Proverbs
Notes on Proverbs – Chapter 16
Proverbs 16:1
Preparations of the Heart
Introduction:
1. Good men differ on the exact interpretation of this proverb, as is evidenced in the various translations and commentaries.
2. Two possibilities:
a. The preparations of the heart AND the answer of the tongue are from the Lord…
b. The preparations of the heart is of man, and the answer of the tongue is of the Lord.
3. Either way, the meaning is similar. The question is whether Solomon is saying that both are of the Lord or just one.
4. Evidently the Hebrew leaves out the verb in this proverb, and it must be added by the translator (is)
a. The preparation of the heart—in man.
b. The answer of the tongue—of God.
5. Thus, the evidence seems to lean towards “b”.
a. The preparations of the heart is of man, and the answer of the tongue is of the Lord.
1. Preparations Defined.
a. Arrangement; plan; preparation. (Strong’s)
b. Plans; considerations, i.e., an orderly, purposed, arrangement of ideas with regard to future actions. (Dict. of Bib. Lang.)
c. It refers to the aspirations and considerations that come from the heart of man. (Zodhiates)
d. Setting in order; often used in martial contexts of “drawing up in battle order.” (Theol. Wordbook of the Old Testament)
e. The term is used only here in Prov. 16:1.
f. The root of the word appears as follows:
• Ps. 23:5 – thou preparest a table before me…
• Gen. 22:9 – Abraham laid the wood in order for the sacrifice…
• Judg. 20:22 – They put themselves in array for battle.
2. Of the heart.
a. Solomon has in mind here preparations, plans, thoughts, and machinations of the heart…
b. The particular KIND of plans Solomon had in mind must be determined by the context… and in this book that usually means the second half of the proverb.
c. The proverb is dealing with the issue of the tongue… speech… communication…
d. There is a DIRECT connection between the heart and the tongue.
• Matt. 15:18 – evil in the heart will eventually come forth from the tongue.
• Matt.12:34-35 – good things OR evil things.
• Whatever a man treasures up in his heart will manifest itself outwardly… and probably through the tongue.
e. Thus, the planning and inward thoughts seem to be related to a man’s speech.
• Thinking through WHAT to say…
• Thinking through the best WORDING to use…
• Planning the best APPROACH in speaking to another person…
• Preparing for an ARGUMENT… putting all the effective, little daggers in a row…
• Preparing to teach a Sunday school class…
• Planning HOW to patch up a mess you made…
• Thinking through the TIMING of the planned speech.
f. Other than mere chit chat and gabbing, it is a good idea to THINK before we speak.
• Cf. Prov. 15:28 – study to answer…
» The righteous man STUDIES to answer.
» Study Defined: Strong’s: meditate, devise, muse, imagine (Used in Ps.1:1 – he meditates on the Word day and night.)
» The righteous man in 15:28 is concerned about giving the RIGHT answer… which includes not only the right information, but the right spirit, attitude, delivery, setting, tone, and timing.
» That often requires time to THINK about HOW to answer… when, where, etc.
» That requires meditation in the heart… thinking it through… preparing words to say…
» The preparation of the heart in 16:1 is similar to “studying to answer” in meaning.
» It is always a good idea to study to answer… to THINK before you speak.
• We do this all the time.
» You have an interview for a new job… and you go over in your mind WHAT you might be asked and how you will answer…
» You have had an argument with your spouse, and know you want to make up… so you think through in your heart HOW to bring up the subject… what to say… what to avoid saying…
» You have a meeting with an unsaved friend and plan to give him the gospel… so you plan what verses to use… how to bring up the subject…
» You have to give a presentation of a product at work—you plan in your mind what to say…
» You are teaching a class at church and have to mull over in your heart how to illustrate the truth… how to word it for the level of your class…
» These are the preparations of the heart of which Solomon speaks.
g. Thus, all the words that come out of our mouths originate in the heart.
• For the important issues in life… they were most often mulled over in the heart first.
• In our hearts we prepare our speech… sometimes looking for just the right words… the right timing… the right setting… the right attitude…
3. In man.
a. IN MAN stands in contrast to FROM THE LORD in the second part of the proverb.
b. The preparations of the heart are IN MAN.
c. The answer of the tongue is FROM THE LORD.
d. These are two different sources.
e. Planning and preparing our speech is what WE do.
• And Solomon is not disparaging or disapproving of that…
• It is normal, natural and right.
• 15:28 says that is that the righteous man does! He studies—he plans and prepares his answers.
• 16:23 – states that WISE men do the same. Their heart TEACHES their mouth what to say.
• Planning and preparing speech is always the right thing to do. It is a demonstration of wisdom.
1. Answer: answer; response. – Strong’s
2. The answer of the tongue = that which comes out of our mouths.
a. The answer here is the summary of plans and preparations of the heart.
b. This answer of the tongue here is the RESULT of the meditation, the forethought, the planning and preparation that went on INSIDE before it comes outside.
3. Is from the Lord.
a. The main point here is that however well we plan our words, the final outcome is of the Lord.
b. This is the same thought as is found in Prov. 16:9 — there is a difference.
• Solomon is speaking about planning our speech in vs.1.
• In vs. 9 he is speaking about men planning their WAY… their steps… what they want to DO, not say.
• And in both cases, Solomon tells us that plan as we may, the Lord is LORD.
• He is sovereign over the final outcome of all of our plans.
• We say, “Man proposes, the Lord disposes.”
c. This is true with all of the things we plan or prepare to SAY too!
→ God is sovereign over the DELIVERY of our speech.
→ God is sovereign over the CONTENT of our speech.
→ God is sovereign over the SUCCESS of our speech.
→ God is sovereign over the USE of our speech.
4. God is sovereign over the DELIVERY of our speech.
a. I know this first hand as a pastor.
• There have been times when I felt supremely prepared to teach or preach… and at delivery time I tripped over my tongue…
• There have been other times when I felt unprepared to speak, and it came out smoothly.
b. Perhaps you have experienced the same thing.
• On one occasion, at a job interview you were prepared to the hilt, and then fumbled all over the simplest questions they asked!
• On another occasion, you suddenly had an opportunity to witness to an unsaved friend—and though you didn’t have time to THINK… God gave you the words and they just flowed off your tongue!
• When it comes to speech and communication—God is LORD over our tongues.
5. God is sovereign over the CONTENT of our speech.
a. Again, as a pastor I struggle with this every week.
• I prepare lessons—plan ahead—have my outline all written out… building the argument from the text…
• But the time runs out and I had to leave sections out
• God knew all about that. Perhaps it wasn’t God’s time for that truth to be said…
• Perhaps I was off base in my conclusions and God graciously refused to let me have time to say it…
b. The answer of the tongue is from the Lord in your life too.
• Perhaps you have planned a long, elaborate response to a friend… and when the question is finally asked, the Lord makes it clear that you should bite your tongue…
c. Regardless of our plans, God has the right to change them… especially with our speech. He is Lord of the tongue too.
d. He has the right to cut our speech off short… He has the right and the ability to give us just the right words to say…
e. Consider Balaam. He prepared in his heart to CURSE Israel… but God overruled and he ended up blessing them!
6. God is sovereign over the SUCCESS of our speech.
a. Perhaps you have planned to witness to a friend—and have spent all week working on just the right words to use in presenting the gospel.
b. The success of your gospel presentation is to be attributed to a sovereign God, not your ability as a wordsmith!
c. God can use the words of a man with a limited vocabulary, who stutters, and whose knees knock as he speaks.
d. God may choose to cause the words of an eloquent speaker to fall flat on the ears of the hearers.
e. Both men may have spent much time in planning in their hearts as they prepared to speak… but the final outcome—the success of their speech is from the Lord.
f. I have CRINGED at times when I hear what some teachers have said in church meetings… worried about the people who heard it… wishing I could erase it. But God is sovereign. No need to worry. He is Lord. He allowed it for a reason.
g. This puts us in our place…
h. It also removes excuses. It also removes excuses. Whether we lack confidence in our ability to speak like Moses, or if we speak well like Aaron… ultimately, the effectiveness of speech is in the hands of God.
7. The BOLDNESS to speak is of the Lord too.
a. There have been folks who made the greatest plans to speak up… but when the time came, they cowered away.
b. Others have made similar plans to speak up, and were given the boldness to speak forth!
c. Eph. 6:19-20 – Paul prayed for utterance… and boldness to speak…
Proverbs 16:2
Clean in His Own Eyes
Introduction:
1. In this proverb, Solomon makes a stark contrast that can be described variously:
a. between what men see and what God sees
b. between behavior and motives
c. between the outward and the inward
d. between a human perspective and a divine perspective
e. between personal justification and divine denunciation
2. In a word, this proverb is about self-deceit.
a. This is an issue that every one of us needs to consider.
b. We have all been there many times over. We may still be there today!
c. This proverb is not for us to use to judge others, but to judge our own hearts.
A. The WAYS of a Man
1. Way: most often used metaphorically to refer to the pathways of one’s life, suggesting the pattern of life… lifestyle.
a. The term is quite general and broad.
b. It is broad enough to include the WAY we think, talk, walk.
c. It is broad enough to include the WAY we SEE things; the way we DO things; the way we approach things; the way we handle things…
2. Ps. 119:5 – Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes.
a. Our ways are often NOT in the way of obedience.
b. Our ways are often wayward!
c. Our ways need to be directed towards obedience… because obedience does not come naturally.
3. Jer. 10:23 – the way of man is not in himself… it is not in man to direct his steps.
a. We are often misguided in our way… and in the individual steps along the way.
b. It is not IN us to know the right way… yet we often THINK we do.
c. This is a danger: we don’t know the right way, but we THINK we do!
d. It is bad enough to be blind, but it is far worse to be blind and not know it!
4. Prov. 20:24 – we very often do NOT know our own ways well.
5. Ps. 119:27-28 – the way of lying vs. the way of truth.
6. Ps. 37:5 – commit thy ways unto the Lord.
7. Ps. 119:59 – I thought on my ways and TURNED!
B. Clean In His Own Eyes
1. In spite of the fact that the Bible says that we do not know our own ways well, they are often misguided, and we are inclined to wander OUT of the right way… our proud hearts persist in putting the best possible face on our ways.
a. Prov. 21:2 – EVERY way of man is right in his own eyes.
b. Twice Solomon informs us of this aspect of human nature: we see ourselves through rose colored glasses…
2. Prov. 30:12 – pure in their own eyes… yet unclean! They are unclean and don’t realize it. This is self deception. (Cf. the Laodiceans)
3. Prov.14:12 – there is a way that SEEMS right, but the end thereof is the way of death.
a. When examining our own hearts, we tend to judge superficially.
b. If something SEEMS right on the surface, we choose to dig no deeper… lest we discover something incriminating!
c. Just because something SEEMS right, that doesn’t mean that it IS right.
d. Many things SEEM right to us… but can prove deadly.
e. I have had so-called Christian couples living together in sin, and told me that it seemed right to them because they were in love.
f. Let God be true and every man a liar—even self!
4. Examples:
a. I Sam. 15:13-14 – I have obeyed the Lord!
• Saul THOUGHT he obeyed, but he did not.
• He may have convinced himself that what he did was good enough… close enough.
• But close is not good enough for God.
• It’s not good enough for your math teacher either!
• Saul was self deluded… deceived.
• He was clean in his own eyes, but he soon discovered that his judgment would not be based upon the way HE saw the situation, but on the way GOD saw things!
b. Luke 18:9-11 – the Pharisee thanked God that he was not like other men!
• These proud Pharisees actually thought they were doing well in God’s sight.
• But all of their actions were quite superficial… and God dug deep into their hearts.
• Being clean in one’s own eyes means nothing.
5. Aren’t we all a bit partial in judging ourselves?
a. Isn’t it human nature to give ourselves every benefit of the doubt, and to be a bit harsher in critiquing others?
b. Isn’t it hard for us to see uncleanness in our own lives, yet aren’t we at the same time eagle-eyed at seeing spots in others?
c. Aren’t we quite generous in giving ourselves slack… but not so generous with others?
d. Isn’t it a fact that we are inclined to overlook faults in our own lives, and pass it off as a mild infraction, but see the same fault in others as quite a bit more serious?
6. Let’s face it! We love ourselves and it’s hard for us to admit guilt or to see the error of our ways… though we see the error of others quite easily and readily.
1. God REALLY knows the ways of men.
a. Ps. 1:6 – He knows the way of the righteous and the ungodly.
b. Ps. 119:68 – all my ways are before Thee.
c. Prov. 5:21 – all the ways of man are before God’s eyes…
d. I Sam. 16:7 – man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord sees the heart.
e. Jer. 17:10 – I the Lord search the hearts and reins.
f. Rev. 2:18-19 – the Lord’s eyes are like flames of fire piercing into our souls. He knows our works, patience, motives…
g. Heb.4:13 – we stand naked and opened before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
h. When God scrutinizes, we will find ourselves weighed in the balance and found wanting!
2. God weighs the SPIRITS of men.
a. Spirit = breath… sometimes used of an attitude…
b. Some translate this: God weighs the motives…
c. In either case, God digs much deeper in analyzing us.
d. Even when our actions seem quite good, the motive may not be. The spirit in which it was done may be evil!
e. Even when we justify our actions as being clean… our motives and the intentions of the heart may not be clean.
f. God knows it all. God is viewing it all.
g. God is weighing it all on His perfect, infallible scales. And His scales always give us the correct weight… the proper analysis… the TRUTH… and He is no respecter of persons.
3. No person has ever or will ever get away with ANYTHING before the Lord.
a. Even if we deceive ourselves into THINKING that our ways are clean… God judges according to truth… not according to our slanted version of the truth.
b. Even if we have excuses for all of our actions and a Bible verse that seems to back us up… God judges according to truth… rightly divided!
c. Regardless of all of our excuses and self justification, what matters ultimately is not OUR perspective, but God’s!
d. He doesn’t always judge immediately, but He does judge… and His judgment is according to TRUTH… not the individual’s perception of truth.
e. Prov. 1:31 – the way of man might be clean in his own eyes, but he shall eat the fruit of his own way.
• A deceived person is WRONG even if he THINKS he is right.
• And there are consequences to being in the wrong way… even when you think you are in the right.
• A person who gets in route 128 in the wrong direction driving 65 mph will PAY for being in the wrong way… even if he THINKS he got on in the right direction.
• It doesn’t matter what we think. What matters is truth.
• God judges all circumstances according to truth.
• That man will eat of the fruit of his own way.
f. Prov.14:14 – the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways.
• His backsliding may not be apparent and outward… it may not be seen by men.
• He may have deluded himself into thinking that all is well between him and God…
• He might be clean in his own eyes… but that is irrelevant.
• Often backsliders EXCUSE their sin… justify their actions… view themselves through rose colored glasses… and whatever sins they cannot cover, they explain away as minor… for after all—one can always find someone else who is in WORSE condition!
• Adam hid from God when he sinned… and men have been following in his steps ever since.
• Whether we hide behind a fig leaf or hide behind self delusion matters not.
• We stand naked and open before God. He sees all.
• There is no hiding from His piercing eyes…
g. Ps. 139:23-24 – Search me O Lord and know my heart…
• This should be our constant prayer.
• We are so inclined to overlook our own faults, failures, and sins.
• We need God to be our OBJECTIVE umpire… He calls the plays as they are in truth.
• And we need to be willing to submit to His calls.
4. Conclusions:
a. Let’s not be too confident of our innocence before the Lord.
• It is possible for us to be deceived into THINKING that all is well when all is NOT well.
• It is possible to have a clean conscience and be dead wrong! Our conscience might be fed the wrong information.
• God has ALL the information… and rightly divided too.
b. This truth will bring us peace in dealing with injustices done against us… and in many other interpersonal conflicts.
• Has anyone ever lied to you?
• Has anyone ever given you their side of the story and feel perfectly justified in their actions?
• Have you ever had to deal with someone who thinks they can do no wrong?
• Have you ever met a person who is a master of spin? They can take any set of circumstances, no matter how self condemning they are, and spin it in such a way that it is not their fault? It’s your fault… or someone else’s?
• Have you ever been frustrated in dealing with someone who is clean in his own eyes and there is no reasoning with him/her?
• Well, take heart. God knows the truth. God sees the heart… motives… intentions…
• Nobody EVER gets away with anything with God. Ever!
• We don’t have to worry about it. We don’t have to try to try to manipulate events in order to bring about justice. Justice WILL come—their day is coming! Trust God. Shall not the God of all the earth to do right?
Proverbs 16:3
Committing Our Works to God
A. Commit
1. The term defined: to roll; to roll oneself; to roll away; to flow to.
a. It came to mean to TRUST… to commit to… entrust…
b. Used in Ps. 37:5 – commit thy WAYS unto the Lord.
c. Used in Ps. 22:8 – translated “trusted.”
d. It seems to speak of turning something over to another… rolling your burden on to someone else.
e. It is quite similar in meaning to “Cast your cares upon the Lord…” (Commit them to Him; roll them off your shoulders and on to His)
f. Thus, we are here instructed to commit our works into God’s hands… into His care…
B. Works
1. Works = deeds; actions; business, pursuit; undertaking; enterprise; labors.
a. This speaks of any sort of labor or endeavor in which we engage ourselves.
b. It would apply to our jobs… what we do for work.
c. It would apply to the forms of entertainment we engage in.
d. It would apply to our labors at home…
e. It would apply to our service for the Lord…
f. It would apply to any and every pursuit in life…
g. It would apply to WHATSOEVER ye DO in word or deed!
h. The term is broad enough to include all of the affairs of our lives.
2. We need to be careful about our works.
a. Ps. 106:35, 39 – they mingled among the heathen and LEARNED their works.
b. Prov. 31:31 – OR a godly woman’s works will praise her in the gates.
c. We can find ourselves in works and activities that HINDER our spiritual walk and growth OR we can find ourselves involved in works that INCREASE our spiritual growth.
d. Ecc. 2:4-11 – Solomon was engaged in many work projects.
• But after some time, he realized how EMPTY were the works of his hands.
• His works were not evil in themselves (building up Jerusalem; Temple; gardens; groves; government buildings; etc.)
• Ecc. 2:17 – But he soon discovered that there was no lasting value in much of his labors. All was vanity.
• If building an empire apart from God does not satisfy, certainly our little projects will not satisfy either.
• Solomon’s works were done “under the sun.”
• Ecc. 12:14 – Solomon also learned that God will one day bring every work under judgment. Whatever is done for selfish motives will not last. Whatever is done for the glory of God will.
3. Therefore, whatever works we do are to be COMMITTED to God.
a. Our works need to be examined in light of His Word.
b. Our works need to be prayed about ahead of time.
c. Our works need to be done with the right motives and intentions.
d. Our works need to be the result of the leading of the Holy Spirit.
e. Our works need to be the result of God working in us.
f. Once we ROLL the affairs of our life over to the Lord, (committed our lives over to Him), it is no longer OURS.
g. We have thus left our works… our ways… our welfare into HIS care. He is in control.
h. This means also that whatever HIS will is, we have but to say, “Thy will be done.” (whatever that might be!)
i. If we can’t say, “Not my will but thine be done”, then we have not committed our works to Him.
4. Our works are to be committed to God BEFORE we act upon them.
a. We are not to go ahead and ACT and then expect God to bless our labors.
b. We are not to ASSUME God’s will… and go ahead to DO some service or labor and expect His blessing upon it.
c. BEFORE we act… before we DO… before we become engaged in a work or activity… we are to commit it to the Lord.
d. In other words, before our works even BECOME works they are to be committed to the Lord.
e. That means that in the PLANNING stage, we are to commit all of our desires, ideas, plans, purposes, goals, and pursuits into God’s sovereign care.
f. Rom.12:1-2 – present your body a living sacrifice to GOD before your body even begins to pursue a goal or activity.
g. Our works will not be committed or dedicated to God unless WE are committed and dedicated to God.
h. We cannot say that we have committed or entrusted an endeavor into God’s care unless we have first PRAYED about it.
i. We also need to be sure that we have been LED in that direction by God and not self.
j. We cannot say that this activity is committed to the Lord unless we are sure He’s IN it… that it is pleasing to Him… and will ultimately bring GLORY to Him.
k. In other words, if our works are going to be committed to God, we need to be real sure that WE are committed to pleasing Him… to doing HIS will and not our own…
l. Jas. 4:13-16 – if the LORD WILL we shall DO this or that!
→ The Lord rebukes these business men NOT for planning ahead for their business.
→ Rather He rebukes them for leaving God out of their plans… for pursuing them without consulting Him… without prayer… without first seeking His will.
→ Don’t we often do the same? We assume and then act.
→ “This is a good plan… this is a good pursuit… this is a good activity. Let’s do it!”
b. If we seek God’s will FIRST… put Him and His will and His glory FIRST… and then act… we can expect His blessing.
→ But we often do things backwards.
→ We act… we do… we carry out OUR plan and put it into action and THEN ask God to bless.
→ Prov. 3:6 – in ALL thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy steps. Acknowledge God BEFORE you act…
A. Thoughts Established
1. Established: to be firm; be stable; be established; fixed; to cause to stand.
a. Used in Prov. 16:9 – the Lord DIRECTS (makes firm; establishes) his steps.
b. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. (Prov. 4:26, same term)
c. Our steps and the pathways we choose are not firm and solid… unless the LORD directs them walk and MAKES them firm!
2. Thoughts:
a. Defined: thoughts; device; plans; and purposes.
b. The term can be used in a good sense (good goals or purposes) or in an evil sense (schemes and evil plots).
c. The thoughts or plans in this proverb have to do with the WORKS that follow.
d. When our works are REALLY committed to the Lord… put in His care and control… trusting HIM for the outcome… THEN our thoughts and purposes will be made FIRM.
3. We may choose to take steps and follow pathways and activities in life on our own… but there is no guarantee that those choices will be successful.
a. They could turn out to be colossal mistakes… missteps… the wrong pathway.
b. Our works might turn out to be giant failures.
c. So much of our labor will thus go up in smoke as wood, hay, and stubble.
d. And once we make those choices, we are forced to EAT the fruit of those poor choices.
e. That usually results in worry, despair, discouragement, fear, uneasiness, even depression.
f. When our works are NOT committed to the Lord first, our thoughts suffer afterward… sometimes for long periods of time even after we change direction!
• Did I do the right thing? Did I make the right decision?
• Did I step out of God’s will? Will the Lord bless this?
• Will the Lord deliver me out of this mess?
4. But if we have determined not to act until the Lord directs… and our works were COMMITTED to the Lord BEFORE we moved, and THEN will our THOUGHTS be established!
a. There is no worry, fear, regret, misgivings, discouragement, fear or depression when our works are FIRST committed to God.
b. Regardless of where the chips may fall, we know we are in God’s will. He led us all the way. That brings REST.
c. Phil. 4:6-7 – if we made our requests to God and he led us… then the peace of God will KEEP our minds and hearts. That removes all worry and anxiety.
d. Even if our works turn out to be UNSUCCESSFUL in the sight of men… if we were led of the Lord in following that pathway, we need have no worry or fear. We were in the center of God’s will!
e. That brings JOY and EASE to our thoughts. Peace, rest, sanity, calm, and confidence…
f. And it doesn’t matter if the business God leads us to begin fails. If our works were committed to Him, and we followed His leading, then we need not be discouraged. It was God’s teaching tool… to teach us humility… and there are good lessons in failure!
g. If we pray and commit our schooling to God, God does not guarantee that we will be tops in our class… but our thoughts will be established… firm… solid… stable… and there are good lessons to be learned in being #16 in a class of 25!
h. As we pursue goals and pathways in life. As we engage in various activities and endeavors in life… God never promises earthly success. But He does promise that our thoughts can be established… made firm… caused to stand.
i. We don’t have to fall to pieces and be torn to pieces in worry… distraught… angered… flustered… anxious… troubled.
j. If before we act, we cast our cares upon Him, we can REST in this: Jesus led me all the way! Once the cares and burdens are rolled over on to the Lord… the burden for success or failure is no longer ours…
k. And we can from that point on REST in God’s sovereign will for our lives… whether His blessing comes in the form of much or little.
5. This is a wonderful promise in every area of life.
a. As a parent…
• If we pray about decisions we make… if we seek God’s will and seek to implement His word…
• If we commit the rearing of our children into His care… then we can have REST of mind and heart… for He loves them more than we do!
• If we commit our family to the Lord and seek His guidance and will BEFORE we act… THEN our thoughts will be established.
• If we act on our own feelings… do that which seems expedient… act without regard for His Word… then we will WORRY about the outcome.
• Then we will be filled with anxiety, worry, and troubled in the inner man over the outcome.
• Because when we act alone, we bear the responsibility of the outcome alone.
• But when we don’t move until God leads, then we can rest… knowing that whatever the outcome… it was God working out His perfect will in my family.
• And even if the result is not what we had hoped… we need not be distraught… Jesus led me all the way!
• If (to the best of our understanding) the decisions we make at home are in harmony with the Word of God, then we can proceed with a pure conscience… and peace of mind… even if the way is rough.
b. As a business owner:
• If we pray before we buy or make big decisions…
• If we honestly seek God’s will…
• If we commit our business to God, we can rest.
• We can leave the outcome in His hands.
• We can thank Him for the success…
• We can thank Him for lessons learned in failure…
• If we have prayed earnestly and committed our business to the Lord, we don’t have to worry about the competition or the stock market.
• We can TRUST in God. We have committed our business to someone who knows all about us and knows exactly what we really need.
• God is wise enough to know that some men can handle earthly success… and will use it for His glory.
• He also knows that success might be the spiritual ruin of others.
• If our business is genuinely committed to the Lord, we leave the outcome in His care.
• THEN our thoughts will be established.
c. As a young person:
• If we have truly committed our whole lives over to God (as we ought) then we will trust HIM to make it good.
• We will trust Him to work out all the tangles…
• If we have determined to do His will and obey His word no matter what—then HE will establish our thoughts.
• He will give us peace and rest… confidence and assurance… no need to worry or fear if we have committed our lives to Him… and are following His leading.
• Then you will have good success.
Proverbs 16:4
All Things for Himself
Introduction:
1. Solomon states a difficult concept in one terse statement.
2. By difficult I do not mean that it is hard to understand. Rather, it is easy to understand, just hard for us self-centered creatures to accept and believe.
3. We are inclined to think that the world revolves around us and that it was created for our good pleasure.
4. Solomon lays that kind of thinking to rest.
A. FOR HIMSELF
1. (Close your ears!) God created everything for HIMSELF!
a. The earth was not created for our enjoyment.
b. All things do not exist for the good of mankind.
c. There is something higher and nobler than mankind.
d. The purpose and goal of all things ultimately is God and His glory…
2. Mankind is NOT the center of the universe—either geographically—or in God’s eternal purposes.
a. Rom. 8:28 – yes, it is true that all things work together for good of those who love God…
• BUT—they work out for the good ONLY to those who are in tune with God and love Him.
• If we really loved God, then our highest goal would be to bring glory to God. Then and only then do all things work out for our good.
• It does NOT mean that only good things will happen to those who love God.
• It does mean that even the evil things that happen to us are being used for the purpose of glorifying God.
• If we love Him, then we will be pleased with that purpose being accomplished.
• If we love ourselves, we will be frustrated and assume that Rom. 8:28 is not true.
B. ALL THINGS
1. This includes all of creation.
a. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Rev. 4:11)
b. All things were created by him, and for him: (Col.1:16)
c. Ps. 19:1 – it shows His handiwork
d. Ps.33:5 – the earth is FULL of His goodness—for those with eyes to see.
e. Rom.1:20 – Creation reveals His power and godhead (Isa.40:26,28).
2. This includes Israel
a. Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. (Isa.43:7) (Cf. vs.21)
b. That he might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy – (Rom. 9:23).
3. This includes the church – Eph. 3:20 – God established the church that HE might be glorified in it.
a. After all, it is HIS Body!
b. HE dwells in it.
c. HE fills it with the fullness of Himself! (Eph. 1:23)
4. This includes the angels
a. Ps. 148:1-5 – Angels are revealed as just another part of God’s creation—designed to praise the Creator!
b. The heavens declare the glory of God… the heavens and everything in them… including angels.
5. God created you and me for His glory… and He saved us for His glory.
a. Salvation is designed for a much higher purpose than to rescue sinners from eternal suffering in the Lake of Fire… as noble as that is in its self.
b. But don’t forget, God CONDEMNS many more people than He saves!
c. We like to think that at least salvation has ME as its ultimate goal and purpose…
d. We like to sing, “It was FOR ME He died, FOR ME He cried, FOR ME He shed His blood on Calvary.” And that is certainly true… but ultimately, even salvation is not FOR ME, but FOR HIM.
• Eph. 1:5-6 – He chose us and saved us to demonstrate how gracious HE is to undeserving creatures like us.
• Eph. 1:12 – We exist to the praise of HIS glory.
• Eph. 2:7 – We were saved to be trophies of HIS grace!
• Eph. 2:10 – We were saved to be a manifestation of HIS workmanship.
• And this is just one small epistle.
• Sorry, but there is none of self in any of God’s plan.
6. All things includes everything we are aware of—and everything else that God has made that we might not be aware of. If it exists, God made it and for His glory!
a. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (Rom. 11:36)
1. “All things” includes the salvation of souls, but it also includes the judgment of the wicked.
a. Rom. 9:22 – to reveal God’s wrath and justice.
b. God is glorified when ANY aspect of His character is revealed: whether it be His love or His justice.
c. The destruction of the wicked is not a mistake on the part of God. It is not a failure in His efforts to win them.
d. Rather, it is used by God (with great grief of heart!) to demonstrate His holiness, justice, and righteousness.
2. Even the existence of wicked rebels in the world was designed by God to serve His purposes and bring glory to His name.
a. God has USED wicked men for His purposes. He used Nebuchadnezzar as an instrument of judgment against Judah. He used the wicked Haman in His plan to rescue Israel from destruction in Persia.
b. In doing so, God demonstrates that it is HE who is King of kings and Lord of lords.
c. And even today, God uses the wicked for His purposes.
• He uses wicked men to TEST believers.
