Proverbs
Notes on Proverbs – Chapter 22
Proverbs 22:1
A Good Name
Introduction:
1. This proverb falls into the category of a synthetic parallelism.
2. The author makes a point, and then repeats virtually the same concept using different terms.
3. It is a good teaching method. If the first expression of the concept didn’t make it clear to the reader, the second one will help drive the truth home.
1. Name:
a. Strong’s: Name; reputation; fame; glory; memorial.
b. Zodhiates: It is what specifically identifies a person or anything: God’s name, “I am who I am.” (Ex. 3:15)
c. To make a name for oneself means to attain a renowned reputation
• Gen. 11:4 – The builders of the tower of Babel said, “let us make us a name…”
• II Sam. 8:13 – “And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting the Syrians.”
• Often the term “name” in the Bible speaks of one’s reputation… Either good or bad.
d. The word “good” in Prov. 22:1 is italicized. It does not appear in the original.
• However, Solomon is obviously speaking of a good reputation, not a bad one.
• The point of the proverb is the VALUE of a good reputation, or a good name.
e. Solomon is speaking here of one’s reputation BEFORE MEN.
• In other words, he speaks of the importance of what men think about you.
• A reputation is EARNED by our words and deeds.
• A man who lies earns the reputation of being a liar.
• A man who steals earns the reputation of being a thief.
» On the Boston news today they noted that the third speaker of the house in a row was indicted for criminal activity.
• A man who cheats on his wife earns the reputation of a philanderer.
• The man who keeps on quitting his jobs earns the reputation of being unstable or lazy.
• But one can also earn a GOOD name.
• A man who helps his neighbor will earn the reputation of being kind.
• The man who is squeaky clean with his finances earns the reputation of being honest.
• The man who is a hard worker earns the reputation of being diligent.
2. It takes a long time to BUILD UP a good reputation. But it takes no time at all to destroy it.
a. Ecc. 10:1 – Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.
b. A little folly can cause our testimony to STINK—just as a small dead fly can cause a sweet perfume to stink.
c. Be CAREFUL about your testimony!
3. The VALUE of a good testimony: It is better than great riches.
a. There is not as much importance given to a good name (on a personal level) in our culture today as there used to be… and as there still is in other cultures.
• There is no stigma to having a baby out of wedlock any more.
• There is not much shame in being convicted for crimes. Sometimes criminals go on to have their own TV shows, or a talk radio show.
• There was a time when your name was disgraced, that a family might have to move across the country to start over… but that doesn’t happen anymore.
• Parents used to be concerned about their child’s behavior because bad behavior was a disgrace to the family name.
• That sense of the value of one’s “name” has been greatly diminished in our generation.
• But regardless of what our present culture says, God’s Word says that a good name is EXTREMELY valuable!
b. Ecc. 7:1 – better than sweet ointment.
• Ointment (perfume; cologne) is good.
• It has a pleasant aroma.
• The one wearing it emits a pleasant odor wherever he or she goes. (Just like one’s reputation that follows him wherever he goes.)
• One’s reputation or good name is like an odor.
• A good reputation emits a fragrant odor. A bad reputation is like a horrible odor.
• In other words, a good name is attractive and pleasant. It causes people to be favorably inclined towards.
• But a bad reputation is unattractive and unpleasant. Like a terrible body odor, it is repulsive and turns people away.
c. In our proverb, Solomon states that a good name is better than riches.
• It is good to have riches, but it is BETTER to have a good name.
• Some wealthy people have earned horrible reputations. Nobody likes them.
• They have earned a reputation for being mean, cruel, inconsiderate, selfish, hard hearted, etc.
• Such a person would be better off in many ways if he was poor and had a GOOD reputation.
• The poor man with a good reputation has friends. He can sleep at night because he was kind to people throughout the day.
d. A man’s reputation is more valuable than material things.
• In the business world, name and reputation are priceless.
• Companies spend millions of dollars to “buy” a good name… or if their name is tarnished to “restore” a good name. (Tylenol after the Tylenol scare in the 1990s.)
• Franchise owners spend millions of dollars just for the privilege of using a well known product name… like McDonalds or Ben & Jerry’s.
• The business world knows the value of a good name. Would to God that we as believers would realize that too!
4. We might think of this term “good name” in the sense of a “good testimony” as a believer.
a. This is an exceedingly important concept in the Bible to which I wish more of God’s people would be sensitive.
b. This also is earned.
c. In this sense, our testimony is even MORE valuable than earthly riches.
d. A good reputation among men is important because our “name” is connected with God’s “name” and reputation.
e. We represent the Lord among men.
f. We are living epistles, known and read of all men.
g. We are ambassadors for Christ, representing our “heavenly country” on earth.
h. Sometimes men will attempt to damage our testimony and speak evil of us. That is NOT earned.
i. Knowing this, it is our responsibility to be especially careful NOT to give them any fodder for their arguments.
j. Knowing that unsaved men are just looking for opportunities to impugn us and our testimony, we need to be the most careful people on earth to avoid giving them that opportunity.
k. I Pet. 4:14-15 – The world will speak evil of us for the NAME of Christ. We should rejoice in that. But don’t ever let them speak evil of us as an evildoer!
l. I Pet. 3:16-17 – Maintain a good conscience by living a godly life. If men speak evil of us for that, they may end up being ashamed for wrongly accusing us. There is even a good name or a good testimony to be earned in being willing to suffer for righteousness’ sake. That is far better than suffering for doing evil.
m. Psalm 106:8 – God saves for His name’s sake, that His power might be known.
n. I John 2:12 – He forgives our sins for His name’s sake.
o. Rev. 2:3 – Whatever WE do as believers is to be done for the Lord’s NAME’s sake. Our service is for His name’s sake (for His reputation).
p. Acts 9:16 – If we are called to suffer, it is for His name’s sake.
q. Luke 21:17 – Believers are often hated for His name’s sake.
r. Matt. 19:29 –We are called to sacrifice for His name’s sake.
s. Psalm 23:3 – Good Shepherd leads His flock for His name’s sake.
t. God is far more concerned about His reputation and His testimony than we might think.
u. And since HIS name and reputation are connected to our name and reputation, that makes our personal testimony on earth important.
v. That’s why we should exert great CARE about our behavior, our deportment, our attitude, our speech, our deeds, even our appearance before men.
w. Even picky little things that may not be big issues themselves, will be noticed by the unsaved who SEEK to find fault with us… to damage our good name.
x. A good name… a good testimony is not only valuable in an earthly sense (than great riches), it has ETERNAL value to it also.
y. Acts 9:15 – “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” In a sense, we ALL bear God’s name before the world. We are “Christ-ones.”
z. Heb. 11:39 – “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith.”
Loving Favor
1. Loving favor defined:
a. Loving:
• This term has a wide range of meaning. It is similar to the English word “good.”
• The shades of meaning include: Pleasant; agreeable; good; excellent; valuable; bounteous; fruitful; correct; proper.
b. Favor:
• Favour; grace; charm; acceptance.
• It speaks of being found in someone’s favor… being kindly disposed towards a person or thing…
• Joseph found favor in the eyes of Potiphar and was made the chief steward.
2. Luke 2:52 – “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man.”
a. Acts 2:47 – The early church found favor with all the people.
b. That is the normal reaction to a truly godly life.
c. II Cor. 8:21 – “Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.”
3. Prov. 3:4 – “So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”
a. This favor is the result of employing godly wisdom in one’s life.
b. A life characterized by wisdom will bring a person into favor with others… with God and man.
c. This is more valuable than silver and gold… just like wisdom is more valuable than silver and gold.
4. A good name and favor is not something after which that we should CONSCIOUSLY seek.
a. We shouldn’t seek a good reputation in order to exalt self.
b. Rather, it should be a consequence of a godly life.
c. And if we DO earn a good reputation, the godly man will be humbled by it, and will acknowledge before the Lord that it was not truly deserved.
d. We should not seek the praise of men… or to become a celebrity.
e. The godly men and women in the Hebrews 11 hall of fame did not consciously SEEK to become a famous, world, renowned hero. They sought rather to honor God in their lives.
f. We should NOT seek the praise of men, but should seek the praise of God at the Bema Seat.
g. But a life dedicated to pleasing God will usually earn the respect and favor of men too.
Proverbs 22:2
The Rich and the Poor
Introduction:
1. This chapter mentions the poor several times: verses 2, 7, 9, 16, 22.
2. I Kings 10:23 – King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.
3. Solomon was the richest king on earth in his day. He knew about the rich.
4. Although the richest man on earth, he was compassionate towards the poor and expressed that compassion in several ways in Proverbs.
5. Also, because he observed human behavior so closely, he also knew something about the poor. He notes a similarity between the rich and poor in this verse.
A. The Two Groups
1. The rich: It refers to wealthy individuals with considerable power and influence, economically, socially, and politically. They have clout in the world.
2. The poor: a state of not having enough income or means of livelihood for normal essential needs; he has few resources and little standing or influence in a society.
3. There are two groups in every society: the rich and the poor.
4. Mark 14:7 – Until the coming of the Kingdom when poverty is virtually wiped out, the poor will always be with us.
a. We live in a cursed earth… in which the god of this world fosters the selfishness, greed, laziness, and slothfulness that already resides in the fallen hearts of sinful men.
b. According to Jesus, we will always LOSE in the war on poverty.
c. You will never cure poverty without curing those “heart” issues.
d. That doesn’t mean that we should not try to help alleviate the problem of poverty, but we shouldn’t have any dreamy-eyed expectations of eradicating it.
e. The poor will always be with us… and so will the rich.
B. The Two Groups Meet Together
1. Meet together: Two possible meanings:
a. To join together; to come in contact with.
b. To have in common.
2. FIRST MEANING: It IS true that these two groups DO come in contact with each on occasion.
a. The rich live in gated communities—to keep the undesirable riffraff out… but they cannot avoid contact with the poor altogether.
b. Although the rich usually like to keep to themselves, there is some mingling.
c. When the rich travel to their luxury hotels in Mexico or the islands, they come in contact with the poor.
d. Sometimes wealthy landowners and government officials in Africa have to travel to the oppressed regions of their country and do come in contact with those who are starving.
e. As they are being chauffeured to their million dollar suite, they sometimes see the homeless living in cardboard huts along the side of the road.
f. Contact between the rich and poor can make for some very uncomfortable and awkward moments.
g. Though Solomon was an extremely wealthy man, he frequently came in contact with the poor; especially as he functioned as a judge.
3. SECOND MEANING: While there may be many things that are vastly different about these two segments of society, there are some things that both groups have in common: the Lord made them all!
a. That seems to be the way the term “meet together” is used in this passage – to have in common.
b. We all have the same Maker—rich or poor.
c. There is one God over all.
d. The first part of the proverb states that the rich and the poor share something in common.
1. The Lord is the MAKER
a. Maker: This term is from a verb meaning to do, to make, to accomplish, to complete. God as the Maker is a synonym for God as Creator.
b. The fact of the existence of these two groups is to be traced back to God: to His providence and to His sovereignty.
c. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. That is His right as Sovereign and Creator.
d. Ecc. 5:19 – Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
• Some might dispute that fact and claim that their wealth was not GIVEN to them by God. They had to EARN it!
• Deut. 8:18 – For it is HE that giveth thee power to get wealth.
e. I Sam. 2:7-8 – The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich.
• God is sovereign over life and death… who dies and who lives. He appoints the time of death.
• God is also sovereign over who advances and who does not… in every realm: finances; political power; businesses; whether barren of many children; even the size of churches.
• This is a great truth for both rich and poor to consider:
» The rich: Don’t look down on the poor; God could easily knock you down off your frail, temporal, economic pedestal! (Nebuchadnezzar)
» The poor: Don’t despise the rich. God set them in their place for His purpose.
» And hope for the poor too: God could easily lift up the beggar out of his dunghill… and set him on a throne.
» The Bible is full of examples of men whom God raised up out of obscurity to become powerful leaders: Joseph; Moses; David; Daniel. They each have stories to tell of God’s sovereignty in their lives… and changing the whole course of their lives.
2. The Lord made them ALL.
a. He made both groups. In this sense, they are all the same.
b. This is what they have in common.
c. They are all His creatures. (Fallen, sinful creatures in need of a Savior!)
d. Their differing social and economic statuses separate them from man’s perspective, but not from God’s perspective.
e. We look out on the sea of humanity and see the rich and the poor; we see humanity divided up according to groups that we have invented.
f. This goes beyond just rich and poor—also race, ethnicity; educated and uneducated; right down to what country and even city you were born in… etc.
g. When God looks out over the sea of humanity, He doesn’t see our social status; He sees nothing but His creatures made in His image.
h. Acts 17:26 – “He hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.” God sees humanity as all the same… one blood… one race… one kind of creature… all in the same boat from God’s vantage point.
• Every creature is accountable to their Maker too.
• It matters not whether you are rich or poor, one day everyone will have to answer to their Maker… whether prince or pauper.
• Rev. 20:12 – “And I saw the dead small and great stand before God…”
• One day they will all meet together to be judged by God, either at the Bema or the Great White Throne.
i. That’s the point of this proverb.
• Of course God does divide mankind up into saved and unsaved, but that is not the point of this proverb.
• Solomon is speaking about how God as MAKER views the sea of humanity.
• As Maker, He sees creatures.
• As Maker, He doesn’t acknowledge social status or other man made divisions.
• God is no respecter of persons.
• He sees what they all have in common.
j. Gal. 3:28 – Today, (not as Maker but as Redeemer) when God sees us in Christ, He does not acknowledge the various groupings. He sees us all as ONE… one Body of believers. Here God sees us not only as creatures made in His image, but as new creatures in Christ, redeemed and being conformed to the image of Christ!
2. Implied is the fact that the Lord, the Maker is concerned about all the individuals in BOTH groups: rich and poor.
a. As a Creator He is concerned for all of His creatures.
3. Also implied is the fact that God has a PURPOSE in making some rich and others poor.
a. Poverty can be a blessing.
• It can teach creatures to be dependent upon the Lord; to be content with His provisions;
• Jas. 2:5 – The poor can learn to be rich in faith in ways the wealthy are unable.
• Poverty can also teach us how to be generous—like the poor widow who gave her last mite.
• Ps. 10:14 – The poor have an easier time committing their lives into the hands of the Lord.
• God has His purposes for allowing some to be poor.
• Poverty can be a blessing for those who are spiritually minded.
b. Riches can also be a blessing.
• It can teach creatures be thankful for God’s goodness and grace. It can teach creatures to be kind and generous with what they have been blessed with.
• Thus, there is a place for both rich and poor coming together… and rubbing elbows in society.
• Deut. 15:11 – The poor will never cease out of the land; hence, the opportunity to give and be generous will never cease.
• God providentially brings a Good Samaritan across the path of a poor, beaten, man who needs help and resources.
• God providentially crosses the paths of rich and poor… that the poor might be provided for… and that the rich might have opportunity to display generosity.
• James 2:14-16 – The poor also provide an ongoing opportunity for believers to express their faith.
• I John 3:16-19 – The poor provide an ongoing opportunity to manifest the love of God.
• Prov. 14:21 – Showing mercy to the poor is one of God’s means of providing true happiness and contentment to the rich.
• God’s purpose for having both the rich and poor in the world is for GOOD.
c. However, Satan may use this situation (trial) for evil.
• Poverty can become an excuse to steal and curse and envy.
• Riches can become an excuse to hoard and be selfish and to harden one’s heart.
d. Prov. 14:31 – One’s treatment of the poor is an expression of his attitude towards their Maker: for they are made in His image.
• Oppressing the poor is reproaching the Maker
• Showing mercy to the poor is honoring their Maker
Proverbs 22:3
Foreseeing Evil
1. A prudent man:
a. Prudent: Subtle; shrewd; crafty; sly; sensible; discerning.
b. A prudent man has the wisdom and shrewdness to manage his affairs sensibly.
c. It is not a matter of education, knowledge, or raw intellect.
d. Rather, prudence is a matter of having the wisdom to use what knowledge he has in a sensible manner.
e. The prudent man thinks about his ways… about the direction his life is headed. (Prov. 14:8)
f. The prudent man is not gullible, but thinks things through before he decides to take action. (Prov. 14:15)
2. Foreseeth the evil.
a. Evil: (It has a wide range of meaning)
• Misery; distress; injury; fierce; wild; harmful i.e., pertaining to that which can harm or injure an object.
• Bad; affliction; trouble; danger.
• Ps. 23:4 – The psalmist feared no evil. He did not fear calamity because the Lord was with him.
b. Foreseeth:
• To see; look at; gaze at; to inspect; perceive; consider.
• Use the perception of sight to view objects and make judgments based on the perceptions.
c. The one who foresees evil is one who has enough perception to not only see, but to anticipate trouble or danger ahead of time.
• This term does not denote prophecy, but rather insight… foresight the ability to see potential pitfalls that lie ahead.
• Solomon is speaking about the kind of wisdom that is able to step back and see the big picture… and anticipate potential danger or trouble ahead.
• This is a most valuable skill in every area of life: from the business world, to our health, in raising children, to our walk with God.
3. He hides himself.
a. The wise man sees trouble coming and runs in the other direction. He HIDES himself from it.
b. He PROTECTS himself from the trouble by not exposing himself to it.
c. This man runs away from temptation… not INTO it.
d. This man puts on his armor to hide himself and protect himself from temptation.
e. He is humble and is very much aware of how easily he could fall. Thus, he avoids temptation.
f. He abstains from every form of evil.
g. Prov. 14:16 – The wise man departs from evil when he sees it coming.
• He FEARS the danger that lies ahead… and turns in the other direction.
• He will fear racing in a car…and weaving in and out of traffic… though others may think it’s cool.
• He will be afraid of copying the stupid stunts he has heard that others are doing…
• He will be afraid of taking foolish risks… and putting his life or the lives of others in harm’s way… just for the thrill of it.
• But most importantly, he fears displeasing God.
h. He runs AWAY from the evil and TO the Lord – his strong tower and place of safety and refuge in the time of trouble. (Psalm 18:1-2)
i. This implies that the wise man foresees trouble coming and DOES something about it!
• Consider Joseph. He knew that a famine was coming, so he DID something about it. He prepared for it by storing up grains for the lean years.
• Consider those who experienced the plague of hail in Egypt. Ex.9:18-20 – those who feared God took heed to the warning and sought shelter… and were safe. They could foresee what was coming.
j. Many of the troubles or dangers that we see coming, we are unable to stop. However, we CAN step out of their way and avoid being run over!
• The wise and prudent person is aware of danger… and takes warnings of danger or trouble seriously.
• He sees that a certain person is a trouble maker and avoids that person because he doesn’t want to get in trouble.
• He sees the danger of alcohol and stays away.
• He sees the potential trouble of marrying an unsaved person… or even a believer from a different doctrinal belief and stays away.
• He sees the potential danger of filling his mind and heart with novels and videos written by unsaved men who subtly seek to present a non Christian philosophy… and avoids them.
• He sees the spiritual danger of NOT reading his Bible and avoids that.
• He foresees the danger of putting a TV in his kid’s bedroom and turns the other way.
1. The simple is a naïve person. He is inexperienced.
a. Prov. 14:15 – The simple believeth every word: (gullible)
• Often this young person listens to his young friends (who do not have much wisdom) and believes every word.
• Thus, he remains simple… naïve… inexperienced in life…
• This term speaks of one who is careless.
• Sometimes it is because of ignorance and he just needs to be taught.
• Much worse is the case where his simplicity is NOT due to ignorance, but is due to the fact that he REFUSES to listen to counsel… because of pride.
b. A simple man CAN learn and become wise.
• Psalm 19:7 – “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”
• Psalm 119:130 – “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”
• BUT—the simple has to take in the Word to become wise.
2. “Pass on”
a. This term means to “travel through” or to “head down a pathway.”
b. Solomon’s point in this proverb is that the simple man “passes on” in the sense that he is carelessly heading down a pathway… unaware of the danger that lies ahead…
c. He is headed down a pathway in life, but he is not watching where he’s going; he is walking like a blind man; he is not paying attention to the warning signs along the way.
d. He is just strolling down the road, in a happy go lucky manner, but is oblivious to trouble and danger that lies ahead.
e. This is the way the unsaved live everyday with respect to the spiritual realities. They are headed down life’s pathway, oblivious to the fact that they are on their way to Hell unless they receive Christ.
f. But even believers can be simple and naïve. We should know better, but often we don’t. We don’t pay attention to the warnings in God’s Word… and just drift through life without paying attention to our spiritual life… unaware of the fact that our adversary walks about seeking to devour us… unaware of the fact that nothing in the world is of the Father… oblivious to temptations all around us… and not thinking about the spiritual disaster that could lie ahead if we are not careful!
g. Solomon speaks of this simple man in generic terms. It could apply to all kinds of situations.
3. The simple do NOT see the danger. They really don’t!
a. Because they don’t SEE it, they pass right on INTO it.
b. They might be warned, but don’t see the harm in it.
c. They might be warned repeatedly, and get angry at the one who warns. They see the one warning as making a big deal out of nothing. “This won’t bother me! You worry too much.”
d. In spite of the warnings that the ice is not thick enough, every year somebody drives his pickup truck on to the lake and loses his truck.
e. In spite of the hurricane warnings down south that are sounded for days in advance, there are always people walking along the beach to see it up close… and those who stay in their homes and are killed.
f. In spite of the doctor’s warnings, some people will not take their medicine, or follow the doctor’s orders… and suffer as a result.
g. In some cases, they could not foresee what was inevitable. But in many other cases, they heard the warning but refused to DO anything about it. Either way, the result is the same.
4. “And are punished.”
a. Punished:
• A verb meaning to fine, to penalize with a fine. The primary meaning is the monetary assessment for a crime.
• It can also be used in a more general sense of any kind of punishment… as is the case here.
• In other words, there is a PRICE to pay for not foreseeing evil… and from not hiding yourself from it.
• There is a penalty attached to this kind of behavior.
• Mistakes made by the inexperienced can be very costly.
• That’s why counsel from those who are experienced is so valuable!
• That’s why spending time in the Word is so necessary!
• It can enable you to avoid VERY costly mistakes.
b. II Cor. 6:14 – “Be ye not unequally yoked…” You ought to be able to foresee the problems that lie ahead when a believer marries an unbeliever! There is usually a PRICE to pay for disobeying this passage.
c. Prov. 7:7-8, 22-23 – The simple head straight into trouble and suffer for it.
d. Prov. 29:1 – He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
• This proverb implies that when a simple, inexperienced youth continually rejects wisdom, he will suffer for it… and there may be no remedy…
• It may be irreversible… It’s too late… especially if he dies.
5. And the SIMPLE here are not just the youth. There are many human beings in adult bodies, who never grew up and are still in the “simple” category.
a. Some of the things people do indicate that they either cannot foresee impending danger or refuse to hide from it.
b. Consider how commonplace this is:
• Houses built on cliffs in CA—the land of mud slides and earthquakes.
• Houses built in woody areas in fire zones in CA without removing the dead debris around their property.
• Houses built on sand on Cape Cod.
• Houses built on the sand in FL in hurricane zones.
• Houses built on the edge of the Mississippi in a flood zone.
• A city built below sea level—New Orleans.
c. It is unlikely that these folks did not SEE the potential danger; it is much more likely that they saw the danger but chose not to hide from it. (“Oh, nothing will happen to me!”)
d. It’s easy to see the folly of this in the natural realm. But what about in the SPIRITUAL realm?
