Proverbs
Notes on Proverbs – Chapter 18
Proverbs 18:1
The Recluse
Introduction:
1. The sources I have checked indicate that this passage is translated variously—because the underlying Hebrew is a bit ambiguous and hard to translate.
2. Thus, it has been given various interpretations. It is one of those difficult passages.
3. It can be taken in either a positive or negative sense.
a. Positively it is interpreted as describing a man who seeks wisdom with great desire and diligence.
b. Negatively, it warns against a self-centered kind of person who continually defies conventional wisdom.
4. These are two completely different meanings… only one can be correct.
5. I am going to go along with the majority opinion here—the negative sense.
a. My reason is not because the majority is always right, but because it makes the most sense.
b. The positive side is forced to either ignore completely or twist the meaning of the term “intermeddleth” in order to arrive at their conclusion.
1. Desire:
a. Delight; bounty; craving greed.
b. It indicates something that is attractive and delightful to the eyes, desirable.
c. It means the desire, the longings, or the cravings of the human heart…
d. It is the term used in Gen. 3:6 – when Eve saw the forbidden tree—a tree desired to make one wise.
e. It is used in Ps. 10:3 – For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
f. Like the word for lust = the context must determine whether it is a good or an evil desire.
g. But the basic meaning of this term is the inner cravings of the heart.
h. The inner cravings of a fallen heart are usually evil.
2. Note the word SEEKETH in this passage.
a. This verb is to be connected with the idea of DESIRE.
b. The man Solomon describes seeks his own desire.
c. Darby translated it, “he seeks his pleasure”
d. It is translated various as:
• Seeks his own desire…
• Pursues selfish desires…
• Pursues selfish ends…
e. It would be understood like this: Through his own desires and inner cravings a man seeks…
f. In other words, he is seeking his own pleasure or cravings.
1. This expression tells us something else about this person.
2. This term means just as it appears: to separate…
3. It is used of persons parting, going separate ways (Gen. 13:9; Ruth 1:17).
4. It has the sense of being separate from, not a part of, not mixing with (Esth. 3:8).
a. Here it is used of the Jews who were separated… and scattered among all nations.
b. Yet they were diverse from all people. They did not mingle or mix with others.
c. They kept to themselves. They did not assimilate.
5. This seems to be the meaning in Proverbs.
a. Solomon is speaking about a man who CRAVES to be separate from all others… who does not mingle in society…
b. The Bible versions translated this term variously as:
• “recluse”
• Another as a “loner,”
• A couple as “one who isolates himself.”
• A couple also translated this term as “an unfriendly man.”
c. Solomon speaks of a man who has isolated himself from society… one who does not interact with other people… a loner… a recluse… one who stays to himself and avoids social contact.
6. He not only behaves in this antisocial manner, but his heart CRAVES it.
a. He has no interest in other people…
b. He loves the hermit type life…
c. He enjoys being a loner…
d. He doesn’t want to hear what others have to say or what others are doing.
7. However, his thinking and his behavior are not right.
a. Gen. 2:18 – God made man as a SOCIAL creature—one who needs fellowship and social contact with others.
b. It is not good for a man to be alone.
c. Of course there are some who choose to remain single. That too is a gift from God.
d. But even those who are single are not to live their lives ALONE.
e. There must be social contact… interaction with other people… contact… communication… relationships…
f. Henry David Thoreau may have thought it idyllic to live alone in a cabin on Walden Pond, but God made man to have fellowship with others—not to become a recluse.
8. When a person separates himself from interaction with others, he can become quite set in his ways…
He intermeddles with all wisdom
1. Intermeddle Defined:
a. To burst forth, to be obstinate.
b. To be inclined to be hostile and opposing toward another; to be in open, active, resistance.
c. It expresses quarreling and being obstinate by insisting on having one’s own way.
2. This expression is translated variously too:
a. Darby: he is vehement against all sound wisdom.
b. NKJV: He rages against all wise judgment.
c. He rebels against all sound judgment.
d. He rejects all sound judgment.
e. He quarrels against all sound wisdom
f. He defies all sound judgment.
g. Snarling at every sound principle of conduct.
h. Showing contempt for all who have sound judgment.
i. You get the idea…
3. Solomon reveals that this is the problem with the recluse. (among other things)
a. You can’t tell him anything! He’s set in his own ways.
b. He obstinately opposes counsel, advice, guidance, help, or warnings from others.
c. His thinking at times defies logic… he opposes words of wisdom… he snubs his nose at conventional wisdom…
d. His self centered desires, which turned him into a hermit, make him a virtual enemy of wisdom.
e. This is the kind of person we might consider “weird”, eccentric, an oddball.
f. As Americans we value the independent spirit. But Solomon is not speaking about that. He is talking about a man who is independent from society in a BAD sense…
g. He describes a man who lives by himself and begins to develop bizarre and unusual thought patterns.
4. Prov. 15:22 – a multitude of counselors is GOOD… and at times necessary.
a. The recluse avoids contact with such counselors…
b. Thus, he fails to gain the benefit he COULD receive from them… and from the wisdom they offer.
c. His plans never go right… because he opposes all offers of help and advice.
d. He has his own way of thinking… and won’t listen.
5. Example: Little Teddy Kaczynski—
a. He grew up in a loving home outside Chicago.
b. He was a brilliant young boy—and after high school he went on to graduate from Harvard.
c. From there he went to the University of Michigan and got a PhD in mathematics.
d. He became a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley.
e. BUT—he was aloof… and did not mingle with others.
f. Despite pleas from the department staff, Kaczynski resigned without explanation in 1969.
g. He moved away to live completely alone in a remote shack in Montana…
h. He began writing letters to universities warning them of the danger of technology…
i. He became obsessed with this thought… and living alone in this shack for decades, he rejected all conventional wisdom.
j. He wouldn’t listen to his family… or anyone.
k. Living alone and isolated from contact with all others, his thoughts became more and more bizarre.
l. To get the world’s attention to his bizarre beliefs, he began making bombs and sending them in the mail to universities and to airlines. This went on from the late 1970-1990’s.
m. He became known as the Unabomber.
n. Theodore Kaczynski is an example of the kind of social misfit Solomon describes—an extreme example…
o. He separated himself from all others, began seeking his own twisted desires, and opposed all counsel or wisdom offered from his loving family.
6. The Proverb states that the fault lies with the individual who SEPARATED himself from others… REJECTED wisdom and SOUGHT after his own desire…
a. This is the way of the fool…
b. There are several proverbs that speak of the folly of rejecting counsel.
c. But this one takes it a step further in stating the DANGER of isolating yourself from others… and from interaction with them.
d. A social misfit begins to THINK in unhealthy patterns of thought… and ultimately stands opposed to common sense and good judgment!
e. And, he has no one to blame but himself.
f. The social misfit CHOSE to seek after his own strange desires… to isolate himself from others… and he learns to oppose wisdom…
g. It started off seeking his own selfish, even twisted desires… and it leads down to a very dangerous slope…
7. That’s an extreme example… but we should take warning in our own lives.
a. Prov. 27:17 – iron sharpeneth iron.
• We NEED social interaction with others…
• And as believers we NEED spiritual fellowship.
• Without it we become dull… foolish… and develop some strange concepts of life…
b. Heb. 10:24-25 – don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together. We NEED fellowship.
• Believers who forsake fellowship can develop some bizarre views of Christianity!
Proverbs 18:2
A Fool’s Heart
Introduction:
1. This proverb speaks of a particular KIND of folly.
2. Solomon speaks of the kind of person who is not really interested in learning. He is only interested in spouting off his own opinion.
3. We’ve all met folks like this. Perhaps on occasion we have even BEHAVED like this.
4. Solomon warns us that it is folly. If it IS part of our personal character, it something that should be put away. It’s folly.
A. Fool Defined
1. This is the common word for fool in Proverbs.
2. This term is used 61 times in the Old Testament. 49 times in Proverbs.
3. Defined:
a. Fool; stupid fellow; dullard; simpleton; arrogant one.
b. One completely lacking understanding, implying to be a rebel against standard or person.
c. persons are usually unable to deal with life in a successful, practical way
B. Hath No Delight in Understanding
1. Delight defined:
a. Strong’s: delight in, take pleasure in, desire, be pleased with.
b. Delight, take pleasure in, be eager, i.e., have a fondness or affection for an object or experience; desire for.
2. Understanding Defined:
a. Strong’s: intelligence; insight.
b. Wisdom, i.e., capacity for discerning a right course of action; logic; reasoning; knowledge.
3. Solomon states that this kind of fool takes no pleasure in understanding.
a. He is not fond of learning.
b. He is not eager to obtain true knowledge.
c. Wisdom is not the object of his inward affection.
d. He is not pleased with understanding.
e. In this kind of fool, there is no inner hunger for learning; no drive for wisdom; no taste for reason.
f. What a man has no hunger for—he will not strive for.
g. And because he does not strive for it—he will never obtain it.
h. Prov. 17:16 – he has no heart for it.
4. Prov. 8:5 – they need an understanding heart…
a. Here Lady Wisdom is pleading with such fools, “BE” of an understanding heart!
b. She notices that they do NOT have an understanding heart and she wishes that they did. She WANTS them to have an understanding heart… and she offers them all the understanding they need to OBTAIN one.
c. But, sadly, she realizes that they do not have understanding.
d. The REASON here is that these kind of fools do not respond to her offers of wisdom.
5. Prov.18:2 gives us additional information as to WHY the fool does not have an understanding heart: he has no DELIGHT in it.
a. He doesn’t respond to the offers because he doesn’t LIKE it… he has no hunger or taste for it.
b. It is somewhat like a man who visits the doctor and is told that he is in danger of developing stomach cancer unless he eats lots of broccoli.
• The broccoli is readily available. It is offered to him—his wife cooks it and puts it on his plate.
• He desperately needs it. But he won’t eat it because he doesn’t like the taste of it.
• That is folly. He will suffer greatly from that folly too, yet his broccoli remains on his plate.
c. That is the kind of folly Solomon describes here.
• This fool desperately NEEDS an understanding heart.
• It is available. It is constantly put before him.
• People plead with him to take it in…
• But he has no delight in understanding… and leaves it on his plate.
• As a result, he will suffer greatly throughout life because of this folly.
d. If he would just take in a little, he might be able to develop a taste for it… he might even discover that it’s not so bad after all. But he refuses.
1. The heart
a. inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding
b. soul, spirit, self, i.e., the source of life of the inner person
c. inner self or being; personality
2. This term here speaks of the inner thoughts, desire, and emotions; what is going on INSIDE a man…
a. What goes on inside a man is not seen or heard by others unless it is communicated.
b. When people stand around in a group conversing and one person remains silent, you don’t really know what he’s thinking… what he’s feeling… what his view is.
c. Prov. 17:28 – if that person is a fool and keeps quiet, you might even assume that he is wise.
• He might be esteemed to be a man of understanding—even though he isn’t.
• But all that is contingent upon one thing: keeping his mouth shut!
• If he holds his peace, he is counted wise.
• That is so because others cannot READ his mind; you cannot tell what he is thinking or feeling simply by observing.
• What transpires on the inside is hidden from outside observers… UNTIL he opens his mouth.
• Solomon’s point in this proverb is that if this fool would just keep his mouth shut, he would be far better off!
• As soon as he opens his mouth, the cat is out of the bag—everyone knows he is a fool.
3. Discover itself.
a. Strong’s: uncover oneself; to discover or show oneself; to reveal himself.
b. To open up; reveal; make known.
c. To expose; to lay bare.
d. Lev. 20:18 – Used often in the Old Testament of “not discovering the nakedness of a person.”
e. But here is not used of discovering or exposing a person’s body or outward man… but rather, a discovering or exposing of his INNER man.
4. BUT — Solomon’s point: this kind of fool has no DELIGHT in learning.
a. BUT here’s what he DOES delight in: exposing his OWN inner thoughts and opinions.
b. He delights in discovering—exposing—laying bare—revealing—making known his own personal thoughts and ideas…
c. He delights in telling others his own views and opinions, but he does not delight in learning FROM others.
d. Prov. 29:11 – A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
• He loves to speak his mind… and tell others what his thoughts or views are (no matter how bizarre)…
• Now keep in mind, this fool does not POSSESS understanding… so when he spouts off his own opinion—it is usually a FOOLISH opinion.
e. But he has no taste for learning from others who POSSESS knowledge.
f. James 1:19 – He behaves the opposite of what James recommends: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak…”
• This man is slow to hear and swift to speak… He is a fool.
• Slow to hear—he won’t listen to others and learn. He has no appetite for it.
• But, he delights in exposing all the foolish thoughts that rattle around in his head… whatever he feels about a subject… whatever he thinks—regardless of how foolish his view might be.
g. One commentator summarized the folly of this fool this way: He has a “closed mind” and “open mouth.”
h. Now if he would just keep his mouth shut, we might think him to be wise and discerning.
i. But he CAN’T keep his mouth shut. He DELIGHTS in discovering to others—in exposing his inner thoughts…
j. And as soon as he speaks, all such thoughts of him being wise dissipate.
5. “Discovering” is an interesting term.
a. It may have been used in order to have a double meaning… an implied innuendo… a term pregnant in meaning… purposely ambiguous.
b. On the one hand, he “reveals” the thoughts of his inner man to others by telling them what’s on his mind.
c. On the other hand, he “exposes the folly in his heart.”
d. When something is DISCOVERED and opened up to public sight—it either reveals something wonderful OR it exposes something awful!
e. In other words, he thinks that by revealing his thoughts he is revealing to others how WISE he is… thinking that others will be dazzled by his brilliance.
f. When in reality, he is actually exposing to others how FOOLISH he really is.
g. When he speaks, instead of displaying his wisdom, he exposes his folly and emptiness.
h. Solomon sadly points out that those who have the least amount of wisdom and understanding are often the ones who delight in voicing their views.
6. There is an element of PRIDE in all this.
a. The fool is not only foolish, but proud.
b. This makes his folly even more dangerous…because he THINKS his foolish thoughts are wise… worth sharing.
c. In fact, he thinks his opinions and views are superior to others… that’s WHY he reveals them—as if they were precious gems.
d. But in revealing them, he exposes how foolish he is.
e. Pride is at the heart of this problem.
f. His own thoughts and views are all important to this fool.
g. Pride prevents him from learning when Lady Wisdom cries out. (I don’t need that! What can she teach me that I don’t already know?!)
h. Pride causes his to spout off his own opinions… thinking he is dazzling the crowd with his wisdom.
i. The kind of wisdom and folly about which Solomon writes is not so much a matter of one’s IQ—although the intellect is involved. It is really a matter of the heart.
Proverbs 18:3
Contempt and Ignominy
1. The wicked:
a. One guilty of crime or sin.
b. The guilt of violating a standard or a law.
c. Guilt engendered by sinning against others, including God.
2. Contempt:
a. Disrespect, with a possibly implication of a verbal mocking.
• Prov. 30:17 – Despising to obey one’s parents.
b. To be regarded by others as unimportant or insignificant
• Ps. 31:18 – The wicked speak contemptuously (same term) against the righteous.
• Ps. 123:3-4 – The wicked speak with scorn and contempt against the godly.
• The wicked speak contemptuously against God and the righteous.
c. Contempt = disrespect; viewed as insignificant or unimportant; of no value.
3. The concept of contempt here has to do with reputation… in the eyes of others… of onlookers.
a. Solomon’s point is that when the wicked come on the scene, then comes a loss of reputation… shame… lack of respect…
• Shame and scorn follow the wicked wherever they go.
• Shame and scorn follow wicked behavior wherever it is found.
b. When a man or woman commits a crime against his fellow man, and is caught (which is also a sin against God)—there naturally follows a loss of respect… shame… loss of reputation.
c. When a CEO is caught embezzling money from his company, he is publicly shamed… he loses his reputation… and it is extremely difficult to recover from such a crime. Even after he gets out of jail, who wants to hire a dishonest CEO?
d. When a politician is caught in immorality, he is publicly shamed… disgraced… embarrassed… and ridiculed in the press. His reputation is destroyed.
e. When a Christian commits a sin that is discovered… (and be sure your sin will find you out!)… he or she also loses respect… their testimony is ruined… their reputation is damaged… they are shamed…
f. This principle is especially true of a person who professes faith in Christ.
• When he sins—everyone in the office hears about it! (Whether it is drinking, lying, adultery, stealing, etc.)
• His reputation goes right down the tubes…
• He is considered a hypocrite…
• He loses all respect.
g. Solomon’s point in this proverb is that there are consequences to our behavior.
h. Wickedness has a built in consequence: a loss of respect and reputation.
i. We can confess our sin and get right with God right away and we should.
j. However, it not so easy with our fellow man… and sadly, sometimes with believers!
k. There is a lingering sense of shame… a lingering loss of respect and reputation…
l. Prov. 12:8 – a perverse heart shall be despised (same word as contempt). That’s what people think of such behavior. It is looked upon with contempt… as having no respect. IT is hard for people to SHAKE those ideas… even after there has been repentance.
m. One’s reputation CAN be restored, but that takes time.
4. That which is true on an individual level is true in other realms too.
a. When wickedness enters into a church, the result can be a lingering sense of shame… great damage to the testimony of Christ. That may take time to restore.
b. When wickedness enters into a political party (both sides of the aisle!) it too can have lingering effects. It can result in shame. There is no lack of illustrations on that point!
c. When wickedness enters into a marriage—and sin is involved, it too brings shame and contempt. That can be confessed before God and restoration occurs immediately… but it is not always the case in earthly relationships. It takes time for the guilt and shame to diminish and be forgotten.
d. When wickedness enters into a business, it has the same effect. It brings shame and guilt. Just ask the men who used to run Enron!
e. There are consequences to wickedness… consequences that relate to the attitudes of others towards the wicked one.
f. Prov. 10:7 – the name of the wicked shall ROT!
• Rot = decay, to fall apart from decomposition, infection… used of rotting plants…
• This is quite a warning… wicked behavior deteriorates our name… our reputation…
• It causes it to decay… to become lower and lower…
5. Thus, the obvious implication of this is: avoid the wickedness and thus avoid the shame!
a. A loss of reputation can be a difficult thing to overcome.
b. If a pastor is involved in immorality—it has terrible consequences on the reputation of the church.
c. If a CEO is involved with illegal activity, it can ruin the company when exposed. The company loses its reputation.
d. OUR wickedness is responsible for what others think of us… contempt or praise.
e. If we are dishonest, sleazy, involved in immorality, a gossip, a cheat, etc… — don’t be surprised if that behavior is followed by CONTEMPT in the minds and mouths of others.
f. It follows! That’s the point here. If you bring rotten garbage into your house—it will stink!
g. If you bring rotten behavior in your life… your reputation will stink!
h. It is a built in consequence to our sin.
1. Ignominy
a. Shame, disgrace, dishonour
b. Infamy; low status and public disgrace
c. Being put on display in mockery. It refers to losing a high social position and being ruined.
d. Hos. 4:7 – As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. (What a fall—from glory to shame or ignominy.)
2. Reproach
a. Taunt, scorn; condition of shame, disgrace
b. Insult; a taunt hurled at an enemy, casting blame
3. Some have suggested that these terms describe a progression of intensity.
a. Wickedness results in contempt… which results in ignominy… which results in full blown reproach.
• Contempt (inward feelings of others)
• Ignominy (the state of being—shameful)
• Reproach (overt, public manifestation of those feelings)
b. In other words, there is a snowball effect resulting from wicked behavior…
c. Wicked behavior INVITES this sort of downhill spiral…
4. Wicked behavior brings contempt upon the individual… but the ripple effects go on and on.
a. Their behavior also brings shame to others…
b. It brings shame to their families… to their church… to their country… to their company… to their organization… their friends… to their coworkers…
c. When you see the mug shots of people on the six o’clock news who have been arrested for drugs, robbery, murder, sexual abuse, rape, or treason, etc… those individuals have been publicly shamed.
• But the shame doesn’t stop there.
• With every one of those mug shots, there are also a lot of embarrassed and ashamed mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends, and spouses too!
d. Their behavior taints all associated with them…
• None of the politicians running for office right now are eager to bring Mark Foley to one of their campaigns stops to speak on their behalf!
• Shameful behavior brings reproach… and it brings shame to all associated with them.
e. But for the believer it is far worse.
• Our wicked behavior brings shame and reproach on the name of Christ!
• Titus 2:10 – Good behavior ADORNS the doctrine of Christ and brings honor to the Lord.
• Wicked behavior brings DISGRACE to the name and reputation of the Lord.
f. Hence, good people keep their distance from the wicked… so as to avoid any association of evil… and thus bring contempt or shame upon themselves.
5. This downward spiral is also seen (in this book) as a contrast to the effects of godly wisdom.
a. Prov. 4:7-9 – An upward progression!
b. The way to turn around from the downward spiral is to begin applying godly wisdom… and you will be headed in an upward progression… which ultimately leads to restoring your name and reputation.
6. The MAIN application from this proverb is that if you want to hold on to your honor and respect, you must maintain your virtue and integrity.
a. They go hand in hand…
b. If we lose our integrity—we lose our respect and honor.
c. It can be restored… but it takes a long time.
d. It is far better not to lose it in the first place!
Proverbs 18:4
Deep Waters and a Flowing Brook
Introduction:
1. This could be an antithetical parallelism. (contrasting two items)
→ A contrast between man’s mouth and God’s wisdom
→ A contrast between the words of a fool (hidden) and the words of a wise man
»» While possible, I take Solomon’s words differently here.
