Proverbs
Notes on Proverbs – Chapter 28
Proverbs 28:1
The Wicked Flee
Introduction:
1. Proverbs 28 and 29 contain many antithetical parallelisms.
a. This is a parallelism in which the two lines of the proverb stand in contrast to each other.
b. Some parallelisms repeat the meaning in different words; some build on what was said in the first part.
c. These parallelisms state opposites or contrasts.
2. In the first proverb in this chapter the contrast is between the wicked and the righteous – a common contrast in this book.
1. Wicked people FLEE
a. Wicked defined: Unrighteous; guilty.
b. Flee defined: Escape; flee away; depart; run to a safe spot;
c. It is used of soldiers fleeing from the heat of the battle; people fleeing from disasters.
2. When no man pursueth
a. Here Solomon states that they run away fearing danger even when there is no danger.
b. No one is chasing them; no one is after them; there is no natural disaster taking place; there is no batter to run from.
c. Yet, they flee and seek to escape anyway.
d. They imagine someone is pursuing them.
3. The point is that wicked people have guilty consciences.
a. Gen. 3:9-10 – When Adam sinned, he ran away from God and hid. The wicked flee. His wickedness gave him a sense of uneasiness and restlessness.
b. Isa. 57:20 – “The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace saith my God, to the wicked.”
• This is the point in our proverb: Wicked people do not and cannot experience REST in their souls.
• They have no peace in their heart.
• They are troubled people… like the sea—there is always something that agitates them… and that always stirs up mire and dirt.
• It is a terrible way to live… no peace… no rest.
• Wicked and guilty men are a terror to themselves.
• Their conscience haunts and troubles them constantly.
c. Our proverb pictures the wicked as fleeing because they are guilty and because they know they have stolen, or lied, or cheated.
• They are like Adam when he sinned. He ran from God and hid. He did not want to be seen.
• The wicked Solomon described must always look over their shoulder to make sure they are not being followed… to make sure there are no policemen around.
• Think of the last days of Saddam Hussein. They said that he never slept in the same place two nights in a row. He was constantly on the move… fleeing for fear of being caught.
• Guilt brings fear; fear causes a man to want to run away and hide. It has been this way ever since the Garden of Eden.
4. Gen. 4:8 – Consider the guilt of Cain when he slew his brother.
a. Gen. 4:13-14 – Cain thought his punishment was more than he could bear.
b. He felt like he was being pursued wherever he went.
c. Every shadow he saw, every noise he heard in the night; around every corner he thought someone was coming to apprehend him and kill him.
d. He ran like a vagabond, from place to place. He had no peace.
5. Matthew Henry wrote: The wicked have “no confidence, no courage, but a fearful looking for of judgment. Sin makes men cowards.”
1. In contrast to the wicked who are fearful and constantly on the run (fleeing from perceived danger), the righteous are BOLD.
2. Bold defined:
a. Confident; sure; carefree; safe; secure; without fear.
b. The term is also translated “trust” in several passages.
c. At first glance, bold and trust may not seem related at all.
• However, there is a clear connection.
• Boldness is a confidence. In the natural realm, boldness is a sense of self-confidence.
• Trust or faith is also a confidence.
• Faith is confidence in God! It is not self-confidence, but is God-confidence.
3. Usage of the term “bold”:
a. Ps. 112:7 – “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.”
• The word translated “trusting” is the word translated “bold” in Proverbs 28:1.
• The one whose heart is fixed on God and is trusting in the Lord, “shall not be afraid of evil tidings.”
• He need not fear what man can do. God is on his side. He has confidence in God and therefore is bold.
b. Isa. 26:3 – “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
• In this passage, the word translated “trusted” is also the word translated “bold” in Proverbs 28:1.
• The one who trusts in God or has confidence in God (faith) will be kept in “perfect peace.”
• He will not walk about in worry or fear. Instead, his walk is with poise and boldness BECAUSE he rests or trusts in God.
• This confidence is a sense of safety and security which belongs to the righteous man whose heart is fixed on God.