6. What do YOU do with information about a potential danger or trouble ahead?
a. Do we take heed? Do we ignore it?
b. Do we assume that it could never happen to me?
c. Do we postpone doing what we ought to do until it is too late?
d. Do we pass on through it blissfully as if we are not afraid of the possible disaster that lies ahead?
Proverbs 22:4
Humility and the Fear of the Lord
Introduction:
1. This proverb (like a few others) teaches us the MEANS by which we obtain “riches, honor, and life.”
2. Everybody wants what Solomon describes in this passage.
3. Nobody wants poverty, dishonor, or death.
4. He presents this trilogy of blessings in a good light.
5. “Riches, honor, and life” are presented in a good light here almost like “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” are listed as the “inalienable rights” in the Declaration of Independence.
The Trilogy of Blessings
A. Riches
1. Defined:
a. Wealth, prosperity.
b. All kinds of wealth in land, possessions, cattle, and descendants.
2. The Bible in general and the Old Testament in particular are a bit ambivalent in their description of and attitude towards wealth and riches.
3. Sometimes it speaks of wealth and prosperity in a good light as great BLESSINGS from the Lord.
a. Psalm 112:1-3 – It is the blessing of the righteous.
b. Prov. 10:22 – God’s blessing makes rich.
c. Prov. 14:24 – Riches are the crown of wisdom.
d. I Kings 10:23 – Solomon (the author!) exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches.
4. But on the other hand, sometimes riches are spoken of in a bad light as DANGEROUS… something to be warned about.
a. Prov. 23:4 – Labor not to be rich.
b. Jer. 9:23-24 – Let not the rich man glory in his riches.
c. Deut. 8:11-14 – Beware that riches do not result in pride and self confidence.
5. In this proverb, Solomon speaks of riches in a GOOD light, as something worthy of a healthy, proper pursuit.
a. This proverb teaches the RIGHT way to obtain riches in life.
b. The proper way to pursue riches according to Solomon has nothing to do with business techniques, but rather in personal attitude.
c. Of course, riches themselves are perfectly neutral – neither good nor bad.
d. But one’s attitude towards them and one’s attitude in the pursuit of them is what makes all the difference.
6. Thus, we see a kind of TENSION in the Scriptures concerning wealth. It is used in both a good sense and a bad sense.
a. Prov. 30:8-9 – The author wants NEITHER! He sees the danger in both categories.
b. Somewhere in the middle is preferable.
c. Having enough but not too much carries fewer temptations.
7. The first in this trilogy is earthly wealth: riches and prosperity.
B. Honor
1. Defined: Dignity; reputation; glory.
2. Gen. 45:13 – Joseph tells his brothers to go home and tell their father about all his “glory” in Egypt. (status; achievements; etc.)
3. Isa. 5:13 – Translated “honorable” men, which refers to men of high status in society.
4. It is certainly not wrong to attain high status in the land.
a. Many heroes of the faith were men of high status.
b. Job, Moses, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Saul of Tarsus.
c. All of these were men of “honor,” of “high status,” aristocrats living in high society.
d. They were wealthy, well to do, honorable men of dignity and reputation among the people.
5. The Bible does not speak disparagingly about men of honor and prestige.
6. That position (like riches) is quite neutral.
7. God is not so concerned about what status a man has in society (for He is sovereign over it all), but God IS concerned about what KIND of person he is.
8. Most of us, if given the choice, would prefer to be a king over a garbage collector.
9. The second of this trilogy is earthly status: Honor; dignity; reputation; and glory.
C. Life
1. Defined:
a. This term can simply refer to physical life as opposed to death. This does not seem to be the connotation in this proverb.
b. The term can also speak of a fulfilled, prosperous, full, and bountiful life.
c. It speaks of blessed favorable circumstance in life, contrasted with a cursed, unfavorable life.
d. Life speaks of the ability to exercise all one’s vital power to the fullest.
e. In light of the first two parts of the trilogy, this meaning better fits the context.
f. Ps. 119:50 – For thy word hath quickened me. (Quickened is related to the term “life” in Proverb 22:4.)
g. Deut. 8:3 – Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
h. Clearly some of the usages of the word “life” refer to more than just physical life.
i. It can mean something similar to what Jesus meant when He spoke of an “abundant” life.
j. Thus, it can refer to the quality of life rather than just the existence of it.
k. Often in the Jewish mind the length of life was also highly prized.
l. There are commands in the Old Testament that are accompanied by promises of long life for obedience.
m. This seems to be the way Solomon uses it in Proverbs 22:4: a long quality of life, a life worth living.
n. Prov. 3:16 – Lady Wisdom offers length of days and also riches and honor… (Same three qualities as in Prov. 22:4.)
How They Are Achieved
A. The main thrust of this proverb is to teach HOW this trilogy of blessings is achieved. (by what means)
1. The world has its way of achieving the “good life.”
a. The world seeks to be rich, famous, and to live the good life.
b. But their attitude is vastly different from what Solomon describes.
c. Their REASON for wanting to achieve this is entirely selfish.
d. Their MEANS of obtaining is also contrary to Scripture.
e. They say that if you want to be rich, famous, and live the “good life,” then you have to climb over people. You have to do whatever it takes to advance SELF.
f. It might require an occasional lie, cheating, back stabbing, etc… but (say they) that’s what you have to do!
g. Sometimes, you have to be aggressive, pushy, and assertive and not take no for an answer.
h. On other occasions, you have to butter people up, say what people want to hear, and even be deceitful.
i. On occasion you have to be ruthless, a cut throat; cold hearted; and not considerate of others if you want to advance self.
j. If you want to succeed, it is the survival of the fittest.
2. Solomon describes a very DIFFERENT means of obtaining riches, honor, and the “good life.”
B. The First Means is Humility.
1. This seems exactly the opposite of what the world says.
2. Humility defined:
a. Gentleness; meekness; mildness; tenderness; and lowliness.
b. It is the opposite of arrogance and pride
c. For the believer today, humility is much more than a natural temperament. (Some very ungodly souls have had a naturally quiet, shy, meek, human temperament.) For the Christian humility is not natural, but supernatural: it is the fruit of the Spirit.
d. Prov. 18:12 – “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.”
• Note that humility precedes honor in God’s sight.
• The kind of honor Solomon describes in this proverb is not the same kind of honor the world seeks after.
• There is a kind of honor that STEMS from humility.
• Humility is being like Christ… and that itself is honorable—whether you become part of the aristocracy or not.
e. James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
• James 4:6b – “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
• It should NOT be our goal in life to be lifted up on high… to a high position.
• It should be our goal to be Christlike and humble.
• When that is the case, God lifts us up… to the earthly status of HIS choice.
• Nothing could be more contrary to the true spirit of these passages than the heretical use of them by the gospel of success folks—who twist Scripture and use it to advance their own greed and personal wealth.
• The obvious point here is not that we should make it our life’s goal to be lifted up… into high society and to become rich, but that our goal should be to walk in humility before God and leave our status in life in HIS hands.
3. Proverbs 22:4 states that “riches, honor, and life” are obtained by means of “humility.”
a. “BY” = by means of; as a consequence of; as a reward for.
b. Riches, honor, and life are a reward for… or are the consequence of a life of humility.
c. David was a humble shepherd boy, and God lifted him up and gave him riches, honor, and an abundant life.
d. David did not humble himself SO THAT he would become rich and famous.
e. There was no selfish or greedy motive behind his humility. It was PURE humility… true humility.
f. Rather, when God sought for a man to serve Him as king, God looked for a humble man and found David, and raised him up.
4. Pride and arrogance will PREVENT us from being lifted up by the Lord.
a. Pride and arrogance often result in advancing SELF in the world… but that is a far cry from being lifted up by the Lord.
b. Prov. 16:18 – The Bible warns that before destruction comes pride! Pride does not bring success in the long run.
c. Prov. 11:2 – Pride does not bring honor. It brings shame.
5. God says that TRUE riches, honor, and life come from humility.
C. The Second Means is the Fear of the Lord
1. The fear of the Lord speaks of a genuine holy reverence for God.
a. It speaks of being afraid of offending God or disobeying Him.
b. It goes hand in hand with humility before God.
c. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and arrogance (Prov. 8:13).
d. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (9:10)
• And wisdom protects us… keeps us from danger and harmful things the fool engages in.
• Riches and honor are given to us from Lady Wisdom. (Prov. 8:18)
e. The fear of the Lord prolongs days. (10:27)
f. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life. (Prov.14:27)
g. Living in the fear of God is a way of life.
2. Riches, honor, and an abundant life are the result a God-fearing life.
3. Prov. 21:21 – Life, righteousness, and honour are obtained by following after righteousness and mercy.
4. Ps. 34:9 – “O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” (God provides for those who fear Him.)
5. Psalm 112:1-3 –Riches and honor and power to those who fear God.
6. Associated with the fear of the Lord are riches, honor, and life.
Proverbs 22:5
Keeping One’s Soul
Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward:
A. The Froward
1. Froward defined:
a. Strong’s: Twisted, (its root used of braided hair); distorted; crooked; perverse; perverted.
b. Dictionary of Biblical Languages: Morally crooked or warped; i.e., pertaining to what is distorted or perverted from a just, right condition.
c. It is translated variously in this verse: froward, perverse, crooked, corrupt.
2. Froward described:
a. Prov. 2:15 – “whose ways are crooked” (same word).
• The meaning is further amplified by a related term translated “froward” (a different Hebrew term) which means to “depart; to deviate; to be lost; to be led away from correct behavior; on the wrong path.”
• It describes a person whose ways are crooked… because he has deviated from the straight and narrow path… he is headed in the wrong direction.
• We all know folks on the wrong path… lost and headed in the wrong direction.
• We may know some believers whose lives are crooked… bent out of shape… deviated from the right pathway.
b. Psalm 101:4 – David did not want anyone with a crooked or perverse heart to be working with him in his royal court.
c. Prov. 11:20 – Those of a froward heart are an abomination to the Lord. Why? Because He has spoken. He has offered us His wisdom. He is pleading with us to follow His wisdom which will keep us on the right pathway. But if we CHOOSE to be froward and deviate from the straight and narrow—we have chosen to reject God, His Word, His wisdom, and His fellowship.
d. Prov. 17:20 – The man with a froward heart will not find good. He may search high and low, but will never be able to attain it. That is quite a statement!
e. Prov. 28:6 – The froward man may find great wealth and success in the world, but he will not find good. In reality, he is worse off than the poor man who maintains his integrity and does NOT deviate from the right pathway in life.
f. Prov. 19:1 – It is possible to be froward (twisted; crooked) in our speech. This froward man may be able to put up the appearance of walking the straight and narrow road… until he opens his mouth… and perversity flows out… crookedness flows out.
g. We can be froward in our ways, in our heart, and in our speech.
h. Prov. 8:8 – But there is no NEED to be crooked.
• Wisdom cries out and states that there is nothing “perverse” (same word as froward in 22:5) in her words.
• When we follow the wisdom of God’s Word we will NEVER be led astray.
• It always leads us in the right direction… when accurately interpreted and applied.
B. Thorns and Snares in the Way
1. Thorns
a. Prov. 15:19 – “The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns.”
• Thorns were considered an obstacle.
• They would often grow in deep, thick hedges and would impede your progress as you were walking through the woods.
b. Num. 33:55 – If the children of Israel did not drive out all of the Canaanites, they would become THORNS in their side.
• In other words, they would become a constant irritant to them… unending aggravation.
• The presence of the Canaanites in the land would also be an obstacle to Israel and would hinder their ability to settle down in the land and to rest under their fig trees.
c. The froward man who has chosen to walk in a crooked pathway… or speak with a crooked tongue… will find his life full of THORNS.
• He will find himself facing all kinds of difficult obstacles.
• The crooked pathway he has chosen will not be an easy route as he had hoped. It will become to him a constant irritant to them… unending aggravation… like a thorn in his side that doesn’t go away.
• He will be pestered, annoyed, hassled, and frustrated by the obstacles all along his crooked pathway.
• Prov. 13:15 – The way of the transgressor is HARD! Very often froward folks learn this lesson the hard way… and often after it is too late to do anything about it.
2. Snares
a. Snares are traps.
b. Prov. 7:23 – The term “snare” is often used of a bird trap. Here the point is that the dumb bird runs straight for the trap, not realizing that it is for his life… it will be his END.
c. The froward think that they are cutting corners and taking a crooked path in order to make life easier, but they are dead wrong.
d. Ecc. 9:12 – Here the point is that snares or traps ensnare their victims suddenly and without warning. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into.
e. How many believers have deviated from the straight and narrow way by getting involved with drinking or drugs, having no idea that they were running straight into a trap… that has ensnared millions. And just because a doctor prescribes a drug does not mean that we SHOULD take it. Many people become snared by LEGAL drugs with legal prescriptions—like Michael Jackson… and Rush Limbaugh… and multiple thousands of others.
f. For others their trap may be pornography; for others it is just the pursuit of pleasure which can also be a trap.
g. I Tim. 6:9 – It could be the pursuit of money…
h. Traps come in all sizes, shapes, and styles and dangle various kinds of bait to lure us in.
i. Our old nature continually devises a barrel full of reasons and justifications for deviating from the straight and narrow. Solomon warns us here of the DANGER involved.
j. That so called “short cut” or “easy route” leads to disaster. It may become a thorn in your side that you might have to live with for the rest of your life. It may be a sudden trap that ensnares you… and from which you are unable to escape.
3. There are thorns and snares in the way of the froward man.
A. He That Keeps his Soul
1. Keep Defined: Keep: guard; pay attention to; watch; observe; be careful; preserve; care for.
2. Usage:
a. It is used of “keeping the garden.” (Gen. 2:15)
b. It is used of “keeping a house.” (II Sam. 15:16)
c. It is used of “keeping a flock.” (Gen. 30:31)
d. The basic idea of the root is “to exercise great care over.”
3. Thus, Solomon is speaking here about the man who “exercises great care over” his own soul.
a. The soul can refer simply to creature life… animated life.
b. It can also refer to the heart, the inner self, i.e., the essence of life, including thoughts, feelings, desire… the inner man… intellect, emotion, and will.
c. Prov. 4:23 – Keep your heart will all diligence. (Though the terms are different, this is quite similar in meaning to “keeping your soul.”
4. The man who keeps his heart with all diligence… and keeps his soul… and refuses to deviate onto a crooked pathway will be FAR FROM the thorns and snares encountered by the froward man.
a. The man who is diligent about his pathway in life finds that all the diligence and hard work pays off in the end.
b. It might SEEM like the narrow road that he took was the HARD road… the more difficult route.
c. However, Solomon states that although the narrow road requires diligence… in the long run, it is actually EASIER!
d. It is free from many of the thorny hedges that impede the progress of the pathway the froward man took.
e. He does not have to deal with the constant irritations, aggravation, and hassles that the froward man has dogging him the rest of his life. The way of the transgressor is hard.
f. But the road that initially SEEMS most difficult is actually the easier route to take.
g. It is FAR from the thorns and snares on the crooked road.
5. The contrast in this proverb is between the froward man (who deviates from the straight and narrow way) and the man who exercises great care over his life.
a. The froward man is NOT careful. He does not guard his soul… or pay close attention to his life.
b. He is careless, inattentive, and reckless. As a result, he ends up dealing the consequences of thorns and snares.
c. But the man who pays close attention to the route he takes, carefully maps out each step, and is observant, and keeps his inner life right before God will discover that the road he chose was free from the strife and troubles that many others have to deal with.
d. It is a much preferred route.
e. Prov. 22:3 – “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.”
f. Prov. 16:17 – “He that keepeth his way preserveth his soul” from many dangers, toils, and snares that hound those who do NOT keep their heart… and their way.
Proverbs 22:6
Train Up a Child
Train up a child in the way he should go:
and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Introduction:
1. This is one of the best known proverbs.
2. The general gist of it seems simple enough to understand: a simple “if…then” statement. (If you train him right, then he will not depart.)
3. However, it raises several significant questions.
a. Is this a promise? Does it promise every parent that if he does his job right, then the child will turn out right?
b. If it is a promise, then is it true? There seems to be so many exceptions!
c. What does “train” mean in this verse?
d. What is “the way he should go”?
4. Thus, a proverb that at first glance seems quite simple to understand, is not so simple.
1. Train defined: (?anukkâ)
a. The term is used of a Jewish holiday today: Hanukkah.
b. Strong’s: To train; dedicate; inaugurate.
c. Dictionary of Bible Languages: Dedicate, consecrate, i.e., a ritual and commitment to devote a structure to deity or special purpose
d. Theological Workbook of the Old Testament: Begin; initiate; inaugurate.
2. Its usage:
a. Its derivatives are used in connection with the dedication of structures:
• A Temple (I Kings 8:63)
• A house (Deut. 20:5)
• Wall (Neh. 12:27)
• An altar (Num. 7:10)
• An image (Dan. 3:2)
b. The main emphasis of the Hebrew word translated “train” does not seem to be on training in the sense of teaching and instructing.
c. The emphasis is on dedication… or initiation… a consecration or a setting apart something for a sacred use, in honor of God.
3. This may be why some churches have baby dedication ceremonies.
a. It is seen as an act of dedicating the child to the Lord.
b. I am not convinced that a “baby dedication ceremony” is the kind of dedication that Solomon had in mind.
c. You can have a ceremony to dedicate a building, and consider that building dedicated to God’s service.
d. But children are not like buildings. Holding a dedication service for a baby does NOT mean that the child is therefore dedicated to the Lord.
e. I don’t dedicate babies because I don’t want to give any false impressions. If anything, it’s the PARENTS who need to be dedicated to the Lord at the baby’s birth!
f. Besides the only baby who was dedicated to the Lord like that was Hannah’s baby Samuel. And she left him at the Temple. We don’t encourage that here?
4. In what sense are parents to dedicate/consecrate their children?
a. There are quite a number of passages in Proverbs that speak directly to child rearing. All of them speak of the training as either correction or chastening. (for example: Prov. 22:15)
b. This term is different. This term is much more positive.
c. When a priest is consecrated to the priesthood, it means that his course of life has been restricted to the priesthood. Other career opportunities are out.
d. When a Temple is dedicated to the Lord, it means that it this building is greatly restricted in its use. It is not to be used for other activities. It was not to become a place of retail sales or entertainment. It was dedicated to God’s service… and nothing else.
e. Thus, this term for dedication or consecration speaks of narrowing his way… setting him apart from other “ways” and setting him UNTO the way he should go.
f. Some have illustrated this process by noting that if you bend a young, tender sapling, you can affect the course of its growth.
g. That young sapling has been dedicated to a particular course right from the BEGINNING… right from the start of life.
h. But it is not a ceremony that dedicates that child to a particular course of life. It is the parents training and example.
i. The items dedicated (house; temple; idol; wall; altar) were dedicated right at the very beginning… BEFORE the temple or the altar were up and running as “adult” structures. That’s the time for a dedication.
j. The parents have to be dedicated to dedicating the child to the right way… the way that he should go.
1. The way (Derek) – this term we have seen dozens of times in Proverbs.
a. Literally, it speaks of a road, a journey, or a way.
b. Figuratively, it means “a way of life,” a course of life, a manner of life… conduct of life. (it almost always is used figuratively.)
c. Solomon is speaking of the course of life for this child.
2. He should go
a. This term is also difficult to translate.
b. Literally, its main definition is that of a mouth or opening.
c. It is used of the mouth of a person or animal.
d. It is also used of the opening of a well (Gen.29:2), a hole or opening in a garment (Ps.133:2),
e. The “way he should go” is literally translated “upon the mouth of his way.”
f. Children are to be trained “according to” the way he should go… according to the opening of his way.
g. A question arises at this point: does “the way he should go” mean:
• The way he OUGHT to go? (The right way; the way of wisdom; the straight and narrow way.)
• Or according to the way HE (as an individual; with certain personality traits; with particular skills and interests) should go?
» In other words, if Tommy shows skill and aptitude in carpentry, or music, or athletics, then he should be channeled in that direction.
» There is certainly truth in that.
» And the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
» For Tommy, that IS the way that he should go. That is what he will excel in.
» It may not be the way his parents had expected… but it may be the way he should go.
» His father may have wanted him to be lawyer or a missionary… but he may be cut out to be a carpenter.
» Training should be in accordance with the way that particular child should go.
h. In light of the way the Hebrew word “derek” (way) is used throughout Proverbs, it is best to understand the term to mean “the right way of conduct”… the way of righteousness and godliness.
• This is the most natural and obvious way to read the text.
i. The exhortation to “train up a child” here is quite similar in meaning to what Paul wrote in Eph. 6:4: “Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
j. That is the way they should go. Separate them from all other ways… and point them… direct them… set them apart to the “mouth of that way.”
k. Get them started down the right pathway. Initiate them in that way.
3. Thus, Solomon is stating that children (from the very beginning) are to be dedicated to a certain course of behavior… a particular way of living… godliness… the way of wisdom.
a. They are to be consecrated towards the MOUTH of that way.
b. They start off at the opening of that way… the beginning of the long road ahead…
c. And don’t expect them to immediately demonstrate the maturity expected at the END of that road… when they are just beginning at the mouth of that road.
4. The way the child SHOULD go is not always the same as the way as the child WOULD (wants to) go.
a. Because each child is born as a little heathen… with a sin nature that is bent in the wrong direction, it takes effort to bend him in the right direction.
b. They don’t WANT to do what is right… they do not naturally desire the straight and narrow road.
c. But it is the way that they SHOULD go.
d. It is the responsibility of the parent to bend that little plant away from the wrong direction it WANTS to go in… and direct it towards the way it SHOULD go.
e. My wife bought some stakes for her flowers.
• They are metal stakes with a circle attached. When the flower is small and before it matures and blossoms, she gently bends the young, tender stem away from the way it would grow on its own, and she inserts the stem through the circle.
• Once it goes through the mouth of that circle, it will continue to grow up through the circle… and the circle supports it and holds it up when it is full grown and a bit top heavy from the bloom.
• On its own, it would grow up and flop over… and its blossom would not be seen. It would fall into the dirt.
• But if it is directed early on through the mouth of that support… the way it should go… it will be supported for the entire season.
• Once the stem is put through the mouth of that ring, it is then dedicated to growing upright.
• But of course, you have to be very gentle in bending those tender plants. If treated too roughly, it could break… and have permanent damage.
f. The fact that there is such a huge difference between the way he WOULD go and the way he SHOULD explains why virtually all of the other passages in Proverbs dealing with child rearing deal with correcting or chastening.
1. This part of the proverb is clear and easy to understand. None of the terms is ambiguous or confusing.
2. This raises a question in the minds of many: Is this proverb true?
a. If Solomon is saying that if you train your children in the way that they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it… what about the millions of exceptions? What about the millions of young people who DID go astray in later years? There are many examples in the Bible of this… not to mention life today.
b. How do we harmonize the statement with the reality we see around us every day?
3. The answer (as we have seen many times in this book) is in the definition and purpose of a PROVERB.
a. Proverbs are little nuggets of truth… truth crystallized into a catchy little phrase.
b. Proverbs were designed to arrest the attention and make a point… usually just one main point.
c. But they do NOT hold true in each and every case… or were they intended to be absolute promises.
d. There are many exceptions to the proverbs.
• Not everybody who digs a hole falls into it. (Prov. 26:27)
• Not every young person who curses his parents has his eyeballs clawed out and eaten by birds.
• Not every hard worker stands before kings. (Prov. 22:29)
• The proverbs are catchy phrases that summarize truth… but were not designed to cover all the bases. Of course there are many exceptions to the proverbs.
e. So, is this proverb true?
• Of course it is true… but not in every case. It is true that this is the GENERAL rule… a general principle.