2. It is better to understand this to be a synthetic parallelism. (building blocks – a statement is made and then added to…)
→ The wisdom of man’s mouth described and then amplified
1. The WORDS of a man’s mouth.
a. The theme of “words” is repeated in this chapter.
b. Vs. 6-8 – He talks about the mouth of a fool and a talebearer
c. Vs. 20 – he mentions good fruit from good words
d. Vs. 21 – the power of the tongue…
2. Deep waters described
a. DEEP
• Strong’s: deep; mysterious; unsearchable.
• Profound; that which is below the surface…
• Ecc. 7:24 – that which is far off and exceedingly deep; who can find out?
• The words of a wise man are deep… difficult… mysterious… beneath the surface, and hence requires some effort and meditating to understand.
b. This is meant here in a GOOD sense.
• It is not bad to be deep. It can be very good.
• I Cor. 2:10 – Paul speaks of the deep things of God that can only be understood by means of the Holy Spirit.
• Some truths lie on the surface and are easy to grasp.
• Other truths require digging beneath the surface. They are deep… but worth finding! Worth the effort!
• A wise man has a DEEP treasure chest full of rich gems of truth…
• Prov. 10:14 – He lays it up like treasure in his heart.
• Prov. 10:31 – His mouth is a source of wisdom.
c. Prov. 20:5 – counsel is like deep waters… that need to be drawn out.
• A wise counselor will be able to draw out of a man his true motives… issues… problems…and will help him see them in a true light.
• The point of the “deep waters” is to describe a sense of difficulty in drawing out.
• A well or a cistern has deep waters… and that water takes some effort to obtain.
• The point in 18:4 is that the words of a wise man are often very DEEP, but they CAN be drawn out.
• Wisdom is available… but it takes some listening… discerning… intelligence… diligence.
• Take the words of Solomon for example. His words are wise and deep… but it takes some DIGGING to understand his meaning…
• II Pet. 3:16-16 – Some portions of Scripture are hard to be understood.
• The meaning does not necessarily lie on the surface. You have to THINK.
d. But words that are deep and profound are worth the effort.
• Prov. 2:1-6 – Solomon’s wise words are DEEP beneath the surface.
• However, diligent searching will be rewarded by FINDING the wisdom of his words.
• So keep on digging! Don’t give up.
1. Here Solomon BUILDS on what he had previously said about words of wisdom.
a. Sometimes a wise man speaks and his words are deep.
b. It may require some effort to draw them out of the well… but they are worth the effort.
c. Sometimes words of wisdom are difficult to understand, but with study and meditation and diligence, that wisdom CAN be drawn out and put to good use.
d. Now Solomon adds a couple of additional truths.
2. A wise man not only speaks deep words… but a truly wise man is an endless stream of profound words!
a. Wellspring: a spring as a continual source of flowing water.
b. They just keep on flowing and flowing…
c. Even a fool can say something wise once in a while. But a truly wise man is consistent with his wisdom.
d. The words of wisdom should not be thought of as a stagnant pool, but a flowing stream… cool, refreshing, and continuous… a continuous source of wisdom.
e. The heart of a wise man is an ongoing source of wisdom.
3. CONTRAST: Jer. 2:13 – “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”
a. Here is a contrast between a non flowing cistern and a flowing spring.
b. God likens Himself to a “fountain” of living waters.
c. This word fountain is our word “wellspring.”
d. It speaks of an endless source and supply of living waters… the waters of life… water needed to satisfy the thirst… and keep life going.
e. In contrast, the false teachers were like cisterns – a stagnant, limited supply of water…
f. And to boot—BROKEN cisterns. Even if you pour good water in, it will leak out. They could NEVER satisfy thirst… they cannot sustain life.
g. God Himself is the wellspring of life to the godly believer.
• A wise man will have a heart after God…
• A wise man will thirst after wisdom and will FIND it in the Lord and His Word.
• He will be continually drinking in those waters.
• Solomon’s point is that this wise man will ALSO be a source of great words of wisdom to those around him.
• He found an endless supply of living waters in God Himself. He will have wisdom to share… wisdom overflowing… an endless source of wisdom…
4. Prov. 16:22 – “Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it.”
a. Understanding the deep things of God… understanding the deep words of wisdom is an endless source of LIFE (refreshment; nourishment; satisfaction; vitality; etc.).
5. Solomon states this truth several times in Proverbs.
a. Prov. 13:14 – The law of the wise is a fountain of life.
• The term “fountain” is the same term as “well” in 10:11.
• The term means a “spring or flow” (of water).
• It speaks of a flow of liquid or the source of the flow (a spring; a brook).
• It is translated “wellspring” in Prov. 18:4.
• Again—a fountain of water that provides continual flow of cool refreshing water… a wise man’s mouth provides a continual flow of refreshing wisdom.
b. Prov. 10:11 – The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life.
• The term “well” is the same term as “wellspring”. It speaks of a spring or flowing fountain… not a stagnant pool or a cistern.
• As a spring of water, it is an ongoing source of refreshment and satisfaction.
c. John 7:38-39 – A truly wise man is yielded to the Holy Spirit… and in him will be an endless flow of wisdom and blessings of all kinds… sourced in God Himself.
3. Sometimes the words of a wise man do NOT require a lot of digging. They are right there on the surface… easily obtained… like water out of a flowing stream or brook.
4. Application:
a. Make friends with wise men—they will be a source of great spiritual understanding.
b. Make friends with men who have a deep relationship with God Himself—the wellspring of living waters. That person will have wisdom overflowing—and enough to share with you.
c. Even better, BE such a wise person!
Proverbs 18:5
The Wrong Side of Justice
A. Not Good
1. Good: Good; well-pleasing; fruitful; morally correct; proper; favorable; that which is appealing and pleasant to the senses; good in a moral sense as opposed to evil.
2. In this proverb, Solomon describes a situation which is morally INCORRECT… WRONG…
a. It is not pleasing or appealing to the senses… we sense something out of line here…
b. It is not proper… not correct… not right.
c. He describes a situation that ought to upset our sense of right and wrong… it should cause moral people a certain level of discomfort… even outrage.
3. Solomon was KING and JUDGE in Israel.
a. The situation he describes is one he may have observed in many different settings… but especially so in the governing of the Kingdom.
b. He would have seen many examples of this in all the politicking that went on in Israel… as well as in the judicial system.
c. No doubt as the King this disturbed him.
d. He was aware of how destabilizing this could be for the country… how quickly it could degenerate into anarchy…
e. He knew from observation that this was an issue that needed to be addressed.
f. I Tim. 2:1-2 – We are told to PRAY for those that are in authority in our land.
• Here is something specific to pray FOR: pray that our leaders would not be on the wrong side of justice.
• This is HOW we can lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
B. The Wicked
1. Wicked: criminal; guilty one, unrighteous; violator of the law; one who is in the wrong; enemies of God and of righteousness; a transgressor.
2. This term describes a person who is WRONG or in the wrong… on the wrong side… the wrong side of justice.
C. Accepting the Person of the Wicked
1. Accept: “To lift up and carry” hence, to support; endure; bear with; aid; assist; respect; lift up honor; raise up; exalt…
2. Accepting the person (lit = face) means to support or assist the wicked in some way.
a. It could be active assistance… helping out… providing aid and assistance… voting for… honoring… approving…
b. It could be passive assistance in the sense of tolerating… enduring… bearing with… even though you may disagree… passively putting up with the wicked… without voicing concern or displeasure…
c. For us as Americans we might be guilty of this by NOT voting against him… and giving the wicked a free ride… unopposed.
d. We SHOULD oppose the wicked…
3. Solomon states that it is not good—improper—to accept (either actively or passively) the person who wrong… guilty… a transgressor… is on the wrong side… a violator of the law.
D. WHY Would Anyone Do Such a Thing?
1. Financial gain personally
a. You stand to make a financial killing by supporting him.
b. You will get a raise if he gets in power—even if it is to the damage of the company… or the country…
2. Emotion; feelings
a. This is especially if it is YOUR son or daughter!
b. It is so very easy to overlook wickedness on the part of one we love… and support them IN their wrong choices…
c. Many a time I have seen families from fundamental churches who took a strong stand… suddenly change their views against New Evangelicalism when their child begins attending a Neo church.
d. It is relatively easy to take a “theoretical” stand for that which is right. But once family gets involved, and emotions cloud one’s vision, it is surprising how often folks will “accept the person of the wicked.”
3. Position and power
a. Others will accept the person of the wicked if it means they will advance. (Happens daily in American politics.)
b. “I’ll support the crook because it will be helpful for me to get a promotion… or for me to advance in politics…”
c. It is easy to put self advancement over principle… the principle of justice.
4. The end justifies the means
a. Again, folks are willing to support a crook if he will bring the bacon home to their district.
b. They may not like him, but they will hold their nose and support him because of the favorable END
5. Respect of persons
a. Folks will also support someone who is wicked because “he’s one of us; we share a common heritage; he’s a friend; he’s in my political party.”
b. Out of respect of persons, some will support a crook…
E. It is NOT Good
1. Whatever reasons we may devise for supporting the wicked, they are not good in God’s sight.
5b To overthrow the righteous in judgment.
A. Overthrow Defined
1. Lit = to stretch; to extend.
2. It has 16 different usages or various meanings.
3. This verb is translated 35 different ways in the KJV alone!
4. As an idiom, (as seems to be the case here) it means to stretch out one’s hand against someone; to act in a hostile manner toward that person.
B. Overthrowing the Righteous
1. Righteous: lawful; righteous; just; innocent; correct; right.
2. This speaks of OPPOSING the righteous… opposing or standing in the way of those who are correct… acting in a hostile manner towards those who are innocent and just.
C. In Judgment
1. Judgment = Justice; ordinance; in the execution of justice; litigation.
a. Used of a court of law – Deut. 25:1.
b. Used of an official legal verdict (I Kings 20:40).
c. Wherever judgments or decisions are made to settle disputes between people… do NOT oppose the innocent or the righteous.
d. Be on their side! Defend them! Support that which is right and just and fair.
e. Don’t ever oppose justice… in any setting!
2. But especially in the judicial system of a land.
a. However wrong it is, it happens all too often.
b. Sometimes it happens because of bigotry and racism.
c. Sometimes it happens because of bribes or the power of filthy lucre… money easily perverts justice.
d. Ex. 23:6 – God made a law against it: “Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.”
• Evidently some men used the legal system to trample over the poor… to take their lands and goods…
• The poor are not always treated fairly in our country either… and it is not good.
• When the verdict depends upon one’s ability to hire an expensive lawyer, something is wrong with the system. It is not good!
D. This too is Not Good
1. It is not good for the judicial system. It won’t be respected. It could result in riots or anarchy.
2. It is not good for the country as a whole either. It will serve to undermine the country… to cause it to unravel…
3. It is not good for relationships among the various groups of people in a land. It can polarize and turn one group against another.
4. It is not good in God’s sight either. It is an offense to Him.
5. Ps. 82:1-4 –
a. God stands among the “gods” – authorities in Israel… namely, the rulers and judges.
b. God specifically commanded them to care for the poor and needy in the land… in the judicial system…
c. This was because He knew the tendency in man to trample over them.
6. There is NOTHING good about standing in opposition to justice being carried out.
7. Solomon mentioned this truth often in Proverbs.
a. Evidently he observed it often as he ruled the Kingdom.
b. He saw what damage it did… lives ruined by it…
c. He learned to HATE injustice. So should we.
d. Prov. 17:26 – punishing the just is not good… ever!
e. Prov. 17:15 – not only is it not good, it is an abomination!
f. Prov. 17:23 – using bribes to pervert justice.
g. This point is made often from a slightly different angle: respect of persons in judgment. This too is not good.
h. Lev. 19:15 – There should be no respect given to the poor or to the wealthy.
• Justice should be absolutely blind… so as not too see the wealth of a person, or his color, or his position…
• Justice should be completely impartial… not political, not partisan, siding ONLY with the truth.
• Judgment in a case should be made solely on the MERIT of the case… not the wealth or influence of the person.
• It is so easy to be biased for one side or another.
• Prov. 18:17 – That’s why Solomon speaks repeatedly about the importance of hearing BOTH sides before rushing into a decision or making a judgment on the case. That is a respect of persons…
i. Anything less than blind impartiality is a travesty of justice… an abomination.
j. II Sam. 23:3 – “He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.”
• This is God’s standard for rulers and judges.
• We should pray for this in America.
• We should BE this kind of citizen… one who stands and supports that which is RIGHT, TRUE and FAIR… and not that which will benefit me.
Proverbs 18:6
A Fool’s Lips
BEHAVIOR:
A. A Fool’s Lips
1. This refers to the SPEECH of a fool… foolish talk… unwise words
a. Solomon mentions “lips” 43 times in Proverbs as a reference to speech.
b. Solomon uses the word “tongue” 19 times.
c. Solomon mentions the “mouth” 52 times in Proverbs.
d. Solomon mentions “words” 46 times.
e. If they were all spread out evenly, that would be over 5 times in every chapter.
f. SPEECH is a huge subject in the book of Proverbs.
g. Evidently God knows that this is a subject we need to hear and hear and hear over again.
h. We open our mouths every few minutes… some folks more than others… and often we open it without thinking first.
i. We would do well to consider what Solomon has to say about our lips and mouths, and the words that pour out of them.
2. Solomon had much to say about the WORDS of a fool.
a. Ecc. 10:14 – he is FULL of words.
• He is like a large tank… full to overflowing.
• The fool is like a large reservoir of words…
• Some might think of this as a reservoir—others might refer to it as a cesspool…
• James says the tongue is a world of iniquity!
• But it is FULL—that’s the point here.
b. Prov.15:2 – folly pours out of his mouth.
• This folly gushes out… a continual flow…
• The fool is FULL of words… and he doesn’t hold any of them back. They gush out.
• Hence, there is lots of opportunity for contention.
c. Prov. 29:11 – he utters all his mind.
• In other words, he doesn’t stop to THINK about what he’s saying. He just blurts it all out.
• His words are constantly pouring out… and they are not well thought out.
• Speaking without thinking is what is described here.
• That is a recipe for disaster—which is the point of this proverb.
B. Enters Into Contention
1. Contention: strife; controversy; dispute; quarrel; hostility; fighting; arguing.
a. In other words, his big mouth and his ever flapping tongue get him in trouble.
b. This is the main point of this proverb.
c. A fool has moral folly in his heart. He pours it out… and the result is strife.
d. Thus, wherever the fool goes, he leaves strife and contention in his wake.
2. Enters: to go in; to make linear movement towards something.
a. When he opens his mouth, what he says LEADS to controversy, trouble, strife, and contention.
b. The fool because of his big mouth ENTERS into arguments all the time…
c. The things that come out of his mouth constantly DIRECT him toward controversy and strife.
d. As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. (Prov.26:21)
e. He LOVES contention, so he keeps on spouting out words to keep the flames of contention going.
f. This implies that he STIRS up contention by his words.
3. He may or may not be SEEKING to enter into contention, but nevertheless, that is the RESULT of his speech.
a. His words PROVOKE contention and fighting.
b. On occasion, the fool didn’t MEAN to start contention, but he did because he didn’t THINK about what he was saying… how it would be interpreted… how offensive it was… how insulting and cruel it was… how untimely it was… or how unnecessary it was…
c. Fools utter all their mind… they blurt out whatever thoughts come to mind…
d. That is exceptionally dangerous because what comes out of a fool’s mouth came from his evil heart.
e. Very often unkind or evil thoughts enter our minds. Those thoughts should never be blurted out… they should be confessed!
f. The fool blurts them out and without thinking about the consequences, finds himself in contention… in the midst of turmoil…
4. There are various WAYS in which his lips get him in trouble.
a. Prov. 10:18 – The fool hides hatred; he is a slanderer.
• This is guaranteed to create contention.
• He hides hatred in his heart from the one he hates.
• BUT—he goes about slandering… putting him down before others.
• This will certainly cause him to ENTER into contention.
• Sooner or later the person he slanders will find out what he has been saying… and war will break out.
• He may THINK he is hiding his hatred, but it will soon be discovered.
• His big mouth creates controversy and contention.
b. Prov. 12:18 – He uses his tongue like a sword to fight – to hurt.
• Fools use their tongues to hurt people… to lash out… to strike…
• It is as or more painful as the piercing of a physical sword.
• When a fool behaves this way—lashing out cruelly at others, he can expect others to lash back at him.
• Hence, when he opens his mouth—he CREATES contention.
• You can’t stab someone with a sword, you should expect them to fight back… it’s human nature.
• When you stab someone with a sword—or with the sword of your tongue you are PICKING a fight!
• You are ENTERING into contention… and no one is going to feel sorry for you if you get clobbered and torn to shreds.
• Once you stab someone with a sword, you have created a DEEP wound… that takes a long time to heal.
• And when we speak rashly, without thinking, and stab someone with our tongue, you can’t UNDO a stab wound. It takes time to heal.
• Fools speak without thinking… speak harsh, painful words… and don’t realize how much damage they are doing… but lash out anyway.
• As a result of their RASH words… they are constantly ENTERING into contention.
c. Prov. 14:3 – Pride comes out of his mouth.
• Pride comes out of his mouth because it was in his heart.
• Fools are characterized by pride… self will… me first… I demand my own way.
• That too is a recipe for disaster.
• ONLY by pride cometh contention! (Prov. 13:10)
• When the fool blurts out words of self centered pride… the result is always contention.
• Where there’s smoke there’s fire; where there’s pride, there’s contention.
d. Prov. 20:3 – he is a meddler.
• Fools meddle. It is their nature.
• Meddle: inclined to be hostile and opposing toward another; open, active, resistance toward someone.
• It is not just sticking your nose into someone’s business… but doing so to OPPOSE… and be hostile.
• The fool meddles by gossiping, slandering, spreading rumors… and this is done with an evil intention.
• The fool who uses his lips to meddle and be hostile towards others will naturally find himself ENTERING into contention—stirs up the pot—everywhere he goes.
5. A fool’s lips enter into contention.
CONSEQUENCES:
1. His behavior, namely what he says, CALLS for strokes.
a. Simply put: He opens his mouth, he causes arguments, and he therefore deserves a whipping!
b. This thought needs to be understood in light of the first part of the proverb.
c. The strokes are in retribution for the contention he stirred up with his mouth.
2. In other words, there are CONSEQUENCES for this kind of behavior.
a. If you are such a fool who stirs up contention with your big mouth—expect some backlash.
b. A fool might get away this kind of folly for a while, but eventually, someone will take him to task for his behavior… someone will hold him accountable for the trouble he created.
c. Prov. 19:29 – Judgment and stripes are what he deserves. Scornful, hateful, slanderous words will catch up to you sooner or later.
d. If you use your tongue like a sword and go around lashing out at people, eventually, you’re going to have to pay a price.
e. Depending on the circles you are traveling in, that “whipping” could mean losing your job; it could mean losing your front teeth; a law suit; a gangster style assassination; loss of friends; getting beat up out of revenge… or publicly castigated on the six o’clock news.
f. If you use your tongue to stir up the pot, eventually, you are going to get a whipping.
g. Prov.17:20 – a perverse tongue falls into mischief… of one form or another.
h. Prov.13:3 – the fool who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
3. If we like a fool, open our mouths and create contention, we will PAY for it… one way or another.
a. He not only stirs up trouble and contention for others—those around him… he creates trouble for himself.
b. This is a good warning for us all—because we all have lips, tongues, and mouths… and the potential for trouble is always present.
(Prov. 10:14 – a fall!
Prov.12:13 – snared
Ecc. 10:12 – will swallow him up)
Proverbs 18:7
A Destructive Mouth
Introduction:
1. This is another proverb about speech in this chapter.
2. The previous proverb spoke of the consequences of a foolish mouth… but in terms of contention and arguing.
3. This proverb also speaks about the consequences of a foolish mouth, but this time in terms of the TROUBLE it brings to the fool himself.
1. Destruction Defined:
a. This word comes from the noun, mekh-it-taw’ meaning a ruin; a terror. It is used most often in a figurative sense in Proverbs to describe the ruin of the foolish.
b. Strong’s: destruction; ruin; terror; a breaking; terror; dismay.
c. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: Undoing; a ruining of a person’s state from health and peace to a life of disrepair and disrepute, and hardship.
2. The term Solomon used here speaks of the RUIN a person brings into his own life because of his big, foolish mouth. And Solomon mentions this truth often in Proverbs.
a. Prov. 10:14 – The mouth of the fool is near destruction.
b. Prov. 13:3 – The one who opens wide his lips has destruction.
c. Prov. 17:20 – The one with a perverse tongue falls into mischief (different term = bad, evil, calamity).
d. Thus, it is the mouth of a fool that brings calamity into his life; a WIDE open mouth; a perverse tongue.
e. There are certainly OTHER ways to bring destruction into our lives, but Solomon has our big mouth in mind here.
3. Jas. 3:5-6 – A few words can set the world on fire…
a. A fire brings destruction to everything in its pathway.
b. Fires come in all sizes—from the small backyard fire that little boys are tempted to light… to the raging wildfires that destroy thousands upon thousands of acres out West each year.
c. A fire starts off very small—as a tiny spark. But it spreads rapidly and easily rages out of control… the result of which is destruction…
d. James tells us how destructive the tongue can be in general.
e. Solomon tells us how destructive a fool’s mouth can be to himself!