• He uses wicked men to serve as a black velvet backdrop to magnify the sparkling jewel of divine grace!
d. He works all things—even the wicked—for His own ends.
3. But even ETERNAL condemnation glorifies God.
a. It is hard for us to appreciate this fact because we don’t always see things from a heavenly perspective.
b. From God’s perspective:
• Men are fallen creatures occupying and corrupting the planet God made to manifest His glories.
• Man sinned and destroyed what God made—and the Lord would have been just in condemning us ALL to hell.
• However, God extended grace to mankind and sent His Son to DIE for undeserving rebels…
• And those undeserving rebels continue to reject God’s offer of grace.
• God manifested His grace. Now He must manifest His holiness and justice…
• Thus, even in condemning rebels, God’s righteousness is made known and He is glorified… even though God is not willing that ANY should perish.
• From ETERNITY’S perspective, the whole story of the earth will MAGNIFY God’s grace and love…
c. It might be difficult for us to appreciate this from earth’s perspective, but one day we SHALL appreciate God’s work of salvation AND judgment! (Rev.19:1-4)
• Those in heaven say Alleluia for the fact of salvation and for the fact of condemnation of the wicked.
• They are both cause to fall down and worship Him… who created all things for His glory.
Proverbs 16:5
The Proud will Not Escape
A. The Proud in Heart
1. Pride:
a. The term means literally: tall; exalted; high.
b. It can be used in a positive sense:
• The term was used of Saul: he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
• II Chron. 17:6, “Jehoshaphat’s heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord.” (meaning encouraged)
c. The term can be used in a negative sense too.
• The term means high… and is used of arrogance… the attitude of lifting up ONESELF on high…
• Strong’s: a high, lofty, tall; exalted in station; haughty; proud.
• Zodhiates: An adjective denoting high, proud, lofty. The word describes an attitude of haughtiness or arrogance.
2. The proud in heart.
a. In this passage, it is obviously used in a negative sense… since God calls it an abomination. (That’s a hint!)
b. It is used this way in Prov. 18:12 – Before destruction the heart of man is haughty.
c. Ezek. 28:2 – it was used of the king of Tyrus.
• His proud heart reached incredible heights of arrogance! “I sit in the seat of God!”
• His proud, arrogant heart is seen here as a foreshadowing of the character of the devil himself.
• He was proud of his wisdom (28:3); his riches (vs. 4).
• It is no wonder God hates the proud heart.
d. A proud heart is something we too can and DO manifest.
• Pride over our accomplishments; looks; intelligence; spirituality; wisdom; possessions; talents; position; good deeds; popularity; etc…
• Pride is a nasty sin we ALL have to deal with… for it can easily be HIDDEN under a guise of humility… a false humility…
• God hates pride and sees right through our masks when we try to conceal it.
3. Are an abomination to the Lord.
a. Abomination = Detestable thing, repulsion, i.e., an object which is loathsome and abhorrent
b. Cf. Prov. 11:20 – God hates hearts that are not right with Him. Here, froward means: twisted, distorted, crooked, perverse, perverted.
c. Prov. 6:16-17 – God especially hates pride… fallen, corrupt human flesh exalting itself against the Creator!
d. I Pet. 5:5 – God RESISTS the proud!
A. Though hand join in hand
1. This is a figure of speech that speaks of men joining hands in a common cause… seeking to find strength in numbers.
a. Illustration: this morning I saw a news clip of a human chain joining hands to help someone escape a rip tide.
b. What one man would not be able to do alone, perhaps with many hands joined together, they could accomplish.
c. This is true in MOST situations. “Strength in numbers.” (Ecc. 4:9-12)
d. Consider what happens in a riot or a mob scene.
• After the Patriots won the AFC championship, Boston streets flooded with people…
• The people knocked over cars… threw rocks and beer cans…
• And they did all this in the plain sight of the police!
• But because there were so MANY of them doing such things, they felt safe.
• When the World Trade Organization meets, there are always radical groups that demonstrate against them.
• They throw rocks at the policemen! They hit policemen with sticks! And they get away with it—because there are so many of them.
• They would never try that if they were alone on a city street!
• There are times when there is safety in numbers.
2. But this is NOT true in EVERY situation.
a. Solomon speaks of one such exception to that rule here.
b. When it comes to PRIDE, more is not better.
c. When it comes to proud men joining forces in opposition to God, there is NO safety in numbers!
B. He shall not be unpunished
1. This expression is used in Prov. 11:21 too.
a. Here Solomon speaks of another exception to the rule.
b. WICKED men (rather than proud men in 16:5) will not escape punishment simply by virtue of their numbers.
c. Consider the original city of Babel.
• Hand joined hand to rebel against God.
• What men would have been fearful doing alone, when in a throng, they felt safe and secure.
• But there was no safety in the numbers at Babel. God sent confusion and judged them all.
d. Consider the city of Sodom.
• It is likely that this city (like San Francisco or Provincetown) became a magnet for homosexuals…
• Perhaps they experienced persecution in their home town and flocked there… for safety in numbers.
• The sheer number of them in Sodom gave them a sense of safety from judgment… at least from men.
• But they did not escape the judgment of God.
• There was no safety in numbers in Sodom.
e. Consider the wicked in the days of Noah. There was no safety in numbers.
• They heard Noah preach for 100 years and still didn’t repent.
• Only Noah’s family listened. (II Pet. 2:5-6)
• Perhaps the rest thought that his message of judgment could not possibly be true—since there were so MANY of them and so FEW who believed.
f. Today, men trust in the same principle: MOST men around the world do not believe in Jesus. SURELY God will not send them ALL to Hell! (Matt. 7:13-14)
• But wicked men will be punished regardless of how MANY there are.
• There is no safety in numbers before God.
2. There is no safety in numbers for us either!
a. Young people often tell their parents, “Well, everyone’s doing it! Or Everyone’s going… or Everyone’s wearing this. It must be ok! You’re too old fashioned! Too strict!”
b. This kind of thinking makes it difficult to stand against spiritually unhealthy trends in the local church too (pop music; social drinking; dancing; women preachers; etc.)
• When “everyone’s doing it”, the thinking is that it must be ok…
• That is a very POOR means of determining that which is acceptable. What if everyone is living together? What about gay marriage? What about drugs?
• Democracy doesn’t work when it comes to morals.
• Just because hands join in hand, that doesn’t make it right before God.
• In a democracy, it might make it LEGAL, but not necessarily right.
• The standard is NOT what men are doing or what men deem to be acceptable.
• The standard is God Himself! A holy God!
3. The proud of heart will not escape punishment either!
a. God assures us here that He will punish the proud of heart.
b. This is a promise (or threat?!) from God that WILL come to pass… and God will not back down just because there are millions of proud men.
c. God is a God of justice. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
d. It is RIGHT for God to punish pride… and He will… whether there are 6 proud men or 6 billion proud men.
e. Men do not always think like God the righteous Judge thinks.
• Men might say, “Since EVERYONE is now smoking marijuana, we might as well ignore the problem. We can’t arrest everyone!”
4. There are a couple of features that seem to give sinners confidence in their sin.
a. Ecc. 8:11 – the fact that sin is not judged immediately gives men the sense, that therefore it will NOT be judged!
• Set = full; fulfill; satisfied; accomplished; finish; complete; etc.
• Once they commit a sin, and see that the roof didn’t instantly cave in, they feel confident that they have escaped divine judgment…
• From that they deduce that they can continue to sin and the same thing will happen: nothing!
• When their sin isn’t instantly judged from heaven, their hearts are set—filled with confidence—that they may continue to sin.
• But they are dead wrong in their conclusions.
b. Another cause of sinners becoming confident in their sin is the strength they derive from sheer numbers.
• Men join hand to hand to derive extra strength and confidence from each other.
• The threefold cord IS harder to break.
• Sinners assume that a cord consisting of 6 billion people in the world is impossible to break!
• But nothing is too hard for the Lord.
• God said He would BREAK pride and He will… regardless of how MANY people join together in their proud rebellion against Him.
• Though hand joins in hand, the wicked AND the proud will not escape punishment from God.
c. If God doesn’t like something, it doesn’t matter WHO or HOW MANY are involved in it.
• To God an abomination is an abomination.
• Ps. 2:2 – “The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointed…”
• Rev. 16:14 – “The kings of the earth and the whole world gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
• Ultimately, the TRUTH of Solomon’s words will be demonstrated in an unmistakable manner.
• In the age of grace, it APPEARS that Solomon’s statement is not true.
1. Wicked men and proud men seem to do so WELL in the world… (Ps. 73:3-5)
2. They are proud and seem to go without judgment… (vs. 6)
3. But their day is coming! (Ps. 73:18)
5. Pride SHALL BE punished.
a. Prov. 16:18 – a fall and destruction are right around the corner…
b. Prov. 18:12 – pride before destruction. God repeats this so that it will sink in!
c. Nothing the proud do to AVOID punishment will ultimately work.
d. God hates proud hearts and is not impressed with their combined power.
e. It is as easy for God to break a cord of 6 billion as it is to break a cord of 6… or even a single cord.
Proverbs 16:6
The Purging of Iniquity
6a By mercy and truth iniquity is purged:
1. There seems to be a CONTEXT to this proverb…
a. Cf. vs.5c – sin shall NOT go unpunished. It SHALL be punished.
b. The Bible is clear on this subject. God takes sin and iniquity seriously.
c. The wages of sin is death. (Rom. 6:23)
d. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezek. 18:4)
e. But God found a way to PURGE all sin.
2. The PURGING of sin.
a. Purging defined: cover; purge; make atonement; make reconciliation; cover over with pitch.
b. Ex. 30:10 – Aaron shall make an atonement (same word) on the Day of Atonement for the purging of the sins of the people.
• Sins were purged ceremonially through blood sacrifices…
• The sacrifices pictured an innocent victim dying for the guilty to purge their sins.
• The animal sacrifice did nothing to actually accomplish that purging. (Heb.10:4 – it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin…)
• It was merely a PICTURE of what the Lamb of God would do one day on the cross of Calvary.
c. Ps. 78:38 – translated “forgave”
d. Ps. 79:9 – purge away our sins. Purging of sins is the work of GOD, not man.
e. In the New Testament, it is seen that CHRIST and He alone is able to purge sins… (Heb. 1:3)
• And that work is now finished.
• He HIMSELF purged our sins… once and for all.
• No human work or deed contributes one iota to God’s work of purging sin.
• What the Old Testament sacrifices foreshadowed, Christ fulfilled.
3. It is GOD’S mercy that provides for the purging of sin—not man’s!
a. Some read this proverb this way: as if a man, by showing mercy and acting according to truth, could atone for his own iniquity… (golden rule religion)
b. It is not MAN’S mercy that purges sin, but GOD’S mercy!
c. To think that we could atone for our sins by showing mercy and doing good to others. That is salvation by works… the liberal golden rule religion.
d. That is the damning error of Rome!
• They teach that there is a reservoir of “extra good deeds” (over and above what they needed to get into heaven) left behind by Mary and other of the saints…
• Those extra graces are mingled with the blood of Christ…
• Everyday Catholics are able to draw from that extra pool of grace and merit if they are a little short!
• Like the leave a penny take a penny cans in CVS.
e. No, Solomon is not speaking about MAN’S mercy that purges from iniquity… but the mercy of GOD who sent His Son to die for our sins. (Titus 3:4-5)
4. Mercy – kindness; lovingkindness; mercy; goodness; faithfulness; love; acts of kindness.
a. This word is used 26 times in Psalm 136! (His mercy endureth forever!)
b. Gen. 19:19 – God’s mercy was magnified in saving Lot from destruction in Sodom. It is because of God’s mercy that He provides deliverance from danger to His people.
c. Ex. 15:13 – It was God’s mercy that was behind Him leading the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.
d. Jer. 31:3 – it was God’s mercy (translated lovingkindness) that draws His people to Himself.
e. Psalm 51:1 – it is God’s mercy that provides for forgiveness of sins too!
f. Psalm 86:13 – it is God’s mercy that rescues us from hell!
g. Psalm 103:8 – God is a MERCIFUL God. It is His nature to be so. It is what comes naturally to God. Judgment is His strange work.
h. God IS merciful, and from that aspect of His nature arises the purging of sins.
i. Num. 14:19 – it is according to His mercy that iniquity is purged and pardoned.
5. Truth.
a. Defined: that which is firm; that which is reliable; that which is faithful; that which is true.
b. Ex. 34:6 – Like mercy above, it is God’s nature…
• He is truth.
• Jesus said, “I am the Truth.”
• Whatever God does, it is always in harmony with truth.
c. Psalm 86:11 – Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
• Truth should be important to us too.
• We should WALK in the truth…
• Our lives should be characterized by truth… truthfulness… faithfulness to the truth… living the truth… speaking the truth… obeying the truth…
• Nothing pleases a parent—or a church leader—more, than to hear that their children or their flock is walking in the truth (III John 4).
• If we know God as a God of truth, then the truth should be important to us.
• That means we should be careful in the way we HANDLE the truth…
d. Truth is IMPORTANT to the God of Truth.
• It was because of God’s MERCY that sin can be purged.
• It is also because God is a God of truth… a God who is faithful to the truth… that our sins can be purged.
• Psalm 19:11 – God’s Word speaks of judgments and justice… and His word is TRUTH.
• Without truth—there is no purging of sins.
• The truth is:
» Men are sinners and are on their way to Hell.
» Men are unable to save themselves.
» God loved the world and is not willing that any should perish.
» God sent His Son to PURGE sins—and everyone who trusts in Christ receives that personally.
» The gospel is the word of Truth…
• Sins are purged because the God of truth sent His Son who is the Truth to die for the sins of the world and sends us into the world with a gospel message of truth.
1. This thought is repeated often in Proverbs. It is by design! But each repetition has a special purpose… a slight difference in shade of meaning and/or application.
2. God is merciful and gracious. He is a pardoning God who purges iniquity.
3. However, that is not to say that He treats sin lightly.
a. Those whose sins are forgiven and purged are expected to DEPART from evil…
b. God is merciful and gracious to the repentant, but He is also a Judge who executes judgment against sin.
c. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God… to hold on to sin in our lives before an infinitely holy God and to experience His chastening in our lives.
d. Therefore, one whose sins have been purged is expected to FEAR God… and depart from evil.
e. Don’t assume that God’s mercy and grace mean that He doesn’t take sin seriously. He does.
f. After speaking of God’s mercy and truth which purge from sin, Solomon immediately reminds his readers of the exceeding sinfulness of sin!
g. This is exactly the approach Paul took in Romans 5-6. (Grace… then the natural question: Shall we continue in sin?)
4. The FEAR of the Lord is a perfect counterbalance to the mercy of God.
a. Mercy and grace tend to cause the immature and carnal believers to treat sin lightly.
b. Prov. 8:13 – But the FEAR of the Lord causes the believer to HATE sin and want to DEPART from it!
c. God is BOTH merciful… and fearful at the same time.
d. To the repentant sinner who is willing and ready to come to God humbly, God is merciful.
e. To the stubborn man who in rebellion clings to his sin, God is to be feared… God is a judge… and they will not experience His mercy but His justice.
f. God is merciful when we sin, but the fear of the Lord will KEEP us from further sin. WALKING in the truth means WALKING in the fear of God… it too should characterize our lives.
g. I Peter 1:15-17 – Because every one of our works shall be judged one day, we should spend the time of our sojourning here in the fear of God.
h. The one who has experienced forgiveness and the purging of his iniquity should seek to depart from further iniquity… fearing God is the way to walk
Proverbs 16:7
Peace with Our Enemies
Introduction:
• This is one of those proverbs that needs to be understood as a proverb! What Solomon says here is not true in every case.
• There are many exceptions to this rule… especially when it comes to persecution.
• But in general, Solomon’s words present a truth worth learning.
1. This proverb speaks of one particular benefit of walking with the Lord: it enables us to experience peace with our enemies.
a. By walking in such a way as to please the Lord IMPLIES that the person is walking in OBEDIENCE to God’s Word and IMPLEMENTING the principles of God’s Word to his daily life.
b. When a believer’s heart is right with God, and his behavior is in tune with God’s Word, that has a tremendous impact on outward circumstances… especially his relationship to men.
c. In fact it is hard NOT to get along with someone who is filled with the Spirit—whose life is characterized by love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, etc.
2. In a roundabout way, Solomon is teaching in this passage that much of the turmoil we have to endure in life is self-inflicted!
a. When our ways are NOT pleasing to the Lord, it is likely that we will make enemies.
b. When we are NOT filled with the Spirit… but are controlled by the flesh, we are much more likely to become embroiled in a conflict.
c. Examples of that which does NOT please the Lord:
• Lying…
→ A false witness that speaketh lies—one of the seven deadly sins.
→ Prov. 26:28 – it causes both parties to hate one another.
→ Ps. 40:4 – people lose all respect for a liar.
→ Ps. 101:7 – godly people reject the fellowship of unrepentant liars.
→ We lose friends and turn them into enemies when we lie.
• Stealing… who likes the one caught stealing from them?
• Adultery… Prov. 6:30-35 – this sin creates enemies for life!
• Gossip… Prov. 17:9 – separates chief friends.
• When our ways are not pleasing to God because of our sin, our ways are not usually pleasing to men either!
• Those whose ways do not please the Lord often CREATE enemies.
d. When our ways do NOT please the Lord, we INVITE trouble and hostility, and CREATE enemies.
3. Ways that are pleasing to the Lord.
a. Col. 1:10 – a worthy walk…
b. Col. 3:20 – children obeying their parents…
• Disobedient children grow up to be disobedient adults… rebels… and create all kinds of trouble for themselves.
c. Ps. 69:30-31 – a life of praise and thanksgiving
• The opposite: a life of bitterness and discontent results in strife… contention… making enemies.
d. Phil. 4:18 – giving is well pleasing to the Lord.
• Instead of stealing, which creates enemies, give! That creates friends.
e. Prov.11:1 – honesty—
• God is delighted in an honest businessman. So are his customers.
• The dishonest businessman makes enemies.
1. MANY things are true of the man whose ways please the Lord. This is just one of many benefits: PEACE!
a. He has peace with God because he does that which pleases the Lord.
b. He has peace with men… because NORMALLY that kind of a lifestyle is pleasing to men too.
2. Those whose ways are pleasing to God often discover that those ways also bring us into favor with men.
a. Luke 2:52 – this was true early in the life of Christ.
b. Prov. 3:3-4 – by showing mercy and being truthful… normally enables us to find favor in the sight of God and men.
c. Romans 14:16-18 – the one who cares about his testimony (vs.16) usually finds favor with God and men.
d. Matt. 5:44 – when we obey the command of Jesus to love one’s enemies, we please the Lord… and it goes a long way to making peace with our enemies too.
e. The best way to be reconciled with our enemies is to be first to be in a right relationship to God and obedient to His Word and ways.
f. Of course, there are lots of exceptions to this rule, but it is generally the case.
At Peace
1. Rom. 12:18 – Some people are hard to get along with.
a. They might be overly picky… overly sensitive, self centered, irritable, etc.
b. The command is to put EFFORT into trying!
c. As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men… This is an ALL OUT effort to make or keep peace.
d. Normally that kind of effort results in peace.
e. God often blesses the efforts of those who OBEY GOD… those who put in the effort to try to live peaceably.
2. Even if the enemies still hate you, they may find no fault and thus no cause for war or hostility.
a. Titus 2:7-8; Phil. 2:14-15 – Don’t give the enemy any ROOM to find fault… by living a life that is pleasing to God!
b. Dan. 6:3-5 – his enemies could find no fault in him—no excuse for hostility.
c. I Pet. 3:13 – who is he that will harm you if you are followers of that which is good? They may still hate you, but God will protect you! Who are they to stand up against God?
d. Rom. 8:31 – If God be FOR us, who can be against us?
e. God is a shield and a buckler to those whose ways please Him. He protects them… He guards them against evil.
3. We would do well to realize that even our enemies are in the hands of the Lord…
a. God raises up friends in a time of need; and He is able to turn enemies into friends.
b. The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. (Prov. 21:1)
c. Whether our enemy is the king or anyone else… God is sovereign, omniscient, and omnipotent.
d. God can change their minds…
e. God can reverse circumstances…
f. He can cause enemies to exert their energies elsewhere…
g. He can force them into submission…
h. He can cause them to run away with their tails between their legs.
i. He can slay them if He so chooses…
j. God is plenty ABLE to handle all of our enemies…
k. Even the Goliaths we face which cause us to tremble, are nothing to the Lord.
l. And God delights in giving peace to those whose ways please Him.
4. God is able to change the hearts of men at will.
a. Jer. 15:11 – God caused the enemies of Jeremiah to entreat him (plead with him; come to him for help)… rather than come after him to destroy him.
b. Acts 9:1, 2, 20 – God turned Saul, the enemy of the church into Paul, the friend of the church!
c. Gen. 33:4 – God changed the heart of Esau towards Jacob.
5. Some have questioned whether the “HE” in vs. 7 is the Lord or the man whose ways please the Lord.
a. There is an element of truth in both interpretations… but obviously, Solomon had only one in mind.
b. The Jewish Rabbis believed the “he” referred to the man whose ways please the Lord.
• When his ways please the Lord, (he—the man) makes his enemies to be at peace with him through his actions.
• That is a legitimate view… for the pronoun is a bit ambiguous… and this view makes perfect sense.
• It IS certainly true that our lifestyle AFFECTS our relationship with other people.
c. It is also possible to interpret the pronoun “He” to refer to God… and the two views are not far apart.
• When our ways please God… those same ways ARE usually pleasing to men too.
• And when we walk with God, He (GOD) blesses our efforts.
• He protects us, He is sovereign over circumstances, He delights in taking care of His children who walk with Him.
• Ultimately the blessed results are to be traced back to God.
d. The blessed results of peace with enemies can be traced in the immediate to OUR efforts and ways… but ultimately, it is to be traced back to God. To God be the glory.
6. Walking in such a way so as to please God is preventative medicine; it keeps others from becoming hostile toward us.
a. Ways that please the Lord not only can change an enemy into a friend… or at least remove the hostility and bring peace.
b. But ways that please the Lord can also enable us to PREVENT enemies from being created!
c. IF we START doing the things that please the Lord, we can avoid CREATING enemies.
d. Instead of lying, telling the truth!
e. Instead of gossip, edifying the brethren!
f. Instead of stealing, giving!
g. Normally that kind of behavior is pleasing to both God AND man.
h. That kind of behavior often turns enemies into friends… or it will prevent enemies from ever being made!
Proverbs 16:8
Wealth vs. Righteousness
Introduction:
1. This is a familiar theme in Proverbs.
2. In several other passages Solomon speaks of the comparative value of earthly wealth to other things:
a. 12:9 – honor or being despised
b. 15:16 – the fear of the Lord…
c. 15:16 – trouble wealth often brings
d. 16:8 – to righteousness
e. These proverbs are similar to Prov. 16:8.
3. But there is another proverb that is virtually identical.
a. But this proverb isn’t found in the book of Proverbs. It appears in the book of Psalm 37:16
b. Yes, some of the psalms are actually proverbs!
A. A Little
1. This speaks of a little money… little wealth… little property… as is made clear by the second half of the proverb.
2. The little is contrasted to great revenues.
3. The contrast is between having a little of this world’s goods and having a lot.
4. But the contrast focuses in on a particular
B. A Little With Righteousness
1. All things being equal, great revenues would be better than a little.
a. There is no special value in being poor.
b. It isn’t any more spiritual…
c. It isn’t an indication of one’s spiritual life or morality either.
d. II John 2 – John wishes the best for his friends (prosperity and good health).
e. All things being equal, who in their right mind would choose to be poor and sick over prosperous and healthy?
f. A believer can learn good lessons during a period of poverty or sickness… but there is no intrinsic value to being poor or sick.
g. Normally, it is better to have plenty of money to put food on the table and pay one’s bills… than not to have enough.
2. But the particular situation Solomon has in mind speaks of an occurrence where all things are NOT equal.
a. He adds another element into the mix… righteousness!
b. That changes the whole formula.
c. The contrast is not simply little revenue vs. great revenue. That would be an easy decision.
d. But the contrast is between a little revenue by doing things righteously vs. great revenues by not doing things right.
3. Solomon observed that quite often, those who do things the right way… those who put righteousness first, don’t always prosper in the world like the wicked.
a. It is a fact of life… the wicked often prosper in the world.
b. This is not a hard and fast rule, but it is often true.
c. Ps. 73:3, 12 – this fact has caused a lot of grief to men throughout the ages.
d. Ps. 73:13-14 – a believer can begin to think that perhaps he is walking in righteousness for nothing! What’s the use… when the wicked don’t pay any attention to righteousness and seem to do so well!
e. Asaph did things right… he walked with God… but did not prosper in the world like other men… like the wicked.
4. But even though unrighteousness is often accompanied by great revenues, LITTLE is better when accompanied by righteousness.
a. Better for your peace of mind. You can sleep at night…
b. Better for your freedom. No fear of the law or incarceration
c. Better for your family…
d. Better for your spiritual walk… because God is on your side
e. Better for your conscience… free from guilt
A. Unrighteousness Often Brings Success and Prosperity
1. Cheating your way through school… in order to get your degree. That may result in a better paying job.
2. Cheating on your taxes. This gives the crooked small businessman an edge over his honest competitors!
3. Embellishing your resume—gives you at an advantage over someone else with equal qualifications.
4. False advertising—is likely to win customers that honest advertisers will not get.
5. In the Lord’s work: following the neo evangelical principle of “the end justifies the means”… and using methodologies that attract many people… violating the principle of separation… which outwardly appear to bring success…
6. Taking a more lucrative job in a region where there is no good local church will enable you to make more money… increase your revenues.
7. Taking a job which forces you to be in compromising situations daily… might also increase your revenues.
8. Skimping on building materials—quick, shoddy workmanship brings in lots of revenue… results in prosperity for many. (Irish gypsies)
9. Selling drugs is very lucrative…
10. Stealing can be quite lucrative too (little overhead; low taxes!)
11. If making money is your goal and you don’t care about righteousness, honesty, or integrity, there are lots of ways to prosper in the world.
B. But There Are Consequences
1. This is true in everyday life.
a. Cheating your way through school… living with a guilty conscience… knowing you didn’t really earn you degree.
b. Cheating on your taxes… and getting caught and paying massive fines!
c. Embellishing your resume… and living with the guilt of dishonesty.
d. False advertising… the fear of lawsuits…
e. In the Lord’s work: following the neo evangelical principle of “the end justifies the means”… and using methodologies that attract many people… violating the principle of separation… which outwardly appear to bring success… but having to live with a violated conscience… at the expense of doing things right.
f. Taking a job in a region where there is no good local church (more money, but having to settle for a shallow ministry… with no standards… fleshly music… etc.)
g. Taking a job which forces you to be in compromising situations daily… (more money, but vexes your righteous soul from day to day)
h. Skimping on building materials—quick, shoddy workmanship brings in lots of revenue, but living with the fear of being caught… and the guilt! (Irish gypsies)
i. Selling drugs is very lucrative… but they eventually get sent to prison.
j. Stealing can be quite lucrative too… but thieves usually get caught too…
2. The Bible speaks often of this truth.
a. Prov. 10:16 – The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin. It often leads to other forms of sin… which also have further consequences. (stealing leads to lying to cover up… etc.)
b. Prov. 11:4 – Riches profit not in the day of wrath.
• There is a temporary earthly gain… but an eternal loss for wealth gained through unrighteousness. It isn’t worth it!
c. Prov. 13:11 – Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
• Often such wealth does not last even in this life…
• Those who come into quick easy money usually spend it just as quickly and easily!
• The mindset that gathers wealth the wrong way tends to be lazy… which over all leads to poverty, not wealth!
d. Prov. 22:16 – He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.
• Again, dishonest gain leads to wealth… but often results in WANT!
• The oppressed may revolt… and overthrow! (Solomon spoke as a king here…)
• God may judge with famine or worse…
e. Prov. 21:6-7 – The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
• It can be dangerous…
• Dishonest men travel in very bad circles…
• Example: the mafia… their dishonest gain leads to violence… death… murder…
f. Prov. 15:27 – He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house (Cf. 15:6,16)
• Note how often TROUBLE is associated with greed and dishonest gain!
• Greed is the motive behind almost all dishonest gain.
• This man may by his greed and even through dishonesty bring great revenues into his home… but there are strings attached to that wealth.
• Often it comes with a price tag: trouble at home!
• Often it brings trouble home… divides families… an honest wife may not be able to deal with her husband’s dishonest gain… it may bring shame to the family if he is caught… which can eventually bring financial ruin…
3. Great revenues without righteousness are NOT BETTER than little!
a. The price tag is too high.
b. It comes with strings attached…
c. It brings trouble into the home… it leads to more sin… it is often diminished over time… it leads to violence and death… and ultimately brings eternal loss!
d. It might be quicker and easier in the short term, but in the long run, it is not better!
e. A little is enough for the righteous to be happy and content. Plenty is never enough for the wicked and the greedy.
4. Having a little is not bad at all!
a. Prov. 30:8-9 – having a little—enough to get by on—is GOOD for us spiritually.
b. Extremes in either direction come with great temptation.
c. Great wealth carries with it a temptation to forget the Lord.
d. Great poverty carries with it a temptation to steal.
e. Having a little to get by on isn’t so bad after all!
f. If we have food and shelter… enough to pay our bills—let us be content… and thankful.
g. Who knows how we might deal with temptation if we were in another position financially? God knows best.
Matthew Henry:
It is maintained that a small estate, honestly come by, which a man is content with, enjoys comfortably, serves God with cheerfulness, and puts to a right use, is much better and more valuable than a great estate ill-got, and then ill-kept or ill-spent. It carries with it more inward satisfaction, a better reputation with all that are wise and good; it will last longer, and will turn to a better account in the great day, when men will be judged, not according to what they had, but what they did.