• Don’t forget, Solomon himself (the one who wrote this proverb) also departed from the straight and narrow way when he was older.
4. There is a good word of encouragement in this proverb to every parent of a prodigal child.
a. Good training in his early years always gives the hope that one day… perhaps when down and out… he will recall that training, and it will kick in… and he will repent and return to the way that he should go.
b. It might even be after the parents are gone to glory.
c. Good training early on at the very least provides them with a MEANS to return.
• They may not presently LIKE the way they should go, but at least they know where it is… how to find it.
• Many young people are wandering about without a clue as to where the way they should go is to be found! Even if they wanted to get on the right path, they wouldn’t know where to find it.
• But the one who received good training early on, WILL know where to find it.
d. There is no need for shame in the heart of the parent who trained them in the way they ought to go.
e. But there IS shame to be had when the training was NOT provided! (Prov. 29:15 – A child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”
f. But the parents of children who have wandered away always have the God-given hope from this passage that their good training in those early years will pay off one day. The prodigal will return.
Proverbs 22:7
Servant to the Lender
Introduction:
1. We have a proverb that follows the basic theme of this proverb: The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
2. However, this proverb states more than the mere fact of it; it also adds one major reason WHY this occurs.
1. This part of the proverb states a sad fact of life: the rich DO rule over the poor.
a. Solomon is not saying that this is the way it SHOULD be. Rather, he is saying that this is the way it IS.
b. It is not right. It is not moral. It is not fair. It does not reflect the character of God or godliness. It is not the way God designed things to be.
c. However, it is the way things are in a sin cursed earth filled with six billion self-centered, selfish, power hungry sinners, all competing for supremacy.
d. This is the way things have been all throughout human history—apart from a very brief period in the Garden of Eden before the fall.
e. But ever since then, the rich (and therefore powerful) have ruled over the poor.
f. This has been the world’s pecking order ever since.
2. The rich RULE over the poor.
a. Rule: To rule; have dominion; reign; govern; control; be in charge; i.e., have a person or entity exercise authority over persons or governments.
b. Judg. 14:4 – In those days the Philistines had dominion (same word) over Israel.
c. II Sam. 23:3 – God has made it clear that HE expects those who rule over others to do so with JUSTICE: righteousness, fairness.
3. The RICH:
a. There is a clear advantage to having wealth… on so many levels.
b. Wealth places a person in a position of dominance and power.
c. Money buys influence… in high places.
d. Money buys political clout.
• Companies with lots of money can afford lobbyists to do their bidding in Washington.
• The days of a poor man running for president are over in this country.
• It is necessary to spend millions upon millions of dollars to run for high office.
• Prov. 17:8 – Money also “buys” favors from those in power… Such “gifts” (bribes) can be very influential.
e. Money buys (so called) “justice” in the court system.
• Prov. 17:23 – wicked men use “gifts” to pervert justice.
• Michael Jackson spent $20 million to hush the families accusing him of child abuse. Innocent people don’t do that. Poor people CANNOT do that… but the rich can.
• The wealthy can afford the very best lawyers. Poor people have to rely on the lawyers provided by the state—who very often cannot match the skill of an expensive attorney.
f. Money buys superior military might.
• Very often this translates into raw power… even world dominance.
• A poor country with an ill equipped military is easily overtaken by a rich country that is able to afford the latest technology.
4. The POOR:
a. This term is used to denote a person who has few resources and little standing or influence in a society.
b. I Sam. 18:23 – David spoke of himself (prior to being king) as a “poor man and of little esteem.”
c. Being poor implied not only poor financially, but most often it also spoke of being in a lower class with little to no voice in society… no political clout… no political power…
d. Thus, being poor meant being weak.
• A poor city could easily be overtaken by a wealthy city because it would not be able to afford the military equipment needed for battle: horses; chariots; etc.
• Poverty places a person at a disadvantage… they are in a position of weakness.
e. Prov. 29:7 – Evil men who are rich and powerful care nothing for the condition of the poor.
f. Hab. 3:14 – Even worse, they often DEVOUR the poor. They take advantage of them.
g. Jas. 5:4 – the wealthy often DEFRAUD the poor.
h. Prov. 22:16 – The wealthy often OPPRESS the poor to increase their own riches.
i. This is the sad plight of the poor and has been throughout world history.
j. This includes our own country too.
k. When it comes to wealth, advantage, and power, all men are NOT created equal.
l. Some are born into abject poverty. Others are born with a silver spoon in their mouths.
m. Some are born to heroin addicts. Others are born into blue blood families with gobs of old money… and go to all the best schools.
n. Before God, they are all equal, but in the world, that is not the case.
o. The rich RULE over the poor… and often take advantage of them.
p. This is a sad fact of life in a cursed earth.
1. One main REASON WHY the rich often are able to rule over the poor is because they have money to LOAN to the poor.
2. The rich do not normally loan money to the poor unless it is to their own personal advantage.
3. They loan money to the poor to MAKE money off the poor by charging interest…
4. II Kings 4:1-2 – Here is the story of the widow of a poor prophet.
a. After her husband died, she was left in poverty.
b. Evidently she had to borrow money from the creditor, and was unable to pay her debt.
c. It appears that she gave him everything in her house, for it was empty.
d. Now that she had nothing left, she feared that he would come and take her two sons! Creditors can be quite cruel.
e. Thus, she and her sons were in danger of becoming SERVANTS to the lender… literal slaves!
5. The point of this part of the proverb is that borrowing money is a sure way to become a slave of sorts… a slave to the lender.
6. As individuals, we can become slaves to a house loan.
a. This is a huge problem in our country.
b. The financial mess we are in is largely due to the fact that people bought more house than they could afford!
c. And the system in place facilitated that kind of foolish lending and borrowing.
7. We can also become slaves to a credit card company.
a. We have people buying more material goods than they can afford by simply putting it on a credit card… which charges exorbitant interest rates.
b. That can become like slavery of our own doing.
c. And for many, it is very hard (if not impossible) to be set free.
8. As a nation we can also become slaves to the lender.
a. It seems that we are borrowing more money than we are able to pay back.
b. We are borrowing money from countries that do not have our best interest in mind—like China.
c. National debt has become a big problem.
d. It seems like a mild case of insanity to think that we can SPEND our way out of debt.
e. Those in charge of the economy are much smarter than I on those matters, but I wonder what school of economics taught them that!
f. If I owe too much money, spending more doesn’t make the problem go away. It only exacerbates the problem. I’m no economist, but I do know that it doesn’t work in my household!
g. Perhaps we should obey the Bible and PRAY for all those in authority! The decisions they make can affect our lives and the lives of our children in many ways… including financially.
h. Deut. 28:12 – One of the blessings God promised Israel in the future was that they would no longer be the borrower but the lender… they would be the head and not the tail.
9. This proverb really stands as a WARNING: beware of borrowing!
a. Borrowing should be done on rare occasions.
b. Debts should be paid off as quickly as possible.
c. Financial debt can be a burden around the neck.
d. It can become a form of financial slavery.
e. In a sense, when in debt, we walk around with a ball and chain attached.
f. And it limits our lives as well. You cannot go off to be a missionary if you are head over heels in debt.
g. Matthew Henry wrote: “Some sell their liberty to gratify their luxury.”
h. It might seem great for the moment, but eventually living beyond our means catches up to us.
i. The end of that road is financial slavery.
10. Some believers have assumed that this proverb condemns borrowing money.
a. Some believers actually think it is a SIN to take out a loan or borrow money.
• They usually base this belief on this passage and on Rom. 13:8 – where Paul says, “Owe no man anything.”
• The Bible Knowledge Commentary suggests the following translation: “Let no debt remain outstanding.” (lit., “Do not keep on owing anyone anything”) except the continuing debt to love one another (lit., “except loving one another”).
• We ought not to get BEHIND on any of our payments, but the Bible does not forbid loans altogether.
• If the payment is due on the first of the month and you do not have the money, then you OWE.
• Rom.13:8 could NOT mean that we are never to be in debt because the previous verses (Rom.13:7) just said that we are to render all their “dues.” (Pay what is owed to those who deserve it.) It means we are to pay what we owe.
• If this verse is teaching that we should NEVER borrow anything, then ALL borrowing would therefore be sin.
» Borrowing a book from a library; a cup of sugar from a neighbor…
» That would also mean that loaning was sin – because it encourages others to borrow (sin).
» However, the Scriptures do NOT condemn the concept of borrowing and lending.
» For example:
→ Ps. 112:5 – “A good man showeth favor and lendeth…”
→ II Kings 6:5 – A prophet borrowed an ax
→ Ex. 22:24 – Borrowing and loaning money was regulated but it was not forbidden.
→ Ex. 11:2 – God actually commanded the Jews to borrow from the Egyptians during the days of the Exodus.
→ Matt. 5:42 – Jesus told His disciples not to turn away someone who wanted to borrow money from them.
→ Deut. 15:8 – Lending is encouraged.
b. Prov. 22:7 neither condemns nor condones borrowing. It is simply a WARNING about the danger of borrowing money: you could become a slave!
c. The thought of becoming a slave ought to make us think twice before we sign on the dotted line for a loan.
• Can we meet the payments?
• How tight will my finances be if I borrow more?
• What are the penalties for paying off early, or for making a payment late?
• Have I read the fine print?
• Do I really NEED to borrow this money?
• Could I wait until I have enough cash to buy it?
Proverbs 22:8
Sowing Iniquity
Introduction:
1. This is yet another proverb that deals with a recurring theme in the book: you reap what you sow. (I counted 27 such proverbs so far!)
2. Each one comes to the subject from a slightly different perspective.
3. In this proverb the emphasis is on the fact that the one who sows evil shall not do so forever.
A. He that soweth iniquity
1. Sowing
a. The term for sowing is an agricultural term.
b. It means to plant seeds in the soil with the expectation of receiving a harvest.
c. To “sow” seed is to scatter it… to plant it…
d. It was usually done by broadcasting the seed, which means to spread it out over a large area.
2. Sowing iniquity
a. Iniquity: Unrighteousness; injustice; wrong; dishonesty; anything that deviates from the right way of doing things.
b. The concept of “sowing” iniquity speaks of a person who scatters injustice and unrighteousness wherever he goes… in whatever he does… and whatever he says.
c. Ungodly sowers are often quite diligent in their work too. They sow a LOT of seeds throughout the years.
B. Shall Reap Vanity
1. Vanity
a. Strong’s: Trouble; sorrow;
b. Dictionary of Biblical Languages: Calamity; deceit; (used of idols).
c. Zodhiates: Nothingness; trouble; sorrow; evil; or mischief.
d. The term seems to have two separate streams of meaning:
• Trouble; calamity; mischief; misfortune.
• Nothingness; emptiness; idolatry.
e. The basic meaning of the term in our proverb is “trouble.”
• Gen. 35:18 – Just before Rachel died, she named her newborn son, Ben-oni, (son of sorrow). (The second part of the name is the term translated “vanity” in our proverb.)
• Ps. 90:10 – In speaking of the quality of life after 80, the psalmist said, “yet is their strength labour and sorrow.” The term “sorrow” is the word for vanity in our proverb. It is the sorrow that comes from times of trouble and difficulty.
2. The one who sows iniquity will reap TROUBLE at some point.
a. He will reap calamity; sorrow; mischief.
b. His works will produce trouble for him—sooner or later.
c. Those who broadcast the seeds of injustice and oppression can expect to reap trouble as a direct result of their sowing.
d. Job 4:8 – as Eliphaz rightly told Job, those who sow iniquity will reap the SAME.
e. They will eventually reap a harvest of their greed, injustice, oppression, arrogance, and selfishness.
f. They may seem to prosper for a time, but not forever. Eventually it will catch up to them.
g. Evil actions are like seeds. Once sown, they produce a harvest—like it or not. There are always consequences to our actions.
h. This passage teaches that the ONE WHO SOWS shall reap trouble.
i. Others may also experience trouble from his actions. But our proverb tells us that the man who SOWS will especially feel it—sooner or later. He himself will reap what he has sown.
3. The one who does NOT sow iniquity will not find such trouble.
a. Prov. 12:21 – “There shall no evil (same term – no trouble) happen to the just.”
b. If they would simply change their ways, their lives would improve.
c. Even if unbelievers lived according to the proverbs, their lives would improve immensely.
d. But as long as they continue to sow seeds of iniquity, they can expect to reap their awful harvest. This is one of the facts of life.
1. The rod
a. Rod: Staff; club; javelin.
b. Rod: A scepter or staff, used by a person or ruler as a figurative ornamental symbol of his rulership.
2. The rod of his anger
a. Anger: Outpouring; overflow; arrogance; excess; fury; wrath; rage.
b. The rod of his anger seems to refer to a weapon (figuratively speaking) used by a ruler or person of power to angrily oppress his victims… or his subjects… or employees…
c. The rod of his anger (rage; fury; arrogance; etc) could either be:
• A symbol of his position over people
• A symbol of his wrath inflicted against them
d. Either way, the man in question here IS in a position to inflict wrath against others and evidently he does just that.
e. Perhaps Solomon is implying that he uses his position of authority as a weapon to inflict wrath and rage against others.
f. This seems to speak of a ruler who rules by unbridled passion rather than by prudence and wisdom.
3. But the point of this proverb is that he will not be able to do so forever.
a. The rod of his anger shall FAIL.
b. Fail: To accomplish; cease; consume; determine; end; fail; finish; to be completed; to be spent; to wear out.
c. Perhaps his position will come to an end.
d. Perhaps his power will come to an end… will wear out.
e. Perhaps his life will come to an end in judgment.
f. One way or another, his ability to wield that rod of anger shall fail… shall come to an end.
g. Prov. 11:18 – The wicked receive for what they have sown; but if they would just sow righteousness, they would have a GOOD reward for their labors.
4. The cruel wrath of oppressive, powerful men will FAIL sooner or later.
a. Cruel kings like the Pharaoh in the days of the Exodus will discover that their power over others comes to an end sooner or later.
b. You can’t go on oppressing men forever. Eventually there will be a rebellion or a revolution.
c. There might be an assassination… or a military coup.
d. Perhaps God Himself will intervene and smite the oppressors, bringing to an end the “rod of their anger.”
5. Consider Sennacherib: Isa.10:5 –
a. Vs. 5-6 – First note that God refers to Assyria (and her king) as a “rod” in God’s hand. (rod = same term for rod in Prov.22:8)
b. God was using Assyria as a “rod” or a weapon against His own people, Israel. Israel was ripe for judgment, and God chose to use Assyria to inflict judgment upon them.
c. Vs. 7-11 – God used Assyria, but Assyria did not believe that she was but a rod in God’s hand.
• She thought that she was doing it all in her own might and for her own evil purposes.
• vs. 7 – Her purpose was to destroy nations; to sow iniquity.
d. Vs. 12 – Here God threatens to punish the stout heart of the king of Assyria.
• This evil king would be stopped in his tracks by God Himself.
• As a result, the rod of his anger (his power to inflict wrath against the Jews and others) would FAIL. It would come to a halt.
• And boy did her rod FAIL!
• Isa. 37:36-37 – In 701 B.C., 185,000 Assyrian soldiers just outside of Jerusalem were smitten by the Angel of the Lord.
• In 609 B.C., the Assyrian Empire was defeated by Babylon.
e. Thus, Assyria – an evil empire that sowed iniquity wherever she went, smote Israel with the rod of her anger… but not forever. Her rod of anger FAILED.
f. God accomplished His purpose with the rod of Assyria.
g. When God’s purpose was accomplished, Assyria’s rod of anger failed… it ceased… its mission was fulfilled.
6. Consider the King of Babylon (Isa.14:4-6)
a. The oppressor ceased! (vs.4)
b. The Lord broke his staff and scepter. (rod) (vs.5)
c. He used to smite the people in wrath with that scepter (with his rod of anger).
d. But alas, he has ceased. This kind of oppression will not go on forever.
e. That is the main gist of our proverb.
f. He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.
g. These are words of encouragement for the oppressed everywhere. The rod of these two major world empires came to a halt—and suddenly!
Proverbs 22:9
A Bountiful Eye
A. A Bountiful Eye
1. Bountiful Defined:
a. Strong’s: Good; rich; valuable; prosperous; bountiful; good; kind; agreeable.
b. Zodhiates: Good; well-pleasing; fruitful; morally correct; proper; convenient; profitable; kind; benevolent.
c. Its basic meaning is “good”—but has lots of various shades of meaning.
d. In this passage, bountiful or generous seems to be the author’s intention.
2. The term speaks of being well provided for… fruitful.
a. Gen. 50:20 – God meant it for “good” (for the well being of the nation).
b. Gen. 41:5 – Seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and “good”. (fat and fruitful)
c. I Kings 10:7 – “Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and “prosperity” exceedeth the fame which I heard.
3. A bountiful eye is a figure of speech that speaks of a person who is always watching out for the well being of others.
a. He keeps his eyes open for the needs of others and supplies those needs as he is able.
b. Prov. 28:22 – The evil eye in this context is the opposite of the “bountiful eye” (or “good eye”).
• It speaks of someone who is selfish and stingy.
• He is NOT looking out for the welfare of others: only himself!
• The stingy man should not expect God’s blessing. He should expect to see poverty.
• He was mean and selfish to people in need throughout his whole life. When he falls onto hard times, people will remember that about him. He will have few friends who want to take care of his needs.
B. For he giveth of his bread to the poor
1. This expression further defines the “bountiful eye.”
2. He shares his bread (food; and other necessities of life) with the poor.
3. The poor: Low; poor; weak; needy; helpless; insignificant.
4. The Hebrew word for GIVETH is “Nathan.”
a. It means to give or to place something somewhere.
b. He gives of what he has to the poor.
c. It is translated “bringeth forth” in Ps. 1:3: “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season.”
d. The tree gives forth its fruit in the proper season.
e. In a similar fashion, the man with a bountiful eye, “brings forth fruit” to the needy in his season of need.
f. Ex. 30:14 – It is also used of “giving” an offering unto the Lord.
5. The man with a bountiful eye demonstrates the fact that he has a bountiful eye not just by LOOKING, but by GIVING.
a. He does not just look to see who has a need.
b. James 2:16 – James asks, “If you see the need and send them away empty, what profit is there in that kind of faith?”
c. He does something about it. He provides what he can to meet that need.
d. I John 3:17 – John asks a similar question. If we see the need and don’t meet it, how can we say that the love of God is in us?
e. The love of God does not just LOOK at needs; it meets them.
f. The bountiful eye Solomon describes is the person who keeps his eyes OPEN for those in need… and tries to help.
6. Deut. 15:7-11 (vs.10) – In fact, under the Law, the Jews were commanded to GIVE to the poor.
a. “Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him.”
b. Note: They were not only to give to the poor, but they were forbidden to do so grudgingly. They were not to give with a grieved heart… but a happy, joyous heart.
7. Prov. 14:31 – the one who shows mercy to the poor is also honoring God.
1. Blessed: bara?
a. Defined: Praise; bless; kneel before; salute.
b. Certainly the poor who have received of his bounty will bless him… and speak well of him. (bend the knee before him).
c. But so does God bless such a person. This proverb is the proof of it!
2. Many Bible passages speak of blessing upon those who help their poor brethren.
a. Prov. 28:27 – Shall not lack.
b. Prov.14:21 – He will be “happy” or blessed.
c. Prov.11:25 – He shall be made fat and well watered.
d. Ps. 41:1-3 – The blessings of the Lord upon those who consider the poor.
e. Acts 20:35 – The Lord Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
f. II Cor. 9:6-7 – “He that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
3. This passage is similar to the previous proverb.
a. vs. 8 – If you sow iniquity, you will reap vanity.
b. vs. 9 – If you sow benevolence, you will reap blessing.
c. They are both different takes… or different applications of the oft repeated principle: you reap what you sow.
4. Two Forms of Abuse Concerning the Concept of “Blessing”
a. The first is assuming that “blessing” always means physical blessings in this life.
• Luke 14:12-14 – Recompense does not always come in this life. It may not come until the resurrection.
• It requires FAITH to lay up treasures in heaven… giving up in this life to gain in the life to come.
• Those who have the mentality of Esau (I want my porridge now) will have no interest in heavenly treasures.
• Those with a carnal, earthly, Esau-like concept of the Christian life will have no interest giving NOW to gain LATER.
b. The second is an abuse of motive: Giving in order to GET.
• This is twisting scripture to one’s own advantage.
• It is pure selfishness and greed.
• It is diabolical in my opinion.
• This use of Scripture has become quote common in our day and age: USING the Bible for personal advantage.
» Some use principles in the Bible for the purpose of causing their business to prosper
» Others use Biblical principles to help them lose weight… or make friends… or to be happy.
» Others use the Bible in order to make themselves rich.
• That is not at all the proper motive in GIVING.
• This is clearly NOT the intention of the passages… but if one is predisposed to greed and self will, such passages are easily twisted… to one’s own destruction.
• It undermines the real purpose in giving: manifesting the LIFE and love of Christ through our mortal bodies.
• Instead of being a demonstration of the self sacrificing love of Christ, it is a demonstration of selfish greed of the old man.
5. Examples of abuse by using Bible principles to GET physical blessings in this life:
a. K.H. Caldwell: The Gospel of Good Success: A Six-Step Program to Spiritual, Emotional and Financial Success
b. Kenneth Hagin: In the opening chapter, titled “Jesus Appears to Me,” Hagin claims that while he was “in the Spirit,” Jesus told him to get a pencil and a piece of paper. He then instructed him to “write down: 1, 2, 3, 4.” Jesus then allegedly told Hagin that “if anybody, anywhere, will take these four steps or put these four principles into operation, he will always receive whatever he wants from Me or from God the Father.” That includes whatever you want financially. The formula is simply: “Say it, Do it, Receive it, and Tell it.”
• Step number one is “Say it.” “Positive or negative, it is up to the individual. According to what the individual says, that shall he receive.”
• Step number two is “Do it.” “Your action defeats you or puts you over. According to your action, you receive or you are kept from receiving.”
• Step number three is “Receive it.” We are to plug into the “powerhouse of heaven.” “Faith is the plug, praise God! Just plug in.”
• Step number four is, “Tell it” so others may believe. This final step might be considered the Faith movement’s outreach program.
c. Kenneth Copeland states the faith formula this way: “All it takes is 1) seeing or visualizing whatever you need, whether physical or financial; 2) staking your claim on Scripture; and 3) speaking it into existence.”
d. Joel Osteen: Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, which in 2008 boasted average weekend attendance of 43,500
• Book: Your Best Life Now
• “You were born to win; you were born for greatness, you were created to be a champion in life” (p. 35), and abundance, “He wants you to live in abundance.
• “God wants to increase you financially, by giving you promotions, fresh ideas and creativity” (p. 5).
e. It never ceases to amaze me how a teaching so diametrically opposed to the truth of God’s Word can be swallowed by so MANY gullible people… all claiming to be born again!
4. We are to consider the poor and share our bread with them… NOT so that God will make us rich and successful in this life… but rather so that we might manifest the life and love of Christ unto the glory of God. Those are two very different motivations.
Proverbs 22:10
Cast Out the Scorner
Solomon has had much to say about the scorner in this book.
THE COMMAND:
A. The Scorner
1. Scorner Defined:
a. Strong’s: To scorn; make mouths at; talk arrogantly; to mock.
b. Dictionary of Biblical Languages: Speak words which show no respect for the object, and make fun of the object.
c. Zodhiates: Deride or to boast so as to express utter contempt.