4. Bold as a “lion”
a. The term for lion is a “young lion.” It speaks of the utter confidence of a young lion who has not suffered defeat or severe injury.
b. The youth often feel that they are invincible – hence, the righteous are bold as a young lion.
c. This expression speaks of fearlessness, courage, and bravery.
5. The righteous are bold as a lion because they do NOT have a guilty conscience.
a. They live righteous lives. They walk in accordance with God’s Word. They obey manmade ordinances for the Lord’s sake.
b. They are honest; they don’t steal; they are not criminals.
c. Therefore, they are not constantly looking over their shoulder; they are not worried about getting caught; they are not concerned about the police knocking on their door; they are not concerned about being caught in a lie; they are not worried about the IRS.
d. God gives them boldness; confidence; a sense of security. It is the reward of a clean conscience.
e. Thus, there is nothing between the righteous man and God. His righteous lifestyle and conscience void of offence keeps him in the love of God; under God’s smile. They know that God is on their side.
6. Prov. 14:26 – “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.”
a. Those righteous men, women, and children who walk in the fear of the Lord have great confidence… God Himself is the Source of such confidence.
b. Think of Elijah confronting King Ahab.
c. Think of Moses who feared not the wrath of the king.
d. Think of Martin Luther standing before the officials at the Diet of Worms as he answered for his faith.
e. Think of Paul as he stood before Festus and Nero.
f. Think of Daniel facing the lion’s den.
g. God gives boldness to righteous men. He gives the boldness to stand when they need to stand; boldness to face danger; boldness to deal with difficult situations; boldness to deal with difficult people.
h. Rom. 8:31 – The righteous man knows that if God be for us, who can be against us? That gives boldness.
i. Pray for boldness for the pastor in Iran who is facing the death penalty for preaching Christianity.
7. It is possible for one who has a guilty conscience to BECOME bold as a lion!
a. If we confess our sins, we are cleansed. (I John 1:9)
b. If our sins are gone, then our conscience has no reason to experience guilt.
c. Heb. 9:14 – Because of the blood of Christ, our consciences can be completely purged of sin and the remembrance of sin.
d. Heb. 10:2b – “the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.”
e. Therefore, we can have boldness, even before God!
f. Heb. 4:16 – We can come to the throne of grace with boldness.
g. Heb. 10:19 – We can have boldness to enter into the heavenly Holy of Holies.
h. I John 4:17 – We can even have boldness to stand before the Lord in the Day of Judgment!
Proverbs 28:2
Leadership
1. In this part of the proverb, Solomon speaks of a land (country) is full of transgression.
a. Transgression: Rebellion; contrary to a standard.
b. Certainly in Israel’s later history, there were many times of rebellion.
c. Rebellion actually characterized Israel since their days in the wilderness. They rebelled against Moses, and thus against God.
d. God gave them the Law, and immediately, they SAID, “All that the Lord hath said we will do.”
e. Shortly after that, they began rebelling against it.
2. Inner rebellion results in “many” princes.
a. This means that because of the unstable nature of the country, they can expect a large turnover in leadership.
b. Turmoil within the nation manifests itself in the leadership.
c. When you see leaders continually being replaced in a land, it usually indicates chaos within.
d. I Kings 16:8-11; 15-18; 21-22 – That was certainly true in the northern Kingdom of Israel. Israel had 20 kings in nine dynasties.
e. The leadership kept turning over because the people themselves were fickle and unstable.
f. History has given us countless examples. Military coups change leaderships rapidly. Rebellion of serfs with their pitchforks rally against the aristocracy changes leadership. Political movements and their leaders rise and fall.
g. And through all this inner turmoil the leadership continually changes.
h. Instability within the country at a grassroots level inevitably results in instability at the top.
i. That means even more instability… and eventually leads to the toppling of the government or the regime.
j. In a sense, that chaos and instability is a built-in judgment on the land for their transgression and rebellion.
