.
c. Vs. 6 – now he speaks of another benefit of righteousness: it will deliver you!
2. The righteousness of the upright.
a. The upright: straight; upright; correct; right (this is the kind of person he is describing… the one who does things the RIGHT way.
b. The righteousness spoken of here refers to practical righteousness… or good works… a righteous lifestyle… righteous behavior…
c. Solomon is stating that the righteous behavior of men will serve to DELIVER him.
3. But deliver him from what?
a. Not hell! Isa. 64:6 – all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in the sight of God. They will never deliver us from hell. But the term is used here as a synonym for good works… righteous works…
b. From trouble – 10:8 – delivered out of trouble… and the wicked man takes his place in that trouble…
• 21:12 – “The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked.” Thus, the righteous man is delivered from much of the trouble that the wicked bring upon themselves.
• You want to be delivered from trouble? Consider the house of the wicked; learn from it; and follow the way of the righteous!
c. From sin – 10:16 – labor of the righteous (good works) tends to life and is the opposite of that which leads to sin. (You want to keep away from sin? Keep busy doing that which is right!)
d. From folly – 8:20 – wisdom leads in the way of righteousness… and that way will keep us out of the path of folly.
• In other words, staying in the path of righteousness—determined to do what is right… will keep a young man OUT OF the way of fools.
• Fools will constantly entice a young man to follow their path of folly and sin.
• 1:10-16 – Fools enticing a young man to follow their sinful ways. The young man who manifests wisdom and refuses to depart from the RIGHT way… will be delivered from all that awaits the fools:
• Vs. 17-18 – they lay wait for their own blood—they are about to fall into a trap!
e. From spiritual barrenness – 11:28 – the righteous shall flourish as a branch… and be fruitful.
• If you do things right, fruit is the result.
• In a garden if you provide good soil, plenty of sunlight, and water, the garden will be fruitful!
• If you do it right, it works… it produces fruit.
• So too in the life of a believer. If we do things right (according to God’s word) fruit will result.
• 12:12 – the root of the righteous yields fruit. Guaranteed!
• 10:3 – the righteous soul shall never famish!
f. From God’s curse – 3:32-33 – God’s secret (circle of friends; counsel; intimacy) is with the righteous.
• That intimate counsel will deliver us from the curse that inhabits the house of the wicked. There is blessing instead!
• God gives intimate, person counsel to those who walk in righteousness. That counsel will deliver us from all kinds of trouble we might otherwise bring upon ourselves!
g. From the trouble our mouth can stir up – 10:11-12 – the mouth of the wicked stirs up trouble and creates violence.
• The righteous man who has a righteous tongue is delivered from all that kind of trouble.
• Do you know someone who is constantly saying things he shouldn’t say? (other than self—of course!) That person is setting himself up for all sorts of problems in life.
• The righteousness of a man will manifest itself in his speech—and a righteous tongue will deliver him from all kinds of trouble.
h. From a ruined life – 10:24-25 –
• Vs.2 4 – This proverb states that the righteous get their desires (what they want), but the wicked get what they fear and dread!
• A whirlwind or a storm of life blows the wicked away, but the righteous man is delivered from that kind of ruin. He is an everlasting foundation… solid… immovable…
» 10:30 – shall never be moved…
» 12:3 – the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
» 12:7 – the house of the righteous shall stand…
• The righteousness of the upright delivers them from a ruined, wasted life.
i. From a life of sadness – 10:28 –
• The righteous man can expect gladness and joy;
• The opposite (the wicked) can have no expectation or hope of gladness, but his hope and joy will perish… be ruined.
• Ps. 64:10 – “The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.”
• How many sad souls are there pining away in prison cells and in flop houses—because they didn’t do things right in life… always cheating… avoiding work… sliding through life… cutting corners and refusing to choose the right pathway… how miserable those souls are!
j. Delivered from a hopeless death – 14:32 – he has hope in his death… the wicked do not.
k. Delivered from poverty – 15:6 in the house of the righteous is much treasure.
• This simply means that the man who does things righteously will have all he needs.
• If he does things righteously then he will be a hard worker—and that work will be rewarded.
• If he does things righteously he will not squander his wealth.
• If he does things righteously he will not waste his wealth on frivolous things.
l. Delivered from getting stuck in mischief – 24:15-16 –
• Solomon states here that righteous men and wicked men both stumble in life. All men fall on occasion.
• The difference is that the righteous or just man falls but gets up again!! He doesn’t stay stuck in the pit… in his fall…
• A righteous man may fall, but he gets back up, makes things right with God, and continues walking in the right path.
• Righteousness delivers us from getting STUCK in our sin!
m. Delivered from fear – 28:1 – Righteousness will give us courage in the face of our enemies.
• The wicked have no courage. They flee when the battle rages.
• The righteous man does not flee. He sticks it out.
• Why fear? Why run when we have done nothing wrong? If we are doing what is right, there is no need to flee.
• Righteousness delivers us from fear and instill us with courage.
n. Delivered from vanity in old age. Prov.16:31 – The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.
• Those who follow the way of righteousness are delivered from a sense of worthlessness in old age.
• Instead, their old age is a “crown of glory.”
• The glory of old age is found only IF it be found in the way of righteousness.
SUMMARY: So from what does “Righteousness” deliver a man?
Trouble, sin folly, spiritual barrenness, God’s curse, trouble our mouth brings, ruined life; sadness; a hopeless death, poverty, stuck in mischief, fear, and vanity in old age…
But transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
1. Righteousness will deliver the upright, but there is no deliverance for transgressors.
2. They shall be “taken” (captured; seized) in their naughtiness (evil desires).
3. Ps. 34:15-16 – the eyes and ears of the Lord are over the righteous… but He is against the transgressors. One is the way of safety… the other, well, look out!
Proverbs 11:9
Hypocrisy vs. Knowledge
Antithetical parallelism: (opposites are being contrasted)
• Hypocrite vs. the just
• A mouth vs. knowledge
• Destruction vs. deliverance
An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour:
1. Hypocrite: godless; profane; impious; irreligious; (the term does not include the concept of hypocrisy)
a. A godless or irreligious man… one who is profane as opposed to sacred… God is not in this man’s life.
b. If this man is “claiming” to be religious, then he is a hypocrite.
c. But the term is broader than that. It also includes the man who is just plain ungodly… and has no concern for God or spiritual things.
2. This proverb considers the MOUTH of this godless man.
a. Lots of things could be said about the mouth of a godless man. (Filthy; vulgar; full of lies; pride; cursing; etc…)
b. But this proverb focuses in on one aspect of his mouth: its destructiveness.
3. Destroys: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay; spoil; pervert
a. That which comes out of the mouth of the godless man tends to bring RUIN to his neighbor.
b. It has a corrupting effect on his neighbor.
c. I Cor. 15:33 – evil communications corrupt good manners.
• Communications: homilia; speech; communion;
• If the speech is evil, it has a corrupting effect on the ones who hear it.
• Manners: custom, usage, morals, character
• Those whose speech is evil will have an evil, corrupting, destructive, decaying effect on the morals and manners and ultimately on the character of those who listen.
d. God has given us fair warning: the speech and communications of the godless RESULT in the corruption of those who listen.
• A good lesson: don’t listen!
• Why listen to that which is evil or comes from godless men? You KNOW that hearing it will have a corrupting effect on you.
• This is a good reason to be extra discriminating in watching TV or videos… it can have a spiritually damaging effect!
• It can have an awful influence over our morals… and eventually our character.
e. How? We become accustomed to it.
• If you listen to shows with foul language long enough, it is no longer shocking.
• The original repulsion we felt toward it is gone… we become insensitive… spiritually dull…
• After a while, we don’t even blink when we hear that kind of language.
• That is called “being conformed to the world.” (No longer shocked or offended by its shocking and offensive behavior!)
• We might even find some of those offensive terms showing up in our own vocabulary…
f. The answer of course is not to listen to it, when possible.
• Sometimes it is not possible to avoid such language.
• But there is no reason under heaven for the believer to willingly subject himself to it by watching such videos or the ungodly sitcoms!
• Don’t listen to false teachers on the TV or radio—their speech WILL HAVE a corrupting effect on you… God said so.
• Why CHOOSE to listen to that which will have a destructive effect on our spiritual life?
• Why not choose to listen to that which you know is edifying?
4. There is another sense in which the mouth of the ungodly can bring DESTRUCTION to his neighbor.
a. Such speech can have a destructive and corrupting effect on the neighbor. (Prov. 16:29) – A corrupting influence through the enticing words of an ungodly man.
b. It can also bring outright RUIN to his life…
c. The godless man can bring ruin to his neighbor’s life through lies… gossip… slander… deceit…
d. The speech might corrupt the person… or speech can also have a destructive effect on his life.
e. Some men lie about their neighbor—and cause all kinds of trouble for him…
f. He can turn his friends against him…
g. He can cause him to lose his job… bring turmoil to his life.
h. And some godless people LOVE bringing about such trouble for others. It is their “sport”. (Prov. 10:23)
But through knowledge shall the just be delivered.
» The godless man brings about ruin by means of his mouth. The just man brings about deliverance by means of knowledge.
» An ungodly mouth brings destruction. Godly knowledge brings deliverance.
1. Just: speaks of a righteous man; a believer…
2. The ungodly man is characterized by a mouth; the godly man is characterized by knowledge!
3. A large amount of knowledge is by far superior to a large amount of mouth!
4. Delivered: to pull out; tear out; rescue; set free;
a. The meaning of the term implies that the deliverance is like being snatched out of a fire… it implies the DANGER of that which makes deliverance necessary.
5. From what is the just man “rescued”?
a. He is rescued from the destructive mouth of the godless man!
b. He is delivered from the corrupting effect of godless speech!
c. If the just man (godly man) is not careful, he too would come under the influence of the godless man.
d. If he is not careful (if you and I are not careful) godless speech will begin to corrupt our morals and manners! It could eventually affect character!
e. If we are not careful, godless speech can bring about destruction in our lives!
6. How is he delivered? (or, we…)
a. Through KNOWLEDGE…
b. Godly knowledge delivers from ungodly speech…
c. Godly knowledge delivers from the destructive effects of ungodly speech.
d. An IGNORANT man (who is just before God—saved) can be adversely affected by the godless man… but if that does happen, it was because of a lack of knowledge.
e. Knowledge will deliver him.
• Through knowledge they will be able to see through the evil intention of the ungodly and avoid being ensnared by him!
• Prov. 1:4 – the book of Proverbs was written to GIVE this kind of knowledge to the young man… so that he could avoid many of the pitfalls in life. (vs. 5 – if he listens!)
• 10:6 – violence is in his mouth. It is good to KNOW that!
• 10:19 – in many words is sin. It is helpful to KNOW that.
f. Do you want to be delivered from ruin, corruption, and destruction? KNOW what God says about the subject!
• Ecc. 2:13 – wisdom and knowledge by far surpass ignorance!
• Knowing God’s Word DELIVERS the believer from destruction.
• Some folks have been unhappy here because I didn’t make them FEEL good… or excited…
• I don’t want to sound too insensitive, but quite frankly, I don’t really care all that much how the people FEEL.
• My job as a pastor/teacher isn’t to cause you to feel something… or to get you excited…
• Besides, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. I wouldn’t trust my feelings as far as I could throw them!
• My job is to feed you the KNOWLEDGE of the truth…
• Feelings come and go. Knowledge of the truth is rock solid… stable… unmoving… steady…
• Feelings don’t result in deliverance from corruption. (Feelings often LEAD to corruption!) But knowledge DOES deliver from corruption!
• Knowledge delivers us from the corrupting influence of the godless man and his speech.
g. Increase in spiritual knowledge!
• II Pet. 1:5 – add to your faith knowledge…
• II Pet. 3:18 – grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Col. 1:9-10 – Pray that we might increase in the knowledge of His will… and in the knowledge of God.
• Hos. 4:6 – My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge! (vs.1 – indicates that it was the knowledge of God that they lacked—not a lack of math or science…)
• The more we know of God, His Word, and His ways, the more deliverance we will experience.
7. Godless men are all around us. Their speech might have a corrupting influence on us… our morals and character. Their mouth may spew out lies and gossip about us that could bring destruction in our life.
a. How can we deal with that? What are we to do?
b. Solomon tells us that the JUST man is delivered from all this by KNOWLEDGE.
c. Prov. 1:4 – To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
d. No wonder Lady Wisdom cries out, “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; keep her, for she is thy life!” (Prov. 4:13)
Proverbs 11:10-11
The Righteous and The City
1. There is a direct connection between the well doing of righteous men and the condition of the city…
a. This would go for any community… town… state…country… etc.
b. The same could be said of a family or a church.
c. When righteousness flourishes, the city rejoices… the family rejoices… the country rejoices… the church rejoices.
2. When those who do RIGHT are treated well, the entire community benefits.
a. Some countries suppress those who do right—and the whole nation suffers for it.
b. Other countries reward the righteous (hard workers; honest men; law-abiding citizens) and the country does well.
3. This proverb also seems to imply that the entire city benefits from God’s blessing on the righteous living in it.
a. This is a principle often repeated in the Scripture… and is true today.
b. Gen. 18:23-26 – The Lord promised not to judge the city if there were 50 righteous men found there. The city would have benefited from the presence of righteous men in their midst.
c. Jer. 5:1 – God would have pardoned the city if it contained righteous men!
d. Ezek. 22:30 – God sought for a righteous man so He wouldn’t have to judge the city—but didn’t find one!
e. Those cities would have REJOICED had they allowed the righteous to flourish in their midst. Too often, the righteous were persecuted and chased out of the city.
f. The presence and well being of righteous men give the community good reason to rejoice! The city benefits from their presence.
4. The world today benefits from the presence of the church.
a. Believers today serve as salt—a preservative. Salt keeps flesh from rotting too fast. It slows down the process of corruption.
b. The presence of the believer in the world today has the same effect.
c. As soon as the church is taken away, the full manifestation of sin takes over—the Tribulation Period. (II Thess. 2:7-8)
• The presence of the Holy Spirit indwelt Body of believers (church) in the world today HINDERS the mystery of iniquity—the full manifestation of sin.
• We are the salt of the earth…
• The world SHOULD rejoice because of the presence of righteous men, but it does not. The world refuses to give the glory to God.
• BUT—people in the world today—in our country today ARE glad because of the overall EFFECT of righteous men in the world.
» Could you imagine what Hollywood would be like were it not for the presence of righteous men in the land?
» Could you imagine what would happen in the medical world were it not for the presence of righteous men? (not only abortion, but euthanasia, assisted suicide; legalization of drugs—God help us!)
» That seems to be the way things are headed—but the presence of righteous men slows down the process.
» People with sense in the city REJOICE because of this influence.
5. Solomon keys in on an unusual phenomenon in the world:
a. While the world collectively is evil and anti-God; and while individuals in the world are sinners and do not come to the light… they still acknowledge the benefits of doing things RIGHT.
b. I know folks in the world today who never read the Bible; never go to church; tell dirty jokes; swear; watch filthy movies; have a live in lover—and then lament over how bad the lyrics in the rock songs are… or how vile TV has become!
c. There are folks out there who drink, smoke pot—and lament over the drug problem in the country… and all the violence associated with it.
d. They are PART OF the problem… and yet at the same time, they acknowledge how awful the consequences of that kind of behavior are upon the nation.
e. And while they are part of the problem, they rejoice—they are grateful that there are some righteous folks out there preventing the entire culture from immediately going down the tubes.
6. The whole community benefits from the presence… the convictions… the actions… the lifestyles… the prayers… and the overall influence of righteous men…
a. While they would revolt against anyone telling them personally that their life is headed in the wrong direction—they are grateful for leaders who direct the nation as a whole in the right direction.
b. It is the kind of thinking we hear often in America: Everybody agrees that we need a new power plant—but not in my back yard! “We all agree that we need righteousness in the land—but don’t you dare tell me how to live!”
c. It is part of human nature:
• Folks always want to enjoy the benefit but they do not want the cost.
• They want the blessing of God without the behavior that results in the blessing.
• Sort of like what we are seeing today: God bless America—keep on praying for us all you churchgoers!
1. When wicked people perish—it brings relief to the city, especially if that wicked person was a ruler.
a. Even though the city is full of sinners, who lie, cheat, and steal, they don’t want their rulers to lie to them… or steal from them!
b. There is a great sense of relief when wicked ruler perishes.
c. Prov. 28:28 – when the wicked perish, the righteous increase!
2. Wicked rulers DO oppress people… cheat…lie… steal… plunder…
a. When they perish—or are chased out of office, the people rejoice!
b. Consider the many people who have had to live under the rigors of cruel dictators. Such nations have always abounded, and still do today! Cuba; Romania; Bosnia; Philippines; Chile; Haiti…
c. When the Taliban was destroyed, most of the people of Afghanistan rejoiced! Girls can go to school! Women can take those blue sheets off their heads! The soccer stadium is no longer used for public executions, but for soccer! Music is no longer illegal!
d. What happened in Afghanistan is an extreme example, but it is just what Solomon is talking about!
3. Even in free countries wicked men sometimes gain power… and when they are gone, the people shout for joy!
a. We have had leaders who have promoted wickedness in our land.
b. We will probably have more of them in the future.
c. When they are out of office—the godly can rejoice!
d. As a side note: whether we like their policies or not, we are commanded by God to honor the king… good or bad!
1. Prov. 29:2 – When the righteous are in positions of authority, the people can rejoice.
a. But the people mourn when the wicked rule.
b. Whether they are believers or not is irrelevant. What matters is that they do things RIGHT!
c. The city is exalted when its leaders are upright men.
d. When choosing a surgeon, I am not looking for one who is born again. I want one who knows his stuff… and is skilled… and performs his duties correctly… right.
e. The same thing with a politician. It’s nice if he is a believer, but I would be more concerned about what he does… what he promotes… the wisdom he demonstrates. (Not all believers are wise!) (There was no way I would have voted for Pat Robinson a few elections ago when he ran.)
f. PRAY for those in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty… and REJOICE!
2. Thus, Solomon is saying that the people rejoice when:
a. The righteous do well… and the wicked are removed!
b. Both are cause for joy to the city… or the nation.
c. In Israel they had good kings and evil kings. They had good prophets and evil prophets. And the people in the land either benefited or suffered as a result!
3. The same truth holds in the local church:
a. When God blesses with a godly board of elders who want to do things right, godly people will rejoice! God has given us good men to serve here. Pray for them! It’s no fun having men in leadership positions who oppose that which is right! But it happens.
b. And if men are in a leadership position that do NOT want to do things right, the people will mourn under their leadership… but will rejoice when they are gone!
1. II Sam. 15:1-6 – Absalom stole the hearts of the people away from David his father.
a. Absalom was a selfish, proud man who turned the nation against David—a man after God’s own heart!
b. Through his deceitful and wicked mouth he overthrew the kingdom of his own father, David.
c. The kingdom was NOT in better hands under his leadership.