2. Scorner Described:
a. Prov. 9:8 – Reprove a scorner and he will hate you. The scorner has no interest in truth or correction action. He is simply interested in doing his own thing and getting his own way.
b. Prov. 13:1 – He will not hear rebuke.
c. Prov. 14:6 – He seeks, but cannot find wisdom. It continually eludes him because he refuses to “hear it” when he does find it.
d. Prov. 15:12 – He refuses to seek counsel… because he’s afraid that he might have to make changes that he doesn’t want to make.
e. Prov. 19:29 – Judgment is being prepared for him. He may try to avoid it, but sooner or later, it will catch up to him. If not in this life, in the life to come.
f. Prov. 21:24 – They are usually angry people… given to outbursts of wrath.
g. Prov. 24:9 – They are an abomination to men. They usually do not have too many friends. Who wants to be a friend of a person who is constantly ridiculing you… making fun of you… mocking you…
h. In short, the scorner is a FOOL.
i. Prov. 1:22 – Yet the scorner delights in his scorning!
3. What the Scorner Scorns:
a. II Pet. 3:3-4 – They scorn the doctrine of the Second Coming. (Because if it is true, then they are in trouble!)
b. Acts 17:32 – They mocked the doctrine of the resurrection. (Because if it is true, then they have lived a lie… and will have to give account in the life to come.)
c. Acts 2:13 – When the early Christians spoke in language they had never learned, the onlookers mocked in ignorance. (Scorners mock the work of God in any setting.)
d. II Chron. 36:16 – Scorners mocked the messengers of God because of the message they brought.
e. Psalms 123:4 – Scorners scorn the people of God.
f. Heb 11:36 – They mock the faith of the people of God.
g. Luke 18:32 – They even mock God Himself in the Person of Jesus Christ.
4. This is problematic to have scorners in the local church.
a. We have had scorners mocking the doctrine of Dispensationalism.
b. We have had scorners mocking the doctrine of separation.
c. We have had scorners mocking the decisions made by the board of elders.
d. We have had scorners mocking decisions made by the board of deacons.
e. We have had scorners mocking the old fashioned music here.
f. We have had scorners mocking and ridiculing people in the assembly they didn’t like.
g. We have had scorners mocking and causing contention in the assembly.
h. This kind of scorning and mocking can be divisive, contentious, and hurtful to many.
i. It is offensive, unkind, cutting, and can cause deep wounds.
j. This kind of scorning can RUIN the fellowship among the saints and cover the whole assembly with a dark cloud.
k. And to make matters worse, it is often based on half truths, outright lies and deliberate misrepresentations.
l. II Pet. 3:3 – Peter warned of scoffers who come walking after their own lusts.
m. This kind of scorning can also spread like a disease throughout the body until many are affected by it.
n. Nothing good comes from a scoffer.
5. We are to avoid the scorner when possible.
a. Ps. 1:1 – Blessed is the man that… sitteth not in the seat of the scornful.
b. Prov. 29:8 – They can bring a whole city into a snare. They can also bring a whole church into a snare. Therefore, these troublemakers should be avoided.
B. Casting Out the Scorner
1. Casting out
a. Defined: Thrust out; toss out; drive out; expel; banish; divorce.
b. The term was used most often of driving out the Canaanites from the land.
c. It is not a gentle term, but is rather harsh. It involved a FIGHT with the Canaanites.
d. Judges 2:3 – If the Canaanites were NOT driven out of the land, they would become thorns in your sides.
e. Like a thorn, they had to be removed.
f. If the Canaanites were not removed, it would have meant perpetual trouble and snares for Israel.
g. There would have been mingling, marriages with Gentiles, mixture of religious beliefs, and idolatry.
h. They HAD to be cast out.
2. Here Solomon tells us that the scorner also has to be removed… thrust out… cast out.
a. This too is not a gentle, happy term.
b. It often involves a fight. It is never a pleasant experience, but it is a needful experience.
c. The only way to deal with a thorn in your side is to remove it.
d. The only way to deal with a scorner is to cast him, her, or them all out.
e. Why such harsh treatment? Why not persuade them to stay and change? Why not try to accommodate them? Why not reason together and work out the differences?
• There is no reasoning with a painful thorn lodged in your flesh and refuses to budge.
• Don’t forget what Solomon says about the scorner:
» They won’t hear rebuke.
» They will hate you if you do rebuke them.
» They refuse to seek counsel.
» They are often full of hate.
» They cannot find wisdom even if it is placed right before their face.
» Scorners are determined to mock. They LOVE their scorning.
» There is no reasoning with unreasonable scorners.
f. Note also that Solomon’s advice is to take the “tough love” approach… and not the tender, gentle approach: confront them… and cast them out!
g. It might sound a bit harsh, but it is best all around.
h. Prov. 3:33-34a – In doing so, you are actually carrying out God’s judgment against them. It is what they deserve.
THE RESULT: Contention, Strife, and Reproach Shall Cease
1. Contention: Arguing; fighting; bickering; quarreling; backbiting; gossip; etc.
2. It shall “go out.” (Go out; lead out; taken out into captivity.)
3. It’s a simple principle: if you remove the thorn, the cause of your pain is gone! Things will begin to heal and feel better right away.
4. This tells us that when there is contention, there has to be a SOURCE of the contention.
a. When there is contention in the local church, often the source can be traced to one trouble maker… or a small group of vocal trouble makers.
b. The few might stir up contention among MANY… but while the MANY might get drawn into the brawl, the source of the trouble is usually an individual or a small group.
c. One or two gossipers can spread rumors and get a whole crowd all riled up.
• The crowd was living in harmony before the troublemaker stirred things up.
• Solomon tells us here that the crowd will return to harmony once he is removed too.
d. Often the trouble maker will start the rumors, cause people to become angry and polarized, and then he can just step back and watch the fire blaze out of control.
e. Prov. 26:21 – “As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.”
f. He then observes the blaze, and when things begin to die down, he simply tosses in another log… so the blaze… the contention continues.
g. But if you cast OUT the scorner… the fire will begin to die out on its own.
h. Contention shall “go out,” like a fire that has lost its source and fuel.
1. Strife:
a. A legal case in court; a judgment against another; a quarrel or debate between parties.
• Sometimes the contention among believers can rise to the point of legal action! (Corinth is an example.)
b. Verbal wrangling between individuals, implying strife and opposition, but not necessarily in a legal setting.
• Sometimes the strife does not find its way to the judicial system, but it can be extremely hurtful and contentious.
2. Reproach: Shame; disgrace; dishonor; insult; slander.
a. When such contention among believers is expressed in the local church, it IS a shame and a disgrace.
b. It is damaging to the testimony of Christ.
c. It provides fodder for the unbeliever to speak evil of us… only this time with good reason!
d. Sometimes the reproach is aimed at one person: the object of the scorner’s hated… a so called friend… a Sunday school teacher… a deacon… the pastor… one of the elders… etc.
e. Slander and insults can be hurled back and forth… to the detriment of the name of Christ in that community.
3. Shall Cease:
a. Cease: Put to an end; exterminate; stop; put away; leave behind.
b. In the midst of a painful conflict, that is really what everyone in the crowd WANTS.
c. Nobody but the scorner really “loves” scorning or fighting.
d. Solomon tells us HOW we can bring about peace. And it doesn’t require a series of expensive trips to the therapist or to the psychologist.
e. Just cast out the scorner and the scorning will stop… and so will the strife and reproach.
f. So remember this truth if contention arises here. The way to end it is to remove the scorner.
• This is going to be painful… just as it was when the Jews had to cast out the Canaanites.
• It took courage. It involved a fight.
• It might be extra painful if the scorner is your cousin… or your son… or your long time friend.
• But Solomon doesn’t care WHO this scorner is or who he knows. Solomon’s advice is: get rid of him… or her… or them.
• Once you do—peace returns. The blaze goes out.
• It’s simple to know WHAT to do. It takes courage and faith to actually DO it…
Proverbs 22:11
Pureness of Heart
1. Pure:
a. In a physical sense: Pure, i.e., pertaining to the feature of an object virtually not having foreign particles or impurities.
b. In a ceremonial sense: Clean, pure, i.e., pertaining to being ceremonially or ritually clean (Lev. 11:36).
c. In a moral or spiritual sense: Without impurity or defect of any kind and so free from moral impurity (Ps. 12:7).
d. Solomon is using the term in a moral and spiritual sense in this passage. Of course for a Jew living under the Law, it was necessary to be BOTH ceremonially and spiritually pure.
2. Pureness of heart:
a. Heart: This is a term describing the inner man. It includes the following:
• Inner man; mind; will; heart; understanding.
• Mind; knowledge; thinking; reflection; moral character.
• Emotions and passions
• 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.
b. A pure heart is a general term extending to purity in the innermost part of our being:
• A pure mind; heart; will; pure thoughts
• Pure emotions and passions
• Pure motives and intentions
• In other words, an inner purity that saturates our whole inner life… into every area of our intellect, emotions, and volition.
3. He that loveth pureness of heart
a. Loveth: To love; to have affection for; to have an attraction to—often based on desirability.
b. This term is used of our love for God and sometimes of God’s love for His people.
c. Solomon is describing a type of person: one who loves purity of heart… inward purity…
d. What a wonderful quality is this: A love and affection for inward purity… an inner desire for the mind, heart, will, choices, emotions, passions, motives, intentions of the heart, and choices to be clean and pure through and through.
e. When considering church leaders – we should look for one who loves purity in the heart. In a sense, it is this quality that the New Testament uses as the qualifications for leaders in the church. Virtually all of the qualifications are linked in one way or another to inward purity (inward, spiritual qualities).
f. When considering a spouse – you should seek someone who loves inward purity.
g. When choosing friends – seek those who love purity of heart.
h. When hiring employees – they may not be saved, but seek those who are men and women with a purity and an integrity of heart.
i. When training children – teach them about purity of heart – keeping the mind, the imagination, the thought life, motives, and the inner emotions PURE… clean before God, for after all, He knows. He is watching… and listening. He knows even our innermost thoughts and the secrets of the heart.
1. Grace: Favour; grace; charm; kindness.
2. Lips: This term literally speaks of the lips of our mouths, but it is used in a figurative sense of speech – that which flows out of our lips.
3. The grace of his lips speaks of lips characterized by grace… kindness… charm… pleasantness, etc.
4. Note that the word “for” is italicized.
a. It was added by the translators, but is not found in the original language.
b. SOMETHING does need to be added.
c. In some way, Solomon meant to transition from the thought of loving a pure heart to gracious lips.
d. There is clearly a connection between a pure heart and gracious lips.
e. The Lord Jesus said that “those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart.” (Matt. 15:18)
• It is true of EVIL (evil thoughts, false witnesses, and blasphemies.)
• It is also true of GOOD. What flows from our mouths was germinated in our inner man: our heart, mind, thoughts, feelings, imagination, etc.
• Matt.12:34 – “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things.”
• The heart (the inner man) is the SOURCE of the words that flow off our lips.
• The CONDITION of the heart has a direct effect on the KIND of words that flow off our lips.
• If we have hatred in our hearts, then words of hatred will flow off our lips.
• If we have murmuring and complaining in our hearts, then it will flow off our lips.
• If we have grace in our heart… and purity… then that too will flow from our lips.
• If purity is in the heart, then grace will flow off our lips.
f. That seems to be the connection between these two expressions in the proverb.
• The one who loves pureness of heart will demonstrate that by means of the grace of his lips.
• That which is on the inside eventually manifests itself on the outside.
• We all slip up now and then, but generally—overall—the one who loves pureness of heart can be discerned by his lips.
• Eph. 4:29 – “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
» If the heart is right, the lips will minister grace to the hearers.
» Eph. 4:22-24 – Paul states that the believer today is to use his lips to minister grace BECAUSE he has been taught that he has already put off the old man and has put on the new man… who is created in righteousness and true holiness.
» Because we have a NEW inner source (a new, regenerated heart) therefore we are expected to speak gracious words.
• Col. 4:6 – “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
» This too is the result of a heart full of grace and purity.
» It is here commanded of the believer.
1. Now Solomon makes a final statement concerning the man who loves inward purity and who speaks gracious words.
a. The King shall be is friend.
b. It was quite a wonderful thing to be a friend of the king in the days of the monarchy.
c. Kings had almost unlimited power. What they said was the law of the land.
d. If you displeased the king, he could have you executed.
e. If you had the king’s favor, there was an unlimited source of blessing attached: financial, power, justice, etc.
f. It was far more valuable to have the king’s favor in days of a monarchy than it is to have the president’s favor today, because the president is limited in his power. His word is not law. (thankfully)
g. But having the king’s favor—that could instantly exalt you to high places!
h. Thus, it was to a man’s great advantage to love inward purity and to speak gracious words… because it brought him into friendship with the king.
2. Kings really DID seek to have friends who were pure and who spoke gracious words.
a. Solomon was a king. He knew firsthand how valuable it was for a king to surround himself with honest men… with pure hearts… no ulterior motives lurking behind every move…
b. When a person has great wealth, he will discover that people will want to be around him… for the wrong reasons… to GET… to take advantage of his wealth… and perhaps make it theirs.
c. And when a man has great power there will also be men of questionable character surrounding him… like flies hovering over meat.
d. A king was BOTH: A man of great wealth AND a man of great power. He would find himself continually surrounded by men who sought to take advantage of him.
e. A king also was surrounded by plots for his life (thus the food and drink tasters like Nehemiah).
f. Others would seek to overthrow his power with a military uprising.
g. Thus, kings often became paranoid… and discovered the hard way that they could trust hardly anyone.
3. Thus, for a king to find a person who was genuine… honest… pure and clean in his motives… and gracious and truthful in his words… was to find a precious GEM!
a. Proverbs 16:13 – This is true of kings in general. They loved a man they could trust – a man who spoke truthfully and righteously. Such a man would be a true friend for the king.
b. Ps. 101:6 – David the King (Solomon’s father) wanted men of pure hearts serving with him in his royal court. It is likely that David mentioned this to his son Solomon often. He also wrote: “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.”
c. Matt. 5:8 – In the Kingdom, Christ the King will be the friend of those with a pure heart.
d. Gen. 41:39-42 – Pharaoh found such a man in Joseph. Joseph proved himself to be a man of integrity… of a pure heart… and gracious words. He became the king’s friend and later found himself promoted to Prime Minister of Egypt!
e. Esther 10:3 – Mordecai proved himself to be such a man to king Ahasuerus.
f. Dan. 2:46-49 – Daniel proved himself to be such a man to King Nebuchadnezzar.
4. Wouldn’t it be great if in this country our president was surrounded by men who had pure, clean, honest, sincere hearts and who spoke nothing but that which was true and gracious?
a. Usually the case is that each man on the cabinet has his own personal self interest at heart… ambition…
b. They don’t always speak the truth… they are not always men of conviction… they don’t always have pure motives in their hearts… and often they are all jockeying for position to be the next president.
c. It’s a wonder anything gets done.
d. But how precious and valuable it is for a president or a king to have an advisor who is clean and pure… and will speak the truth!
e. We may not be kings, but we should be able to appreciate friends who are pure of heart… and whose lips are gracious but truthful. We should treasure such people.
5. But the main thrust of the proverb is this: WE should love purity of heart and gracious speech. When that characterizes OUR lives, it will be to our great advantage! We may become the friend of the king… or some other important person.
a. The point is that purity of heart and lip will bring us into favor with God AND with men… it is to our advantage!
b. Of course, self interest is the wrong motive in loving purity. In fact, that is “impurity!”
c. But there is an advantage to having a pure heart and lips. This advantage should not be our motive, but it is a fringe benefit. There is an earthly benefit to having a pure heart and gracious words.
d. I Tim.4:8 – “Exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 8For bodily exercise profiteth little; but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”
Proverbs 22:12
The Eyes of the Lord Preserve Knowledge
A. Usage of the Expression “Eyes of the Lord”
1. The eyes of the LORD speak of God’s knowledge – His omniscience.
a. Prov.15:3 – his eyes are everywhere and behold everything—and thus know everything.
b. Prov.5:21 – all our ways are before His eyes. He knoweth the WAY that I take.
2. On other occasions, the “eyes of the Lord” refers to right or wrong… good or evil as GOD sees things. (It may differ from man’s standards… from the way man sees things.)
a. I Kings 15:5 – David did right “in the eyes of the Lord.”
b. I Kings 16:25 – Omni did evil “in the sight of the Lord.”
3. Sometimes the “eyes of the Lord” speaks of things done in God’s presence… things, words, events, that did not escape God’s notice… and thus His protection.
a. Deut. 11; 12 – His eyes are upon the land… observing and protecting.
b. I Sam. 26:24 – David prayed that his life would be lived before the “eyes of the Lord” that God might protect him.
4. Sometimes the “eyes of the Lord” indicate not just His protection from evil, but an actually SEEKING to bless those who fear Him.
a. II Chron. 16:9 – to “show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are perfect before Him.
b. Ps.33:18 – His eye is upon them for good.
c. Ps. 34:15 – His eye is upon them who pray, and His ear is open to answer prayer. (I Pet.3:12)
5. The eyes of the Lord speak of His watchful providence over His people… to meet their needs… to protect… to guide…
a. Ps. 32:7 – “I will guide thee with mine eye.”
B. His Eyes Shall Preserve Knowledge
1. Preserve: To watch; guard; keep; guard from dangers; to maintain; to watch over; the word refers to people’s maintaining things entrusted to them.
2. God’s eyes are watching over knowledge.
a. He watches it… He observes how it is treated… He notes how individuals use knowledge… (or abuse it)
b. He watches it to guard and protect it…
c. He watches it to maintain it… that it might continue…
d. He watches to punish those who abuse and mistreat knowledge and truth.
e. He also watches to bless and reward those who fear Him and thus love knowledge and truth.
f. He watches over knowledge to make sure that the truth is preserved.
g. His eyes speak of His omniscience. He Himself is omnipotent. He is surely ABLE to watch over knowledge and truth and successfully preserve it.
3. The eyes of the LORD do all that. However, from our perspective, with the eyes of man, it does not always APPEAR to be the case.
a. It often appears that knowledge and truth are being trampled over.
b. It appears that those who have the knowledge of God and truth about God and His Word are a tiny minority.
c. And this might cause us to become discouraged…
d. What we see with the “eyes of man” is not the same as what God sees with the “eyes of the Lord.”
e. God sees things as they truly are—from eternity’s perspective.
f. We see things from a VERY limited perspective—the earthly and natural.
g. We see just a snapshot. He sees the whole parade.
4. What we need are the eyes of FAITH.
a. We need God to open our eyes so that we can see the invisible… things that God sees from His heavenly, eternal perspective.
b. God has recorded knowledge and truth in His Word. And with the eyes of faith, we CAN see what He sees.
c. Heb. 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
d. Heb. 11:3 – Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
e. The eyes of the Lord SEE knowledge and truth. He preserves knowledge and truth.
f. Though with our natural “eyes” we are unable to see or understand this knowledge; yet with the eyes of faith we CAN see the invisible things of God… we can understand knowledge the world does not know or believe…
g. So while we may THINK that God is not preserving knowledge and truth… and that it is dwindling away, by FAITH, we can see as God sees.
h. Knowledge and truth are just as safe as could be. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
i. Thus, as Christianity and the Bible dwindle in importance and influence in the eyes of men, (not to fear!), God is still on His throne. The eyes of the Lord are still preserving the knowledge of the truth. His truth and His Word are eternal in the heavens… unchangeable.
• The Bible stands like a mountain towering, far above the works of man; its truth by none ever was refuted, and destroy it they never can!
j. As the Christian world view is being replaced before our very eyes by a Christ rejecting world, (not to fear!), truth is being preserved.
k. From our perspective, looking at the world from the eyes of a man, it sure appears that the knowledge of God is NOT being preserved, but is being discarded.
l. Ps. 119:89 – “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”
m. Faith believes what God says. By faith we can see and understand how God IS observing the way knowledge and truth are handled.
n. By faith we KNOW that there a day of reckoning is at hand!
5. On a macro scale, God is observing knowledge and truth in His universe. But on a micro scale, He is also observing and protecting knowledge and truth in our individual lives.
a. When a co-worker lies about you in the office… God’s eyes are observing the knowledge of what REALLY happened.
b. When your words are misrepresented and used against you… the eyes of the Lord are observing… taking notes. And every idle word of those who misrepresented you will be brought into judgment.
c. When gossip and rumors are spread about you—God’s eyes are observing who said what and why… and they will be held accountable.
d. But let’s not forget that the Word is a two edged sword.
• The eyes of the Lord behold the evil done against us.
• But the eyes of the Lord also behold the evil that WE do!
• And we too will be held accountable for how WE handle knowledge and truth…
A. The Words of the Transgressor
1. Transgressor: (not the usual word for sinner) – An unfaithful man; a treacherous man; a betrayer, one who is not trustworthy or reliable.
2. The transgressor (unreliable; unfaithful person) is not careful and faithful with his use of knowledge and truth.
a. His words are unreliable.
b. His words may be words of betrayal and treachery.
c. His words may not be truthful.
d. His words may be as daggers designed to inflict pain on others leaving deep wounds.
3. Too often THIS is what we see with the eyes of a man: the words of transgressors… words that are unreliable… outright lies… deception… misinformation (sometimes intentional; sometimes not)… philosophies and world views that pass like any other new fad…
a. And it seems like God is not paying attention.
b. It appears to us from our earthly perspective that the eyes of the Lord seem to MISS a lot…
4. But Solomon reminds us that the Lord will OVERTHROW the words of the transgressor—the man who plays fast and loose with knowledge and truth.
a. Overthrow: Twist; pervert; distort; overturn; ruin.
b. Basically, Solomon is saying that the Lord will destroy the words of the transgressors.
c. However, Solomon chose an interesting expression:
• The transgressor (unfaithful; unreliable) man TWISTS and distorts knowledge and truth.
» Like politicians who put a SPIN on every piece of information to make it appear favorable to their side. (Both sides do it!)
» The transgressor may present accurate knowledge as far as he goes, but he leaves out key pieces of information that really distorts the meaning.
• But God knows how to twist the information too. God will twist the knowledge BACK to the way it SHOULD BE.
• God is observing knowledge and taking notes. Nothing escapes His watchful eyes.
• When the transgressor leaves key pieces of information out, the Lord will bring it to light one day.
• When the transgressor puts a spin on the truth, the eyes of the Lord are observing that too. He will put an end to the spinning.
5. Knowing who God is and what He is like, we don’t have to worry about knowledge and truth.
a. If the scientists are promoting theories that are not true… God’s eyes see all that. By FAITH, our eyes can SEE how the worlds came into being. Their theories will be exposed one day.
b. If the politicians put their spin on the economy, or healthcare, or national security, the knowledge of the truth will ultimately triumph and their lies will be exposed.
c. If your neighbor is gossiping about you and many people believe his lies, there is no need to worry about that either. The eyes of the Lord are watching over the truth with great care. Ultimately, the Lord will overthrow the words of the transgressor.
d. God watches over and preserves knowledge (and those who handle it properly) and He overthrows the words of those who transgress against knowledge.
e. He beholds both the good and the evil—and rewards each according to his works.
f. As Peter put it (I Pet.3:12) – “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”
g. Though error seems to have the upper hand in this life, and the truth is maligned, ridiculed, and for the most part rejected, the truth ultimately triumphs over error.
Proverbs 22:13
There is a Lion Without!
1. We have seen this character before in Proverbs.
2. Slothful means lazy, sluggard; slow to take any action, suggesting a lack of discipline or initiative, as a moral failure.