3. We need to pray for our country. America is divided.
a. Transgression has brought about social and political upheaval.
b. There has always been a left and a right, which is a good thing.
c. The two party system prevents one side from going to extremes in one direction and tends to keep an even keel.
d. But today it seems that the moral issues have arisen (like abortion and gay lifestyle) which has even further polarized the land.
e. This has led to a hostile environment of demonizing the other side (and both parties are equally guilty).
f. As Christians, we need to pray. Solomon tells us that hostile division within a land leads to more instability… and chaos could ensue.
g. And certainly as Christians, we should not add to the incivility by rhetoric that inflames and vilifies those with whom we disagree.
h. It’s a free country and we can speak our minds. However, talking about politics does not mean that we have a green light to be unkind and caustic.
4. This principle is true not only in a country, but it also applies to a city, a business, and even a church.
a. Rebellion, turmoil, chaos, and disorder from within will result in a rapid turnover of leadership.
b. Who wants to lead such a group? That kind of rebellion and turmoil will wear a leader out in no time.
c. Who wants to be the CEO of a company that is riddled with problems within? He may discover after he takes on the job that things were worse than he thought… and decide to bail out.
d. Or perhaps the inner division will cause the people to want to cast leaders out because the leader does not cater to their own way of thinking.
e. It is very difficult to lead a group that is torn from within.
f. This is what Paul dealt with in Corinth. They had various groups within the church that did not get along well with each other: “I’m of Paul; of Cephas; of Apollos.”
g. The church had descended into disorder, factions, and were biting and devouring one another.
h. If there were three different groups in the church headed in three different directions, the leader isn’t going to be able to lead them all. He can only lead in one direction, which means that 2/3 of the church isn’t following.
i. It is no wonder Paul dealt so extensively with this church (two lengthy epistles) in order to help resolve the inner turmoil so that they COULD have stable leadership in the future.
1. Now Solomon states the reverse truth: A good leader will prolong the state (country; city-state; etc.)
a. A divided, unstable, rebellious nation results in MANY leaders.
b. One stable leader results in a UNIFIED nation.
c. Here Solomon speaks about the value of a good leader.
2. A good leader is a “man of understanding and knowledge.”
a. The understanding and knowledge here refers primarily to wisdom in governing. (That’s the topic of the verse.)
b. Knowledge: Knowledge; information.
• A good leader should be well informed; he should have knowledge… especially, the knowledge needed to lead a country… or a business… or an organization…
c. Understanding: Skill; understanding.
• I Kings 3:9 – This is what Solomon asked God for: “an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discern between good and evil.”
• A good leader will be skilled in what he does.
• He will be skilled in dealing with people and with problems.
d. A wise and understanding leader will deal with the “transgression” or rebellion in the country.
• He will view the transgression as gangrene in the body and will attempt to remove it and replace the rebellion with a calm spirit… unity… a sense of respecting others—even those with whom you disagree.
• This should bring about a healing – like a soothing balm over the land.
• A wise leader realizes that ORDER is vital for the wellbeing of the land and he will seek to restore law and order.
3. A good leader will prolong the state.
a. Prolong: To be long; to lengthen; staying power; patience; be in a state of calm in the midst of a trying, upsetting experience.
b. A country governed by a leader with understanding and knowledge will not be plagued with constant military coups, treason, and uprisings.
c. It will not end in tragedy, but its existence will be prolonged.
d. Why? Because the people are content with the leadership and the way they are treated. He will have a unifying influence in the land.
e. Israel had 20 kings in nine dynasties and eight assassinations. However, the southern nation of Judah enjoyed a much more stable rule of David and his descendants. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but at least there were some good rulers in the south. There were none in the North.
4. And of course, this truth can be applied to countries, to businesses, to organizations, and to churches.
a. Good leadership will be skillful, knowledgeable, and will apply wisdom. In doing so, it will deal with the rebellion, and seek to replace it with unity… law and order.
b. I Tim. 2:1-2 – Let’s pray for our country, its leaders, and for unity and stability. Don’t assume that America as we know it will be prolonged forever. The chaos we see in other countries COULD strike here. Let’s pray that it doesn’t. Let’s do our part as believers to maintain civility and stability, not rebellion and chaos.