2. Note the obvious contrast in the verse:
a. Through the upright, the city is exalted.
b. Through the wicked, the city is overthrown.
3. Overthrow: to tear down; break down; overthrow; beat down; break; break through; destroy; pluck down; pull down; throw down; ruined.
a. Whether it is a city, a village, a state, a nation, a business, a family, or a church… wicked men in positions of leadership will either build it up or tear it down.
b. Ecc. 9:18 – one sinner destroys much good! One leader without wisdom… without integrity… without faithfulness can undermine so much good that others have worked so hard to produce! Building up takes time. Destroying takes but no time at all!
Proverbs 11:12
Wisdom and the Tongue
Introduction:
1. In this section of Proverbs, Solomon had a lot to say about the tongue
a. 10:11,13,14,18,19,20,21,31,32
b. 11:9… and now in vs.12-13.
2. It might not be apparent when reading the verse at first that the topic is the tongue—since words like tongue, mouth, speak, etc., do not appear in the verse.
3. One of the best ways to understand proverbs like this is to dissect them… or put the comparisons side by side in a chart…
a. He that is void of wisdom contrasts with a man of understanding…
• They are opposites.
b. Despising one’s neighbor contrasts with holding one’s peace
• These two are also opposites.
• Holding one’s peace = being quiet —
• Hence, the opposite of holding one’s peace is SPEAKING.
• How is this speech described in the verse? “Despising one’s neighbor.”
• In other words, the fool demonstrates his hatred towards his neighbor by what he SAYS about him.
4. The contrast is this:
a. A man of understanding holds his peace. He bites his tongue. He doesn’t speak against his neighbor.
b. But a man who LACKS wisdom DOES speak against his neighbor… which in reality is an act of despising one’s neighbor.
c. The next verse gives us an example of despising one’s neighbor by revealing his secrets. (read vs. 13)
d. A wise man holds his peace. A man void of wisdom does not hold his peace. He speaks out against his neighbor… proof that he despises his neighbor.
He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbor.
1. Here is the description of a foolish man who despises his neighbor.
2. He is VOID of wisdom.
a. Wisdom would lead him to bite his tongue…
b. Note that Solomon describes this sin not so much as a lack of control of one’s tongue—but rather a lack of wisdom!
• This person does not have common sense… he lacks good judgment!
• Cf. Prov. 6:32 – he says the same thing about the one who commits adultery.
• It is not so much a sin of a lack of self control of the desires of the flesh. It is a lack of good judgment… a lack of understanding… void of wisdom!
• Wisdom and understanding in 6:32 are the same Hebrew terms. (they speak of good judgment; common sense)
• How can those kinds of sins be overcome? Not so much by self discipline — but rather by means of filling one’s head and heart with Divine Wisdom!
• A lack of wisdom results in the sins of the tongue and the sins of the flesh!
• We will never tame the tongue… and our old man will never improve. But we can fill our minds and hearts with God’s Word… the more the better.
c. Prov. 11:9 – the hypocrite with his mouth DESTROYS his neighbor.
d. We can do a lot of damage to our neighbor by the things we say about him—especially behind his back.
e. Prov. 10:18 – he is void of wisdom—a FOOL—who hides his hatred for his neighbor…or utters a slander…
• That kind of speech is a perfect example of despising one’s neighbor…
• It is also a perfect example of one who is void of wisdom.
• Wise people don’t tear others down with their mouth.
• Why? Ecc. 10:20 – because the wise man knows that those things have a way of being discovered… found out… Sooner or later that fool will earn the reputation of being a big mouth that no one will trust.
• Why else do wise people avoid slandering their neighbor?
» Because he knows that every idle word we speak we will have to give an account for at the Bema seat! (Matt. 12:36)
» Men who are void of wisdom don’t care about what they say about their neighbor. Men of wisdom do care.
3. Despise: to despise, hold in contempt, hold as insignificant
a. The man who speaks against his neighbor in reality does not think too much of his neighbor!
4. Psa. 120:1-4 – Here the psalmist states the awful effects of a lying or deceitful tongue.
a. Note that such talks hurts the SOUL of another person!
• For a believer to speak against another person, knowing that it hurts their SOUL… is a demonstration of the fact that they do not think too highly of that person! Not if they don’t care about hurting his soul.
b. What can you do about such a deceitful tongue? What is the answer?
• In verse three David addresses the lying deceitful tongue (poetic language).
• What should be done to such a tongue? The psalmist answers his own question: Radical surgery. Cut it out with a sharp arrow—or burn it out with hot coals!
c. The point: deal with the sins of the tongue! Don’t let it continue to inflict pain on others.
• The psalmist realizes that what is being said about him is a lie and deceit.
• However, it is painful to think that others might believe it of you.
• It is also painful to think of the damage that can be done by lies and deceit!
• The deceitful tongue can be like a dagger… a sword… a knife in the heart.
d. Anyone who could knowingly and willfully inflict such pain on another person obviously does not think too highly of that person. He is pretty insignificant in the sight of the slanderer.
• The one who despises his neighbor by speaking evil of him or her is VOID of wisdom.
• Void: He LACKS wisdom. (He might have a lot of dirt on someone else, but no wisdom; he might be a smooth talker and come out smelling like a rose, but he lacks wisdom)
• This is an ancient problem. Solomon wrote about it centuries ago!
• Men and women have ALWAYS spoken behind the backs of their neighbors and inflicted hurt on others through the unwise use of their tongue.
• There is nothing new under the sun.
But a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
1. Hold his peace = keep silent.
a. The fool blurts out all kinds of dirt on his neighbor—because he does not think highly of his neighbor.
b. The wise man keeps silent. He too may have some dirt on his neighbor… but he doesn’t blab it all over town. That’s wisdom.
c. Note again that Solomon does not attribute this to self-control—or control of his tongue—but rather to wisdom.
d. Prov. 11:19 – he that refraineth his lips is wise! (same point as in vs. 12)
2. This man does NOT despise his neighbor by speaking evil of him.
a. If his neighbor is worthy of scorn—he will in time demonstrate that himself!
b. You don’t have to proclaim his folly. Let him do it!
3. The man who lacks understanding despises his neighbor by magnifying the mote that his in his neighbor’s eye.
a. If he had any wisdom, he would consider the beam in his own eye!
b. Wisdom sometimes gives us something to say. More often than not it gives us reason to keep quiet… especially when it comes to speaking evil of our neighbor.
4. The man of understanding may look at his neighbor… and see a multitude of faults.
a. But his wisdom causes him to PITY his neighbor—not lash out at him.
b. His wisdom causes him to PRAY for his neighbor—not slander him.
c. His wisdom will cause him to keep his peace before men—and pour his heart out for that neighbor before the Lord.
d. If his neighbor is overtaken in a fault, rather than gossiping all over town about his fault, the spiritual man will attempt to “restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering himself lest he also be tempted.” That’s wisdom.
e. If our neighbor… or our child… or brother… or spouse… has a fault, the fool will blab. The wise man will keep silent—and try to help.
f. The wise man does not try to pick a fight… he tries to pick him up.
5. Fools despised Christ and spoke evil of Him. He did not lash out at them. (I Pet. 2:23)
a. Wise men know enough to hold their peace… be still… be quiet.
b. Any fool can lash out with the tongue. In fact, EVERY fool does so.
c. It takes grace and wisdom to hold one’s peace.
d. It is not a sign of weakness to hold back, but a sign of great strength and wisdom!
e. A man of understanding holds his peace.
f. Do you want victory over your tongue? Grow in wisdom and understanding… get as much of it as you possibly can… fill you head and heart with it… it is available… avail yourself of it!
6. What do we DO when others despise us and speak evil of us?
a. Psa. 119:23 – Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes. Spend time in the word.
b. The word of God is also a balm for a wounded spirit.
c. The word of God also gives wisdom… and understanding… and that in turn will prevent us from BECOMING a fool and lashing back!
Proverbs 11:13
The Talebearer
A talebearer revealeth secrets.
1. What is a talebearer?
a. This verse defines it for us. He reveals secrets.
b. In other words, when you tell something to this person in private—it doesn’t remain private. He blabs it all over town.
c. This is the person who cannot be trusted with a secret… you cannot speak in confidence to him… for your confidential words will be broadcast.
d. Consider the OPPOSITE of a talebearer in this verse: one who is of a faithful spirit.
• A faithful spirit is one that can be trusted.
• A talebearer is UNFAITHFUL.
e. A faithful friend is one in whom we can confide. We can open up and share with him some of the secrets of our heart. We can confess our faults to him. A faithful friend conceals the matter.
f. A talebearer: is the opposite. When he gets wind of a person’s faults… or when he is told something in confidence… he does NOT conceal the matter but REVEALS the matter.
g. According to this passage, the real problem with a talebearer is not just that he has a big mouth. The problem is not that he is talkative… gregarious… lacking self-control… or
h. The real issue is one of faithfulness.
• It is not just a matter of the tongue. It is a matter of the heart.
• He is not faithful to God who says NOT to be a talebearer.
• He is not faithful to his so-called friend he tore up with words.
• He is not faithful to his word. He said it was in confidence, but instead of concealing it, he reveals it.
• He is not a faithful person! His is not a faithful SPIRIT… there is a lack of faithfulness deep in the innermost part of his being.
2. This was part of the Law of Moses. (Lev. 19:16)
a. This is no new problem facing the modern world.
b. This problem has been around ever since shortly after the fall. (Immediately after the fall Adam and Eve had no third party to whom secrets could be told! If there was another person there, Adam would have snitched on Eve and vice versa! It’s human nature.)
THE CONSEQUENCES OF TALEBEARING
1. HE SEPARATES VERY FRIENDS (17:9)
a. Very friends = chief friends.
b. The talebearer is one who REPEATS matters that should not be repeated. (Haven’t we all been there!)
c. Not only is it sin for the one repeating the matter, but it is also extremely disruptive & divisive.
d. Talebearing separates friends… good friends… even chief friends!
e. This sort of thing can ruin friendships… marriages… families… churches…
f. Talebearing can turn friends against each other.
g. Usually when someone “bears a tale” he spices that tale up a bit… exaggerating here… stretching the truth there… leaving out key ingredients to make the one he’s tearing down look even worse…
h. The tale that people end up hearing from the talebearer is often quite distorted… twisted… manipulated… jaded… — you get the idea!
i. This kind of talebearing is effective at dividing and disrupting.
2. STRIFE (26:20)
a. When the talebearer is gone, so is the strife.
b. In other words, his presence means trouble… strife…
c. He is constantly telling other people bad things about his victims.
d. He usually does so to make himself LOOK GOOD and the other person LOOK BAD.
e. In the process, he turns people against each other.
f. He causes division and strife.
• The strife will continue as long as he is practicing his evil trade.
• Prov. 20:19 – we are told NOT TO MEDDLE with a known gossiper. Stay away. That person is trouble.
• He goes around from one person to the next telling everyone how awful his victim is…
• God’s word to us: don’t listen! Don’t get involved! Don’t meddle with such a person. He is up to no good.
3. HIS WORDS ARE USUALLY ACCEPTED (18:8)
a. His words are like wounds.
• Strong’s defines it as gulp; that which is gulped down;
• Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon – defines it as that which is swallowed down greedily… like a glutton…
• Theological Wordbook of Old Testament – “bits greedily swallowed down.”
• I couldn’t find any dictionaries or lexicons or other sources which agree with the KJV on this verse.
• Most translations translate this word as “dainty morsels.”
• This changes the meaning of the verse drastically.
b. This means then that Solomon is not speaking about the pain that talebearing inflicts on people, but rather on the insatiable desire there IS for such talebearing.
• People love to hear gossip. They gobble it up like dainty morsels of lobster dunked in melted butter!
• Of course, this causes great pain to the one who is gossiped about—especially when he realizes that it is human nature to gobble it up!
c. People gobble them up and they are taken in… into their innermost parts! Men have an insatiable desire to hear gossip. They eat it up and take it in.
d. Just consider how many gossip papers there are on the newsstand… how many gossip columns in the newspaper… on TV…and radio talk shows give men opportunity to hear the latest gossip about the stars… they eat it up like dainty morsels…
e. People LOVE juicy stories.
f. The words of the talebearer are usually taken in… eaten up… rather than examined.
• Hence, it is dangerous! Much damage can be done by gossip.
• He is divisive and disruptive BECAUSE people listen… because people take it in and swallow it without careful examination.
• We are told to PROVE ALL THINGS. (I Thess. 5:21-22)
• Phil. 1:10 – We are told to APPROVE (test with a view towards approval) things that are excellent… THAT we may be sincere and without offence!
• In other words, the believer should not be ready to gobble up gossip and take it in… accept it without examining it.
4. THE TALEBEARER HAS NO FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
PS. 15:1-3 – WHO CAN ABIDE IN THE TABERNACLE OF THE LORD?
a. The question might be paraphrased, “Who can have fellowship with God? Who is close to the Lord? Who is able to worship the Lord acceptably?”
b. David gives the answer: The one who uses his mouth to speak truth and not to backbite… that’s who!
c. In other words, if we use our mouth to backbite and speak reproachfully of others and to tear others down, we are NOT abiding in the presence of the Lord! Period!
d. Even if we think we are… or feel like we are. God says we are not! His is the opinion that counts!
e. The talebearer may be accepted and his words may be gobbled up by unthinking men. But he is NOT accepted before the Lord.
5. THE TALEBEARER OPENS HIMSELF UP FOR CHASTENING
PSALM 50:19-23 – ASAPH REBUKES THE CARELESS USE OF THE TONGUE. GOD ADDRESSES THESE MEN.
a. Vs. 19 – God notes that these men used their mouths for evil.
b. Vs. 20 – They spoke against and slandered their own brothers.
c. Vs. 21 – These men used their tongues in an evil manner and God said nothing.
• The men made a wrong assumption.
• They assumed that since God didn’t immediately chasten them for their sin—no lightening bolt fell from heaven—therefore, God must be like them!
• God must not care too much about slander… talebearing… etc.
d. Vs. 21b – BUT—God begs to differ with their assumption!
• They could think whatever they wanted to about God. That doesn’t change God’s character.
• BUT—God will reprove them for their error. God will set matters in order in His own good time.
e. Vs. 22 – God reminds them NOT to forget about Him when they speak, or He will “tear them in pieces!” Harsh language. God takes the use of our tongues seriously!
f. Vs. 23 – on the other side of the spectrum is the one who uses his tongue for good—to praise the Lord!
• God will deliver this one from trouble! This is the man God will honor.
• What a contrast: those who use their tongues for evil God will tear to pieces! Those who use their tongues for good, God will deliver from trouble (save).
• It makes sense for us to use our tongues wisely… especially now that we know how God feels about it.
• He’s NOT like us! He is infinitely holy…
But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
1. Note once again, that the opposite of a talebearer is a man who is of a faithful spirit.
2. This man CONCEALS the dirty laundry rather than displaying it for all to see.
3. Conceal: to cover; conceal; hide; to clothe; to cover for protection.
4. Prov. 10:12 – it is LOVE that motivates a man to cover the faults of others… of his spouse, children, parents, brethren at church, office workers, classmates, neighbors.
a. We all have faults… we all have dirty laundry.
b. Nobody wants their dirty laundry displayed for all to see. It is embarrassing and humiliating.
c. A person motivated by something “other than love” will display that dirty laundry… in order to embarrass and humiliate his victims!
d. But a person motivated by love will cover it… hide it… protect that person by covering his faults…
e. What motivates you? And me?
• Is it hatred? Then we will spread gossip, display dirty laundry, and stir up strife.
• Is it love? Then we will bury the gossip… not listen to gossip… conceal the faults of others… and refuse to add fuel to the fire.
• When love is functioning—the strife will disappear. When you stop throwing logs on, the fire goes out!
5. The person who operates in love, conceals the dirty laundry of others rather than exposing it, refuses to go around as a talebearer speaking evil of others.
a. Solomon doesn’t say here that that person has great self-control. Nor does he say that that person has learned to tame his tongue.
b. It isn’t really a matter of the tongue, but of the heart.
c. Solomon says that the person who CONCEALS the matter is FAITHFUL!
• Don’t you want friends like that? Faithful!
• For a spouse to reveal the secrets of his or her spouses heart before others would be the ultimate example of unfaithfulness.
• For family members or church members to reveal dirty laundry is an expression of UNFAITHFULNESS.
• How much better to be loyal and faithful… a faithful friend… a faithful spouse… a faithful family member… a faithful church member.
• Faithfulness is a matter of the heart. Keep your heart with all diligence—and your tongue will be kept as well.
Proverbs 11:14
Safety in Counsel
Where no counsel is, the people fall:
RESULTS OF A LACK OF COUNSEL
1. People fall…
a. People are DEFEATED through a lack of counsel and good spiritual advice.
b. Solomon states here that with a little bit of counseling, those who might have experienced victory, instead experience defeat — a fall.
c. Businesses fall because of a lack of counsel…
d. Teams lose games because the players refuse to listen to their coach and demand on playing the game their way…
e. Marriages fail because someone is too proud to get help… to listen to advice from the Bible… or refuse to implement it.
f. People make terrible choices sometimes because they make important decisions on their own. They don’t get advice from those in the know.
g. If I went to the doctor and he told me I needed to have a leg amputated, I would want a second opinion… and maybe a third and a fourth!
h. You don’t make big decisions like that without getting much counsel… the best counsel you can find!
i. People FALL by not getting the counsel they need. Sometimes terrible decisions are made with irreversible consequences!
2. Prov. 15:22 – Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counselors they are established.
a. Purposes are disappointed as a result too.
b. Purposes: our goals; our plans; that which we are aiming for…
c. They can be disappointed if there is no counsel.
• Disappointed: frustrated; cracked; split; made ineffectual.
• Our goals in life… our best made plans can be frustrated and made ineffectual by a lack of good counsel.
d. No one likes to be disappointed… to have their plans and goals smashed… crushed… frustrated…
• But without wise counsel, that is what often happens.
• A person may have a great goal… and may put his all into accomplishing it… and work as hard as he possibly can to achieve it… but may fail to obtain because of a lack of counsel.
• A young person may think, “I know what I want to be. I want to start a business. I want to start up my own nursery. I know a lot about planting trees and shrubs. I don’t need to go to college for that.” That person may try their whole life to bring that plan to pass… but may be lacking some important and necessary business management training… and never get anywhere. A little counsel may have changed that.
• A person may have to confront a Christian brother on an important issue… and he does so the best he can. However, a little counsel from the Scriptures might help that meeting go much more smoothly.
e. Often, all it takes for plans to be successful is a little tweaking here or there.
f. Wise counsel from people who have expertise in that area might mean the difference between success and failure.
• A coach might transform a lousy batter into a pretty good batter with some simple advice about how to stand or how to hold the bat!
• A skier can be spared falling down many times by taking advice from an expert—something as easy as bending the knees or leaning forward. Such counsel can prevent a fall.
g. How much MORE important is it when it comes to spiritual matters!