3. This is more than a personality trait, a cultural issue, or a natural disposition.
4. It is a moral failure. That is how it is viewed in Proverbs.
5. The slothful man is not to be coddled or pitied as if he caught a disease through no fault of his own.
6. He is to be blamed for his laziness and he will bear the consequences of his laziness. This is how Solomon describes the problem in the book of Proverbs.
7. Consider what Solomon has said about the slothful man in this book:
a. Prov. 18:9 – He is a great waster of that which God has given him. (time; talents; intellect; etc.)
• Waste = destroy; corrupt; go to ruin; decay; to be marred; be spoiled.
• He allows what God has granted to him to ROT… to be ruined… spoiled… wasted.
• A waster is one who starts off with something valuable, but through neglect, it is brought to ruin… wasted.
• It is a waste of potential… in his family life… in his career… and especially in his spiritual life.
• Spiritually we are blessed with ALL spiritual blessings in Christ and are complete in Him.
• But not every believer is diligent about USING what God has given us. Some are wasters.
b. Prov. 26:16 – They often think themselves to be smarter than everyone else.
• They are so smart that they can get by without working!
• They are so smart they don’t need to study at school.
c. Prov. 10:26 – He is an irritant to those who expect him to work.
• Nobody wants a worker like this man.
• He probably cannot keep a job very long even when he does go to work.
• He is sent to do a job, and people are counting on him… and are disappointed because the job doesn’t get done.
• Maybe he works at your office!
• They irritate people—like smoke in the eyes.
• And they are found everywhere—in the workplace, in the home, in government, and in the local church.
d. Prov. 10:4 – He will become poor.
• All things being equal, hard work usually pays off and results in a measure of prosperity.
• But laziness results in poverty. That man will never advance anywhere.
e. Prov. 21:25 – he refuses to labor!
• Refuse: Resist; i.e., be in a state of defiance or rebellion; the rejection of an offer. It is a strong term.
• II Thess. 3:10 – Here Paul states that if “a man WOULD not work, neither should he eat.” (He was able bodied, but unwilling.)
• This is a committed, dedicated, defiant sluggard.
• Even before sin entered the world, God intended Adam to be a diligent worker in the garden. He was not to sit around and admire the garden and its flowers. He was to TEND to the garden. Tending to was work; it meant he had take care of it daily.
f. Prov. 20:13 – He may not have enough food to provide for himself or his family.
• Prov. 19:15 – He will suffer hunger.
• Prov. 20:4 – He may end up begging.
g. Prov. 12:24 – He will find himself living under bondage—to all of his debt.
• The slothful man will find himself with no money… borrowing money… spending more than he makes… and thus becoming a “slave” to his credit card company… or the bank… etc.
• He will never be a ruler, but will always be ruled over. And Solomon puts the blame on his own shoulders: laziness.
h. Prov. 15:19 – His life is like a hedge of thorns.
• He will be confronted with difficult obstacles continually throughout his life… obstacles of his own making.
• They will hinder his progress in life.
• He was too lazy to go to school and do his homework—will result in hindering the progress of his career path.
• He will face closed doors where others who were hard working will find open doors.
• Life for him will be like walking through a maze made of a hedge of thorns. No matter what direction he looks, he sees an insurmountable barrier… and yet another reason to quit trying.
i. Prov. 21:25-26 – It is a miserable life of desiring to have what others have, but NOT having…
• And living with the guilt of knowing WHY… because he is lazy!
• He covets all day long… and never has.
• And it kills him. It eats away at him inwardly. There is jealousy and envy.
• It is torture to watch others enjoy the fruit of their labors and he is not able to do so… because he didn’t labor.
j. Prov. 26:14 – And he has no peace of mind.
• He lays awake at night – restless. Again, due to guilt… due to the fact that he may have been lounging around all day long not working… dozing off and taking naps.
• And thus when night time comes, he cannot sleep.
• He rolls over all night long… thinking… desiring but not having… perhaps hungry… living with guilt and regret.
8. Solomon does not coddle or indulge the slothful man in his sluggishness.
a. He rebukes him! He warns him. He tries to throw a proverbial glass of cold water in his face to wake him up.
b. Solomon doesn’t feel sorry for him like a man who happened to come down with an eye disease and goes blind.
c. When you come down with a disease, usually it is not your fault.
d. But laziness is not a disease. It is a SIN. It is a moral failure and Solomon treats it as such.
e. He is even a bit harsh in his treatment, but it is for the GOOD of the lazy man. Love has to be tough at times.
f. Love does not pamper moral failure.
1. Each of the various proverbs dealing with this perennial human problem approaches the subject from a slightly different angle.
a. Some proverbs highlighted the fact that laziness is often associated with pride (I’m smarter than the foolish people who do all that hard work!)
b. Some proverbs associate laziness with waste.
c. Most of them serve as warnings, reminding the readers of the consequences of laziness.
2. But this proverb addresses one other issue that is common to lazy people: excuses!
a. This excuse is almost comical. He is afraid to go to work (so he says) because there are lions outside. He could be killed!
b. He was a lazy man and inactive—but his imagination was not inactive.
c. It may have been true that there were lions in the area, but they didn’t normally venture into the city. What are your chances of being eaten by a lion?
d. But, everyone else went to work and they weren’t killed by a lion.
e. There are bears in New Hampshire, but your chances of being killed by a bear are pretty slim.
f. You might be killed driving down route 93 too, but people still go to work.
g. There is no such thing as a risk free environment.
h. Deep down inside, the sluggard really must have known that the chances of being killed by a lion were miniscule.
i. Perhaps he was running out of excuses.
j. But that didn’t matter. The lazy man is diligent in daydreaming and he could easily conjure up a whole zoo full of creatures and other excuses why he should not go out to work.
k. He could imagine endless excuses and obstacles to him getting to work.
l. He was really just trying to JUSTIFY his laziness and make himself appear to be respectable.
m. However, his lame excuse was pretty easy to see through.
n. These are the silly excuses of a man who is guilt ridden because of his laziness, and is trying to appease his conscience because deep down inside he KNOWS that his problem is laziness, though he would never admit it.
o. His excuses are lame pretenses and everybody knows it. He isn’t fooling anybody but himself—certainly not God!
p. His real problem is not the imaginary lion in the street. The real problem is his laziness. Remove the laziness, and the lion in the street will suddenly disappear.
q. Matthew Henry had this to say about his excuse of the lion: “He considers not his real danger from the devil, that roaring lion, which is in bed with him, and from his own slothfulness, which kills him.”
3. This quality affects the whole man’s life.
a. If you are lazy by nature, it will adversely affect everything you do.
b. If you work, it will mean poor work. It will affect your co-workers, for they will have to do the work you don’t. It will affect your employer. He is paying for work twice.
c. It will affect your career. You will not progress very far if you are lazy. You will discover a hedge of thorns has blocked your progress.
d. It will affect your marriage. Your spouse will be constantly irritated by your laziness and sloth around the house. If it is the wife, the household chores will be neglected. If it is the husband, then the house will fall into disrepair.
e. Because of your laziness, your family could suffer hunger… and lack things that they need and SHOULD have… if only you were more diligent in your work.
f. Slothfulness affects more than your own life; it affects everything and everyone around you.
g. We devise such clever excuses: “You don’t know the trouble I’ve seen. You don’t know my circumstances… what I’m up against. If you only knew, then you would understand!”
h. But we don’t have to hide behind excuses which are nothing but smoke screens for our laziness.
4. George Washington Carver said, “Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”
a. Carver was no stranger to adversity and could have easily made excuses for not succeeding. But that wasn’t his way.
b. Despite being born into slavery, he rose above his circumstances. He earned a B.S. and then an M.S. in agriculture from Iowa State College, and he dedicated himself to teaching poor African-American farmers.
c. He developed an extension program at Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute to take the classroom to the people in the South, teaching agriculture methods and home economics.
d. And his research resulted in the development of hundreds of products made from crops such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. He did all that despite working with limited resources and opportunities because of segregation. Where others might have offered excuses, Carver achieved excellence.
5. Excuses in the spiritual life:
a. We make excuses for our carnality. “I’ve had a rough life. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home.”
b. We make excuses for not reading the Word. “I work too many hours. I’m too tired. I’m not a good reader. I would rather have pastor explain the Bible to me.”
c. It is human nature to make excuses.
• Adam excused his sin by blaming his wife.
• Aaron excused his sin of making the golden calf while Moses was on the mount. He said, “I had the people throw their gold jewelry into a molten pot, and out came this golden calf!”
• The lazy man might excuse himself from going to work because of lions. But lions didn’t stop David or Daniel. They trusted God and faced the lions.
d. If we really want to read the Word, we can. If we really want to make it to church we can. If we really want to walk with God we can… even though our adversary walks about as a roaring lion!
Proverbs 22:14
The Mouth of a Strange Woman
Introduction:
1. The meaning of this proverb is simple and right on the surface.
2. It is a warning against adultery—a warning that Solomon has repeated over and over again in this book.
3. That is probably so because it is the kind of sin that is repeated over and over again in society—in all societies of sinners.
4. But it is not just a problem in society at large. It is also a problem among believers and has been ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.
5. It is a warning that merits repetition. It is a warning that men young and old need to hear again and again.
6. And even though this warning has been made many times in this book, each proverb dealing with the subject approaches it from a slightly different angle.
A. The Strange Woman
1. This strange woman is mentioned eight times in Proverbs by this title.
a. The word “strange” does not mean a “foreigner” here as it often does.
b. The most basic meaning of the term is to “turn aside.”
c. The strange woman has turned aside from God, from good morals, and perhaps she has turned away from her husband.
d. It also means one who is “estranged” from society because of her behavior and lack of morals.
e. It speaks of a woman who is an outcast.
f. The term was defined by Zodhiates as “to go astray, i.e., be in a state of apostasy and rebellion.”
2. Consider what Solomon has to say about this kind of woman:
a. Prov. 2:17-19
• She forsakes the guide of her youth (husband).
• She forgets her covenant with God (marriage).
• Her house is inclined towards death.
• None who go unto her return the same as before they went.
b. Prov. 5:4 – Her end is as bitter as wormwood—like a sword that pierces.
c. Prov. 5:9 – Those who go to her give their honor away. They lose their honor.
d. Prov. 5:10 – Those who go unto her end up giving away their wealth to others. (Divorce courts; alimony payments; etc.)
e. Prov. 5:11 – The initial fun is turned to mourning in guilt and shame… and your body may be consumed (with sexually transmitted diseases).
f. Prov. 5:12 – It brings regret in the end.
g. Prov. 5:22 – The man who goes unto her discovers that he became ensnared in sexual sin and cannot escape. He is holden with the cords of his sin.
h. Prov. 6:26 – The man is reduced to a piece of bread. He could lose his family, his house, his job, his possessions.
i. Prov. 29:3 – He spends his money and it is gone in a hurry.
j. Prov. 6:27 – The man who goes unto her will get burnt. It could scar you for life.
k. Prov. 23:27-28 – She is just waiting to take down her next victim—like a lioness ready to leap upon her prey to devour.
l. Prov. 5:20-21 – Young men are being warned about being ravished (mislead; led astray).
• That is the kind of woman she IS.
• She leads down the road to immorality… and misleads you into believing that you will never get caught.
• BUT all the ways of man are done before the EYES of the Lord. Nothing escapes His notice.
B. The Mouth of a Strange Woman
1. While other proverbs may speak of her immoral character and of the consequences of being with her, this proverb speaks about her “mouth;” namely, her words.
2. This proverb is a warning to young men concerning the alluring and enticing words of the adulterous woman.
3. Many of the sections dealing with the strange woman warn about her enticing words.
a. Prov. 2:16 – She flatters with her words.
• Flatter: To be smooth; to be deceitful; i.e., to give a misleading opinion or thought about what is true, often encouraging wrong behavior.
b. Prov. 5:3 – Her lips are sweet and smooth—like honey and oil. In other words, they are very enticing. But in the end they are bitter and more like a sword. (vs.4)
c. Prov. 7:13-18 – With her words, she made adultery sound so enjoyable and appealing.
d. Prov. 7:19-20 – With her words she convinced him that they would never get caught. “My husband is away on a long business trip! Nobody will ever know!”
e. Prov. 7:21- Her speech caused him to yield. (She had some compelling arguments to make.) With her flattery (lying deceit) she forced him (force – to successfully lure away).
• Once this woman had this young may toying with the idea of coming home with her, she won.
• She got him thinking about the sin… then she gave arguments why he wouldn’t get caught… and all the while juices are flowing… and that becomes irreversible… overwhelming…
C. A Deep Pit
1. Our proverb tells us that the MOUTH of the strange woman is a deep pit.
2. Obviously, this is a metaphor meaning that by her alluring words, she leads a man into a deep pit—out of which he may never be recovered!
a. Deep pit: Often pits were dug to capture animals. They were large holes in the ground dug by men and covered over so it would not APPEAR to be a trap… but it was a trap.
b. The words of the strange woman are a trap… a pit… a deep hole in the ground.
c. They cover up the real danger that lies ahead… seeking its prey.
3. This is part of the warning too: like a pit covered over with brush, the words of the strange woman appear normal, pleasant, and desirable, but it is just a cover masking a dangerous pit.
A. He That Is Abhorred of the Lord
1. Abhorred: A state of wrath or anger; under a curse; to be indignant or enraged.
a. The term is variously translated, but the ideas are quite similar.
2. Solomon’s point here is that one who follows the pathway of the strange woman as a lifestyle enrages God’s sense of holiness.
a. God is angry with this kind of behavior. He hates it.
b. This man is under God’s wrath as long as he chooses to walk down that road.
B. Shall Fall Therein
1. Note the certainty here: this man SHALL fall therein!
a. Prov. 23:27 – Here Solomon states the same thing: he shall fall into a deep ditch and a narrow pit. You will fall in—but you will have a hard time getting out!
b. Only a fool could read the warnings in Proverbs and think that “it won’t happen to me!”
c. But that is exactly the mindset of the fool. He believes the strange woman when she implies that they will never get caught. He believes that he is smarter than other people.
d. He fails to realize that EVERY SINFUL ACT is done before the eyes of the Lord.
e. Sooner or later, your sin will find you out. Sooner or later you SHALL fall into that pit.
f. In other words, there are consequences for your behavior.
2. If you want to avoid sin, you must avoid the temptation to sin.
a. Flee youthful lusts! Flee temptations!
b. That means RUN AWAY like Joseph did.
c. Sexual sin is like embracing coals of fire. You cannot reason with fire. It burns all who touch it.
d. Even talk about sexual sin is a deep pit. It is a trap. Once you start talking about it… and thinking about it… and the juices start flowing, it’s too late.
e. There is only one way to deal with a trap—AVOID it! You don’t tip toe all around it, trying to get as close as you can without falling in.
f. This proverb states that when you let your guard down, and you enter into an immoral conversation, and begin TALKING about sexual sin… you WILL fall into the trap.
g. Rom. 13:14 – Make NO provisions for the flesh.
• And in our day and age, there are all kinds of “provisions” for the flesh available to us.
• There are sex hot lines on the phone you can pay for…
• There are video games that are sexual in nature…
• There are pornographic websites on the internet…
• There seducers in the workplace… in the schools…
• We are surrounded by provisions or “opportunities” for the flesh.
• The only way to deal with them is to avoid even the first contact. Stay away entirely. Make NO provision.
• Like drugs and alcohol, if you avoid the first drink or drug you will never become addicted.
• Solomon says that sexual sin is like winding cords around you… and the more you play with it, the stronger the cords become.
• Like a trap – you may not be able to extricate yourself from the trap either.
3. Thankfully there is victory in Christ and in His Word over ANY sin.
a. This sin becomes a lifestyle—like being bound with cords.
b. But the cross of Calvary can set the sinner free from slavery to sin.
Proverbs 22:15
The Rod of Correction
Introduction:
1. This proverb makes two statements, both of which are considered anathema by our generation.
a. Little children are sinful… bad.
b. Corporal punishment is good.
2. The world says just the opposite.
a. Children are good.
b. Corporal punishment is bad.
3. This Bible passage stands directly opposed to the spirit of the age.
a. There is no middle ground.
b. The believer is forced to take a stand—either with God or the world.
c. To be the friend of the world is enmity with God.
d. But if we choose to be the friend of God, we can expect enmity from the world.
e. Sooner or later this is going to become a matter of LAW. It is not hard to envision a day in which corporal punishment will be banned altogether… as the law of the land.
4. Corporal punishment in the home is still legal in America in all 50 states.
a. However, it is illegal in 24 countries around the world.
b. Sweden was the first to completely ban it in all forms in 1979.
c. But there are campaigns underway as we speak, in America and around the world, seeking to end all forms of corporal punishment.
• Internationally: UNICEF and Amnesty International seeks to end it.
• Nationally: Groups such as: “The Hitting Stops Here” and EPOCH: “End Physical Punishment of Children.”
• In 1993, a group of 103 organizations sent a petition to then President Clinton seeking to abolish all forms of corporal punishment for children.
d. One group worded it this way: “It is well past time for schools to eliminate the barbaric practice of paddling (children). A vast amount of evidence shows an urgent need to replace corporal punishment with enlightened and humane methods of discipline.”
e. Spanking in any form is considered barbaric, inhumane, and unenlightened. (Sounds a bit like the elite left, doesn’t it?)
f. So far in America, common sense has prevailed, but that could change… and probably will in our lifetime.
g. There are forces at work in our country, seeking to make obeying Prov. 22:15 a crime.
A. Folly in the Bible
1. Folly defined:
a. Devoid of wisdom and understanding, with a focus on the evil behaviors.
b. One who is morally deficient
c. So don’t think of the folly Solomon is describing as silliness.
d. Kids are childish and silly by nature, and there’s nothing wrong with a child being childish… and even silly at times.
e. But there IS something terribly wrong with folly, which is a moral failure.
2. Consider how the book of Proverbs describes folly:
a. Make a mock at sin. Prov. 14:9.
b. Sport themselves in mischief. Prov. 10:23
c. Despise instruction. Prov. 1:7; 15:5.
d. Hate to depart from evil. Prov.13:19
e. Is right in his own eyes. Prov.12:15
f. Is deceived (Prov.14:8) He really believes he’s right.
g. If not corrected, he will continually return to his folly. Prov. 26:11
h. This is not silly behavior; this is sinful behavior.
B. Folly Bound in the Heart of a Child
1. This kind of behavior is BOUND in a child.
a. Mocking sin; getting into mischief; despising instruction; pride; conceit; always thinking he’s right; hating to be corrected; etc.
b. Bound: Tied to as with a rope; united to; joined to; fastened to.
c. This term is used in I Sam. 18:1: “The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David.”
d. The deviant behavior is bound, tied to, knit and interwoven into the very heart of a child.
e. Note that this immoral folly is not only FOUND in the heart of a child, it is BOUND in the heart of a child…
f. This implies two things:
• The insidious nature of the folly: It has the child all bound up… all tied up and it has control over him.
• The difficulty in getting rid of it. It doesn’t come out easily.
2. Children are BORN this way.
a. It isn’t entirely learned behavior; it isn’t environment induced.
b. It is the very NATURE of a child from birth.
c. It is part of the old Adamic nature. They are born BENT towards evil behavior.
d. Ps. 58:3 – “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”
e. They don’t really need to LEARN bad behavior. It is IN them right from the womb.
f. Children by nature think it is fun to do what they know they are not supposed to do.
g. Children by nature mock at sin… ridicule rules… reject instruction
h. Children by nature don’t like to be told what to do.
i. They hate to hear the word NO said to them… but when given instructions, they love to SAY no to you!
3. Children are born with SIN firmly fixed in their hearts… that old sin nature inherited from their parents… and all the way back to Adam.
a. Christianity and psychology differ strongly on this point.
b. Christianity and the whole world system differ on this point.
c. What one believes about the NATURE of a child (a human being) will (to a large degree) determine HOW that child is reared.
d. For example, if your thinking has been conformed to the world, and you believe that a child is born as a blank slate (neither good nor evil) and his inward inclinations are all LEARNED behavior, then it is reasonable to assume that spanking is not a good idea.
• It will TEACH the child to hit.
• It will enforce violent behavior.
• It will produce a cycle of violence.
• And these are the arguments used against corporal punishment of a child in the home.
e. But, if your thinking has been shaped by God’s Word, and you believe that a child is born with a fallen nature (a heart which is bound up in immoral folly), then it is reasonable to assume that God the Creator has a BETTER way of dealing with His fallen creatures.
• Then spanking will not be seen as promoting violence, but a hindrance to violence.
• Spanking will not teach the child to hit others, but will cause him to think twice before hitting someone else… because there are painful consequences associated with bad behavior!
• THAT is the learned behavior here: There are painful consequences associated with bad behavior.
• Kids don’t have to learn how to be bad or how to misbehave.
• But they DO have to learn about the consequences of their bad choices in behavior. That is a GOOD lesson to learn.
1. The first part of the proverb teaches us the sad reality of life: kids are born with sinful, immoral, folly bound up in their little hearts.
2. The second part of the proverb teaches us what to DO about it.
3. The “rod of correction”
a. Correction defined:
• Strong’s: Discipline; chastening; correction.
• Dictionary of Biblical Languages: Correction that is a minor punishment for teaching which may include a rebuke or instruction.
• This term is often translated “instruction” and most often (20 times) speaks of verbal instruction or verbal discipline.
b. Rod of correction:
• The addition of the word “rod” makes it clear that Solomon had corporal, physical discipline in mind, not just verbal.
• Rod = a stick or rod; it was used of a shepherd’s staff or a king’s scepter.
• Thus, the rod (instrument of corporal punishment) is designed to CORRECT bad behavior.
• When used properly, it is a form of “instruction” that really drives home the point!
• It is the board of education, applied to the seat of knowledge!
4. Shall Drive It Far From Him…
a. Drive:
• Distance; remove; put far away; send far away.
• Ps. 103:12 – This is the term used of God “removing” our transgressions from us.
b. Solomon’s point is that the rod is effective.
c. And while this probably drives UNICEF and Amnesty International crazy, corporal punishment works.
d. It is to be used because God said so AND because it works!
• Not everything that works is right… but this does work AND it is also right.
e. Thus, we can employ corporal punishment on our kids AND do so with a pure conscience.
• The unsaved in our country often do spank their children, but they often do so with a guilty conscience because their minds have been conformed by the world… and they are never fully sure whether they did the right thing or not. We are sure.
• We don’t have to worry about whether we are stifling their creativity, or damaging their self esteem, or instilling deep rooted psychological harm to their inner child.
• We can spank our kids and KNOW that it is the right way to deal with folly and that (in the long run) it works… and is GOOD for them.
f. The passage implies that if it is not driven out… it will remain BOUND in his heart, and it gives it a sense of urgency.
5. Prov. 27:22 – “Even if a fool were pounded with a pestle in a mortar along with the grain, he would not be corrected.”
a. This passage says that physical punishment will NOT correct the fool; while 22:15 says that the rod WILL correct the fool and drive his folly away.
b. Clearly two different outcomes are listed in these two proverbs. One says it works; the other says it does not work.
c. That’s why some see this as a contradiction to 22:15.
d. However, this passage actually emphasizes the importance of the rod of correction.
e. By comparing these two proverbs, we learn that if the folly is not removed when he is a child, when he is older, and has become more set in his ways, then it may NEVER be driven out!
f. Therefore, it is all the more essential that the rod be applied to children… while there is time… while there is hope… while they are still teachable.
g. Kids are like wet cement. Wet cement is easily formed and shaped. But once it hardens, it is much more difficult to shape.