4. II Kings 5:20 – Gehazi, Elisha’s servant lied and said that Elisha sent him to Naaman to receive a gift.
a. This was a boldfaced lie—in order to get silver for himself.
b. II Kings 5:21-27 – Gehazi was snared by the transgression of his lips.
c. He lied and at first was successful—for he did get the silver.
d. BUT—he was smitten with leprosy! He was snared… by the pit he dug for himself.
e. His foolish mouth was his own destruction.
1. Snare defined:
a. Strong’s: A trap used to catch animals; bait, lure, snare.
b. Used figuratively of entrapment, i.e., what captures and controls another. It comes to mean a moral pitfall.
2. Solomon uses the snare in a figurative sense, obviously.
a. His lips… his speech become a snare… a trap.
b. Ecc. 10:12 – his own words swallow him up.
3. This snare is figurative, for it ensnares the SOUL of a man.
a. Soul here has the meaning of the whole person or his life.
b. A man’s LIFE can become lured away, ensnared and trapped…
c. And often this is to be traced to his lips… his foolish, thoughtless, arrogant, insensitive, careless, mean-spirited speech.
d. His own words will come back to bite him.
e. It becomes a snare for his SOUL… his whole LIFE is affected by the consequences of his big mouth.
f. Eventually, it brings destruction to his person… ruin to his life… and it will catch up to him sooner or later like a trap.
4. All sin results in a snare of one sort or another. (Prov. 29:6)
a. The righteous are delivered from that snare. Avoiding transgression enables them to avoid the consequences of transgressions. Hence, they can go on singing.
b. But fools are not delivered. They are taken in the snare.
c. This is true of sin in general.
d. All sin comes with built in consequences. This is especially true of sinning with the mouth!
5. Prov.12:13 – The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips.
a. There are countless ways to transgress with one’s lips.
→ Men lie with their lips… and are caught in their web of lies.
→ Men deceive with their lips…
→ Men brag and boast with their lips.
→ Men curse with their lips.
→ Men threaten with their lips.
→ Men blaspheme with their lips.
→ Men gossip with their lips.
b. Sins like these eventually bring a snare.
c. Men and women who lie, gossip, and deceive others eventually get caught.
d. Once caught, they are trapped… no way out… caught red handed…
e. And depending upon the severity of the verbal sin, the trap can be anything from caught in embarrassment, to being trapped in prison!
6. Ecc. 7:9 = fools are easily angered, and in anger say things that will become a snare for them… destruction.
a. How many times have we trapped ourselves because in anger we said things we regretted later!
b. Solomon says that it is a fool who acts hastily and rashly… and is easily angered.
c. That man will inevitably say things that will BIND him in a trap. (I’m not doing this ever… You’ll never get me to change my opinion… Over my dead body I’ll do such and such…)
d. The foolish language we use in anger tends to paint us in a corner… with no way out. That’s a snare.
e. Of course, the way out is to eat humble pie, apologize, say “I was wrong.” And change direction.
f. But apart from a change of heart and repentance, our angry ranting and raving leave us trapped.
g. I know people who have gotten divorces—when they really didn’t WANT to… because they trapped themselves with words and arguments and were too proud to admit it.
h. The rest of their lives were snared…
7. Prov.21:6 – fools use their mouths to lie and gain treasure, but it becomes a snare. (Cf. I Tim. 6:10 – money pierces)
a. The one who loves money and LIES with his tongue to obtain it, will discover sooner or later, that his tongue did not bring him blessing but cursing.
b. It is like seeking death… not treasures.
c. I Tim. 6:9-10 – some men gain wealth through lying with their tongues. The love of money that motivates that kind of behavior has some painful consequences: it comes back to bite you—it pierces you through with many sorrows.
d. It is a trap… there is some attractive bait dangled before the eyes… but in the end, it is not a blessing but a cursing.
e. Lying lips ensnared his soul… affected his whole life.
8. Prov. 6:1-2 – snared with the words of your mouth… by making promises you are unable to keep.
a. Surety for thy friend…
• Surety = to pledge, exchange, mortgage, undertake for, take on pledge, give in pledge.
• This speaks of a man who has either promised to pay a debt or obligation for a friend, or has pledged his own money or property as security for a friend.
• It is like co-signing on a loan for someone—or putting your property up as security on a loan.
• There are consequences if that friend doesn’t pay!
b. Stricken thy hand with a stranger…
• Clapping one’s hands was similar to a handshake today. It sealed a deal or a business transaction.
• Again, he is speaking about a binding financial obligation to a stranger… a bank… a loan shark… a business partner…
• Co-signing a note for a friend might appear to be quite generous and kind.
• There may be times when it IS the RIGHT thing to do. (Your son’s first car… student loans…)
• But there are other times when it is a FOOLISH thing to do.
• A casual friend at work who fell upon hard times…
• A relative you know is irresponsible…
• A teenager who needs a brand new car…
• A risky or questionable business deal…
c. In such cases Solomon says that you are SNARED with the words of your own mouth…
d. Fool hardy promises that proceeded from his lips resulted in snaring his life… he’s trapped!
9. Thus, Solomon speaks of several WAYS in which our foolish words ENSNARE our souls.
a. Transgressing with our lips…
b. Words of anger and the trap that brings…
c. Lying words bring a snare…
d. Foolish promises from our lips can also bring a snare.
e. There are probably 1001 other ways we can use our tongues to ensnare our souls.
f. A young man can RUIN his life because of his big mouth.
• Because of his big mouth he might get kicked out of school… and never graduate…
• Then he needs to take on a low level job that he doesn’t like… and because of his big mouth, he loses that job too…
• Because people don’t want to put up with his mouth – he goes from one job to another… until finally his resume of short-lived jobs keeps him from working at all…
• Because of his big mouth he has few friends…
• Because of his big mouth he could find himself in trouble with the law too.
• Until he deals with the SOURCE of his calamities (his big mouth) he will continue to stumble through life… from one disaster to the next.
• He becomes exhibit A to demonstrate the reality of Proverbs 18:7 – “A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.”
g. Using caution with our speech can keep us out of a LOT of trouble… it will keep us free from many traps others fall into.
10. Matt.12:37 – ultimately, our words could condemn us! We will have to give an account for every one of them before the Lord.
Proverbs 18:8
The Words of a Talebearer
Introduction:
1. This verse, which appears again in Proverbs 26:22, is problematic in the translation of one key word in the verse: wounds. (Hebrew: laham)
a. Two out of 21 translations I consulted translated it “wound” (KJV & Young’s) and the rest translate according to its other definition – something like a “dainty or tasty morsel”…
b. Of the six different Hebrew dictionaries I consulted, all of them defined the Hebrew term as “to gulp… to greedily swallow.” None defined it as “wound.”
c. It does not appear to be a textual issue. The disagreement is not over a different Hebrew word underlying the English.
2. It appears to be a disagreement on the definition of a Hebrew term (laham) that appears only twice in the Bible.
a. And the other occurrence of the term sheds no light on the definition because the other verse is exactly the same as this one…
b. Obviously Solomon only meant ONE thing by the term he chose.
c. Unfortunately, some ancient words go out of use… some change meaning… and it is hard to know for SURE which definition is the correct one here.
d. All things being equal, I normally give more weight to the KJV—because it has stood the test of time.
e. But here I have NO dictionary that supports defining the term as “wound.”
f. After comparing 21 translations, 6 Hebrew dictionaries, and about 20 commentaries, none gave any conclusive answers.
g. With a little more light on the subject, I might change my mind, but right now, I have to go on what I have… and all the Hebrew dictionaries defined the word as “dainty or delicate morsels.”
3. Whichever meaning you give this term, truth is presented… that is elsewhere validated by other Scripture.
a. Hence, which definition we use will NOT affect truth or doctrine one bit.
b. So, in the spirit of honesty, I have to admit, I just don’t know for sure which dictionary definition best suits Solomon’s meaning.
c. BUT—since this verse appears again in chapter 26… that gives me about 5 more years to get to the bottom of this!
A. The Words of a Talebearer
1. Talebearer defined: a whispering gossip!
a. Strong’s: Murmur; whisper; murmurers; backbite; slander.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: express discontent in low tones—whispering under your breath about someone…
c. Zodhiates: It indicates a person who whispers things that will harm others.
d. It is crystal clear what this term means.
e. Solomon is speaking about a blabber mouth… a gossip… one who runs from person to person spreading dirt about someone else.
2. Wounds Defined:
a. Strong’s: to gulp, swallow greedily.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: Tidbit of food that is easy to consume
c. Zodhiates: something gulped.
d. Hebrew Aramaic Dict.: dainty morsels swallowed greedily
e. Theol. Wordbook of the Old Testament: bits greedily swallowed
3. The meaning: gossip is like a delicious delicacy…
a. Gossip is the sort of thing that is extremely tempting… appealing… delicious!
b. It is the sort of thing that people LOVE to gobble up…
c. Within each of us is an insatiable appetite to consume gossip. It’s our nature.
d. Juicy news about someone is almost too good to pass up.
e. Who doesn’t like to hear the latest dirt?
f. Why do think the gossip tabloids are so popular? Because it is human nature to love to hear gossip… every society loves to consume this sort of thing…
g. And to look at the titles of some of the tabloids in line at grocery store, people like to hear about it, even if they KNOW it isn’t true. (Martian discovered in mountains of Montana…)
h. People love to hear the gossip about celebrities… who’s getting divorced… and who’s on drugs… how much money they make…
i. The words of a gossiper are as juicy tidbits that people love to gobble up.
4. But if we take the reading in the KJV, that too makes perfect sense here AND it is backed up by Scripture elsewhere.
a. If we understand laham to mean “wound” as in the KJV—or “self inflicted wound” as in the Young’s Literal Translation, then Solomon’s point is different.
b. Thus, he would be speaking about the pain and suffering that follow gossip.
c. Gossip is like a wound…
d. Ps. 52:2-4 – here again words are spoken of as a razor… that can cut, maim, and harm.
• His words are sharp like a razor… painful and damaging…
• Obviously, this is figurative language, but we all know that words CAN cause wounds.
• This man uses his tongue for mischief: calamity, evil, or destruction.
• He is deceitful… he loves evil and lying… he LOVES this kind of hurtful talk… as long as he is not the one being hurt.
• He loves devouring words… words that devour others… do them harm…
• It is human nature to LOVE this sort of thing…
• And it is harmful and hurtful.
A. Laham as Dainty Morsels
1. People have an overly hearty appetite for the dainty morsels of gossip. (First part of the verse). They are appetizing.
2. The second part of the verse states that they are not only appetizing, they are gobbled up!
3. Gossip IS swallowed by most people.
4. People consider gossip to be a delicacy for the ears.
a. Delicacy is rare… something not everyone gets every day… something special… just for the “in” crowd, and therefore craved.
b. They love it… and therefore they eat it up.
5. Therefore, they take it in… they swallow it and it goes down into their bellies.
a. This could be a figurative way of saying that people often BELIEVE it…
• They take it in and absorb it.
• They swallow the gossip—hook, line, and sinker.
• As food is assimilated into the body, gossip is assimilated into their thinking—as truth.
b. This could also be a way of saying that they remember it.
• They swallow it up… and retain it…
• Why is it that it is so much easier to remember the juicy gossip you heard last year, than the information you studied for the test last week!
• There is a warning here. Before you start spreading dirt about someone—remember, that once you give it out… it is retained for a LONG time. People will remember what you said about so and so.
B. Laham As a Wound
1. If that is the meaning, the second part of the proverb speaks about the DEPTH of the wound.
a. Some wounds are superficial and easily healed. Some wounds are deep and are not easily healed.
b. The wounds that go down into the innermost part of the belly are obviously very deep wounds.
c. Gossip then results in wounds that go deep… long lasting hurt… damaging… painful…
d. This truth is also validated elsewhere in Scripture.
e. Prov. 12:18 – Words can be like the piercing of a sword
• Here the meaning is that words can PIERCE like a sword.
• Being stabbed by a sword leaves deep wounds… so too being stabbed by gossip. It can equally painful.
• And deep wounds don’t heal as easily or as quickly as superficial ones.
2. Thus, BOTH definitions for laham make perfect sense in both parts of this proverb.
a. Solomon is either describing human nature with respect to gossip—how tantalizing and appealing it is to hear; how much people love to gobble it up. There is in each of us an appetite for it.
b. OR Solomon is warning us about the pain that results from gossip.
c. BOTH of those statements are true. Our fallen nature craves gossip… AND it is extremely hurtful.
3. So in light of that, we are warned NOT to tolerate gossip.
a. When we hear gossip, we should consider that in a sense, we ARE our brother’s keeper.
• If someone is gossiping about a brother and slandering his name… we have a responsibility to NOT participate by listening.
• We are to “look not every one on his own, but every man also in the things of others.”
• We should be concerned about the reputation of the one being slandered.
b. I Sam. 24:9 – We should not listen to it.
c. Prov. 25:23 – Sometimes all it takes is an angry look… to drive away the gossiper.
• Express your disapproval facially… and many gossipers will get the message and stop.
• They will sense whether you have an appetite for their juicy story or not.
• If not, they will offer their dainty morsels to another customer…
• It’s not hard to find ears eager to hear gossip…
Proverbs 18:9
A Great Waster
1. Slothful Defined:
a. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: Be lazy; formally, limp, i.e., habitually refuse to put in effort or work, as the opposite of diligent, focused labor.
b. Strong’s: Relax; let go; refrain; let alone; let drop; be idle; to show oneself slack… lazy.
c. Usage
• Used in Ex. 5:8 – they be idle (lazy)
• Used in Josh. 18:3 – slack to go in the land (not diligent)
2. WORK defined
a. Occupation, work, duties, business, workmanship, property.
b. Usage:
• Ex. 20:9 – work – the labor of our hands.
• Ex. 22:8 – thy neighbor’s goods (property)
3. Slothfulness in our occupation
a. We all have chores at work that are less than desirable, yet necessary.
b. But when we don’t pay attention to the details, it will eventually catch up to us.
• The carpenter who is too lazy to check the level…
• The auto mechanic who doesn’t tighten the bolts…
• The school teacher who doesn’t read her material…
c. It will affect our overall work output… the quality of our work… the amount of our work…
d. And that will certainly be noticed in the upper office.
e. Slothfulness will prevent us from advancing at work.
f. The slothful man will always be poor… he will never obtain wealth.
4. Slothful with our schoolwork
a. Neglecting to finish homework
b. To lazy to study for a test
c. That student will end up with poor grades.
d. He COULD have been an A student, but instead was a D student.
e. He COULD have gotten into the college of his choice, but was not accepted.
f. Now he’s 32 and still flips hamburgers.
5. Slothful with our bodies
a. Not eating properly…
b. Not exercising…
c. Not cleaning…
d. Not getting our yearly check up…
e. Not doing what the doctor says…
f. We might live to regret it…
g. Our health will suffer because of our slothfulness.
h. This man may have a great potential to be healthy, but through sloth is not.
6. Slothful with our property
a. Ecc. 10:18 – House—letting things go.
b. Painting things so they don’t rust.
c. Food – let it rot in the fridge.
d. Car – not checking the oil.
e. Lawn mower – oil; neglecting to put in stabilizer.
f. When you add it all up, slothfulness diminishes the quality of our lives… and decreases the value of our property.
7. Prov. 10:4 – The slothful man ends up with NOTHING… poor.
a. Slothfulness leads to poverty. (Prov. 24:30-34)
b. And HE is to be blamed.
c. He ends up with nothing because of laziness; slothfulness.
d. He COULD have ended up with much, but because he was slothful, he ended up with nothing—or not much.
e. This man has a great POTENTIAL to prosper, but because of slothfulness does not. He ends up with nothing.
f. This man, through slothfulness, WASTES his potential… and ends up with nothing.
8. Slothful in spiritual things
a. Not reading the Word
b. Not spending time in prayer
c. Not spending time in fellowship around spiritual things
d. Not witnessing
e. Not going to church, prayer meeting, Sunday school, etc.
f. The bottom line of that kind of slothfulness is a lack of progress in our spiritual growth…
g. Heb. 5:12-14 – We can remain as babes when we SHOULD have grown to maturity!
h. By not exercising ourselves spiritually, we lose ground… we regress spiritually… and easily become carnal babes again.
i. This man had great potential to advance, but through laziness he did NOT advance.
9. In the second part of the proverb, Solomon tells us that this man has a brother… a kindred spirit.
1. Waster defined
a. Strong’s: To destroy; corrupt; go to ruin; decay; to be marred; be spoiled.
b. It appears 147 times, but it is translated “waste or wasted” only twice.
c. Most often it has the meaning of ruined, decayed, spoiled.
d. Good fruit left on the counter idle will become ruined, and thus wasted…
e. The waster is one who starts off with something good… but through neglect, wastes it… and it becomes ruined.
2. Usage
a. Jer. 13:7 – the girdle was “marred”
b. Something of value was left to rot… and it did rot. It became worthless.
c. That seems to be the sense here.
3. The idea in the first part of the proverb was that one who is slothful wastes potential wealth through slothfulness. He could have gained a lot, but he was lazy and didn’t.
4. The man in the second part of the proverb already has property, and allows his property to rot and rust… and that is a great WASTE.
a. Good fruit left on the counter and is not eaten, rots, is ruined, destroyed, and is thus wasted.
b. A metal shed that is neglected and left unpainted will rust, and be destroyed, and thus wasted. With simple upkeep—a coat of paint once in a while, it could have lasted 20 years. Instead, in three years it is a rusted piece of junk.
c. The same is true of a multi-million dollar mansion or a yacht.
d. This kind of waste may be through neglect or LAVISH living.
e. Prov. 20:21 – Often young men receive LARGE inheritances, and through wasteful, lavish living, in no time, it is gone… and they are poor once again.
5. These two brothers are DIFFERENT:
a. The first brother may not be rich. He starts off with nothing, but has great potential to be rich and prosperous.
• However, he is lazy, and wastes his potential.
• He ends up with nothing.
b. The second brother possesses a lot, but wastes what he has.
• This person may well be wealthy… but lets his wealth slip through his fingers… so it is ruined… destroyed.
• His father worked 50 long, hard years to build up the business, but in two short years, he drove it into the ground… by spending more than he made… buying more than he needed.
• He may be like the prodigal son—who took a large amount of money, lived lavishly and foolishly, and ended up with nothing.
6. But in another sense, these two men are ALIKE: both end up with nothing!
a. One man ended up with nothing through slothfulness.
b. The other man ended up with nothing through wasting what he had.
c. Both men are to be equally pitied. Both are fools.
d. In this sense, they are BROTHERS… poor, foolish, wasteful brothers.
e. They were BOTH wasters.
• One wasted his wealth.
• The other wasted his potential.
• One wasted wealth he already had.
• The other wasted wealth he could have had.
f. The lazy man is a brother to one who wastes.
• The man with a potential to earn a million dollars (but who through laziness doesn’t) is a brother to the millionaire who wastes what he has.
• It is a pitiful waste no matter HOW it is wasted.
7. What a pity when this is true in the spiritual realm.
a. When we are lazy spiritually, we are wasting opportunities God gives us to bear fruit… and we waste the opportunity to be storing rewards in heaven.
b. Opportunity wasted is truly destroyed…. Ruined… lost forever. It can never be regained.
c. God gives us all talents and gifts to be used for His glory.
• This proverb teaches about the danger of waste.
• Some men may have only one gift, but waste it through sloth—too lazy to develop their spiritual gift and use it for the Lord. They waste the opportunity to use it.
• Other men have many gifts but carelessly throw them away…
d. What a pity when a believer wastes God’s time, and through slothfulness, he never develops his spiritual gifts…
e. What an equal pity when another believer does develop his spiritual gifts… he goes to Bible college, he learns theology, takes courses in homiletics, hermeneutics, masters the piano and violin, and he then lets his talents ROT by not using them in the local church for God’s glory.
f. Both are pitiful wastes… they are brothers.
g. Col. 4:5 – redeem the time—buy it up and use it for God’s glory!
Proverbs 18:10
A Strong Tower
Introduction:
1. Vs.10-12 deal with the subject of safety and security.
a. The name of the Lord is safety to the righteous.
b. A rich man’s wealth is his safety.
c. The proud man has no safety!
A. The Name of the Lord
1. Lord = Jehovah – the special name of God – the self-existent One.
2. Usages
a. Gen. 16:13 – Hagar “called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me.” To her, the name Jehovah meant, “God, you are looking out for even me!” The name of the Lord was an explanation of WHO He is.
b. Gen.33:19 – to Moses God said, “And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.” Proclaiming the NAME of the Lord was equal to proclaiming WHO He is!
c. Josh. 9:9 – the name of the Lord speaks of His FAME and reputation.
• And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt.
• The queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD
d. I Sam. 17:45 – to David the name of the Lord meant His POWER and ability to defeat all His foes.
• The Philistines trusted in their swords and spears and the size of their soldiers.
• David’s confidence was in the name of the Lord…
• David trusted Jehovah and His power to deliver.
e. Ps. 20:7-9 – Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. 9Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.
• Here the name of the Lord speaks of the One we TRUST… we rely upon… our trust is not in men or anything earthly, but in the NAME of the Lord.
• It speaks of God’s power to save and deliver in times of trouble.
• It is a name to REMEMBER in times of trouble.
f. Isa. 50:10 – Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.
g. Psalm 124:8 – Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
• Here the psalmist speaks of the NAME of the Lord as our Source of help… the One who is on our side (vs.1)
h. Joel 2:32 – And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered.”