• The believer who thinks he knows how to live the Christian life may never ask for help or advice or counsel.
• He may never grow or mature in the faith either!
• He may WANT to grow and advance in the faith… and try real hard. But without counsel, even good purposes fail… and leave us disappointed.
• Perhaps you’re having a hard time getting along with people. Have you ever thought of asking advice from a trusted friend?
» He may know! Perhaps you talk too much. Perhaps you are not reliable. Perhaps you have some annoying habit that makes people not want to be around you. Perhaps you are too nosey. Perhaps you are too quiet… or too loud.
» Counsel from a trusted friend might be just what the doctor ordered.
» Prov. 27:6 – faithful are the wounds of a friend. That kind of counsel might hurt, but is GOOD in the long run.
h. Failing to obtain such counsel or failing to listen to such counsel can result in disappointment or a fall—or a disappointing fall!
3. Why do some folks refuse to seek counsel or take heed to counsel? Often the reason is pride.
a. Prov. 12:15 – The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
b. If he thinks his plans are superior and he doesn’t need any counsel and that the way he is doing it is right—then he will never receive the benefit from good counsel. That’s pride.
c. Sometimes we do things the hard way because we think we’re right… and won’t admit that perhaps someone else has a better way of doing things.
d. I’ve learned some valuable tricks on the building projects… ways to straighten out a crooked stud… better ways to cut siding… easier, neater, stronger, more accurate ways to fit things together.
e. Why reinvent the wheel? If a brother or sister has learned some valuable lessons in life and wants to share them—by all means LISTEN!!
f. It is only the fool who says, “My way is right. I don’t need any advice thanks!”
g. Prov. 16:22 – Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.
h. If we insist on doing things our own way, and are too proud to take advice, we will experience much disappointment and failure in life… unnecessary disappointment and failure!
But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
1. The opposite is now mentioned: those who seek a multitude of counselors!
a. It is GOOD to get advice before making an important decision. It is good to get a second and third and fourth opinion!
b. Different people approach problems from a different perspective… and there may be a different perspective that never entered your mind… but it DID enter someone else’s mind!
c. It is wise to seek counsel from godly folks who might have a different perspective than you do.
d. In making decisions for the church it is wise to get counsel from men… and also from ladies. They are going to view the matter from a different perspective… from a different set of concerns… a different outlook.
2. Multitude = abundance;
a. It is possible to get TOO MANY opinions and cause more confusion.
b. But get AMPLE… an abundance for the situation… plenty… don’t skimp on advice.
c. Get GOOD advice. Ask spiritually minded people for help and guidance… folks who know God and who know His word.
d. When you get a multitude of spiritually minded people all pointing you in the same direction… all telling you the same thing… that is a good indication that the counsel is sound!
e. If you are debating whether to go into business with Fred and you ask two people, you might get two different answers… and cause confusion and cloud up the issue.
f. But if you ask 25 people about going into business with Fred and 23 out of 25 tell you that Fred is lazy and dishonest, stay away—you would do well to listen to that multitude of counselors!
g. Two opinions might confuse the issue. A multitude may clarify matters considerably.
3. Prov. 24:6 – For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
a. Here Solomon suggests that we get WISE counsel before entering into a war.
b. Kings might have to be concerned about declaring war. We don’t.
c. But we may have to face a different kind of confrontation… confronting a brother who sinned against you… confronting a boss… a neighbor…the pastor… your spouse… over this or that.
d. It’s a good idea to bounce your proposed plan off a trusted friend before plowing ahead like a bull in a china closet. They might have some advice that could save you a lot of grief…
e. They might just say something like,
• “I don’t think you should. It sounds to me like your boss was right!”
• Or “I don’t think now is the time to approach that subject.”
• Or “I would wait until you cool down. You’re not thinking straight right now. You might make matters worse.”
• Or “I think you’re right. That person ought to be approached, but have you thought of wording it this way…”
f. You’d be surprised what good advice others might offer… if we ask… or are willing to listen.
g. Kids—you’d be surprised what good advice your parents might have—advice that might make life easier and more pleasant for you in dealing with your teachers… classmates… or siblings…
h. They might even know something you don’t know!
4. There is SAFETY in such counsel.
a. Safety = deliverance…
b. In other words, wise counsel results in providing DELIVERANCE from the problem… solutions and resolutions to problems…
c. Getting wise counsel will keep you out of trouble… it will keep you safe… it may even prevent you from doing something stupid!
5. Prov. 20:18 – Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
a. Purposes are disappointed without counsel. (15:22)
b. Now he states that purposes are established WITH counsel.
c. Established: made firm; stable; secure.
d. Do you want your plans and purposes to be disappointed or to be established? Wise counsel can make all the difference in the world.
e. Kids: your parents WANT your life to be a success—spiritually and in every way!
• They really DO want to help.
• And (believe it or not!) they have learned some valuable lessons in life they would LOVE to share.
• What keeps you from getting that valuable counsel that might help firm up your plans for life? Pride!
• If you think you know it all and your parents don’t know anything… you are what Solomon calls a FOOL. Your purposes WILL be disappointed.
• But if you will humble yourself—and listen to advice when it is given—you will prosper as a result.
• YOUR plans and purposes in life will be established…
f. Adults: the same principle is true for adults too.
• Sometimes folks think they have all the answers and refuse to seek counsel from a Christian brother.
• After all, what do the elders know? I know what they’re going to tell me.
• We can be just as stubborn as our kids at times = when we refuse counsel.
• But if we will humble ourselves, and listen to wise counsel, our plans may prosper!
g. Acts 15:6 – And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of the matter of legalism. They sought counsel from one another… and their purpose was established.
h. Prov. 1:5 – A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.
i. Prov. 9:9 – Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
j. Prov. 19:20 – Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
k. Prov. 27:9 – Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.
Rom. 15:14 – And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
Col. 3:16 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
I Thess. 5:12-13 – Know those who are over you in the Lord and admonish you… and esteem them highly…
II Thess. 3:15 – Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Proverbs 11:15
Suretyship
He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it:
1. What does surety mean?
a. Surety =
• (Strong’s) to make a pledge for; exchange; mortgage
• (thesaurus) security; backing; collateral; guarantee
b. The idea of surety is guaranteeing payment
c. It involves guaranteeing a financial payment; making a pledge to pay;
d. It could be applied to signing a loan for someone today—which means you are guaranteeing to pay if they default.
e. It could be applied to putting up your house as collateral… thus you are guaranteeing that the one loaning the money will not lose out. (But if the loan goes bad—you lose your house.)
f. It refers to any kind of financial pledge or guarantee (with cash or with property)… which serves to make the loan safe for the one loaning the money.
g. You tell the loaner “Your loan is safe; the payment is sure—because I am pledging to you that I will pay if the one borrowing the money does not pay.”
h. That’s the way banks operate. They want their loans to be safe and secure. They don’t want to take huge risks. They look for SURETY… a guarantee that if anyone loses out on the loan it’s not them!
i. Thus, if a loan or business deal goes sour, it is the one who is surety who loses out.
2. What is surety for a stranger?
a. Stranger = a foreigner; a stranger.
b. Solomon is not promoting a fear of foreigners… but the idea is a stranger; someone we don’t know… or don’t know well.
c. Solomon is not saying that it is wrong under all circumstances to sign a loan for someone… or to put up collateral.
d. Rather, he is warning us of the danger of obligating yourself to a STRANGER!
e. Be careful not to enter into such a financial obligation with a stranger.
f. Don’t let a smooth talking stranger lure you into signing something you don’t really want to sign!
g. Don’t let a golden tongued salesman talk you into buying something you don’t need…
h. Don’t let a slick telemarketer convince you to buy a house full of furniture on credit—with no payments until next year… because next year will be here before you know it!
3. But not only strangers… even casual friends and acquaintances.
a. Prov. 6:1 – here he speaks of a friend or a stranger.
• Friend: companion; fellow; fellow-citizen; another person
• Here the term could refer to a close friend OR (which the context seems to indicate) just a casual friend… someone you met at work… or at the gym…
b. Co-signing a note for a friend might appear to be quite generous and kind.
• There may be times when it IS the RIGHT thing to do. (Your son’s first car… student loans…)
» Solomon is speaking about putting your money at risk to help out a third party.
» His warning is: be careful who that third party is!
» If it is a son or a life long friend, that’s one thing.
• But there are other times when it is a FOOLISH thing to do.
» A casual friend at work who fell upon hard times…
» A relative you know is irresponsible…
» A teenager who thinks he needs a brand new Lexus…
» A risky or questionable business deal…
» A total stranger… a salesman knocking on your door.
c. In 6:1-2 – Solomon has in mind a decision that was made HASTILY.
• You struck hands… spoke too quickly before thinking it through.
• Those hastily spoken words could become a snare later on.
• It takes a long time to go to work every day and earn your money. Don’t hastily sign it all away without thinking it through!
• Be careful. We are usually well advised to avoid any business transaction that requires our signature TODAY… hurry up or the offer expires…
• If you feel you are being pressured into a decision—say NO!
d. In 6:3 Solomon implies that the agreement was made out of PRIDE. (He says, “Go humble yourself!)
• Why humble yourself? Because one who enters into such agreements often does so out of pride.
• We like to think of ourselves as big shots… as being well to do… thinking we can handle that… we’re too smart to get taken… I know all about these agreements… no problem for me…
• We might feel important signing a loan for someone else… it sort of makes us feel superior to them… they will look up to us as a hero who saved the day—and won’t everyone think you’re great!
• Then after we enter the agreement, we might discover that we bit off more than we can chew… more than we can handle… that we are not such a big shot after all…
e. Prov. 22:26-27 – Another time when we should not be a surety is when we are NOT ABLE to back up what we pledge!
• If a person (who acts rashly or out of pride) co-signs for a large loan and does not have the money to back it up, he may find himself homeless!
• When you enter into a legal agreement, you are BOUND to keep your pledge!
• If you pledge yourself as a guarantee on a loan, and the person defaults, you are responsible for that loan. If you don’t have the cash to pay it, you could lose your house… or your bed!
4. Thus, Solomon gives some advice when it comes to signing for a loan.
a. He warns us NOT to do it under the following circumstances:
• For a stranger… or a casual acquaintance…
• Don’t enter into a pledge hastily… or out of pressure…
• Don’t do it out of pride (to be seen as the good guy or a hero)
• Don’t do it if you can’t afford it… if you are not financially able.
5. The one who becomes surety for a stranger will SMART for it.
a. Smart = to shout out either in joy or distress (distress here)—or to be destroyed.
b. You might become destroyed financially… ruined…
c. In other words, THINK before you act!
d. Remember that there are consequences to our actions. You could lose your shirt! Or your bed! Or your house!
e. Our country is full of scam artists… clever people who spend all their time scheming up ways to trick you into signing your life away. And once you sign—they’ve got you! Legally, they’ve got you!
And he that hateth suretyship is sure.
1. Here Solomon speaks about taking the safe route… as opposed to the risky route.
2. Hateth: can mean hate; or to be adverse to something; the degree needs to be determined from the context.
a. The context implies something closer to aversion than outright hatred.
3. The one who is adverse to… suretiship is safe.
a. Suretiship = to strike, clap or grasp the hands (as in a handshake); to pledge (which was often done by striking hands—like a business deal that is sealed with a handshake today)
b. The person who is leery or suspicious of entering a deal with a stranger is sure.
c. Sure = safe; secure; to have confidence.
d. The one who goes off and provides financial guarantees and safety for a stranger –may find that his OWN financial security is not so safe any more.
e. But the one who is reluctant to make rash guarantees to strangers is the one who is truly safe and secure!
f. In other words, don’t risk YOUR personal, financial security in order to provide financial security for someone else—especially a stranger!
4. The book of Proverbs gives us lots of little nuggets of truth.
a. One proverb doesn’t tell the whole story on a particular subject.
b. In fact, some of the Proverbs may even seem to contradict others…
c. They do not contradict, but rather, give truth from different perspectives. And it is a good idea to consider BOTH perspectives before making a decision.
d. Example:
• Some proverbs encourage us to be generous and give to others in need. (11:24-25; 13:7)
» Some proverbs encourage us to be thrifty and save.
• Some proverbs tell us to use our mouths to encourage, edify, counsel, and instruct others…
» Some other proverbs tell us to use our words sparingly lest we sin.
• Some proverbs tell us to answer a fool; others say not to.
• Some tell us to be kind to strangers; others to be careful.
• Some proverbs warn us not to live for riches or devote our lives to accumulating riches. (23:5) He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own household (15:27)
» Other proverbs tell us to work hard—the hand of the diligent maketh rich (10:4).
e. We need discernment to know WHEN to apply WHICH principle.
• When it comes to the use of our money and our property, Solomon warns us to be careful—especially with strangers!
• Strangers are rarely out for your best interest. That’s human nature. Be careful!
Proverbs 11:16
A Gracious Woman and a Strong Man
Introduction:
1. This is a simple statement, yet difficult to be certain about which Solomon is contrasting.
2. What IS the main point of the verse? Is he contrasting:
• Men and women? (Is the emphasis on differences in gender?)
• Grace and strength? (Is the emphasis on differences in character?)
• Honor and riches? (Is the emphasis on differences in results?)
» Or is he highlighting all of the above?
» Usually a proverb is intended to drive home one main point.
CONTRASTING MEN AND WOMEN
1. Solomon associates grace with women and strength with men.
a. Roman Catholic Church play: Sister Mary _______ says, “Girls are good and boys are bad.”
b. Solomon doesn’t go that far, but he does seem to be singling out a difference between men and women.
c. Men are not viewed in the most favorable light in this passage.
2. Being gracious seems to come more naturally for a woman.
a. Gracious: (Strong’s) – charm; favour; grace; elegance;
b. The term describes the virtuous woman as a charming, elegant, kind, compassionate, caring, loving woman…
c. I Pet.3:4 – The gracious woman is of a meek and quiet spirit… being in subjection to her husband.
d. Being gracious is not exclusively a feminine quality (for the Lord was FULL of grace)… but it is one of those qualities that seems to come easier for women.
e. Isn’t it true men, that on not a few occasions, we were about to do or say something quite UNGRACIOUS—and our wife stepped in and reminded us to be gracious and kind—rather than allow our hot temper to carry us away?!
3. Being strong seems to come more naturally for men.
a. Strong = (Strong’s) – terror-striking; awesome; terrifying; ruthless; mighty; violent…
b. The term does not highlight strength of character.
c. Rather, it speaks of an inclination towards violence… aggressive… mighty… and even ruthless.
d. Of course, this doesn’t mean that women are never aggressive or violent… and that all men are.
e. But over all, most would agree that men are more aggressive… more forceful…
f. Strength is often associated with men in the Scriptures.
• Be strong; quit you like men! (I Cor. 16:13)
• Let us play the men for our people… (II Sam. 10:12)
• Women are referred to as the “weaker vessel.” (I Pet. 3:7) By implication, the man is the “stronger vessel.”
• There might be exceptions, but this is the rule.
4. This is a basic difference between men and women that God wants us to KNOW… (I Pet. 3:7)
a. The husband is to dwell with his wife with this knowledge… that men and women are different.
b. Men are by nature more aggressive; women more gracious.
c. You would be surprised to discover how many husbands don’t get it… and how many wives don’t understand either—that there are huge differences.
d. Sometimes wives don’t understand why their husband doesn’t come home from a hard day at work and want to talk for 2 ½ hours about their feelings…
e. Sometimes husbands don’t understand why, when his wife is all stressed out emotionally, that he can’t just tell her to “snap out of it”—and he expects that she will just be strong like him.
f. Husbands and wives are to dwell together in this knowledge—they are different… one is weak, elegant and gracious… the other is strong and aggressive…
g. It’s a good combination—but it is a difference that must be understood.
h. Without this basic knowledge of the difference, there can be disastrous results.
5. The gracious woman who retains HONOR for her household is every whit as valuable as the breadwinner—
a. The husband who through strength retains riches… he brings home the bacon…
b. The contrast puts the woman in the best light here…
c. The contrast is between a godly, gracious woman and an aggressive (even violent) man…
d. They both RETAIN something… but what she retains is more valuable! Honor! Riches are good, but honor is better.
*** That is looking at the verse as contrasting the gender differences… but that is not the main point of the passage.
CONTRASTING GRACE AND STRENGTH
1. Both of these qualities (grace and strength/aggression) retain something. (Retain: to grasp; hold; support; attain; lay hold of; hold fast.)
2. Grace retains honor.
a. The gracious woman lays hold of honor… in the end.
b. The woman whose life is characterized by grace will be honored… if not on earth at least in heaven.
c. Prov. 31:28-31 – she is praised by her children, husband, and God! This is honor!
d. Ultimately, she will receive a well done, thou good and faithful servant.
e. The gracious woman lays hold of something she will keep with her for all eternity—honor!
3. Strength retains riches.
a. The strong, violent, aggressive man often retains riches.
b. If a man is aggressive enough, he can gather many riches to himself.
c. He might be a hard worker… even a bit pushy…
d. The term for strength is not all that complimentary. It may imply the man who climbs over others and even stabs them in the back in order to obtain a better position for himself…
• NIV = A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth.
• NAS – A gracious woman attains honor, And violent men attain riches.
e. He’s strong and aggressive—and he successfully obtains wealth.
» But the strong, aggressive man eventually leaves all his riches behind! (I Tim. 6:7)
» In his aggression to obtain wealth—he may obtain it—but often at a price to himself and his family. (I Tim. 6:9-10)
f. There is a big difference between the gracious woman and the strong, aggressive man.
» The gracious woman takes honor with her into glory.
» The strong man leaves what he has obtained all behind.
g. The violent aggressive man might obtain the riches, but he also may loose his honor in the process… and a good name is BETTER than riches! (Prov. 22:1) Honor is far better than riches!
4. There is a good example in the Old Testament of a gracious woman and a strong, violent, aggressive man… (I Sam. 25)
a. In this story, Abigail was a gracious woman who retained honor.
b. David was the aggressive violent man who was about to obtain wealth…
c. In the context, David and his men were fighting battles and were hungry.
d. Vs. 2-3 – They came across the home of Abigail and Nabal.
e. Vs. 5-8 – David sent men to Nabal to ask this wealthy man to provide some food for David and his soldiers.
f. Vs. 10-11 – Nabal refused.
g. Vs. 13 – David’s immediate response: Ruthless violence: let’s get him! Let’s fight! We will show him whose stronger… we will be aggressive and take all the goods!
• David demonstrated a violent, aggressive side…
• Grace and honor were not on David’s heart at this point.
• Rather, he was ready for a confrontation.
• He wanted the riches—the goods… and he was ready to fight for them.
h. vs. 18 – Abigail’s response Grace: (when she heard about the situation)
• She very graciously provided abundantly for David and his men.
• She very graciously took care of her mindless, drunken, selfish, foolish husband.