6. Solomon bolsters this point in other passages.
a. Prov. 19:18 – Chasten him while there is still hope… when he is young and teachable… before the cement hardens. If you wait, even a crushing blow (like what the pestle does to grain) will not drive away the folly.
b. Prov. 13:24 – And don’t worry about teaching violence. Spanking a child is an act of LOVE… and one day he will appreciate what you taught him by the way you brought him up (probably when he has kids of own).
• And of course, discipline must be administered in love—not out of frustration or anger.
• And it needs to be accompanied by verbal instruction… teaching him right from wrong. (The rod AND correction – instruction.)
c. Prov. 23:13-14 – You may think that you are killing him, but in reality you are delivering him from heading down the wrong pathway in life.
d. Prov. 29:15 – The rod gives wisdom. That is the goal. Folly is driven out, and it is replaced with wisdom from God… which leads to godliness.
• The world says that the rod leads to a life of violence, a damaged psyche, and deep inner scars.
• The Bible says that it leads to wisdom. Side with God on this matter!
• The world system has a large network of organizations all working towards making the rod that produces godly wisdom ILLEGAL.
• Pray for those who are in positions of authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
• For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalit8ies and powers… spiritual wickedness in high places.
Proverbs 22:16
Wrong Ways to Increase
1. Oppress: To press upon; to crush; to wrong; exploit; to defraud; to mistreat.
2. Oppression of the poor is as old as the hills.
a. This is the way of the natural man and of societies of the world. It is the way of the jungle.
b. The powerful oppress the weak.
c. That normally translates into the rich trample over the poor.
d. The rich have many tricks up their sleeves to oppress the poor: keeping back their hire, not paying them what they are worth; by usury (exorbitant interest rates) and outright extortion.
e. This is human nature. We are by nature selfish and greedy.
f. The tendency of the rich to oppress the poor that Solomon saw in his day continues in our day as well.
g. Keep in mind that Solomon is writing as a King (a rich and powerful man) for his sons (who will also be rich and powerful men).
3. The PURPOSE of oppression
a. “To increase his riches.”
b. Increase: To multiply; to make big; to become larger; to become abundant.
c. The rich take advantage of the poor.
d. The rich use the poor to cause the rich to grow richer.
e. This is the meaning of the first part of this proverb.
f. It should be noted that the words “his riches” do not appear in the original. The text simply says, “to increase.”
g. Thus, it is much broader than just silver and gold.
h. It could be to increase his power, his social standing, his political position, his military might, his borders, his name and prestige, etc.
i. It could be a combination of all the above.
1. Give: According to the Word Study of the Old Testament, this term is used about 2000 times in the Old Testament. Thus, it has a very broad meaning: to give… to hand over to… etc.
2. Rich: The wealthy, well-to-do persons with significant power and influence socially and politically.
3. Why would someone give to the wealthy man who is in a position of influence and political power?
a. Just watch the six o’clock news! It happens all the time. The city of Chicago is known for its corruption. We have recently had a case there of just this sort of crime: buying political appointments… giving money to the rich.
b. The author is speaking here of bribes to BUY influence and position.
c. Prov. 18:16 – A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
• A bribe will often attract the attention of great and important men. Bribes “open doors” that would otherwise be closed.
• For a mere $700.00 a plate you can go to a dinner with the Clintons (or other political figures) and be introduced to the movers and shakers in your area!
• In that company you might be able to broker a deal (I’ll give you a gift and you look the other way as I continue to oppress the poor!)
• Hush money keeps a lot of people quiet… and looking the other way as oppression and corruption continue.
d. Prov. 17:8 – Bribes work! It’s a fact of life.
e. Prov.17:23 – People give money to the rich in order to buy justice or to buy their way out of a conviction.
• If a shady businessman has been dishonestly overcharging the poor or overworking the poor, a bribe to the right judge or political figure might just take the heat off him and enable him to continue to oppress the poor.
• Perversion of justice is nothing new either. People with money seem to get off the hook for crimes that the average person would be jailed for.
f. Deut. 16:19 – God did not want the Jews to use bribes as a means of buying influence and avoiding justice. It was part of the Law.
g. Isa. 1:23 – Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards. (It was common in Israel and around the world)
1. The previous two phrases in this proverb speak of the two WRONG ways to increase wealth and power.
2. However, they are two very COMMON ways to increase wealth and power.
a. Taking from the poor
b. Giving bribes to the rich.
3. It seems quite contrary to common sense.
a. The rich don’t need “presents,” for they are rich! Yet it is common practice for men seeking to “increase” themselves, do just that—give gifts (bribes) to the wealthy.
b. The poor who DO need gifts are instead oppressed. The wealthy take from them what little they have.
c. The proverb highlights how backwards this is… how contrary to common sense.
d. Common sense would tell us (if we were honest and our hearts were right) that if we were going to give gifts to anyone, it should be the poor who have genuine needs, not the wealthy!
e. The proverb also underscores how dishonest and cruel it is—to make the rich richer by making the poor poorer.
f. And yet as we all know, it happens all the time.
4. If common sense tells us that if we give gifts, it ought to be given to the poor, WHY is it that so often “gifts” are given to the rich?
a. Because of pure greed.
b. If you give a gift to the poor, there’s nothing in it for me, myself, and I!
c. But if you give a “gift” to the rich and powerful, there IS something in it for me. Gifts bring you into important circles and buys favors.
d. Gifts OUGHT to be given in grace—out of selfless love.
e. Solomon knew that, but noted that in the circles he travelled in, it was often the opposite. As Solomon observed human behavior among the upper crust of society, he noted that gifts were given out of self interest, self promotion, selfishness, and greed!
5. The MAIN point of the proverb is this: these two common, greedy, selfish practices may seem to result in an increase (wealth; position; power) in the immediate, but in the long run, it results in poverty (want).
a. This proverb describes two possible approaches to “increase” (wealth).
• Those who use these approaches THINK that it is the way to wealth and increase.
• One man assumes that he will increase by oppressing the poor.
• The other man assumes that he will increase by giving (bribing) the wealthy.
• But in the end, both men come to poverty!
b. This is the essence of the proverb:
• Two actions seem opposite (taking from the poor; giving to the rich).
• They are opposite actions, yet, their purpose is really the same: to increase and get rich.
• They are opposite actions, yet their END is also the same: they both lead to poverty.
c. And as opposite as these actions are, there are some obvious similarities too:
• Both demonstrate no fear of God.
• Both demonstrate no love for one’s brother (neighbor).
• Both are the result of the same motive: self seeking.
• Both are motivated by greed.
• Both meet the same end: poverty.
6. There are several reasons for this conclusion.
a. Prov. 14:31 – Oppressing the poor is reproaching the Maker. One can only reproach God so long before he must deal with the consequences of reproaching God.
b. Ps. 72:4 – God shall break in pieces the oppressor!
• Those who violate Gods’ Law and seek to cover it up by buying influence from wealthy, powerful people will one day discover that it is really a poor trade off.
• If God is against you, buying influence from wealthy men who are but dust isn’t the best plan in the long run.
• Bribes given in secret do not escape the notice of an omniscient God.
• And God is concerned about the poor. He watches over them.
• God is opposed to BOTH of these wrong methods of “increasing.”
• One day—either in this life or the life to come—the wealthy ones who oppress the poor will have to give an account of their actions.
• Ps. 12:5 – For the oppression of the poor… “I will arise!”
c. Jas. 5:1-5 – The wealthy land owners who oppressed their poor workers will one day make some painful discoveries:
• That their gold is cankered and rusted;
• And that the Lord heard of their oppression;
• And that they were really just fattening themselves up for the slaughter! (vs.5)
7. How much better is it to follow the common sense route!
a. If you want to give a gift, give it out of love and grace, selflessly, for the good of those in need—not with strings attached for selfish gain.
b. Many men have learned to regret foolish generosity, (bribes given to the rich).
c. But no one has ever regretted the wise and prayerfully giving to the poor. In the long run, that is far more sensible. And it doesn’t lead to poverty. It results in treasures in heaven.
Proverbs 22:17
The Proper Response to Wisdom and Knowledge
Introduction:
1. The various sections of the book of Proverbs:
a. The first section of the book of Proverbs begins with the words, “The proverbs of Solomon.”
• This section speaks of the value of wisdom.
• It includes chapters 1:-9:18.
• These are the lessons for “my son.”
• This section included the lengthy sections on Lady Wisdom crying out in the streets.
• It also included several sections on the strange woman to avoid.
b. The second section also begins with the words, “The Proverbs of Solomon.”
• This section includes chapters 10:1-22:16
• These are mostly short, concise, one verse statements… little nuggets of truth.
c. The third section begins with the words, “the words of the wise.”
• These “words of the wise” comprise a new section in the book of Proverbs. (22:17-24:34)
• The third section that we will begin looking at tonight will immediately be identified as different in that the proverbs are connected.
• There is often a context here.
• In the previous section, each proverb stood alone as a single nugget of truth, but in this section, we often have several verses strung together as a unit.
d. The fourth section (Chapter 25-29) begins a new section of proverbs which the men of Hezekiah copied out.
e. The fifth section: The Words of Agur (Chap. 30)
f. The sixth section: The Words of Lemuel (31:1-9)
g. The seventh section: The Noble Wife (31:10-31)
1. Bow down: This term is used in lots of different ways.
a. Strong’s: Incline; bend; bow; stretch out; extend.
b. Zodhiates: A verb meaning to stretch out; to extend; to pay attention.
c. Judges 9:3 – “Their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech…”
d. Psa. 119:112 – “I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.”
e. I Kings 11:2, 4 – It was used of Solomon turning his heart away from the Lord and towards the gods of his wives. (“For surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.”)
f. Thus, the term in our proverb speaks of an inward inclination.
• It speaks of an intentional BENDING of the ear in the direction of the words of the wise…
• It is a command to TURN in the direction of the words of the wise…
• It speaks of an inward heart INCLINATION to listen…
• This is how it is translated in 4:20: “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.”
• Prov. 5:1 – “My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding.”
2. Turning one’s ear is literal but it implies more than the literal.
a. It is literal in that it speaks of literally turning your ear towards the sound of the words of wisdom.
b. But more than turning the literal ear towards the sound waves is implied.
• It implies turning the ear so that you can hear… listen.
• It means to pay attention to what is heard.
3. Application: It is good for us to be INCLINED to hear the Word of God… whether in this section of Proverbs or in any other portion of Scripture.
1. The words of the wise
a. This expression refers primarily to the proverbs in this section of the book (22:17-24:34).
b. Cf. 24:23 – a continuation of this section. Some see this as the second subdivision of this whole section.
c. There are 30 separate sayings in this section. (30 wise sayings)
d. The term “words” = speech; word; utterance; statement (common word).
e. The term “wise” = shrewd; crafty; cunning; skilled; prudent; wise (common word).
2. Here Solomon (or whoever the human authors of these proverbs were) tells his readers to HEAR these words.
a. The term is used of literal hearing. (Ps. 44:2)
b. But like the previous expression, in this proverb, it IMPLIES more.
• The author’s concern here was not how well his son’s ears worked.
• Hear:
» Strong’s: To hear with attention or interest; listen to; to understand.
» Dictionary of Biblical Languages: To listen; take heed; pay attention; hear; i.e., believe information and respond on the basis of having heard.
» Ex. 4:1 – Moses was concerned that his people would not hear (hearken) to his voice. (listen… pay attention… respond to)
» Ecc. 9:16-17 (2 times) Pay attention to; to take heed to.
• The author wanted his readers to “hear” his words.
» Prov. 1:8 – This is the thought with which the book began.
» Obviously, you don’t literally “hear” the author’s words of wisdom when reading a book.
» But those words can and should be HEEDED in the heart.
» In that sense, to “hear” is a virtual synonym for “obey.”
→ I Sam.12:14 – “If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD…”
» The readers should pay attention to the words they read… as if the author spoke face to face. In other words, obey!
» Think of that when reading the Bible!
1. Apply:
a. Strong’s: to set, station, appoint, fix, set the mind to.
b. Dictionary of Biblical Languages: To set; apply; place; i.e., have a feeling or attitude of devotion, with corresponding action
c. Zodhiates: To set one’s heart on something means to pay attention to it.
d. Meditate and ponder.
e. Prov. 24:32 – “Considered” is the same word as applied.
• He set his mind to think about it.
• He saw the field of the slothful, and applied it to his own heart.
• He contemplated the implications of the field of the slothful.
• He thought long and hard about it, and paid attention to its meaning.
2. Note that the first two exhortations were addressed to the ear. This is addressed to the heart.
a. Heart: The whole inner man; mind; emotion; conscience; etc.
b. Once the ear hears, and the words of wisdom are understood and absorbed, THEN the believer is to APPLY that truth to his heart.
c. He is to set his heart to contemplate the truth… he is to pay attention to what he heard and now understands.
d. And finally, there is to be a corresponding ACTION.
e. Truth demands something of us. It demands absolute obedience.
f. Truth, knowledge, and wisdom applied to the heart will have a life transforming effect. It changes us.
3. Prov. 5:1 – “My son ATTEND to my wisdom…”
a. Attend: Listen; pay attention; give heed; i.e., accept information as true and respond to it.
4. In Prov. 22:17, Solomon encourages his readers to apply their hearts to KNOWLEDGE.
a. The wise man speaks words of wisdom and knowledge.
b. This book (and the rest of the Bible) was given that we might have the knowledge of God, His will and His ways.
c. Knowledge: Knowledge; understanding; information; doctrine.
d. Thus, the author wants his reader to pay attention to the information and the words of wisdom revealed.
e. We need both: The information (doctrine), and the skill (discernment) to put it into practice and make good use of it.
f. In particular, we need the knowledge of God and the wisdom to live out that truth in our daily lives.
5. Note the progression in the three exhortations:
a. Bow down thine ear (bend the ear; incline the ear; turn it towards the sound).
b. Hear the words (heart with great interest; paying attention to so as to understand).
c. Apply thine heart (set the mind and heart to an attitude of devotion, with corresponding action).
d. Perhaps we could paraphrase:
• Listen to the words of the wise.
• Pay attention so that you understand what you hear.
• Then respond in obedience: DO it… turn it into action.
• Cf. Ps. 90:12 – “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” First comes teaching (words of wisdom) then comes understanding, and ultimately, application of that truth to the heart.
6. While the exhortation here is primarily an exhortation for the reader (his sons?) to pay attention to the 30 wise sayings (paragraphs) in this section of Proverbs, there is good application for ALL words of wisdom and for the entire Word of God.
Proverbs 22:18-19
Memorizing Scripture
Introduction:
1. This passage speaks to us concerning the value and joy of memorizing Scripture.
2. Keep in mind that we have entered into a portion of Proverbs that has a context.
3. This section of Proverbs contains “thirty wise sayings” (the words of the wise). (22:17-24:34)
4. They are no longer found in single, isolated verses, but are found in clusters (2-3) verses for each saying.
5. The first cluster is found in vs. 17-19.
6. Verse 19 introduces this saying by challenging the readers to bow down our ears (listen – pay attention) and apply the knowledge found therein to our own hearts and lives.
7. Note the progression in the three exhortations:
a. Bow down thine ear (bend the ear; incline the ear; turn it towards the sound).
b. Hear the words (hear with great interest; paying attention to so as to understand).
c. Apply thine heart (set the mind and heart to an attitude of devotion, with corresponding action).
Memorizing Scripture is Pleasant
18a For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee…
1. “Keep them within thee”
a. THEM:
• In context, “them” refers to the “words of the wise” in vs.17.
• The readers are to pay attention to them and to apply them to their heart.
• Now Solomon says that the readers are to MEMORIZE them.
b. KEEP:
• This word keep has many shades of meaning and is translated variously in different contexts.
• It means: Keep; i.e., cause a state or condition to remain; to watch; to keep; to preserve; to guard.
• In this context it means to keep in the sense of to keep, to retain, to treasure up (in memory)
c. WITHIN THEE:
• Literally this means “in your belly”
• Since we don’t think of the belly or stomach as a place for words of wisdom, we might say instead, “keep them within your heart.”
• A couple of translations translated this keep them in your: heart or mind.
d. In other words, we are to retain these words of wisdom on the inside: deep down within our INNER man.
• We retain them by memorizing them.
• We retain them by listening carefully to them, applying them to our heart in obedience, and then memorizing them.
• Rote memorization is probably the best way to BEGIN to retain them.
• But Solomon had in mind a deep inner understanding of the principles involved… so that these truths become OURS.
• They become ours first by memorizing them, but more importantly by obeying them… practicing them… living them out in our daily lives.
• But you have to KNOW what the wise principle IS before you can live it and practice it. That’s where memorization comes in.
• Ps. 119:11 – “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
e. Note the “IF”
• There is great value to memorizing Scripture.
• But Solomon is aware of the fact that not everyone WILL memorize Scripture.
• But IF you do, there is great value to it.
• We might liken this to a New Testament passage: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” (Col. 3:16)
2. Memorizing Scripture is PLEASANT
a. Pleasant:
• Pleasant; delightful; sweet; lovely; agreeable; beautiful; attractive.
• It is used of persons who are pleasing, a joy to be around.
• David eulogized Saul and Jonathan in their death by saying, “Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives.”
• He was saying that they were a joy to be around. (Though it is hard to see how he could say this of Saul! Eulogies do tend to go a bit overboard at times.)
• Ps. 135:3 – the Lord’s name is “pleasant” (translated good).
b. “For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee.”
• The point Solomon makes here is that when believers bow before the Word, let it sink in, obey it, live it, and RETAIN it in their hearts by memorizing it, it is a pleasant thing.
• It is a joy to memorize Scripture. It is a delight to the one who memorizes Scripture. It is sweet and pleasant. It is a beautiful thing… and of great value.
• Prov. 2:10 – “When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul.”
• Jer. 15:16 – “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.”
• When the Word of Christ is dwelling in our hearts richly, it results in singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. That is pleasant. Singing springs from joy.
3. The progression continues:
a. Bow down thine ear (bend the ear; incline the ear; turn it towards the sound).
b. Hear the words (hear with great interest; paying attention to so as to understand).
c. Apply thine heart (set the mind and heart to an attitude of devotion, with corresponding action).
d. Memorize them by retaining them in your heart.
4. Solomon states that while this requires effort and diligence, and may require a change of lifestyle, it is in the end “pleasant.”
a. Next Solomon explains WHY memorizing Scripture is pleasant.
Memorizing Scripture is Appropriate for Daily Conversation:
1. Fitted:
a. To be firm, be stable, be established; fixed; ready; enduring; firmly established; ready.
b. In this context, “fitted” means to be established on the lips; fixed on your lips; an established fixture of your conversation… and ready for use.
2. Once Scripture is memorized, they are established on thy lips; always ready on your lips.
a. They are retained deep down in the heart and mind.
b. Thus, whatever is in the heart flows forth from the lips.
c. Jesus said that those things which proceed from the mouth come forth from the heart (Matt. 15:18).
• Unfortunately, EVIL things lurk in our evil hearts.
• But the new, regenerated, Spirit filled heart brings forth good things.
• And if we are memorizing Scripture, then good things from God’s Word will flow from our lips.
3. This is pleasant!
a. When believers gather together for fellowship, and they have bowed before the Word, humbled themselves before it, and hid it in their hearts… then it is going to flow off their lips easily.
b. And as believers gather to fellowship together, and God’s Word is flowing off their lips… words of wisdom are shared, then it is pleasant.
• Here’s an odd thing: The world thinks that the Bible will RUIN all their pleasure. Yet in reality, it is the SOURCE of our true pleasure.
• To the believer the Word of God is sweeter than a honeycomb…
c. Then the fellowship is sweet and beautiful.
d. The person who has God’s Word hidden in his or her heart is a JOY and a delight to be around.
• For one thing, if God’s word is REALLY in their heart, then they will be robed in humility.
• Ps. 131:1 – “LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.”
• The humble believer will not constantly quote Scripture to boast about how much Scripture he has memorized.
• He will be more concerned about sharing TRUTH from Scripture than quoting paragraphs.
• Sometimes just sharing one pertinent phrase from a passage will be just as edifying as quoting the whole chapter.
• Prov. 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”
• This is pleasant. It is helpful, encouraging, and edifying.
• Prov.15:23 – “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!”
• The believer who hides God’s Word in his heart and knows which truth to share… and is discerning enough to know when to share it, is a DELIGHT to be around.
• This makes for pleasant, joyous, encouraging conversation and fellowship.
e. However, conversation that centers on the Word of God is not pleasant for everyone.
• If your heart is not right with God, such conversation might make you uncomfortable.
• If you have been saved many years and yet have not grown, and you know that you SHOULD know the Scriptures, then you too might be uncomfortable when the Word is discussed… You might feel “left out” of the conversation.
• The answer is found in these words of wisdom: bow down your ear, HEAR the words of the wise, and apply your heart to it! Then memorize the Word yourself, and you will find such conversation pleasant to your soul too!
Memorizing Scripture Encourages Faith:
1. THAT: Here Solomon states one of the purposes of fellowshipping around God’s Word: “that your trust may be in the Lord.”
a. When believers memorize Scripture, and truth from God’s Word is firmly fixed in their lips such that it is a part of their everyday conversation—that is pleasant.
b. It also aids in bolstering the faith of others!
c. When God’s Word is in our hearts and flows from our lips as we fellowship together, it is pleasant because it enables us to continue trusting in the Lord.
2. This is why Solomon revealed these words of wisdom concerning memorizing Scripture.
a. Why? So that we might be instruments God uses to encourage others to trust in the Lord.
b. As we fellowship together and discuss our lives, our struggles, and our difficulties, the Holy Spirit is able to use the words of Scripture that you have memorized to minister to His people.
c. God’s wisdom (and for us, the word of Christ) is retained (dwelling) in our hearts, then we will be teaching and admonishing one another. That’s the PURPOSE of the word in our hearts.
d. The better we know the Word, the better equipped we are to encourage a believer to TRUST in the Lord… to continue walking by faith… to encourage him NOT to throw in the towel and quit…
e. If we will keep these words of wisdom in our belly and fix them on our lips, then God can use US to encourage others to continue trusting in the Lord.
3. Solomon concludes this section by emphasizing the fact that he himself made this known to his readers. He wants us ALL to know this.
Proverbs 22:20-21
The Purpose of Written Proverbs
1. The excellent things that have been written refer to the “words of the wise” mentioned in vs.17.
a. As we noted before, Prov. 22:17 introduces the third section of Proverbs.
b. It begins with the words, “the words of the wise.”
c. These are the excellent things described in vs.20.
d. These “words of the wise” comprise a new section in the book of Proverbs from chapter 22:17-24:34.
e. No longer is each verse a unit unto itself. This section has a context to it.
f. There are 30 separate “words of the wise” (wise sayings) in this section of Proverbs. (22:17-24:34)
g. In vs.17-19, Solomon told his readers to incline your ears towards them, hear them, apply them to your heart, and to keep them within thee.
h. Now in vs. 20-21, Solomon states the purpose for these wise sayings.
2. Excellent things
a. This is an unusual term. It is a noun carrying many different meanings associated with the number three. (30 wise sayings)
b. It is used of a measure related to the number three. (3 ephahs)
c. Ps. 80:5 – “Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.”
d. It is used of a musical instrument (with perhaps 3 sections).
e. The military used the word for a high ranking officer (perhaps like a 3 star general) and also for the third man in the chariot.
f. Though it’s hard to know for sure, in this passage, the term may have the meaning of a threefold blessing… a full and rich blessing… or a large measure of wisdom associated with the number 3, namely the 30 wise sayings.
g. Whatever is the exact meaning and usage of this Hebrew expression, it is a superlative of sorts – and thus translated “excellent things”… a great measure of wisdom.