• It is the name we CALL upon when in trouble… and He delivers…
i. Col. 3:17 – And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
• Whatever we DO as believers, we are to DO in the name of the Lord.
• His NAME (who He is) is to guide everything we do.
• His name, His character will keep us from doing some things… and will move us to do other things.
• KNOWING who He is should guide our decisions.
3. The NAME of the Lord ought to be significant to us.
a. It speaks of His character, His attributes, His fame and reputation, His holy Person, who He is.
b. This expression ought to conjure up in our minds One who is gracious, kind, holy, pure, omnipotent, omniscient… the One in whom we trust.
B. A Strong Tower
1. TOWER:
a. A watchtower, i.e., a tall narrow defensive building
b. Sometimes translated “castle”… a tower on a castle wall.
c. It was used as a watchtower
d. It was also used as a place of refuge and safety when the city was attacked.
e. This is also the term used of the tower of Babel that “reached unto heaven.”
• The pagans built towers in hopes of reaching heaven.
2. Judges 9:51 – But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.
a. This tower was the place the city dwellers fled when the city was being attacked.
b. It was viewed as a place of safety and security.
c. It was a TALL tower, and thus elevated them above the enemy… and gave them a higher perspective of the battle.
d. This is the same term Solomon used to describe the NAME of the Lord.
3. Judges 9:49 – unfortunately, the towers built by men did not always provide safety…
a. Note how MANY people fled to these large towers!
b. They died.
4. But the NAME of the Lord is OUR strong tower.
a. Solomon saw a connection between the way men used strong towers in his day and the NAME of the Lord.
b. In the second part of the proverb he tells us what that connection is.
1. To the righteous (those justified by faith like Abraham), the name of the Lord is a strong tower.
2. The believer can RUN (dart quickly) to it… for safety.
a. This implies rushing quickly… hastily… as when one is being attacked.
b. In one sense, the believer is to DWELL in Christ day by day.
c. But this illustration speaks of another aspect of our walk with God. It speaks of what to do in time of danger.
• The citizens of a city under attack would RUSH for the safety of a tower (it was the bomb shelter in the 50’s).
• Or perhaps like rushing quickly to the city of refuge when pursued by the avenger of blood…
• There are times in our lives when we are under attack too… when we are oppressed by the enemy.
• During these periods of crises we are to RUN with great haste to the NAME of the Lord…
• That is OUR place of refuge and safety in time of trouble.
• When the Jews were under attack, they literally RAN to a literal tower for safety.
3. For the believer, this is FIGURATIVE language.
a. We don’t actually RUN anywhere. It is by FAITH that His name is our safety.
b. Ps. 61:2-4 – From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. 4I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings.”
c. This teaches us that we should make HASTE in a time of crisis… by faith…
• Make HASTE to remember the name of the Lord
• Make haste to call on the name of the Lord
• Make haste to rely on the name of the Lord
• Make haste to remember what He has done in the past… how safely He has kept us… and upheld us
4. Our true safety is found in His NAME.
a. In other words, our safety is found in God’s character!
b. He is merciful; gracious; loving; just; fair.
c. His way is perfect; He makes no mistakes.
d. He honors those who honor Him.
e. He is a Good Shepherd and restores our souls.
f. He is omniscient – He is aware of those who seek to harm us.
g. He is omnipotent – He is ABLE to deliver us.
h. He is faithful – He keeps His promises to us.
i. He is a rock; a mighty fortress; a light to our path.
j. In other words – His name-character means SAFETY to us when our hearts are right with Him.
k. God wants us to BELIEVE and TRUST in His name.
l. We can either run to the strong tower and shudder in fear (through unbelief) OR we can run to the tower and rest… and enjoy the safety provided!
m. When we RELY upon His character… trusting in that character… (mercy; power) His name IS a strong tower.
5. Thus, when the believer is attacked… we can be SAFE if:
a. We make haste to fill our minds with who God is.
b. We make haste to see to it that our confidence is in Him… and His word… His character…
c. We make haste to see that our hearts are resting in Him.
d. We make haste to see to it that our actions and responses to the emergency are in harmony with the name of the Lord…
e. When our minds, hearts, and deeds are RESTING in God and His character… we are safe. We have a rock solid foundation underneath us.
f. Nothing can harm us.
g. Deut. 33:27 – “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
h. When we come to Him we are indeed safe!
i. Isa. 41:10 – Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
6. This language also implies some inherent DANGER involved when first attacked.
a. There is a tendency in our fallen nature to rely on SELF when an emergency strikes… when calamity comes our way.
b. There is a tendency to rely on men… on chariots… on the ways of the world…
c. There is a tendency to run AWAY from God and His word in times of great need.
• When a marriage is on the brinks, some run to the psychologist… the “experts” and seek ungodly counsel.
• When the doctor gives us some awful news, some put their confidence in men… in doctors… in unsaved family members… and run anywhere BUT the Lord!
• Others turn to pills and alcohol when trials and trouble strike.
• Some men run to their wealth for safety… in hopes of buying their way out of trouble. (vs.11)
• The strong towers men build sometimes offer a sense of safety and security…
• But sometimes, they prove to be no protection at all.
d. But for the RIGHTEOUS… those who do things RIGHT before God… they run to the name of the Lord.
• That is their strong tower.
• This tower always provides safety and security.
• Nothing can harm us when we cast ourselves upon the Lord…
• Nothing can harm us when we are dwelling with Christ and our lives are hidden away with Him in heaven…
• Nothing can get to us unless it is God’s will for our good and our spiritual growth.
7. When tragedy strikes in YOUR life… or in YOUR family… run to the name of the Lord—FIRST!
a. Or when you are weary and worn… run to the strong tower!
b. When the enemy surrounds you like a flood… run!
c. When trials overwhelm you like waves of the sea… run!
d. What peace that passes understanding when we rely upon Him!
e. What security and protection is ours in the castle of the Lord.
f. We have a SAFE place to run and hide and seek shelter throughout all the storms of life!
g. What REST we can experience in our hearts—regardless of the hostility occurring outside that strong tower.
h. And as those strong towers were built HIGH above the city, and gave those in the tower a bird’s eye view, so too we can run to the strong tower of the Lord and are thus able to see our trials and tragedies from HEAVEN’S vantage point… a heavenly perspective of earthly troubles brings REST to the soul.
i. We can dwell ABOVE the earthly battles and struggles by faith… perfectly safe… like dwelling under the shadow of His wings… upheld by the right hand of His righteousness…
j. If God be for us, who can be against us?
Proverbs 18:11
The Rich Man’s Security
Context:
1. This section of the chapter deals with the subject of security.
a. For the righteous, the Lord is our security. (vs.10)
b. For the wealthy, his money is his security. (vs.11)
c. For the proud, he has no security! (vs.12)
1. This verse makes several comparisons to the previous verse.
Verse 10
Verse 11
• The righteous man
• The name of the Lord
• Trust in the Lord
• The strong tower
• True safety of the righteous
• the rich man
• wealth
• trust in his money
• the strong city
• empty “conceit” of the rich man
2. The rich man
a. The rich man speaks of a man who is affluent; rich in earthly goods; well to do; prosperous.
b. Of course, we should once again be reminded that we are reading PROVERBS.
c. What is said of rich men here is not true of EVERY rich man.
d. But Solomon observed that what he is about to say about rich men is very often true… most rich men Solomon observed seemed to fit into this category described here.
e. Jesus also noted that it is hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom.
f. Of course rich men CAN be saved. Rich men CAN be godly and righteous. But in general, most rich men are not. (Most poor men are not too!)
g. So in GENERAL, what Solomon says about rich men is true.
3. His wealth is his strong city.
a. Strong city speaks of his place of safety and security.
b. It is parallel to the strong tower in vs.10.
• Sometimes translated “castle”… a tower on a castle wall and was used as a watchtower.
• It was also used as a place of refuge and safety when the city was attacked.
• The righteous would FLEE to their strong tower when they were in danger.
• They sought safety and refuge behind its walls.
• To the righteous, the Lord was their strong tower.
• When trials strike, the righteous run to the Lord and are safe…
• The name of the Lord—who God is—His Person—is their strong tower… a Mighty Fortress… a solid foundation…
• Safety and security is found in the Lord.
c. Solomon states in vs.11, that what GOD is to the righteous, WEALTH is to the rich man.
• To the rich man, his wealth is a “strong city”—a place of safety… strong walls to protect him… a place where he can be safe and secure.
• Don’t misunderstand Solomon’s point here!
• He is NOT saying that wealth provides safety and security.
• He is saying that in the mind of the rich man it does.
• Solomon isn’t saying that his wealth actually PROVIDES him with safety. He is simply saying that to the rich man’s way of thinking, wealth equals security.
• That is the way men think today too… and by the way, poor men think that way too.
» The wealthy man gloats: “I have great wealth! I am secure.”
» The poor man laments: “If only I had more money, I’d be secure!”
• The rich man TRUSTS in his wealth as the righteous trust in God.
• The rich man RUNS to his money to protect him when trial or tragedy strikes.
• The rich man gets a sense of comfort and security by reading his bank statements.
• The rich man believes he can BUY his way out of trouble…
• His mind and heart is attached to his wealth and he trusts in it to deliver him from calamity.
• Just as a man in the countryside would flee to a strong walled city for safety when the enemy strikes, the rich man flees to his wealth for safety and security.
4. Clearly this is the thinking of rich men—and most of the rest of the world too.
a. Ecc. 7:12 – money is a defense…
b. Ecc. 10:19 – money answers all things… money IS the answer to all problems… just throw money at it… money protects us and is a defense against all kinds of things.
c. Prov. 10:15 – a proverb that says the same thing!
• This is the way the world thinks…
• Solomon is not endorsing this kind of thinking. He is simply stating it as a fact: to the wealthy, money equals security; poverty equals destruction!
• Wealth is security to the rich…
• Poverty is destruction to the poor…
• Wealth makes a man secure and poverty makes him insecure… in a dangerous place.
• This is not God’s view—this is not the way we should think.
• Rather, this is a proverb—a statement of the way things ARE… not the way they should be.
• It is earthly, worldly, fallen human nature that thinks this way—and basically the whole world DOES think this way.
• The world thinks that the greatest thing that could happen to a person is to win the lottery… and the worst thing is to be poor.
• From heaven’s perspective, they are dead wrong!
1. Prov. 10:15 starts off exactly the same as 18:11, but they have different endings.
a. 10:15 ends by adding the poor man’s view.
b. 18:11 ends by adding God’s view.
c. 18:11 ends on a note of spiritual reality.
2. The second proverb basically says, “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city and high wall of protection…
a. A strong city in those days meant a WALLED city.
b. A city was harder to attack if it was walled—thus safer.
c. Often the walls would have towers (strong towers).
d. It provided a layer of protection against invasion from the enemy.
e. The higher the wall, the safer the city.
f. Hence, to the rich man, his wealth was like a fortified city with high walls—safe and secure!
g. As the rich man sees things—his money provides security for him… like the high walls provide security to the city.
h. But—the rich man’s wealth provides this level of security only in his own conceited mind!”
i. God’s mind is quite different than his on this matter. God adds a healthy dose of spiritual reality to the thinking of the rich man…
j. I Tim. 6:17 – God sees riches as uncertain. They do not provide safety or security.
k. Prov. 23:4 – “For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”
l. Men see earthly riches as lasting… a solid foundation… something we can count on… something that provides security… but GOD has a very different perspective.
m. Consider what God said about the church at Laodicea.
• THEY thought that because they were rich, they were in need of nothing.
• God looked at their condition quite differently.
• He saw them as poor, blind, naked, and wretched!
• God always seems to have a different perspective on earthly things than we do!
n. Job 31:24-25, 28 – JOB was a wealthy man, but he did NOT make his wealth his strong city.
• But Job did not put his “hope” in money nor make his wealth his “confidence.” (vs.24)
• He saw that as iniquity worthy of judgment.
• He also saw that as a denial of God!
• You can only put your confidence in one master. Job knew that.
3. Conceit Defined:
a. Strong’s: imagination; image; idol; conceit.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: what is imagined or conceived in one’s mind as a belief or opinion; ideas fashioned in the mind.
c. The term can refer to idols… man made images.
d. But here it is used of images of the heart… something imagined in the proud, conceited heart.
e. Solomon states in vs.11, that what GOD is to the righteous, WEALTH is to the rich man. It is his god, his idol… his mighty fortress… his strong tower… his high wall…
f. In other words, money is his Master… his god.
4. Luke 12:16-19 – this wealthy man felt secure because he had a lot of money… many material possessions.
a. This is just what Solomon was getting at in Proverbs 10:15 – a rich man’s wealth is his strong city… his fortress… his safety and security!
b. When a man has “much goods” he feels secure. (take thine ease…)
c. “It’s all MINE! It’s all for me, myself, and I!”
d. But that is a false sense of security… for true security can only come from the Lord.
e. He felt safe, but actually was in imminent danger.
f. In one moment he can be taken away from his wealth and made to stand before his Maker… and he discovers that his wealth provides NO security in that day…
g. And that’s when security really matters!
h. Prov. 11:28 – “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.”
• The righteous trust in God. He is their strong city. (Prov. 18:10)
Proverbs 18:12
The Results of Pride and Humility
Introduction:
1. This passage seems to be part of the context (which is rare in Proverbs!) of the preceding two verses.
2. vs.10 – to the righteous man, the name of the Lord is his safety.
3. vs.11 – to the rich man, his wealth is his so called safety.
4. vs.12 – to the proud man, there is no safety… apart from repentance and becoming humble.
1. Heart (Dict. Of Bib. Lang. gives 23 definitions for this term!)
a. Inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
b. Inclination, resolution, determination (of will).
c. 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.
d. The immaterial inner self or being.
2. Man: often refers to a male, but on other occasions it refers to mankind—male and female—anyone.
a. So ladies, this is for you too!
b. Pride is a male problem… but also a female problem.
c. It is sometimes translated “whosoever” (Lev. 15:5)
d. Thus, pride is a human problem… and one Solomon, as the observer of human behavior, wrote about often.
3. Haughty:
a. to be high, be exalted, arrogant
b. exaltation of self
c. It literally speaks of anything TALL: in either a positive or negative sense.
d. Used in a positive sense:
• Used of tall trees, walls, gates,
• Used of dignitaries—in a tall or high position
• Used of men lifted up and exalted by the Lord
• Used of Jehoshaphat whose heart was “lifted up in the ways of the Lord”
e. Used in a negative sense
• But more often it is used of men lifting themselves up on high… arrogance…
• Used of pride—tall thinking about oneself… (exaggerated, puffed up thinking… thinking of self more highly than we ought)
f. Clearly, Solomon is using the term in a negative sense here: pride, arrogance, self righteousness, vanity, conceit, self exaltation, etc.
4. The picture Solomon conveys in this passage:
a. A man whose inner thought life is full of self exaltation…
b. He describes a man full of himself…
c. A man, woman, or child who is full of pride…
d. Solomon observed that this kind of pride always seemed to precede a great fall or some sort of destruction.
5. Destruction:
a. Breaking; fracture; crushing; crash; ruin; shattering.
b. A downfall, a state or condition of moving from a high status to a low status.
c. Isa 30:13-14 – used to describe a high stone wall that comes crashing down to a pile of rubble; used of a potter breaking his clay pot and leaving it in many broken pieces… useless…
6. When Solomon observed people whose lives came crashing down around them, he noted that it was usually preceded by PRIDE of one sort or another.
a. Solomon saw people’s lives smashed like broken pottery…
b. He observed families crumble… like a high stone wall and left as a pile of rubble…
c. He saw lives fractured, crushed, broken, and ruined…
d. He observed as many shattered lives as we observe today…
e. So he studied those lives… he thought about what LED up to the destruction and ruin.
f. And time and time again, his observations led him to conclude that pride was at the root of very many of those ruined lives.
g. Prov. 6:16, 17 – Perhaps this is why he included pride as one of the seven deadly sins. In fact, it is on TOP of the list!
h. Prov. 16:18 – Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
• The fall could be a physical fall—chastening.
• The fall could be a moral fall—into sin.
• I Cor. 10:12 – “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall!”
• We are warned repeatedly, especially in gray areas, about pride.
• Pride says, “I can handle this. It won’t bother me.”
• I can skate on thin ice. I won’t fall in!
• I don’t need God. I can do this myself.
• I can handle reading all these romance novels; I can handle watching all these movies; I can handle a little flirting; I can handle a beer once in a while; I can get by just going to morning service; it won’t affect me! I can handle reading the Word once in a while… I’m strong!”
• I can handle going out with this unsaved girl or guy. I’ll win them to Christ. I can handle this situation.”
• Paul WARNS us about that kind of pride that pushes liberty to the edge…
• Solomon isn’t directly warning us. Rather, he is giving us his own observations in life: People who THINK they can stand (because of pride) often fall… and they fall hard.
i. Prov. 11:2 – Pride usually results in shame…
• The man who THOUGHT he could stand soon discovers that he was not able to do so…
• His fall brings him shame… embarrassment… even disgrace.
• He THOUGHT he could flirt and get away with it… but it led to something far more serious—and he fell morally.
• He brought shame into his life.
• The man who THOUGHT he could handle working three jobs to buy all the best things… ends up loosing his kids to drugs… and instead of bringing joy, they bring him shame…
• The proud teenager who BOASTS that he can jump off cliffs with his motorcycle—or some other silly stunt, ends up in a wheelchair… and is ashamed of how stupid he was.
j. Prov. 17:19 – He that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.
• Here Solomon adds another note: the person who exalts himself is actually SEEKING for destruction!
• Obviously, the proud person would disagree.
• When calamity strikes, he usually bemoans himself: poor me! How did this ever happen?
• But Solomon has already given him the warning. He KNOWS the outcome of pride—it is followed by destruction.
• Hence, the one who KNOWS that… and continues in his vain, proud ways, is in reality SEEKING for destruction.
• In other words, he’s LOOKING for trouble… and he will eventually find it.
1. Solomon also noted something else about the results of a humble life. It was usually followed by some sort of HONOR. Prov. 15:33
2. HUMILITY
a. Humbleness, unpretentiousness, i.e., a state or quality of being straightforward and sincere, suggesting a lack of arrogance and pride.
b. Solomon probably did not come in contact with too many of these folks—especially in the royal and noble circles in which he traveled.
c. But he did observe humble people…
d. And as he observed, he noted the similarity in each of their lives…
3. HONOR
a. Glory, honour, glorious, abundance, dignity, reputation, reward.
b. Solomon observed that those whose lives were unpretentious, humble, meek… selfless had a special HONOR about them…
c. Their lives were characterized by a dignity that was missing in the lives of the proud.
d. It wasn’t just the difference that one was proud and one was humble… he observed some CONSEQUENCES that seemed to follow the various heart attitudes.
e. There was a sense of shame to the lives of the proud… and a sense of honor in the lives of the humble.
f. The lives of the proud were shattered… but there was a sense of quiet dignity in the lives of the humble…
g. The proud nobles often had an abundance of material things… but they lacked an abundance of real friends… they did not have an abundant life… but the humble did!
h. The humble were characterized by a dignified honor.
4. Prov. 29:23 – That honor UPHOLDS the humble spirit
a. Uphold – to hold fast; make secure; i.e., give aid and help so as to keep it from falling…
b. It is used figuratively of supporting someone inwardly, morally, spiritually.
c. Thus, the humble spirit is accompanied by a sense of honor and dignity… and that honor UPHOLDS him and keeps him from falling.
5. Prov. 22:4 – Humility results in true riches, honor, and life!
a. It can save your life…
b. Pride results in a fall… calamity… a shattering…
c. Humility keeps us from that fall… and it may even save your life!
6. Jas. 4:6 – “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
a. This tells us that when pride is in our hearts—GOD Himself stands AGAINST us. (What a formidable opponent!)
b. When humility reigns, God lifts us up. (What a Person to have on our side!)
c. God’s response to us is always the same: He resists pride and gives grace to the humble.
d. I Pet. 5:6 – Peter wrote: Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”
e. James, Peter, Paul, and Solomon are all in agreement on this issue.
f. We are warned, admonished, commanded, and given consequences for both pride and humility. The choice is ours.
Proverbs 18:13
Jumping the Gun
Introduction:
1. There seems to be a theme or a running context in the previous verses.
a. vs. 10 – The righteous man trusts in the name of the Lord for his safety.
b. vs. 11 – The rich man trusts in his wealth for his so called safety.
c. vs. 12 – The proud man trusts in himself; and there is no safety…
2. It is possible that vs.13 continues that theme: another form of pride and trusting in one’s own wisdom.
a. Here Solomon presents the case of a man who thinks he’s so smart, so discerning, that he thinks he can make his conclusions without having heard the whole story!
b. Whether Solomon intended a connection to be made in these verses or not is a matter of conjecture, I guess.
c. Whether we connect this verse to the context or not, either way, it stands as a profound observation of human behavior… an oft repeated failure of fallen flesh…
d. And we have ALL been guilty of this at one time or another.
e. It is one of those temptations that is common to man.
1. Answering a matter
a. Answering = to return
b. A matter = speech; a word; an account; a statement; a case; an event; etc.
c. Answering a matter means to reply to a story or a situation… giving a response, an answer.
2. Before he heareth it…
a. Hear = to hear with attention or interest; listen to; to hear and thus understand.
b. Thus, Solomon is speaking about answering a matter before we have heard it. (Various ways to fail here.)
→ We have heard about the subject, but have not HEARD the case (Tom struck Fred with a bat!)