Proverbs 28:3
A Poor Man that Oppresseth
A. A Poor Man
1. There is a textual issue in this verse
a. The problem is the translation of the first word for “poor.”
b. In the Majority Text, the Hebrew word is “poor.”
c. But evidently, some translators believed that it could not be a poor man ruling over the poor. That did not fit their concept of rulers.
d. They made a slight change of letters to a similar Hebrew word and translated it “a wicked” ruler. However, there was no textual basis for the change.
e. We are going to stick to the Majority Text and view this ruler as a “poor” man who came to power.
2. The two Hebrew words translated “poor” are different terms, but are synonyms.
a. The first word is used a couple of times in Proverbs already:
• Prov. 10:4 – “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand.”
• Prov. 13:7 – “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.”
b. Zodhiates defines the term as “poor”: It indicates a person who has few resources and little standing or influence in a society.
c. Strong’s defines it as “to be poor, be in want, lack.”
3. So what did Solomon mean by a poor man oppressing the poor by ruling over them in an oppressive way?
a. David was such a man before he was king (I Sam. 18:23).
b. David used the same Hebrew word for poor as Solomon did.
c. There is no need to change the meaning of the term.
d. Solomon is speaking about a poor man who suddenly finds himself in the position as a ruler.
B. Who Oppresseth the Poor
1. Oppress Defined:
a. Dictionary of Bible Languages: (1) Mistreat, i.e., treat a disadvantaged member of society unjustly with the effect of causing one to suffer ill treatment.
b. Dictionary of Bible Languages: (2) Extort, cheat, formally, oppress or mistreat, i.e., steal or rob from disadvantaged persons in a financial or business transaction which has unjust leverage in favor of rich over the poor.
c. Zodhiates: To oppress, to defraud. It refers to extorting or exploiting someone; it can mean to steal or rob.
2. The Poor Defined:
a. This is a different term for poor, but means essentially the same.
b. It speaks of a man who is poor; but it also refers to one who is needy, week, or helpless. That may be the emphasis here.
3. This is an expression of great betrayal, injustice, and cruelty.
a. One might expect that the rich would exploit the poor.
b. It is universally hated—but it happens all the time.
c. That is the feeling that fuels the debate in this country between the 1% and the 99%. It is class warfare.
d. The rich and the powerful have been oppressing the poor since the Garden of Eden.
e. Jas. 2:6 – “Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?” It was common knowledge.
f. It is wrong when the rich oppress the poor. It is wrong when anyone does.
g. But Solomon’s point here is that it is especially evil when a poor man rises to power and opposes the poor.
4. WHY is it even worse when a poor man oppresses the poor?
a. Because he should know better. He knows what it feels like.
b. The rich man may oppress the poor and be ignorant of just how difficult he is really making it for the poor.
c. Rich men travel in the circles of the rich and are usually out of touch with the poor. They don’t know what it’s like to live from one paycheck to the next. They don’t know what it’s like to live in fear that you will lose your home… or may not have enough money at the end of the month for food. That’s another world for the rich.
d. While it is evil for an out of touch rich man to oppress the poor, it is far worse for a poor man to do the very same thing.
e. The poor man has more light. He knows what it’s like to be oppressed… and for him to do so anyway is to sin against greater light of experience.
f. For a poor man to suddenly find himself in a position of power (as David came from poverty to royalty), and to forget his roots, to forget his past, to forget his friends and family who are still poor… is far worse.
g. This does happen—and more often than you might think.
h. There have been many poor rebels who have banded together a rag tag army to take on the political establishment. Sometimes those insurgents are successful and their leader (who may have been a farmer the year before) is suddenly propelled into the position of ruler… which often means dictator.
i. Before you know it, there are more poor rebels who don’t like the way he is dictating their lives, and he ends up oppressing them. It becomes a vicious cycle.
j. Central and South America has plenty of examples of this cycle.
k. We have our own proverb that speaks to this issue: “Power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” (Lord Acton)
l. The poor rebel gains absolute power and revels in it. He grows accustomed to having whatever he wants… and he ends up behaving like others with power – abusing it and using it to advance his own ideology or luxury, and not for the welfare of the people.