Proverbs 16:9
Divine Sovereignty and Man’s Will
A. A Man’s Heart
1. Heart Defined:
a. Strong’s: inner man; mind; will; heart; understanding; inner part.
b. Dict. of Bib. Languages: heart, mind, soul, spirit, self, i.e., the source of life of the inner person in various aspects, with a focus on feelings, thoughts, volition, and other areas of the inner life.
c. Zodhiates: it usually refers to some aspect of the immaterial inner self or being since the heart is considered to be the seat of one’s inner nature.
2. The heart includes intellect, emotion, and will.
a. As a man THINKETH in his heart, so is he.
b. Willing hearts…
c. Happy or sad hearts…
d. It is used as our whole inner life… where we think, plan, prepare, feel, chose, make decisions…
B. Deviseth His Way
1. Deviseth Defined:
a. Strong’s: to think; plan; esteem; calculate; invent; make a judgment; imagine.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: thinking in a detailed, logical manner, with the focus on the formulation of an opinion.
2. Usage of the term:
a. Prov. 16:30 – violent men (vs.29) device evil things… and carries out those plans.
b. Ps. 10:2 – used of planning evil devices…
c. Ps. 119:59 – thinking and planning good things like turning back to God.
3. Way: road, distance, journey, fig: manner or way of life;
a. Prov. 4:19 – The way of the wicked
b. Prov. 5:21 – the ways of man in general: For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
c. Prov. 9:6 – the way of the righteous… the way of understanding.
4. The proverb states that in GENERAL, men plan the WAY they want to go.
a. Solomon is not disparaging this idea. He is simply stating a fact.
b. It is GOOD to make plans… if the plans are good and in line with God’s Word.
c. Paul made plans for his missionary trips. That was wise.
d. We all make plans. Young people make plans for their future. They go off to school to help get prepared for what lies ahead.
e. Making plans are necessary and wise. It would be folly NOT to make plans… To simply stumble aimlessly through life is not wise.
f. Prov. 6:6-7 – for those who think they don’t HAVE to plan, Solomon refers them to the ant—
• Ants are wise enough to plan ahead for the winter by making the preparations in the summer.
• Ants have more wisdom than people who don’t make any plans… people with no vision.
• The point: we too should make plans for the future. Wisdom demands it.
g. Prov. 4:26 – we are COMMANDED to ponder (think about… and make plans for) the steps we take in life.
• Young people plan for their careers.
• Middle-aged people plan for their retirement.
• Parents make plans for their children when young.
• Children make plans for their parents when old.
• Businessmen make plans for their businesses.
• Elders make plans for the church.
• All believers are to plan for their spiritual edification.
• It would be irresponsible NOT to make good plans.
h. Luke 14:28-32 – in all areas of life men DEVISE their way. And that is a good and healthy thing.
• God has given us brains to think and plan.
• God has given us a will to make choices…
• All throughout life, we are to engage our brains and to make wise plans and wise choices.
• The consequences of NOT making wise plans and choices are severe! (bankrupt; defeated)
1. BUT!
a. This word puts the BRAKES on the thought in the first part of the proverb.
b. What has been said thus far is good BUT!
c. It’s good as far as it goes BUT it doesn’t go far enough!
d. Many statements might be TRUE as far as they go, but can be quite misleading if the other side of the coin is not mentioned.
e. All things are lawful for me… BUT all things are not expedient!
f. Without the BUT to explain, define, restrict, and limit, the first statement would be misleading… and could EASILY lead one astray…
g. The first part of his statement is TRUE… but is only HALF the truth. And a half-truth can be dangerous.
h. That is what this proverb addresses.
i. It IS good for men to make plans and to devise their ways, BUT in all your plans, don’t forget about God’s sovereignty!
2. The LORD DIRECTS our steps…
a. Directs: to be firm; be stable; be established; secures; prepares.
b. Used in Ps. 37:23 – The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD.
c. God ORDERS our steps… He establishes them and makes them firm…
d. When our plans are according to His will and in harmony with His word… God enables us to CARRY OUT those plans… by enabling us each step along the way!
e. So that at the end of a successful endeavor, we can look back and say, “Jesus led me all the way!” I made plans, but the increase is of the Lord. He directed and established each step!
3. It is good to make plans, BUT it is folly to leave God out of those plans.
a. God is the One who should be consulted FIRST.
b. Jas. 4:13-15 – James did not criticize these men for making plans, but for not thinking about the will of God!
c. They should have said, “IF the Lord will… we shall do this or that.”
d. We have such LITTLE time in this life (a vapor). What a shame to WASTE time running down rabbit trails that God never intended for us to run down!
e. Jer. 10:23 – O that we might learn that “it is not in man to direct his steps!” Realizing that will cause us to be dependent upon the Lord… as we should be for every step we take.
f. We can devise our way… make good plans to get there. BUT — we should be more concerned about DOING the will of God!
g. Leaving God out of OUR plans might make it necessary for the Lord to redirect our steps.
4. The point in Proverbs: GOD IS IN CHARGE OF OUR STEPS!
a. Because God is in charge of every step we take, He is also sovereign over where we end up!
b. It doesn’t matter how well thought out our plans are at reaching goals we have set for ourselves… God is sovereign over every step along the way!
c. What folly of man to think that achieving his goals in life were entirely in his own hands… when we cannot take one step or move one foot unless the Lord enables us.
d. We might make great plans and have it all planned out how to get there… what means… and when. But God might allow an unexpected tragedy in our lives… a disease… an accident… God controls our steps.
e. The point is that we are entirely dependent upon the Lord for every step in life… regardless of the plans and goals which we have set for ourselves.
f. If we plan a pathway God does not want us to travel, God has the power to build a WALL which makes it impossible for us to take another step down that pathway.
g. We might make great plans… but God is sovereign over each and every tiny factor needed to carry out our plans.
h. God is sovereign over the weather; our health; the stock market; war and peace; the laws of the land; — any one of which can stop our steps cold… and thus prevent our plans from coming to fruition.
5. And because God is gracious, there is another side to this coin.
a. We might make the best plans we can… but might overlook something that would have resulted in disaster.
b. We might make the best plans we can and have the best of intentions… but be following that pathway might not be good for us…
c. We might make the best plans our ability allows… and because God knows the end from the beginning… and knows that that pathway will lead us astray… God direct our steps to something much BETTER… something exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think!
6. It is good to make plans… BUT God has the right to CHANGE them and redirect our steps any time He sees fit! He is sovereign!
a. We can and ponder, think, and plan concerning goals and projects in life.
b. According to OUR calculations, reaching that goal means:
• It will take X number of days…
• It will cost X amount of money…
• It will require X amount of steps to get from point A to point B
• Those calculations might be the BEST humanly possible.
c. According to OUR calculations, we might determine that:
• Project X is good and worthwhile
• Project X is realistic and obtainable
• Project X is affordable
• Project X is not in violation of a Biblical principle
• Project X is beneficial
d. BUT… don’t forget the sovereignty of God.
• He is sovereign. He can direct our steps to a quick and successful completion of the project.
• He can also cause the best laid plans of mice and men to go astray.
• He can direct our steps away from that which might be physically prosperous to a direction that is spiritually prosperous.
• He can redirect our steps from an easy course to a much more difficult course… that might be better for us spiritually.
• God directs our steps for our good! Hence, we should always TRUST HIM and seek His will first and foremost.
7. The LORD is sovereign and providentially guides us where He wants us.
a. He wants us to make good plans…
b. He also wants us to TRUST Him for each step along the way.
c. He reserves the right to direct our steps in ANY direction He so chooses…
d. He opens doors and closes doors. If a door opens, our steps are free to continue. If a door closes, our steps are stopped.
e. It is the LORD who controls all that… and through an infinite variety of means.
f. It only makes sense to include God in ALL our plans… and to be dependent upon Him for each step along the way.
g. That is the way of success in God’s sight.
Proverbs 16:10
A Divine Sentence
1. Solomon is speaking here as the King of Israel – a theocracy.
a. We hear much about Islamic theocracies in the Middle East today.
b. Theocracies have NEVER worked… even the theocracy of Israel, which God instituted, had to be torn down as a failure.
c. They failed because of one reason: the king who reigned in the theocracy was a fallen human being with a sin nature!
d. The church is not a theocracy…
• This is one of the errors of the Roman church. They see themselves as a theocracy… a government of God… and their stated goal is to rule the world.
• And not just Rome, but Calvin’s Geneva was a sort of theocracy as well… which did not treat nonconformists very kindly.
• There was a movement a while ago in the Protestant world which attempted to make the church a theocracy by incorporating Mosaic Law… the 10 commandments as the law of the land in the USA… and they became quite vocal in US politics.
e. No theocracy will ever work on earth as long as the one in charge is a fallen human being with a sin nature.
f. Ultimately, a theocracy WILL govern on earth… but the leader will not be a FALLEN human being, but a perfectly sinless and glorified human being: the God-Man, Jesus Christ!
g. He will rule and reign in righteousness… as a king and Judge who just happens to be omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly fair and just… not a respecter of persons…
h. But until Christ returns, theocracies will never work.
i. In fact, they always prove to be cruel, brutal, intolerant, oppressive tyrannies!
j. When a fallen human being believes he has divine authority—look out!
k. Ultimately, the anti-Christ will establish a theocracy with the whole world worshipping him and he will rule as king over the world. Only he not only claims to be God’s exclusive spokesman. He claims to be god!
l. That’s where theocracies apart from Christ are headed.
2. But in this proverb, Solomon is speaking as a human king over a true theocracy God established in Israel.
a. And even though it was not a perfect government (because of ungodly kings, wicked priests, and false prophets)… it WAS God’s means of reigning on the earth in those days.
b. God did REIGN through the nation Israel…
• God was approachable only through their priests…
• God spoke to the people through the prophets…
• God governed the land through the kings…
• God gave them the laws.
• God was King (executive branch); God was Judge (judicial branch) and God was Legislator (Lawgiver).
• It was a true (though not perfect) theocracy through the Davidic line.
3. A divine sentence is in the lips of the king.
a. Of course in this sense, Solomon meant the king in ISRAEL (Not Egypt or in Assyria).
b. The point of this proverb is that when the king of Israel speaks, he speaks with DIVINE authority.
c. Thus, the king is to be OBEYED… in the same way one would obey God… for the king was a divine spokesman.
d. What comes out of the mouth of the king is as if it came out of the mouth of God.
e. This doesn’t mean that kings were infallible, but that they were God’s spokesmen.
f. Deut. 17:18-20 – the king of Israel was EXPECTED to know God’s Word, to speak it, and obey it!
g. When that was the case (as it SHOULD have been always but rarely was)… then a divine sentence was in the lips of the king.
h. The proverb speaks of the way things SHOULD BE… but unfortunately, things were not always this way.
i. I Kings 3:28 – This was true of Solomon.
j. As king in the Davidic line, Solomon’s sons were in line to be king one day. Perhaps he wrote this proverb for them… a perpetual reminder of their position… power… and shepherd for God to use to reign on earth.
4. Solomon uses an unusual term for “divine sentence.”
a. Defined:
→ Strong’s: divination, witchcraft. 1a of the nations, Balaam. 1b of false prophets.
→ Dict. of Biblical Languages: four broad classes of divination is 1. The position of stars 2. Speaking with dead spirits 3. Examining animal parts 4. Cast lots for a yes or no answer.
→ Zodhiates: This word described the cultic practice of foreign nations that was prohibited in Israel.
b. Usages
→ Deut. 18:9-11 – in the context of the abomination of the nations. It is strictly forbidden!
→ I Sam. 15:23 – translated witchcraft.
→ Jer. 14:14 – the false prophets used false divination to deceive.
→ I Sam. 28:8 – Saul consulted the witch of Endor to “divine” for him…
→ Ezek. 21:21 – the king of Babylon used this type of divination to determine which way to go… (looking into a liver!)
→ Isa. 3:2-3 – Apart from the proverb, this is the only other passage where the term might be considered used in a good sense… because it is listed with other noble positions.
c. Various translations of it:
→ Divine sentence; divine authority; an oracle; inspired judgments; decision; divination.
→ NKJV has “divination” which is most consistent with its usage elsewhere… but it seems misleading if connected with its other usages.
→ Why Solomon chose to use a word that virtually always appears in such a bad context we don’t know…
→ But it is clear that it appears in a GOOD context in Prov. 16:10.
d. Meaning:
→ It seems best to me to understand the concept of divination as neutral… neither good nor bad.
→ False prophets and witches used to attempt to contact deities in an evil sense—forbidden by the law.
→ But evidently, the term can also be used of speaking TO God and speaking FOR God in a good sense too.
→ Some have associated this with the casting of lots or the use of Urim and Thummim in the Old Testament.
→ Just as the false prophets and witches sought to contact their deities and be spokesmen for their pagan gods, the King in Israel was to be a spokesman for the true and living God.
5. In Medieval times, this concept was twisted and stretched beyond its original meaning.
a. Read words of King James (1609) – “The Divine Right of Kings.”
b. There was an element of truth to what he said, but he went WAY beyond what God intended…
c. He USED the Bible to support his form of government: hereditary monarchy… and keep himself in power.
1. Again, Solomon is speaking as the King of Israel… and speaking of the way things SHOULD BE in the theocracy.
a. Since the king of Israel is to be a spokesman for the true and living God, it is important that he sin not with his mouth!
b. It is vital for a king and judge NOT to transgress in his judgments…
c. They were to be fair; equitable; just; righteous; execute blind justice; for ALL the people…
d. When they did so, they WERE spokesmen for God… and a divine sentence would be decreed.
e. When a king or one in authority was acting as a JUDGE, they were not to sin or transgress. They were to execute JUSTICE. (Deut. 25:1)
2. Prov. 16:13 – he was not to sin in his judgments, but his lips were to speak forth righteousness… justice…
3. Of course, there is no theocracy today… and kings and presidents do not use divination today.
a. But we CAN make application to today.
b. I Tim. 2:1-2 – we should PRAY for those in power in this land that their sentences and decrees would be in harmony with God and His Word.
c. Rom. 13:1, 4 – we should also remember that in a sense, kings and rulers ARE ordained of God and are ministers of God used of the Lord to execute a sense of justice in the world today.
d. There is a sense in which rulers today DO speak as oracles of God… because it is the law of the land… and believers are to OBEY the law of the land.
e. This holds true for ALL kings: the president of the US; the Saudi family; the Prime Minister of Egypt and Israel; and even Saddam Hussein when he was in power!
f. This is not to equate any of this with a legitimate theocracy, but there is a sense in which ALL human governments are an extension of God’s control over the earth today.
g. Therefore, we are to show respect for all that are in authority… whether we voted for them or not! Whether we agree with their policies or not…
h. Respect and submission to those in authority are to be hallmarks of believers today.
i. When the king speaks or the legislators enact a law, we are to respect it and obey it as if it came from God Himself…
j. Acts 5:29 – of course, there is an exception! We ought to obey God rather than man… where man’s law violates God’s law.
k. But otherwise, we are to obey the laws of the land… whether we like the law or not; whether it is a wise law or a foolish law…
l. We may not respect the character of the person in the position of authority, but we should show respect for the office that he holds: a minister of God!
m. God uses even those ministers to accomplish His purposes.
4. Solomon wrote this as a reminder for generations of kings to follow in his line, on the importance of them ruling in wisdom… and righteousness… as spokesmen for God.
Proverbs 16:11
Honesty is of the Lord
1. Definitions:
a. Weight Defined:
• measuring device for weight
• the weight indicator on a scale or balance
b. Balance Defined:
• A scale for measuring;
• An implement for weighing, consisting of two balance pans with a standardized weight in one pan and the object to be weighed in the other.
2. A just weight and balance…
a. Solomon is not speaking about a gym with balance bars and weights.
b. In ancient times, all business and trade was done according to weight…
c. They did not use paper money; Money was to them a WEIGHT of gold or silver. Money was not counted in various denominations, but was weighed.
d. Jer. 32:10 – both terms are used and illustrated.
e. The balance was a scale… and a standard weight was placed on one side of the scale and thus, equal amounts of goods would be sold for a standard price.
f. Wheat, barley, and all goods were sold according to standard weights.
3. II Sam. 14:26 – it was the KING who was responsible for setting, making, and distributing the weight standard throughout the country.
a. Merchants could not make their own weights…
b. There had to be one standard weight, or transactions could not be conducted fairly.
c. No doubt, the kings had governmental officials whose job it was to regulate and inspect merchants to PREVENT skimming and cheating.
d. God and the king both expected the merchants to follow the royal standards… to do things RIGHT.
e. The king was to SET the standard and enforce the standard.
f. Justice in the land was up to the king.
g. In the world of politics and government, CHARACTER does matter!
h. Justice, fairness, equality, and honesty are all important parts of what a ruler does!
A. All the weights of the bag
1. A merchant would keep all his weights in a bag.
2. A dishonest merchant would have several weights for each standard amount.
a. Example: a just weight – the same as the royal standard. (for his friends… good customers… and when the government inspectors came by!)
b. Micah 6:11 – deceitful weights.
c. He would have another weight perhaps for foreigners, people he didn’t like, or people he wanted to take advantage of…
d. They would shave off a bit of the weight, so that when he used that weight, the customer would PAY for a full pound, but would not get a full pound.
e. It is called skimming… shave off a little and the dishonest merchant would be getting a little more profit for each item sold…
f. In the Colonial days, when coins were pure silver, folks began shaving off the edges of coins… so that the government had to make the edges of coins serrated so that any shaving of edges could be spotted.
g. This is an ancient art… but one still used today!
h. Some companies today keep TWO sets of books… (kept in their bag).
i. Instead of stealing a thousand dollars off one person, Electronic thieves steal a penny off a hundred thousand people… and no one will find out!
B. The Lord’s Work
1. The LORD’S
a. This meant that in some way, the Lord Himself stood behind the standard weight of the country.
b. God set the standard; God was the standard;
c. Lev. 19:35-36 – The reason: I am the Lord!
• It is because of who God is… His nature… His character that the weights were to be standard and honest.
• God is a God of righteousness… He is fair and right… just and equal… impartial… no respecter of persons…
• God HIMSELF is the standard of right and wrong… moral and immoral… just or unjust. He sets the standards. We are to keep the standards.
• The JUST weights were of the Lord. The unjust weights were the result of sin… and our adversary… who is a LIAR by nature.
d. Note also that they were to use just weights BECAUSE they were delivered from Egypt.
• His point is this: while in Egypt, the Jews were taken advantage of…
• They were not treated fairly.
• If the Jews began to accumulate more wealth than the Egyptians wanted them to, they would tighten the screws… and not only force them to make bricks, but to gather their own straw for them.
• The Egyptians controlled the economy of the Jews and kept them under their thumbs.
• THEREFORE, the Jews, now in a land of their own, were NOT to use dishonest practices to control the economy of their own brothers… even on a micro level.
• The Jews wanted to be treated fairly in Egypt. Now that they were free, they were also to treat others fairly and justly…
• This meant being HONEST in their business transactions.
2. God’s Work.
a. The just weights and balances were the Lord’s Work.
• He ordered them. He set the standard.
• He commanded His people to abide by them.
• He even reasoned with them as to WHY they should be fair in their business transactions.
b. For a believer, everything we do is to be done “as unto the Lord.”
• Everything we do is a spiritual ministry…
• There is no division into secular or sacred for the believer.
• Col. 3:22-24 – our earthly work or service is not really being done for our earthly master, but ultimately, for our heavenly Master: God!
• When we work at the office or the factory, we are not serving the foreman; we are serving Christ.
• The unsaved workers at the factory are working for an earthly paycheck and are working for their earthly boss.
• But the believer today may do exactly the same work, but he is serving Christ… and is really serving for a reward in heaven… not an earthly paycheck.
• That makes everything we do in the business world a spiritual ministry… sacred, not secular.
c. This was especially so during the days of the theocratic kingdom on earth…
• In the days of the Theocracy, the Israelites KNEW that their nation was directly under the eye and authority of God.
• Their moral laws were written by the finger of God.
• But their civil laws were also written by God!
d. God even wrote the laws concerning HOW they were to conduct business… including using fair, just, standard weights. No skimming… no gouging… no cheating of any sort.
e. Rom. 13:1 – today we also have government inspectors.
• We are to obey and comply with all the laws of the land.
• Whether they are wetland laws; business laws; tax laws; stock trading laws… building inspectors; meat inspectors; health inspectors…
• These laws and standards are established by the powers that be… and they are ultimately OF THE LORD.
• That means that Christians are to SUBMIT to such inspectors and rules (whether we agree with them or not) as unto the Lord!
• Those rules ARE of the Lord.
• Imperfect as they may be, we are to obey… they are for our overall good… for the benefit of society…
• But even those laws that don’t make any sense, we are STILL to comply. The weights and balances are of the Lord…
• What is MORE important than that particular law or rule is the ORDER of society… as opposed to anarchy!
• Thank God for the law and order we enjoy in our country.
f. Deut. 4:5-8 – The eyes of the world were upon Israel.
• When Israel followed God’s laws… including business laws… their nation functioned smoothly and flourished.
• When the nation was honest, business did well… and God blessed them.
• Other nations would observe and be FORCED to acknowledge the justice of their laws… AND their Lawgiver: Jehovah!
• It is part of our Christian testimony too to be fair and just in all of our dealings with men.
• Nothing tarnishes the testimony of a believer in the eyes of the world quicker than for a believer to be found to be dishonest… deceitful or corrupt in our everyday business.
• What a great opportunity we have in the world to be a witness for Christ… even without saying a word…
• Doing the BEST JOB we can for our company… being HONEST and just in all of our dealings with men…
• By doing so, we too can FORCE observers to acknowledge the wholesome influence God and His Word have in our lives.
• Your daily job is a service and a witness for Christ.
Proverbs 16:12
Righteousness and the Throne
Introduction:
1. There are two possible ways to understand the words of Solomon in this verse.
2. The proverb states that the committing of wickedness is an abomination to kings. The wording is such that it is unclear concerning WHO is committing the wickedness: the king himself or his subjects.
a. The KJV translation implicates the king.
b. Other translations implicate the subjects as the guilty parties.
3. Of course, it is possible to understand the words in a general sense too: that regardless of WHO the guilty party is, it is an abomination to kings… to commit it or to tolerate it.
4. The two thoughts are certainly both true and both fit the context. But obviously, Solomon meant only one thing when he wrote.
12a It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness:
A. It is an abomination for kings to COMMIT wickedness (themselves)
1. Wickedness Defined:
a. Strong’s: wrong; unrighteousness; (as violence and crime against civil law).
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang. – evil, injustice, i.e., a state or condition of evil, with a focus on the violation of moral or civil law by evil deeds.
2. Usage of the Term Wickedness:
a. Psalm 10:2 – Treasures of wickedness profit nothing.
• Here it speaks of money gained through illegal activity… breaking the laws of the land.
• You might accumulate a great treasure of stolen goods, but in the long run, there is no real gain…
• There is no gain in this life, especially if you get caught!
• There is certainly no gain when you stand before God and give an account.
b. Psalm 5:4 – For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
• Here the term speaks of that which is contrary to God’s nature. God is a Lawgiver… a righteous God.
• God has no pleasure with those who commit this kind of wickedness. The Lawgiver has no pleasure with lawbreakers!
• Unrighteous behavior and criminal activity brings no pleasure to God. It is contrary to His nature… It will not dwell with Him.
c. Psalm 45:7 – God hates wickedness…
• This only follows, since it is so contrary to His nature.
• It is a good idea for US to hate wickedness… lawlessness… those who violate the civil laws of the land. They are in place for a reason!
d. Psalm 141:4 – Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
• A king or one with such great power would have many temptations in this area.
• Here the psalmist PRAYS that his heart would NOT be inclined to or attracted to such wicked works… unrighteous and illegal behavior… and the “dainties” associated with it.
• Note that the psalmist may not have been concerned that he would actually COMMIT such wickedness. But he wanted his HEART to be pure… clean… and not even be attracted to such things.
• Those who keep their hearts with all diligence (like the psalmist) will also keep themselves from committing such wickedness.
• God hates it. The psalmist also hated it… but he did not trust his fallen heart and knew that his heart could be attracted towards such things. Hence, the prayer!
• Young drug dealers drive around in fancy cars and wear $300.00 dungarees and $200.00 sneakers… (their dainties). This can be quite appealing to young people today. It might look COOL.
• PRAY that your heart would not be inclined in that direction. Pray that you too would HATE wickedness in all of its ugly forms.
• There IS a pleasure and an attraction to sin… especially since it offers short term dividends (dainties).
• Don’t look at the dainties of sin. Keep your eyes upon the Lord who hates it… and pray for that kind of hatred.
• Wickedness is an abomination!
e. This is the kind of wickedness of which Solomon writes: evil, illegal, unrighteous, criminal behavior.
3. Abomination:
a. Defined: detestable thing; repulsion, i.e., an object which is loathsome and abhorrent.
b. Injustice and crime in the land were to be considered an abomination…
c. It was loathsome to God and should be loathsome to the people too.
d. Deut. 7:26 – abominations (context = idols) were NOT to be brought home; they were to be utterly detested by God’s people.
e. Hollywood seems to glamorize unrighteous behavior, immorality, and even crime.
f. Wickedness should be detestable to the believer.
4. Solomon states that for KINGS to COMMIT wickedness is an abomination.
a. A king is expected to behave properly… to obey the laws of the land.
b. He is to UPHOLD the law… it is especially abominable if he is secretly VIOLATING the law with criminal behavior.
c. It is an abomination for presidents to commit wickedness!
• During the 1960’s and 70’s, there was much distrust of government, especially over the war in Vietnam. When it was later discovered Richard Nixon, the president was involved in illegal activity and lying to the public… it further undermined the confidence of many people in the government. It took a long time to restore that trust. (a decade later Ronald Reagan got the country waving the flag again…)
• In the 1990’s the scandalous behavior of President Clinton was another kind of abomination to our nation… It eroded even further the moral underpinnings of our country.
d. Wickedness on the part of leaders does much more damage than wickedness committed by an average citizen.
e. The same is true in the local church.
• It’s bad enough when a church member steals money, gets drunk, or commits adultery.
• But let it be the pastor and it will be all over the newspapers…
• In addition, it undermines the faith of some…
f. Wickedness and crime are always abominations, but never more so when committed by leaders.
g. In the theocracy, character, integrity, and morality in a king were much more important than being photogenic, having a Harvard education, media savvy, or a magnetic personality.
5. This warning was especially poignant for monarchies, because they wielded so much power in one man!
a. Prov. 16:11 – Their word was a divine sentence… they spoke with the authority of God!
b. Ecc. 8:4 – Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
c. When a man had THAT much power, look out!
d. It was doubly important that such power be accompanied by righteousness… integrity… or a monarchy turns into tyranny!
e. Solomon was passing on this important truth to his sons… in line for royal power.
f. Raw power unmitigated by righteousness and justice could ruin a nation… an abomination for kings!
B. It is an abomination for kings to TOLERATE wickedness (in their kingdom)
1. Prov. 25:5 – Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
a. Cf. vs.26 – He will not tolerate evil in his royal court!
b. It is an abomination if he does tolerate evil!
2. Prov. 17:15 – A king who justifies wickedness is an abomination.
a. Whether he justifies wicked practices OR justifies having wicked men rule with him… God hates it.
b. Hence, the second interpretation of this Proverb has Biblical Support.
1. Throne: seat; used figuratively of his right and authority to reign.
2. Established: to be firm, be stable, steadfast, fixed, supported, secure.
3. The king who operates on the principle of honesty and justice will discover that honesty and justice will ESTABLISH his throne and secure his rule.
a. Righteousness and justice are the BASIS for the FOUNDATION for any government.
b. When people feel they are being treated fairly, they normally respond well and support the government.
c. When they are not being treated fairly, the government is not supported… not established… weakened…
4. Prov. 20:26 – A wise king will not tolerate wickedness in the land, but will bring swift justice. This will establish his throne.
5. In other words, it makes good political sense for a king to be honest and just in all his dealings.
a. The people will respond well to that. (Prov. 29:14)
b. He is less likely to be overthrown… for him to be hated and assassinated… for the people to rebel against him.
c. People usually respond well when treated fairly, equally, and justly. (Prov. 24:23–26)
6. And in the theocracy, God blessed such reigns.
7. Those who surround the king (appointed to official positions) are also to be just and fair.
a. II Chron. 19:6-7 – officials were to be God-fearing men.
b. They were to be:
• God fearing men.
• Not to be men pleasers in decision-making, but to do what was RIGHT, regardless of what was popular… not moved by opinion polls but by truth.
• Honest and pure: for there is no iniquity with God.
• No respecters of persons (no cronies; no bias; no prejudice).
• No taking of bribes (no kickbacks; not influenced by personal greed).
• Prov. 29:4 – The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.
• Leaders who surround themselves with unrighteous men damage their own government.
c. To apply this to today, leaders are not to be influenced by popular opinions, by powerful people, uninfluenced by money, and were to be color blind, class blind, non partisan, and to do what is right and just… regardless of how hard it is or how popular it is.
d. Wouldn’t that be refreshing? PRAY for those in positions of power in our country!
8. Psalm 101:2-8 – David was such a king who surrounded himself with honest, just, and righteous men.
a. David determined to have only upright men serve with him in the royal court.
b. He knew that the throne was established by righteousness.
c. Therefore, he determined that he himself would be righteous; and he determined that only the righteous would he call to serve with him.
d. People have no respect for a corrupt government. They will not support it… and given the opportunity, they would overthrow it… or take power to themselves.
e. Hence, it is wise for a king to be fair, just, equitable, honest, and sincere with his people.
f. That strengthens the throne… and the nation.
g. Pray for our country!
Proverbs 16:13
The Delight of Kings
Introduction:
1. In this section Solomon speaks about kings; what a king in the theocratic kingdom OUGHT to be…
2. He ought to be an authoritative spokesman for God (vs.10)
3. He ought to hate dishonesty in business. (vs.11)
4. He ought to hate wickedness wherever it is found… whether it emanates from the throne itself or one of his subjects. (vs.12)
5. He ought to love righteousness, especially righteous lips. (vs.13)
6. This is Solomon’s ideal king. These things were also true of the Messiah THE ideal King of kings!
1. Righteous: justice; fairly deciding what is right in a legal case, without prejudice, that which is proper according to a standard, and not deviant in any way.