→ Or we do not UNDERSTAND (Global warming).
→ Or we haven’t heard the OTHER SIDE (Alice and Jane are fighting—and you have heard Jane’s side of the story).
→ Giving a definitive answer before you have heard the case… or heard all of the case… or understood the case… is foolish.
3. Everybody wants to be FIRST in giving their opinion.
a. When a few details are revealed, it is human nature to want to be first to give our opinion… our view… our judgment.
b. Consider the TV game shows… they hear part of a question and are quick to push the button. They ASSUME that they knew what the rest of the question would be… but often their assumption was wrong. They give the right answer but to the wrong question… and they lose.
c. This is the phenomenon Solomon observed and wrote about in vs.13.
d. It is human nature to jump the gun, speak before you have all the facts, and to make assumptions based on a few pieces of information, and thus make up our minds on the matter… before we hear the whole question… or the whole story… or all the details.
e. We hear ONE side of the story… and assume we know enough to judge. We don’t “need” to know any more.
f. This is human nature: we are quick to draw conclusions; we tend to make snap judgments; quick to take sides; quick to condemn…
4. There is a perfect illustration of this aspect of human nature to be found in the book of Joshua.
a. Josh. 22:4-6 – Reubenites, Gadites, and ½ the tribe of Manasseh were being sent back to their homes after the conquest of the land.
• Their portion of the land fell on the other side of the Jordan River…
• Jerusalem, the Temple, and the sacrificial system were on one side of the Jordan. They were on the other side, cut off from the rest of the tribes.
• As they left, they were warned to take diligent heed to the law.
b. Josh. 22:10 – When they arrived at home, they built a great altar.
c. Josh. 22:11 – Naturally, word of the construction of this altar soon found its way to the rest of the tribes of Israel.
d. Josh. 22:12 – Thus, the children of Israel gathered together, ready to fight against Rueben, Gad, & ½ the tribe of Manasseh.
• And didn’t they have every right to be upset?
• The Jews were NOT to build altars or places of sacrifice outside of Jerusalem! The Temple of God was God’s place for sacrifices!
• Building a rival altar was what Jeroboam did… the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin!
• God was outraged for centuries over the sin of Jeroboam—in building an altar… a rival system of worship… built in opposition to the altar in Jerusalem!
• Building an altar for sacrifice was completely contrary to the Law of Moses.
• It’s not hard to see why the tribes of Israel were so upset at the news that an altar was being built on the other side of Jordan.
• Righteous indignation would cause people to become angry and ready to fight against their brethren if they saw a rival altar being built.
viii. God is pleased when righteous indignation is demonstrated by His people…
e. Josh. 22:15-20 – The children of Israel pleaded with them NOT to build the altar.
• Vs.15-16 – What trespass is this against the God of Israel?
• Vs.17 – They compare their altar to the sin of Peor.
• Vs.18 – They ask why they have turned away from the Lord… and rebelling against the Lord. They also warn that God’s wrath will be leveled against the whole nation for their rebellion.
• Vs.19 – Note also that they are sensible and will to accommodate them.
1. If they needed more land or better land, that could be arranged. The other tribes would give up part of their land.
2. They offer them a way around their rebellion.
3. Vs. 20 – Then they warn about the sin of Achan whose actions brought wrath upon all the congregation.
f. Josh. 22:21-29 – The response of the 2 ½ tribes
• Vs.2 2 – God knows that their actions were not done out of rebellion… even though the Jews did not know.
• Vs. 24-25 – Their REAL reason for building the altar was for their children…
• They were afraid that since they were geographically cut off from Jerusalem, that their children might not feel CONNECTED to the worship in Jerusalem.
• Vs. 25 – They were afraid that in the future, the other Jews might think of them as having no part in Jerusalem’s system of worship.
• They were NOT trying to rebel against the Lord. They were trying to PREVENT their children from ceasing to fear God.
• That which they were being accused of was the very thing they were trying to PREVENT!
• Vs. 27-28 – They wanted this altar to be a WITNESS for generations to come… that they too were worshippers of Jehovah God… just like their brethren on the other side of the river.
• Vs. 10 – This altar was not built to be a functioning altar—it was only an altar to “SEE”… to look at… as a witness…
ix. Vs. 29 – they were horrified at the thought of building an altar in rebelling against God… a rival system of worship! That was repulsive to these God fearing men who loved the Lord.
g. Josh. 22:30 – When the Jews heard this, they were satisfied.
• The war was averted. Peace reigned again.
• What was the difference?
• One piece of information that they did not possess before!
• They had gathered together for WAR because they heard only one side of the story…
• Thankfully they did not break out into war.
• They decided to TALK first.
• And in talking they discovered a missing piece of information that changed the whole dynamic of the situation.
• It would have been a FOLLY and a SHAME to them had they fought without talking.
5. The children of Israel initially jumped to conclusions…
a. They heard ONE simple fact—and were ready to start a war over it. (And came very close!)
b. They wrongly assumed:
• That the altar was being built to offer sacrifices.
• That it was built in defiance against God.
• That the people building it were rebels.
• That they were building a rival system of worship.
• That their sin was like that of Peor or Achan.
• That judgment from heaven would fall upon them all.
c. And the odd part of all this is that the conclusions they drew were so very sensible… logical… Why else would they build an altar!?! It’s hard to imagine any other purpose for building an altar.
d. Their conclusions seemed reasonable, but they were dead wrong.
1. The Bible says it is foolish and shameful… yet we do the very same thing!
2. We’ve all done it. We’ve all heard pieces of a story, and immediately made up our minds… formulated our opinions…
3. There are times when that might not make much difference, but there are other times when it can mean disaster! (war among nations… between friends… in a local church!)
4. I’ve observed in the local church setting what Solomon observed in Israel.
a. In the local church, when contentions among believers arise, people begin to polarize…
b. You’re either on one side or the other in the conflict…
c. People on the various sides chat together… and spread information… their side of the story.
d. Folks on each side think they are right… and begin to get angry at folks on the other side…
e. And very often, many folks only hear ONE side of the story. (Fred’s story or Jane’s story)
f. It is ALWAYS foolish and shameful to hear one side of the story and make up your mind based on an incomplete set of facts.
g. Just because everything you heard was accurate… it could give you a wrong impression… and lead to wrong conclusions if it is incomplete.
h. Maybe every event you were told about was accurate… but the chronology was not accurate. That can change the meaning of everything!
i. Maybe a little context to the statement would change your view… if you heard it.
j. Maybe Fred’s statement would be understood differently if you were given another piece of information: he said it in jest…
k. My, oh my how one little piece of information can change our analysis of events.
5. Answering a matter before we hear it truly is foolish and shameful!
a. So before you judge a brother and write him off… or write off your relative… or your boss… or your employee… it’s a good idea to spend some time gathering facts.
b. Making up our minds without knowing all the facts… judging a brother without knowing all the facts… is part of our human nature… but it is a foolish and shameful part!
c. Solomon warns us: don’t do it!
d. Wars have started; marriages have ended; families destroyed; churches split; friendships broken; lives ruined; reputations damaged… all because of men have answered a matter before they heard it.
Proverbs 18:14
A Wounded Spirit
A. The Spirit of a Man Defined
1. The Scriptures indicate that man is tripartite: 3 parts: body, soul, and spirit.
a. The body is that part of man that relates to the physical world… world-consciousness.
b. The soul is that part of man that relates the man to himself… (emotions; self consciousness; etc.)
c. The spirit is that part of man that relates to God—his God-consciousness.
2. Some take the word “spirit” here to refer to the human spirit, the God–conscious part of man.
a. The human spirit is that part of man that is alive unto God.
b. The Holy Spirit works through our human spirit that we might have fellowship with God.
c. Either the flesh is in control (and uses our body or our emotions for its own ends) OR the Holy Spirit is in control, and our human spirit has a relationship to Christ.
d. It is easy to see how our bodies could be wounded. It is equally easy to understand how our emotions could be wounded.
e. We’ve all experienced both.
f. However, it is hard for me to imagine what a wounded spirit could mean… if Solomon meant that inward, regenerated, God-conscious part of man.
3. The word “spirit” (literally = breath; wind) is used in various senses very commonly in the Bible.
a. It is used of the wind blowing…
b. It is used of the Holy Spirit…
c. It is used of a person’s breath (he stopped breathing and died – Ps. 104:29).
d. It is used of long-winded speech…
e. One dictionary listed 29 variations on the usage of this term.
f. It is also commonly used to describe emotional attitude
• Ex. 6:9 – mental fatigue; discouragement.
• Josh. 2:11 – translated courage.
• Judges 8:3 – their anger was abated (anger).
• Pr 25:28 – Controlling one’s spirit could not mean our God-conscious part of man. But it makes perfect sense as our inward emotional attitude. That DOES need to be controlled.
• It literally means “breath or wind” in the sense of attitude, and the context has to determine the rest… what SORT of attitude.
• For that reason, it seems best to understand Solomon to mean “emotional attitude” in Prov. 18:14.
4. Thus, the spirit of a man in Proverbs 18:14 speaks of a man’s inward, emotional attitude…
a. We use the term spirit in the same sense today. (Team spirit; a spirited response to the challenge; she has a sweet spirit about her; you lifted my spirits).
b. We don’t mean their intangible, God-conscious part of their inner man…
c. Rather, we mean their attitude… disposition… outlook… temperament.
B. Will Sustain His Infirmity
1. Infirmity:
a. Sickness; illness; disease; i.e., state of lacking of good physical health, implying a time of suffering.
b. It can also refer to a physical weakness… a lack of strength… because of sickness.
2. Solomon states here that when a man or woman is sick or diseased, his spirit can sustain him.
a. Even though his body may be weakened or diseased, if his emotional attitude is strong and healthy, that attitude will sustain him throughout his physical sickness.
b. If the outer man is sickly, but the inner man is healthy, that will sustain you!
3. Sustain:
a. Maintain; support; bear up; enable to endure; nourish; etc.
b. Used in:
• Gen. 45:11 – Joseph promised to “nourish” his family during the years of famine in Egypt.
• I Kings 17:4 – the ravens “fed” Elijah by the brook.
c. A healthy inner attitude can enable a person to ENDURE physical suffering.
d. A healthy spirit—a right attitude can support the weakened body and enable it to endure… to keep on keeping on…
e. I think of Pastor Rathbun. He has a healthy spirit and that has sustained him through decades of blindness.
f. There are other blind men who sit in the darkness and sulk… lose interest in life…
g. I’m sure we’ve all seen different people battle some awful physical diseases. Not everyone handles them the same.
h. I have seen folks with such diseases with a sweet inner spirit that buoys them up and keeps them going.
i. Others sink into depression… and that only adds to their physical problems.
j. This is Solomon’s point: a good inner spirit—a healthy emotional attitude will sustain a man during his infirmity.
k. That’s why singing and praising the Lord is GOOD for us. We should do it because God said so, not because of any benefit we receive—but it IS good for us! It can lift our spirits…
l. Neh. 8:10 – “The JOY of the Lord is your strength.” Joy is strength!
4. There is without question a direct connection and relationship between the inner man and the outer man.
a. We are ONE being… a whole…
b. A good attitude will help sustain our physical infirmity.
c. Job 1:20-21 – Consider Job’s suffering and also his “spirit” or attitude towards his suffering! It sustained him.
d. Prov. 17:22 – A merry heart doeth good like medicine! I’m of the opinion that this verse means exactly what it says!
e. A good heart attitude can be effective as medicine in dealing with sickness.
f. This does not mean we don’t need doctors or medicine.
g. It does not mean that a good attitude will CURE disease. It will not.
h. If a person is suffering from cancer or blindness, a good attitude will not make the cancer go away… nor will it cause your eyesight to return.
i. It will not cure the disease, but it can sustain the person during the period of illness.
j. Think of men climbing a VERY difficult mountain.
• Two men of equal strength, health, and ability…
• Two men with very different attitudes…
• One will make it to the top, the other will quit.
• They BOTH had the physical strength to make it to the top, but it takes inner drive to tap into that inner strength.
k. Jas. 1:2-4 – During trials (physical suffering for example) we are challenged to be careful about our ATTITUDE.
• We are to rejoice…
• The rejoicing is NOT because we are going through trials. Avoid trials and suffering if you can.
• But we are to rejoice KNOWING the end of that suffering.
• If we keep our minds and hearts focused on the END… then we will have a good inner attitude about the trial… even joy in the midst of suffering!
• And that joy—that good inner attitude will also help sustain you through the trial.
1. Now Solomon speaks about a WOUNDED spirit.
2. Wounded:
a. Afflicted; smitten; and so in a state of grief or hopelessness.
b. Broken, beaten, crushed.
c. This speaks of an inner attitude that is broken and crushed—by the experiences of life… by trials that seem to have no end…
3. The person with a wounded or broken spirit is one who has given up on life… thrown in the towel… defeated… the wind has been knocked out of them emotionally…
a. The wounded spirit is way beyond just feeling down in the dumps.
b. The inner drive is gone…
c. The fire in the belly has gone out…
d. The desire to live may no longer be there…
e. It speaks of an inner sense of hopelessness… deep depression… loss of interest in life…
4. Who can bear?
a. Bear: to lift up; to carry; to bear up; to carry along.
b. The expected answer: no one!
c. This is a burden too heavy for anyone to bear…
d. If a person is experiencing physical disease and suffering, AND has a wounded spirit… this becomes unbearable.
e. Sometimes when a couple has been married for 50 or 60 years, and one spouse dies, the other dies shortly thereafter… it was such a wound to their spirit!
5. It is easier to handle physical suffering than it is to handle inward, emotional pain and suffering.
a. It’s easier to deal with a diseased body than a broken heart. The broken, crushed heart can be more painful.
b. It’s easier to deal with a broken leg than a broken spirit.
c. The broken leg is bearable. A good spirit will sustain a man with a broken leg.
d. But a broken spirit is unbearable. Nothing will sustain that man
e. A man’s spirit will prop him up during trials. But if the spirit is broken, he sinks.
6. Prov. 15:13 – By sorrow of the heart, the spirit is broken.
a. Sorrow can LEAD to a broken spirit. Sorrow is the MEANS of breaking the spirit.
b. Sorrow and grief are normal and natural in a time of tragedy.
c. However, if the person allows himself to DWELL on his grief… and wallows in his sorrow—that can eventually break his spirit.
d. There is a time to let go of grief and get on with life.
e. And it is DANGEROUS to hang on to that sorrow. It will ruin you… crush your spirit… and make life unbearable.
f. Whether it is sorrow after the death of a loved one… or sorrow from an illness that seems to have no end… or sorrow from some failure in life… whatever the source of the sorrow, it is NOT to be life dominating. It will ruin you.
g. Prov. 17:22 – A broken spirit drieth the bones. It goes exceptionally DEEP… into the very bones!
7. Solomon is speaking in human terms here.
a. What he says is just as applicable to an unsaved man as a believer.
b. Even an unsaved human being with a good attitude, a good spirit CAN sustain himself through sickness and trials.
c. Natural courage; a cheerful disposition can sustain a man.
d. A good attitude is far better than a bad attitude.
e. However, a good attitude cannot go on forever… it will only take a person so far.
f. What he doesn’t mention here is the fact that GOD is able to lift up any soul that looks to Him!
• I Pet. 5:7 – casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you. God can lift us up and KEEP us lifted up.
• God can sustain us through ANY tragedy or trial.
• Isa. 48:10 – Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Proverbs 18:15
Seeking Knowledge
1. Heart: inner man; mind; will; heart; understanding; inclination.
2. Prudent: Discernment; the ability to comprehend information and to make proper decisions based on the information; process information and so respond in an appropriate manner.
3. Here Solomon tells us that discerning men obtain knowledge in their hearts.
a. In other words, men who have the ability to process information properly and use it to respond in an appropriate manner VALUE knowledge!
b. It has benefited them greatly.
c. They want as much knowledge as they can get.
d. Prov. 15:2 – Some men know how to USE knowledge aright. That is a most valuable asset!
• Wise men not only possess knowledge, but they know what to DO with it… they use it well.
• It would not be very wise if a man had all kinds of knowledge, and let it go to waste… if he DIDN’T use it well.
4. The implication here is that men who do NOT have discernment (men who do NOT know how to process information and use it properly) do NOT obtain much knowledge.
a. They do not see the value in knowledge as a discerning man does.
b. Because they are not able to USE it properly and are thus not BENEFITED by it… they do not see its practical value.
c. Because they don’t value it, they don’t seek to obtain it.
d. And—therefore, they don’t have much of it.
5. A prudent man GETS knowledge.
a. Get: to get; acquire; create; buy; possess.
b. The term get is quite broad. It may imply that there are lots of ways to obtain knowledge.
c. The prudent man will get it, buy it, acquire it, any upright way that he can!
d. Prov. 14:18 – the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
• Knowledge is like a crown he wears…
• A crown identifies a man as royalty.
• Knowledge marks a man as royalty in a sense… a king of knowledge; a position of honor..
6. And the obtaining comes from the HEART.
a. He has a heart that is hungry for knowledge.
b. He desires knowledge deep within his heart… his inner man.
c. Prov. 15:14 – “The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge.” The desire originates in his heart.
• It is not just his HEAD that obtains knowledge, but his heart.
• The knowledge is obviously processed through his head, but the hunger to obtain it stems from the heart.
• He seeks knowledge from his heart – wholeheartedly.
• This is not superficial or phony. It is the desire of his heart.
• A wise man is never satisfied with the wisdom he has. He always SEEKS more.
• A truly wise man is aware of how much he does NOT know… and hence, seeks to learn.
• A wise man’s education does not end when he graduates from school. That’s when it begins!
d. His heart is hungry for it and therefore his heart GETS it.
e. It is not mere intellectual stimulation (head) he is after. His HEART wants this knowledge… because deep down inside he knows how valuable it is… how beneficial it is… how helpful it is…
f. Prov. 24:4-6 – And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
• By wisdom and knowledge, houses are built, established and filled with goods.
• This is true of a literal house, a home, and also of any endeavor… any business… any project.
• He knows what good practical use it may be to him—if not today, tomorrow.
g. These proverbs serve to exhort young people to obtain a good education!
1. Wise: a wise man; a learned sage; a skilled, shrewd, experienced man.
a. This term stands almost as a synonym for prudent.
2. There are a couple of contrasts here:
a. Prudent men obtain knowledge; wise men seek knowledge.
b. The heart of a prudent man… the ear of a wise man.
3. The EAR of a wise man seeks knowledge.
a. The wise man not only DESIRES it is his heart, but he DOES something to obtain it.
b. He LISTENS when other wise men speak.
c. The fool is often described in proverbs as one who does not listen. The wise man does listen.
d. Prov. 1:22 – Fools hate knowledge! They think they know it all already. Why listen?
e. Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge. (Prov. 12:1)
f. Prov. 5:12 – They hate instruction… or correction.
g. What folly—for correction and instruction is HELPFUL! It is necessary… it is knowledge…
h. If a person is doing something the wrong way, why would he NOT want to be corrected… to be given the correct information? The answer is his foolish pride!
i. The fool does not have an ear for knowledge… because of his pride. He THINKS he doesn’t need it… but he does.
j. Prov. 1:5 – “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.”
k. Just desiring knowledge will not result in attaining it. You have to listen. You have to go get it!
4. Seeking knowledge.
a. Seek: Search; inquire; investigate, implying a diligence in the procurement of the information.
b. Wise men SEEK knowledge… they inquire where it may be found; they get off their rocking chair and search for it; they investigate diligently until they find it!
c. Wise men are humble enough to realize that they do not presently KNOW enough. They may know a lot, but not enough. How much is enough?
d. They realize that there is always more to learn. The wiser the man is, the more inquisitive he will be about knowledge… and the more he will desire to hear.
e. Humility is required.
f. Prov. 1:7 – The first step towards knowledge is the “fear of the Lord.” This involves humility… before God… bowing before Him in reverence… acknowledging the VALUE of every word of God.
g. Prov. 19:2 – “Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good.” It is NOT good to be without knowledge. It is good to have it. It is valuable… it is worth seeking.
h. Prov.20:15 – There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
i. Prov. 23:12 – Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
5. The book of Proverbs is a great place to HEAR knowledge.
a. Prov. 1:4 – it was written so that young men might obtain knowledge.
b. Give your “ear” to what Solomon said many centuries ago!
c. Prov. 2:1-5 – Seeking with diligence results in FINDING knowledge.
d. Prov.10:14 – Wise men lay up knowledge. (In Proverbs we have lots of wisdom already laid up for us!)
6. Prudent, wise men will also be wise enough to seek for GOOD knowledge.
a. We live in an age of knowledge and information overload.
b. It takes discernment to know WHERE to look for valuable information… and which information is useless trivia…
c. He can tell the difference between information that is like a gem and that which is more like useless chaff.
d. The internet is a wonderful tool. It can enable us to search for valuable information… or it can be a colossal waste of time spent on useless trivia.
7. What better place to spend time gleaning knowledge than in the Word of God?
a. Ps. 19:7 – The law of the Lord makes wise the simple.
b. II Pet. 3:18 – We are commanded to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
c. If knowledge is helpful and valuable in the natural realm, how much MORE in the spiritual realm?
d. How could we ever be satisfied with the depth of the knowledge of God we presently possess? For all eternity we will be growing in the knowledge of God.
e. Paul’s goal in life was to “KNOW HIM” more and more. That should be our goal in life too.
f. Our heart should hunger for the knowledge of Christ… and our ears should seek more and more…
g. And if we truly hunger and seek—we will FIND it.