• Vs. 23-25 – Abigail graciously approached David… not in violent aggression, but in a gracious, meek, submissive grace!
• Vs. 28-29 – She reminded David of Gods’ marvelous provision and promises.
• Vs. 31 – She talks sense to him graciously—and reminds him that the Lord is able to take care of Nabal…
• Vs. 32-34 – David gives HONOR to this gracious woman!
• He recognizes that she prevented him from shedding blood causelessly… he recognized that her advice was good and from the Lord…
• He realized from personal experience that which his son Solomon would later record in Proverbs: A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth.
i. Abigail proved herself to be a gracious woman who retained honor!
• David was about to prove himself to be an unthinking, aggressive, violent man who almost LOST his honor in order to obtain some earthly wealth… food—porridge!
• David did well to listen to this gracious woman rather than plunging ahead in his violent aggression and losing his honor…
• We as men are prone to this kind of aggression and strong headedness.
• Thank God for women who can talk sense to us when we need it!
• We would do well to stop and listen to our wives when they want to point out to us that there might be a better and more gracious way to go about our business… a kinder, gentler, more gracious way to word it…
• God made men and women different… to compliment one another.
5. Looking at it from this angle (RESULTS), grace is better than strength.
a. Strength can aggressively seek and obtain wealth all to be left behind.
b. Grace retains honor… from God and men… and will be rewarded in eternity.
c. The author is really speaking about two KINDS of strength:
• One is the raw brute strength of body and will…(physically strong or strong headed)… aggressive violence that demands its rights and often gets what it wants in this life…
• But in doing so, it often hurts others and makes enemies… it promotes self and tramples over others…
• One is the strength of character—a gracious spirit… that is willing to suffer itself to be defrauded… to put others first… This is far superior to being strong in body or being strong headed.
• The reward of a gracious spirit is of eternal value; the reward of brute force is temporal—of little value.
d. Jesus was a man… a manly man too.
• He had strength of body. (Omnipotence! How’s that!)
• But he also had strength of character (John 1:14) (full of grace and truth)
• But He didn’t think it was necessary to push his weight around; to demand His own way;
• His gracious spirit is seen in Phil. 2:6-8 – all of this was done out of grace… sacrificing Himself for the good of others… for those who were undeserving…
Proverbs 11:17
The Merciful and the Cruel
Introduction:
1. Once again, Solomon draws a contrast. This time, it is between two very different types of people—kind and mean!
2. He also makes a wise observation about each…
17a The merciful man doeth good to his own soul…
1. The merciful man described…
a. Merciful: goodness; kindness;
b. Prov. 14:31 – Often showing mercy was expressed by helping a person in need…
• Showing mercy was a very practical expression of one’s faith.
• Showing mercy to the poor is one of the ways that we demonstrate that we genuinely honor God!
c. Ps. 112:4 – a good man shows favor or grace to others; he helps the needy… he is merciful!
d. Prov. 3:3-4 – Solomon commanded Old Testament saints to bind mercy about their neck and not forsake her. Wear mercy as an ornament!
e. Col. 3:12 – as believers, we are to put on bowels of mercies… it is part of the clothing of the new man. Wear mercy as clothing!
• Our old man is quite selfish; he wants others to show kindness to him.
• The new man looks beyond himself to others. He is more interested in giving than getting.
f. Rom. 12:8 – we are to show mercy to others—and to do it with cheerfulness!
g. It is stated in Luke that the Good Samaritan showed “mercy” to the poor soul who was beaten and left for dead. He showed compassion and took care of the man’s needs… that’s mercy.
2. Good to his own soul…
a. Here Solomon states that those who show mercy help others… but they are also helping themselves! They are GIVING… but they receive a blessing from it too.
b. It IS better to give than to receive…
• Giving to the poor or helping others is good—it helps that other person.
• But the one GIVING is doubly blessed!
• His gift may help another man’s belly… but his giving results in a greater blessing to his own soul!
c. Matt. 5:7 – BLESSED are the merciful—for they shall receive mercy… from God!
d. Prov. 14:21 – he that hath mercy on the poor; happy is he!
e. Psa. 18:25 – God shows mercy on those who show mercy to others!
f. II Sam. 22:26 – With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful…
g. Ps. 41:1 – the Lord delivers and protects those who show mercy to others.
h. When we show mercy to others, God blesses us ten fold!
3. Be careful about the motivation…
a. We ARE to show mercy to others.
b. And the giver gets a bigger blessing than the receiver.
c. BUT—we are not to give IN ORDER to get!
d. In other words, we are not to give to others SO THAT God will give to us 7 fold!
e. I have heard charismatic preachers tell their listeners to give generously to their ministry SO THAT God would bless them 7 fold!
• The idea was, if you give me $100.00, God will send in $700.00 to you!
• He was encouraging people to give in order to get more back!
• The motivation in that kind of giving was not mercy. It was pure greed! Covetousness! Selfishness!
• The charismatic preacher called it “faith giving.” I call it a religious scam!
• While I do not know any individual’s heart—it is hard for me to believe that those men do not know exactly what they are doing—twisting scripture for their own advantage!
• Jude would say, “Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward!”
• And not only are THEY greedy, but they are promoting greed.
• Nothing could be further from the kind of mercy… selfless giving… the Scriptures describe!
f. Yes, showing mercy DOES do good to our own soul… but that is not the reason for showing mercy.
• The reason or motivation ought to stem from a genuine desire to help… from a heart of compassion… from gratitude for what God has done for us…
• And especially because Christ lives in us… and as we are yielded to Him, His life and character is manifested through us!
• Christ shows mercy to others THROUGH us… we are “channels only.”
• But as Solomon says, what a blessing it is to BE a channel through whom God’s mercy flows!
• There is a joy that comes through showing mercy—a joy that is only experienced IF our motives are right.
• If we show mercy to someone else because we really want God to do something for us—don’t kid yourself. God knows our hearts.
• But when we show mercy out of compassion and a desire to show God’s mercy to others—then God knows that heart too.
• With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful…
17b But he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
1. Cruel: cruel; mean; fierce; merciless; (Here this is the opposite of one who shows mercy)
2. Prov. 27:4 – angry wrathful men are often cruel—mean spirited to others.
3. Cruelty can manifest itself in 10,000 different ways…
a. There are bullies who are cruel or unkind to the other kids at school
b. There are bullies who are cruel to the other workers at the office or in the plant—perhaps you work with one… mean spirited!
c. Sometimes kings and political leaders can be cruel to their own people… Stalin… Saddam Hussein…
d. Cruelty can take the form of prejudice… bigotry…
e. Cruelty can take the form of harming the innocent and the helpless… like abortion…
f. Cruelty can take the form of spreading gossip and rumors in order to inflict pain on someone…
g. Cruelty today takes on the form of scam artists who take advantage of the elderly…
h. And there are various DEGREES of cruelty—from name calling to genocide!
i. I don’t need to go on and on about the various forms cruelty can take.
j. We have all been hurt by the cruelty of others.
k. We have all BEEN cruel to others—by the things we have said or done…
4. Troubleth his own soul…
a. Jas. 2:13 – he shall have judgment without mercy who showed no mercy!
b. James 5:1-4 – rich men who oppress the poor trouble their own souls… the Lord hears the cries of the poor… and is observing all that transpires.
c. Those who are cruel are always troubled by it…
• Gen. 42:21 -Joseph’s brothers were tormented by their cruelty.
• The Egyptians who put the Jews under hard taskmasters were later troubled. They discovered that they had poked God in the apple of His eye… and incurred His wrath!
• Paul when he stood by and consented to the stoning of Stephen—he was later tormented by that!
• The king of Babylon who had all of Zedekiah’s sons slain before his eyes, then he poked out his eyes… that king must have had a hard time getting to sleep for a while…
• The men and women who inflicted cruelty upon others have to live with themselves… and have to live with the guilt…
• Mean people are MISERABLE! Not only will they face God for their sin in the life to come—right now they are condemned to live with themselves… their own miserable self!
• Blessed and happy are the merciful. Miserable are the mean!
d. Not only must they live with the guilty conscience, they also may have to deal with the effects of their cruelty!
• Cruelty incurs the wrath of God! Think of the ignoble death of Ahab and Jezebel… dogs licking her blood!
• Cruelty often incurs the wrath of man… seeking revenge for the cruelty done to them… or to their family… or friends…
e. Cruelty breeds trouble…
• Trouble: to trouble; stir up; disturb; bring calamity upon…
• Cruel people do not WANT to stir up trouble or calamity upon themselves, but they do…
• This is one of the consequences of the sin of cruelty…
• You can’t be cruel without consequences…
• Cf. vs.19—
• Prov. 11:29 – troubling one’s own household. How? Cruelty is one way! Be mean spirited to your spouse… to your kids… to your parents… and you are troubling your own house!
Summary: you reap what you sow! Sow mercy, and you will reap good for your soul. Sow cruelty and you will reap trouble!
Proverbs 11:18
You Reap What You Sow
18a The wicked worketh a deceitful work:
1. vs. 18 states a familiar principle with a slightly different expression.
a. The familiar principle is: you reap what you sow.
b. However, this passage adds one slight difference in the shade of meaning… it adds to the familiar theme by coloring it slightly.
2. This phrase teaches that wicked men who perform their wicked works are often deceived in the end.
a. Those who sow wickedness will reap the results of wickedness.
b. But note the usage of the word “deceitful.”
• Some have translated this “deceptive wages.” (NAS & NIV)
• The point is that these wicked people who are sowing wickedness are DECEIVED into thinking that they will obtain a good crop in the end!
• They really believe that they will reap something “good”. They are deceived.
c. What are they thinking?
• Ecc. 8:11 – Because they have been sowing wickedness for some time now and haven’t been caught, they are deceived into thinking that they can CONTINUE to do the same without being caught.
• Num. 32:23 – They are forgetting another Biblical principle: Be sure your sin will find you out!
• But the wicked are deceived. They genuinely believe that they have outsmarted the “system.”
• They think that they can sow wickedness and reap benefits to themselves.
• They think that they can steal and enjoy the fruits of it…
• They think that they can lie to their advantage…
• They think that they can be lazy and not suffer for it…
• However, this passage teaches that such men are dead wrong. They THINK they are smarter than anyone else, but they themselves have been deceived.
d. Their wages?
• They receive “deceptive wages.”
• In other words, they are going to be PAID back… but it is not what they had hoped… it is not what they were planning on… it is not what they expected.
• Prov. 20:17 – the man who thinks he can steal, get away with it, and enjoy the booty is deceived.
» Bread of deceit may be sweet at first, but eventually it turns to gravel in one’s mouth.
» Eventually the conscience will kick in… and all the sweetness of that stolen bread turns to gravel.
» Eve took fruit she was forbidden to take—and that first bite may have tasted sweet—but what sorrow followed!
» The fear of being discovered; having to look over one’s shoulder; the possibility of facing the disgrace of being exposed… all tend, over time, to turn the stolen bread to gravel.
» It’s not all it’s cracked up to be!
• Prov. 13:5 – the man who thinks he can lie, get away with it, and be advantaged by it is also deceived.
» This man comes to shame… his lies will eventually be discovered.
» Prov. 19:5 – he shall not escape. He will be caught and pay for his lie!
» However, Prov. 11:18 states that the wicked man sowing his wickedness (lying) is deceived!
» He really believes he can get away with it and that it will benefit him in the long run. He couldn’t be further from the truth.
» He will not escape — and he will be shamed!
• Prov. 10:4-5 – other men think that they can sow laziness and reap riches. They too are deceived.
» This man will not gain from his laziness. He will be poor.
» In addition, he will be ashamed… his folly will be exposed.
3. This Proverbs 11:18 states a familiar principle, but adds to it this thought—the one who sows wickedness not only with reap what he sows, but he is going to be surprised by what he reaps, because he was deceived!
a. His wages will be “deceptive.” He will be tricked by them.
b. Hebrews scholars state that there is a pun involved in this passage… one that is virtually impossible to translate.
c. One interesting note about Hebrew puns is that they are never intended to by funny. They are usually biting…even sarcastic, as is the case here.
d. Here is his folly: he is so foolish that he has actually convinced himself that he can DEFY this Biblical principle. He genuinely believes that he is the exception to the rule—that he is so smart, he can sow wickedness and reap something good and beneficial from it. He is deceived!
e. Have you ever spoken to people in jail? They all seem to have this mentality—even AFTER they have been caught! (If I only had done it this way, I would not have been caught! Better luck next time!)
1. In contrast to the wicked man working his wickedness is the righteous man who sows righteousness.
2. The righteous man sows righteousness.
a. In other words, his works are good… in harmony with God’s Word.
b. His life is clean and pure… he does things RIGHT.
c. He doesn’t fudge with the rules nor does he overstep the law.
d. While others might lie seeking personal advantage, he tells the truth even if it hurts.
e. While others might steal to advantage themselves, he sows righteousness. He works hard and gives to others… rather than taking from others.
f. While others are sitting around letting others do the work—he is one of those who DOES the work. He is sowing righteousness.
g. Eph. 4:25,28… the new man behaves in new ways. He puts away lying, stealing, cheating, laziness—and tells the truth, works hard, and gives.
h. Salvation ought to CHANGE the way we live… who we ARE ought to have an impact on how we behave…
i. We WERE like the wicked who sowed wickedness. Now we are changed… righteous. We are now to sow righteousness.
3. And there are wonderful rewards for sowing righteousness.
a. This man has a SURE reward.
b. Sure: can mean either firm; secure; reliable OR true.
c. In this proverb it is probably best to understand it in the sense of TRUE… in contrast to the deceitful reward of the wicked. Their reward is NOT true… it is a lie… deceitful.
d. If it is understood in the sense of firm, secure or reliable, then the contrast is between a reward for the wicked that they were hoping to get but proved to be “unreliable.” The righteous however, will receive a reward that IS reliable… one they can count on… one that is sure!
e. The two concepts overlap a bit…
f. One thing is clear: what the righteous man receives for sowing righteousness is a reward that he can count on… one that is REAL… a true reward!
g. Both men (the wicked and righteous) sows their seeds… and both seem to have hope of a reward. One is a false hope; the other a true hope!
4. Of course, there are some men who DO seem to successfully defy this principle. (Psalm 73)
a. This is what caused Asaph so much confusion and heartache.
b. He saw evil men sowing wickedness who DID seem to benefit from it! It was as if they sowed wickedness and reaped a good reward.
• vs.3 – they prospered…
• vs.5 – they are not in trouble…
• vs.7 – they have more than heart could wish
• vs.8 – they sow corruption and seem to reap no trouble… prosperity… strength… power…
c. Asaph sowed righteousness. (vs. 13)
• He seemed to think it wasn’t fair. He sowed righteousness but reaped plagues! (vs. 14)
• I’m sure we have all experienced similar thoughts… it seems like we are NOT reaping what we have sown.
d. These apparent contradictions to the Biblical principle were all easily resolved by viewing the situation from eternity’s perspective.
• vs. 17 – when he went into the sanctuary, he saw things from God’s perspective.
• The principle usually holds true in this life.
• But there are some apparent exceptions.
• However, in eternity there are NO exceptions!
• Vs. 18 – Those who sowed wickedness in this life and SEEMED to reap prosperity and blessing, will eventually find themselves in slippery places!
• Soon they will die and face God. In that day, all facades will be removed. They will in that day reap what they have sown.
• Before the Great White Throne (and the Bema) men will be judged according to their works… by a Judge who is omniscient… and knows our hearts and motives.
• There will be no exceptions in that day.
• Many men will receive a “deceptive wage” in that day… something they didn’t count on.
• Think of the many religious leaders who do not know Christ—to discover that they had been sowing corruption and will be quite surprised by what they reap… Mother Theresa… the suicide bombers…
• They built their house upon the sand… and were deceived, because from their perspective, the house looked pretty good! But they were deceived by their works.
• Multitudes of religious folks are deceived by their works.
5. What an encouragement to realize that our reward is SURE… regardless of how things appear from our earthly perspective!
a. We need NOT be deceived by our works.
b. We can serve the Lord, live for Him, and KNOW that our reward in heaven is sure… even if we don’t have much to show for our efforts in this life!
c. Those who sow righteousness in this life and laying up a sure foundation for the life to come.
d. I Tim.6:19 – Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Proverbs 11:19
Righteousness and Life
1. Solomon is making another comparison… righteousness and evil and life and death.
2. The comparison runs like this: A is to B as C is to D.
a. Note the italicized words… delete them and the verse reads like this: “As righteousness to life; so he that pursues evil to his own death.”
b. The verb is only used once—but only needs to be used once. It seems best to understand that the author means the same verb in both cases.
c. As A is to B so is C to D. A and B hold the same relationship to each other as do C and D.
d. In other words—righteousness and life hold the same relationship to each other as do pursuing evil and death…namely, one naturally follows the other!
3. The one who pursues righteousness does so unto LIFE…
a. The one who pursues righteousness enhances his life… causes his life to flourish… experiences an abundant life…
b. The one who pursues righteousness promotes life… advances life… LIVES life
4. Solomon spoke often of this principle: righteousness tendeth to life…
a. Prov.10:16 – the labor of the righteous tends to life…
» This speaks of that for which a righteous man WORKS…
» Everybody works for something… righteous men and evil men…
» But there is a difference between that for which righteous and unrighteous men work… even though they may work side by side in the same office.
» The things a righteous man labors for tends to life…
» His labor provides food for his natural life… to keep himself and his family alive…
» His labor enhances his spiritual life…
» He labors in the local church… and that promotes life… the preaching of the Word of life… and the salvation of souls… eternal life…
» His labor enhances his home life… by providing food and shelter…
» He labors in the Word and that too enhances life… his spiritual life… and it enhances his home life… and his attitude at work…
» He labors with his hands—that he might give—and that helps advance the life of others in need…(Eph. 4:28)…
» He supports missionaries and that supports their life…
» The LABOR of a righteous man tends to life… life in the fullest sense.
» The man who is a hard worker… and whose labors are motivated by standards of righteousness tends to life… to promote life in every way…
» the labor of the righteous tends to life
b. Prov. 12:28 – the way of righteousness is a tree of life… (way = path; road)
• The way or road of a righteous man is a tree of life… sprouting all kinds of good fruit…
• The tree of life is a source of that which aids life… good things come from trees: apples, pears, bananas, coconuts, wood for building and burning for heat; branches for shade; shelter for animals and birds; — trees have been a symbol of life for centuries.
• The WAY of righteousness is a source of good things necessary for life… for an abundant life.
• The ROAD a righteous man travels promotes life…
• Jesus lived on earth and left us an example to follow… to follow His path… the way of that righteous Man is a tree of life!
• But in a lesser sense, the way of any righteous man is a tree of life… a pattern of good works and faith to follow.
• Jesus also used a similar expression when He said that the narrow road (of righteousness) leads to life… not salvation by works, but nevertheless, showing a relationship between righteousness and life.