2. Righteous lips:
a. The lips are used as a symbol of speech here. (mouth; tongue; etc.)
b. Solomon is speaking about speech that is true, accurate, and honest, without prejudice; words that reflect fairness, equity, and justice.
c. Deut. 16:19-20 – in the earthly kingdom, the Israelites were to put judges and officers in positions of authority who were men of justice… who strictly followed justice.
d. Deut. 1:16 – judges were to judge “righteously.”
e. Men in positions of leadership must have righteous lips…
f. Kings were to see to it that men with righteous lips were given such positions of authority…
g. Jer. 23:5-6 – the Messiah will be such a king. He will rule and reign in justice and righteousness. Righteous sentences shall flow from His lips. Righteousness is His character!
h. This was the requirement for kings in the Old Testament. They should love righteous lips.
3. Prov. 29:12 – IF a ruler does NOT hate righteous lips, he destroys his throne.
a. Here Solomon speaks of a king who hearkens to lies.
b. He listens to them… pays attention to them… he responds to them.
c. By doing so, he ENCOURAGES others to lie as well… other will see that lies are effective… lies get the job done… lies enable them to promote their own agendas…
d. In effect, by listening and paying attention to liars, the foolish king is inadvertently rewarding such behavior, and thus enabling corruption to flourish in the land.
e. The king virtually PROMOTES unrighteous speech by tolerating it. Soon ALL his servants will be wicked!
f. This will destroy his throne… cause him to lose credibility… and eventually undermine his power and position as a king
g. Dishonest, self seeking, self promoting, men ABOUND.
h. They flock to kings and to those in authority like bees to flowers… to advance themselves, their business, their programs, and their agendas.
i. Their wicked intentions are often covered in flowery words of flattery to the king…
j. A shallow, vain king will be taken in by their lies.
k. A wise, discerning king will chase them away!
l. Prov. 20:28 – A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
• He makes it clear to ALL that he will not tolerate wickedness… lies… deception… evil intent…
• Fathers would do well to scatter evil in their own homes this way… by making it crystal clear to the kids that evil is not tolerated there!
• If you scatter it away with body language… (eyes; tone of voice; demeanor) then you don’t have to use the rod as often!
• Kings shouldn’t tolerate lies and deception; neither should fathers!
4. Prov. 25:5 – the king should love righteous lips and righteousness because it establishes His throne.
a. Prov. 16:12 – His throne is established by Righteousness. This was another reason he should hate wickedness… because it UNDERMINES his throne. Righteousness establishes it.
b. Thus, the ideal king should tolerate no dishonesty in business practices (vs.11).
c. The ideal king should not tolerate wickedness or unrighteousness in any form in the kingdom. (vs.12)
d. The ideal king should also love righteous lips… honest speech. This too establishes his throne.
e. This is the character of God Himself! (Prov. 12:22) He hates lying lips too!
f. Dishonesty and lies build a dynasty for a while… but it is established like a house of cards. It is not strong and stable…
g. And when the people discover they have been lied to… and cheated… treated unfairly… dishonestly… they will overthrow that government the first opportunity they are given.
5. But a king NEEDS his advisors to tell him the truth.
a. The truth isn’t always pleasant… and therefore, many royal advisors were inclined to tell the king what he wanted to hear rather than what he NEEDS to hear: the truth.
b. The ideal king will DELIGHT in hearing the truth… so that he can deal with it in a wise manner…
c. Prov. 28:23 – the wise king will appreciate the servant who may even have to REBUKE him… point out his error.
• Flattery feels good up front, but in the long run can be dangerous.
• But the one who dares to say something negative but necessary, may not be appreciated up front, but will be in the long run.
• A wise king should DELIGHT in the righteous lips which speak forth the truth… unpleasant as it may be. Truth is needed!
d. We too should DELIGHT in righteous lips… even when the truth spoken hurts… or is costly… or isn’t what you wanted to hear.
e. VALUE those brave and faithful enough to speak the truth…
1. The ideal king hated wickedness in the land and loved truth and righteous lips.
2. Therefore, he would seek men of like mind to serve with him in his royal court… and to serve as judges in the land, men who are honest, speak truth, and are fair and just.
3. David was such a king. (Psalm 101:6-8)
a. Here David tells us of the character he was looking for in candidates to serve with him in his royal court.
b. He will rid himself of evil men (vs.4)
c. He will cut off slanderers… backstabbers.
d. David knew that those who slandered others behind their backs would also be slandering him behind his back!
e. David knew human nature well enough to know that all kinds of evil plots, schemes, rebellions, coups, and conspiracies go on behind closed doors… to destroy the king.
f. David knew this first hand… his own son Absalom!
g. II Sam. 15:1-2 – behind king David’s back, Absalom prepared royal parades for himself.
h. He was tall, dark, and handsome, and he smooth talked the people…
i. II Sam. 15:3 – he was a yes man to the people, and implied that his father was not doing his job… was not treating them fairly… was not paying attention to their plight… but he would!
j. Vs. 4 – then he lamented how he wished he were put in a position of prominence so that he could bring justice to all these dear folks!
k. Vs. 5 – he ingratiated himself to them all… to the point of being sickeningly sweet…
l. Vs. 6 – He stole the hearts of the people…
m. Behind the king’s back, Solomon deceived the people into shifting their allegiance from David to him.
n. He ended up chasing his father out the throne and out of the land… humiliating his own father publicly.
o. God used that time period to chasten and teach David… and David learned his lesson… and God brought him BACK to the throne after Absalom’s death.
p. Now David writes a psalm about the KIND of men… the character of the men he wants with him in his court.
• David didn’t want wicked men in his court!
• No slanderers, backstabbers!
• Psalm 101:6 – he was looking for faithful men to serve with him… those who walk in a perfect way.
• Vs. 7 – he would not tolerate deceitful men and liars. They will not tarry in his sight.
• He will cut off wickedness in the land… by first cutting it off in the city of the Lord… the royal city… where his royal business was conducted.
4. Thus, David, and other kings… and others in positions of authority should seek men of integrity to serve… to work with them.
a. Look for men who are honest… truthful… righteous lips…
b. Those qualities are as valuable in the long run as their skill, experience, and talent.
c. If a person in authority HAS such a person serving with him, he should DELIGHT in that person… and LOVE those who are such.
5. We are not likely to be called upon to appoint folks to the royal court of a kingdom… but we can certainly applythese truths to lots of other areas of life.
a. Those responsible for hiring new employees… those responsible for accepting or rejecting applicants… those responsible for determining who gets the company award… who gets the raise… who gets the promotion…
b. Don’t just look at the bottom line; don’t just look at the achievement statistics; don’t just consider the raw number of sales, scores, test grades, etc.
c. There are some valuable intangibles mentioned in this proverb that need to be considered… something that won’t appear on any financial ledger, test score, or in other means of storing data about employees or workers: HONESTY!
d. Think of how much DAMAGE is done to a country, a company, a school, a family, a church… by lying, unrighteous, deceitful tongues!
e. This damage is all done behind closed doors… but undermines the foundation of that institution.
f. But ultimately, righteous lips—truthful lips—faithful lips—lips that build up instead of tear down—can be more immeasurably beneficial to that home, school, family, church, country, or business… priceless!
g. They should be VALUED. The ideal king values them.
h. Unrighteous lips, deceitful lies and slander corrupt, tear down and eat away as doth a canker.
i. Righteous lips establish the throne… build up… make solid and firm… they do the same for a home, a school, a company, and a church!
j. Solomon’s ideal king values righteous lips. Wise believers today should value them too! Good leaders surround themselves with good men.
k. Pray for our president… that he would get good advice from his counselors… honesty… truth… that our country might be strong… and firm.
Proverbs 16:14
The Wrath of a King
A. The Wrath of a King
1. It’s bad enough getting your average Joe angry at you.
a. Joe can cause you trouble if he really wanted to.
b. Joe could make life uncomfortable for you.
c. But what Joe can do to you is limited.
• If he hits you and harms you physically, he can be prosecuted.
• If he takes your goods away without permission, he can be prosecuted for stealing.
• If you keep your nose clean, there’s not a lot that Joe can really do against you.
• If you are an honest, law abiding citizen, the law is on YOUR side. (Rom. 13:3-4a)
• The law will protect you against Joe and others like him.
• If Joe DOES harm you, Joe will have to pay! He may have to pay you back financially, or he may pay by spending time in prison.
• For the most part, the threat of the government’s sword keeps all the Joes of the world in line… and protects us from them.
• So thank God for the government… because there are Joes out there who would steal your house, your property, and every last penny you own if they could!
d. If Joe gets angry at you, he is limited in what he can do against you because he doesn’t have much power or authority.
• As long as we are upright, the law is on our side.
• This is by God’s design. He is the Author of human government.
e. Rom. 12:18 – It’s better not to get Joe mad at you in the first place. Live peaceably with all the Joes of the world if you can.
2. As uncomfortable as it is to have an average Joe angry at you, it is far worse to have a KING angry at you!
a. And kings DO get angry!
• Dan. 3:13 – Nebuchadnezzar went into a rage, and Daniel’s 3 friends were cast into a fiery furnace.
• II Kings 6:31 – The king of Israel was angry at the famine (which he blamed on Elisha) and so determined to have him decapitated!
• I Sam. 20:30-33 – King Saul was angry at Jonathan… and threw a javelin at him! His own son!
• II Chron. 16:10 – King Asa was angry at Hanani the prophet, and had him cast into prison… and oppressed the people too!
• Matt. 2:16 – King Herod was angry when he realized that the wise men tricked him, and he had all the babies under 2 years old killed!
b. Prov. 19:12 – It can be like the roaring of a lion. (ready and able to devour!)
c. We have lots of examples in the Bible of angry kings.
B. The Messengers of Death
1. And WHEN kings get angry, they are UNRESTRAINED in unleashing their anger.
a. When Joe is angry at you, the law of the land RESTRAINS him in executing his wrath against you.
b. When the king is angry at you, he IS the law of the land!
c. Thus, he can do whatever he wants… and when people are in a rage, what they want to do is quite nasty and cruel!
d. Kings do some very bad things to people when they are angry… from casting them into prison to casting them alive into a fiery furnace! From decapitation to slaughtering babies! From oppressing the people to attempted murder on their own son!
e. Restrained wrath is bad enough. But unrestrained wrath—look out!
f. Unrestrained governmental power is often a messenger of DEATH… (messenger usually translated “angel”)
g. In other words, it is like sending out the Angel of Death that flew over Egypt before it was destroyed!
2. Think of some of the awful edicts from kings and dictators who hold absolute authority…
a. The leader of the Khmer Rouge guerrillas was angry at a segment of Cambodians and slaughtered between 1.5 and 2 million of them!
b. Saddam Hussein was angry at the Curds… and had thousands of them gassed.
c. This past century has had no shortage of angry dictators who have unleashed their wrath against others.
d. When kings or others holding power get angry, that wrath can be unleashed fiercely, brutally, and without the slightest bit of compassion for human suffering…
e. Fortunately, in this country, we have to explain what this proverb means.
==> But in many other lands around the world, it needs no explanation.
==> Iraqis know exactly what Solomon meant. So do those in Saudi Arabia… and Afghanistan… North Korea… Iran…
1. Solomon presents a fact in the first part of the proverb: an angry king means DEATH!
a. It is an undeniable fact… the Bible gives us many examples.
b. The rest of human history gives us countless other examples.
2. In the second part of the proverb Solomon states that wise men will take note of this truth and ADJUST their behavior.
a. Wise men will try to PACIFY the anger of a king.
b. Pacify defined: cover over; to atone; to make atonement for; to bring about reconciliation.
c. A wise man will do whatever he can to appease the king’s anger… to make atonement for the cause of the king’s anger… bring reconciliation…
d. A wise man will not stand up and defy the king; he is not to try to win a debate with the king; he is not to make demands of the king; he is not to poke holes in the king’s case; or discuss the flaws in his logic.
e. There may be many flaws in the king’s thinking; but when he is in a rage is not the best time to discuss them!
f. People with absolute power who are in a rage, are not thinking clearly to start off with.
• Perhaps on reason will prevail later…
• But when he is angry… the best route to take is acquiescence… compliance… submission to his authority… and seek reconciliation… recognizing his authority and yielding to it.
• A soft answer is best. A humble “Yes sir, whatever you say sir” is best.
3. Consider the example of Daniel.
a. The king was angry because the wise men would not tell him his dream.
b. He was about to kill all the wise men in Babylon. (Dan. 2:12)
c. Of course, the king’s expectations were completely unrealistic and unreasonable; his decision to kill all the wise men was extremely foolish (what a brain drain!); he was not thinking rationally.
d. How did Daniel deal with this angry king? (Dan. 2:15-16)
• Daniel told the king to just give him a little time and he would do whatever he wanted… I will show you the dream.
• Daniel did not tell the king that his expectations were unreasonable; he did not tell the king that his decision to kill the wise men was foolish.
• Though I’m sure Daniel THOUGHT those things… he was wise enough not to speak his mind. Silence is often wise.
• Dan. 2:48 – instead of experiencing the king’s wrath, Daniel was greatly rewarded and promoted.
• Daniel pacified the foolish king… and instead of being decapitated, was exalted!
4. And this is good advice not just for those who report directly to a king… but to all of us as we deal with those in authority over us… (bosses; teachers; policeman; city planning boards; dog catcher; etc…)
a. People with ANY amount of authority can make life miserable for us if they get angry.
b. When they are angry, pacify them! That is not the best time to question their authority… or question their wisdom… or question their plans…
c. Let the anger pass, if it will.
d. Don’t grab a tiger by the tail! You will only exacerbate the problem and make them MORE angry… and perhaps more unreasonable… and perhaps more brutal!
5. This is especially good advice as a CHURCH.
a. As a church, we are under the authority of the government of the USA, the state of NH, and the town of Salem.
b. I have heard of Christian groups that have stirred up trouble with the government… and they give us all a bad name.
c. Some have defied the tax laws; environmental regulations; city codes, etc… and have seen themselves ABOVE the law. (“We are under God’s law not man’s!” is their foolish cry!)
d. As believers, we are to obey ALL man-made ordinances “for the Lord’s sake!”
e. The town of Salem has been very gracious with us… and quite reasonable thus far… because we have always done what they told us to do.
f. But if we ever decide to get a little huffy over their rules and regulations, and start questioning them or their authority… they could get angry at us.
g. And if they get angry at us, they could make life miserable for us… they could force us to put up a fence; take the steeple down; make us put in a sprinkler system; widen Ermer Road, restrict what we can do here…
h. When the local authorities speak… and especially if they are angry, we should say, Yes sir, whatever you say sir.”
i. The best thing is to not GET them angry in the first place. But if for some reason they DO get angry, PACIFY it pronto!
6. Prov. 20:2 – Provoking a king to anger is a sin against oneself! Suicide!
a. Solomon speaks of the FOLLY of provoking a king to anger. It is suicide.
b. Provoking ANY authority to anger is foolish.
c. If you are a student, and you have been assigned a teacher, it is foolish to get the teacher angry at you. You have to LIVE with that teacher the rest of the year or the rest of the semester. Even if the teacher is unfair or unreasonable… pacify their anger. Don’t fight against it. It is a losing battle.
d. If you are a worker, it is foolish to get the boss angry at you. You too have to live with that boss for a long time. Reconciliation is always the best.
e. When a person in a position of authority shows a lack of wisdom… or is unreasonable… don’t provoke them to anger by POINTING OUT their folly!
f. That results in bad news for you! It may not be an angel of death, but you may be marked more severely in the class… you may not get a promotion you otherwise would…
g. Is it fair? Of course not… but there are a lot of things in life that are not fair.
h. Solomon’s advice: Get used to it… and adjust to those in authority. Don’t give them any cause to get angry at you!
i. They may not be fair; they may not be just; they may not be reasonable; they may not be honest; they may not be wise; but they DO have authority…
j. Solomon’s inspired advice is: learn to live with them. Don’t buck their authority… pacify them.
k. We have a similar American proverb: You can’t fight city hall!
l. Therefore, don’t fight; you will only get them more angry… and even more unreasonable.
• Learn to get along.
• Be tactful… be courteous… be respectful… be diplomatic… acknowledge their authority…
• A wise man will pacify the wrath of one who is in authority…
Proverbs 16:15
The King’s Favor
Introduction:
This next section is ROYAL… Solomon begins to speak about kings… their power and responsibility.
1. vs. 10 – the sentence of a king
2. vs. 12 – the wickedness or righteousness of kings
3. vs. 13 – the delight of kings
4. vs. 14 – the wrath of a king
5. vs. 15 – the favor of a king
A. The Power of a Sovereign Monarch
1. This part of the proverb tells us of the absolute power that the monarchy had in ancient times.
a. The word of the King was law.
b. He had the power to execute anyone he wanted.
c. The king had no fear of being taken to court for breaking the law. He WAS the law.
d. He had no fear of an investigation into his actions.
e. There were no watchdog groups overseeing his power.
f. He was the law. If he said, “off with your head,” your head came off.
g. There were no checks and balances in a monarchy.
2. A monarchy is the BEST form of human government the world has ever seen… the absolute power of a monarch.
a. This is the form of government God will use to rule the world in the Messianic Kingdom… absolute monarchy.
b. The problem with a monarchy (or any form of government today) is the fact that those running the government are sinners!
• Sometimes kings were wicked and vile men—like Ahab.
• Sometimes kings were godly men—like David.
• The best of kings… the best of men are still sinners!
• Ps. 39:5 – “Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.”
• That’s why man will NEVER bring in the kingdom through our own efforts.
c. But in the kingdom, the King will be the Lord Jesus Christ!
• He will rule and reign in righteousness! The first king ever who was at the same time both human and sinless!
• Isa. 11:1-5 – Isaiah describes the perfect reign of Christ…
→ He will be an omniscient, omnipotent, infinitely holy, righteous king who knows the hearts of all men.
→ He doesn’t judge by His natural eyes or ears. He doesn’t need to see evidence or hear witnesses testify. He KNOWS all things!
→ He knows the wicked and has the power to slay or execute every criminal in the land.
→ He is righteous—just—fair to everyone… and faithful… consistent… never wavering.
→ The very BEST form of human government is a monarchy with a benevolent king like that!
→ And we are going to SHARE in Christ’s reign over the earth!
3. But we don’t live in the Messianic Kingdom with Christ reigning, and neither did Solomon.
a. Solomon and his readers lived in a cursed earth.
b. Even the very BEST of kings were still sinners by nature.
c. David, the best king Israel ever had, did not always execute justice in the land.
d. II Sam. 11:15 – He used his absolute power to have Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, murdered to cover up his sin of adultery. His men carried out his orders, no questions asked.
e. The best of earthly kings have abused their powers on occasion.
f. And as you go down the scale from benevolent to wicked (from a David to an Ahab)… the abuse of power gets worse and worse.
B. The Power of Life and Death
1. Prov.16:14 – When a king was ANGRY, it meant death!
a. We saw other examples of the power of kings to execute at will last week.
→ Dan. 3:13 – Nebuchadnezzar went into a rage, and Daniel’s 3 friends were cast into a fiery furnace.
→ II Kings 6:31 – The king of Israel was angry at the famine (which he blamed on Elisha) and so determined to have him decapitated!
→ II Chron. 16:10 – King Asa was angry at Hanani the prophet, and had him cast into prison… and oppressed the people too!
→ Matt. 2:16 – King Herod was angry when he realized that the wise men tricked him, and he had all the babies under 2 years old killed!
→ Pharaoh changed his mind and his butler’s position changed from death to life!
→ Esther 3:8-13 – The king wrote a document and mandated genocide against the Jews… They fell out of his favor, and he had an edict for them all to be slaughtered throughout the Persian Empire.
→ Esther 4:11 – The golden scepter was held out to Esther when she entered the king’s presence. Without his favor, she would have been executed.
→ Later, the Jews came into his favor, and instead of being killed, they were protected… all because a king changed his mind.
→ Esther 7:8-10 – King Ahasuerus turned against Haman and he was hung.
b. Life and death were in the hands of the king.
C. The Countenance of the King
1. If the king had a favorable countenance towards you, it meant life.
2. If a king had an unfavorable countenance towards you, it often meant death!
3. Nehemiah 2:1-3 – Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer. He spent much time in the king’s presence.
a. When Nehemiah was sad before King Artaxerxes, and the king noticed, he was afraid.
b. A servant was never to appear sad or upset before the king.
c. Esther 4:2 – for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
d. In doing so, he might convey to the king that he was unhappy in his service for the king… or unhappy with reign of the king… or with the king himself!
e. This kind of action (even one’s facial expressions!) could put his position in jeopardy, or even his life! Kings were fickle… suspicious… and extremely insecure…
f. Therefore, those in royal courts did whatever they could to keep the king HAPPY. Nobody wanted to be the source of discomfort or unhappiness in the king… for that could spell disaster for them.
g. Nehemiah was afraid that his own unhappy countenance might result in an unhappy countenance on the king… and that would mean trouble for Nehemiah… perhaps even his life.
h. In the royal court, you wanted the king to have a cheerful, happy countenance at all times…
4. Prov. 20:28 – A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
a. In other words, the countenance of a king SCARED people!
b. If evil men thought that the king was frowning at them -that would be enough for them to either change their evil ways or get out of town! They knew what a frown from the king meant!
c. All the king had to do was scowl at people… and they got the message!
d. The countenance of the king was carefully read by all.
e. They were all afraid to get on his bad side…
5. Prov. 16:13 – Here Solomon gives advice to folks as to HOW to keep the king happy… something that will cause their countenance to lighten up: righteous lips.
a. Kings delighted in those who spoke that which was right… whose word could be trusted.
b. Kings had many people out to trick them… lie to them… cheat them… deceive them… get something from them…
c. When they came upon someone they could trust, they delighted in that.
1. Deut. 11:14 – the latter rain was beneficial and valuable because it meant that the crops would survive… it meant health, prosperity, a good harvest.
a. Throughout the year, rains were usually quite light.
b. But the latter rain, near the end of the harvest time, the rains were heavy.
c. Those heavy rains filled the fruits and brought them to maturity.
d. They were necessary for growth, for life, and a productive harvest… health and prosperity… growth and life.
e. Without the latter rains, the crops would wither and die. That’s how needful they were.
2. A king’s favor is like the cloud of the latter rain.
a. When you saw the rain cloud, you knew that rain was on its way! Soon your dry fields would be blessed!
b. When you saw the smile on a king’s face, you knew that he would favor your request: you were about to be blessed… as opposed to being executed—which is far better!
c. Prov.19:12 – the king’s favor is like dew upon the grass. So very beneficial and needful, especially in a dry and thirsty land. This is a similar thought. Refreshing!
3. Solomon wrote these words as a warning to his servants and to his subjects.
a. Solomon KNEW how fickle and erratic kings could be; and how unfair and unjust their actions towards subjects often were.
• Solomon observed monarchs. He was familiar with kings from around the region. He grew up in royal circles.
• Solomon was wise enough to know that since thrones were inherited; men who sat on them were not always wise… and were not always fair… or kind.
• Those who inherited the throne were often spoiled brats who were used to getting whatever they wanted… and if someone rubbed them the wrong way, they would pay for it!
b. It is likely that Solomon observed monarchs… and the way they treated people.
c. Solomon knew of the fickle ways of kings… the mood swings of kings… and this was written to give WISDOM to subjects in their dealings with such men.
d. He wanted to warn the people against incurring the wrath of a king… for the good of the people!
e. Thus, Solomon wanted his subjects and subjects of future generations to know the VALUE of staying in the good favor of the king… BECAUSE they were not always wise, kind, or fair… and often behaved poorly.
f. This would be for the personal benefit of subjects wise enough to take his advice.
4. Since kings (and others in positions of authority) have such power over us, we would do well today to do what we can to stay in their favor.
a. Thankfully we don’t live in a land with an evil monarch reigning with absolute power.
b. But we are STILL affected by the favor of those in authority, so we should PRAY.
c. Christians may not REMAIN in the favor of the government forever. Things could change rapidly.
d. We are favored presently with the freedom to meet; freedom to evangelize; freedom to print and distribute Christian literature; and we are favored with a tax free status as an organization… and no property taxes.
e. We truly ARE in the favor of our government today… but that could change.
• The king (Congress and President) have the power to change that in a hurry.
• The Supreme Court could change all that with one decision!
• Pray for the lady being nominated to be the next Justice.
f. Prov. 21:1 – “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”
• Therefore PRAY! Pray to stay in their favor.
• And if we fall OUT OF favor, God can change the mind and heart of political leaders…
• Give GOD the glory for the favor we enjoy!
5. And if Solomon was concerned for his subjects to experience the favor of the earthly king’s countenance shining brightly upon them, how much MORE care and concern should we have for the countenance of the King of kings?
a. Num. 6:22-26 – This was part of Israel’s blessing… they understood the countenance of God as an expression of His favor and blessing towards them.
b. Ps. 42:5 – I shall praise Him for the HELP of His countenance… especially when discouraged. His countenance lifts up our souls.
c. Ps. 4:6 – There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
d. Ps. 30:5 – For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
e. Ps. 89:15 – Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.
Proverbs 16:16
The Value of Wisdom
Introduction:
1. The section on royalty ended with verse 15.
2. Now Solomon speaks on another theme… a very common theme in the book of Proverbs: wisdom.
3. The book of Proverbs is all about wisdom… (Prov. 1:1-2)
4. This particular proverb emphases obtaining and choosing wisdom.
Getting and Choosing
1. GET = buy; to get; acquire; to purchase; to possess.
a. Gen. 25:10 – Here it is translated “purchased”. He possessed the land… and it became his possession.
b. Ruth 4:10 – Boaz purchased Ruth to be his wife. He saw her. His affections were attracted to her. He desired her. He chose her. He paid a price to obtain her as his wife—by becoming the kinsman redeemer. He GOT her. She was his. Boaz desired Ruth. Out of all the women he COULD have married, he CHOSE Ruth. He paid the price of redemption to obtain her.
c. II Sam. 24:24 – And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” David paid a price. He realized how serious a matter was at hand… he didn’t want to obtain it the EASY way… free… no cost…
d. The term is translated “get” most often in Proverbs, but elsewhere it is usually translated “buy” or “purchase”.
e. It implies the following:
• It is purchased because of an inward affection for; a desire to obtain.
• A purchase that is valuable… a comparable price is paid. It is costly to obtain it.
• It is purchased as a choice… this out of many other choices.
• Once purchased, it becomes the possession of the one who paid the price.
2. The term Solomon uses means that wisdom and understanding are PURCHASED. (get)
a. Of course he does NOT mean that they are purchased with money. (Wouldn’t that be nice?)
b. If that was the case, then wealthy people would all be wise… and that is NOT the case. In fact, Solomon makes a case here for just the opposite! Those who choose wealth are not necessarily wise!
c. Wisdom and understanding are purchased… but not with money.
d. They are purchased in the sense that there is a PRICE to be paid to obtain wisdom… there is a cost… a loss…
e. In wisely choosing the straight and narrow road over the broad road that leads to destruction… we choose wisdom, but pay a price… you have restricted yourself greatly!
f. Getting or purchasing involves a CHOICE. Out of all the things in the world we COULD choose, we choose wisdom.
g. Those who obtain wisdom made a choice in life… a choice that costs us dearly… but is worth it in the end.
h. It is a choice made because of a desire; inward affection. Those who choose wisdom and understanding do so because of an inward affection for it… an affection that outweighs the love of the world… and the things of the world.
i. And those who had an inward affection for wisdom… those who made that choice because they were willing to pay the price… become the possessors of it!
j. Wisdom and understanding don’t just happen. It starts in the heart… with a burning desire for wisdom… a heart that is willing to sacrifice to obtain wisdom… and actually pays the price to purchase it. THEN it becomes ours.
k. The fact that we are to GET wisdom indicates that we don’t possess it on our own… it comes from an outside source: Christ…
3. Wisdom and understanding are CHOSEN.
a. “Rather to be CHOSEN than silver…”
b. Chosen: choose; elect; decide for; select.
c. As a noun it means “best” or “choice” as in “choice meat”… that which is viewed as the finest… (often translated that way in the Old Testament – chosen soldiers; chosen chariots.
d. Zodhiates: As a verb it means to take a keen look at, to prove, to choose. It denotes a choice, which is based on a thorough examination of the situation and not an arbitrary whim.
e. They were chosen because they were CHOICE… the best… the finest…
f. Solomon states that wisdom and understanding are CHOSEN rather than silver.
g. In other words, all the options are thoroughly examined… the man takes a keen look at what is before him… and he CHOOSES that which is choice… the finest… the best.
h. He chooses wisdom and understanding OVER silver and gold!
i. When they are observed carefully and thoughtfully, the comparative value will always weigh in favor of WISDOM!
j. It is much finer than gold… more valuable… a much better choice!
k. When you have special guests coming to your home, you go to the meat market to get the meat for the meal. At the market, there is an array of choices available… all spread out before you. If you think highly of your guests, then you will choose the CHOISEST meat. That means that you bypass some meat that is ok… and you go for that which is the finest. Then you take it to the counter… and you pay a price. There is a cost associated with purchasing choice meat.
l. Solomon says that obtaining wisdom is like that.
• There is quite an array of choices available to us in life.
• In particular, he speaks of the choice between silver and gold… and wisdom and understanding.
• He states that choosing wisdom and understanding is the BETTER choice… it is the finest… they are choice… superior to silver and gold.
• But the choice is ours.
4. Prov. 8:10-11 – Wisdom and understanding are to be bought… chosen… AND received.
a. Lady Wisdom urges the readers to RECEIVE what she offers them: instruction and knowledge.
b. Receive = to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, snatch, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife…
c. Lady Wisdom wants young men to lay hold of wisdom… seize…
d. Wisdom is crying out… now she wants men to receive what she says.
e. It is one thing to choose it… and to buy it. It is one thing to KNOW it. It is another thing to allow it to sink in… to RECEIVE it into our hearts… that’s where wisdom counts.
f. It is not received into the heart and life, it is simply data. Precious and valuable data… but useless until put in its proper place in the heart.
g. We KNOW way more truth than we receive. Wisdom cries out to be received!