5. It is bad for anyone to oppress the poor; but especially so if the oppressor was once one of the poor!
a. Now it is worse than oppression. It is betrayal. It is turning your back on your own. It is heartless. It is hypocrisy.
b. It is worse for the poor people who are oppressed because it dashes all their hopes.
c. When a poor man makes it to the top, they were expecting him to remember them and their situation.
d. They supported him for that reason. And when he turns his back on them, they feel betrayed… disillusioned… let down… used…
e. He rose to power with such great hope… but did not improve their lot in life. It was a real let down… a great disappointment.
1. Solomon now illustrates from nature what he means.
2. Such a poor man who comes to power and instead of improving the lot in life for the poor, actually makes things worse through more oppression is like the rain which leaves no food.
3. The rain comes with great hope for the farmer.
a. He anticipates that this rain will be beneficial to him, to his water supply, and especially to his crops in the garden.
b. He lives off those crops. They are his livelihood.
c. When clouds roll in, they bring great joy for the farmer assumes that they will water his crops and make his fruit nice and fat and juicy.
4. But sometimes rain comes in with such force that does not benefit the crops. It comes in such a storm of wind that it destroys the crops, breaks the limbs of the fruit trees, and knocks the vegetables off their vines. The rain comes with such force that it washes the seeds and young plants away—leaving nothing (no food) in its wake.
a. The farmer who was so hopeful when he saw the rain clouds feels betrayed… disillusioned… let down—just like the poor man who is oppressed by the poor man that comes to power.
b. He had great hopes; he anticipated it would be to his benefit—but he feels betrayed instead.
5. This proverb speaks about human nature.
a. Power corrupts.
b. And corruption of power is not confined to the rich.
c. If the poor came into power, because they have the same fallen, Adamic heart, they too would be corrupted by it.
d. The heart of man is the same regardless of his earthly possessions. There are good rich men and evil. There are good poor men and evil.
e. Matthew Henry summarized this proverb well: “Those who know by experience the miseries of poverty should be compassionate to those who suffer the like, but they are inexcusably barbarous if they be injurious to them.”
6. Unlike the greedy rich and cruel poor, the Messiah will reign over men in compassion and generosity.
a. Psa. 72:12-14 – Messiah will take care of the needs of the poor and the destitute. He sympathizes with those who suffer and He is a God of great compassion.
Proverbs 28:4
The Law and the Wicked
Introduction:
This proverb contrasts those who break the law and those who obey the law.
A. They That Forsake the Law
1. The Law to which Solomon refers is the Law of Moses… which is also God’s Word.
a. The Mosaic Law was to Israel what the US Constitution is to the US. (And more!)
b. It was the Law of the land.
c. It included their religious life (sacrifices; feast days; etc.) but it also included their civil laws and responsibilities—to the government and to each other as citizens.
d. The Law outlined the moral code that the nation of Israel was to live by… and it included penalties for violation of those laws.
e. The Law of Moses was given for the good of the people of Israel.
• Prov. 28:3 just mentioned oppressing the poor. The Law of Moses had provisions to protect the poor.
• It had provisions to assure that justice was conducted in their courts of law; 2 or 3 witnesses; no false witnesses.
• It had provisions to protect women – laws against rape, etc.
• It had provisions to assure a stable family unit: honor your parents.
• It had provisions to protect private property; laws against stealing.
• It had provisions to protect human life – thou shalt not kill.
f. The law was made to protect good people from wicked people.
• This was true not just of Israel, but of every government in every nation.
• Rom. 13:1-4 – Citizens are to honor and obey the laws of the land because the powers that be are ordained of God.
• The God-given function of government is to protect its citizens from wicked men.
• The government is to use the sword (capital punishment—and other forms of punishment) to accomplish that task.