• If someone possesses eternal life, the QUALITY of his life will change—forever!
c. Prov. 11:30 – the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life…
• This is a similar principle… the labor, way, and now FRUIT of a righteous man is a tree life…
• Fruit = that which a man produces… and a righteous man produces the fruit of the Spirit… (the fruit of the flesh is certainly not a tree of life!)
• The fruit of a righteous man’s life is godliness… God-likeness.
• Psalm 1:2-3 – the righteous man produces fruit…
d. Everything about the man who pursues righteousness tends to life… his labor, his way, and his fruit…
5. Another relationship between righteousness and life is that righteousness preserves life.
a. The one who does things RIGHT tends to live longer.
b. Cf. Prov. 4:4 – same principle. (Disobedience resulted in death—either directly or indirectly or judicially)
c. The one who does not do things right… but lives in the fast lane… drinks… takes drugs… runs around with someone else’s wife—may not live so long. He may die young. His lifestyle does not promote life but death. (The second part of the verse teaches this).
6. There is a built in reward for pursuing righteousness.
a. This inference comes from the preceding verse: 18
b. Ps. 19:11 – in keeping God’s commandments (the way of righteousness) is great reward.
• There is great reward in this life—but especially in the life to come!
• Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” (Rev. 22:12)
• Pursuing righteousness in this life not only enhances and enriches our life on earth—it enhances and enriches our eternity!
c. Isa. 32:17 – The “effect” of righteousness is quietness and assurance… forever!
• In other words, the man who pursues righteousness can live in peace—his conscience is at rest… and he has assurance of his standing before the Lord.
• The one who pursues evil—believer or unbeliever—has no peace. His conscience will convict him… and he will be uneasy and uncomfortable before God—not poised and assured.
1. The same principles holds for pursuing evil: it tends toward death. He who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.
2. Prov. 7:22 – here Solomon gives one example of pursuing evil to his own death—like an ox going to the slaughter.
3. Men willingly chose to pursue evil things that they know can kill them… drugs, alcohol, immorality, cigarettes…
4. It is because as fallen creatures, apart from faith in Christ, men normally choose the here and now over the by and by.
a. It is the same kind of twisted thinking of Esau: I want my porridge now—and I don’t care about tomorrow.
b. Men want to feel good right now and don’t want to even think about the long term consequences of their actions.
c. This is why most men reject Christ. They simply want to pursue their FUN now… and don’t care or believe there will be any eternal consequences to their actions.
d. They do so to their own death!
e. Prov. 11:17 states the same principle: cruel men trouble their own souls!
f. Prov. 8:36 – those who reject God’s wisdom and pursue evil do so at their own peril.
g. How we wish we could instill this truth in our kids—so that they might AVOID harming themselves… troubling their soul… being forced to eat the fruit of their own ways… maybe even save their life… save them from pursuing that which tends toward death!
5. Isaiah 3:10 – Isaiah put it this way: the righteous shall eat the fruit of his own doing… but woe to the wicked. He too shall eat of the fruit of his own doings.
a. Each tendeth to his own end… the righteous to life… and the wicked to sin and death.
b. This principle is inescapable… and has been proven over and over again.
c. Every man will EAT of his own fruit… he will reap what he has sown.
d. Whatever a man sows or pursues in life, he will receive… that which promotes an abundant life… or that which stifles one’s Christian life…
e. Some men pursue that which advances his own death… physical death, spiritual death, and the second death in the Lake of Fire.
f. Prov. 11:5-6 – the same principle — the wicked fall because of his own wickedness; the transgressor is taken in his own sin.
g. In other words—the evil he pursues catches up to him in time… and takes over his life. He becomes ensnared… entangled… overcome… defeated… and it may result in death.
h. All pursuits in life lead in one of two possible directions: life or death.
i. Be careful what you pursue in life.
Proverbs 11:20
Relationship to God
A.) Abomination in God’s Sight (from Proverbs)
1.) Abomination defined: a disgusting thing; abomination; abominable; in ritual sense (of unclean food; idols; mixed marriages) in ethical sense (of wickedness, etc.)
2.) The term “abomination” is used in Proverbs of the following:
• 3:32 – a froward man is an abomination.
• 11:1 – a false balance
• 11:20 – a froward heart
• 12:22 – lying lips
• 15:8 – the sacrifice of the wicked (false religious systems)
• 15:9 – the way of the wicked
• 15:26 – the thoughts of the wicked
• 16:5 – every one that is of a proud heart
• 17:15 – he that justifies the wicked and condemns the just
• 20:10 – divers weights and measures (stealing)
• 24:9 – the scorner (arrogant mocking)
• 28:9 – the prayer of the disobedient
3.) Other places in the Old Testament indicated that particular sins were considered abominations to God… (used 74 times in Old Testament)
• Leviticus often used the term to describe eating things forbidden by the Levitical dietary laws. Why? Because it was a violation of the principle of separation.
• Lev. 18:22 – homosexuality
• Deut. 7:25 – idolatry
• Deut. 12:31 – burning their sons and daughters to false gods
• Deut. 22:5 – wearing clothing of the opposite sex; cross dressing
4.) God hates all sin. All sin is infinitely wicked in God’s sight, but some sins are referred to as “abominations”… that which is particularly hated by God.
B.) A Froward Heart… an abomination to God
1.) Froward = twisted; distorted; crooked; perverse; perverted
a.) The term is related to an Aramaic word that means to “twist or braid hair.”
b.) The term is used often in the Old Testament describing sin and the effects of sin… as twisted, crooked, human nature.
c.) Just as women twist their hair, so men twist their ways… crooked.
d.) God puts the condition of a man’s heart in the same category of abomination as sexual perversion, idolatry, offering children as a sacrifice, etc…
e.) God is extremely concerned about the spiritual condition of our hearts!
2.) A froward heart
a.) 11:20 – is an abomination to the Lord.
• Heart speaks of his inner life… thoughts… intents…
• A man or woman with a perverse, twisted heart is an abomination to God.
• A froward heart would include sexual perversion… but is much broader.
• It would include troublemakers of all stripes—who seem to get some kind of twisted pleasure from stirring up trouble.
• It would include a heart that perverts justice… bigotry, prejudice, hatred, oppression, inequity, etc…
• It would include a heart that twists the truth… doctrinal deviation comes from a froward or twisted heart and mind.
• It would include a heart with twisted priorities… whether it be an obsession with money, pleasure, power, worldliness, etc.
• It would include so much of our youth culture today—twisted music… twisted goals… twisted pleasures… twisted clothing… a devious attraction to the occult and perverse things of darkness… twisted tastes…
• All of this stems from a froward heart… whether it comes from the MTV crowd—or the Wall Street crowd…
• A heart is froward if it is twisted and perverted… bent out of shape… in a devious sense.
b.) 17:20 – a froward heart—same word as in 11:2—This man will find no good…
• Find: find; obtain; meet up with; light upon; be found in possession of; acquire…
• The man or woman or child with a froward heart will be found in the possession of “nothing good”—nothing pleasant, agreeable, rich, excellent…
• Those things in life will escape the man with a froward heart.
• He may “possess” good things, but not have the capacity to appreciate them… enjoy them… experience the goodness of them.
• His froward heart PREVENTS him from appreciating them. It HINDERS him from acquiring that which is truly good and excellent in life…
c.) Ps.101:4 – the psalmist determined not to associate with those who had a perverse heart.
• Vs.4-5 – David will not tolerate wicked behavior in his court as king! He will tolerate none of it!
» Men with a froward or evil heart “need not apply” for positions in David’s court!
» Men who slander… proud men… David said he would not SUFFER… he would not put up with… would not tolerate in his court!
» Those are not the kind of people David wanted around him… to serve him in the kingdom… as generals, as stewards, as appointed officials… character meant something to him!
» We would do well to seek friends and fellowship from those with upright hearts and refuse to associate with those with a froward heart.
» Wisdom demands that we avoid those who are unscrupulous… those who cheat… those who steal… those who are wicked… twisted in their thinking…
» We have to live in an evil world that has plenty of evil people. We have to work with them… live near them… we are told to “go into the world”.
‣ Yet we are also commanded to remain unspotted from the world!
‣ These men may be acquaintances, but not our close friends! Chose your close friends carefully!
‣ We may have to work with them… but if you are a manager of any type, chose men and women with character…
A.) The Upright.
1.) The term upright = complete; entire; sound; wholesome; unimpaired; innocent; having integrity; what is entirely in accord with truth.
2.) In Proverbs it speaks of those who are living lives in accord with truth… it is similar to the term the “righteous.”
3.) Those who are upright in their way walk in the straight and narrow way of righteousness.
a.) Their minds and hearts are not perverted or crooked.
b.) The fact that they walk the straight and narrow is proof.
c.) A twisted, crooked mind and heart will lead the feet OFF the straight and narrow…
d.) But the upright are upright in their heart… their minds… and hence their feet are headed in the right direction.
4.) Those who walk the upright way are those who know God… and God knows them… there is a relationship there… they are walking TOWARD God…
5.) They are seen here as the opposite of those with a froward, twisted, perverted, crooked heart.
6.) The heart of the upright is right… right with God…
7.) Consider what Proverbs says about the upright:
• 10:29 – The way of the LORD is strength to the upright:
• 11:3 – The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
• 11:6 – The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them:
• 14:11 – the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
• 15:8 – the prayer of the upright is his delight.
• 16:17 – The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
• 28:10 – The upright shall have good things in possession.
8.) Doesn’t this sound like the WAY that you would want to travel? Consider the sum of what is found in the way of the upright:
• Strength; integrity; guidance; deliverance; a flourishing tabernacle; prayers that delight God; soul preserved; good things in possession!
• Why would a person ever want to walk in any other way than the way of the upright?
B.) The Upright Are God’s Delight.
1.) God delights in the way of the upright.
a.) Delight = pleasure, delight, favour, goodwill, acceptance
b.) Those who walk in the way of the upright will experience God’s acceptance, goodwill, and favor, and will bring pleasure, and delight to Him!
c.) God is well pleased… delighted with those whose lives are in harmony with His word and ways.
d.) I Chron. 29:17 – David recognizes that God takes great pleasure in the upright…
• First He tests the heart… (is it upright or crooked?)
• Of course, there is no fooling God with respect to being upright in heart. He KNOWS every nook and cranny of our heart!
2.) Note that it is the one who is walking in the WAY of the upright God delights in…
a.) Way = way; road; distance; journey; manner of life; habits; course of life; moral character; direction
b.) Just men do not always walk in the way of the upright… saved men do not always obey… the righteous do not always act in a righteous manner… the upright sometimes wander from the way of the upright.
c.) But when the upright travel down the way of the upright… that brings pure delight to the Lord.
d.) YOU can bring delight to God’s heart. Imagine that!
3.) Note also that the verse does not say that God delights in the WAY of the upright, but rather He delights in the UPRIGHT in the way.
a.) His delight is not in the way but in the person…
b.) God’s delight is in the man, woman, or child who is walking in the way…
c.) God’s delight is found in His people… in YOU… as we walk in the way… abide in Christ…
d.) Prov. 12:22 – they that deal truly are His delight. God delights in people… people who love the truth…
e.) Ps. 84:22 – no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly!
Conclusion:
1.) Solomon is contrasting the upright and the froward. (He helps us to better know man…)
2.) Solomon is also teaching us what GOD is like… what He loves and what He hates.
3.) God delights in the upright in the way… and He considers the froward to be abominable.
4.) Thus, by learning Scripture, we are learning about the Lord—who He is—what He likes and dislikes.
5.) By learning this, we come to know Him better… and we are better equipped to live lives that are pleasing in His sight.
Proverbs 11:21
No Safety in Numbers
1. Not all proverbs are true.
a. Virtually every country has a book of proverbs of one sort or another.
b. There are ancient Turkish proverbs, Chinese proverbs, etc.
c. Ben Franklin even wrote some proverbs.
d. While none of them are inspired, some of them DO quite accurately describe a particular truth.
• A penny saved is a penny earned.
• Like father, like son.
• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
e. However, not all of those un-inspired proverbs are accurate. Some we have heard so often, we accept as truth—when it may NOT be true.
2. Here, Solomon puts down an ancient urban legend… a false proverb…
a. We have often heard, “There is strength and safety in numbers.”
b. Here the proverb read, “hand in hand”… or hand joined in hand…
• This is an unusual Hebrew idiom… which is interpreted and translated in several different but similar ways.
• The implication seems to be that when men hold hands and join together, they are strong and safe. Safety in numbers.
c. There is a certain amount of truth in that.
d. This truth is elaborated upon in Ecc. 4:9-12.
• 4:9 – The Bible does say that two are better than one…
• It is true in one sense that two hands are better than one…
• Many hands make light work…
• 4:10 – two are better if you fall down!
• 4:11 – two are better at generating heat
• 4:12 – there is strength in unity
• This is a general principle… a proverb.
3. In Prov. 11:21, Solomon singles out an exception to that principle or proverb, and demonstrates it to be a lie.
a. Normally, there IS safety in numbers. Normally two are better then one. Normally there is safety in numbers.
• All things being equal, one would expect the army with the most soldiers to win the battle!
• If both armies are equally well trained and equally well equipped and with equal leadership… one would expect that the army with 100,000 soldiers should easily defeat an army with only 2,000 soldiers.
b. There are times when there is NO safety in numbers!
c. “Though hand joined in hand” the wicked shall NOT be unpunished.
d. When it comes to wickedness, there is no safety in numbers. This is the exception to the rule!
e. Wicked men DO join hands in their plans to carry out their wickedness.
• Prov. 1:10-15 – Solomon warns of the allurement of a gang.
• There IS such a thing as a mob mentality.
• People will do in a crowd what they would NEVER do alone…
• WHY? We believe that there is safety in numbers. The sheer number of people involved will serve as a shield.
• Kids in a gang stir one another up to do evil—even murder… something they would probably never do on their own.
• In a riot, we see people breaking store windows and walking away with the loot. They would never do that all by themselves!
• In any group, there is mutual encouragement, mutual affirmation, prodding one another, daring one another, challenging one another, pushing one another to the edge, etc…
• One or two wild radicals in the group may push the whole group into action that they would never have thought of on their own…
f. There is a common thinking in men: if there are enough of us, we can get away with it! They can’t catch us all! They can’t arrest us all!
g. In a mob, or in great numbers, people get a sense of power… that they can do what they want and no one can stop them… “if hand join in hand.”
h. Many movements (good and bad) operate on that principle. There is strength and safety in numbers. Numbers empower.
• The principle of power in numbers has done a lot of good in some groups… civil rights… and other democratic and social reforms…
• But the same principle works within groups of wicked men with evil intent too.
4. The Bible has many illustrations of this principle operating among the wicked… that there is no safety in numbers for the wicked.
a. Gen. 6:5,11-12 – the whole world was in wickedness, but there was no safety in that! They were all destroyed!
b. Gen. 11:1-4 – the whole world once again joined hand to hand in their rebellion against God—but to no avail. The Lord judged them (vs. 8)
c. Just walk through the Bible book by book and you will come up with countless examples.
5. The wicked fail to acknowledge GOD!
a. The wicked might THINK that if they join hands they can get away with their wickedness.
b. And perhaps they CAN on earth… for a time… but nothing escapes the notice of the Almighty!
c. When hand joins hand against God, there is NO safety in numbers!
d. It matters not whether there is one speck of dust or a million specks of dust… man is nothing before the Lord. Even all the nations put together are nothing before Him! A drop in the bucket! (Isa. 40:15)
e. Psalm 2:1-4 – in the end times, the nations will join hand in hand and think to fight against the Lord Jesus at His Second Coming! God will laugh at their folly.
f. Wicked men THINK there is safety in numbers…
g. Perhaps you’ve even heard men say, “The gospel you preach can’t be true. There are so FEW born again believers and 6 billion people in the world. I’ll take my chances with the 6 billion rather than with you!”
h. There will be no safety on judgment day. MANY walk the broad way and they are ALL headed towards destruction. FEW are walking the straight and narrow. The MANY will find no safety in their numbers.
6. The wicked shall not be unpunished.
a. The MANY on the broad way will be punished.
b. Num. 16:2 – Korah and 250 princes gathered together—hand joined in hand in their rebellion.
• They assumed safety because there were so many important men involved.
• Vs. 3 – They rejected the authority of Moses and demanded to take authority upon themselves.
• Vs. 31-33 – Korah and his whole company—went down into the pit… hand joined to hand!
• Their numbers provided no safety in that day.
c. This is a good lesson for our young people.
• You too will be faced with peer pressure—from a group of kids trying to get you involved in something that you KNOW you shouldn’t do.
• They might tell you that you will be safe—that the gang or the group will shield you from getting caught…
• Don’t believe them. Don’t do anything in a group that you wouldn’t do by yourself!
• Don’t do anything in a group that wouldn’t be pleasing to the Lord.
• You don’t want the false kind of strength that comes from flesh trying to prop one another up. You want the kind of strength that comes from the Holy Spirit within!
• When you trust in the Lord, you will have the strength to say NO to the group… and to walk away.
• Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall NOT be unpunished!
1. In contrast to the large numbers of wicked men joining hands… the remnant… the seed of the righteous… always a minority…
2. This minority shall be delivered!
3. Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “You and God are a majority.”
a. I don’t know if you are a majority with God—but you CERTAINLY are more powerful and stronger than a crowd full of frail human flesh!
b. Little David with God was far stronger than Goliath and the Philistine army! Goliath was punished (decapitated!) and David was delivered.
4. II Chron. 20:1- Hand joined in hand against Jehoshaphat.
a. Ammonites, Moabites, and others joined hands against Jehoshaphat.
b. Vs. 3 – Jehoshaphat feared, but went to the Lord in prayer.
c. Vs. 6 – he recognized that true power does not come in raw numbers of men, but from a relationship to God!
d. Vs. 7 – the numbers of men ought to fear God!
e. Vs. 22 – the invaders were destroyed… and Jehoshaphat was delivered.
f. Though hand join in hand—the invaders did not go unpunished.
g. The seed of the righteous, Jehoshaphat, was delivered.
h. There are MANY such examples in the Scriptures… and history.
5. Applications to us today:
a. As fundamentalists, who seek a God-centered worship, we will always be in the minority.
• Hand will join in hand in the New Evangelical world… and seem to prosper.
• Rest assured, that ultimately they will not go unpunished. The Bema seat is coming.
• II Tim. 2:5 – “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.”
• The seed of the righteous—those who seek to honor God and do things RIGHT—regardless of the response from men—will be delivered.
• We will be vilified on earth—but vindicated at the Bema seat.
• So let’s just keep on doing things right… and don’t be concerned about the vast numbers in the evangelical world who join hand to hand… even in violating principles of Scripture.
b. When you are overpowered by men… outnumbered… and seemed overwhelmed in the world… or at your office or school… just remember what Jonathan said:
• I Sam. 14:6 – “It may be that the Lord will work for us; for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.”
• Judges 7 – remember what God said to Gideon – “you have too many men! (22,000) Pare it down to about 300!