5. Solomon states that the GETTING of wisdom and understanding is BETTER than getting gold or silver.
a. Wisdom is BETTER… more valuable…
b. I Kings 10:23 – Solomon should know. He had plenty of BOTH!
• He was a king… with all the gold and silver he inherited from David… who won many battles and brought home the booty.
• He was given more wisdom than any man on earth.
• He more than anyone is able to say which is better.
c. The choice is ours… and one choice is BETTER than the other. So which one will YOU or I choose?
d. The choice is costly. We may pay dearly for it.
e. The choices we make will be based on the issue of the HEART.
f. If the affection of the heart is on silver and gold, then that will be our choice.
g. If the affection of the heart is on wisdom from God to live a life more pleasing to Him, then wisdom will be our choice.
h. I John 2:15 – LOVE NOT… “the things of the world.”
• The things of the world includes many “things”… but it certainly includes silver and gold… money… money makes the world go round.
• Love is a choice. We CHOOSE that which we want our affections to be attached to.
• We can either put our affection on the things of earth… (like silver and gold) OR we can put our affections on things above. That is a choice.
• Where we place our affections is a choice.
• And once we place our affections on something, we usually go for it… seek to obtain it… and are willing to pay any price to get it.
• Prov. 2:2-6 – believers are to SEEK wisdom with the same degree of fervor, intensity, sacrifice, zeal, commitment, and passion that greedy men use in seeking gold and silver.
• Consider the dedication of the men who left the east coast in a horse and buggy to find gold in the California gold rush… or the Alaska gold rush.
• They sacrificed EVERYTHING to obtain it… because they knew the earthly value of it. There was no question but that their hearts were in it!
• We should be willing to sacrifice everything to obtain wisdom from above… because we see the heavenly and eternal value of it.
• If our heart is in obtaining God’s wisdom, the heart’s desire will drive us to great lengths to obtain it…
• We will be willing to sacrifice the gold trinkets of this world to obtain it…
• That’s the point of this proverb! How much BETTER is it to get wisdom than gold!
• What a much better choice it is to choose understanding over silver!
• Prov. 8:11 – It is better than rubies too… and ALL other things that might be desired on earth. It is far better!
• Prov. 8:19 – Her fruit is better than gold and CHOICE silver! (the best of silver)
• Which proves to be more valuable in the long run?
» Which would YOU invest in? A man with a million dollars but no wisdom… OR a man with a thousand dollars but LOTS of wisdom.
» Who would fare better in 5 years?
» There are sharks out there who feast on wealthy people with no wisdom… and there are plenty of them!
» But the man with lots of wisdom and a thousand dollars might quickly turn his 1000 into a million…
» The difference is wisdom. It is the principle thing.
» The FRUIT is far better in the long run.
6. Practically, this should affect our every day lives.
a. Where do we obtain God’s wisdom and understanding? From God’s Word…
b. Thus, wisdom is obtained by spending TIME in His Word…
c. The local church is the place where God’s Word is taught…
d. Personal devotion time in the word each day is also essential in obtaining wisdom.
e. Silver and gold can sometimes pull us AWAY from obtaining God’s wisdom…
f. Silver and gold… and the OTHER things of the world vie for our affection and our time.
g. We have to LOVE wisdom before we will seek it. It IS a matter of the heart.
h. Psalm 119:127 – “Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.”
i. Can YOU say that?
j. It is up to us which one we choose. We will choose that which seems CHOICE to us… the one our heart and affection have been drifting towards will be our choice.
k. Thus, the proverb: How much BETTER is it to get wisdom than gold… or anything else the world offers.
l. “How much better!” This speaks of Solomon’s shock at the disproportion in the comparison. Wisdom is SO much better that there is really no comparison!
m. Prov. 23:5 – Heavenly riches (like divine wisdom) are far better than earthy riches. MUCH better! They last forever… Earthly wealth flies away! The word of God abides forever.
n. Jesus said that heavenly thieves can steal our earthly wealth… but NOT our heavenly… not wisdom.
o. The wisdom in God’s word is FAR better… as far as the heaven is above the earth…
p. In Ecc. Solomon states that there is a vanity and vexation of spirit associated with the getting of earthly wealth… not so with heavenly wisdom!
q. Col. 2:3 – In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
r. Paul saw ALL THINGS in the world (power; position; prestige) compared to the knowledge of Christ were as dung.
s. There is no vexation of soul with Christ… only satisfaction.
t. Prov. 3:15 – HAPPY is the man that finds wisdom… because he CHOSE it!
Proverbs 16:17
The Highway of the Upright
A. The Highway of the Upright
1. Highway defined:
a. Strong’s: raised public road.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: an open-country thoroughfare; maintained roadway.
c. Zodhiates notes that the term “is used in a figurative sense to describe the course of the stars (Judg. 5:20); the road of life lived by the righteous.”
2. Solomon is using the term in a figurative sense.
a. It is different term than the normal word for “way” or “road.”
b. This term implies a road, but also the maintenance needed to keep it functioning.
c. Our lives are like roads… and to keep our lives headed in the right direction, it requires a lot of maintenance and upkeep.
→ As frost heaves can cause a road to become bumpy;
→ Excessive rains can wash a road away completely.
→ Large rocks can fall from a nearby cliff and land on the road…
→ Ordinary use results in potholes that need to be constantly filled in.
d. Maintaining a highway is a lot of work. We see highway crews working on one road or another every day.
e. Today, if the highway is NOT maintained properly, it could result in many accidents… a loss of property and even life.
f. Maintaining a highway is a good way to illustrate the lives of believers.
3. You can’t just build a highway and forget about it. Left to itself it will deteriorate.
a. Our lives are like that too.
b. It is not enough to be saved on the right road.
c. The roads of our spiritual lives need to be maintained.
d. Our spiritual lives need to be continually maintained too… or they will deteriorate like the highway.
e. Left to ourselves, apart from continual upkeep, apathy will take over… zeal will cool down… mediocre complacency will settle in… various sin will enter our lives… and unless constantly confessed and forsaken, they will take over…
f. When that is the case, that highway becomes an accident waiting to happen.
g. It’s not that we set out to sin or wander away… or purposed in our hearts to become lazy and neglectful of the highway… but just as ordinary, everyday use of a highway over time causes deterioration, so too, everyday life wears away at us.
h. Unless we are careful to maintain the highway of our lives, ruin could be around the corner…
i. If you are buzzing along a highway—even going the speed limit—and hit a section of road that was washed out… or a sink hole… or some other problem that was neglected—it can result in serious harm.
j. The same is true in our spiritual lives. We can be buzzing along as normal… living our lives… but if we have been negligent in reading the Word, confessing sin, getting the fellowship we need, maintaining our highway (keep your heart with all diligence) etc… we might be headed for serious harm spiritually.
k. We didn’t plan it. We never intended for it to happen. But because of negligence, it DID happen.
4. Roads normally don’t deteriorate overnight.
a. They CAN with a hurricane or a flood.
b. But most road deterioration occurs gradually… imperceptibly… over time… through normal, every day use.
c. That’s what happens in a cursed earth. Things tend to go downhill… deteriorate… weaken… crumble…
d. No matter how well that highway was constructed, over time, it WILL deteriorate.
B. Departing from Evil
1. That is a danger sign in the Christian life. We might THINK that we are strong… and that deterioration will never happen in MY spiritual life.
a. I Cor. 10:12 – Let him that THINKETH he standeth take heed lest he fall.
b. PRIDE will cause us to think that “we won’t fall.” That’s what happens to the other guy… (Cf. Prov. 16:18)
c. Prov. 3:7 – Don’t think you’re so smart… don’t think that nothing will ever happen to you!
• Fear God!
• We don’t fear God in the sense that we shy away from Him… as we might fear a deadly lion.
• We fear God in the sense of reverence before Him which arises out an acute awareness of our inclination to sin and that should cause us to fear displeasing Him.
• It is an awareness of His holiness and power… and an awareness of our puniness… and sinfulness.
• A healthy, balanced fear of God is GOOD for our spiritual lives.
• A healthy and balanced fear of what might happen on the highway is good too. A healthy fear of the possibility of a serious accident keeps us alert while driving… keeps us focused on the road… and that keeps us safe.
• That healthy fear of violating the laws of physics will help to PREVENT us from real calamity and tragedy on the highway.
• A healthy fear of violating the law of God will prevent us from a spiritual calamity on the highway of life too.
• It will cause us to depart from evil… stay away from anything that could result in evil… spiritual disaster.
2. The UPRIGHT man who maintains his highway of life will depart from ANYTHING that might lead to disaster.
a. He will MAINTAIN his highway by departing from evil.
b. Evil = anything bad; distress; misery; injury; calamity.
c. DEPART = to turn away; to keep far away; to take away; to remove; to be removed; to make depart. The basic root means to “take away.”
d. The upright man will maintain his highway by removing all stumblingblocks… because he fears the evil or injury that they can cause.
e. He will fix the potholes… patch the holes…
f. He might even build guard rails… to prevent him from rolling over the edge.
g. Because he is an upright man… (straight; correct) he does things RIGHT. He wants to PREVENT a serious accident.
h. If he is aware of something dangerous in his pathway, he will depart from it—remove it! Get rid of it!
i. If the Lord brings to mind things that are dangerous in our spiritual lives, we would do well to get rid of it!
j. It may not be sinful in itself… but if it is likely to cause us to swerve off the road—get rid of it!
1. He that keepeth his way:
a. Guard; watch; watch over.
b. Zodhiates: The word refers to people’s maintaining things entrusted to them, especially to keeping the truths of God in both actions and mind.
c. The one who keeps his way is the upright man who maintains his highway… the highway of his life.
2. Preserveth his soul.
a. Preserveth:
• To keep; guard.
• Watch, i.e., limit access and movement of persons or objects in and out of an area, implying protection to or from the object being guarded.
• Used in Gen. 3:24 – of the cherubim “keeping” the way of the tree of life. (protecting that way… guards)
b. Soul:
• Life.
• The man himself; self; person or individual; seat of the appetites; seat of emotions and passions; activity of mind.
• It speaks of the whole inner man… the inner life… thoughts, emotions, passions… drives.
c. Thus, Solomon states here that in a sense, WE are the guardians of our own souls.
• We are to maintain the highways of our own lives.
• We are responsible to remove anything that might be dangerous… anything that could cause calamity.
• We are responsible for our own walk… responsible to maintain the highway…
• We are to GUARD that way… that highway of life.
• Keep your eyes and ears open… keep the way clear.
• Vigilance on our part may even save our lives!
• Be careful—our adversary the devil walks about, seeking whom he may devour.
• Prov.4:23 – Same word for keep – Our hearts need constant maintenance… constant upkeep… KEEP your heart with all diligence.
• Prov. 2:10-13 – One of the ways we maintain our highway is through wisdom and knowledge in God’s Word. It shall KEEP thee (same word) from calamity.
• To remove stumblingblocks and to fill pot holes one must first have KNOWLEDGE… information as to where they are… or where they are likely to appear.
• KNOWING ahead of time and ACTING on that knowledge can prevent many calamities along this highway of life.
• If we keep our way, God will keep us and hold us up along that way…
Proverbs 16:18
The Results of Pride
The Results of Pride
In this verse we find the following Masoretic note in most Hebrew Bibles that says: “the middle of the book.” This verse is the middle verse; and the first clause makes the middle of the words of the book of Proverbs.
The Results of Pride
1. Pride is an awful thing.
a. It was because of pride in Lucifer that sin entered the universe… He became proud of his wisdom and beauty.
b. Pride is at the center of virtually all sin: “I can do this myself. I don’t need God. I don’t have to do it God’s way. I am able to act independently of God. My way is as good as His way.”
c. Pride causes us to puff ourselves up above others… and look down on others.
d. Pride causes us to rely on self…
e. Pride causes us to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think.
f. Thomas Carlyle said that the “greatest fault is to be conscious of none.”
g. Pride is an insidious attitude… it leads to all kinds of evil.
h. The Greeks differed with Judaism at this point. Greeks regarded pride as a virtue and humility as despicable.
• God takes just the opposite view. God hates pride.
• It is on the TOP of the list of the seven deadly sins.
• It is the essence of worldliness: the pride of life.
• God even designed a plan of salvation that “excludes boasting.” It is of grace “lest any man should boast.”
2. Prov. 16:18 – Pride goeth before destruction.
a. Destruction defined:
• Strong’s: breaking; fracture; crushing; breach; crash; ruin; shattering.
• Bib. Lang. – The state or condition of ruining an object, with a special focus on breaking up something completely.
• Isa. 30:14 – Used of the breaking of pottery – an illustration of God’s judgment against the sin and unbelief of Israel. Broken pottery is ruined… destroyed.
b. In a similar vein, the Lord seeks to work in us. We are His workmanship. He is (like a Potter) seeking to mold us all into His image… and likeness.
c. When the Potter is molding us and He comes upon an area of pride, that pride is to the Potter like a hard lump or rock in the clay. The Potter has to break the piece of pottery and remove the hard piece before He can continue His craftsmanship.
d. God may have to knock us down and break us if there is pride in our hearts.
e. Sometimes He has to break our piggy bank… sometimes He has to break a bone… He may have to break our heart… God wants our heart…
f. How much better is it for us to soften our hearts, repent of our pride… and perhaps avoid destruction!
g. That is much more preferable… to God and to us!
3. Prov. 16:5 – Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
a. The implication in this verse is that some folks think they will escape judgment…
• Perhaps because “hand join in hand.” There are so many of them!
• Perhaps because everyone is doing it… it mustn’t be so bad.
• Or perhaps because we have gotten away with our pride for so long without being punished, some believe that punishment won’t come!
b. When it comes to pride, there is no safety in numbers. MORE proud men does not make punishment less likely. It makes it MORE likely… as in the days of Noah… Sodom… Tyre…
c. God does punish pride… wherever it is found…
d. Destruction and punishment come to the proud…
e. And if God hates pride in the unsaved nations, how much MORE despicable must it be when found in His own sons!?
f. We are saved by GRACE. We have NO merit before God on our own. We have NOTHING to boast of before the Lord or men.
g. Everything we have we have received.
h. I Cor. 1:26-29 – One thing God especially hates is for flesh to glory in His presence.
i. It will NOT go unpunished… in this life or the next.
4. Prov. 17:19 – He that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.
a. Once again Solomon states that pride brings destruction.
b. Exalting one’s gate: speaks of a wealthy man who builds a large, elaborate gate/entrance/doorway to his home as a way of showing off his wealthy status. Evidently, this practice was common among the wealthy in Solomon’s day. It is used as a figure of PRIDE. (Self-exaltation… look at me!)
c. In this passage, Solomon states that men love the wrong things!
• A love for sin leads to strife…
• A love for self-exaltation leads to destruction…
5. Prov. 16:18 – A haughty spirit is followed by a fall.
a. Haughty: High; exalted; arrogant. It describes anything that is literally tall or high, such as a tree or vine.
• Ps. 103:11 – As the heavens are HIGH above the earth…
• Isa. 5:16 – But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment.
• But when used in the sense of arrogance, especially of men, it is translated haughty.
b. Fall: A stumbling; a fall; a calamity.
c. It is used here as EITHER:
• In a figurative sense of a moral or spiritual fall…
• Or perhaps a physical calamity, which comes as a result of the haughtiness.
d. A haughty spirit comes before destruction or a fall… calamity of some sort.
e. Prov. 29:1 – Example: the man who will not listen to counsel because of pride… his self-confidence could result in a calamity… destruction!
f. Belshazzar – Here was a man with a haughty, arrogant spirit who would not listen… and it resulted in the fall of his throne…and the loss of his life!
• Dan. 5:22-23 – Daniel reminded Belshazzar of the pride of his father Nebuchadnezzar… yet Belshazzar would not repent of his pride.
• Dan. 5:25-28 – Daniel interpreted the writing on the wall.
• Dan. 5:30 – That night he was killed and the Medes took over the kingdom!
6. Prov. 29:23 – ?A man’s pride shall bring him low.
a. Bring low: humble; to humiliate; to bring down. It indicates that something is low, sinking down.
b. Dan. 4:29-33 – Nebuchadnezzar—
• Vs. 29 – Nebuchadnezzar walked in the palace of Babylon (not far from what is now Baghdad) . He was admiring his palace, his kingdom, and perhaps the hanging gardens of Babylon…
• Vs. 30 – Note his arrogance and pride! (I built; MY power; for MY honor and majesty!)
• Vs. 31 – While the words of pride were still in his mouth, God acted! God didn’t let him finish his sentence. God spoke words of judgment against him.
• He would be brought low:
» Vs. 31c – The kingdom is departed—he would be LOWERED from his royal throne…
» vs. 32 – Lowered to his hands and knees eating grass like an animal. (That’s quite a lowering!)
» He was lowered from the condition of great intelligence to insanity…
» He was lowered in the minds of the people from one who was admired to the brunt of jokes and ridicule.
» He would not be raised up until he recognized that the LORD rules the kingdoms of men and gives God glory.
c. God knows HOW to humble the proud…
• He knows how to humble US… and bring us LOW.
• I Pet. 5:5 – God resists the proud.
• Resist: To arrange. To set an army in array against, to arrange in battle order. In the New Testament, antitássomai is used metaphorically to set oneself in opposition to or in array against, to resist.
• What folly to act so as to cause God to be set in opposition!
• We think we are quite important, don’t we? We wonder how the church would ever get along without me… how could this company ever survive without me.
• We like to think of ourselves as above others… above reproof… above correction… above the menial tasks… “Nobody’s going to tell me what to do!”
• God knows how to knock us off our high horse too.
• Don’t put Him to the test… don’t make Him have to do it!
• I Pet. 5:6 – How much better is it to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God… and HE will exalt us… in His way and in His time.
• There is a lot in the book of Proverbs about pride. There is a good reason for it: we are full of it! We NEED to be reminded of our pride. It is our nature… it is an ever-present enemy…
• Those who exalt themselves shall be abased… destroyed… punished… knocked down! We need these reminders.
7. Prov. 11:2 – When pride cometh, then cometh shame.
a. Shame: referring to shame; disgrace; dishonor. It refers to a feeling and condition of shame.
b. Example: Peter —
• Matt. 26:31-33 – Peter boasted that though the other apostles might deny the Lord, he NEVER would!
» His intentions were good. He probably believed in his heart that he would not deny the Lord.
» But he failed to see how EVIL the heart of man really is… even his own heart!
» The fact that in us dwells no good thing… is hard to grasp… hard to digest… but true.
» Pride came to Peter in the guise of dedication… resolve… loyalty…
» Oftentimes, beneath the surface of those outward displays of our loyalty lies PRIDE as the source.
• Matt. 26:73-75 – Peter DID deny the Lord, and then went out and wept bitterly.
» Luke states that at this point the Lord looked at Peter… and he went out to weep bitterly.
» Peter caught the Lord’s eye at that moment, realized what he had done… and was SHAMED!
» His pride… though it came in the outward appearance of dedication, brought him to shame!
» Peter learned the hard way about his pride…
c. We are just like Peter in this way.
• We let people know how long we pray… how much we know about the Bible… how much we give… how many ministries we have for the Lord… how many good deeds we have done… how dedicated we are…
• You don’t have to dig very deep beneath the surface to find that pride is alive and well.
• Don’t boast of your dedication. When pride cometh, then cometh shame.
• Spurgeon said: “Say much of what the Lord has done for you. Say little of what you have done for the Lord.”
• Prov. 8:13 – The fear of the Lord is to HATE pride and arrogance.
Proverbs 16:19
Poor and Humble is Better than Rich and Proud
Introduction:
→ In this verse and the last, Solomon speaks of pride.
→ In vs.18 he indicates that pride leads to a fall and destruction.
→ In vs. 19 he states that pride is so bad, it is better to be poor to avoid pride.
→ Being poor and humble is better than being rich and proud.
Dividing the Spoil With the Proud
1. Spoil =
a. Strong’s: Prey; booty; plunder (of war). gain—usually associated with dubious means.
b. Used in Prov. 31:11 – The hard work of the virtuous woman results in her husband having no need of “spoil” – Here it seems to be used as a synonym for material goods.
c. Used in Prov. 1:13 of goods obtained through robbery.
d. Used in Gen. 49:27 – Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
e. Spoil is usually associated with obtaining goods in a less than honorable way… dishonest gain… through robbery OR violence… often used of the goods obtained through war.
2. Dividing the spoil – speaks of each of the crooks getting their fair share of the stolen goods. (Prov. 29:24 – translated “partner.” – partners in crime!)
3. Implicit in this statement is the fact that powerful, wealthy, proud, arrogant men OFTEN make lots of money through less than honorable means.
a. Money is power. And the wealthy use their position of power to oppress the poor and squeeze as much out of the little guy as he can.
b. Also implicit in this proverb is the fact that PRIDE is behind much of this wheeling and dealing.
c. Those in positions of wealth and power think of themselves as being bigger and better than the little guy… the Lilliputians.
d. In pride they reason that they deserve all the wealth… and the peasants, well, they’re just peasants. They wouldn’t know how to use money if they had it.
e. Jas. 2:6 – James notes that wealthy men have often oppressed the poor… with complete disregard for God.
f. Jas. 5:4 – James also notes that these wealthy and powerful land owners oppress the poor through FRAUD… dishonest gain… at the expense of the poor… making spoil of them… exploiting them…
g. Solomon tells us that pride is at the root of much of this kind of oppression.
h. Class warfare: we’re better than those uneducated, uncivilized peasants who live like animals! We deserve the wealth, the land, the power, and all the privileges.
4. Solomon pictures in all of this the proud, wealthy, upper crust (the big money people) gathering together to divide all the spoil they have gained through oppression, fraud, and by trampling over the poor.
a. He uses the very same language of these wealthy businessmen, nobles, and land owners that he previously used of street thugs.
b. Prov. 1:10-14 – here the thugs and robbers lure young men into their gang… to gather spoil through dishonesty… and they will all have ONE purse. (They will share it equally—divide the spoil.)
c. Solomon sees a connection between the two groups. They are doing the same sort of work… (oppression; dishonest gain; taking advantage of others; fraud; robbery)…
d. They have the same proud heart… The street thugs think they are smarter than the police (pride). The upper crust thinks they are better than the peons (pride).
e. They both think that they can get away with their actions—and often do… in this life.
f. There really isn’t much difference between them except in the size or value of the spoil.
g. They may differ in degree, but not in kind.
h. Solomon links it all to PRIDE. (We deserve this!)
5. Of course, this is NOT to say that all wealthy people are proud and dishonest.
a. It is possible to be wealthy and humble… and poor and proud.
b. But, Solomon did observe that the two traits of wealth and pride OFTEN went together.
c. I Tim. 6:17 – Paul warns those who are rich about an ever present danger among the wealthy: becoming high minded! (high minded = think highly of self)
d. Wealth and pride DO often go together. They feed off each other.
e. Being wealthy can MAKE you proud. (Ezek. 28:5 – the king of Tyre)
f. Or, being proud can sometimes MAKE you wealthy—
• IF you are willing to trample over others, use fraud, and dishonest gain to get to where you want to be.
• The love of money leads men to all kids of evil!
• Some proud men aim at being rich… and let nothing get in their way… their family, their friends—they will trample over anyone and anything to obtain their dream of wealth…
• If all you care about is yourself, and you are willing to walk all over others… lie, steal, cheat, etc… you CAN become wealthy.
• I Tim. 6:9-10 – but at a great price!
• Proud, wealthy men are not always happy.
• Too often they have made a lot of enemies along the way… and have missed out on the best things in life.
g. Pride is often at the root of it all—the lust of the eyes (things!) and the pride of life!
1. The humble spirit with the lowly stands in contrast to the proud, wealthy men.
a. Humble is the opposite of proud.
b. Lowly is the opposite of the rich who divide the spoil.
c. Lowly is used of one who is lowly financially: poor!
d. Poverty and humility are often associated…
• But remember, this is a proverb… a generalization.
• Not all poor men are humble.
2. Divine wisdom states that it is better to be one of the little people being plundered, than to be part of the proud, wealthy, dishonest, oppressors.
3. Poor and humble is better than rich and proud.
a. If you are ever put in a position where you have to choose, choose poor and humble!
b. Solomon says that it is better. It is the wise choice.
4. It is better because the Lord will destroy the house of the proud eventually. (Prov. 15:25)
5. It is better because it can affect your behavior and the way you treat people. (Prov. 18:23)
6. We are far better off being among the oppressed rather than the oppressors… especially in the Day of Judgment.
a. The proud, wealthy, and powerful might seem to do well in this life.
b. Ps. 73:12 – Asaph lamented over the wicked who seem to prosper in the world… but their day is coming.
• Asaph linked this to pride too… (vs. 6, 8c)
• Asaph saw a difference between the wealthy and the poor… and the wealthy seemed to be wicked and ungodly!
• It didn’t seem fair to him… and it isn’t fair!
• Injustice has been prevalent in the world since Eden. It’s nothing new.
• But their day is coming! Asaph learned that… it is better to be with the poor and humble than with them! (vs.17-18)
c. All throughout history there has been a great DIVIDE between the haves and the have nots.
d. Medieval times – the wealthy land owners and the serfs.
e. Colonial times – the slave owners and the slaves.
f. Today there are many poor countries that are actually RICH in natural resources, but they remain poor because the arrogant, wealthy class has all the power and they live like royalty as the people suffer and starve.
g. One day all men will stand before God and will have to give an account of their actions.
h. In that day, (if not before) it will be manifest that it is better to have been of a humble spirit with the lowly… than to have been dividing the spoil with the proud.
i. A day of truth and reckoning WILL come. All the crooked things will be made straight in that day.
j. This is a word of encouragement to be PATIENT… for the Lord is coming! (Jas. 5:7-8)
• Hang in there with the oppressed!
• Don’t wish for a second to be part of the wealthy oppressors!
• It’s better to be poor and humble than to be rich and proud.
Proverbs 16:20
Handling a Matter Wisely
1. Definitions: Handling a matter – translated from one word.
a. Strong’s: speech; word; speaking; utterance; business; occupation; something; a thing… a matter…
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: speech; what was said; an account; a record of what happened; the thing that happened; something.
c. The term has a wide range of meaning… but the two major categories are (1) a word or speech and (2) the thing, event, or matter about which something is spoken.
2. Translations:
a. Darby: He that giveth heed to the word shall find good; and whoso confideth in Jehovah, happy is he.
b. English Standard Version: Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
c. New American Standard: He who gives attention to the word will find good, And blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
d. New Century Version: Whoever listens to what is taught will succeed, and whoever trusts the Lord will be happy.
e. Young’s: The wise in any matter findeth good, And whoso is trusting in Jehovah, O his happiness.
f. KJV: He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.
g. It is probably not possible to know for sure which emphasis Solomon had in mind as he wrote.
h. It is probably best to be broad enough to include BOTH ideas… which are closely related anyway: a matter about which we have heard or been instructed.
3. The point is that wisdom is needed in dealing with any matter… any event… any occurrence… or with any instruction or speech heard.
a. Handle wisely: exercise prudence; understanding; insight.
b. Solomon states here that wisdom is to be applied to any and every matter… to any event in life…
c. Wisdom is to be applied to instruction… to anything we hear…
d. When we read God’s Word or hear a message from God’s Word, wisdom is needed in applying it to our own lives personally.
e. The fact that a person has been instructed does not guarantee that he will carry out those instructions WISELY!
f. Sometimes instructions are carried out quite foolishly. Sometimes applications from the Bible are quite foolish.
• I read of a Christian oil tycoon from Texas who read about much oil in certain areas in Israel and was planning to spend millions to drill there for the oil.
• He believed the Bible when it said there was much oil in certain areas, and since no one had drilled there yet, he planned to drill and get the oil.
• However, the oil in the Bible was not petroleum… motor oil… but olive oil… made from olives…
• He did not apply wisdom to the instruction he heard from the word.
g. Some believers (with good intentions) read in the Bible how Christ healed the sick, and they refuse to go to a doctor.
h. Sometimes we might hear of a matter/problem at work, and dig in to fix it… only to discover we have made it worse! Wisdom is needed.
i. How often have we dealt with people problems… arguments, disagreements, feuds… and with the best of intentions discover that our efforts to heal sparked a worse controversy! Wisdom is needed in every matter!
j. And oh how our leaders in Washington need wisdom in the political, social, and economic matters they deal with every day. Pray for them!
k. Trying to handle a matter (effort plus good intentions) without wisdom can do more harm than good.
l. Prov.13:13 – The one who despises (scorns) the word spoken on any given matter will be destroyed!
4. But hearing instruction about a matter… plus wisdom results in good.
a. Giving heed to the instruction… applying wisdom to the matter is the way to handle any situation in life.
b. We all KNOW this intellectually… but (let’s be honest) we don’t always practice it.
c. We often charge into a matter… and take matters into our own hands without thoughtful consideration… without praying…
d. Jas. 1:5 – wisdom is ours through prayer—in trying “matters” such as James describes here.
e. Prov. 1:20 – Divine wisdom is crying out to be heard. Wisdom is available from the Lord at all times…
f. Prov. 2:3-6 – but wisdom must be diligently sought after.
g. Wisdom is ours through seeking God in prayer and through diligently seeking God in His Word.
h. This results in GOOD.
• Good defined: good; pleasant; agreeable; beneficial; prosperous; bounty… well pleasing… (broad term in meaning).
i. Handling a matter wisely… or applying wisdom to instruction is beneficial in every way.
j. It might produce bounty, prosperity, agreeable, pleasant results…
k. Prov. 19:8 – applying wisdom and understanding is good for the soul… it results in good (same word).
1. This proverb is a typical synonymous parallelism.
a. The two sections are equal… mean the same thing… from a slightly different angle.
b. In other words, handling a matter wisely EQUALS trusting in the Lord.
c. The “good” and the “happy” are also parallel.