• The government’s job is to “execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” (vs. 4c)
g. For any government to function properly, it is necessary that it be a nation of law and order.
• The order of society is assured by its law-keeping citizens.
• Those who obeyed and upheld the law assured safety and relatively prosperous quality of life for all of its citizens.
• When the laws of any society are honored and obeyed, it is good for the nation as a whole.
• The opposite of a nation of law and order is a nation of anarchy and disorder.
• Nobody would really want to live in that kind of a society.
2. They that forsake the Law:
a. Unfortunately, not everyone does obey the law.
b. That was true in Israel and it is true in every nation under heaven—because all men are sinners.
c. Some men are rebels against any kind of governmental control.
d. Others are just criminals. They break the laws for their own profit and advantage.
e. Some men reject the laws of the land and choose to live by their own rules. Today they often end up in a cabin in the mountains of Montana with an arsenal of weapons just daring a government official to step foot on their property.
f. There were those who forsook the Law in Israel.
g. We in the USA have our fair share of those who forsake the law too.
B. Praise the Wicked
1. Solomon says that they that forsake the law “praise the wicked.”
2. At first this sounds like an unusual thing to say; but when you ponder the words for a moment, it makes perfect sense.
3. Most sensible people would think it quite abhorrent to actually PRAISE wicked men.
a. Who would praise a serial killer?
b. Who in their right mind would praise a terrorist? (Whether he is a right winger or a left winger!)
c. Who would praise a bank robber? A mugger? A street thug?
d. Who would praise a rapist? A child abuser?
e. Who would praise a leader of the drug cartel?
4. The Hebrew word for praise here is “halal.”
a. Who would hear of a murder and say, “Hallelujah”?
b. Who would read in the paper about the drug cartel kidnapping 10 people and leaving their decapitated bodies on the side of the road, and then shout out, “Hallelujah”?
c. Nobody in their right mind would.
d. Praising the wicked is an absurd concept.
5. Yet Solomon says that those who oppose law and order are doing that very thing—whether they want to acknowledge it or not.
a. They “praise the wicked” either by calling their wicked deeds good or by justifying them.
b. While the person who cheats on his taxes would never praise a bank robber, in a sense, he is siding with him.
c. They are both forsaking the law. They are both standing together against the system of law and order.
d. The wicked support one another and strengthen one another’s hands in their rebellious ways.
e. While the small time tax cheat would never verbally praise the “wicked”; his actions do praise him.
f. His actions say, “Go for it! Take what you can out of the evil system. You deserve it! I’m with you, man! Job well done.”
g. Birds of a feather flock together. Lawbreakers of all stripes are really on the same side… supporting, standing with, and praising one another.
A. Those Who Keep the Law
1. As opposed to the law breaker, there are law “keepers.”
a. The term “keep” can mean observe; obey.
• In light of the contrast in the first part of the proverb (forsaking the law), Solomon obviously meant those who obey and observe the law.
• It refers to law-abiding citizens.
b. However, the term has other shades of meaning that Solomon may have been hinting at with the use of this term.
• It can also mean to revere; to care for; to preserve.
• It was used of Adam and Eve “caring” for the garden.
• It is used of a shepherd “caring for” his sheep.
• There is the implication in the use of this term that those who keep the law (by obeying it) are also preserving and protecting the concept of law and order.
• Sometimes in Proverbs, the usage of a term or expression is chosen BECAUSE it is a bit ambiguous and could be taken in a couple of different ways. Proverbs were designed to cause the reader to think and ponder what is meant.
c. Those who “keep” the law do so in two ways:
• They keep it by obeying it and doing what it says.
• They keep it by preserving it… caring for the concept of law and order as a farmer would care for a garden or a shepherd would care for his sheep.
B. Contend With Them
1. Those who keep, obey, honor, revere, and uphold the system of law and order CONTEND with those who don’t.
a. “Them” at the end of the verse refers back to “the wicked.”
2. Thus, there is a contrast in this passage:
a. Those who forsake the law PRAISE the wicked.
b. Those who keep the law CONTEND with the wicked.