• Rom. 8:31 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
• It doesn’t matter how many men oppose us; or how big they are; or how well equipped.
• Ultimately, wicked men will be punished; the righteous will be delivered! Wait on the Lord for Him to work.
• You and God overpower any enemy! Numbers are irrelevant to God.
c. In our uncertain times, it is easy to become paralyzed in fear over terrorism.
• All over the world, Muslims are joining hand in hand to destroy the big Satan… America and the little Satan, Israel.
• We can rest in this truth: though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished. They aren’t getting away with anything ultimately.
• And in the end, the righteous shall be delivered. We are on the winning side in Christ…
• Justice may come slowly, but it WILL come.
Proverbs 11:22
An Attractive Pig?
1. Our present verse is perhaps the most colorful comparison he makes.
a. Undoubtedly, Solomon intended this verse to strike a funny bone in his readers.
b. The visual picture is so outlandish as to be humorous.
c. The picture is of a pig wearing beautiful gold jewelry.
d. This was written in the day when animals were animals… long before Peta and animals rights groups… long before the time when an abused cat is the headline in the newspaper.
e. This was written long before our yuppie generation began providing psychologists for their dogs; before the days of air-conditioned dog houses; before the use of Ritalin for dogs; and before doggie day care centers and summer camps.
f. In Solomon’s day, the thought of an animal with jewelry on was so outrageous and bizarre it was humorous. In those days, an animal was an animal.
2. To make the image all the more arresting, Solomon stretches the contrast to the ridiculous.
a. The jewelry is GOLD… the most precious of all metals in Solomon’s day. That which is exceptionally beautiful and valuable.
b. And where is this beautiful and expensive jewelry placed? In a swine’s snout!
• Why a swine? Because they were considered exceptionally unclean to Jews.
• And because they ARE unclean by anyone’s standards. They love rolling in the mud and coating themselves in it.
• And to boot—he places the jewel of gold in the pig’s snout! Have you ever seen a pig’s snout? It is disgusting!
• They snort, stick their nose in the mud… quite a disgusting feature on an already unattractive creature!
• A gold necklace around its neck maybe. Even a nice earring would be more agreeable. But IN a pig’s snout—quite revolting!
3. What is Solomon trying to highlight with this image?
a. First of all, how inappropriate… they just don’t seem to go together! Something is wrong with this picture!
b. The jewelry, as beautiful as it is, doesn’t really make the pig any more attractive! A pig’s snout is disgusting even if it is wearing gold jewelry!
c. You can dress up a pig, but its still a pig! It doesn’t change its nature. One grunt and everyone is reminded that this is just a pig. A pig with jewelry is still going to roll in the mud and grunt.
d. Very few people would be fooled by the jewelry. It is easy to see through this poor attempt to dress up a pig.
e. The little piece of jewelry is grossly insufficient to overshadow the pig’s real problem: he’s dirty and ugly and disgusting.
4. Solomon then makes application from the gold bedecked pig to a woman without discretion.
1. The comparison:
a. A woman without discretion is like the pig.
• Discretion = taste; judgment;
• A tasteless woman with no common sense; a female fool.
b. Her “fairness” (outward beauty) is like the gold nose ring.
The Four Comparisons
1. How inappropriate!
a. It is inappropriate to dress up a pig and try to make the pig look nice.
b. A gold nose ring and pig’s snout don’t go together.
c. External beauty on a woman who is a pig on the inside doesn’t go together either.
d. Because we are so influenced by sight, we might assume that a woman with beauty is a nice person. Wrong! I’ve known some that were witches—figuratively speaking.
e. Just as it is a waste of fine jewelry putting gold in a pig’s snout, it almost seems like a waste of beauty when attached to a woman who is cruel, vicious, angry, full of hate, maliciousness, etc…
f. A pig doesn’t deserve gold jewelry. A filthy woman without discretion doesn’t deserve external beauty.
g. There is just something altogether inappropriate when you see a beautiful woman who looks so sweet—until she opens her mouth and out comes a cesspool of vileness and wickedness.
h. Your immediate reaction is the same as if you saw a pig with gold jewelry: something is wrong with this picture!
i. This principle is true not only of women—but men too… and children.
j. We have all seen little children who are so cute… so sweet looking… until they open their mouth! What comes out is often shocking! It seems so inappropriate for a cute little kid to behave that way… without discretion… without respect…
k. There is something very ugly living in that beautiful exterior!
2. The jewelry, as beautiful as it is, doesn’t really make the pig any more attractive! A pig’s snout is disgusting even if it is wearing gold.
a. A beautiful body doesn’t enhance very much, the overall impression one gets of a woman without discretion.
b. I wouldn’t want to marry a pig, just because she had nice jewelry and some fancy clothes! Would you?
c. Solomon’s point is that although the gold may be priceless, it FAILED to clean up the overall image of the pig. It did precious little to improve her.
d. All the external beauty… and riches… and fancy clothes… and expensive cars… jewelry… mink stoles… will FAIL to make a woman who is ugly on the inside truly attractive.
e. I Pet. 3:3-4 – your real beauty is inward, not outward. Put the emphasis where God does!
3. Outward beauty does not change the nature of a foolish woman, just as a beautiful nose ring doesn’t change the pig’s nature.
a. She may be beautiful on the outside, but is still a pig on the inside.
b. Hollywood is FULL of these kinds of women (and men!)—Good looking pigs! (Sounds harsh; blame Solomon, not me!)
c. Many of the pigs in Hollywood have become exceptionally wealthy… and influential.
d. Our last president was often seen hob-nobbing with these beautiful pigs.
• They had his ear… and evidently he listened to them too.
• It’s not surprising that Clinton was so soft on the homosexual community that has made such inroads in Hollywood.
e. Don’t be fooled by looks. A person’s facial features, skin color, height, weight, clothes, and build tell you absolutely NOTHING about a person that lives inside that body.
• Some well-dressed, good-looking people are beautiful on the inside too. (Moses; David; Joseph) Some are pigs.
• Some not so well dressed, not so good-looking people are ugly on the inside… mean, cruel, and vicious. Others are gems on the inside.
f. You can dress up a pig, but it is still a pig. Its nature has not been changed.
• II Peter 2:22 – you can wash a sow—even put gold jewelry on her, but she is still a sow on the inside—and will return to her wallowing in the mire!
• While this is talking about false professors in Christ, the principle is the same as in Prov. 11:22 – don’t be fooled by a person’s exterior…
• You can dress a person up with religion too—but it doesn’t change his nature! He is still an unbelieving rebel on the inside… a choir robe doesn’t change that one bit.
g. We are warned NOT to treat men according to what they look like.
• James 2:1-4 – don’t be fooled by their looks… their clothing…
• Don’t treat the well dressed better than the poorly dressed…
• You might be giving a pig a front row seat, and hiding a real gem in the corner!
4. Very few people would be fooled by the jewelry. It is easy to see through this poor attempt to dress up a pig.
a. Most people will not be fooled by a beautiful woman without discretion.
b. It is easy to spot a woman without discretion—as you listen to her speak… and observe what she does.
c. I’ve known some… beautiful on the outside, but not so beautiful on the inside.
d. I remember watching a famous TV evangelist and his wife on TV some years ago. She wore expensive clothes, gobs of make up, rode in fancy cars, had jewelry dangling all over her… but she had no discretion… no judgment… no spiritual discernment. She was easy to spot. The make up was not enough to cover up her nature…
e. Don’t be fooled by a fancy exterior. It’s what’s on the inside that counts.
f. Some women think they look pretty sharp… pretty cool. Some young girls think they are cool… Well sure you are—like a pig with gold jewelry! That’s what God thinks of good looks, fancy clothes and being in with the in crowd! A well dressed pig… not very complimentary.
5. The little piece of jewelry is grossly insufficient to overshadow the pig’s real problem: he’s dirty and ugly and disgusting.
a. So too with the woman without discretion. Her looks and clothes will never overshadow her real problem: she’s ugly on the inside!
b. Nothing will change that but the new birth—or if she is saved and has an ugly spirit—repentance!
c. This proverb illustrates a truth about human nature. We are inclined to try to cover up… and make self LOOK good… rather than BE good. Good looks, fancy clothes, or expensive jewelry will never overshadow an ugly heart.
d. Prov. 31:3- beauty is vain… but a woman who fears the Lord—that is a woman with real beauty.
6. This is how GOD sees things.
a. Men might look at a beautiful woman and think that her exceptional good looks will overshadow all other shortcomings.
b. God looks at this beautiful woman without discretion and sees a pig… with a nice nose ring, but still a pig.
c. God sees things as they really are.
• The pig is large. The ring is quite small in comparison.
d. Men might look at a person and see someone who is beautiful… hip… cool… in… popular… in the limelight… and be attracted to that… to that which is superficial and shallow.
e. This proverb warns us to look a little deeper… beyond the fancy clothes to the KIND of person he or she is.
f. It’s what’s inside that counts. Do they fear God? Honor Him? Love the Lord? Serve Him? Or are they out gathering gold earrings to try to cover up the fact that they are not very godly on the inside?
g. Don’t let a gold ring fool you! Don’t judge a book by its cover.
h. A pig is a pig—regardless of how well you dress him or her up.
i. A godly person is godly and beloved of the Lord—regardless of how good looking they are… or what kind of clothes they have on.
j. We need to learn to see people as God sees them.
Proverbs 11:23
The Desire of the Righteous
Introduction:
1. Yet once again, Solomon makes another comparison.
2. So far he has compared the following:
• the froward and the upright
• pursuing righteousness vs. pursuing evil
• sowing wickedness vs. sowing righteousness
• the merciful man and the cruel man
• a gracious woman and a strong man
• a talebearer and a faithful man
• a man void of wisdom and a man of understanding
• a just man and a hypocrite
• a righteous man delivered from trouble and a wicked man who falls
• the upright and transgressors
• guidance for the righteous vs. falling of the wicked
• riches vs. righteousness
• integrity vs. perverseness
• the proud and the humble
• And this is just in chapter 11 so far!
• Now he compares the desire of the righteous and the expectation of the wicked.
The Desire of the Righteous: Good
1. Desire: desire; wish; longings of one’s heart; lust; appetite; covetousness (bad sense); the thing desired; object of desire
a. One man wrote: Desire is the wing of the soul, whereby it moveth , and is carried to the things which it loveth, as the eagle to the carcass, to feed itself upon it, and to be satisfied with it.”
b. Desire is a powerful thing.
c. Desire can be good (As the hart panteth after the waterbrooks, so panteth my heart after thee, O God)…
d. Desire can be evil… lust… covetousness… greed… ambition…
e. Desire must always be guided by Scripture and controlled by the Spirit of God.
f. Even good desires must be kept in control…
2. Good: good; pleasant; agreeable; excellent (of its kind); valuable in estimation; appropriate; becoming; good, right (ethical)
• Good people desire good things. Do you?
• Do you desire God’s blessings on others? Even your enemies?
• Do you wish things to go well for others… or do you secretly hope things will go poorly for some?
3. The OBJECT of their desire:
a. Righteous people want to achieve good things. That’s only natural!
b. Righteous people have regenerated hearts. A regenerated heart loves good things.
• He desires GOD—
• Ps. 73:25 – there is none on earth I desire more than God!
• He loves the Word of God and the house of God. (Ps. 27:4 – a desire to dwell in the house of the Lord!)
• He loves what God loves.
• He desires that which is pleasing to the Lord.
• He desires to go do good things… serve others… and God.
• A righteous wife desires to do her husband good… (Prov. 31:12)
• A righteous husband desires that which is best for his wife… and family.
c. Righteous people, filled with the Spirit of God, and guided by Scripture will have GOOD desires.
• Phil. 2:13 – It is God who works in us both to WILL (desires) and to do of His good pleasure.
• Ps. 10:17 – God delights in the desire of the humble… (Not the proud who come demanding…)
• I John 5:14 – our desires must be subordinated to His will.
• Good desires are easily recognized. They are always subordinated to God’s sovereign will.
• When we bring our good desires to the Lord, He answers according to His will… but it is not always His will to grant our good desires… even though they are good!
• God said that David’s desire to build Him a temple was a good desire, but God said no! Not the right time… not the right man…
• If our desires are REALLY submitted to His will, we will be able to deal with a “no” from the Lord.
• A believer might have a desire to serve in a particular ministry, but perhaps he is not yet mature enough… or the leaders have been led to choose someone else. It is a good desire. Is it submitted to the will of God?
• We need to be careful with our desires. It is so easy for our motives to be wrong… or have mixed motives. (To glorify the Lord AND self… to serve the church… and make friends for me… )
• It is sometimes hard to even KNOW if our motives are pure because our heart is deceitful.
• James 4:3 – Hence, the exhortation to be careful with respect to the desires of our heart we pray for—it could be wrongly motivated!
• Don’t your children have a lot of desires that are not necessarily evil, but are just not appropriate now… (Like the 12 year old who wants to drive the car… etc.)
• Righteous men have GOOD desires… bound by truth… controlled by the Holy Spirit… and submitted to the will of God.
• Phil. 4:19 – There is great rest in this truth. While my desires may go unanswered and unfulfilled, God will always supply my NEEDS. The branch gets all it truly needs on the Vine.
• Ps. 21:2 – very often God does give us the desire of our hearts…
4. The RESULTS of their desires…
a. Righteous people have desires that will result in good things.
b. The consequences of their desires are good; wholesome; beneficial.
c. They result in things beneficial to themselves and to others.
d. The man who desires the office of a bishop desires a good work—and when done well, produces GOOD fruit that is beneficial to the flock…
The Expectation of the Wicked: Wrath
1. Expectation: hope, expectation; ground of hope; things hoped for, outcome.
a. All men have hopes, expectations, things they hope for… even the unsaved and the wicked.
3. Wicked: wicked, criminal; one guilty of crime; (hostile to God); guilty of sin (against God or man).
a. The wicked refers to the unsaved… evil men…
b. Ps.10:3 – the wicked boast of their heart’s evil desire!
4. The OBJECT of their desires: wrath…
a. Wicked people desire to cause wrath… presumably to others.
b. Wicked men wish evil on others… wrath…
c. If it is to be understood in this sense, the meaning is that evil men EXPECT… plan… have intentions of making others angry… and making God angry.
d. There is certainly an element of truth in that. It is often the case!
e. Ex: the Muslim terrorists were wicked men whose intentions were to get the USA angry. They achieved their goal! Their expectation was to anger a lot of people.
(It seems better to understand it to refer to the result here…)
5. The RESULT of the expectation of wicked people: wrath
a. The consequence of their desires is a future wrath.
b. This seems more likely the correct interpretation.
• Wicked men have all kinds of desires and expectations.
• They expect to lie and cheat and get ahead.
• They expect to live it up in sin and get away with it!
• They expect to be the master of their own destiny and thumb their nose at God.
• Many wicked men expect that the world owes them a living…
• They expect to be able to slide through life doing the bare minimum… and do well…
• They expect that they can climb over other people to get ahead and advance themselves up the ladder…
• They expect all kinds of things.
c. But what they SHOULD expect in the end: Divine wrath!
• Rom. 2:5 – he is treasuring up wrath…
• He should expect wrath.
• The children of Israel desired meat. (Tired of the manna.) God gave them their desire, and it became loathsome in their teeth. It was an expression of God’s wrath—heaps of rotting quails!
• Ps. 106:15 – He gave them their desire, but sent leanness of soul! This was an expression of God’s wrath.
What a challenge in this passage to put all of our desires to the TEST.
• Is it truly a good desire?
• Is it in line with revealed truth?
• Will it glorify God?
• Is it designed to please God or is it merely that I might consume it in my own lusts?
• Are we aware that wisdom is more valuable than all things we canst desire? (Prov.3: 15)
• Is it submitted to the sovereign will of God?
• Is my real delight in the Lord Himself first and foremost?
Ps. 37:4 – Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
This passage emphasizes the importance of having worthy goals… high and lofty goals… good desires in life. Who knows. You just might achieve them!
Proverbs 11:24-26
Scattering and Withholding
Introduction:
1. These next verses all speak of a familiar theme in the Scriptures:
• You reap what you sow.
• Sow sparingly, and reap sparingly! Sow generously and reap generously.
2. This passage speaks of a principle or truth which at first glance seems contradictory… it seems impossible…
• It demands further investigation… further thought… meditation.
• It might be classified as an oxymoron (a wise saying that seems foolish)—it at first appears to be foolish.
• But upon further contemplation is found to be quite wise.
THE PRINCIPLE IS FOUND IN VS. 24-26
1. Solomon speaks of a situation where one scatters what he has, and yet increases what he has.
a. At first glance this seems foolish. (This was written by Solomon, not Yogi Berra)
• Normally, when you scatter what you have, you end up with less. You don’t increase.
• What Solomon writes seems to run contrary to all known laws of mathematics… contrary to common sense…
• When you subtract, you don’t end up with MORE. (I’m no math major, but even I know that!)
b. However, there are situations where one who scatters DOES increase.
• Remember that Proverbs are truths crystallized into a tiny nugget. They do not hold true for every possible situation.
• The principle Solomon describes is true with scattering seeds. (…As opposed to keeping them in a bag.)
• It is true with investments. (…As opposed to withholding them under your mattress.)
• So there ARE situations where what Solomon says is true.
2. Scatter.
a. The term means to disperse (scatter!) ; spread out; spread abroad;
b. It is translated either scatter or disperse. (Usually used of Israel being scattered among the nations)
c. The term is used in the same sense that Solomon uses in Ps. 112:9 where it speaks here of dispersing money or goods or charity to the poor.
3. Increaseth.
a. Increase: add; gain; increase; join;
b. This is the point of the oxymoron… one who scatters gains; increases…
c. This kind of scattering doesn’t subtract, but adds to what he has.
4. Psa. 112:9 – The psalmist describes the one who disperses his money to the poor…
a. What is the result of his scattering his goods to the poor? Does he end up with less?
b. His righteousness endures… it does not decrease. It increases! His righteousness doesn’t run dry, it endures!
c. His “horn” (symbol of strength; power) doesn’t run dry either. It is exalted.
• By giving to the poor, this man does not become weaker, but stronger.
• His bank account may become weaker, but HE becomes stronger as a person.
• The owner of a company who treats his employees fairly and scatters his earnings to them… might discover that his company becomes stronger for it, not weaker!
• His employee loyalty increases. He keeps better workers. (Good workers want to work for him.) The morale is up. The zeal to do well increases… all because the owner scattered his wealth to them.
• Over time, this may well increase his bottom line too.
• Just as Solomon said; there are times when scattering results in increase… as crazy and nonsensical as it may sound at first!
5. This same truth is repeated in different form in vs. 25a: The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
a. The liberal soul (not talking about Ted Kennedy and his crowd).
• It is GOOD to be liberal in this sense. (Not theologically however!)
b. Liberal: blessing or prosperity…
• It speaks of one who dispenses blessings or prosperity and goods to others.