2. The man who TRUSTS in God is happy.
a. Happy = blessed;
b. Ps. 2:12 – BLESSED (same word) are all they that put their trust in Him. (also in Ps. 34:8; 40:4)
c. Those who trust God are blessed… happy…
d. Happy stands in contrast to the “good” (good; pleasant; prosperous; bountiful.)
e. The man who trusts God in matters is blessed… happy.
f. The wise man receives a bounty and prospers… but is not necessarily happy or content.
g. Faith brings God into the picture… and the result is happiness… blessedness… peace… contentment…
3. Wisdom and trust are seen in this proverb as equals… they go hand in hand… you can’t have one without the other.
a. This is an important truth. I’m not sure I’ve seen them as equals before.
b. I’ve seen them both as necessary and important… but to see them as equals is an interesting spin Solomon puts on these terms.
c. But when you stop and think about it (which is what Proverbs are designed to cause us to do!), you can see how closely they are linked together! (wisdom and trust)
d. It would be FOLLY not to trust God in any matter. (wisdom and faith are linked)
e. Trusting God is the WISE way to handle any matter.
f. We would be UNFAITHFUL if we failed to apply wisdom to any matter. (wisdom and faith are linked)
g. Wisdom and faith go together. They are BOTH needed in handling any matter properly.
4. Wisdom WITHOUT trust…
a. It is possible to apply wisdom to a given situation (just like men of the world do every day)… and FAIL to apply faith.
b. A man might apply wisdom by leaning on his own understanding and do so in pride… trusting in himself and in his own wisdom.
c. That proud wise man who leans on his own understanding often succeeds in various matters because he DOES have wisdom.
d. But without faith, it is impossible to please God. Applying wisdom alone is not pleasing to the Lord.
e. The man who is proud and worldly wise may apply wisdom and find good (prosperity; success)… but that does not guarantee that he will be HAPPY… blessed in his soul.
f. In this world, wisdom works in many matters—even without faith.
g. But before God, wisdom without faith is not blessed. There is no reward for that kind of behavior… regardless of how successful it may be on earth. There is no blessed happiness.
h. And sometimes in this world, wisdom ALONE does NOT produce the desired results when God intervenes and “blows” on it.
• Haggai 1:5-6, 9 – These men applied much wisdom in building their houses and accumulating their wealth… but wisdom alone was not enough. God blew upon their efforts… and all came to naught.
• Prov. 28:26 – He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool, but who so walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
• Once again, the two thoughts of wisdom and trust are put side by side.
• The man who trusts in HIMSELF is a fool. The man who trusts in his own wisdom is a fool.
• But the man who walks WISELY (apply God’s wisdom and faith) shall be delivered.
• Wisdom alone is not good enough. Spiritually, wisdom by itself is not wise at all—it is folly!
5. Two things are needed to find good and happiness: wisdom PLUS faith.
a. BOTH are essential. One without the other would lead astray.
b. Our happiness and success are not to be found in ourselves, but in applying God’s wisdom to every matter
c. Our happiness and success are not to be found in ourselves, but in exercising faith in every matter… not leaning on our own resources.
d. Goodness and happiness are for those who apply BOTH wisdom and faith.
e. Calamity and sorrow are for those who don’t. (vs.18 – a fall)
6. Sometimes, our own feelings and reasoning tell us that faith is the OPPOSITE of wisdom.
a. Reasoning sometimes says: either you trust God (pie in the sky) OR you apply sound wisdom and reasoning.
b. Sometimes things God tells us to do might not SEEM very wise…
c. Yet this proverb speaks of faith and wisdom as equals.
d. Imagine hearing the message from the commander in chief that his military strategy for the army is to march around a city 7 times and blow the trumpets!
• Some would say you either apply wisdom OR faith …
• Wouldn’t wisdom tell you to come up with another strategy for defeating the city of Jericho?
• So, do you apply wisdom or faith?
e. Imagine hearing Jesus tell Peter to walk on water.
• It would seem like wisdom would tell you NOT to do so… and only faith would say such a thing.
f. II Chron. 20:20c-21 – What a military strategy. They sent the army out to face the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites… and they put the choir in the front line to sing.
g. Sometimes things God tells us to do might not SEEM very wise… yet this proverb speaks of faith and wisdom as equals.
• And it would NOT be wise for YOU to try to walk on water. Jesus SAID to Peter to come out on the water. He didn’t say that to you!
• It would not be wise for the generals in the war in Iraq to follow the instructions given to Joshua…
• It was an expression of wisdom and faith for Peter and Joshua because God SAID to do so. But God didn’t tell us to do so.
• We saw that wisdom without trust is folly. Here we see that faith without wisdom is dangerous.
h. This speaks of BOTH faith and wisdom. A powerful combination.
• Not wisdom without faith… (that can be proud and godless)
• Not faith without wisdom… (that can be foolish and dangerous)… but BOTH faith and wisdom.
Proverbs 16:21
The Sweetness of the Lips
A. The Wise in Heart
1. Wisdom was never intended to dwell in the head only. Wisdom is to reside in the heart. That is the proper seat of wisdom.
a. Solomon had much wisdom in his head… and for a while it seemed to be in his heart too…
b. I Kings 3:11-12 – God gave to Solomon a wise heart.
c. But later on in life, though he still retained the wisdom in his heart, his heart was turned away from wisdom.
d. II Kings 11:1-4 – His many wives turned his heart away from the Lord… and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
e. Wisdom in the head is not the same as wisdom in the heart.
f. Prov.22:17 – the heart needs to be APPLIED to wisdom. (apply = to place; to set; to put something somewhere; to appoint or establish something in a position)
g. Wisdom in the head must be purposefully placed right in the midst of all of our thoughts, words, and deeds.
h. It is to be applied to everyday life… or it is but head knowledge.
2. Solomon is speaking here about wisdom in the HEART…
a. The person Solomon describes in this proverb not only has information stored in his head; he has wisdom in his heart… and it is applied to his life.
b. His wisdom is practiced… experienced… put to good use.
B. The Wise in Heart Shall Be Called Prudent
1. The wise in heart shall be called prudent by those who have been the recipients of his wisdom.
a. Prudent: discerning; perceptive;
b. Those who have heard his wisdom, and have benefited by it, will call him “prudent.”
c. Solomon is speaking about a teacher or exhorter of one sort or another… who has gained a reputation for being prudent… discerning.
d. People CALL him prudent because he has demonstrated it… and they have benefited from it.
2. Men who have wisdom ought to SHARE it with others… for their edification.
a. That’s what’s wisdom is for… not just to be hoarded!
b. It is a gift from God… given to be dispersed.
c. Wisdom often comes with age, and older folks have a responsibility to share their wisdom; light makes us accountable to use it… and share it!
d. When you do, you will gain a reputation for being prudent… wise… discerning.
e. When you have gained a reputation for being prudent, others will hear of your wisdom and come to you for advice and counsel.
f. The queen of Sheba heard of the wisdom of Solomon and came to him to hear for herself.
3. I John 3:17 – If we have this world’s goods and don’t share it, how can we say God’s love is in us?
a. How much more is this principle so when we have heavenly goods (spiritual truth; wisdom) and don’t share it! God expects us to SHARE what we have… as He leads.
b. Think of information… if you KNOW information that could prevent an accident, you have a responsibility to share that information!
c. How much more if we posses divine wisdom? And what about the gospel!?
d. Those who receive wisdom from such a man will greatly benefit from it. He will appreciate the information you give, and he will appreciate YOU. He will call you “prudent.”
1. The parallel in this proverb:
a. Heart and lips: His heart is wise and his lips are sweet. That is a good combination!
b. Benefit to the hearers: In the first part of the proverb he speaks of the WISDOM of a man’s speech which benefits the hearer.
c. In this portion of the proverb Solomon speaks about the SWEETNESS of your speech… which also greatly benefits the hearer.
d. Recognition of the man: The man is not only recognized as prudent (discerning), but here he is acknowledged as a good teacher… he “increases the learning” of the hearer.
2. His speech is not just wise, it is SWEET…
a. Sweet: pleasant; sweet; enjoyable. It describes a taste of something like sugar or honey.
b. Prov. 27:9 – The only other use of this word (sweet)—used in a context of a sweet smelling ointment which is likened to the sweet counsel of a friend.
c. The context of this section has to do with SPEECH (vs.21-24 – lips; instruction; teaching; mouth; learning; lips; pleasant words; etc.)
d. The prudent man makes wisdom appealing to those who hear… sweet to the taste of the one being addressed… desirable.
e. It is possible to speak wisdom WITH sweetness or WITHOUT. One can growl out words of wisdom in a threatening way… or speak them sweetly.
f. The wise in heart package truth in a way that it is attractive…
• You catch more prey with honey than with vinegar. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!
• Sometimes words of wisdom are hard to swallow… but necessary.
• When words of wisdom that need to be spoken are accompanied by a healthy dose of sweetness, they are usually well received.
• Paul wrote: “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt.” Solomon tells us to add a little honey too.
• The kind of speech Solomon describes here is speech (while it may be direct and firm) it is kind, gracious, thoughtful, and considerate… thus sweet to the hearer.
g. This is good advice for parents… especially us dads who might be tempted to growl on occasion!
3. Wisdom IS sweet in itself, but it is not always presented that way.
a. Some present wisdom with a sledge hammer… with such force that it is hard to receive… with such intensity that the hearer is scared away…
b. I have heard men preach God’s word that way. They growl, scowl, and scold, and make the sweet word of God a bitter pill to swallow.
c. A man may have good motives (he wants to increase the learning of his hearers)… but the way he presents truth makes a huge difference in the way it is received.
d. Of course, this does not mean that we should CANDY COAT the truth… or misrepresent the truth. That is not the point here.
• Nor is he talking about flattery (sugary words)… to flatter and deceive… or to trick someone.
• This is not a deceptive but a noble sweetness about which Solomon speaks.
e. Solomon suggests that truly wise men use sweetness in the presentation of wisdom.
4. Wisdom presented with sweetness is much more effective.
a. The book of Proverbs is FULL of words of wisdom. They are gems that can incorporate in our own lives and increase our own learning.
b. They are also to be shared with others.
c. But it matters HOW we present these gems.
• It is possible to present a gem like a wild-eyed mad man… whose body is shaking with intensity… and with an eerie shrill to the voice.
• That man will frighten his listeners and cause them to run away.
• That very same gem can be presented in sweetness, and it is much more likely to be received.
• Solomon is not talking about CHANGING the gem… candy coating truth…
• But rather he speaks of the sweetness of the lips that makes the listener WANT to hear… rather than run away.
• Even if the truth is a negative truth… a word of warning… it can be presented in such a way that the hearer knows you are trying to help him… not belittle him… or hurt him.
• Ex: telling a young child to stay off the road. You could say, “If you go in the road I’ll give you a whipping like you’ve never had before!” OR, “If you go in the road, you might get hurt… and we don’t want you to get hurt. We want you to be safe!”
d. It is possible to present wisdom and truth in such a way that it increases the appetite of the hearer for more…
• I’m sure we can all look back at our school days and remember a teacher that made learning exciting… sweet… enjoyable. Then I’m sure we can all remember a teacher that could make your favorite subject boring!
• This proverb instructs us to make learning enjoyable… pleasant… sweet…
• The result is an increase in learning. People learn more when the learning is enjoyable.
• And Solomon is not talking about turning school or Sunday school into a game time. Rather, he is speaking about the LIPS of the speaker and what flows out of them.
• People WANT to hear sweet words of discernment that come from a wise heart.
• When there is good knowledge in the head, is filtered through a wise heart, and flows off sweet lips… who wouldn’t want to hear?
• That kind of speech creates an appetite for learning… a thirst for more.
• Ps. 19:10 – God’s Word is sweet and thus TO BE DESIRED… thirsted after! More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Proverbs 16:22
Understanding and Instruction
Introduction:
1. The principle found in vs. 22 is a principle that is repeated several times in the book of Proverbs.
2. It is stated in various ways… unique and interesting ways.
3. But the truth is repeated because it is so valuable and important.
4. Basically Solomon is speaking about giving understanding or instruction to different kinds of people. Sometimes it is fruitful; in other cases it is a waste of time!
1. There are three concepts in the first part of the proverb to consider.
a. Understanding
b. The man who has understanding
c. A wellspring of life
2. There are three concepts in the second part of the proverb too.
a. Instruction
b. A fool
c. Folly
3. Solomon compares/contrasts these three concepts to each other.
a. Understanding is compared to instruction.
b. The man with understanding is contrasted to the fool
c. A wellspring of life is contrasted to folly.
d. That’s the basic format of this proverb. Now let’s look at each of the three concepts in a little more detail.
4. Understanding
a. Defined: prudence; insight; understanding; discretion; discernment.
5. Him that hath it…
a. Prov. 15:32 – The wise and understanding man HAS understanding because he RECEIVED it.
• This man has understanding because he listens when he is instructed.
• He accepts reproof and rebuke and correction.
• He doesn’t resist correction, but submits to it and learns from it.
• Therefore, he HAS it! This is the man who HAS understanding.
b. Prov. 15:14 – The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge.
• The man who has understanding has it because he LISTENS and receives it when corrected and instructed.
• Once he gets more understanding, he recognizes the VALUE of it and seeks even more!
• Understanding creates an appetite for itself!
c. Ps. 111:10 – Part of this insight and understanding is to know enough to obey God’s Word.
• The man of understanding is one who listens… then seeks… and then obeys!
• DO – is followed by italicized words.
• The translators inserted “his commandments.”
• The man who OBEYS is a man who possesses this kind of understanding.
• Because of the immediate context, one might also insert the words, “fearing God”.
• Those who do fear God… those who practice fearing God.
• In other words, God-fearing people are wise and have good understanding!
d. Prov. 19:11 – this kind of understanding is displayed through self-control… not venting one’s anger.
• That is the man who has understanding.
• The fool blows his stack over any little thing.
• But a God fearing man will be afraid to continually vent his anger.
• The fear of the Lord makes him wiser than that.
• The fear of God becomes a STRONGER inner impulse than the impulse to vent off anger.
• It results in self-control.
e. I Sam. 25:3 – Abigail was a woman with good understanding.
• She could see what was about to happen.
• I suppose that she had good cause to become angry at either her husband OR David. Neither one of them were acting very wisely.
• She had the good understanding to see that these two men were acting foolishly and a calamity was about to happen… so she graciously and kindly offered another alternative!
• She recognized that her husband was a fool and because of her wisdom saved his life and prevented a needless calamity!
• She had insight; discernment; wisdom; and put it into practice.
• When it came to wisdom and good understanding—she had it!
6. This kind of understanding is a wellspring of life.
a. Wellspring defined:
• (lit.) spring, fountain; well.
• (used fig.) of source or origin; – of life, joy, refreshment; well being; purification, etc. [usually a source of something good and beneficial].
b. Usage in Prov. 16:22: understanding is a source of LIFE!
• Obviously Solomon uses the term life here of a rich, abundant, spiritual life, not just physical life.
• The fool who has no understanding at all has physical life.
• But the fool is missing out on this wellspring… an unending source of wisdom for everyday life… an unending resource to GUIDE him in living life…
• But the man who has discretion takes advantage of this source of life… a resource of how to live life… a resource of refreshment for life… strength and spiritual health for life…
• Just as a thirsty man can satisfy his physical thirst at a well… this man can satisfy the thirsting of his soul at the well of God’s Word and wisdom.
• Jer. 2:13 – used of the Lord Himself as the Source of living water… salvation… life…
• It is a source of refreshment and health.
• The well of divine wisdom keeps the godly man refreshed and healthy spiritually.
• All of that is involved in this concept of a “source of life.”
7. Giving instruction and understanding to a wise man and it is fruitful: a well of life!
a. It benefits the man or woman who drinks from it often.
b. It is usually recognized by others too!
c. Prov. 12:8 – it brings commendation from others.
d. Giving understanding to a wise man is extremely BENEFICIAL. It is a source of LIFE!
1. The instruction of fools.
a. Some take this to mean the instruction FROM a fool is folly. (Which is certainly true…)
b. But it is more likely Solomon had in mind instruction FOR fools is folly… trying to teach and instruct a fool is a foolish endeavor!
2. On the other hand, giving instruction and understanding to a fool is folly: a waste of time and energy.
a. Prov. 23:9 – fools despise this wisdom (same word as understanding).
b. Prov. 15:5 – A fool despiseth his father’s instruction.
3. When one gives understanding and instruction to a wise man, it is beneficial—like a wellspring of life.
4. When one gives understanding and instruction to a fool—it is not beneficial.
a. He rejects the wisdom and instruction.
b. Because he rejects it, it does no good.
c. He might even turn on the one instructing him.
d. It is folly to continue. It is a waste of time.
e. What a pity that fools could be so foolish as to reject a SOURCE of life, refreshment, instruction, wisdom—everything needed to live a rich, abundant, spiritual life.
5. Solomon’s advice to the wise instructor: don’t waste your time on a fool!
a. Your time and efforts will be much more fruitful with a wise man.
b. These are words of wisdom for a youth group. There will be a few fools who want to disrupt and gloat in their folly. Don’t waste your time on them! Teach those who WANT to learn.
c. This is a good word of wisdom for us as a church too.
d. There are some folks who are not interested in learning.
e. They are more interested in folly…
f. Titus 3:9 – But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
g. Foolish men want to waste time on foolish things.
h. Avoid them!
SUMMARY:
Giving instruction and understanding to a wise man and it is fruitful: a wellspring of life!
Giving instruction and understanding to a fool is folly: a waste of time and energy.
Proverbs 16:23
The Heart of the Wise
1. Heart: the inner man; the immaterial inner self; including the mind; will; heart; understanding; reflection.
2. Teacheth: to be prudent; be circumspect; wisely understand; prosper; insight. It is wisdom and insight which is a result of proper instruction.
a. Neh. 9:20 – God gave His Spirit to “instruct” (same term) the children of Israel in the wilderness. He taught them… often through Moses… The Lord gave them wisdom and understanding.
b. Ps. 32:8 – I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
c. Josh. 1:8 – Then thou shalt have good “success” (same term). Meditating in the Word day and night would give them good understanding… prudence… wisdom. They would be TAUGHT or instructed in the ways of wisdom.
d. It is instruction that results in success; namely, wisdom and understanding are digested and then passed on!
e. The heart teaches the mouth.
• This is an interesting way to word the concept.
• It is as if the heart of man… the inner self is the teacher who instructs the mouth what to say.
• It is an interesting way of saying that whatever comes out of the mouth really originated in the heart of man.
3. This wording implies several things:
a. In light of the fact that all kinds of evils reside in our hearts, we need to use great care as to what we allow to come OUT of our mouths.
• The heart is the source of whatever comes out of our mouths… whether it is good or evil… wise or foolish.
• But it CAN be a source of wisdom!
• The inner man needs to think through what to say before just blurting things out. Use caution.
• Whatever wisdom God has taught you over the years; put it into practice in your speech.
• Let your heart TEACH your mouth before you speak.
b. It implies that the mouth will spout out all kinds of things that may not be wise.
• Therefore, it needs to be restrained… and instructed.
• Wise instruction restrains the mouth from much.
• Don’t just say whatever’s on your mind or in your heart. It’s not all worth repeating.
• Wise words don’t just come out of thin air. The mouth needs to be taught what to say… and what things are not worth saying.
c. Since our mouth speaks as it is instructed from our inner man, we are therefore responsible for what we say.
• Whatever our mouths say originates in our hearts. Therefore, we should THINK before we speak.
• Think first and then talk… think it through… and allow your inner self to teach your mouth what to say.
• Prov. 15:28 – He studies to answer; others don’t!
» Studies: meditates as in Josh. 1:8
4. There are a lot of things to meditate on and think about before we open our mouths.
a. A wise heart teaches the mouth WHEN to speak.
• Prov. 15:23 – In due season.
• THINK before you speak. Is this really the best TIME to say this?
• Would another time or another place or in another setting be more appropriate?
• Ecc. 3:1, 7 – a time to speak and a time to be quiet.
• A wise heart teaches the mouth WHEN to speak.
b. A wise heart teaches the mouth WHAT to say
• Prov. 24:26 – He says the right thing (honest; straightforward; upright).
• It might be the right time to speak up, and you might have the best of intentions, but it matters WHAT you say!
• Wisdom in the heart will teach the mouth WHAT to say… and what not to say.
• It is so easy for our words to be misunderstood… to be taken out of context… or to say something we didn’t mean to communicate.
• We need a wise heart to teach our mouths. Pray for wisdom!
c. A wise heart teaches the mouth HOW to speak
• Prov. 15:1 – a soft answer
• Our intentions may be good, our words may be accurate, the timing may be just right, but the MANNER in which we speak may undermine everything we are trying to communicate!
• A wise heart knows when to speak and what to say, and HOW to say it! (The right approach; attitude; spirit; etc.)
d. The man whose heart has taught his mouth this kind of wisdom is a great asset in the classroom, in the courts, in the business world, in the home, and in the local church.
e. In other words, this kind of wisdom can be put to use anywhere and for all kinds of good purposes.
1. Learning: Learning; teaching; insight; instruction; teaching; persuasiveness.
2. Prov.7:21 – it is translated “fair speech” and has the meaning of persuasiveness…
a. The harlot persuaded the young man to follow her… and she used persuasive speech.
b. She talked him into it… into doing something his conscience told him not to do.
c. Speech can be extremely persuasive… convincing… influential…
3. Some translations have translated the word “learning” as persuasive.
a. NAS: The heart of the wise instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
b. GBN: Intelligent people think before they speak; what they say is then more persuasive.
4. ADDETH:
a. Defined: to add; increase; to join to; to gain more…
b. It is used of the Lord adding sons to Jacob and Rachel, a field increasing in fruitfulness, of Solomon increasing the tax burden, of the years of one’s life being increased, — it speaks of increase in almost any realm.
c. Solomon uses it of increasing in wisdom and understanding… gaining more and more.
d. Prov. 1:5 – A wise man will hear, and will increase learning (learning = same word as learning in 16:23)
5. Adding learning:
a. The man whose heart is continually instructing his mouth in the ways of wisdom will become an INCREASINGLY persuasive speaker.
• Of course this is all figurative language. It is not really the MOUTH that learns or the LIPS that are persuasive. It is the MAN and his speech.
• Solomon’s point is that the more careful and diligent a man is at using wisdom and speaking wisely, the better he becomes at it!
• His ability to communicate, to persuade, and to convince his hearers increases over time.
• After years of being careful about what he says and how he says it, this mouth increases in his persuasiveness.
→ He has learned when to speak and when to be still.
→ He has learned what to say and what not to say.
→ He has learned the right way to word something so that it is not immediately rejected.
→ He has learned to season his speech with salt… with grace.
→ He has learned the art of good reasoning…
b. Over time, his speech becomes wiser and wiser… more and more persuasive.
c. That is why wisdom is often associated with age… because an older man or woman has had more years to ADD learning to his lips.
6. When a wise man speaks, we do well to listen.
a. Prov. 22:17 – bow down thine ear and hear the words of the wise.
b. This is good advice for all of us… to LISTEN when words of wisdom are spoken… whether from a parent, a teacher at school, a mature believer in the faith, a Sunday school teacher…
c. Prov. 22:18 – when you hear those words of wisdom from a wise man, KEEP them in your belly! And then you too will increase in learning… and you too can teach your lips! And the process goes on and on… from generation to generation.
d. The wisdom of which Solomon speaks here is not necessarily the wisdom of one well trained in schools of theology.
• Rather, he speaks of those mouths and lips that have been taught by the heart… by a heart that has been taught by God.
• A man or woman who may have received precious little schooling or formal education, but who has walked with God for many years… whose heart has been beating in tune with God… whose ear has been listening to God… whose feet have been in step with God… the heart filled with the fullness of God… a heart that has been abiding in heavenly places and communion within the veil in that heavenly sanctuary for many years… — this man or woman will have lips worth listening to!
• Perhaps we have all known older believers who (regardless of their educational background)… have had a deep and abiding relationship to the Lord… and wisdom and discernment just flow off their lips…
• It might be in broken, battered English… but it is wisdom from God nonetheless… because it came from a heart that has spent TIME with God.
• That is because their heart TAUGHT their lips… and their hearts had been for many decades abiding in Christ… and Christ in Him… unto all riches of the full understanding (Col. 2:2-3)
• It is such a great LOSS to the local church to lose older, mature believers through death.
• Their value to the local church is immeasurable.
e. Col. 3:16 – let the word richly dwell in your heart… and teach others the wisdom you are learning! LEARN from the Word, and teach your lips to teach others!
f. I Pet. 3:15 – the best way to teach our lips words of wisdom is to give the Lord first place in our heart.
• HE is our wisdom… HE is the source of any wisdom that might come out of our mouths.
• Sanctify HIM in your heart.
• Then your heart will be able to teach your lips.
• That’s the first step to wise speech.
Proverbs 16:24
Pleasant Words
Introduction:
1. Solomon continues to deal with the subject of speech.
a. Vs. 23 – the mouth and lips.
b. Vs. 21 – the sweetness of the lips.
c. Vs. 24 – pleasant words are sweet.
2. Words: utterance; speech; word; saying; promise; command.
a. It is a broader term than our English word “words.”
b. It includes various types of speech: sayings, commands, any utterance that comes out of the mouth… communication of any sort.
3. Pleasant: kindness; pleasantness; agreeable; acceptable; delightfulness; beauty; favor.
a. It is variously translated.
b. The term is often used of the “beauty of the Lord.”
4. Pleasant words.
a. Pleasant words are words that are kind, pleasant, thoughtful, delightful, and full of beauty to the hearer.
b. He continues with the same theme and emphasizes here the VALUE of pleasant words… pleasant forms of communication.
c. Sometimes kind words might even have to be a bit pointed or sharp, but they are pleasant in that the hearer is delighted to KNOW what is being said.
d. Ps. 141:5 – Words that smite… convict… rebuke… but they are done out of kindness… and it is pleasant in the long run for the hearer. David saw the kindness in such words… and likened it to an anointing oil…
e. Pleasant words can come in all different kinds of packages.
f. They could be words of advice, correction, instruction, warning, comfort, challenge, help us refocus.
g. But for the most part, the pleasant words would refer to gracious, kind, thoughtful words of encouragement.
h. Col. 4:6 – let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt…
i. No matter what the content of the words is, it is being communicated in grace and kindness.
1. Pleasant words are as a honeycomb.
2. They are as desirable as a honeycomb.
a. In Bible times, a honeycomb wasn’t something that you came across every day.
b. It was a special treat! It was exceptionally sweet… above all other sweets.
c. Psalm 19:10 – God’s Word is sweeter than a honeycomb! Here David speaks of the honeycomb in the sense of something that is greatly desired because it is so sweet.
d. God’s word is sweeter than honey.
e. When our words are full of God’s Word… then our words can be sweeter than honey to others!
f. Ps. 119:103 – They are sweet to the one who tastes them.
g. So taste and see that the Lord is gracious—and His Word is gracious… good… sweet… favorable… desirable!
1. Prov. 15:23 – the answer of the mouth… our words…
a. They can bring joy to the soul… they are good (good for the soul).
b. That is, when they are well thought out, well timed, pleasant words.
c. Not every answer I’ve given has resulted in joy. Sometimes I have regretted the answer I gave… or the lack of pleasantness in the manner in which I gave it.
d. But Solomon speaks here of the great potential for GOOD in our words… in the answers we give.
e. As a honeycomb is sweet to our taste buds, these words are sweet to our soul… they can bring joy to a heart.
f. Words spoken in due season! How good! How sweet! They can lift up the heart… and cheer the inner man…
g. Words have the power to do that. So why don’t we USE our words for that purpose more often? We can and we should!
2. Prov. 27:9 – sweet, hearty, friendly counsel!
a. As a fragrant ointment rejoices the heart (especially if you lived in a hot climate before the days of deodorant)…
b. That sweetness is likened to the sweetness of a friend’s hearty counsel… advice that comes from the heart… heart to heart talk…
c. Such words can be sweet and valuable… desirable.
d. This is especially so if we find ourselves heading in the wrong direction and a friend helps get you back on track.
e. The words might actually HURT at first (painful to hear that we are wrong)… but sweet once digested.
3. Such words encourage and edify the soul.
a. There are a lot of words that are sweet and pleasant, but not necessarily good and profitable. (flattery; etc.)
b. But the words of which Solomon speaks are BOTH pleasant AND edifying… helpful.
c. They are good for your soul… (sweet to the soul and health to the bones).
4. Prov. 24:13-14 – God’s Words of wisdom are sweet… therefore EAT them!
a. You eat honey when you find it because it is good and sweet.
b. Therefore, when you find God’s Word, eat it because it too is good and sweet! It is good for your soul.
c. Jer. 15:16 – Thy Words were found and I did eat them… they prove to be the joy and rejoicing of my heart!
d. Honey (as sweet as it is) doesn’t bring any sweetness to your taste buds unless you eat it.
e. Such is the case with God’s Word too. It IS sweet… but we benefit not from it unless we EAT it… take it in…
1. Health defined: properly, curative, i.e. literally (concretely) a medicine, or (abstractly) a cure; restoration; remedy; sound; wholesome.
a. Jer. 33:6 – translated cure.
b. II Chron. 21:18 – Jehoram had a sickness for which there was no remedy, cure.
c. Pleasant, kind, gracious words can serve to cure, revive, and restore.
2. Prov. 15:4 – a wholesome tongue is a tree of life. (Wholesome = same word for health)
a. Men have wholesome, healing tongues in that they speak forth words that have that kind of an effect on the hearer who hears and responds.
b. Pleasant words are helpful, wholesome, curative words.
c. That is why WE need to learn God’s Word… not just for ourselves and our own personal benefit, but that we might minister to OTHERS!
d. The words of wisdom that you learn from the Bible can helpful, wholesome, and healing and restorative to a brother!
e. Rom.15:14 – we should be able to admonish one another.
3. Prov. 3:8 – Such words can even make a person feel better physically! (health to thy navel; marrow to thy bones)
a. When a person is in the hospital or a sick bed, sometimes a friendly visitor can do more to make him feel better than the doctor with his medicine!
b. Pointing a sick believer to the Savior takes his mind off himself and his ailing body… and enables him once again to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report.
c. Kind, gentle words can soothe the mind, and actually help make a person feel better… by lifting up his heart.