Proverbs 18:16
The Power of Gifts
Introduction:
1. A proverb like this (and there are several in the book) needs a proper introduction.
a. This proverb is helpful and instructive when properly applied.
b. However, it can also be dangerous because it can easily be abused.
2. It is wise for us to be reminded once again that we are in the book of PROVERBS… and proverbs are little nuggets of truth.
a. They don’t discuss the truth from every possible angle.
b. Every one is different. Some are pregnant with meaning. Others make a simple statement.
c. They are all designed to make us THINK.
d. Prov. 18:16 does not tell us what SHOULD BE. Rather, it simply tells us what IS.
e. It is true—but not necessarily good.
3. This proverb makes one simple statement: gifts open doors!
a. It is a simple statement of a fact of life.
b. This is not an endorsement of the idea.
c. He does not favor this method.
d. He does not encourage us to use this method.
e. He is simply stating a fact. Bribes work!
f. People use bribes to advance themselves.
g. Solomon is not saying that we should USE gifts to advance ourselves.
h. Nor is he saying that gift giving is wrong or evil.
i. He simply makes a statement… one little nugget of truth.
j. We need to use caution as to how we APPLY that nugget of truth.
1. “A man’s”
a. The word for “man” here is Adam.
b. It can refer to a male… or the human race.
c. Here it refers to mankind—including women.
d. He is speaking about gifts used by human beings.
e. Solomon is letting us know something about human nature.
f. This is true of both men and women.
2. “A man’s gift”
a. Gift = a gift; a present; an offering.
b. In some social or religious contexts a “gift” may have varying degrees of obligation attached to it… or at least expectation of getting something in return.
c. It is a gift… with strings attached.
d. In certain contexts, it comes very near the concept of a bribe… when it is used to procure favor.
e. That is the sense in which it is used here.
f. Solomon is speaking about a “gift” that one human being uses to procure favor from someone else.
3. It “makes room for him”
a. Defined: to open; widen; enlarge; broaden.
b. It is used figuratively of “creating an opportunity” or “opening a door”… by enlarging the way… making travel or movement easy…
c. Thus, this expression speaks of the motive behind the gift given.
d. A gift “makes room” for a person… it opens a door… it creates an opportunity for him.
4. Whether we like it or not, this is true. It is a fact.
a. Gifts open doors for people.
b. People use gifts to open doors for themselves.
c. People use gifts to advance their own agendas.
d. Prov. 17:8 – Bribes work. People use them all the time.
e. This was a fact of life in Solomon’s world… and in ours.
5. Gifts often DO open doors
a. Prov. 17:23 –Evil men use “gifts” to open doors so that they can get themselves off the hook!
• It perverts justice.
• A gift buys favor with the judge in court; buys false witnesses to lie in court—(as Jezebel did).
• It opens the door to get what you want in court. People buy their way out of jail.
b. I Kings 15:18 – King Asa sent a “gift” to Benhadad, king of Syria to buy favor with him. This was common practice in ancient societies… and not so ancient societies!
6. Obviously, this proverb was not written to encourage the practice of bribes or giving gifts with strings attached.
a. It was written as a WARNING to us.
b. Be aware of this common method people use!
c. If you are a boss… be a little suspicious about those who come bearing gifts.
d. Be a bit suspicious if people are overly nice… dripping with sugary words…
e. Be aware that gifts often come with strings attached…
f. People give gifts expecting something in return. Be aware.
g. And if you give a gift to someone—don’t be surprised if they are a bit suspicious too.
h. The so-called gift of a Trojan horse given by the Greeks to the city of Troy was pure deception to capture and conquer the city.
7. This proverb warns us about gifts… it warns us that often times people GIVE in order to GET…
a. People often give gifts to make room for themselves… to advance themselves… or their agendas… their cause.
b. In Washington, lobbyists use gifts… expensive dinners and lavish vacations to influence and procure the favor of, and votes of congressmen.
c. Ironically, even charitable giving – philanthropic giving opens doors for the giver…
• It brings them before great men—the national or international media… the spotlight.
• Bill Gates giving millions to his causes…
• They may be very good causes—
d. But even philanthropic giving is designed to advance self (self image)… usually to make a big name for themselves… and the cameras are usually rolling.
e. Matt. 6:1-4 – Giving for the believer…
• The RIGHT way to give is to not let our right hand know what our left hand is doing.
• Keep it secret and your Father in heaven will reward you.
• Otherwise, the (glory) recognition of men is all the reward you get.
• If we give a gift, no one should know but God. It should be given for the glory of God, not self-advancement.
• The gift Solomon had in mind had ulterior motives.
1. “Bringeth” = to lead; to guide; (used often of God leading people).
2. “Before great men”
a. Lit = in the face of great men… before their face.
b. Great men = lit = great ones… great men…
3. The gift often is used to bring people before men of great position, power, or authority.
a. Gifts open doors of all sorts.
b. Here, it opens the door to the king… or the governor… or the judge… or other men in positions of power.
c. If you want to be heard—you have to grease palms.
d. Men in positions of power who don’t have time to see you or hear your case will often make time when a gift is offered. He will “make room” for your case if the price is right.
e. People buy positions by bribes. Others sell positions through bribery.
f. Bribes occur sometimes in our country… but when caught, the person is humiliated and perhaps imprisoned.
g. But in some parts of the world—their economy RUNS on bribes… gifts… greasing palms… It is not an aberration, it is the norm.
h. It is a terrible practice, because it is unfair to the poor.
• The wealthy can buy “justice” while the poor can’t afford justice… and thus do not receive it!
• That’s the sad truth.
• People born into wealth and privilege can BUY their way into high positions and high places…
• People of means can afford to have their case heard before great men… poor people cannot afford to be heard before the king… or the judge… or the senator…
i. Prov. 19:6 – Many will entreat the favor of a prince—a great man. They often do so with gifts.
j. I Sam. 25:27 – Abigail brought a gift to pacify David’s anger. But she did so with good motives. It worked.
k. Gen. 32:20 – Jacob used gifts to appease the anger of Esau who wanted to kill him! Esau was a powerful man.
l. This proverb does not tell us what SHOULD BE. Rather, it simply tells us what IS.
THANKFULLY we have complete access to God and no gifts are required! The price has already been paid.
• Through the cross, Christ has made room for us… and has brought us into the presence of—much better than great men… into the very presence of the King of kings!
Proverbs 18:17
First in His Own Cause
A. First in His Own Cause
1. His own cause defined:
a. Dispute; strife; controversy; quarrel; case at law.
b. Gen. 13:7 – Strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle.
c. Deut. 21:5 – Priests appointed to judge legal matters and disputes between people.
2. The meaning here: he that is first to present his side of the story in a dispute.
a. The one who shares his side of the story FIRST
b. Thus, it is his OWN cause that he presents…
3. In EVERY dispute, there is always one person who is FIRST to present his own cause… his own side of the story.
a. As King, Solomon often had to settle difficult disputes.
b. The King sometimes had to perform the duties of a judge when the lower courts were unable to settle the matter.
c. The king was like their Supreme Court.
d. Remember the case of two women who came to Solomon each claiming to be the mother of a baby… and each claiming the other woman was the mother of the dead child?
e. Solomon had to hear that case—and no doubt many other difficult cases.
f. He was very familiar with disputes and strife between people…
g. He heard many cases in court… and in doing so, he noted that each one had something in common.
h. He noted, that in every case, somebody was always FIRST to present his or her side of the story.
B. Seemeth Just
1. There was something else that Solomon noticed… in EVERY case.
2. The first one to present his own side of the story—his own cause—always seemed just… lawful… right…
a. Nobody ever came before the king with their legal case and “esteemed others better than themselves.”
b. Nobody ever came before the bar of justice and tried to put the opposition in a good light.
c. Invariably, they put themselves in a good light…
3. JUST: has both a legal and ethical sense to it.
a. The first one to present his side of the story seemed ethically superior… righteous.
b. He seemed legally correct and right…
c. In other words, if you heard ONLY this side of the story—the FIRST person to present his case would always win the court case!
d. The first person’s case was presented as so legally correct… and so ethically and morally correct—why bother hearing the other side?
e. If you believed the FIRST person’s story, you wouldn’t NEED a legal system.
f. The first one was always right… or so it seemed.
g. Solomon probably NEVER saw an exception to that rule…
4. People always try to make themselves “look good” when presenting their case.
a. Those who present their cause first are always careful in HOW they word their case.
b. They go to great lengths in thinking through HOW it will sound…
c. They may not lie… but they have discovered lots of other ways, short of lying, that will make them look good and the other guy look bad.
d. Very rarely is their wording as careless as the little boy who came running in to his mother crying, “Johnny hit me back!”
e. Little children haven’t learned the fine art of subtlety… and deception… but adults have… and use it to their advantage.
f. An adult would simply say, “Johnny hit me.”
• His side would be true and accurate…
• However, it would also be incomplete…
• But it would also be misleading and deceptive.
g. Solomon learned through observation (as a king and judge) that ANY case can be worded in such a way as to make it SEEM right and just.
5. Thus, the first part of the proverb is a WARNING.
a. Beware—things aren’t always as they SEEM.
b. ANYONE can make themselves look good…
c. Evil, deceptive people can make themselves SEEM righteous… by the way they WORD their case…
d. By leaving out key details… by re-arranging the chronology of events… by using carefully chosen terms… the FIRST one to give his cause can SEEM like an angel… and make the other guy look like a demon!
e. This is a warning to us all—when someone presents their side of the story—listen with a grain of salt… a bit of healthy skepticism…
A. But His Neighbor Cometh
1. Now Solomon gives us another warning: After the first man in the dispute speaks, there will always be his NEIGHBOR’S side to the dispute!
2. The warning is: Be aware that there is always ANOTHER side to that same story… and his neighbor’s side may be very DIFFERENT from what you first heard.
3. The term “neighbor” is a broad term translated in lots of different ways: friend, lover, companion, neighbor, fellow citizen, associate, and (as best fits here) “another person or second party.”
a. The first person presents his own cause and he seems RIGHT.
b. But then ANOTHER person comes along—the other person in the conflict—and he has a very different spin on events.
c. The second party will eventually COME (meaning to enter the scene; to arrive).
d. Hence, it is a good idea to WAIT until the neighbor… the second party arrives on the scene… and you have heard HIS side of the story, before you make up your mind.
e. Saul gave his story and it seemed believable—UNTIL Samuel came and cross examined him… and exposed his rebellion! (I Sam.15:17-23)
4. Don’t be hoodwinked by hearing only ONE side.
a. Even though a person may be exceptionally convincing!
b. Ex: when a person portrays himself as the perfect angel and the other guy as a demon—it is not so believable.
• People know that that is not very believable…
• Hence, to be convincing they usually resort to a tactic that is more believable… more convincing.
• “I wasn’t perfect either… I did such and such. But you wouldn’t believe what she did… or he did!”
• It is a convincing tactic to take 2% of the blame to make yourself believable… but that leaves 98% of the blame on the other side!
c. When a person is really GOOD at this kind of deception, he is able to present the facts in such a way that one might conclude, “Why bother hearing the other side!” If she did that… or if he said that… then let’s hang him! I don’t need to hear any more.”
d. Solomon warns, “Yes you DO need to hear more in order to make a wise decision!”
e. Hearing one side of the story is exceptionally foolish.
B. The Neighbor Comes and SEARCHES Him
1. Searches: search out facts; examine; investigate; explore, probe; inquire, dig a little deeper…
a. The OTHER party in the controversy will surely not accept the spin… the perspective… the manner in which the first person presented the facts of the case.
• “I was driving down the highway minding my own business when this lady crashed into my car. She was flying at 65 miles an hour!”
b. The second person will dig a little deeper…
c. The neighbor comes along and confronts the first person and cross-examines them… calls into question what he said and how he said it…
• But sometimes cross-examination brings out some important details…
• “He was going 80 miles an hour, reading a newspaper, with a coffee in one hand and an electric razor in the other hand—steering with his elbows!”
d. The neighbor comes along and adds important details that the first person carefully left out…
e. In another controversy, the neighbor might describe the demeanor, behavior, attitudes, tone of voice… from a very different perspective.
f. He may put the chronology in a different order which can change everything… (I wasn’t there until the day AFTER it happened…)
g. Tone of voice can change the meaning of words. For example, the words, “I’m really sorry” can mean the total opposite depending upon tone of voice.
h. The second party is able to fill in some seemingly minor details that can change the meaning of everything.
2. NOT listening to the second party… hearing only ONE side of the story is foolish and shameful! (Prov. 18:13)
a. To those who make up their minds after having heard only one side of the story, Solomon says, Shame on you! You are a fool!
b. Unfortunately, it happens—all too often.
c. Making up our minds without knowing all the facts… judging a brother without knowing all the facts… is part of our human nature… but it is a foolish and shameful part!
d. Solomon warns us: don’t do it!
e. I have had to deal with it as a pastor in dealing with disputes among believers… in marital counseling… and with all the THIRD parties who tend to polarize around one side or the other in such controversies.
f. Controversies are greatly complicated when third parties enter into the fray… for invariably they are hearing only one side of the story.
g. When folks do that, they often manifest (in their minds) righteous indignation against the “other side.”
h. They often look down at the other side as ungodly… foolish… an unintelligent dupe… hoodwinked… uncaring… unloving… and even (as foolish as it may sound) one-sided!
i. To hear one side and make up your mind is foolish and shameful!
3. This warning has almost limitless application… for controversies are with us for good… till glory.
a. People DO fight…
b. Parents would be wise to consider this warning in dealing with disputes among children…
c. Elders would be wise to consider this warning in dealing with disputes among the saints at church.
d. Teachers would be wise to consider this with disputes in school…
e. Employers with disputes among the employees…
f. Landlords dealing with disputes with their tenants…
g. This can even be applied to political candidates… so dig a little deeper…
h. Buying a product by listening to their ads… (After hearing a Chevy ad, why buy anything else?)
i. In hearing a diagnosis and treatment from the doctor…
j. So beware… we have been warned. It would be foolish and shameful to ignore Solomon’s wise warning here.
k. One man noted that God gave us TWO ears so that we could hear both sides of the story!
Proverbs 18:18
The Lot is Cast
Introduction:
1. This is a simple proverb. Its meaning is crystal clear—unlike many other proverbs that are a bit ambiguous.
2. This is simple and right to the point: lots can end arguments.
3. It is an extremely valuable tool that can be used today in all kinds of settings and circumstances.
4. It is valuable, though not ideal. Its value lies in how practical it is, not how perfect it is.
What a Lot Is
1. Lot: defined
a. Strong’s: Portion; pebbles used for systematically making decisions.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: Pebbles, sticks, or pottery shard thrown or blindly pulled out of a container, for decision making based on what seems like chance, but was a communication of the Lord.
c. Zodhiates: A lot was cast, probably a stone or stones, to decide questions or appoint persons for various reasons
2. Lot described:
a. We are not told exactly what KIND of lots were used.
b. History tells us that lots originated in Asia… from anklebones of animals.
c. Many cults used variations of this in determining the will of their gods.
d. Sometimes pieces of bone were scattered randomly and the way they fell was interpreted by a sort of witch doctor or sorcerer (quite subjective!)
e. Sometimes they were more like dice—with numbers or symbols with meaning on each side. They were thrown and gave a reading much like dice today.
f. Sometimes they were black or white stones randomly picked from a container.
g. There were many different forms of lots throughout history.
h. We don’t know exactly what the Jews used… but we DO know that it was a way of randomly and by chance (from our perspective) determining an outcome—usually with a yes or no answer.
3. God did command the use of lots in the Old Testament.
a. In dividing the land (Num. 33:54)
b. In choosing the goats on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:8)
c. In selecting men for various position (I Chron. 24:5, 31; 25:8)
• In these cases, it seems (assuming there were many qualified men for the positions), it really didn’t matter much one way or the other…
d. It was used in divine revelation—in showing Joshua who was guilty of stealing from Jericho—and the lot fell on Achan.
• In these and other Old Testament examples, it DID matter.
• In these cases, the lot cast was actually an act of supernatural revelation from God—like the Urim and the Thummim.
e. In selecting an apostle to replace Judas (Acts 1:26) (Old Testament economy).
4. Another important feature of the LOT in the Old Testament was its relationship to Divine Sovereignty.
a. Prov. 16:33 – the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.
b. That which SEEMS like mere chance to us, is actually under the control of God.
c. Think of the flipping of a coin. God is sovereign over the wind… over the rotation of the earth… over man who does the flipping… over density and humidity in the air… and over every imaginable physical detail involved.
d. Thus, that which seems like chance to us is not from the standpoint of Divine Sovereignty and Providence.
e. 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)
5. Sometimes this was commanded by God—and on other occasions we are simply told that it is what men practiced.
a. Clearly we see BOTH in the Bible: commands and practice.
b. Thus, since God on occasion commanded it, it is certainly not wrong or immoral.
c. However, the LAST time we see it practiced in the Bible is in Acts 1:26, BEFORE the Day of Pentecost.
d. Once the church began and the Holy Spirit was given, we read of it no more.
• It is a good ASSUMPTION that the coming of the Spirit is the reason—though that is not stated in Scripture.
• It is an assumption.
e. Be careful here: there is NO command either way.
• The church is never commanded to practice the lot.
• The church is not forbidden from using a lot.
• And historically (in the New Testament) we never see it practiced during the church age.
• It is simply ABSENT… it is not mentioned one way or another.
1. In this verse, Solomon presents a purely PRACTICAL use of lots.
2. He does NOT SAY the lot here:
a. That the lot determines God’s will.
b. That the lot determines the morally right choice.
c. That the lot will produce the correct or accurate answer.
d. That the lot will reveal the best choice.
e. That the lot will determine absolute truth.
f. NONE of that is mentioned in this verse… so let’s not read something into this verse that is not here.
3. Nor is Solomon saying that this is the BEST WAY to make a choice. It is “a” way… and a way that works.
4. What Solomon DOES tell us here is one generic practical value of the lot: lots can cause contentions to cease.
a. If both parties in the controversy are willing to USE the lot, it can be extremely helpful.
b. Contentions: strife, dissension, i.e., a verbal quarrel.
c. When the lot is cast, it gives a yes or no answer…
d. It is not open for interpretation… or debate as to what is meant. It is crystal clear.
e. It gives an answer that ENDS the debate and the contention.
f. Once the lot is cast, the argument is over. Someone wins and someone loses. Period. End of story.
5. This has practical value in ALL KINDS of settings.
a. With issues of no real consequence:
• If the Sunday school teacher isn’t quite sure which student gave the answer first in the contest, the debate could be ended with the flipping of a coin!
• In a Vacation Bible School program if it wasn’t really clear to the judges who won the race—picking straws could end the debate as to who gets the piece of candy.
• At home, when nobody can remember which boys turn it is to take out the garbage, flip a coin and end the argument!
b. With issues slightly more important.
• Planning a weeklong family ski vacation. Will it be Killington or Sunday River?
• If the family is perfectly divided on the issue, ONE way to resolve it is by a lot.
c. The value of a decision by a lot.
• It will not be a divine revelation of the will of God. But God’s will has much more to do with the hearts of those family members and their relationship to each other, than on which mountain they ski!
• Without the lot, one half of the family [kids?] might feel cheated.
• By casting a lot, it makes it (from the human perspective) purely random…
• Therefore, there is no one is to blame… no one gets the credit.
• It serves a purpose in taking the human element OUT of the equation.
• It serves a purpose in removing the possibility of someone crying, “That’s not fair.”
• It serves the purpose in people from complaining that their side wasn’t being heard… or my side didn’t have a chance… or they always get their way.
• It is (from a human perspective) perfectly fair and unbiased.
1. Solomon mentions its value in ending contentions.
2. Then he takes it a step further: it can even end contentions among the MIGHTY!
a. It’s one thing to use a lot to determine who wins the candy or which mountain you ski on. The outcome isn’t very consequential.
b. But Solomon suggests here that it can even be used among the might men in things that ARE of great consequence!
3. This could settle cases in court and save the government millions by doing away with a lot of useless litigation.
4. It could be used to settle the border dispute between Israel and the Palestinians…
5. We are told in the book of Joshua that the land of Canaan was divided by lot.
a. We are not told WHY.
b. It is entirely possible that it was to settle contentions among the tribes. (I want that piece! I want more coastline!)
6. Neh. 11:1 – lots were used to determine who among those returning from exile would dwell in Jerusalem and who would live in the countryside.
a. Most people did NOT want to live in Jerusalem.
b. It was still mainly rubble… and dangerous, since the enemies wanted to KEEP it rubble.
c. So rather than argue and fight over who should live in Jerusalem, a lot was cast.
d. 1 out of 10 was chosen by Lot to live in Jerusalem.
e. That settled the contention.
7. Some of the older commentators hold a very different view of lots than I do.
a. Ex: Adam Clark wrote:
• “The lot should never be resorted to in indifferent matters; they should be those of the greatest importance.”
• His view was that lots are OK for today in determining God’s will when you cannot discern it otherwise.
• He thought in that it should be done in prayer to seek God’s will, and thus only on the real BIG issues of life.
• Thus he said, “In such cases the lot is an appeal to God, and he disposes of it according to his goodness, mercy, and truth. The result, therefore, cannot be fortuitous.”
• In other words, he believed that it was a valid tool to determine God’s mind on a matter… and thus to be OBEYED as if from the Lord.
b. I would recommend just the opposite.