• He is liberal in his giving—not his politics or theology.
• The liberal soul could be translated “the generous man.”
• The English term is used of God as a liberal… a liberal giver. (James 1:5 – He giveth liberally and upbraideth not)
• II Cor. 9:13 speaks of their liberal giving to the saints in Jerusalem. (liberal here = free; open)
c. The liberal soul is one who gives generously.
• He “scatters” what he has among those who have need.
• He is generous in giving to the Lord’s work… and the poor…
• He uses his wealth wisely and generously… he is a true liberal.
d. This man shall be made fat.
• In our culture, this probably seems like a punishment… in reality it is a blessing.
• But in Bible times, fatness was a sign of prosperity… of doing well… well provided for.
• Times change.
» In ancient times—and in the golden era of the British Empire, it was considered chic NOT to have a tan.
» The British aristocrats prided themselves in their ghoulish white skin. The ladies wore parasols when they went in the sun… to keep their skin lily white.
» Only the lower class—those who had to work in the sun had tans. The upper class did not.
» Today, it is chic to have a tan; in fact, we have tanning parlors on every block!
» Today we have gyms and weight clinics on every corner.
» Back then fat and fair were in. Now dark and lean are in. What fickle people we are!
• In ancient times, fat was considered to be a good thing. Being skinny meant you were probably poor… Fatness was a sign that you had made it!
• So when God says that the liberal soul shall be made fat, He means that His BLESSING is upon the liberal soul.
• He will not starve. God will take good care of him. “Let thy soul delight itself in fatness.” (Isa. 55:2)
e. Vs. 25b – The same thought repeated once again: he that watereth shall be watered himself.
• Water was an exceptionally important commodity in those days before running water… in that dry region.
• The man who is generous with his water to others would be reciprocated.
• The man who scatters his water does not end up with less, but with MORE!
• If he shared his water with several neighbors when their wells ran dry…he ends up with access to MANY wells down the road, not just his own.
• His well could run dry one day too… and his neighbors would remember his generosity. (They would also remember a stingy neighbor too).
6. This same principle is found in yet another illustration in vs. 26b.
a. “Blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth.”
• Solomon is speaking of a farmer who sells grain… perhaps a very wealthy landowner who controls the market on grain.
• If he withholds it, (and thus drives up the price) the people will curse him… because he is taking advantage of them.
• But the one who sells it… (fair market value)… will be blessed.
• The one who sells his corn or grain is like the man who scatters what he has…
b. The man who is willing to scatter his grain in order to feed the hungry will be blessed.
• This man is not actually “giving” it away, but selling it.
• But by selling it, he is doing the people a favor. Otherwise, they go hungry.
• In those days, in an agrarian culture, so much depended upon the weather. The whole economy depended upon the crops.
• A powerful, wealthy landowner would always have enough for himself, even in a time of famine.
• But in those rough years, the price of grain might go up 10 fold! If the famine was bad enough, the farmer might keep it all to himself… not knowing when the famine will end.
• In fact, if the landowner had a corner on the market, he could even withhold corn in a good year to drive up the price…
• No wonder James decries the wealthy landowners of his day.
• James 5:1, 5 – they lived in pleasure and got fat by taking advantage of the poor.
• James says they were getting fat all right, but like an animal that is fattened up for the slaughter… God’s judgment upon them!
• The man who was considerate enough of other families to SELL his corn… at fair market value, was like the man who scattered his wealth… like the liberal or generous soul… like the man who watered others…
7. In all of these illustrations and examples, Solomon states that those who show mercy, compassion, generosity, kindness, consideration of those who are poor or are suffering, will be BLESSED.
a. They scatter what they have (be it money; kindness; corn; water; etc.)
b. And in the end, they are not losers, but gainers!
c. They scattered what they had, but ended up increasing… with MORE:
• More friends
• More joy
• Access to more wells when their well runs dry
• More dedicated employees
• More satisfaction from what remains
• More contentment out of life
• More of God’s blessing in your life (that’s what counts)
d. Those who scatter increase. They are never losers but winners. They don’t end up with less but with more…
e. In a word (or two!)—these proverbs mean: he who sows generously shall reap generously!
POSSIBLE ENDING IF TIME RUNS OUT…
8. Be careful not to twist the meaning here.
a. The gospel of success folks do just that: twist this principle and apply it where it was never intended to be applied.
b. They say, “If you give generously of your wealth, God will increase your wealth.”
c. In other words, “Give more in order to get more.” That is entirely SELFISH. The motive is all wrong.
d. The whole point of the proverb is about being generous … giving to others, not thinking of yourself!
• The emphasis is on giving, not getting.
• The motive behind it is thinking of others, not self.
e. They likewise twist Proverbs 3:9.
• What is the emphasis here? HONOR God!
• It is equal to Matt. 6:33 – seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.
• We are never told to put God first SO THAT we will have food on the table and clothes to wear!
• We are never told to give SO THAT we will receive from God or others.
• Just the opposite. We are taught NOT to put self first, but God and others.
• And when we do, God will take care of our needs. God will bless. God will provide. He will fill our barns with what we need.
• The point is this: Seek God first; be generous to others; and trust God to take care of your needs… and He will.
• Being generous in order to receive is really a perversion of this principle.
• This gets right down to the MOTIVE behind our generosity and willingness to share.
• We may DO good deeds, but ruin the value of them in God’s sight by doing a right thing with a wrong motive.
f. In fact, if we give generously, our bankroll goes DOWN not up.
• We can’t expect to scatter wealth and increase wealth in this life.
• But in glory, we will find our riches ARE increased.
• We lose out on earthly treasures by scattering them.
• BUT—we INCREASE our heavenly treasures… and they are eternal!
• Don’t expect that if you give generously in this life, then God is required to increase your wealth in this life. We already HAVE all of our blessings as Christians! (Eph. 1:3)
• God may bless our generosity with physical, earthly blessings, but the Bible does not promise it. In fact, we are exhorted not to expect much from this world!
• But if we put others first, and are generous in this life with our present stewardship, then we can KNOW that God has heavenly riches awaiting us in glory!
• From eternity’s perspective, this principle is always true: If we scatter what God gives us in this life, we will be greatly increased in true riches at the Bema seat!
NEXT WEEK we will look at the other side of this principle: the one who withholds… and tends to poverty.
And there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
Proverbs 11:27
Seek and Ye Shall Find
Introduction:
1. The principle that is found in this passage is similar to a principle found often in the Bible: you reap what you sow.
2. Solomon (as well as New Testament writers observed this principle often—and made many spiritual applications from it.
3. However, this verse puts a slightly difference emphasis on it: “You usually get what you’re looking for…” “Seek and ye shall find…”
THE TERMS…
1. Diligently Seeking –
a. Diligently seeketh: to seek early or earnestly; look early or diligently for…
b. This is not just a haphazard kind of seeking… but with great diligence.
2. Good –
a. Pleasant; agreeable; pleasant (to the higher nature); good; excellent; valuable in estimation; appropriate, becoming; morally good; kind; benevolent…
b. This term is broad enough to have 1001 applications to all areas of life…
c. It could mean good things, good friends; good fellowship; good attitudes; good policies; good use of the tongue; good days; etc…
3. Procureth –
a. This term means to seek and find… seeks and obtains… seeks and secures…
b. The point is that the one who seeks diligently… seeks in such a way that he obtains… he secures… he finds what he’s looking for!
4. Favour –
a. pleasure, delight, favour, goodwill, acceptance, good will
b. Solomon seems to imply favor from GOD here primarily.
5. Putting the terms together:
a. The one who seeks good diligently, will obtain favor from God.
b. The one who diligently seeks, usually finds what he’s looking for.
c. Diligent seeking is the kind of seeking that produces results…
d. God shows divine, sovereign favor to the one who seeks diligently… and He knows our heart… if we are seeking diligently or not.
VARIOUS APPLICATION OF “DILIGENTLY SEEKING GOOD…”
1. Seeking the good of others…
• Phil. 2:4 – seeking the welfare and benefit of others, not self. This is the mind of Christ. (vs. 5)
• Phil. 2:19-22 – Timothy was such a man. Are you?
• Do we seek good for others, or just for self… for me… my family… my own…?
• I Cor. 10:24 – seeking the welfare (good—not wealth)… of others… in a context of liberty. In other words, always be willing to give up the exercise of your “rights” for another brother… seek HIS good… not your pleasure.
2. Seeking a change for the good of your spiritual life…
• Hopefully, we all want changes in our lives… change for the good.
• Only those who are perfectly Christlike should not seek change.
• Paul was not one of those. He had not yet arrived. Hence, he longed for more transformation into the image of Christ.
• Those who SEEK for such change—will find it… they will find the favor of God.
• Diligently seeking for spiritual growth and transformation could be likened to a hungry and thirsty man diligently seeking to be fed… diligently seeking a drink of cool water
• The whole process of growth and change is based upon the principle of seeking… hungering… thirsting… longing.
• Matt. 5:6 – Those who hunger will be fed!
• No hunger, no feeding. No thirsting, no drink.
• God knows the desire of our heart. If we are not diligently seeking to be fed, He isn’t going to feed us! If we are not hungering because we’ve been fed in the world… God isn’t going to feed us.
• Take that one step beyond: no drinking or feeding means no growth…
• Plants grow this same way. Tiny fibers extend out from their roots seeking water and nutrient… always hungering… and when there is a supply, always finding…
• Sometimes plants dry up because their supply of water or nutrients dries up.
• But our supply is found in the Lord Himself. This source never dries up… BUT—we need to keep on seeking… hungering… thirsting… and we will be fed.
3. Seeking that which is “good” for your spiritual life…
• Some seek what is good for them economically without any regard for that which is good for them spiritually.
• As a result, they are willing to let Raytheon or IBM lead them withersoever they will…rather than being led of the Holy Spirit.
• Lot sought that which was good for his family economically—but found the spiritual climate of Sodom not quite what he had hoped!
• You usually get what you seek diligently for…
• Solomon admonishes us here to seek that which is GOOD—good for us spiritually.
• To seek spiritual things diligently means to put them on the TOP of the list of priorities. (Matt. 6:33).
• If you seek God and spiritual things FIRST… then you will seek them diligently. Other things will fall into place… God will take care of the rest.
• But if we diligently seek after the wrong things… things that are NOT good for us spiritually, God can BLOW upon all of our efforts!
• Haggai 1:7-11 – These folks were not seeking evil things, but they were not seeking that which was GOOD spiritually.
• As a result, all of their hard work, effort, and labor was but in vain. God blew upon it and brought it to naught.
• The implication is that had they been seeking diligently that which was good spiritually… the kingdom of God FIRST… then God would have blessed in other areas too.
• Those who seek good spiritual things in their lives, usually get what they are looking for.
• Jesus said, “Seek and ye shall find.” God isn’t hiding on us. Neither are His blessings beyond our reach.
• BUT—God does want us to seek them diligently…
4. Seeking good at your job…
a. This principle is broad enough to apply to every area of one’s life.
b. Do you seek the GOOD of your company… your employer?
c. Do you DILIGENTLY seek good for your employer?
d. Prov.10:4 – Those who diligently seek good for their employer usually find favor… and that may even pay off financially!
e. Things are not always equal in the workplace.
• There is a lot of dishonesty, hypocrisy, buddy system, cronyism, lying, and misrepresenting… that takes place.
• But apart from all of that… the worker that DILIGENTLY seeks to do a good job… will be noticed eventually…
• He will find favor… eventually… under normal circumstances.
• Remember—these are Proverbs—they do not apply to each and every situation… but are generalities.
• Prov. 12:24 – He may even rise to the position of leadership…
• Prov. 22:29 – he shall stand before kings… praised for his diligently seeking after good.
• Generally, the worker who diligently does GOOD work will find favor.
• He will be noticed… his work will stand out… he will be advanced… will do well.
5. Seeking good at school…
a. The student who diligently seeks good at school will find favor too.
b. This does not mean that the student has to be brilliant… but rather diligently seek to do good… to do his or her best.
c. That is the child who will be noticed by the teacher… and whose diligence and enthusiasm will be praised…
d. The student with average ability… but who applies above average diligence… will do well. He will probably do much better than a student with greater intellectual ability, but who lacks diligence.
e. Thomas Edison has been quoted many times for saying, “Genius is 10% inspiration, and 90% perspiration.”
6. Seeking good in marriage…
a. The husband who seeks a good relationship with his wife will usually find favor…
b. Even if there have been difficulties in the relationship, the wife who sees her husband is trying… even DILIGENT about doing his part… being a good husband will be pleased. What wife wouldn’t?
c. People don’t usually expect perfection in their spouse… but they DO expect to see their spouse WANT to make it work… diligently seek GOOD for their home life…
d. The Bible says that we are to esteem OTHERS better than ourselves. That certainly applies in marriage. It’s hard not to love someone who is doing that… and working at it DILIGENTLY!
e. What wife wouldn’t want a husband who went the extra mile to put his wife first? To love her as Christ loved the church?
f. What husband wouldn’t love a wife who did the same?
g. It’s a great encouragement to a spouse just to know you’re trying hard to work at it!
h. The spouse that diligently seeks good for the relationship will naturally find favor!
7. Seeking good in the local church…
a. The believer who is continually looking for good in the local church will find it. (Conversely, the one who is continually looking for something to complain about will find that too!)
b. If you diligently seek for something hard enough, you will find it!
c. Be the kind of believer who diligently seeks the GOOD of the congregation…
d. Look for good qualities in other members… and overlook those areas where they need improvement.
e. Look for ways to increase the good in a congregation… if you see a deficiency, rather than murmuring about it—DO something good. Fix it! Support it… help it… nurture it… heal it… seek to make that which is less than good, good…
f. That is the member who will find favor… with men and with God!
g. How do you seek the GOOD of the local church?
• Be a peacemaker… (Cf. second part of verse 27!)
• Be available to work towards improving areas that need help…
• If you hear, “We don’t have a very good youth ministry”—then diligently seek to make it good!
• If you hear, “We don’t have a very good music ministry”—then diligently seek to make it good!
• If you hear, “We don’t have a very good Sunday school ministry”—then diligently seek to make it good!
h. James 1:27 – pure religion and undefiled is to “diligently seek good”… for others in the Body of Christ…
• Diligently seeking good is an activity… active, not passive.
• What a testimony and what a demonstration of the indwelling life of Christ, when all of God’s people are actively and diligently seeking GOOD for others.
1. The reverse of this principle is true as well.
a. Those who seek good usually find what they are looking for.
b. And those who seek mischief usually find that too!
2. Notice the absence of the word “diligently” with respect to seeking mischief.
a. Actually, it is not a word that is absent, rather it is another term for seek, only a milder term…
b. Seeking after good requires diligence. It is not as easy to find. It can be found, but requires diligent seeking.
c. However, mischief can be found much easier.
d. You don’t have to look quite so hard to find trouble.
3. The main point of the proverb is that people usually find what they’re looking for… whether they are looking for good or for mischief!
4. Ps. 36:4 – states that evil men stay up at night devising mischief! Thinking about ways to create trouble. (Consider those who send out internet viruses… just for the fun of it!)
5. Note also what the two different men (one seeking good and one seeking mischief) RECEIVE in this comparison:
a. The one who seeks good for others, finds FAVOR for himself.
b. The one who seeks mischief for others, finds MISCHIEF for himself.
c. The bottom line: be careful what you seek for others. You might just find it for yourself!
Proverbs 11:29
Troubling One’s Own House
Introduction:
TROUBLING ONE’S HOUSEHOLD…
1. Trouble Defined:
a. To trouble; stir up; disturb…cause hardship and distress for another, implying social chaos from the interaction or situation.
b. Note: in some contexts there is a focus on the wretched state of distress that this oppression causes.
2. HOUSE: home; dwelling place; the inhabitants of the dwelling place; descendants; family; family affairs; the affairs of a household; etc.
• It can refer to one’s immediate family; to one’s tribe; one’s nation; one’s spiritual family; it is a broad term…
3. The term is used in the following passages:
a. Used in Gen. 34:30 – Simeon and Levi stirred up other tribes against the tribe of Jacob.
• 34:1 – Shechem lay with Dinah, the sister of the 12 sons of Israel, Jacob.
• To get vengeance, the sons of Jacob devised a plot.
• They told Shechem he could marry their daughter and that they would be one people, IF all their males would be circumcised.
• All the males in those tribes complied… and while they were sore, and unable to move, Levi and Simeon came and killed them all with a sword.
• Vs. 30 – as a result, all the people of Canaan land turned against Jacob.
• Hence, Jacob said that the actions of his two sons TROUBLED his whole household.
• Their dirty, conniving deeds stirred up trouble for the whole house of Jacob… turned everyone in the region against him.
• The Jews were viewed as strangers in a strange or foreign land. Their behavior would naturally be watched carefully. They should have been on their best behavior!
• Levi and Simeon troubled their whole house…what folly!
• Solomon warns about dastardly deeds that cause trouble for others… especially one’s own household!
• What a warning to us all.
» Think of how careful missionaries must be in a foreign land, before people of a different culture…people who look different than they do… behave differently…
» That missionary is likely going to be watched carefully… with a bit of healthy suspicion at first.
» If the actions of that missionary greatly offends the people to whom he was sent… or worse, if he should ever get caught lying or stealing from them… he has stirred up trouble against the whole missionary family… the whole missionary enterprise!
» It would be extremely difficult to win back their trust.
• Immigrants often have to deal with this issue…
» One in a group might commit an act that brings trouble on the entire community… smears the reputation of the whole community…
» It is wrong to judge the whole community on the basis of the actions of one—but that is human nature.
» The actions of a few troublemakers can bring trouble on the whole community.
» Don’t stir up trouble for your own household… for your own family, tribe, or nation.
• As Christians, we too are strangers in a strange land… pilgrims!
» Our behavior before the community will either be a testimony for the glory of Christ OR it can cause trouble for other believers.
» Sometimes one Christian group will be defiant before the city officials… refusing to follow the local ordinances… and thus, make trouble for the other Christian groups in the region!
» Our actions can stir up trouble for our own house… even for the household of faith!
» Our behavior should be such that our behavior does not disgrace, but enhances the doctrine we profess…
b. Used in Josh. 6:18 – Achan stirred up trouble for Israel by taking of the accursed thing.
• Achan’s sin stirred up God’s wrath against his own people!
• After the defeat of Jericho, God plainly stated that all the goods of the city were to be “accursed” — devoted to God.
• None of the goods were to be taken by individuals as spoils of the battle.
• God also warned that if anyone DID take of the goods, that they would make the camp of Israel a curse and TROUBLE Israel.
• Vs. 19 – the goods were to go directly into the treasury of the Lord.
• However, Achan disobeyed and stole gold and clothing and hid it in his tent…
• 7:1 – the disobedient actions of Achan stirred up God’s wrath against the whole nation—his own household…
• His own people had to suffer as a result of his actions.
c. Achan’s sin brought trouble on all Israel… his own people!