4. Prov. 4:20-22 – God’s wisdom is HEALTH to the flesh.
a. Sharing those words of wisdom with others is health… restorative… wholesome… healing…
b. When employed and practiced, they improve the quality of our lives… and enable us to enjoy the abundant lifeof which Jesus spoke.
5. Prov. 14:32 – a sound heart is the life of the flesh.
a. There is a connection between the inner man and the outer man.
b. When the heart is healthy, that has a curative effect on the rest of the person.
c. Envy in the heart eats away at the rest of the person… stomach and all! (Headaches; knots in stomach; etc.)
6. Prov. 12:18 – Words can be used for good or evil.
a. Some men may use words that need to be said, but do so in a piercing way that does more damage than good.
b. Others with wisdom know how to speak in such a way that they say the painful things in a nice way… pleasant… so that they are well received… and the person benefits from it.
c. That is a gift that not everybody has. Pray for wisdom with the use of our words.
Proverbs 1:1-4
Reasons for the Proverbs
To Know Wisdom and Instruction
1. It is quite amazing to think that the God who created the universe, would even care enough about us to stoop and cause a book to be written for us, to tell us how to live… what to pursue and what not to pursue…
2. First of all note that this book was written that we might KNOW something.
a. It was not written so that we might FEEL good… or feel warm… or feel anything.
b. It was written that we might PERCEIVE the words of understanding.
c. Solomon wrote that knowledge excelleth folly and ignorance as light excelleth darkness. Ignorance causes men to wander in darkness.
3. God wants us to KNOW wisdom
a. The term for wisdom in vs. 2 is used 37 times in this book!
b. It means skillfulness; the ability to use knowledge properly.
c. It is possible to have lots of instruction and information in our head, and yet not have the wisdom to put it into practice in our daily lives.
d. We have many brilliant men and women throughout our country who have mastered their field… specialists in computer science… specialized fields of medicine… masters of literature… and yet have not the wisdom to get along with their neighbor or maintain a healthy family life!
e. Knowledge isn’t enough. If it were, our generation would be doing just fine! Knowledge has doubled every year since 1955. We have more information and data than we know what to do with. But we do NOT have the wisdom to use it properly.
f. The world has plenty of knowledge and information—but by anyone’s standards: the world today is a mess!
g. Unfortunately, the man who wrote this book failed on this very point! Read the account of the end of Solomon’s life. What a warning to us!
4. God wants us to KNOW instruction
a. Instruction – this term is used 26 times in proverbs.
b. It is sometimes translated “chasten”. (Cf. 13:24 – chastening a son.)
c. It means to instruct by discipline.
d. Instruction or training is a form of discipline… discipline of the mind… and ultimately, when the truth sinks deeper, into the heart.
e. Like a father who loves his son, and therefore chastens him, so God wrote this book as part of our “instruction”… discipline… chastening…
5. God wants us to KNOW the words of understanding
a. This term has virtually the same meaning as our English term.
b. It might be translated “discernment.”
c. This kind of spiritual discernment is what WE need today more than anything!—the ability to approve things that are excellent—
d. God wants His people to be able to discern between right and wrong… holy and unholy… clean and unclean. The devil is doing his best to blur those lines of distinction today.
e. Let’s make this our prayer: that we would all be better able to perceive the words of understanding… grasp a discerning mind…
f. The decisions many believers make today reveals a dearth of discernment.
g. It is far better to be poor and discerning, than rich and lack discernment; It is far better to be sick and discerning, than healthy and lack discernment; It is far better to be lowly and discerning, than important and famous and lack discernment; It is far better to be a failure in the eyes of the world and discerning, than to be a worldly and lack spiritual discernment.
h. The book of Proverbs has been written to help us put things in order… to give us discernment in ordering our lives… arranging our priorities…
To Receive the Instruction of Wisdom, Justice, Judgment, and Equity
1. Receive: God wants the readers of this book to KNOW wisdom… to learn in their heads all these wise principles… but also to TAKE IT IN!
It is possible to memorize the words of wisdom—but never “receive” it inwardly.
Ex: You can give your son a lecture. Once lectured, he has your words of wisdom in his head. He heard you. But that is not a guarantee that he “received” them! He could be just politely nodding to all you say… and not taking any of it in!
2. The purpose of the book is not accomplished in our life—even if we have memorized the whole book! God’s purpose is that we would RECEIVE these truths… take them to heart… make them “yours”… make them your words to live by… not just a dry lecture from an ancient king!
3. This term for wisdom in verse 3 is a different Hebrew word than was used in verse 2.
a. Harry Ironside wrote that this term for wisdom comes from a root meaning “bereavement”…
b. He concluded that this term differed in that this term described learning from unhappy experiences… the hard way… either on your own, or through the unhappy experiences of others. (the school of hard knocks)
c. Proverbs records many unhappy experiences and the results of folly… the young man and the harlot; the drunkard; the sloth; etc…
4. How much better to learn “by means of God’s Word”!!!
a. Ps. 17:4 – “By the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.”
b. That is the best way to learn—by God’s word rather than by experiencing all that Proverbs warns about—sloth; greed; lust; etc.
c. We can gain wisdom about the dangers of drugs by trying them out and paying the price—or by listening to words of wisdom!
d. We can gain wisdom about the consequences of laziness by experience OR by taking heed to the words of wisdom in God’s Word!
e. Proverbs was written that we might RECEIVE this wisdom the easy way—by learning through God’s Word rather than having to learn the hard way all the time!
5. Unfortunately, Solomon learned many of these lessons the hard way—by experiencing the emptiness of following his own understanding…
a. He pursued many of the foolish things he warns us about in Proverbs!
b. He sought happiness through fun and parties and having a good time! (Ecc. 2:1-3)
c. He sought happiness through collecting great possessions. (Ecc.2:4,7-11) But it was all vanity!
d. Solomon pursued wisdom through experience… the hard way.
e. Proverbs is written that we might obtain wisdom the easy way—by taking heed to the inspired word of God!
f. RECEIVE this wisdom… take it in — just as if we had experienced all these things ourselves!
6. God wants the readers of Proverbs to “receive” the instruction of justice
a. Justice = righteousness; right kind of behavior; fair; just behavior
b. One learns in proverbs not to be a respecter of persons. The rich are not always right or kind. The powerful are not always wise. Treat people justly and fairly…
c. God wants us to TAKE IN these truths that deal with justice… into our heart, not just our head.
d. Make these truths that deal with justice OUR truth… words that WE live by…
e. Proverbs has a lot to say about being fair and just in our daily lives.
• Prov. 14:20 – Justice will keep us from being a respecter of persons… as such we will not treat the poor harshly…
• Prov.22.2 – the poor and rich are the same in God’s sight!
• Proverbs will keep us from all the ungodly biases and prejudices of the world. It will make us fair and just—if applied!
• 29:27 – Being “just” is a way of life = and one that will often be opposed. But that is the path God wants US to pursue!
7. Next, God wants the readers to “receive” the instruction of judgment
a. Judgment = the quality or ability to hear and decide a matter or a case fairly. This is the work of a judge. Every one of us needs to have this quality of good judgment.
b. Proverbs was written that we might learn to have good judgment. Far too many have poor judgment!
c. Proverbs has a lot to say about exercising good judgment…
• Prov. 18:17 – One with good judgment does not make up his mind on a matter after hearing “him that is first in his own cause.”
• Solomon demonstrated that when the two mothers came with their own version of who was the real mother of the child.
• Solomon showed good judgment. Proverbs can give US that kind of good judgment too… if applied.
• Jesus said, “Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
• We all make decisions every day. Decisions on all sorts of issues and matters. How we need good judgment in making all those little decisions… because when you string all those little decisions together—that IS our life… that IS the course of our life.
8. Next, God wants the readers to receive the instruction of equity
a. Equity = even; upright; level; honest.
b. The author talks about a “just weight”—honesty and equity in business dealings! (Prov.11:1)
c. Honesty with our tongues… honesty with God…
Note what the author is doing here:
He is mingling together moral qualities with intellectual ones.
• Wisdom and instruction for the head;
• But they must be accompanied by justice; judgment; and equity for the heart.
• A truly wise man is a godly man.
• Wicked men can use their intellect and craftiness for evil purposes.
• But a truly wise man uses his intellect for that which is righteous; and equitable… Proverbs was written that we might KNOW wisdom and RECEIVE it… and allow it to produce its fruit in our lives: justice; good judgment; and honesty—integrity!
• Time spent in Proverbs is time well spent!
• One man likened Proverbs to medicine or vitamins. You shouldn’t make it your complete diet—but we need a little every day!
Proverbs 16:26
Motivation to Work
1. “He that”
a. Nephesh: translated: most often = soul; life; creature; lust; person; mind; heart.
b. Hebrew Lexicon: living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion.
c. Strong’s defines it as: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
d. Zodhiates: noun meaning breath, the inner being with its thoughts and emotions.
e. It is used 753 times in the Old Testament and has a broad range of meanings.
f. It refers to the inner creature life…
g. Ecc. 6:7 – here it is translated “appetite.”
h. Ecc. 6:9 – here it is translated “desire.”
i. This seems to be the sense in which it is used in Prov. 16:26 – a desire, an appetite, an inner craving for something…
2. Laboureth
a. Strong’s: labourer; sufferer; wretched one; toil.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang. = miserable person; oppression; workman.
c. It implies a weariness from the labor (cf. Ecc. 2:18,22)
d. This term for work emphasizes the drudgery of toil rather than the nobility of labor.
e. One dictionary described this word as the dark side of labor, the grievous and unfulfilling aspect of work.
f. Ps 90:10 – used of the labor of old age…
g. This term appears twice in this proverb in two forms: “he that laboureth” (noun form) and “laboureth” (verb form)
h. Thus, Solomon doubly emphasizes this concept of toilsome work, drudgery, the weariness of labor…
3. Solomon’s point is that in order to STICK WITH a job (or a ministry!), there must be an inner craving… an inner passion…
a. The dark side of labor discourages and would cause someone to quit.
b. But in order to keep on plowing through the drudgery of it all, there must be an inner passion… an inner craving… an inner drive and desire… fire in the belly!
4. There are MANY inner passions that motivate a man to work every day at the office or factory and to stick with it.
a. A desire to see the company succeed.
b. A desire to pay one’s bills.
c. A desire to feed one’s family.
d. A desire to put a son or daughter through school.
e. A desire to buy a nice house.
f. A strong belief in the product. (vitamins; financial planner; builder)
g. A strong belief in the cause. (Red Cross; medical researcher; teacher)
5. There are inner passions that motivate men and women to work around their own home.
a. Why go through all the tedious labor of upkeep on one’s house?
b. Why would a man go through all the trouble of scrapping the old chipped paint and paint his house? An inner desire to preserve the wood to last longer… for it to look good… to be a good testimony in the neighborhood.
c. Why would any woman wash the floor and vacuum day after day? A desire for a clean house for her family!
d. Why water, fertilize, lime, rake, aerate, and mow your lawn… when you know the grass is going to grow right back in a few days? Why repeat that process all summer long? Because of an inner desire for your house to look good… so it looks cared for… and a desire NOT to be like the man who dwells in the field of the slothful. (Prov. 24:30-32)
6. And what about the laborious job of taking care of our bodies?
a. Why would anyone go through all the hard work of lifting weights?
b. Why would anyone go through the drudgery of watching what they eat? Or go on an oppressive diet?
c. Why would anyone jog for miles every day?
d. Why would anyone go to a gym and go through all those monotonous, toilsome routines week after week?
e. Some folks begin to take care of their bodies and then quit.
f. Solomon states that it takes an inner drive of creature life… a passion… a craving to accomplish a goal.
g. There is an inner appetite that drives a man or woman to persevere and endure through the drudgery and weariness of the toils of life…
h. Without that inner appetite, we would quit… become lazy… become a recluse… give up on life… give up on our goals… give up on work!
i. Some folks don’t have that drive. They just “give up” on trying… give up on taking care of their homes, their bodies, their careers, their families…
7. Consider this principle for students…
a. There is much labor in studying…
b. Ecc. 12:12 – much study is a weariness of the flesh.
c. For a student to do well and to persevere in his studies, that inner drive… inner hunger… inner craving for the benefits of learning must be present.
d. As in many things in life, education is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.
e. Doing well in school as in any type of work requires an inner drive.
f. That could be many things for different students: a hunger for learning; a craving for books; a striving to succeed in life; a drive for the monetary rewards, motivated by a cause or lofty goal; a drive to stretch oneself and to achieve; ambition; an inner drive to make something of yourself;
g. All kinds of inner appetite drive people. Some are good and some are not.
8. He laboureth for HIMSELF.
a. Solomon does not mean this in a bad sense (selfish).
b. Rather, he means that he wisely realizes (in the midst of all that toil) that there is something that is BENEFICIAL for himself.
c. He that labors, labors for himself. He that sows shall reap the fruit of his labors for himself.
d. An inner drive keeps him going… keeps him working… enables him to endure the suffering, the weariness, the pain, the difficulties… because he sees the value of a greater, long range benefit for himself… and perhaps his family… or his company… or perhaps for society.
e. That inner drive urges him on to do that which otherwise would be avoided as undesirable.
f. An inner appetite… a craving for a benefit of one sort or another… will DRIVE a man to endure difficulties… toilsome labor… and menial tasks… for HIMSELF… for the good of himself…
9. Solomon is speaking about diligence and the motivation that drives a man to BE diligent in his work.
a. The motivated man will do well.
b. The motivated man labors for himself and receives the BENEFIT of his labors… as tedious, monotonous, tiring, mundane, and toilsome as they might be!
c. Prov.14:23 – In all labour there is profit…
d. The laborer benefits from it.
e. And it is that inner drive that keeps the laborer laboring… and enables him to receive that benefit for himself.
10. The same is true in the spiritual realm.
a. Jesus said: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
b. It is a HUNGER for righteousness that results in benefiting from righteousness.
c. It is the hungry heart that is fed.
d. An inner craving for God and spiritual things is what keeps a believer going… serving… walking… running the race with patience!
e. A genuine hunger for God keeps us from hungering after other things… a hunger for the wheat keeps us from hungering for the chaff…
f. Paul expressed his hunger for Christ when he wrote, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection!”
g. An inner hunger… craving after the Word, after a deeper relationship to Christ, after the knowledge of God, results in a great benefit for the believer!
h. It MOTIVATES us to continue running with patience… even in the face of trials and trouble… it drives us to the throne of grace for mercy in time of need…
i. This inner drive and hunger for spiritual things drives believers to be faithful to the local church… faithful in reading the Word of God… faithful in their family devotion time… it drives us to CHRIST!
j. That inner creature drive… an inner hunger is a MUST in the Christian life.
k. Without that spiritual fire in the belly, (hunger; zeal; life) we become cold hearted…
l. KEEP YOUR HEART with all diligence! Pay attention to that hunger and fire. When the embers begin to cool down, stir them up again!
1. His mouths CRAVES it…
2. Craves:
a. Strong’s: press; urge.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: drive, impel, press hard, i.e., get high motivation to do something, and so desire something based on a physical need.
3. The craving of the mouth here is ONE particular type of craving among many cravings.
a. It is singled out because it is the most common inner craving… one we can all relate to.
b. Hunger is a clear example of that inner creature life.
c. We get hungry three times a day, if we are healthy.
d. One of the things that motivates a man to work is physical HUNGER… an appetite for food!
e. What drives a coal miner to work underground in dangerous conditions all day long? A desire to eat and feed his family!
f. Hunger is a powerful motivator; it motivates us to work.
• Reaping (and eating the fruit) is a great motivator to get busy and sow.
• Ecc. 6:7 – “all the labor of man is for his mouth; and yet the appetite is not filled.” (the man works for his mouth—to feed his mouth… and it goes on and on because we keep on getting hungry!)
g. The fruit of our labors motivates us to put up with, endure, and to persevere through all the unpleasantness, the rigors, the laborious, tedious tasks of everyday work.
h. II Thess. 3:10 – if a man will not work, neither should he eat!
i. Providing free food for poor people may seem generous and kind, and it IS initially.
• But when it continues (like our welfare system) it removes the motivation to work!
• If a man is hungry, that hunger will motivate him to get a job… even a hard job… even doing menial tasks.
• But if the government gives him free housing and free food, the incentive is gone!
• Parents who continue to bail their grown children out of financial holes their kids have dug for themselves do them no favor! They learn to become dependent upon your generosity… and they lose the incentive to be diligent.
4. And in the spiritual realm, the same is true.
a. Nothing motivates a believer to be diligent in his walk with God more than fruit… seeing God produce good fruit in your life as you yield to Him!
b. The fruit of getting to KNOW Christ motivates us to hunger to know Him more and more!
c. The benefit of God’s Word working in our lives motivates us to study the Word more diligently!
d. The benefit of answered prayer motivates us to pray without ceasing!
e. Christ, prayer, and the Word of God create an appetite for MORE!
f. And that inner hunger is good. It enables us to endure… and we benefit greatly from enduring!
Proverbs 16:28
Sowing Strife and Separating Friends
Introduction:
This section in Proverbs speaks about various kinds of troublemakers to watch out for.
• Vs. 27 – one who digs up evil
• Vs. 28 – one who sows strife and gossips
• Vs. 29 – a violent man
• Vs. 30 – one who facilitates evil
A. Words Defined:
1. Froward: perverse; deviant; morally crooked.
a. It is used of a generation of Israelites who deviated from and distorted the Lord’s ways, turning from Him (Deut. 32:20).
2. Soweth:
a. To send out; to let loose; to thrust forth; to release; cast away; sow…
b. This word is translated in MANY different ways depending upon the context.
c. The idea here is not so much that he PLANTS strife… but that he spreads it… he scatters it… he lets it loose wherever he goes.
B. The Man Who Sows Strife
1. Solomon tells us that there is a certain kind of person who seems to delight in making trouble between people… stirring up controversy and strife… contention… arguments… quarrels…
a. He incites trouble… provokes debates and controversy.
b. The apostle Paul knew how to do this and he did so on one occasion… for a good purpose.
c. Acts 23:6-7 – Paul turned this crowd against each other. (They had been united against him.)
• Actually, this was quite clever of Paul.
• They were angry hypocritical men who had their arrows all pointed at Paul.
• Paul was able (with one carefully worded sentence) to turn the tables… and instead of aiming their arrows at him, they aimed their arrows at each other.
• Do you see the POWER of words?
• Do you see how EASY it is to turn people against each other?
d. Solomon tells us that there are men who use this tactic for evil purposes all the time.
e. Only instead turning enemies against enemies, they turn friend against friend.
2. The person Solomon describes is like a big speedboat zipping across a calm lake.
a. The water might be peaceful, tranquil, and calm… smooth like a mirror.
b. Until the loud speed boat buzzes through. When the big speedboat passes through those waters… even though only for a short time, it leaves a large ripples in its wake…
c. The boat is long gone, but the ripples continue… to travel and interrupt the stillness and serenity of the lake far BEYOND the immediate path of the boat.
d. It can take quite a while for the lake to calm down and become still and smooth once again after the boat is gone.
e. The person Solomon is speaking about does the same with a group of people.
f. Things may be going well in the office… in the home… in a group of friends… in a church… at a school. Peaceful and calm like the lake.
g. Then when the trouble maker comes by… he stirs up waves of controversy and agitates the atmosphere… and leaves trouble in his wake…
h. And long after he is gone, the ripple effect of the controversy he stirred up continues…
i. And the trouble he stirs up can travel far beyond the ears of those who heard him speak… things get repeated… and the ripples can go on an on…
3. He is a PERVERSE man. (That’s what forward means)
a. This is not normal behavior. It is crooked, twisted and perverse.
b. Prov. 6:14 – this perversity and forwardness is in his heart.
• He delights in such behavior. And he seeks continually to devise mischief among people and cause trouble.
• It is his nature. We have been warned.
4. He is often a man of great HATRED in his heart.
a. Prov. 10:12 – it is a heart full of hatred that stirs up trouble among friends.
b. It may be that this perversity and hatred is due to the fact that he doesn’t have any friends (I wonder why!).
c. Therefore he hates to see other people have friends… out of hatred he tries to break up those friendships.
d. And he has lots of tricks in his bag to do so.
5. He is often a LIAR… a false witness.
a. Prov. 6:19 – sometimes this perverse man sows discord and strife among friends by spreading lies… and God hates it!
b. He just passes through and happens to mention a few things about so and so…
c. What he says may be an outright lie… or an embellishment… or stretching the truth… just to make so and so look bad… or to get Tom angry at Dick…
d. But the words he says stirs up trouble… gets repeated… and embellished again… and before too long, Tom and Dick aren’t talking to each other.
6. It is an ANGRY man that stirs up such strife among friends.
a. Prov. 15:18 – the man who stirs up strife is often angry.
b. Sometimes he is angry because he doesn’t have friends… he’s not in the “in” crowd.
c. It may be that he is angry because he didn’t get his own way… and tries to make trouble for others. Misery loves company.
d. Maybe he was slighted… or left out… or insulted… and instead of letting it roll off his back, he lashes out in anger… and tries to stir up strife among friends.
e. It may be that he is angry because he is not as popular as others… and since he can’t be the head man in that gang of friends, he seeks to disrupt the group of friends… any way he can.
7. Prov. 28:25 – it is selfish PRIDE that is behind his behavior…
a. If he can’t be the top dog on campus, then he will try to destroy friendships…
b. Often this type of person really desires to be admired… desires to be mister popularity…
c. And because he can’t achieve it… because he can’t be #1, he takes it out on others… and seeks to disrupt friendships.
d. Solomon says that pride is what motivates this person.
1. Here Solomon builds on the first part of the proverb.
a. The particular KIND of trouble maker is a whisperer who separates chief friends.
2. Whisperer: a gossiper, a slanderer.
a. It depicts a person who harms others by attacking them verbally falsely.
b. Prov. 16:27 – he digs up dirt about people… and then his lips are burning in zeal to tell others about the dirt he discovered!
3. Prov. 11:13 – A friend might know some “secrets” about you (some dirt)… but because he is a friend, he conceals them. But the talebearer… the whispering gossiper tells all. He reveals them.
a. This kind of gossip and whispering often ruins friendships.
b. This is not the kind of person you want as a friend!
c. Solomon is WARNING us. Stay away from such people. They are trouble!
4. This person whispers things that will hurt others, creating wounds that take a long time to heal. (Prov. 26:22)
a. Gossiping can really HURT the person gossiped about.
b. That is what this perverse person is TRYING to do. That’s his goal. That’s his aim.
c. He gets his jollies from hurting other people… and ruining friendships.
d. And on and on the hurting and strife go… until friendships are ruined.
5. This man keeps on whispering and keeps on stirring up strife (Prov. 26:20-21). It will continue as long as he is around! Strife ceases when the whisperer stops whispering!
a. AVOID that kind of person.
b. When you get rid of him, the trouble and strife ceases… because he was the one who stirred it all up!
c. This person is like the one who keeps adding wood to the fire. As long as he is there adding wood, the fires will continue to blaze. But once you STOP adding fuel to the fire… those fires eventually die out.
d. If we could get rid of all the speed boats, we would have nice, quiet, serene, tranquil lakes too!
e. If you want the strife to cease… avoid the trouble-maker!
f. This is true in the local church too. Some people come into a local church and do nothing but complain, stir up trouble and controversy… and when they are gone: peace rules once again!
g. It may be painful to see such a brother go… but if he refuses to repent… the Body is far better off without him!
h. And maybe even those broken friendships will begin to heal!
6. A whisperer separates chief friends.
a. I have seen this in my life. Maybe you have too.
b. It is such a common occurrence in life. Solomon chose to repeat this in Prov. 17:9.
c. The one who goes about repeating matters… and often embellishing… gossiping… spreading rumors… separates friends… turns friend against friend.
d. But Solomon also gives us a solution to this ongoing problem among friends: LOVE covers a transgression!
e. If a trouble maker tries to stir up controversy among your friends, don’t AID him by spreading the gossip further!
f. Love covers it up… love buries it…
g. And even if the gossip is about you, love STILL is able to cover it up… bury it… don’t dwell on it… ignore it.
h. Remember, the trouble makers who spread such rumors are perverse; angry; proud; hateful liars. They often embellish stories… twist statements and quote you out of context.
i. Remember that, when you HEAR gossip. Things aren’t always as they seem when you hear one side of the story… especially when it comes from this kind of person.
j. Love buries it.
Proverbs 16:29
A Violent Man
Introduction:
In vs.27-29, Solomon speaks of different kinds of evil men:
1. vs. 27 – the ungodly man
2. vs. 28 – the froward man
3. vs. 29 – the violent man
1. Violent Defined:
a. Strong’s: violence; cruelty; injustice.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: strong, fierce, destructive force resulting in acts that maim, destroy, kill, often implying a lawlessness, terror, and lack of moral restraint.
c. Zodhiates: It implies cruelty, damage, and injustice; When it describes a person, it can mean an oppressor or a violent man (Prov. 3:31).
d. Gen. 6:13 – it is the term used for the reason for the flood: the earth was full of violence.
e. It is always used of a sinful type of violence… never of the violence of a storm or natural disaster.
f. It most often is translated violence, but also: cruelty; injustice; oppression.
g. The Hebrew term is “hamas.”
2. Enticeth
a. To be open; to be open minded; to be gullible; naïve; it came to mean to deceive someone who is gullible or naïve;
b. Thus: to entice, deceive, persuade, seduce.
c. Jud. 14:15 – it was used of Sampson’s wife “enticing” him to declare the riddle.
d. II Kings 22:20 – It was used of Michaiah the prophet who spoke of the Lord using a demon to “persuade” Ahab.
e. This term means to persuade—usually with language… verbally.
f. The term means persuasive speech that is used to convince a person… the salesman’s pitch… the attractive sounds and reasoning of the wolf in sheep’s clothing… the seducer’s line…
g. It also implies a bit of simplicity or naiveté on the part of the hearer… overly open minded… gullible…
3. The violent man enticeth his neighbor.
a. Prov. 1:10 – if sinners entice thee…
• Same word for entice
• Solomon assumes here that young men (and young women!) WILL be enticed by troublemakers.
• Vs. 11 – “If he SAY”—they will have enticing speech… they use words to entice…
• Vs. 11 – notice their violence: lay wait for blood!
• Vs. 11 – come with us! Be part of our group!
→ The bad crowd here entices the young man by offering him “membership”—“with us”!
→ There is attractiveness to belonging…
→ You can belong somewhere… you can be a part of our gang… the in crowd… the cool crowd…
→ There is a clear line being drawn in the Bible on this issue.
→ The evil crowd cries to the young man: “Come with us!”
→ God’s Word says: “Come out from among them and be ye separate!” (II Cor. 6:14-18)
→ Whose fellowship and companionship do you want?
• Vs. 13 – they have persuasive arguments… which can be quite alluring to the simple… they speak only of the positive side of their sinful deeds…
• Vs. 14 – they make themselves sound like a “brotherhood”! We will all have one purse! We take good care of each other!
• Vs. 10 – consent thou not!
• Vs. 15 – stay away from them!
• Solomon knows that they are up to no good… and that their persuasive speech is not quite accurate. They leave out some key issues: like getting caught! (vs.18 – they ruin their own lives.)
1. Prov. 1:10-14 – This man is not content just to sin. He wants to lead others along with him.
a. Lead = to walk;
b. Strong’s: lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk.
c. It is the word translated “come” in Prov. 1:10;
d. It is translated “come” in 7:18 – the harlot inviting the young man to come into her house.
e. It is an invitation… walking someone down a pathway…
f. It can be used in a good sense. It is the term used for God leading the children of Israel. But here it is obviously used in an evil sense… leading in a way that is not good.
g. The GOAL or AIM of this violent man is to lead YOU down a path that is not good.
2. The tactic he uses is satanic.
a. Satan is violent… he was a murderer from the beginning.
b. Satan seeks to entice and allure us… and Satan uses people… and speech to lure us away.
c. Satan also seeks to lead us away from the straight and narrow path into a way that is not good!
d. When a sinner entices us we should hear the hissing of the devil behind those words! Stay away!
3. Prov. 3:31 – Don’t envy him and don’t chose any of his ways! (oppressor = violent man.)
a. Why would anyone ENVY such a violent man?
• Because there is something attractive about sin.
• There is a pleasure to sin.
• The drug dealer often has fancy clothes and an expensive car…
• But later on those fancy clothes are usually exchanged for an orange jump suit… and instead of sitting in the driver’s seat of his Lexus, he is sitting on a hard bench in a jail cell.
• But the simple and the gullible DO often envy this person BEFORE he gets caught.
b. Don’t CHOOSE his ways.
• Don’t choose his ways… because you may also be choosing his END…
• There is something glitzy, glamorous and attractive about his lifestyle before he gets caught.
• But there is nothing glitzy about his life after he gets caught!
• Even APART from the fact that it is sin against a holy God… even by examining the evidence according to life under the sun (earth)… the wise decision is to stay away!
4. The violent man will lead you in a way that is not good.
a. It is not honest, nor honorable, nor safe.
b. It is not proper, beneficial, right.
c. It is a direction that takes one AWAY from God and the narrow path.
d. This is true of violence (street gangs); drug abuse; drinking; stealing; sexual sins; corruption of all stripes;
e. There are all kinds of evil men… with all kinds of alluring ways… seeking to lead you down all kinds of evil pathways…
f. There is an evil pathway for every evil inclination man has ever devised.
5. This sort of person aims to ruin others. Misery loves company.
a. Often times he allures others into his corruption so he doesn’t look so bad! If he can drag you down, it makes him look better!
b. If he can drag you down, he has bragging rights.
c. If he can get an otherwise “good kid” to follow his ways, then he doesn’t feel so vile.
d. Rom. 1:32 – they not only commit such sins, but DELIGHT when others do it too!
6. II Chron. 18:1-3 –
a. Ahab killed sheep and oxen for godly King Jehoshaphat in abundance…
b. Ahab PERSUADED him to go to battle with him at Ramoth-Gilead.