• Casting lots or putting out a fleece was used by God to reveal His divine will in the Old Testament. However, when that was the case, God SAID to do it!
• God has not told us to discover His will by flipping a coin or casting a lot… or using a fleece.
• I would recommend that you pray, seek counsel, read the Word, and plead with the Lord for guidance and direction and don’t budge until the way is clear!
• But on the matters that are truly inconsequential, a lot is fine! It might settle the debate as to which kid gets to sit in the front seat on the way to the beach!
8. Lots cast can part between the MIGHTY.
a. When mighty men are in a controversy, it can easily get out of hand… and escalate into violence…
b. Hence, the casting of a lot to settle the dispute is not a bad idea.
c. If you are in an argument over an issue, and tempers are beginning to flare… and the conversation is getting out of control—stop and agree to flip a coin.
d. It just might END what otherwise could turn into a mighty bloody battle between mighty proud men…
e. It is a legitimate way to end disputes… and to end them QUICKLY… immediately… fairly… without bias…
9. Casting of lots will NOT
a. determine God’s will.
b. determine the morally right choice.
c. produce the correct or accurate answer.
d. reveal the best choice.
e. determine absolute truth.
f. But it CAN end a dispute in a hurry. And there are times when ending a dispute right away is a good idea!
10. But as a Christian, there is a BETTER way to end disputes. The better way is described variously in the New Testament:
a. It’s called “grace,” a gift given to another without regard to merit or lack thereof.
b. It’s called “esteeming others better than oneself.”
c. It’s called love – sacrificing self for the good of others… love seeketh not her own…
d. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth/good.
e. It’s called submitting one to another… being clothed in humility.
f. In other words, it’s called Christlikeness.
g. Unfortunately, not every believer manifests Christ at all times. There are times when it might be wise and beneficial to cast a lot… NOT to determine God’s will—NOT to discover the right answer—but to END a dispute!
Proverbs 18:19
A Brother Offended
19a A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city:
1. BROTHER:
a. Strong’s: brother; relative; kinsman.
b. DBL – relative; friend; associate; countryman.
c. Zodhiates – a brother, one with same parents, or a close friend…
2. Thus, the point Solomon makes is broader than a literal brother.
a. It certainly applies to a brother… or a relative.
b. But the term is broad enough in its usage to cover all kinds of friends and associates.
3. OFFENDED:
a. Zodhiates: rebel against; to sin against; transgress against.
b. Theological Workbook of the Old Testament – A breach of relationship between two parties; a casting off of allegiance.
4. A brother offended
a. Solomon is speaking to us about a brother or any kind of friend or close associate with whom we have a relationship.
b. In fact, this principle could be applied to ANY human relationship… husband/wife; parent/child; teacher/student; employer/employee; between brothers in a local church…
c. In particular, he is speaking about a friend who has been sinned against… and a breach in the relationship is the result…
d. Breaches in relationships occur all the time… in all kinds of relationships…
5. We have all been there… many times over.
a. We have all been on BOTH sides of this equation too!
b. We have all BEEN offended by a close friend or brother…
c. We have all OFFENDED a close friend or brother…
d. So what Solomon says here is applicable to every single one of us…
e. This is exceedingly practical to every day life…
6. It is EASY to offend a brother or a friend…
a. It can occur through carelessness with our words…
b. It can occur through maliciousness with our words…
c. It can occur as a misunderstanding…
d. It can occur by means of a third party sticking their nose in someone else’s business—sowing discord among brethren.
e. It can occur because we only heard one side of the story (vs.17).
f. It can occur when the one offended is overly sensitive… thin skinned…
g. It can occur when the one who offends is callous… insensitive…
h. It can occur because of something said in jest; it was a joke, but they took it seriously…
i. It can occur when you are obeying God and rebuking sin…
j. It can occur when we say things in anger that we would never say otherwise… yet you cannot un-ring the bell…
k. It occurs when for one reason or another, the allegiance is no longer there… or the allegiance is given to someone or something else…
7. Notice the italicized words: is harder to be won…
a. These words were added by the translators (and they TOLD us!)
b. Something HAS to be added here to complete the thought. There is no verb.
c. It simply reads “a brother offended… a strong city.”
d. Solomon is obviously making some sort of a connection in thought between these two things… an offended friend and a strong city.
8. A strong city:
a. Cf. Prov. 18:11 – a rich man’s wealth is his strong city… his high wall. This speaks of a fortified city… a place where something is walled in… where others are not able to break in…
b. A strong city was a place of refuge to which people would FLEE when attacked…
c. An offended brother builds walls around himself to keep the offender OUT… when he feels attacked by the offender.
d. The high walls keep the enemy out… and keep the ones inside nice and safe… out of the range of the arrows of the enemy…
e. Those walls are a kind of defense mechanism because the offended party doesn’t want to be hurt again.
f. The offended party hides behind the high walls of the strong city… to protect himself… a wall of separation…
g. Once those walls are built, they are extremely hard to penetrate.
h. That seems to be Solomon’s point here.
9. Making a connection between the terms…
a. There is something about a strong city that is like a brother who has been offended.
b. Is harder to be won… (KJV)
• Is harder to win back
• Is harder to reach… (same meaning)
• Is more unyielding…
1. Contentions: Strife; contention; quarrel; dispute.
2. This speaks about the strife that the offence created from the perspective of the offended friend or brother.
a. The offensive words or actions resulted in a debate… a quarrel… strife.
b. The strife is likened to the bars of a castle (citadel; fortress; a fort… a military stronghold).
c. And again, the meaning here is the fact that they are impenetrable… thick… strong… unmovable…
3. Once the offense is made… the offended party goes on the defensive mode… and when people have been hurt, it’s very hard to get them OUT of that defensive mode.
a. Solomon’s point here is that once the offense is made, it is VERY difficult to get through to the offended party… to remove those bars… and to restore the relationship.
b. And once that person goes into defense mode… and is secluded behind those walls… and there is no communication… one’s imagination can easily run wild!
c. The offense can be embellished in your mind… and become bigger than life… the offending party is demonized…
d. Restoration becomes HARDER as time goes by.
e. Relationships are easily ruined… not so easily restored.
f. It’s easy to burn a house down. It takes no time at all to light a match. It’s much more difficult to build a house.
4. Remember that this is a PROVERB.
a. Solomon is simply stating a fact.
b. Solomon observed this sort of thing over and over again and wrote a proverb summarizing his observations.
c. He is not telling us that this is GOOD behavior… or acceptable behavior… or God honoring behavior.
d. He is simply stating that this is what often happens: an offense is made; a breach in the relationship occurs, and it is VERY hard to repair or restore.
e. Often times the offended party retreats to an imaginary “fortress” of his own making… shielding himself from hurt… keeping a distance from the offending party to protect him/her self.
f. We see this all the time in families: people get offended and don’t talk to their own family members for years!
g. Think of the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. The folklore has it that this feud started over a fight about a hog. An offense was made and for generations, the bars between those two families were impenetrable.
h. It sounds silly to us today—but it wasn’t to them at the time.
i. People get offended today over issues that COULD be cleared up easily the right way…
j. But instead, one party retreats to his self imposed exile… builds walls to keep the other party out… and the contention never gets resolved!
k. Families live like that… sometimes parents go for years without talking to their children… and vice versa.
l. Husbands and wives live like that. It is basically a divorce while still living together… separated by an invisible wall.
m. It’s a terrible way to live. Solomon is NOT endorsing the idea. He is simply noting that it is something he observed enough that it becomes PROVERBIAL!
5. There are some OBVIOUS APPLICATIONS from this proverb.
a. If you are the OFFENDING party:
• If you have offended a brother, apologize! Confess your sin to God and make it right with your brother!
• Jas. 5:16 – confess your faults one to another. Sometimes that’s all it takes. The person sitting in his or her fortress might be waiting for you to do so!
• Matt. 5:22-24 – Jesus gave His disciples a warning about this sort of thing.
1. One Jewish brother offended his brother and called him an offensive name: fool!
2. Jesus says that it is hypocritical to continue worshipping God as if nothing happened with your brother…
3. He says to make things right with your brother… then come and offer your sacrifice.
4. It is not always possible to make things right with man… but as much as lieth in you! Do YOUR part… to the best of your ability.
5. We might make the application: make things right with your brother before you come to God in prayer… and worship…
6. God cares about our heart relationship to other people… it affects our ability to worship Him!
b. If you are the OFFENDED party:
• Matt. 18:15 – Jesus also gave His Jewish disciples some principles concerning what to do if YOU have been sinned against or offended by a brother.
1. He says to GO to that brother with the offense.
2. Let him know that you are offended… hurt… feel violated…
3. If he hears you—you have restored the relationship.
4. Notice what this pattern implies: if YOU have retreated to your fortress to protect yourself from being offended again, Jesus says, BREAK down those walls and face the one who sinned against you!
5. If you stay in your self-imposed exile… imprisoned by the offense… you will NEVER restore the relationship.
6. Remember what the proverb states: those bars you have built are virtually impenetrable by the other party! He CAN’T get through!
7. But you can…
8. Lick your wounds… humble yourself… stop doting over protecting SELF… and behave as if the relationship to a brother is more important than your feelings.
c. Whichever side of those iron bars you find yourself… RESTORING the relationship ought to be paramount.
• A little bit of grace and humility goes a long way!
• Solomon says that winning back that person is difficult.
• But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Nothing is too hard for the Lord.
d. Another important application: since we know how difficult it is to win an offended brother BACK… it makes good sense to avoid offense in the first place… as much as lieth in you.
Proverbs 18:20
Benefits from Good Speech
A. A Man’s Belly
1. In the Bible times, different parts of the body were often used in a figurative sense, just as we do today.
a. The right hand = a person’s strength.
b. The heart = the inner man, not the physical organ.
c. The term “belly” is also used in a figurative sense to refer to the inner man… perhaps the conscience.
d. Cf. Prov. 20:27 – the Lord searches the inward parts of the belly—not to see what we ate, but to see what we are thinking… meditating on… what’s going on in the inner man.
e. Prov. 13:25 – it is used as a synonym for the soul.
f. Prov. 18:8 – words go down to the “belly” = emotions.
2. It is best to understand belly here in the figurative sense.
a. The literal sense does not make sense.
b. Words don’t fill up our stomach when we are hungry.
c. But Solomon’s point is that words CAN satisfy our inner man.
d. The assumption here is Solomon is speaking about GOOD words that bring satisfaction to the soul.
e. We are certainly capable of speaking words that are not so good. That does not bring satisfaction… but good words DO.
f. There are LOTS of warnings in the Bible about the evil use of our tongues and mouths. Here is a description of the GOOD that can come from our mouths.
3. What a man SAYS can satisfy him in the inner man…
a. Satisfy: to satiate; to be full and have much; to be content;
• Used in Deut. 6:11 = translated “full”.
• Just as food satisfies the stomach… makes us full and content, so too the words that we speak can satisfy OUR inner man.
b. And note that Solomon is speaking about the effect of our words on us… not on others.
c. The point is not that our good words can satisfy someone else, but that our words can bring satisfaction to our OWN souls.
1. Filled: this is the same word as “satisfied” in the first part of the Proverb.
a. And both sections of the verse speak of the satisfaction of the speaker when good words come out of his mouth.
2. Increase:
a. Produce; product; revenue; yield; gain as in harvest.
b. This is virtually a synonym for “fruit” in the first part of the proverb.
3. Without question, this proverb is a synonymous parallelism.
a. In fact, there is virtually no difference in meaning… just another way of saying the same thing.
b. Both parts of the proverb use figurative language to describe the effect of our speech.
• Solomon speaks of the words that come out of our mouths as if they were seeds…
• And the seed (words) sown (spoken) result in fruit… a harvest… an increase of the field…
• And that harvest satisfies the farmer (the one speaking)
c. Hence, it is best to consider both parts as the same.
The MEANING of the Proverb
1. Prov. 12:14 – “A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth.”
a. The “fruit of his mouth” refers to the words that come out of his mouth.
b. The assumption here is that GOOD words come forth.
c. That man shall be satisfied…
• The man who speaks well of others often has people speak well of him.
• The man who uses his mouth to encourage others will find that others will encourage him too!
• This concept is a different twist on the “you reap what you sow” principle—applied to our speech.
2. Prov. 15:1 – For example, Solomon says that a “soft answer turneth away wrath.”
a. The man who, in the midst of an argument chooses to obey this verse will discover its truth.
b. Instead of yelling back… or hurling slurs and accusations… he softly replies in words of grace and kindness.
c. He experiences the GOOD FRUIT of his mouth: the argument subsides… relations are restored.
d. He avoids the huge explosion that was about to happen.
e. That brings great satisfaction to his soul.
3. Another example: Prov.15:23 – a man has JOY by the answer of his mouth. Joy satisfies the soul!
4. Prov. 10:21 – The lips of the righteous feed many.
a. Feed = pasture; pasturage; pasturing; bring to pasture – the work of a shepherd.
b. Good words can feed others and be like medicine in their souls.
c. But the one who GIVES the good word… the one who feeds others with truth and good words is also satisfied!
d. Think of the satisfaction that comes to a Sunday school teacher who leads a little child to the Lord!
e. Think of the satisfaction of the brother who speaks words of encouragement to another brother who is ready to throw in the towel… and he repents and gets right with God!
f. Think of the satisfaction of the one who shares the gospel with a friend at work—and he gets saved!
5. Eph. 4:29 – we are to speak words that build up our brothers. What great satisfaction comes to the believer who OBEYS God’s Word!
6. II Cor. 1: 3-4 – What a sense of satisfaction is ours when God uses us to comfort the afflicted—even one or two words, fitly spoken can be used greatly!
a. Do you know someone who needs comforting? Use your mouth for good!
b. Solomon says that not only will the other person benefit—but so will you!
7. Prov. 13:2 – “A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.”
a. This good man EATS of that good fruit.
1. Eating the fruit of something speaks of “enjoying the benefits” of it.
2. This figure of speech is taken from every day life in an agricultural society.
3. The farmer who produces good fruit gets to eat it!
4. This well known principle is applied to our speech.
b. But notice that the opposite is true as well.
1. The man who is a transgressor—and sins with his mouth shall also have something to EAT…
2. He eats violence… the evil fruit from a bad mouth.
3. The soft answer turns away wrath.
4. The loud, angry answer stirs UP wrath—and often incites violence!
5. Someone cuts you off on the highway and you yell at him out your window: “You jerk!” That uncontrolled tongue may cause you to EAT violence—road rage!
8. We personally are greatly affected—for good or bad—by our speech.
a. When the fruit of our mouths is good fruit as Solomon suggests in this Proverb, we reap a wonderful harvest of rest, peace, contentment, and satisfaction.
b. But if the fruit is evil… there are serious consequences.
• Instead of our inner man being satisfied, he might be feeling ashamed, embarrassed—NOT content!
• If the fruit is evil, we will carry along a guilty conscience… which is miserable.
c. If the fruit is good, we can enjoy a clean conscience… and joy!
d. There are wonderful PERSONAL benefits from kind and gracious GOOD fruit coming out of our mouths.
e. But, we should be careful about motive.
• Solomon doesn’t mention motive here… this is just a proverb.
• We should speak good words for the purpose of edifying and helping OTHERS.
• Solomon simply states here that there is a wonderful FRINGE BENEFIT for us: we ourselves are satisfied… deep down in our belly.
Proverbs 18:21
The Power of the Tongue
Introduction:
1. This section in Prov. 18 deals primarily with the subject of speech and communication. (How practical!)
a. Vs. 17 – the folly of a person who hears one side of the story and makes up his mind…
b. Vs. 18 – contention between parties—verbal arguments
c. Vs. 19 – offending a brother—usually through speech
d. Vs. 20 – the satisfaction of good fruit coming out of one’s mouth.
e. Vs. 21 – the power of the tongue
2. Vs. 20 spoke of the pleasant reward from good speech.
a. Vs. 21 takes this same thought a level higher.
b. Not only can it produce good fruit worth eating, but it can promote LIFE itself.
c. And he takes it a level higher in the negative sense. The tongue also has the power of death.
A. The Tongue Has the Power of Death
1. Power Defined:
a. Strength; hand; the force and ability sufficient to accomplish a task… as an extension of the hand.
b. Solomon is speaking about the strength or the ability of the tongue to accomplish a task—either good or evil.
c. His point is that the tongue is a powerful little instrument.
d. This is the same concept that James elaborates upon in James 3:3-5 – it is a little member, but boasts of great and powerful things!
• Like a horse’s bit; a ship’s rudder; or a little spark that ignites a huge fire…)
• Though small, the tongue is powerful because of what it can DO… what it can accomplish…
e. Words are exceedingly powerful.
• There is potential in the tongue for good or evil.
• The pen (which records words) is more powerful than the sword.
2. Death is in the power of the tongue.
a. A eyewitness in court can testify against a man and his speech can result in putting that man on death row… condemning him to death!
b. A military officer can give his soldiers an order that can result in the deaths of hundreds of people—even thousands!
c. A king can say, “Off with his head” and that man is as good as dead.
d. Also consider the big mouth—who is always shooting his mouth off. If he gets the wrong people mad at him, his big mouth could result in his own death!
3. Solomon mentions here extreme example of the evil caused by the tongue: death!
a. Of course our use of our tongues will not likely result in the literal death of another person.
b. BUT—even though our evil use of our tongue may not rise to that level, the point he makes has good application to us all.
c. The result of our speech may not lead to the death of another person, but it can lead to the harm another person.
d. The tongue can be powerful in an evil way…
e. The results could result in anything from an insult to death… and everything in between!
4. It is unlikely that the careless use of our tongues will result in someone’s death (or our own), but there are lots of other consequences short of death that we should be aware of!
a. Jas. 3:8 – the tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
• Sometimes the poison kills.
• On other occasions, it just makes you sick.
• But always, poison is harmful.
b. Prov. 12:18 – Our speech can be as sharp and painful as sword. It may not kill them, but it can inflict pain.
• This is figurative language, which speaks of the result of thoughtless speech: it hurts like being stabbed with a sword.
• The figure is one of a man taking a sword and stabbing someone…
• Paul used another figure of speech, which means something quite similar: “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” (Gal. 5:15)
• There is something about thoughtless language that is like being stabbed with a sword:
» It is painful…
→ Words can hurt more than a sword…
→ Words can paralyze another human being…
» It is a deep wound, not a superficial scratch…
→ Physical wounds heal over time. Usually there are stitches, some medication, pain relievers, or ointments that help the heal the wound.
→ But there are no pain relievers for the pain of thoughtless words.
» It takes a long time to heal… unlike the scratch…
» Once inflicted, it cannot be reversed…
c. Prov. 18:19 – Offending a brother.
• It may not kill the person, but it can kill a relationship…
• Our speech may not actually result in the death of another person… but we sure can inflict a lot of pain and suffering!
• Our tongues can be cruel, cutting, and hurtful.
B. The Tongue Has the Power of Life
1. Rom. 10:14, 15 – There is the power of eternal life in the tongue of the one who shares the gospel! Words result in life!
2. Prov. 20:21 – A good tongue can FEED many.
3. Since there is such potential for GOOD with the use of our tongues, we should be careful not only in WHAT we say, but we should be careful in the very words we choose… and how we speak.
a. This includes our tone of voice… body language while speaking… even the choice of words and expressions we use.
b. Different phrases and expressions may be used to describe the very same thing… but they can connote or imply something very different.
• I’m pro-life, but those on the other side of the issue refer to it as anti-choice. (same position—different overtones)!
• I’m also a dispensationalist. I like to think of dispensationalism as “rightly dividing the Word of God.” Our foes speak of it as “cutting up the Bible into little fragments pitting the Old Testament against the New Testament.”
c. Example: Suppose one of your employees made a big mistake and the department held a meeting to discuss the issue. You could open the meeting by saying, “We need to discuss the impact of Joe’s problem for the department,” or you could say, “Our department has a unique challenge that I’m sure we’ll be able to meet!”
d. The way we WORD things can make a huge difference…
• If we are careless we can hurt others… unintentionally.
• But if we are considerate, we can often accomplish the same thing, but do so graciously… and without offence… and we end up with loyal friends instead of enemies.
e. Our tongues can produce fruit—like a tree of life… health… vitality… strength… supporting and promoting life… good relationships…
f. Prov. 12:18 – The tongue of the wise is health. Seek to promote HEALTH through the use of your tongue.
A. They That Love It
1. The “it” refers back to the tongue—those who love the tongue… they love to USE it. And use it they do!
a. This is a way of referring to talkative people… people who love to talk… perhaps a little too much!
b. They love to talk… and their tongue never stops wagging.
c. Prov. 10:19 – This man loves to talk.
d. Ecc. 10:14 – A fool also is full of words. That’s a sign of folly.
e. Those who LOVE to use their tongues should beware… and take heed to Solomon’s warnings.
2. It is possible for evil men to speak right words with evil intent. The Lord knows our hearts.
3. It is also possible for good men to speak wrong words inadvertently.
a. The Lord knows their heart too.
b. We’ve all done it. Perhaps we have repeated something we thought was true, but come to find out, it never happened!
c. We pass on information that we received from somewhere else, assuming it was true, but it was not.
4. The man who LOVES good words with good intentions is rewarded.
a. This is what we saw last week in vs.20.
b. That man shall be filled and satisfied by means of the use of his tongue.