3. These are two completely different attitudes towards the wicked.
a. There is no middle ground. You cannot be neutral.
b. It is an either/or situation.
c. Either you stand with wicked lawbreakers or you stand against them. Either you praise them or contend with them.
4. “Contending with the wicked” will be with us until the New Heaven and the New Earth!
a. Here Solomon informs us of something we already know – that there will always be a battle between law keepers and law breakers… between law abiding citizens and criminals.
b. Prov. 28:7 states that contrast as well – between one who keeps the law (a wise son) and one who does not – (a companion of riotous men).
5. There is good application for the local church too.
a. Those who violate the Word of God and seek to forsake the Scriptures are in fact praising the wicked.
b. And those who honor God’s Word and seek to obey it will always be engaged in a spiritual battle with those who don’t honor God’s Word.
c. Since the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 there has been an ongoing battle in churches to maintain obedience to the Word and the upholding of sound doctrine.
d. And there has always been the attacks from the Wicked One who seeks to destroy the purity of the churches by praising those who depart from the Scriptures.
e. There will always be those in the church who stand FOR the truth and also stand AGAINST all forms of error – doctrinal and moral.
f. And as much as we hate to have to fight—we have to. We are engaged in a spiritual battle.
g. We have two choices: either to honor God’s Word and uphold it OR dishonor it and disobey it.
h. If we choose to dishonor the Word, then we are actually praising wicked men.
i. But if we choose to honor and obey God’s Word, we will always be engaged in contention with wicked men and the wicked One – Satan.
j. We must not candy-coat evil; we can’t call evil good in order to avoid contention. Contention is unavoidable.
k. I wish we didn’t have to contend with evil; but I would rather contend with wickedness than praise it and stand with it.
Proverbs 28:5
Seek and Understand
1. In the first section of this proverb, Solomon mentions the “evil man.”
2. This character has been mentioned several times in this book.
3. Evil defined:
a. Bad morally and ethically; disagreeable; unwholesome; harmful.
b. The term is used of behavior; people; circumstances; etc.
4. Solomon states that evil men are not able to understand judgment.
a. Judgment speaks of justice; fairness; law; that which is proper; right; uprightness.
b. Thus, the expression states that men who lead immoral, unethical, or harmful lives (they don’t obey God or His laws) have a twisted sense of right and wrong… they cannot discern moral issues… they don’t understand justice.
c. Those who practice evil lifestyles either never obtained or lose their sense of morality and justice.
d. They don’t understand judgment because they do not know God – the Standard of judgment… the standard of right and wrong.
e. Isa. 5:20-21 – Isaiah speaks of those who are wise in their own eyes… but are really fools.
• They cannot distinguish between good and evil… light and darkness.
• This is becoming more and more prevalent in our country now that the Bible is all but banned.
• Christianity’s influence in America is waning—and along with it, so is our ability to distinguish good from evil.
5. This is an important principle that we have seen several times in the book of Proverbs: wisdom and understanding in moral areas is not directly linked to intellect.
a. This kind of discernment is not a matter of the head, but is a matter of the heart.
b. In other words, you don’t need a high IQ to be able to discern spiritual things… moral matters… right and wrong… justice, etc.
c. Very often an older, uneducated man, who only made it through the sixth grade, has a keener sense of wisdom and discernment in these areas than the Harvard grad who was tops in his class.
d. The Stanford professors in the department of psychology may be discussing and debating how to handle children who suffer from “sudden anger syndrome.” They discuss the best therapies and medications to use, while the little old man who never made it past sixth grade may have a much better solution: spank him and tell him to stop!
e. Men with evil natures who don’t know the Lord may do the best they can, but they have a distorted view of right and wrong – moral and immoral.
f. And Solomon tells us that their distorted view (their inability to understand judgment – uprightness) is not because of a lack of intellect.
g. It is because of their fallen, evil nature… which has never been regenerated, became their character and lifestyle. And that distorts their ability to understand issues of morality and truth.