3. The excellent things (this great measure of wisdom) were written down.
a. They were written down, probably by Solomon.
b. We might add that they were written down by Solomon under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
c. They were written and included in the canon of Scripture—for our learning and admonition.
d. They were written down so that we could “hear” them by reading, and apply them to our hearts, and perhaps commit them to memory – or “keep” them within.
e. This is a treasure chest of wisdom… and so that they could be passed on to future generations accurately, they were written down.
f. And we all have Bibles. We can read this treasure chest of wisdom whenever we want. That is a privilege that not every saint has had.
4. These excellent things consist of words of “counsel” from wise men.
a. Counsel: Scheme; plan; advice which gives wisdom and knowledge.
b. The first use of the term is found in Ex. 18:19 – in which Jethro gives counsel to Moses. Jethro’s “counsel” was to give to Moses a plan which enabled him to get organized in carrying out his administrative responsibilities for ruling and judging his people.
c. This is the term used of Rehoboam rejecting the counsel of the old men. (I Kings 12:8,13)
d. Ps. 33:10-11 – Counsel can be good or bad. It is used of worldly counsel and also of the counsel of the Lord.
e. Clearly, the “excellent things” recorded here are examples of good and beneficial counsel.
f. Once Solomon recorded these words of wisdom in Scripture (which consisted of helpful counsel and advice), they became the “counsels of the Lord.”
5. These excellent things also consist of words of “knowledge.”
a. Knowledge: Discernment; insight; understanding; a knowledge with focus on moral qualities and its application.
b. Prov. 2:5 – It is used of the knowledge of God.
c. The word is also used in the sense of knowing by experience, relationship.
d. Hos. 4:1 – “Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.”
• God was upset because the children of Israel lacked in their knowledge of God.
• They had knowledge of religion, but not a knowledge of God.
• They did not have discernment… a true understanding of spiritual things.
e. The excellent things revealed in this section of Proverbs enables the readers to have a deeper understanding of morality and its personal application.
f. The excellent things revealed in this section of Proverbs enables the readers to have a deeper experiential knowledge of God: of who God is and what He is like.
g. Job 15:2 – “Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?” Not all knowledge is good and profitable.
h. But the knowledge revealed in this great measure of wisdom in this section of Proverbs IS extremely valuable and profitable.
6. Solomon recorded 30 excellent sayings – a collection of godly counsel and knowledge. In the next verse he tells us two reasons WHY they are so valuable.
1. The first reason of WHY they are so valuable is that when it comes to the topics covered, we might know for sure.
a. Solomon knew these excellent things. God made him the wisest man in the world. He had insight and knowledge that no one else had.
b. And he wanted to make these excellent things known to us! Aren’t you glad he did? How much poorer we would be if Solomon decided to keep all this God-given wisdom to himself and not share it with us via the book of Proverbs!
c. Solomon had extremely valuable information from God and he wanted others to know. (By the way, we too have valuable information from God in the gospel. We too should want to make it known! It is not to be kept and hoarded to ourselves!)
d. Certainty: Just words; truth; reality.
e. Solomon wanted his readers to know the certainty of the words that he recorded here… he wanted us to know the truth recorded here is real, genuine…
2. The words of truth…
a. Words of truth = words that are faithful; reliable; stable; firm; sure; honest; trustworthy.
b. Solomon wanted his readers to know with all certainty that the words he recorded here are reliable and trustworthy.
c. We don’t have to worry about whether they will still be true for our kids in the next generation. They are STABLE… Truth doesn’t change from one generation to the next.
d. We don’t have to worry about whether the wisdom and knowledge we read here is reliable. We can count on it. We can build our lives on it.
e. We don’t have to worry about whether it is true for one person, but not true for another.
f. We don’t have to worry about whether the knowledge we glean from this book is faulty… or if there are any mistakes or inaccuracies in it.
g. Thus truth doesn’t have to be updated every few years to keep in tune with the times.
h. How incredibly VALUABLE the certainty of reliable words.
• Don’t you wish you had CERTAIN and infallible knowledge about whether global warming is a natural cycle of the earth or is caused by man? Don’t you wish you knew with absolute certainty that the changes that are being proposed would actually make a difference, or if they are going to destroy the economy for nothing?
• Don’t you wish you knew for SURE how all the different health care plans being proposed would work in the long run?
• Don’t you wish you had certainty and knew for sure which doctor’s counsel you should follow in dealing with your disease… when several doctors are all giving different opinions? Wouldn’t you like to have the CERTAINTY of reliable words?
• Don’t you wish you had the certainty of knowing for sure which vitamins really work… or which financial planner was best for your situation… or which school would be best for your child?
i. In the natural realm, in our earthly lives, there is so much uncertainty.
• We seek after the best advice we can find… but it’s never perfect.
• As long as man is involved in giving counsel, there is no certainty. There is always the potential for error.
• Sometimes the error is because of purposeful deception.
• Even with the best of intentions, man’s counsel and knowledge are often faulty, off base, and contain mistakes.
• In the earthly realm, the words of counsel we receive are not always reliable.
• And sometimes, it can result in a loss of health, a loss of a job, a loss of finances, or lost time in fixing the mistakes.
• All too often in this life, men follow the advice and counsel of other men (often with the best of intentions), but end up disappointed, let down, disillusioned, cynical, and frustrated, because the counsel proved to be bogus.
j. But in the realm that really matters (in spiritual things), we have words of DIVINE wisdom recorded in Scripture for us.
• What a blessing to have the CERTAINTY of knowing that these words are true, reliable, firm, stable, trustworthy.
• Putting God’s counsel into practice in our lives will never leave us disappointed, disillusioned, or frustrated.
21b That thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
1. The second reason as to WHY these words of counsel and knowledge are so valuable is given here: so that the reader will be well equipped to ANSWER those who send to him for counsel and advice.
2. Solomon assumes that there will be times in the lives of his readers (including you and me) that others will send unto us a question.
a. He assumed that people will come to us with questions, seeking from us advice, counsel, and guidance.
b. As a king, many people sent unto Solomon for advice and counsel… especially when his wisdom became famous worldwide.
c. I Kings 10:1-3 – The Queen of Sheba sent unto him a whole list of questions and Solomon answered them all.
d. Solomon recorded much of that wisdom in the book of Proverbs for us.
3. Answer:
a. This term means “to return” or to “send back.”
b. The point is that when someone sends to us for counsel and knowledge, we will be able to “return” them with the proper answer.
c. This is the second purpose of the recording of the these 30 wise sayings: so that we can give answers to those who come to us seeking wisdom, guidance, and counsel.
d. The better we know the Word, the better equipped we are to be used of the Lord in helping others.
e. I Pet. 3:15 – We too should sanctify the Lord in our hearts (and His Word too—let the Word of Christ dwell richly in our hearts) so that we might be able to give answer to those who ask us the reason of the hope that lieth in us.
4. “The words of truth”
a. This is the exact same expression as is used earlier in this verse.
b. Solomon wanted his readers to be able to give answers that were more than just human opinions.
c. He wanted his readers to be able to answer with words that were reliable, faithful, firm, stable, and trustworthy.
d. Solomon wanted his readers to be able to pass on wisdom, counsel, and knowledge that could be counted upon… so that those who hear would have reliable words that would give them assurance and certainty.
e. This is goal of discipleship: The student may be like the master –teacher, and able to give the same wise answers that the teacher gave him.
f. Thus, they could act on that counsel with assurance that it is the RIGHT thing to do…
g. How valuable are such words!
5. These are excellent truths to be passed on to others. They are reliable words that will be exceedingly valuable to others. But don’t forget the FIRST thought: “I have written to thee…” and they are “made known unto THEE!”
a. First of all, they are for me… for you…
b. Before we can answer others, we must first know the CERTAINTY and reliability of the words of truth ourselves.
c. Vs.18 – And it is a pleasant thing if we first keep them within ourselves!
d. It brings rest and peace to the soul when we KNOW that the counsel we are following and giving is inspired, infallible, reliable, trustworthy, and never changes. That is a solid foundation.
Proverbs 22:22-23
The First Saying:
Treatment of the Poor and Afflicted
Introduction:
1. A new section of the book of Proverbs began at Prov.22:17.
2. This section contains 30 wise sayings.
3. Verses 17-21 served as an introduction to the 30 wise sayings.
4. Tonight we are going to look at the first of these 30 sayings, which has to do with the treatment of the poor and afflicted.
1. This is a clear command against the rich and powerful taking advantage of the poor and the weak.
2. Poor: Low, poor, weak, helpless.
a. This speaks of the underclass… the underprivileged.
b. The term poor also speaks of those who are weak and helpless because poverty and political weakness so often go hand in hand.
c. In most societies, money is power.
d. Money buys so called justice.
e. Money buys all kinds of advantages.
f. Those with money have the power to hold on to their money.
g. Thus, there will always be class warfare in one degree or another. There has been since the beginning of time—apart from the very short age of innocence in the Garden of Eden.
h. Matt. 26:11 – Jesus said, “For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.”
i. It is just a fact of life. The war on poverty will never be won until the Kingdom comes.
j. This is true because of human nature:
• There will always be lazy people who will perpetuate poverty through their indolence.
• There will always be selfish, greedy people who keep hard working poor people poor.
• There will always be those who abuse alcohol and drugs.
• There will also continue to be various forms of bigotry.
• There will always be the abuses of raw greed.
• We can pass all the laws we want—but we will never change human nature.
• You can penalize poor behavior and reward good behavior, but unless society suddenly becomes overrun with regenerated Spirit filled hearts, there will always be poverty in one degree or another.
3. Rob: Tear away; seize; plunder; take away by force.
a. The command is not to defeat poverty.
b. Rather, the command is that we not rob the poor—that we be not part of the problem.
c. Believers living by the words of wisdom may not be able to once and for all resolve the problem, but we should at least not be part of the problem!
d. This implies that some men DO rob and plunder the poor, and take by force what little they have.
e. The poor are often an easy target too.
• They don’t have money, and thus are unable to protect and defend themselves.
• They might not be able to afford to live in a safe, protected, gated neighborhood.
• In court, they might not be able to afford a good lawyer.
• They might not be able to afford a good education, and are thus easy prey for unscrupulous businessmen who rob them of their little.
f. Ezek. 22:29 – This was a perennial problem in Israel (and worldwide).
4. Stealing is always wrong, but especially so when it is from the poor.
a. II Sam.12:1-6 – Nathan’s illustration of robbing the poor.
• The contrast is between a rich man who had many flocks, and a poor man who had but one little lamb.
• The rich man took the one little lamb from the poor man to feed his guest.
• When David heard this, he was outraged. He said the rich man deserved to die.
• The reason: not just because he stole, but because he was so heartless in robbing form the poor! He had no pity or mercy.
• The law required the Jews to show mercy to the poor and to relieve their affliction—not to CAUSE it!
5. Prov. 6:30 – “Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry.”
a. Solomon is not justifying theft. Nor is the author here promoting situational ethics.
b. Rather, he simply makes a point – that when a poor man steals because he is hungry, even though it is wrong and sinful, it is (at least from a human standpoint) understandable.
c. While our moral sense of right and wrong must condemn the action of stealing, our hearts go out to the man’s situation.
d. There is at least some sympathy for his pitiful state, for there for the grace of God go I. We wonder what we would have done in the same set of circumstances.
e. However, when a rich man robs a poor man, it is especially despicable and shameful.
f. There is no sympathy whatsoever for that rich man.
g. Even when a rich man takes advantage of other rich men, there is little sympathy. Consider Bernie Madoff. He robbed rich people and turned them into poor people! There is little-to-no sympathy for him.
h. Men DO despise a wealthy thief.
6. Solomon commands his readers NOT to rob the poor because he is poor.
a. This could be taken in two ways. It is a bit ambiguous—and perhaps on purpose.
b. It could be taken to mean that they were not to rob the poor because of the lowly condition of the poor. In other words, don’t rob the poor BECAUSE he’s already poor: if you must rob, don’t take from him!
c. It could also be understood this way: Don’t rob the poor because he is poor, and therefore an easy target… and because he is poor he is not able to defend himself. Thus, it is cowardly to rob the poor… because he is poor and unable to protect himself. Don’t take advantage of the helpless.
22b Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
1. Afflicted: Weak; wretched; humble; lowly.
a. This term refers to those who are suffering, in a state of poverty, oppression, misery from various causes: often because they are poor and needy.
b. Thus, this term is used almost as a synonym for “poor.” In fact, it is often translated poor.
c. The slight difference is that this term seems to emphasize the suffering associated with the status of being poor.
2. The afflicted are not to be oppressed.
a. Oppress: Crush; break; apply pressure to an object, which if alive, will hurt, bruise, or kill; to beat down; to bruise.
b. This is quite a harsh term used to describe the way some (mostly the rich and powerful) treat the poor and afflicted.
c. The rich and powerful landowners and business owners make rules, administer their affairs, set the work conditions in place, they pass laws, all designed to increase their wealth… and seem like perfectly sensible, sane, and legitimate practices.
d. However, from the perspective of those who must live and work under those conditions, what seemed sensible to the wealthy owners may be crushing, hurtful, and oppressive to the poor.
e. There will always be this sort of tussle between employee and employer… between business and labor.
f. Very often, the poor, weak, and afflicted are oppressed as a result.
g. Solomon commands the wealthy NOT to oppress the afflicted.
3. In the gate…
a. The gate was the center of civil life in ancient times.
b. The gate is where the city leaders met and where court cases were heard.
c. Often the wealthy and powerful sat in the gate, hearing the various cases before them.
d. The proverb states: don’t oppress the poor in the judicial system.
e. The gate was where they should receive justice—not robbery, oppression, and fraud.
f. Yet as we know, the very place where justice OUGHT to be upheld it is sometimes twisted and corrupted.
1. Here, the author gives the REASON the rich and powerful were not to rob or oppress the poor and the afflicted: because God is on their side and will plead their case.
2. They often have no voice that can be heard.
3. However, in the theocracy, God will be their voice.
4. Plead their cause: To strive; contend; dispute; conduct a lawsuit.
a. They may not be able to afford expensive Philadelphia lawyers, but they don’t need one. God will fight for them.
b. And if God be for them, who could be against them?
c. If the wealthy work against the poor; God will work FOR them.
d. If the poor receive no justice at the city gate, they will receive justice before God’s throne.
e. Ps.140:12 – God WILL maintain the cause of the afflicted. The psalmist KNEW that for sure… because He knew God.
a. This speaks of divine justice and vengeance against those who rob the poor and oppress the afflicted.
b. It is a very familiar theme in Proverbs: you reap what you sow.
c. The spoiler will be spoiled: this is perfect poetic justice!
d. The wealthy spoiled the poor. They robbed them and took what little goods they had.
e. God will rob the rich and take the spoils (property) from them.
f. Psalm 12:5 – “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.”
• Those who oppress the poor may think the Lord is sleeping and not noticing.
• However, their actions will cause Him to arise…
1. Arise to defend the poor… and set him in safety.
2. Arise to judge the oppressors…
3. God spoils the spoiler.
4. The picture is of the poor and needy “sighing” – groaning because of the suffering inflicted on them by the oppressors. God hears their groans and sighings.
5. And He DOES something about it. He arises.
g. Prov. 22:16 – The oppressors will “come to want.”
h. Note that it says that God will spoil their “souls”. (Prov. 22:23)
• Some understand this to mean that God might take their physical lives. (soul is often used as a synonym for life)
• Even if the Lord does not spoil their wealth in this life, they may continue to possess wealth, but may not be able to enjoy it.
• And if the judgment does not come in this life, their souls will eventually be spoiled in the life to come.
• Of course ungodly thieves who rob the poor often mock God and make light of such threats now.
• But eventually, the spoiler will be spoiled… at the Great White Throne where God judges all men according to their works.
Proverbs 22:24-25
Beware of Angry Men
Introduction:
1. This is the second of the thirty sayings in this section of Proverbs.
2. This proverbial saying consists of two verses and is a word of warning to beware of angry men.
1. The angry man: Anger defined:
a. The word for anger is a picture word. It is the word for nostril.
b. Sometimes it speaks of the breath that comes out of the nostril.
c. Sometimes it speaks anger or wrath that can be seen in the nostril – either the nose gets red when angry… or the nostrils flare.
d. Thus, the term came to be used as a common word for anger… wrath…
e. Gen. 27:45 – “Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him.” (It was assumed that you could SEE anger go away from his face by observing the nose.)
f. In the context of our proverb, the term is a graphic way of describing anger that could be seen on one’s face.
g. He is easily provoked, touchy, and irritable.
2. The angry man described in Proverbs:
a. Prov.14:17 – An angry man often does foolish things… because he is controlled by anger rather than by reason or common sense.
b. Prov. 15:18 – A wrathful man stirs up strife.
c. Prov. 27:4 – Wrath is cruel—and does cruel things… and says cruel things that he usually regrets once his anger subsides.
3. Make no friendship with…
a. The verb “make friendship” is an interesting word too.
b. The first listed definition is: To pasture; tend; graze; feed.
• One can picture cows or sheep grazing together in a field.
• They are all in one big herd or flock… all hanging out in the same field… and are all eating the same grass.
• Obviously, this is not the meaning of the verb in the context of Prov. 22:24.
c. The secondary meaning is: To associate with, be a friend of, to be companions.
• Listing the first meaning helps us to get a “picture” of the secondary meaning.
• To the Hebrew mind, making a friend of someone was likened to becoming part of a flock or herd… hanging out together like sheep in a field… and involved in the same activities as… like grazing together on the grass.
• This is the meaning of the term in Prov. 22:24: to associate with; to be a friend or companion of.
d. The command here was NOT to be the friend of such a man.
• This is a clear command… not just a helpful suggestion.
• The command is not to hang out together… (like sheep in a pasture) and not to be involved in the same activities as he is (like sheep grazing the same grass)… and not to be associated with his circle of friends if possible (graze somewhere else).
• Stay away—whenever possible.
• Of course, this is not always possible. He may be your classmate in school. He may work in the cubicle next to you at work. He may be your older brother.
• You may not be able to avoid him altogether, but the command still stands: to the best of your ability—graze elsewhere. Seek someone else to hang out with… to associate with.
• For a businessman, don’t go into business with an angry man, no matter HOW good he is at sales or how talented he is crunching numbers or how talented he is at making widgets. Find somebody else!
• For a young lady looking for a husband – consider yourself warned. Don’t fall in love with an angry man—no matter how good looking he is or how adamantly he insists he won’t get angry AGAIN. If he is an angry man, it is his character to be angry. Once you get married, and the honeymoon is over, you will have to deal with his anger the rest of your life. And for some women, that anger turns into violence. Make no friends with an angry man.
• For students at school—don’t try to be a friend of the angry man. He may be in the in crowd. Everyone might think he’s cool because of his big mouth and his rebellion. He might be the tough guy that everyone looks up to—but the Bible says, stay away. Sooner or later his lack of self control and anger will get YOU in trouble.
• This can and should be applied to any number of circumstances and situations in life. It is good, old fashioned, hearty counsel… good advice. Take it!
1. This is just another way of saying virtually the same thing as was mentioned in the first part of the proverb.
a. Furious: Heat; rage; hot displeasure; indignation; anger; wrath.
b. This term is a bit more intense – a man who is prone to fly into a rage over nothing… a hothead.
c. This is just a further description of the angry man.
d. He’s a hothead who cannot control his spirit.
e. According to the Dictionary of Biblical Languages, the term speaks of one who is “emotionally worked up and in strife and turmoil.”
f. This man has no self control.
g. Prov. 25:28 – He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
• Uncontrolled anger is the result of a lack of self control.
• He has no self discipline. He has no self control.
• He is like a city without walls: Meaning, he is wide open for the enemy to attack. He is weak and vulnerable… defenseless.
• He might appear to be strong – self confident, self assertive, bold and brash.
• But in fact, he is weak internally. He cannot control his own spirit. He flies off the handle at the littlest agitation or irritation.
2. “Thou shalt not go”
a. This verb means either to come or to go. It can refer to one’s comings and goings in general.
b. It also can mean “to associate with or to have intercourse with.”
c. Young people today might say, “to hang out with.”
d. You may have to GO to school with him, or GO to work with him.
e. But you don’t have to hang out with him. That’s the command here.
f. Watch your associations. Stay away from this guy.
g. Be kind and cordial, but stay away. He’s nothing but trouble.
1. There are some serious consequences for NOT taking Solomon’s advice (or not obeying his command).
2. Ways = road; pathway; course of life; manner of life.
a. This speaks of the lifestyle of the angry, furious man.
b. It speaks of the pathway of life he is on… the direction his life is taking.
3. You could learn the WAYS of this angry, rash, hot-headed, undisciplined man.
a. One Old Testament dictionary said of the word learn: “The meaning apparently derives from a noun meaning association, familiarity, which leads to learning.”
b. Prov. 27:17 – “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
• Friends influence one another. For good or evil, friends are very influential.
c. I Cor. 15:33 – “Be not deceived: evil communications (company; associations) corrupt good manners.
d. Sin is contagious. The flames of passion from the angry man easily spread. One fire lights another—and sin spreads like wildfire.
e. By walking with him, and observing him, and listening to him, you will become NUMB to his ways.
f. What at first seemed ungodly, unseemly, off base, and just plain WRONG, over time, begins to seem normal, expected, and ordinary. (When in fact, it is NOT normal or ordinary.)
g. Once you have grown accustomed to it, and it seems normal, you might find that his behavior is manifesting itself in YOUR life. You too will get angry and fly off the handle over little things. You too will not bother to be disciplined or self controlled…
4. Now perhaps someone here IS that angry man! What to do?
a. The Bible has a simple way of dealing with anger.
b. Psalm 37:8 – “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”
c. God doesn’t say VENT it out. He says “cease.”
d. Cease: To relax; withdraw; idle; to let drop; abandon; relax; refrain; forsake; to let go; to go limp; to be quiet.
e. God expects us to obey. Anger CAN be controlled… but not by taking the world’s anger management course… or through pure human grit.
f. There is only one right way to experience victory over anger: by dealing with the SOURCE – our fallen human nature. (Procedure is found in Romans six).
g. But it requires the power of the Holy Spirit. The arm of flesh will fail you.
h. The fruit of the Spirit is self control. This requires divine power to have victory over anger.
1. Associating with an angry man leads to learning his ways. Learning his ways brings a SNARE to your soul.
2. An uncontrolled, undisciplined spirit has built in consequences.
a. Prov. 19:19 – He will suffer punishment for his wrath and the foolish things his wrath leads him to do and say.
b. And being a “man of great wrath” indicates that this is not an occasional slip, but it is ingrained into his character.
c. This man’s character has become a snare or trap. He is imprisoned by his anger.
d. And there’s no point in delivering him from the all the messes he gets himself into because of his anger, because like a dog returning to his vomit, he will just turn around and make another mess. It is his nature… his character.
e. Until he deals with the SOURCE of his sin, he is a slave to his passion and wrath.
f. There is no point in trying to bail him out of his trouble. You are only dealing with the symptoms and ignoring the source: a fallen, rebellious, self centered heart that may need to be regenerated and then brought under the control of the Holy Spirit.
g. Refusing to bail him out is tough love—but necessary. If you start bailing him out, you will find it to be an endless revolving door…
3. The snares the angry man has to deal with become YOUR snares as well.
a. Prov.14:17 – Remember that an angry man often does foolish things… because he is controlled by anger rather than by reason or common sense.
• And he may do something foolish and harmful to YOU.
• He may drag YOU into his folly… and get you in trouble because of his lack of self control.