• Ahab, the evil king of Israel, the Baal worshipper, somehow convinced Jehoshaphat through enticing speech to join with him.
• Ahab heaped on the accolades, gifts, banquet, compliments… and Jehoshaphat fell for it…
• It’s hard NOT to be taken in when someone is buttering you up like that!
• Jehoshaphat was persuaded and nearly to his own ruin!
7. Don’t allow yourself to be duped by such men.
a. You are warned: they are out there!
b. And they are not out for your good… but for your ruin.
c. MANY have fallen prey to their evil enticements.
d. Don’t YOU fall for their enticing speech.
e. That is the obvious purpose for Solomon writing this proverb. It comes to us as a warning.
f. Do not be partakers of other men’s sins.
g. II Pet. 3:16-18 – Peter warns believers about corrupt men who seek to allure us into false teachings and bring us to spiritual ruin!
• Since you KNOW this—you have been warned; Beware!
• If not, then we too could be deceived and FALL!
• Growing in the knowledge of God will keep us safe!
• Come out from among them and be ye separate!
Proverbs 16:30
Bringing Evil to Pass
Introduction:
1. In vs. 27-29, Solomon speaks of different kinds of evil men:
a. vs. 27 – the ungodly man
b. vs. 28 – the froward man
c. vs. 29 – the violent man
2. In verse 30, Solomon continues to speak about the evil man… with a different warning for us all.
a. In vs. 27 we are warned of the ungodly man’s propensity towards gossip and slander.
b. In vs.28 we were warned of the froward man’s desire to separate chief friends.
c. In vs. 29 we are warned of the violent man’s tendency to lure the simple astray… down his evil pathway.
3. Now, in vs. 30, we are given additional warnings about evil men… something else to be aware of… and alert to.
a. They have lots of different ways of carrying out their evil intentions and deeds.
WHAT HE DOES
A. He Shuts His Eyes
1. Shuts his eyes = winking with his eyes.
a. This word “shut” is only used once in the Bible.
b. This is not the same term as is used of winking elsewhere in the Old Testament.
c. But it seems to be a synonym in this context for “wink.”
2. He shuts his eye (winks) in order to communicate something.
a. Today, winking has several meanings: “I’m kidding”, flirting, “go along with what I’m saying even though it is a lie…”
b. Lots of messages can be communicated with our eyes: suspicion… surprise… disgust… disbelief… mocking…
c. Evidently, winking had a similar meaning in ancient times.
d. Thus, it can either be quite innocent or evil.
e. Solomon obviously had an evil wink in mind here: (context)
3. Solomon spoke earlier of winking in an evil sense.
a. Prov. 6:12-14 – the froward or evil man.
• Vs. 12 – The wicked man has a wicked mouth! He says evil things.
• Vs. 13 – But his ability to communicate his evil intentions is not limited to his wicked mouth: it extends to his eyes, feet, and fingers!
• He has lots of ways to communicate evil.
• He uses body language…
• Vs. 14 – frowardness is in his heart… and it works its way out through many different channels: mouth, eyes, feet, fingers…
• He is able to communicate evil even without opening his mouth!
• Vs. 14 – he is continually devising mischief and sowing discord. (same context as chapter 16)
• The whole BEING of the wicked man is utilized in carrying out his evil deeds: not just his words and deeds… but much more subtle means… are utilized: his eyes, feet, fingers, etc…
b. Prov. 10:10 – he causes sorrow.
• This is obviously another evil result of winking.
• This man winks… and the end result is that people are hurt… it causes sorrow to someone…
• It was designed to make fun of someone… to lie to someone… to harm them in one way or another.
• Winking involves two or more people. One person winks AT another person… or perhaps at a group of people.
• It is done behind the back of someone else… to deceive them…
• It is a way of making division… us against him or against them.
• It involves some folks who are “in” on the deception, and others who are left in the dark.
• There is the one who winks and his accomplices AND the one who is being deceived.
c. Ps. 35:19 – the psalmist also spoke of the evil intentions that are often associated with winking.
d. Shutting one’s eyes… or winking is one way to communicate intentions… good or bad.
e. Solomon is warning us that evil men have many tricks up their sleeves in order to carry out their evil plans.
f. They cause sorrow to someone…
B. He Moves His Lips
1. “Moves” defined:
a. Strong’s: to narrow; form; nip; pinch; squeeze; wink.
b. Interestingly, this word “move” is the word usually translated “wink.” (as in Prov. 6:13 and 10:10)
c. It means to pinch… squeeze…
d. It can be used of the eye or the mouth.
e. With the eye it is what we call a “wink.”
f. With the mouth it is more like “puckering” the lips… squeezing them together.
2. Today we don’t think of moving the lips as we do of winking.
a. Everyone knows what a wink is today.
b. But even though we don’t use the term, we DO use our lips to silently communicate… without saying a word.
c. Twisting our lips… or puckering up our lips can communicate that we don’t believe a person… or we doubt the truthfulness of what he is saying.
d. It can even communicate that we think what he is saying is foolish or ridiculous.
e. The expression Solomon used “moving the lips” or squeezing the lips might be open to interpretation…
f. But the context here seems to imply he is speaking about something similar in meaning to winking.
g. And it has the same evil result: bringing evil to pass.
3. The warning is clear: evil men use facial expressions to communicate.
a. Have you ever seen the wise guy in school make a facial expression to the class after the teacher tells the class to quiet down?
b. He communicates to the class: “Who does she think she is? or “Yeah, right!” or “That’s what she thinks!”
c. That school wise guy grows up to be a leader of the punks hanging around on the corner… and does the same thing when the policeman tells them to move on…
d. He later advances to become a drug dealer… and is able to communicate and give orders to his street dealers… right in plain sight… without saying a word.
e. Or maybe he gets a job and is able to demonstrate the same kind of sarcasm in the office… that he did in the classroom. Only now instead of behind the teacher’s back, it is behind the boss’ back.
f. The videos coming from Al Qaeda are studied carefully not only for the verbal messages, but also for the non-verbal messages sent out… (wink; hand gestures; etc.)
g. Of course, facial expressions can also be used for good. Solomon is not saying that all facial gestures are evil.
h. But he is warning us that evil men USE them for their evil purposes – so beware!
i. Learn to read not only the words, but the mood, the gestures, and other subtle, non verbal forms of communication.
WHY HE DOES IT
A. To Devise Froward Things
1. Devise: to think; plan; esteem; calculate; invent; make a judgment; imagine; to regard; to invent; to consider.
2. Evil men wink as they think, plan, and invent evil designs.
3. They can use winking to recruit, to identify themselves, to cover a lie, and even as a sign to send someone out on an evil deed.
4. He seeks to devise froward things. (Cf. vs. 28 – the froward man sows strife and separates chief friends…)
5. He can sow strife with a wink of the eye! He can separate friends with the wink of an eye!
B. To Bring Evil to Pass
1. Here Solomon speaks about the evil that can be brought to pass by means of winking with the mouth… or puckering or contorting the lips.
2. cf. 16:27 – the ungodly man digs up evil… and seeks to bring evil to pass.
3. Without saying a word, the evil man can bring evil to pass… and cause all kinds of heartache and grief for others… with mere facial expressions.
4. They use subtle facial expression to carry out deception, fraud, and other forms of evil.
5. They are as subtle as serpents…
6. What makes these facial gestures evil is the INTENT behind them.
7. They can be used jokingly in good fun… or innocently. But they can also be used for evil… that’s Solomon’s point here.
8. Therefore: BE DISCERNING! Observe more than just the words in a conversation. Take note of other subtle forms of communication… especially with evil men!
OTHER POSSIBLE INTERPRETATIONS:
A. He shuts his eyes in meditation and planning evil and he then moves his lips to carry out those evil plans.
1. He shuts his eyes to shut out all distractions and to concentrate on his evil designs…
2. Then he moves his mouth to order his plans into being.
B. He shuts his eyes to evil that he sees and says nothing about it to prevent it from occurring.
1. He shuts his eyes to the evil that he sees around him… and squeezes his mouth shut… he doesn’t say anything either.
2. In other words, this evil man sees no evil, hears no evil, and says nothing about it… he ALLOWS evil to thrive all around him… and is thus complicit with the evil.
Proverbs 16:31
The Hoary Head
A. The Hoary Head
1. Hoary head:
a. Strong’s: age; gray hair.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: a state or condition of having a gray or white head of hair, with the associated meanings of wisdom, weakness, or old age that is nearer to death.
c. It is translated as: gray hair; gray head; hoary head; old age.
2. Solomon uses the term (as it is often used) as a figurative way of describing: old age… not simply to the color of one’s hair.
a. Remember that these are proverbs.
b. They do not cover every possible situation… but are generalizations of truth.
c. While everyone ages over time, NOT everyone goes gray…
d. Some people go gray and even white in their 20’s.
e. Solomon is referring to the color of one’s hair as an outward, visible sign of age…– not just the color of one’s hair.
f. And gray hair, a visible sign of old age, seen on top of a person’s head is then likened to a “crown.”
B. A Crown of Glory
1. Crown of glory: the figure defined:
a. Crown: diadem or wreath; adornment worn on the head often as a symbol of power, authority, rulership or high status.
b. Prov. 12:4 – a virtuous wife is a crown to her husband. Referring to her as a crown means that she is something that he GLORIES in!
c. A crown also was used of a reward for service… something to glory in! (This usage is found more in the New Testament.)
d. In the Old Testament, the emphasis of the figurative use of a crown was primarily something prized… gloried in… and a symbol of high status and honor… like royalty!
e. Isa. 28:5 – God Himself is the CROWN for His people. A man’s association with God is a crown of glory on his head… a wreath or diadem of beauty.
• For the Christian to be associated with God as one of His people… is a great honor and a high privilege!
• It is a HIGH STATUS to belong to Him… it is a high calling… a glorious position for us!
• I John 3:1 – Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!
• For Israel, this honor and high privilege was symbolized as a CROWN.
• It is in this sense that Solomon used the figure.
f. GLORY:
• This is not the term for glory used most often in the Old Testament. It has a slightly different emphasis.
• It means: beauty, splendor, honor, —the state or quality of giving high attribution or status to someone.
• It doubly fortifies the meaning of the phrase: BOTH crown and glory refer to high honor and status
2. The HONOR associated with a hoary head in the Bible:
a. Prov. 4:7-9 – Gray hair implies wisdom…
• Wisdom is valued! It is the principle—the first and most important thing!
• Solomon is telling his YOUNG son that this is what he should be striving for over the years…
• It comes little by little over time…
• And it is a crown of glory!
• And by the time your hair is gray and you are old, you should have accumulated MUCH of it!
• That hoary head ought to be a symbol of high honor and status… because associated with age is WISDOM!
• Job 12:12 – With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
» Job expresses shock that his 3 aged friends did not seem to have wisdom… when it was the norm!
b. Prov. 20:29 – old age is something to GLORY in.
• As young men glory in their strength (same term for glory as in 16:31) old men ought to glory in their hoary head (same term).
• Young men like to wear those muscle T-shirts to show off their strength. They are proud of their strength. (That is often vanity… but that’s another story.)
• The point is that young men DO glory in their strength. They are not ashamed of it… but glory in it.
• They don’t try to hide it. They often like to show it off.
• Over time physical strength diminishes naturally… and is replaced with a strength that is much more valuable.
• As age progresses and physical strength diminishes, men normally become strong in maturity, wisdom, experience, discernment…
• That is what older men and women should glory in! That’s their glory!
• It should not be gloried in in a vain or showy manner.
• But it SHOULD be something that is highly esteemed… valued… prized… respected… honored…
c. Gray hair implies wisdom… maturity… experience… discernment… grace…
• These are considered worthy of glory. (Not hair color.)
• We should glory in age for these reasons.
3. God honors age… (Not surprisingly: One of His names is the Ancient of Days!)
a. Ps. 92:14 – they shall still bring forth fruit in old age.
• Valuable service to God does not end when a person retires.
• There can and should be FRUIT in that life… that continues.
b. Titus 2:2-5 – older, more mature believers are valuable! They are to teach the younger…
c. Those God chose to lead the church were to be ELDERS… not novices… mature ones…
4. Lev. 19:32 – Rise up in honor and respect before the hoary head… and it is the ANCIENT of Days who has given us this command!
a. Age should be honored… exalted… respected… by us as believers.
b. Rev. 1:14 – Interestingly, Christ, in His exalted, glorified human body appears NOT as a 25 year old—in the prime of His physical strength… but as a man with WHITE hair!
5. Our culture glories in youth.
a. When gray hairs begin to show, people panic and cover it up with dye.
b. We spend billions and billions of dollars to avoid looking old.
c. Women dye their hair, wrinkle removers, face-lifts, tummy tucks, etc…
d. Even men are starting to do some of these things… to look young.
e. It is almost as if we considered looking old to be equivalent to the plague!
f. Here is a sad commentary on our culture:
• The Bible exalts old age. It says that gray hair and other visible signs of aging are things we should glory in.
• Yet our culture says that it is something we should dread like the plague!
g. This is not the case in other cultures around the world. Most other cultures show more respect for age than we do.
• And whether those cultures are Buddhist, Islam, Hindu, or completely secular… on this point, they are right and we are wrong.
• And that IS a sad commentary, when cultures influenced more by such paganism are closer to the Biblical norm than America—supposedly influenced by Biblical Christianity!
• Times have changed in our land…
• Isa. 3:5 – it is a sign of a decadent society when age and positions of honor worthy of respect are NOT given respect!
6. We should take warning from this.
a. We are hearing a lot today about CULTURE… and it is often given as an excuse to bring about radical changes in the way we do things as Christians.
• “It’s ok for me to do this. It is a “cultural thing.”
• Well certainly there are many cultural issues that are completely without any real relevance to truth or morality.
• However, there are SOME cultural issues that are blatantly CONTRARY to Scripture.
• This is one example where our culture is WRONG.
• It may be in harmony with our culture to NOT show respect to the elderly… but scripturally it is DEAD WRONG!
• Just because a practice has been accepted by a culture, that does not make it right.
• If it is contrary to the Bible, it is NOT right.
• The Christian is to live out of harmony with his culture on that point. We walk to the beat of a different drummer.
• And to the degree that we DO that—we are a testimony before the world… a light in darkness.
• This is an area where we as parents need to TRAIN children in God’s Word.
b. Isa. 3:4 – Children in positions of leadership is a sign of divine judgment.
• Babes in positions of authority is an awful form of judgment!
• The meaning of course is that instead of older, mature, wise leadership, they would have youthful inexperience and folly at the helm!
• That is NEVER a good idea… and it is not a good idea in the churches today either!
• Where do you think this new wave music and new forms of worship came from that seem to be taking over the churches across the country?
» From the older, wise, more mature believers who have grown in grace and in the knowledge of Christ… and are thus discerning enough to tell the difference between holy and unholy…
» OR from the youth… inexperienced in life and inexperienced in the Christian life… babes… and often worldly and carnal… lacking discernment and good judgment?
• Putting the youth in charge is not a way to be “relevant.” It is pure folly… and there will be a price to pay down the road.
• Our culture glories in youth… and eventually, it will come back to bite us.
• In contrast to our culture, the Bible says that age is a CROWN of glory!
1. Unfortunately, age does not ALWAYS bring wisdom and maturity.
a. It is the NORM, but there are many sad exceptions.
b. There are lots of 60-year-old teenagers who never grew up… and are still as foolish as they were in their youth.
c. Ecc. 4:13 – Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king. Some kings were quite childish, selfish, and foolish.
2. But when found in the way of righteousness age is a crown of glory.
a. When that is not the case, that hoary head is a crown of shame.
b. May God help us to grow in wisdom and not folly… grace and not disgrace.
Proverbs 16:32
The Value of Self Control
1. This is one of MANY “better than” proverbs.
a. Just in this chapter alone we have seen several: 16:8, 16, 19, 32
b. Consider the parallel in this verse:
• Slow to anger = rules his spirit
• The mighty = he that takes a city
2. Slow to Anger…
a. Slow Defined:
• Strong’s: slow; patient.
• Zodhiates: drawn out; long.
b. Used in:
• Ex. 34:6 – “longsuffering”—a characteristic of God; it is used 4X of God’s longsuffering
• Every other time it occurs it is in the expression: slow to wrath or slow to anger.
• One other occurrence: it is used to describe the long wings of an eagle.
• Nahum 1:3 – “the Lord is slow to anger.” (Same words.)
c. With respect to anger it speaks of being long-fused before one blows up…
• Patient with respect to anger…
• Not easily or quickly angered… but SLOW to anger…
• It refers to patience… but not the kind of patience needed when waiting for a bus; but the kind of patience needed when someone insults you… or cuts you off in traffic… or when someone yells at you.
• The issue really has to do with SELF CONTROL… with respect to anger.
d. James 1:19 – we are COMMANDED to be slow to anger!
• We like to excuse our anger and call it “righteous indignation.”
• There is such a thing… however, it is always CONTROLLED anger! Hence, it is patient in anger… not hasty.
• If we are NOT slow to anger, it is SIN. Blowing up is sin.
• Even if we have good cause for anger, if it is hasty and we blow up, it is disobedience.
• . Everybody gets angry. And there are two kinds of people who get angry: those who get angry slowly and those who get angry hastily.
3. The value of being SLOW to anger
a. Prov. 14:17 – he deals foolishly.
• “He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.”
• This man is the opposite of the man who is SLOW to anger. He is HASTY to anger.
• He blows up, and then he has to live with the consequences of his folly!
• This is the type of sin that has its judgment built right in!
• Being SOON angry = defined:
» Weak, few, hasty… impatient… (opposite of being SLOW to anger; this is hasty to anger).
» It means literally short of something: namely, of might, strength.
» Hence, it refers to someone who is short of internal strength when it comes to dealing with anger.
» Thus, the anger CONTROLS him… and he has no internal restraint against it.
» It just comes out!
• He is short tempered… a hot head… flies off the handle… short fused… easily irritated…
• We have ALL been there at times (too many times), but Solomon states here that some folks are more prone to this than others…
• Solomon speaks of this TYPE of man in this verse.
b. This impatient hot head deals foolishly:
• He does and says things that he regrets later…
• But it’s too late then. The damage is done.
c. The proverb progresses by adding another level to this kind of sin: the man who is soon angry is a man of wicked devices.
• AND people HATE him for it!
• You can deal with a person blowing up on occasion… from time to time…
• Love covers a multitude of sin. It is something that needs to be overlooked… grace extended.
• But when it is a HABIT… everyday… without ceasing, it is hard to deal with.
• Such people LOSE FRIENDS fast!
• When this characterizes either a husband or a wife, it is very hard to keep that marriage together.
• This kind of uncontrolled anger gets OLD in a hurry… and is very hard to live with day in and day out.
d. This poor person is to be pitied (he/she) is continually blowing up and having to live with the consequences of their folly… AND they are constantly making enemies…
e. Prov. 14:29 – The man who is SLOW to anger is of great understanding.
• In other words, this is a form of wisdom.
• It is folly to be hasty to anger… it demonstrates great understanding to be SLOW to anger.
• What does this man understand?
» Prov. 27:3 – That you can get HURT because of anger!
» By lifting up a heavy rock, you are taking on a burden. It might throw out your back and cause pain to linger for months to come!
» Anger is like that! It causes a lot of pain that lingers…
» Words of anger are like swords. You can stab someone with the sword of your words in an outburst of anger… and then apologize.
» BUT—the pain lingers. Healing takes time… wounds don’t heal instantly when the apology comes.
• The man who is slow to anger understands how DANGEROUS anger is…
» and how painful outbursts of anger can be…
» and how much damage can be done in one moment…
» and how long it takes to heal.
» Thus, before he blows up… he pauses to consider the consequences.
» Slowing it down gives us time to think it through. And thinking is always a good idea!
» The man who is slow to anger is of GREAT understanding!
f. Prov. 12:16 – fools let their wrath be known right away.
• Everybody gets angry. But different kinds of people deal with it differently.
» Wise men cover it up. The wise man recognizes that uncontrolled anger is SHAMEFUL. He learns to HATE it…
• Fools blurt it all out.. and thus make it known. He does not hate it enough to deal with it. He does not see how shameful his anger is (the things he says and does when angry!)
4. “He that ruleth his spirit”.
a. This is another way of saying “he that is slow to anger”
b. The two sides of this proverb are equal.
c. This teaches us something about anger: it is a matter of RULING one’s spirit… one’s inner man.
d. Prov. 19:19 – If one does NOT deal with anger… it gets easier and easier to blow up. A habit of life is developed. And you will need rescuing ad infinitum!
e. The New Testament tells us that this is IMPOSSIBLE in our own strength.
• We are powerless before anger.
• Our sin nature ENSLAVES us and has DOMINION over us… when we attempt to rule our own spirit.
• Paul tried ruling his own spirit and was a miserable failure.
• Rom. 7:14 – the law said, “Be slow to anger.” Paul agreed that it was the right thing to do and tried and failed! Repeatedly! He discovered that he was carnal… he had a fleshly nature too powerful for him to overcome.
• Rom. 7:15 – I DO get angry, but I don’t allow it. I know it is wrong. And what I want to do (be slow to anger) that do I not! But what I hate (getting angry), that’s what I seem to always end up doing!
• Rom. 7:16 – I agree with the law that it is wrong and sinful…
• Rom. 7:17 – It is not the new Paul in Christ… but it is my sin nature within!
• Rom. 7:22-23 – I delight in the law… BUT I am continually overpowered by sins like ANGER…
• Rom. 7:24 – Crying out to God for strength was his victory! Acknowledging his absolute impotence… and crying out to God for mercy… to rely upon Him entirely.
• This is the ONLY way of victory over anger. FAITH is the victory.
f. We need to acknowledge that we CANNOT rule our spirit. It requires the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit!
• Only when we acknowledge our weakness are we strong spiritually.
• That’s all God wants from us: acknowledgement—in other words, BELIEVING what He has already said about us… our flesh dwells no good thing… and believing involves trusting in Him… relying upon Him and His power.
• This kind of faith involves a close heart relationship to the Lord… an abiding relationship… ongoing communion with Him throughout the day… conscience of His indwelling presence at all times… trusting in His indwelling power at all times…
• There is no quick gimmick to overcoming anger. There is no gum you can chew like the gum that helps you quit smoking. Endless counseling sessions won’t cure it. Don’t bother trying a hypnotist. The answer is found in Romans 6-8!
1. Solomon states that conquering oneself is BETTER than conquering a city!
a. The person with inner strength enough to have victory over the sin nature demonstrates a might SUPERIOR to the might of a great warrior!
b. Experiencing victory over anger… over our own selves… requires more strength, wisdom, and constant care than is required to conquer a city!
c. It is easier to subdue an enemy without than the one within!
2. Alexander the Great, who conquered the world, was a slave to intemperate anger, and in a fit of anger he slew Cleitus, the best and most intimate of all his friends, and one whom he loved beyond all others.
3. The one who victors over anger is greater than Alexander the Great! Mightier than the US army! Stronger than any military leader the world has ever seen.
4. Military might often leaves battlegrounds covered with corpses… buildings destroyed… lives ruined.
5. This kind of conquering destroys NOTHING… but base, evil passions… and replaces it with peace and kindness.
Proverbs 16:33
The Lord of the Lot
The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.
The Simple Meaning of Verse
1. A “lot” –
a. Probably stones, sticks, or broken pieces of pottery, which were thrown down, and a predetermined meaning was attached to how they landed.
b. Sometimes they were blindly picked out of a container.
c. The names might be written on the stones and the name on the stone chosen determines the winner.
2. “Lap” = bosom; breast; fold in a garment; a hollow area; floor of a chariot—several meanings.
a. It may refer to the place where the lot landed…
b. It may refer to the bottom of an urn into which stones were cast and out of which they were drawn…
3. The exact manner in which this practice was carried out may have varied… but it was a common practice in those days.
4. Similar practices exist today in various forms.
a. The lottery is a casting of lots—randomly chosen numbers to determine the winner
b. Flipping of a coin…
c. Drawing straws or sticks or cards…
5. The main point of the passage is not the exact process, but the outcome.
6. The disposing thereof is of the Lord.
a. Disposing: a decision; a judgment; a sentence; the act of deciding a case.
b. Used in Deut. 1:17 – the judgment is the Lord’s.
c. I Kings 20:40 – translated judgment (meaning decision)
d. Num. 27:21 – Urim – used for making judgments or decisions.
7. The LORD controls the outcome.
a. The final sentence… determination… judgment… or decision… is in the hands of God.
b. The point is that God is sovereign over the tiniest details in this world… from the flipping of a coin to the outcome of casting of lots…
c. When a lot is cast or a coin is flipped, we think of the outcome as mere chance.
d. Ecc. 9:11 – I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
• That is the thinking of the man “under the sun”—apart from God.
• That is the thinking of the natural man in the natural realm
e. In Prov. 16:33, Solomon says that it is not just random chance, but Jehovah God who determines the outcome… a sovereign God who providentially controls the most minute detail of life on earth: from raising up the next world emperor to the casting of a lot…
God DID Use the Casting of Lots to Reveal His Will
1. The casting of lots was used to determine which goat would be the sin offering and which goat would be the scapegoat. (Lev. 16:9-10)
2. The casting of lots was used to determine the portioning of the land of Canaan among the twelve tribes. (Num. 26:55; Josh. 18:6,11)
3. The casting of lots was used to reveal who was guilty of sin and Achan was brought to justice. (Josh. 7:16)
4. The casting of lots was used by David to determine which of the sons of Aaron would serve in what capacity in the service of the Lord. (I Chron. 24:3-5)
5. All throughout the history of Israel, God used the casting of lots to reveal His will.
6. In fact, Israel even has a religious FEAST dedicated to the “lot.”
a. The Feast of Purim: pur is the Babylonian term for “lot.”
b. The wicked Haman cast pur (lots) to determine how and when to destroy the Jews out of the land. (Esther 3:7)
• The Persians were extremely superstitious… and relied on fate… the god of chance.
• Interestingly, God’s name never appears in the book of Esther.
• Instead, God works behind the scenes… invisibly… overseeing all… turning chance on its head… and demonstrating Himself to be sovereign over chance…
• The pur was cast by Haman to determine evil against Israel.
• But what Haman did not realize was that when the lot is cast, the whole disposing thereof was of the LORD God of Israel!
c. The whole book of Esther is about incredible chances…
• by chance Esther became queen instead of Vashti…
• by chance he chose a Jewess!
• By chance the man who discovered the plot to kill the king happened to be the uncle of Esther…
• Esther took a CHANCE by walking into the royal throne uninvited…
• By chance there just happened to be some gallows made by Haman to be used to hang Haman!
d. The Book of Esther explains that the feast of Purim is a celebration of God’s miraculous deliverance of His people from Haman.
• What appeared to be an event of chance was, in reality, the sovereign intervention of God.
e. The world is not governed by time and chance, but by the Lord God who created, sustains, and governs the entire universe… including determining how a coin lands… and how the lot is cast.
7. God CONTROLLED the outcome of the casting of lots.
a. This was true in the many instances we saw in the Old Testament.
b. In fact, the Lord controlled the outcome of such lots even when cast out of superstition or in unbelief!
• The casting of lots was used by superstitious pagans to determine who was responsible for the storm at sea… and the lot fell on Jonah. (Jonah 1:7)
• The casting of lots was used by Saul to determine who was guilty of violating Saul’s order not to eat… and Jonathan (the guilty party) was revealed through the lot. (I Sam. 14)
• Lots were cast by the unbelieving soldiers for the garments of Christ… and the disposing of that was controlled by the Lord. (John 19:24)
• God is sovereign over the outcome of the casting of lots whether they are cast by the High Priest, by David, or unbelieving pagans!
8. There were some other unusual ways in which God revealed His will in the Old Testament.
a. Urim and Thummim
b. Ephod
c. Dreams; visions;
d. Fleece – a miracle was required for this one.
e. Circumstances: such as when Abraham’s servant, sent out to find a wife for Isaac, said, “which ever woman says, “Drink and I will give thy camels drink also” will be the one! And that’s how God led him to Rebekah!
Conclusion:
1. Should the believer today cast lots to determine the will of God?
a. Is that the message of this passage?
b. Should we flip a coin to determine who teaches the Sunday school class?
c. Should we roll the dice to select a new pastor?
d. Should we draw straws to determine which job to take?
e. Should we put out a fleece to see if we should opt for surgery?
f. I am convinced that MANY believers today put out fleeces of all stripes in determining God’s will.
g. I know that there is a lot of superstition used in it too.
2. Is there ever a time when we should use such a practice? I think the answer is YES.
a. Prov. 18:18 – It might be used not to determine God’s will, but perhaps to end a debate on a matter of no spiritual consequence.
b. Who goes for the donuts…
c. Or choosing a winner in a VBS contest when there was a tie…
d. It is FAIR because it takes the outcome OUT OF our control… and thus removes all bias. It ends the debate.
e. But it should NOT be used to determine God’s will in serious matters of service, morality, or other important issues.
3. Fleeces and casting of lots were used all throughout the Old Testament.
a. The casting of lots was used—even in the New Testament, to who would replace Judas among the apostles… and the lot fell on Mathias. (Acts 1:26)
b. And notice that Acts 1 is the very last occurrence of the practice in the New Testament.
c. It is as if God had them use the lot here in determining His will and recorded in the very last verse before the church age begins…
d. In the next verse (Acts 2:1…) we have the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell believers… to lead believers…
e. And there is not one more mention of lots after this.
f. I don’t think that is an accident… it was not mere CHANCE that put verse 1:26 immediately before 2:1!
g. This was God’s sovereign and providential choice.
h. Today, we have the completed canon of Scripture.
i. We are looking at “principles to guide us in the age of grace” in Sunday school.
j. And we are all indwelt by deity.
k. Today, we have something much better than casting lots, drawing straws, or rolling dice.
l. Today, sons of God are recognized by the fact that they are led by the Spirit… not by straws, dice, or lots.
m. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:14)
4. And as believers, things that others might consider mere chance, we should see as the Lord working behind the scenes… He is LORD of all… sovereign over every tiny event… and should be praised as such.