• Consider some of the sins mentioned in the New Testament epistles… and the trouble they stirred up for the household of faith.
• I Cor. 5:1—incest—imagine how much trouble that stirred up in the church at Corinth? In that man’s own family?
• The sin of divorce also stirs up trouble for one’s own family.
• Consider how much trouble alcohol stirs up in a man’s own home… coming home drunk… mistreating the wife and children… disgracing the family name…
• On and on it goes. Our sinful actions can easily stir up trouble for our own household.
• THINK about the ramifications of your actions on others before you act! That’s the message here!
• God’s answer for those who trouble others: 7:25!
• That’s what the one who stirs up trouble for his own people deserves!
d. I Kings 18:17-18 – the one who stirred up trouble tried to blame others.
• Ahab was an apostate that brought Baal worship to Israel. THAT troubled the nation!
• Had Ahab repented and turned the nation to the Lord, God would have BLESSED the entire nation according the promises of the Mosaic Law.
• Ahab’s immorality and apostasy instead brought about a lack of God’s blessing… and all kinds of trouble. (Deut. 28:15)
• Ahab wrongly assumed that the trouble they were facing (drought) was the result of Elijah…who opposed the prophets of Baal…
• Typical! Denial that he was the cause of the trouble… and he tries to place the blame elsewhere.
• Those who stir up trouble often like to the point the finger elsewhere… put the blame elsewhere…
• There will be those in the local church who also stir up trouble… and will never admit that the friction in the local church is the result of THEIR slander… their gossip… their bitter spirit… their divisiveness…
• What a foolish thing to do: stir up trouble in the local church. That is as foolish as stirring up trouble in your physical body—injecting your body with poison!
e. Used in Proverbs 15:27 – he that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house.
• Here is another instance of stirring up trouble for one’s own house.
• This seems to refer to a man’s immediate household… his wife and children.
• The man who is greedy of gain stirs up trouble for his own flesh and blood.
• Perhaps in his pursuit of material things—his family never gets to see him! Dad never has any time to spend with his kids! What trouble that brings to the kids. And if they are not properly trained, they could well bring trouble to dad in their teen years!
• Or the wife who is greedy, and piles up bills on the credit card—what trouble she is making for her household!
Inherit the wind
1. Inherit:
a. Strong’s: to have or get as a possession or property; to divide the land for a possession; to divide for a possession; to cause to inherit; give as an inheritance; to be allotted; be made to possess.
b. Used in Job 7:3 – made to possess months of vanity and wearisome nights.
2. Inherit the wind:
a. It’s hard to know for sure how to take this expression.
b. It could mean: the one who stirs up a little trouble for his own family or own people will end up creating a tornado or whirlwind—a disaster!
c. Or, it could mean: the one who stirs up trouble for his own will end up with nothing but air… an empty, vain life…
• This is certainly true in the case of men and women who stir up trouble for their households through infidelity, drug abuse, alcohol, theft, or some other crime for which they are caught…
• They may well bring their family to nothing… poverty…lose everything.
• I Sam. 25:17 – Consider Nabal—the fool. His foolish, drunken, selfish, belligerent behavior troubled his whole household… and were it not for his gracious wife, would have left him with nothing…
d. In a sense, we as believers trouble our own households if we do not set a good example for our children.
• We stir up trouble for our home if we engage in worldly behavior… if we neglect our spiritual life… if we forsake the assembly of the saints… if we neglect our family devotion time…
• If we don’t set a good example in the home, we are asking for trouble down the road.
• We shall inherit a storm before too long… you reap what you sow!
• Our behavior can bring either a blessing or a blight upon our family… our tribe… our people… our nation…
e. A house (family; nation; church; tribe) that is at unity with itself will flourish. A house divided will fall.
3. This man is a fool—and though he is higher in station, he will end up as a servant to those who may be lower in station, but are wise of heart…
• The master of the house, through stirring up trouble could PAY for his behavior — and end up as the servant of the house!
• We reap what we sow!
Proverbs 11:30
Winning Souls
Introduction:
1. We hear this expression a lot today… “winning souls”!
2. There are seminars on soul winning… books on soul winning… conferences on soul winning…
3. Some churches boast that they are “soul winning” churches…
4. But what does the BIBLE mean where the expression is found?
a. This is the ONLY passage in Scripture where the expression is found.
b. Rather than looking to the way men use the expression today, let’s consider how it is used in the Scriptures.
1. The fruit of righteousness.
a. Solomon is speaking here of the fruit or RESULT of being righteous… of living a righteous life…
b. Every man’s life brings forth fruit… some good fruit; some evil.
c. A righteous man brings forth good fruit.
d. Matt. 7:15-18 – here the Lord uses the illustration of men as fruit trees to distinguish the false teacher from a good teacher…
• Ye shall know them by their fruits
• The principle is simple: good trees bring forth good fruit.
• In this illustration, the man is the tree… the fruit refers to his works.
• The Lord implies that there is a direct relationship between the KIND of tree and the KIND of fruit. Good trees = good fruit. Evil trees = evil fruit. Apple trees produce apples. Crab apple trees produce crab apples.
e. Solomon speaks of the FRUIT of the righteous…
• He means the fruit… the visible results or works in a man’s life.
• The righteous refers to believers—those justified by faith.
• If a man is righteous in God’s sight—then the fruit he produces (over-all) will be good.
• Of course, some men justified by faith have produced some not so good fruit… and some downright rotten fruit. But over all, the fruit of a righteous man is good. (Isn’t that true in all of our lives?)
• Are you righteous? Have you been justified by faith? What kind of fruit is being manifested in YOUR life right now?
2. A righteous man is a tree of life.
a. The result of living a righteous life is that the person becomes a TREE of life.
b. This is the result or FRUIT of such a righteous life.
c. If YOU live a righteous life… YOUR life will be a tree of life.
3. A tree of life defined:
a. Prov. 3:18 – Wisdom itself is A tree of life… not THE tree in the Garden of Eden.
b. THE tree of life in the Garden of Eden was created to preserve life… eat of it and live forever.
c. Wisdom is LIKE a tree of life.
• It provides continual preservation and protection for us in our spiritual life.
• Wisdom enables us to MAINTAIN and SUSTAIN our spiritual life…
• Wisdom is health… like medicine for our spiritual lives… refreshing and restoring our souls…
• Wisdom keeps us from evil—enables us to avoid ruining our lives… protects us…
• A tree of life is a source of that which is life sustaining, life invigorating, life stimulating, life strengthening, life protecting, life guiding, life healing, life restoring, life nourishing, life promoting, life preserving…
d. It is a tree—a continual source of life to those who lay hold upon her…
• Trees keep on producing fruit… season after season. They are not like annuals—they bloom and die. Trees keep on producing their fruit.
• Trees like people, go through seasons. Sometimes our lives may be exceedingly fruitful. At other points, we may go through a dry period with not much fruit…
• But the tree keeps on growing… and there is always another season coming…trees have to wait for their season.
• A tree of life is exceptionally helpful… even necessary… supportive… an endless source of that which is needed in life.
4. Solomon says that the RESULT of a righteous man’s life is that HE becomes a tree of life…
a. He becomes a tree of life… and out of his life comes the kind of wisdom that will guide and sustain him throughout life.
b. The righteous man who walks the straight and narrow way will be like a tree that keeps on producing good fruit…
c. This kind of fruit will be exceedingly helpful to him for the rest of his days.
5. He becomes a tree of life for OTHERS…
a. It is the idea of helping OTHERS that seems to take precedence in this verse.
b. The man, woman, or child who leads a righteous life will also be a tree of life for OTHERS.
c. He will be an endless source of help for them… wisdom…
d. Prov. 15:4 – his wholesome tongue will be a source of wisdom for them… admonition…
e. Prov. 13:12 – a tree of life also has the capacity to LIFT UP a discouraged soul. YOUR righteous life can have that effect on others.
f. Prov. 3:18 – HAPPY is the one who has this source. The man who has access to this kind of wisdom will have blessedness in his life… and enough to spread around to others.
g. Rom. 15:14 – the believer who is walking in wisdom and leading a righteous life… will have what OTHER believers need:
h. He will be filled with the knowledge of God. He knows God and is able to teach others about the Lord…
i. He is able to admonish… warn… encourage… give advice… help.
6. Do YOU want to be a tree of life for others?
a. Lead a righteous life!
b. This implies that our HEART is right with God… for our life flows out of our heart relationship to God.
c. Col. 2:7 – We need to be rooted and built up in Him…
• For HE is the source of all wisdom. (vs. 3)
• The closer we are to Christ—the source of ALL wisdom… the more wisdom we will have to share with others…
• The closer we are to Christ, the more fruit will be manifested…
d. The more fruit in our lives, the better able we are to function as a tree of life for others.
7. Do you know Christians who are trees of life?
a. You know you can come to them and find a person in tune with God
b. You see fruit in their lives all the time…
c. They are always helpful… always willing to share the wisdom God has given them… willing to give advice when asked… willing to help… willing to encourage…
d. When we are hungry, we go to the refrigerator. In ancient times, they might take a walk to a tree for a fig or a pomegranate.
e. The tree has the fruit you need to sustain life… to feed and nourish.
f. There are believers who are just like that. You KNOW that when you come to them, you are going to be pointed to a Scripture verse that will be helpful… or perhaps have a fault pointed out that needs attending to… or a word of encouragement.
g. You know that they are more than willing to share the fruit of their righteous life.
h. Perhaps in their righteous life they have studied the Scriptures…
i. Perhaps during their righteous life they have developed a sweet, gentle spirit…
j. Perhaps during their righteous life they have gained much spiritual discernment and are able to distinguish between holy and unholy, unclean and clean.
k. And all this fruit from their lives is available to you… free for the picking!
l. This brother or sister refreshes your soul—like a tree of life.
8. The believer who walks closely to the Lord and leads a righteous life becomes a source of guidance, hope, help, wisdom, admonition, and inspiration for others… a tree of life.
a. The godly man who leads a righteous life is a great blessing to others.
b. They are to be valued—like a tree of life.
c. The example of their lives; their prayers; their instruction; their interest in things above… in the eternal…
d. They, like a fruitful tree, continually provide nourishment for the spiritual lives of others…
e. They are spiritually refreshing to be around…
1. Winneth =
a. Strong’s: to take; get; fetch; lay hold of; seize; take in the hand; to take and carry along.
b. Winning souls refers here to the believer who… through his righteous life is a tree of life to others… and takes hold of a person’s hand… and leads them along… leads them to God’s wisdom… becomes a source of guidance, hope, help, wisdom, admonition, and inspiration for others… a tree of life!
2. The one who DOES win souls (attracts them to wisdom) is wise himself!
a. It is a DEMONSTRATION of wisdom to take others by the hand and lead them to the way of wisdom.
b. The one who leads a young man away from a life of immorality is a tree of life (preservative) to that young man AND he is demonstrating that he himself is wise.
c. The one who leads a righteous life and uses that righteous life to help others is a wise man.
d. Attract your children to wisdom. That IS wisdom at work!
e. Be that kind of a member in the Body—to attract others to walk in the way of wisdom…
f. A wise man WILL SEEK to take others by the hand and build them up…
g. Wise men will seek to be a channel of blessing to others.
h. The wise man walks in wisdom and shares it with others along the way. He is a tree of life.
3. Winning souls here has nothing to do with Christian evangelism.
a. That was certainly not on Solomon’s heart when he wrote these words.
b. He DID have in mind the capacity of a believer’s righteous life be a source of help to others.
c. It may include the idea of winning them over to wisdom… attracting them to the way of wisdom…
d. YOUR righteous life… and the fruit of righteousness manifested in your life can have this effect on others… it can attract them to the way of wisdom.
e. Perhaps a disobedient believer will be convicted by your righteous life and miss the fellowship that you are presently enjoying!
f. Perhaps a confused believer will recognize the stability of your life and seek guidance and counsel from you…
g. Perhaps a distraught believer will be attracted to peace and rest that is seen on your countenance… and will come to you and ask how he too can obtain that kind of fruit…
h. The wise believer will WIN over others to walk in the way of wisdom… (Cf. James 5:19-20)
i. He can WIN a brother away from a life of sin, wood, hay, and stubble and TO a life of living for God!
j. The context here is sinning BROTHER (one of you) who sins… and needs to be converted (turned around)…
k. YES—brothers in Christ at times need to be turned around…
l. Their hearts need to be WON back to the Lord… WON back to walk in the way of wisdom.
m. The one who wins his brother’s soul back from a life of sin and wandering will hide a multitude of sins…
n. That seems to be the primary emphasis… in James & in Proverbs.
o. Of course, we can make APPLICATION to evangelism.
p. By our righteous life, we can also point men to God… and the gospel of God’s grace.
q. We SHOULD be interested in attracting the unsaved to our Savior… but let’s use the Bible term for that: evangelism… not winning souls.
Proverbs 11:31
Recompensed
Introduction:
1. This passage makes another comparison…
• The righteous and the wicked…
• Recompensed in the earth vs. in eternity…
1. Righteous men will be recompensed…
a. The righteous refers to those who are righteous in God’s sight… saved… justified… born again…
b. Recompensed: rewarded; make restitution; repaid;
• This term can refer to either being rewarded for good or for evil.
• Ruth 2:12 – a prayer that the Lord would recompense her good work.
• II Sam. 22:21 – David expected the Lord to recompense him…
• Jer. 16:18 – recompense for iniquity…
c. This passage is similar to several others in this section—you reap what you sow!
• The righteous will be recompensed and so will the wicked…
• They will be repaid according to what they have done…
• They will REAP rewards according to how they have sown…
2. In the earth…
a. The righteous man is recompensed in the earth… in the world.
b. This was common, Old Testament, Jewish thought.
c. Their concept of eternity was linked to the earth… the kingdom.
d. God’s promises to Israel concerned the earthly, Messianic, Theocratic kingdom on earth.
e. The Jewish prayer the Lord taught His disciples to pray as he was preaching, “Repent for the kingdom is at hand…” = “Thy kingdom come; thy will be done ON EARTH… as it is in heaven.”
f. They hoped to live forever on the earth… a paradise-like earth… and their Scriptures gave them this hope…
• Isa. 2:4 – an earth in which they will learn war no more…
• Isa. 11:6-9 – a peaceful earth with Eden-like conditions…
• Isa. 30:23-24 – an earth in which prosperity is universal…
• Isa. 33:24 – an earth in which sickness is virtually wiped out…
• Isa. 35:1-2 – a rejuvenated earth…
• Isa. 35:5-6 – an earth in which the curse will be lifted…
• Isa. 61:1-3 – an earth in which the brokenhearted will be comforted and joy will replace grief…
• Isa. 65:20 – an earth in which longevity reigns…
g. God certainly DID give the Old Testament saints hope for recompense “in the earth.”
• And, under the Old Testament law, their blessings were linked together with their obedience.
• Hence, a righteous man, who lived a righteous life, could expect to be recompensed in the earth.
• If he sowed righteousness, he would reap righteousness in the earth.
• Deut. 28:1-8 – God promised to bless their obedience in the earth. He would bless them “in the land.” (vs. 8)
3. The righteous are recompensed on the earth, but also in heaven.
a. This is not stated in the proverb, but it is certainly true.
b. For the Christian, promises of blessings in the earth aren’t always realized.
c. SOMETIMES God rewards His faithful children of the church age in this world… but that is not guaranteed.
d. In the world we shall have tribulation!
e. All they that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
f. As we walk in obedience to God, expect hatred and rejection.
g. Many godly Christians are poor in this world’s goods…
h. So don’t be discouraged if you don’t seem to experience recompense in the earth… our REAL reward comes in glory!
4. On the other hand, it is also true that God will recompense the righteous on earth for any wickedness that he may commit.
a. In the second part of the analogy, (the wicked) it is clear that the “recompense” is for evil that is committed, not good.
b. Hence, many try to make the parallel by interpreting the recompense of the righteous a payback for EVIL they have done.
c. When sin is committed, God deals with it—regardless of from whom it comes!
d. The best of saints are but sinners… and God recompenses our sins.
• He dealt with David’s sin of numbering the people… and his sin with Bathsheba…
• He dealt with Peter’s sin of denial—with a piercing look…
• He dealt with Jonah’s sin… by sending a great fish…
• He dealt with Asa’s sin—and he became diseased in his feet.
• He dealt with the sin of the prophet from Judah who lied—a lion met him and slew him.
• He dealt with the sins of the saints in Corinth too.
• God will deal with sin in MY life too… and YOURS…
• Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth…
e. Amos 3:2 – There is support for this principle found in Scripture.
• It is certainly true that righteous men do not always behave in a righteous way.
• When that is the case, God does CHASTEN His own…a sort of “recompense.”
f. I Pet. 4:17-18 – Judgment must begin at the house of God. The Lord will not spare judging or chastening His children.
• And if God will not spare in His own house, then where shall the sinner stand?
• In other words, his judgment shall be even MORE severe.
• This seems to be what the second half of Prov.11:31 says.
• In fact, it is likely that Peter was quoting from the Septuagint version of Prov. 11:31 in I Pet. 4:18.
1. God is the Judge of all the earth. He always does that which is right.
a. Because He is a righteous God, He feels obligated to reward the righteous.
b. And if God judges the righteous man for sin in his life, how much MORE shall God judge the sinner for sin in his life!
c. He is also obliged to reward the wicked and the sinner too!
2. God’s justice WILL fall on the wicked…
a. They too shall reap what they sow.
b. This would include wicked individuals… wicked nations… wicked groups… wicked families…
c. The terrorists who kill innocent men, women, and children shall not escape the retribution of God.
d. The thief, the mugger, the rapist, the child abuser, the corporate criminal, shall not escape the righteous sentence of God.
e. It may at times APPEAR that the wicked are getting away with murder, but this passage is designed to put our hearts at ease. They are NOT. God’s eyes are everywhere. God’s justice WILL be executed.
f. If the righteous don’t escape God’s justice, MUCH MORE will the wicked not escape.
3. Note that there is no parallel to the phrase “in the earth” in the second half of the proverb.
a. The wicked are often recompensed in the earth.
• They are often caught in their crime.
• Prison time; execution;
• They sometimes suffer a vigilante type wrath…
• They lose their good name… lose friends… lose their freedom…
b. But sometimes the wicked seem to suffer NO recompense for their evil doings in the earth. They seem to have it all!
c. Sometimes it seems like the wicked prosper in the world…
• Ps. 73:3 – it even makes the righteous jealous!
• Ps. 73:17 – until we consider their “end.” Their end is an eternity in the Lake of Fire!
• They may seem to live it up on earth and not have a care in the world, but this world is not all there is.
• Rev. 20:11-15 – Ultimately, the wicked SHALL be paid back for their sin… and none shall escape God’s justice in that day.
• This is the ultimate “much more” element to the comparison between God’s justice for the righteous vs. His justice toward the wicked and sinners. Theirs is much more…