• Learning his ways means you too will do foolish things and pay a price for it.
b. Prov.15:18 – A wrathful man stirs up strife.
• He may stir up strife with you…
• Or, because of his anger, he may cause a brawl and cause people to be angry at YOU because you are with him.
• Wherever an angry man goes, he stirs up strife. If follows him like a gray cloud. If you associate yourself with him, that cloud may overshadow you too. You will be dragged into his strife.
• Or, learning his angry ways will cause YOU to stir up strife.
c. Prov. 27:4 – Wrath is cruel—and does cruel things… and says cruel things that he usually regrets once his anger subsides.
• Learning the ways of the angry man means that you will learn to be cruel too… mean spirited… saying hurtful things in your wrath that you will regret one day.
5. Prov.13:20 – “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
a. Walking with fools (and angry men are fools) results in falling into a trap… and destruction.
b. Solomon gives ample warning. Wise men will take heed.
Proverbs 22:26-27
Sureties for a Debt
Introduction:
1. This is the third of thirty wise sayings in this new section of Proverbs that began in verse 17.
2. In this proverb, Solomon is speaking about the danger and consequences of debt.
3. As a wealthy king who observed the aristocracy and the wealthy land owners, he must have had ample illustrations in real life which goaded him to write this proverb.
4. And unfortunately, we also have way too many illustrations of this principle in our day and age.
1. Striking the hands
a. Defined:
• Strong’s: To blow; clap; strike; to strike or pledge oneself.
• Dictionary of Biblical Languages: The striking of hands in a pledge; i.e., a non-verbal signal which communicates that a promise will be kept.
• Theological Workbook of the Old Testament: Striking hands with someone else (serving a function similar to our handshake) signified pledging oneself as a collateral in a business arrangement.
• Most translations include the idea of striking hands, but some “interpret” that expression.
• It is similar to what we would call a gentleman’s agreement in a business deal which was sealed with a handshake. (striking of hands)
• Exactly how they “struck” hands we don’t know… but that’s not the point.
• The point is that it was a means in the days of Solomon of entering into a covenant or deal of some sort.
b. Various translations:
• Be not one of those who give pledges.
• Don’t be one of those who enter agreements.
• Don’t promise to pay what someone else owes.
• Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge.
• Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt.
• The translators are obviously divided on the exact meaning.
» One group related it to a man who was taking out a personal loan and the borrower put up his own collateral to cover for it.
» The other group related it to a man who was guaranteeing another person’s loan. (Like co-signing for a loan for a minor or someone without good credit.)
» One translation that interpreted the expression was neutral on this point and just said, “Don’t be one of those who enter agreements.”
» However, it is probably best to do what the KJV translators did and just recorded exactly what the author wrote without trying to interpret it for us. (strike hands)
c. I am inclined to interpret this expression (strike hands) as synonymous for the “sureties for debts” in the next phrase.
• The word “or” makes it sound like Solomon is warning against two different things: (1) striking hands OR (2) being a surety against a debt.
• However, the word “or” does not appear in the original.
• Thus, it seems better to understand the second phrase (surety for debt) to stand in apposition to the first expression.
• This is just a grammatical way of saying they both refer to the same thing.
• Being a surety for a debt amplifies and further defines what he meant by striking hands.
• One translation recorded it this way: “Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt.”
• I think that is the correct interpretation—however, I much prefer the KJV translation because it does NOT interpret it for us. It leaves the interpretation to the reader—not the translator.
d. Solomon warns us NOT to do this!
• Don’t be quick to strike hands.
• Don’t be quick to enter into an agreement.
• And certainly don’t be quick to co-sign for a loan for a friend or relative. Don’t guarantee the loan of another person.
• This person might be a sweet talker. He may have an incredible sob story designed to pull at your heart strings. He may be able to make it sound like you’re not really taking a risk.
• He may have been buttering you up for months before approaching you about the loan.
• He might be your nephew… or
• Solomon says, “Don’t do it.”
• Prov. 17:18 – Solomon tells us that the man who is quick to strike hands is “void of understanding.”
» Void = lacking; without; empty;
» It is not a wise move. It is not recommended.
» Don’t do it. It is foolish.
1. Surety for a debt defined
a. Surety is an arrangement in which one person becomes responsible for another.
b. A surety can apply to a promise or a covenant, but usually it applies to a financial loan.
c. The one who guarantees that a loan will be paid back is “surety” for that loan. He guarantees that if the borrower defaults on his payment, the one who is surety for the debt is responsible to pay.
d. It was like co-signing for a loan or putting up collateral for a loan.
e. In those ancient arrangements, the money or property (or even persons) was surrendered up front… and held in surety until the loan was paid in full.
2. This expression stands in apposition to “striking hands.”
a. This is a further explanation of what KIND of deal into which you were entering.
b. Solomon tells his readers not to be quick to “strike hands” (sign on the dotted line) in order to co-sign for a loan for someone else.
3. Don’t be one of them who DO this sort of thing. It’s dangerous.
1. If you DO become surety for the loan of another person, and they default on the loan, then you will be responsible to pay his loan in full.
a. What if you are unable to keep up with all your own bills PLUS pay his debt?
b. If he defaults and you are unable to pay his debt, then you may not have a place to sleep at night.
c. You could lose your bed… or perhaps the house your bed is in!
2. Prov. 11:15 – “He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure.” (there are painful consequences)
3. If a friend is in financial trouble and pleads with you to sign a loan, he usually tries to pluck your heartstrings with his sob story. Far better is it to show some grace and compassion by giving him a onetime gift than to BIND yourself to his loans.
a. Compassion is good, but it needs to be balanced with some good old fashioned common sense. You cannot bail everybody out of their debt.
b. You may feel sorry for his condition and for the fact that his wife and children are hungry, but don’t put your OWN family and finances at risk to cover for him. Then you end up with TWO families in financial disaster instead of one.
4. Why should you lose your home and bed and have your family homeless and broke because of a neighbor or friend who got himself in a financial bind?
a. When a man finds himself in such debt that he has to plead with others to sign a loan for him or to put up collateral for him, it is often (not always but often) the result of mismanagement of his finances, living above his means… foolishly buying more than he can pay for.
5. Continually bailing out a person like that is not the best thing for him.
a. You could be encouraging irresponsibility on his part…
b. He may have to learn the hard way that there are consequences of living above one’s means.
c. Sometimes parents find themselves continually bailing out their adult children out of the financial messes they created.
d. If you continually bail them out they will not learn the value of money.
e. They may never learn to manage their finances. They may always assume that when they are in a deep hole they dug for themselves, that someone will bail them out.
6. Prov. 22:7 – “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”
a. Hence, taking on the responsibility for someone else’s debt is not very wise.
b. You could end up poor and have someone RULING over you for a loan that isn’t even yours!
7. Prov. 6:1-5 –
a. Solomon presents a hypothetical situation before his son and tells him what to do in such a situation.
b. The hypothetical situation is this:
• “IF” he ever becomes a surety for a friend…
• And he finds himself snared because of a big mouth…
c. Solomon is obviously NOT encouraging his son to BECOME a surety for a friend. Rather, he is warning his son about the DANGERS of such action.
d. He is saying, “If you ever find yourself in such a bind… then follow my instructions.”
e. Solomon gives his son three steps to take in order to DELIVER himself from that financial trap:
• Humble yourself before your friend…
» Maybe he felt like a rich big shot by promising to pay for his friend’s debts if he couldn’t pay… (pride)
• Make sure your friend
» This expression means to “plead with.”
» Make your case before this person… admit that you spoke rashly… tell him you really aren’t able to follow through… you don’t have the resources to be surety for another man…
» In short—plead for mercy! (Cf. Matt. 18:25)
» In Old Testament times, this sometimes worked. It probably won’t work with a large financial institution like a bank today.
• Deliver yourself!
» Here Solomon tells his son that this situation is much like a bird caught by a fowler. (Have you ever seen a man try to hold a wild bird?)
» In other words, do whatever you can to get OUT of that situation.
» Don’t sleep until you are free!
» Solomon knows the severe consequences of being caught in a financial trap like that.
» You could lose your shirt… your bed… your house…
8. Knowing the severity of the consequences will often cause us to think twice about entering into such an agreement in the first place.
a. We have been WARNED by Solomon… many centuries ago.
b. Perhaps we should send a copy of the book of Proverbs to our congressmen and senators…
c. These principles work for an individual, for a family, and for a country!
Proverbs 22:28
Remove Not the Ancient Landmark
Introduction:
1. This is the fourth of the thirty wise sayings in this section.
2. The topic of the proverb is mentioned six other times in the Old Testament, and twice in the book of Proverbs – here and 23:10.
3. This is a very simple proverb in the form of a command: don’t remove the ancient landmark.
1. Landmark:
a. Defined: Border barrier; a wall or a stone that marked off a geographical region and served as a boundary line.
b. Josh. 18:20 – The term is used in this passage and speaks of the Jordan River as the border or boundary line.
c. Ex. 19:12, 23 – The term is used twice here, speaking of boundary lines that were SET by men. They were to mark off an area beyond which the people were not to go.
d. Within the tribes, the land was further divided among the families and stone walls and sometimes single stones were used to mark the boundary lines on their land.
e. These stones separated one man’s property from his neighbors.
2. Ancient:
a. The fact that these landmarks were old (ancient) means that they had been set in place many years ago.
b. They had been honored and respected for many generations.
c. They had for many generations served their purpose of separating one man’s property from his neighbor’s property.
3. Which thy fathers have set in place.
a. This expression indicates that the ancient landmarks were the work of their forefathers… since the first generation entered the Promised Land and began the process of dividing the land.
b. Deut. 19:14 – Moses speaks of boundary lines that were to be set on the land when the Jews went into the Promised Land and divided it among the tribes. The boundary lines were drawn up and stones were set in place to mark those borders.
c. These had been the agreed upon boundary lines set by Joshua and others.
d. You recall the story of Ahab depressed because he wanted to buy his neighbor Naboth’s land and Naboth would not sell. Naboth understood that the land was part of his inheritance and was not to change hands or leave the family.
e. These boundary lines were considered sacred because they were connected to the Palestinian Covenant and the Abrahamic Covenant which promised the land to Israel.
f. In Israel, the boundary set up by their fathers were not disputed borders, like the boundary lines in Israel today… or the disputed regions of Afghanistan.
g. This was not a question of where the boundary line ought to be.
h. These lines were not drawn up by foreign invaders their land and divided it up some war room in a distant city.
i. No, these boundary lines were indisputable borders, drawn up and set in place by their own forefathers, and accepted as legitimate for many, many generations.
j. These were the ancient landmarks in Israel.
k. They were in some cases walls and in other cases large stones set in place to mark the boundary line between brother Saul’s orchard and the pastures of brother Joash.
l. They were respected by all honest men.
i. Without this respect shown to the landmarks, there might be chaos and even war in the land.
ii. In a sense, the stability of the society depended upon people respecting the ancient landmarks.
1. Remove: To remove; carry away; to be driven back; be moved back.
a. The command is simple to understand: don’t move those landmarks!
b. They are in place for a purpose… they were clean, crisp, objective markers and dividing lines between pieces of property.
c. The landmarks were all they had to distinguish which land belonged to whom.
d. If it was moved, you wouldn’t know whose territory you were standing on. You wouldn’t know where you stood.
e. Thus, they were NOT to be removed… or pushed back.
2. And there is only ONE reason for moving them – to lie, steal, and cheat.
a. A dishonest man in those days who moved the landmarks would accomplish two things:
i. He would diminish the size of his neighbor’s property
ii. He would increase the size of his own property
3. A dishonest man could not move a landmark a long distance all at once.
a. That would be instantly noticed and he would be caught.
b. However, you could move a landmark gradually… inch by inch… little by little. That way it would go unnoticed.
c. If the landmark stone was way out in the woods, far away from the owner’s home, a dishonest man could move it a little bit every time he rode by that way.
d. By moving the stone a little every day or even every month, you could over time move it quite a distance.
e. And even if you move it only 20 feet, that is 20 feet TIMES the entire length of the border.
4. This was a real problem in ancient days.
a. Job 24:2 – This practice of moving landmarks existed even prior to the days of Joshua in the land. Job was one of the earliest books of the Bible. (near the time of Abraham)
b. It was a common way for dishonest men to add to their own wealth by stealing from a neighbor… and often without getting caught.
c. It was so common that it is mentioned quite often in the Old Testament.
d. Deut. 27:17 – A curse was placed on the one who removed his brother’s landmark in Israel. (You don’t have three prohibitions and a curse pronounced on an issue that never occurred.)
A Common Application of the Principle
1. The expression “remove not the ancient landmark” evidently became a proverbial saying that was applied in lots of different situations.
2. Hosea 5:10 – God likened a departure from established standards of truth and righteousness set in the Scriptures to the removing of ancient landmarks.
a. A rash disregard and lack of respect for the laws of morality or the laws of the land was like removing ancient landmarks.
b. God’s law was like a boundary line that was not to be moved, changed, or ignored. It separated right from wrong.
c. When a time honored standard has been moved, it throws everything else off.
d. For example, King Ahaz (“the princes of Judah”), set aside the ancient ordinances of God by removing the borders of the bases and the laver and the sea and introduced an idolatrous altar from Damascus.
e. That threw the worship system into chaos.
3. We live in a generation that seems bent on removing the ancient landmarks.
a. God’s Word is a revelation of the TRUTH.
b. For 2000 years it has stood as the standard of right and wrong for most of Western civilization… at least nominally.
c. The Bible was (figuratively speaking) the ancient landmark that defined for us what marriage was; what the roles of husband and wife are.
d. The Bible revealed that certain lifestyles were right and others were wrong.
e. The Bible drew a clear line between good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness… between truth and error.
f. But now the Bible (that ancient landmark that divided two territories – light and darkness) is being removed from our society.
i. All references to Biblical themes have become taboo in our land today.
ii. Even the Ten Commandments (an ancient landmark of moral behavior) is being rejected from our courtrooms as “unconstitutional.”
iii. Even our history and heritage as a nation founded on Christian principles is being re-written to expunge from the record, all links to God, prayer, and the Bible.
iv. Now we have a post modern world where the younger generation no longer thinks in terms of right and wrong… truth and error. Everything is relative.
v. The landmark has been removed and that has affected absolutely everything.
vi. Once the landmark is removed, the dividing line between one field and the next… or between right and wrong is blurred.
vii. And now we are even afraid to say in public that something is right or wrong—or (God forbid!) sinful or evil.
viii. Try calling homosexuality wickedness around the bubbler at work tomorrow. See what kind of reaction you get.
ix. Dare to mention that wives are to submit to their husbands to the ladies in the office.
x. At the next totally generic “Holiday” party, try to mention to your pluralistic friends that Jesus Christ is the ONLY truth and the ONLY way to the Father. (John 14:6)
xi. You could lose your job for voicing such beliefs today. You could certainly lose your friends at work.
xii. You would be considered a Neanderthal.
xiii. However, that’s exactly what the Bible (our landmark) says – and it is what it has said for the last 2000 years.
xiv. It has been the time tested, accepted truth for the last 2000 years in most of the Western world too, but not today.
g. But once the landmark is removed, society has lost its way.
i. Sometimes landmarks (at the corner of a property) also served as turning points in the road.
ii. The road would follow the boundary line of Joel’s farm property and turn to the left at the end of his property.
iii. If the landmark was moved, travelers could lose their way.
iv. Our country has lost its way, morally and spiritually.
v. And when the landmarks are removed, its’ every man for himself.
vi. Humanist psychologists tell us that there is no sin and that men are basically good.
vii. Sociologists tell us that new forms of family might better suit the modern world.
viii. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
ix. God help us—but we are coming to that.
h. Young people (even from Christian homes) are looking for a “new” kind of church and a new kind of worship… something not bound by the ancient, outdated landmarks.
4. But the most remarkable characteristic of an ancient landmark, that which gave it its intrinsic VALUE was the fact that it DIDN’T change. It didn’t move.
a. It just stood there… in the same spot year after year, marking the line between one territory and another.
b. Time and history rushed on by it, but the landmark just stood its ground, serving its purpose.
c. Fad and fancies came in with a splash and then disappeared from the landscape, but the landmark remained.
d. Generation after generation, the ancient landmark accomplished its purpose by REFUSING to move.
e. They never needed to be updated.
f. While the world of business, science, medicine, and technology thrives on discovering, designing, or inventing NEW things. Their battle is to stay on top of the latest new discovery.
g. But the battle of the church is STAND STILL while the world is changing all around us. Our struggle is remain faithful to the ancient Book… and to remain on the OLD path… while the world seems to be pulling us in the opposite direction.
Proverbs 22:29
Diligent in Business
Introduction:
1. This proverb is the fifth of thirty wise sayings in this section of the book.
2. This (unlike many in this section) is a “stand alone” proverb. Its message is found in just one verse.
3. In this proverb, the author asks his readers to “see” or to consider a man who is diligent in his business.
4. As we consider this man, certain conclusions will become obvious and undeniable.
1. The MAIN point of this proverb is the results of “diligence.” Thus, the meaning of this term is crucial to understand the proverb.
2. Diligence:
a. Four occurrences; Authorized Version translates as “ready” twice, “diligent” once, and “hasting” once.
b. Strong’s gives this term two meanings:
• Quick, prompt,
• Skilled,
c. Dictionary of Biblical Languages: Also gives it two meanings:
• Skilled, well-versed; experienced; i.e., having the knowledge and skill in a subject.
» Ezra 7:6 – Ezra was a “ready” scribe (same word = skilled).
• Expeditious; i.e., pertaining to executing an action in a prompt and prudent manner, implying rapidity and diligence to the task.
d. These two definitions are not unrelated. One who is skilled in an area usually is able to work more rapidly and get more done than someone who is just learning a trade.
e. The emphasis of the term translated “diligence” is not so much on how HARD the person works, but rather on his skill and ease, and quickness in accomplishing a task.
f. For example, a young, inexperienced man may work twice as hard at chopping wood as his father. He may sweat more, burn more calories, and put more effort into the work. But his more experienced father knows enough to stop and sharpen his ax, so that each swing is more efficient. The father may have more skill in swinging the ax and knowing where and how to strike the wood. He knows the best way to work through a piece of oak as opposed to a piece of elm. Thus, even though the son may be as diligent and HARD working as his father, the experienced father gets more work done and easier—because of his skill and wisdom.
g. This is the distinction in the term translated “diligence” here.
• Both meanings refer to the same thing: (1) Skill and (2) Pertaining to executing an action in a prompt and prudent manner, implying rapidity and diligence to the task.
• Skill and rapidity are not actually two DIFFERENT concepts here, but the two concepts are woven into one word.
• In some contexts the emphasis may be on the speed of the word done, and in other contexts the emphasis may be on the skill employed.
• In our proverb, since there is no context, the author may have intended us to understand the term in the BROAD sense, including both skill and speed in accomplishing a task.
3. In his business:
a. Strong’s: Occupation; work; business.
b. Dictionary of Biblical Languages: (1) Work; i.e., that which is done, workmanship; i.e., the result of one’s work… craftsmanship. (Ex.35:31)
c. This term is used of God’s creative “work,” of craftsmanship in building the furniture for the tabernacle, in agriculture, and for one’s personal property.
d. It is broad enough to include every kind of work.
4. Thus, a man who is “diligent in his business” is a man who is experienced in his field; he does not procrastinate, is quick to get the job done, and is therefore able to accomplish much and to do so at a high level of craftsmanship—regardless of the type of business.
a. You don’t get to that stage of workmanship by being lazy.
b. It does require diligence to attain that level of proficiency and expertise.
c. When someone is really good at something, they make it look easy. If you have ever seen a skilled singer, violinist, or skier, or golfer, or a gymnast—they always make it look easy, almost effortless.
d. What you didn’t see was of a life of diligence, training, practice, failures, tenacity, and all the blood, sweat, and tears involved in achieving their expertise.
e. Because he was diligent in his business, he is able to accomplish a lot with relative ease.
f. The lazy man would love to be able to accomplish as much with that kind of ease—but the lazy man is not willing to accept the fact that the “ease” is preceded by years of practice and training.
g. The lazy man wants the ease without the diligence… and it doesn’t happen.
5. SEE this man.
a. Solomon tells us to SEE (look; behold; observe) this man.
b. Pay attention to him…
c. Prov. 24:22 – Here the author tells us to “see” (observe with careful attention to detail) the lazy man’s overgrown farm.
d. There are things to be learned by observing different kinds of men… both the diligent and lazy. Good lessons can be seen in both of them.
e. First the author commands his readers to SEE the man who is diligent in his business.
• Think about HOW he got there.
• Think about what was involved in achieving such skill and proficiency.
• Think about all the labor and practice required to reach that level.
f. Some men might observe that skilled man and conclude, “It’s not worth it. It COST him too much to get there. I don’t want to have to do all that work. I don’t want to have to go through all that training. I want to take the easy way NOW and avoid the hard work of school, training, and practice.”
g. The purpose of this proverb is to convince the lazy man that all the hard work and practice IS worth it in the long run.
29b He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
1. The man who is experienced, skilled, proficient, and diligent DID have to suffer and sacrifice to achieve his skill and proficiency.
2. BUT (contrary to the thinking of the lazy man) it really is worth it in the end.
3. He will not stand before mean men.
a. Mean = obscure; unimportant; men on the low side of the social scale; insignificant men.
b. In other words, he will not remain at the bottom of the barrel. He will not remain at that entry level position.
c. He will not be doing lowly tasks and answer to insignificant men.
d. Instead, he shall stand before Kings – those in the highest positions of authority and power.
4. He shall stand before Kings and not before mean men.
a. STAND means to be stationed, to be set in place, to appear before formally; to stand out; to be presented before for service;
b. He might become an advisor to the king in his area of expertise. He might become part of the king’s court.
c. We might think of Joseph or Daniel. They were faithful and skilled men… and their skills and wisdom were noticed. As a result, they were promoted and stood before kings.
d. In other words, his skill and proficiency will result in promotions and rising to the top in his field.
e. And along with the promotion also comes greater compensation and opportunity.
f. The point of the proverb is that it is very BENEFICIAL to be diligent, skilled, efficient, and capable.
g. You will stand out in the crowd and your boss will notice and you will be promoted.
h. You will be presented before the leaders in your field for positions of higher service.
i. Prov. 10:4 – “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.”
• Diligence, practice, and hard work pay off!
• Those who pursue excellence in their work are successful.
• Some men seek to advance themselves by boasting, cheating, name dropping, or even bribes.
• Solomon says that the best way to advance is simply to do a good job!
• Demonstrate your skill, quality work, effectiveness, good craftsmanship, and proficiency and you will be rewarded. You may stand before kings!
5. Do not assume that this proverb is promoting raw ambition at the expense of one’s spiritual life or one’s family life.
a. That is not the intention. His point is simply that experience, skill, and proficiency have their benefits.
b. Don’t take this to the extreme to excuse poor choices in life of putting earthly achievements above one’s spiritual walk.
6. Also, there is great application here to one’s spiritual life.
a. Rom. 12:11 – As Christians, we are not to be slothful in business, but are to be fervent… diligent.
b. Diligence in the things of the Lord, exercise in godliness, being schooled and educated in the Scriptures, and learning to walk with God with ease have great advantages in the spiritual realm too.
c. There will be rewards for those who “go on to perfection” (maturity).
d. Heb. 6:11-12 – There is great benefit for those who show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end… and are not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
e. And those who demonstrate faithfulness, wisdom, skill, and proficiency in their daily walk will be presented before the Lord one day to receive a “well done thou good and faithful servant.”