5. The man who LOVES evil words with evil intentions shall eat the evil fruit.
a. Psalm 52:4 – He loves devouring words.
b. Men end up eating that which they love.
B. They Shall Eat the Fruit Thereof
1. Prov. 18:6-7 – The fool eats the evil results of his unbridled tongue.
a. He is snared by his tongue, and it may result in strokes—a whipping!
2. Matt. 12:35-37 – Whatever we SAY we will have to give an account for one day… by our words we are either justified or condemned. That should give us cause to pause before we blab.
3. There are always consequences every time we open our mouths. Those consequences may be negligible, they may be extremely important… even to the point of life or death.
4. Jas. 1:19 – The fact that we will have to EAT the fruit of our lips… the consequences of our words… should motivate us to put James 1:19 into practice in our daily lives: slow to speak!
5. Don’t go overboard and say NOTHING ever for fear of sinning with your tongue!
a. Pray that the Lord would restrain us from every evil use of the tongue.
b. Pray that the Lord would sanctify our tongues for His service—for good… to praise Him and edify the brethren… and share the gospel.
c. Solomon’s point is that the tongue is powerful… for evil AND for good.
d. Let’s use it for good… for health… for life… eternal life!
Proverbs 18:22
Finding a Wife
A. Finding a Wife
1. Find Defined:
a. To find; secure; attain; to encounter; to meet up with; to happen upon; discover; to have in one’s possession.
b. It is used in Proverbs in relationship to wisdom. “They that seek Lady Wisdom shall find her.”
c. This is a very common word in the Old Testament—used almost 500 times.
2. The term implies several things:
a. Not every man has found a wife…
• Some may be looking but have not yet found one.
• Other men may not even be looking.
b. It implies that to find one it is necessary to look… to seek…
• Finding usually comes through seeking.
• Prov. 8:17 – If you want wisdom, it requires seeking. If you want a wife, it requires the same!
c. Also implied is this: if you want to FIND something, you have to know what you are looking for.
• Female would be a good starting point… but not just ANY female.
• The Bible gives some qualifications for finding a wife.
• In the natural realm you are looking for a female; attractive.
• But in the spiritual realm, you want to look for a woman who is saved; walking with the Lord; of like precious faith; in agreement; (Can two walk together except they be agreed?)
B. A Good Thing
1. Good Defined:
a. This is a very broad term with lots of shades of meaning.
b. Theological Words of the Old Testament:
• Practical, economic, or material good.
• Abstract goodness such as desirability, pleasantness, and beauty.
• Moral goodness.
c. Variously translated as: good, pleasant, agreeable, prosperous, abundant, beneficial, happy, useful, fruitful, benevolent.
d. It is probably best to understand Solomon to be using the term here in the broadest sense… “all of the above”
2. “A good thing” = “good” or “goodness”
a. It indicates more than that the one who finds a wife finds a good entity in the woman herself.
b. Her price is far above rubies!
c. It implies that he has found a FOUNTAIN out of which all kinds of goodness flows.
d. It is more than just that she herself is good… but that the man has found goodness itself!
3. He has found goodness personified—in the person of his wife.
a. Earlier Solomon spoke of wisdom personified as a Lady.
• He spoke of wisdom in human terms… in feminine terms… wisdom personified as a lady.
• This lady is to be sought after. Those who seek shall find.
• The man who finds this lady finds wisdom!
b. Here Solomon seems to be doing something similar: goodness is personified as a lady… as a wife.
c. The man who finds a wife finds goodness!
d. Of course, we are reminded that this is a PROVERB.
• It does not cover each and every case, but is a generalization.
• In most cases, the man who finds a wife finds goodness.
• That is not always the case however.
• Ahaz’ wife Jezebel was anything but goodness personified. She was evil personified!
• Herod’s wife wasn’t all that good either…
• Some women are like “rottenness in the bones” to their husbands. (Prov. 12:4)
• Not every wife is a fountain of goodness… but most are.
C. The Goodness of a Wife (Various shades of meaning for goodness)
1. Practical, economic, or material good.
a. Gen. 2:20 – In a very practical sense, she is a helper… suitable to the man. She helps in ways that he is not skilled in…
b. Prov. 31:10 – She is worth more than rubies… no monetary value can be placed on her. She is priceless; of great value.
c. Prov. 31:12 – She does him good all the days of his life.
• This expression is broad enough to include virtually any form of goodness towards her husband.
• The rest of the chapter explains the good she does.
d. Prov. 31:13-19 – she is a hard worker and brings much physical benefit to her husband and family.
e. Ecc. 4:9 – Two are better than one… for if one falls…
• How practical for everyday life…
• When one is sick… when one needs to be in two places at once… when you need to be at work and someone needs to be at home with the kids…
• Even in everyday chores—two are better than one.
2. Abstract goodness such as desirability, pleasantness, and beauty.
a. Prov. 31:10 – She is worth more than rubies… there seems to be a moral quality to this too…
b. Prov. 12:4 – a virtuous good wife is a CROWN to her husband.
• A crown of honor… distinction…
• A crown makes a king stand out in a crowd… as a virtuous wife makes her husband stand out…
• A virtuous wife can make an average man feel like a king! She is a crown…
c. Gen. 2:18 – it is NOT good for a man to be alone.
• It IS good for him to have a wife.
• It is desirable, pleasant… a beautiful relationship.
d. Gen. 2:20 – she is a helpmeet SUITABLE to the man.
• She completes him… adds another dimension to his life… a fullness… a richness… completion…
e. Moral and spiritual goodness.
f. Prov. 31:11 – The husband can safely trust her… because she is good… honest… pure… trustworthy… morally good… pure… reliable…
g. Ecc. 4:9-10 – This is true in the spiritual and moral realm too! Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
h. Husbands and wives are expected to pray together… worship together… edify one another… admonish one another… iron sharpens iron in the home too!
1. Favor Defined: pleasure; delight; favour; goodwill; acceptance; approval.
a. God Himself FAVORS this relationship. He approves of it.
b. It was He who instituted marriage and brought Eve to Adam…
c. It was He who said it was not good for man to be alone.
d. It was He who said “Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled.” (Heb. 13:4)
2. Thus, in instituting marriage, God Himself demonstrates that He looks favorably on the marriage relationship.
a. It is His plan… His will… His design…
b. It is acceptable before Him…
c. It is well pleasing to Him.
3. This favor is FROM the Lord… He is the Source.
a. Thus, when a man finds a wife… that woman is an expression of God’s favor towards man.
b. A wife is a gift from above… from the Father of lights… for EVERY good gift is from above!
c. One has to wonder WHEN Solomon wrote these words.
• Did he write this verse early in his life… when he was still “rejoicing with the wife of his youth?” (Prov. 5:18)
• OR did he write it later on in life… looking back over his list with regret… after he had married MANY women—who turned his heart away from the Lord? (I Kings 11:4-8)
d. Prov. 19:14 – A prudent wife is FROM the Lord.
e. The fact that you have a good wife is not to be traced to your skill in choosing… a good eye… It is to be traced to God’s favor and grace!
f. A wife is an expression of God’s favor, grace, kindness, blessing, and goodness towards man…
g. A good wife is God’s answer for that which is NOT good: that man should be alone.
h. So every time you are blessed by your wife…
• Every time she does something that benefits you…
• Every time she does good for you…
• Every time her actions benefit you or your family…
• Every time she cooks a meal… cleans a room… washes clothes… takes care of the kids… etc…
• Every time she tells you that you can’t wear that tie with that shirt…
• Every time she reminds you of a temper out of control…
• Every time she rebukes, corrects, OR edifies and encourages…
• Every time goodness in one form or another flows from her—
• THANK her for it…
• And thank God too… for HE is the ultimate source of that goodness.
• A good wife is a good gift FROM GOD.
• The goodness she does is an expression of HER love and care for you.
• It is also an expression of God’s love and care as well.
Proverbs 18:23
The Rich and the Poor
Introduction:
1. There is need once again to remind ourselves that this is a proverb.
2. Solomon is NOT telling the rich and poor HOW to speak.
3. He is not saying that poor people need to use humble entreaties in speaking to others but rich people can afford to be rude!
4. Rather, he is simply making an observation; stating a fact;
5. Like it or not, this is the way it IS. It’s not the way it should be.
1. Poor defined:
a. To be in want; impoverished; not having enough income or means of livelihood for normal essential needs.
b. Zodhiates: It indicates a person who has few resources and little standing or influence in a society.
2. Usage:
a. II Sam. 12:1-4 – Here the term is used to describe a man of poverty…
• He was impoverished financially.
• He was a man of little means.
b. I Sam. 18:23 – Here the term is used to describe a lowly position in society.
• David used it of himself to indicate that he was not worthy to marry Michal, the king’s daughter, because of his low standing in society.
• It didn’t seem right to him that a mere shepherd boy should marry the king’s daughter!
• However, at that time, he was probably pretty well off financially.
• Thus, it is used sometimes of a person from a lower class.
c. Thus, the term is used of lowliness in BOTH finances and position in society. Most often those two concepts were combined.
3. This proverb speaks of the fact that men in lowly positions (either financially or a low status in society) were very often careful about the WAY they spoke to men of means… to men in high positions. (How much care should we employ as we speak to God in prayer!!!)
4. They used entreaties.
a. Useth: to speak; verbal communication.
• It is used of speaking to men or God in prayer.
b. Entreaties: supplication for a favor; a plea for mercy; a petition making a request for kindness.
• This term is most often used of men approaching God in prayer… making requests for mercy and kindness. (Ex: Ps. 28:2, 6)
5. Thus, Solomon uses a term to describe a poor man pleading for mercy from the rich and powerful… that is usually used of men approaching God!
a. The term shows the wide GAP between the one making the supplication and the one to whom the supplication is made.
b. When we approach God in prayer seeking His mercy, we come in humility… lowly… not demanding… but humbly asking… We come to God acknowledging His greatness… how infinitely superior He is to us… using terms of great respect for God… honoring Him…
c. Consider some of the entreaties spoken by men when addressing one of high estate:
• Acts 24:1-4 – Tertulus speaking before Felix the governor.
• That was common language for addressing kings… who obviously were wealthy AND had high status in society!
• Read the way that King James was addressed in the preface to the KJV Bibles.
• When speaking to men in high positions, especially kings, great care was given to approach them humbly—and showing respect and honor.
6. Solomon noticed this about human nature.
a. Remember, he was a king!
b. People came to him all the time making requests for kindness.
c. Solomon noticed that when men came to him to make a supplication that they were always respectful, humble, and bowed before him.
d. In a sense, they HAD to!
• These people came to the king to request things that only he could do for them.
• He was their last and only hope. They had no plan B.
• Thus, they wanted to be as humble and respectful as they could before him… to make a good impression.
e. Naturally, in some people, it was genuine.
f. But in others, it was feigned… because they wanted to GET something from the king… or other persons of means.
g. Lowly poor people used “entreaties” – humble supplications when addressing those of higher status… the upper class.
1. On the other hand, Solomon noticed a distinct difference in the way the upper class spoke to those beneath them.
2. The rich answer roughly…
a. Answer: answer; respond; reply; testify; shout.
b. Roughly: strongly; mightily; fiercely; with great force; intensely; harshly.
c. Used in Deut. 28:50 – A nation of fierce countenance.
3. Examples:
a. I Sam. 25:10-11 – Nabal was a rich man who answered David harshly. (vs. 17 – you couldn’t speak to him!)
b. Gen. 42:7 – When Joseph stood before his brothers as the prime minister of Egypt and wanted to SOUND like the prime minister (and not their brother) he spoke ROUGHLY to them!
4. The rich and the upper class aren’t so kind and humble when they answer men—especially when they speak to the lower class.
a. The rich don’t call the poor “your highness” or “your majesty.”
b. The rich neither bow in humility before the poor, nor show respect to them.
c. In fact, Solomon noticed just the opposite. He noticed that they answered ROUGHLY.
d. Instead of being kind they were often mean.
e. Instead of being tenderhearted, they were fierce!
f. Instead of speaking softly, they often shout.
g. Instead of showing respect, they are often rude, foul, and even vulgar!
h. Instead of showing humility, they were often arrogant.
i. Instead of being considerate, they are overbearing.
j. Obviously there are exceptions to this proverb. It is after all, a proverb.
k. But this is what Solomon observed most often… often enough to be proverbial.
l. While the rough answers of the rich are not excusable, it is understandable.
• The rich are often inundated with people trying to take advantage of them.
• People come to them with their entreaties… bowing before them in humility… many of whom are phony…
• They all came to him to GET something from him… with their hands stretched out… “gimme gimme.”
• After being besieged with such a constant flow of requests, it is understandable why the wealthy might be rude and abrupt to those who come for a hand out.
• However, that certainly does not justify their behavior.
5. When it comes to manners, the rich are often poor and the poor are often rich.
a. Don’t judge a book by its cover.
b. Just because someone is dressed in expensive clothing as a sign of their wealth, it doesn’t mean that they are kind.
c. They might look great, but it is often just a thin cover for an arrogant, cruel heart.
d. They may be rich in money and position, but they are poor in manners…
e. Jas. 2:3 – James warns us NEVER to display that attitude in the local assembly… or anywhere else.
6. Thus, this comes with a built in warning: if you don’t want to be treated this way—then try to AVOID being impoverished… and thus at the mercy of merciless, wealthy men!
a. Don’t be lazy for laziness results in poverty… and poverty results in being treated cruelly!
b. Don’t be a know-it-all, for they end being poor… and thus at the mercy of unkind men and treated harshly.
c. Don’t be a drunkard, because that leads to poverty… and that leads to people treating you cruelly.
7. And perhaps another truth is seen in this proverb too: poverty may not be good for your body, but it’s often good for the soul.
a. It keeps men humble… less likely to be harsh and arrogant.
b. Now not always. There are lots of poor mean people. But over all, poverty does tend to help mortify pride.
c. To the degree that poverty makes us humble, it is valuable and good for us!
8. Aren’t you glad that God, who hears a constant chorus of requests from His children never treats us cruelly… nor answers harshly!
a. He never grows tired of us coming to Him with our supplications.
b. God also hears all the rude and rough comments heaped upon the poor by those in positions of prominence and wealth.
c. When we come before God’s throne to present our supplications, we must come in lowliness and with a contrite spirit! (Isa. 66:2)
d. When we come before the throne of grace, we are all poor in spirit… regardless of our earthly circumstances.
Proverbs 18:24
Friends and Friendliness
1. The Hebrew term:
a. Strong’s: to be bad; be evil; displeasing; break; broken; broken in pieces.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: Evil-doer; i.e., one who acts morally corrupt
c. Zodhiates: A verb meaning to be bad, to do wrong. The root of the word indicates breaking.
d. Used in Prov.4:16 = mischief
e. Theological Workbook of the Old Testament – Bad; evil; distress; misery.
2. Examples of the wide variation in translation:
a. Darby: A man of many friends will come to ruin.
b. Holman Christian Standard: A man with many friends may be harmed.
c. Young’s: A man with friends is to show himself friendly.
3. You can see why it is problematic to discern WHY it is translated “shew himself friendly” in the KJV.
a. It may well be that there is an ancient play on words that the KJV translators understood.
b. Proverbs is full of this sort of thing. Solomon often uses this technique… it is the nature of a proverb to have a play on words.
c. The problem is that when the play on words is several thousand years old—then we may not grasp what was meant.
4. I do not know HOW to harmonize these two translations.
a. Neither one will lead a person astray. Both are true.
b. But I need a little more light on this expression.
5. Two terms for FRIEND
a. FIRST: ray·ah- Friend; companion; fellow; citizen; another person; neighbor; i.e., one who lives in close geographical proximity; associate; the second party in a personal interaction without indicating any particular relationship.
• This term is even used of an adversary in court—an opponent at law (in the sense of another person).
• While it is perfectly legitimate to use this term of a friend… it does not necessarily connote a very close relationship.
b. SECOND: ?aha?: – To love; human love for another; includes family; lovers; God’s love for people or people’s love for God; lovely; lovable; have an affection based on a close relationship, sometimes in comparison to other persons with a lesser relationship.
• Used in Gen. 22:2 – of Abraham’s son whom he “loved”’
• Used in Gen. 27:4 – of the savor meat that Isaac “loved”.
c. CLEARLY these two terms speak of different levels of friendship.
• Friends come in all kinds of varieties.
• There are some friends we have had for many decades and that friendship has built up and strengthened over the years.
• There is a friendship that we have that may be described as a casual but cordial acquaintance…
• And there is are many shades in between
• Obviously we are not going to have the exact same relationship with every person.
• We don’t have the same depth of relationship to everyone we know.
• That is not practical or possible.
• There clearly are different LEVELS of friendship.
• And perhaps the MAIN point of this proverb is to highlight that fact.
• Example:
1. When a saved person begins to attend Salem Bible Church, we should ALL be friendly to that person and warmly welcome him into the fellowship.
2. They should be embraced and invited to become an integral part of the fellowship and ministry here.
3. But that relationship—though friendly—cannot compare to the friendship that that person might have if he had been attending another church for 20 years.
4. His ties will be stronger with the friends he has had for 20 years than his ties here for one year.
5. It takes TIME and effort to develop friendships…
6. The KJV translators highlighted an important truth: to make friends, it is necessary to BE friendly!
7. And the rest of the proverb implies that we are to CONTINUE to be friendly… and develop and nurture friendships… over time.
1. There are some friends whose bond is stronger and thicker than blood… stronger and more faithful than family ties!
2. In the first part of the proverb Solomon spoke of a “man of friends.”
a. This man evidently had many friends. (some even translated it that way…)
b. However, his friends were ray·ah – companions; cordial acquaintances.
c. It is possible to have hundreds of social contacts… cordial acquaintances. Many people do.
d. If you are a friendly person, you will have LOTS of cordial acquaintances.
e. Everybody enjoys being around a friendly person.
f. We all have LOTS of social contacts… people at work you see on occasion… the mail man… the soccer coach… the guy at home depot… the guy at the paint store… the janitor at work… the lady at the dry cleaners…
g. Hopefully we are friendly towards them all.
3. However, there is a danger in having lots of casual, cordial acquaintances.
a. The danger is that those relationships are not very deep.
b. They know you… they know your name… they smile and say hi… and they would only have good things to say about you.
c. However, in difficult days, casual acquaintances aren’t going to go to great lengths to help you.
d. They may hear of your calamity and say, “That’s too bad. Isn’t that awful. Poor Joe! I feel really sorry for him.”
e. That is the nature of a casual acquaintance.
f. Even if you have hundreds or thousands of them… none of them are very deep.
g. It doesn’t matter all that much whether you have just one casual acquaintance or 5,000… that kind of a relationship is not going to come to your rescue in times of trouble.
h. Don’t count on them for help. You’ll be sadly disappointed.
4. BUT—in contrast to the MANY casual acquaintances, there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
a. aha?: This is the term for friend that is much DEEPER than ray·ah which often speaks of casual acquaintances.
b. Sticketh – clinging; adhering to; holding fast; i.e., pertaining to being faithful, steadfast.
• Used of cleaving to the Lord. (Deut. 4:4)
• This friendship has some DEPTH to it…
• This is the kind of friendship that has been built up over time… and through many experiences together.
• This relationship has STUCK together… it holds fast…
• It has weathered many storms together…
• This friend is reliable… the kind of a friend you KNOW you can always count on…
• It has expressed itself in hundreds of ways over time
• It has been PROVEN… tested… tried and true!
• It has been proven to be faithful… loyal… through thick and thin…
• That doesn’t happen over night. It takes time… perhaps decades…
• It doesn’t take much to separate casual acquaintances.
• It takes a LOT to separate loyal friends…
• Casual acquaintances split and that’s the end of the relationship. Loyal friends also have rifts here and there… but always make amends… and restore the relationship.
• They stick closer than a brother. They STICK…
• Prov. 17:17 – A friend loveth at all times…
1. That’s loyalty… a reliable friend…
2. His friendship doesn’t end over every little bump in the road…
3. A friend that is friendly only when his own interests are served and the relationship brings him pleasure… is quite selfish… and not the best kind of friend. (superficial)
5. While there are some things we don’t know about this proverb, we DO know at least this much. Solomon highlights the difference between social contacts and deep, abiding friendship.
a. You may have 5,000 acquaintances, but it is far better to have one REAL close friend who will stick with you through thick or thin!
b. Friendships come in all different depths… from superficial to super!
c. For most of us, this would be our spouse.
d. If you have a friend like this in addition to your spouse, then you are VERY, very fortunate.
e. Not everybody has a friend like this.
6. And there is great application here to the Lord Jesus Christ.
a. He is a friend like no other.
b. His love and concern for us is infinitely higher and deeper and more unshakable than any earthly relationship.
c. And if anyone wants an example of what a true friend ought to BE… read about the Lord Jesus.
• He continually manifested love and kindness and grace… even in a hostile world where He was hated.
• He was FULL of grace and truth.
• He didn’t feel slighted… hold grudges… refuse to forgive and forget…
d. John 13:1 – Christ is our example of a Friend who loves at all times—even to the end. (Note the presence of Judas!)
e. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. (Rom. 8)
• There is a DEPTH to that love…
• And like all friendships—they grow through time and experience… through walking together… talking together… fellowshipping together…
• There ought to be a continual INCREASE to the DEPTH of our relationship to Christ over time…
• “That I may KNOW Him… in a deeper and more experiential way” should be the goal of every one of us.
• That is a relationship that we can’t afford to neglect… it must not be superficial and casual… but deep, abiding, and growing!