6. Eph. 4:18 – They have the understanding darkened; they are alienated from the life of God; they are ignorant of spiritual things because of the blindness of their heart.
a. Paul states something similar to what Solomon wrote: the unsaved man who has an evil heart does not understand spiritual things.
b. He is blind and ignorant… because he is alienated from God.
c. And because he loves the blindness and the darkness, he will not come to the light – where he might see and understand.
d. And in that darkness, they are likely to believe the strong delusion that is so prevalent in the kingdom of darkness.
7. Ignorance of spiritual truth and moral issues is due to an unwillingness to know it and obey it. (John 7:17)
1. In this proverb, the parallelism is between the evil man and the one who seeks the Lord (a righteous man). Those who seek shall find.
2. Those who seek the Lord SHALL understand all things.
a. That’s quite a statement!
b. It runs contrary to what the average person on the street thinks about born-again Christians. The world views us as flat-earthers… or Neanderthals!
c. The world considers the born-again Christian as one who is stuck in medieval times and doesn’t understand the new morality.
d. It’s not that we don’t understand the new morality or secular humanism that dominates their lives. We understand, but we disagree! We believe it is immoral and wrong.
e. But God says that the one who seeks the Lord shall understand all things—in the area of spiritual things and morality.
f. Seeking God isn’t going to help us to understand chemistry, technology, or medicine. But it does enable us to understand spiritual things… the difference between right and wrong… holy and unholy.
g. Prov.1:7; 9:10 – As Solomon wrote several times before: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom.
3. Rom. 3:11 – “There is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God.”
a. There is a clear connection between those two thoughts. Understanding spiritual things is directly connected to “seeking after God.”
b. The one who refuses to seek after God will never understand spiritual things; he will never have spiritual discernment.
c. But the one who does seek after God WILL understand.
4. I Cor. 2:14-15 – Paul makes a similar statement with respect to the unbeliever (natural man) and the Spirit-filled Christian (spiritual man).
a. The natural man (who lives in the natural realm—with an evil nature that results in an evil lifestyle) does not and CANNOT understand spiritual things. He is dead to the spiritual realm.
b. But the spiritual man has the capacity to understand all things—in the spiritual and moral realm.
c. The spiritual man is indwelt by and filled with the Holy Spirit. Thus, this man has a sense of discernment that the natural man could never have.
d. It doesn’t help our IQ; the presence of the Holy Spirit does not necessarily mean our grade point average will improve (although it may result in causing us to be a more diligent student).
e. I John 2:20 – We have the anointing of the Spirit (His indwelling presence) and because of the Spirit; we can know all things—that pertain to life and godliness.
f. Heb. 5:14 – But having the Spirit is vital to understanding judgment and being able to discern good and evil.
Proverbs 28:6
Better is the Upright Poor
Introduction:
1. This verse is the last of 20 “better than” verses in Proverbs.
2. In this proverb contrasts two men: a poor upright man and a rich perverse man.
3. Solomon makes a value judgment: The poor upright man is better.
1. Solomon is NOT saying that it is better to be poor than to be rich.
a. There are so many warnings about wealth in the Bible, that some have concluded that it is wrong to have wealth.
b. In fact, the wording in our proverb implies the opposite. The proverb implies that it is worse to be poor than to be rich.
c. All things being equal, who would ever choose poverty over wealth? Who would ever choose to not have enough money to feed your family over having plenty of money to feed your family? Who would choose to lose their house to foreclosure over having enough money to pay cash for their home?
d. While Solomon gives many warnings about wealth in the book of Proverbs, he never states that it is wrong to be rich. He speaks of physical wealth as one way in which God blesses His people.
• Prov. 15:6 – “In the house of the righteous is much treasure.”
• Prov. 28:20 – “A faithful man shall abound with blessings.”
e. God told Moses to remember “the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.” (Deut. 8:18)
f. “Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all.” (I Chron. 29:12) Riches are gifts from above.
g. Many godly saints have been very wealthy: Adam and Eve; Abram; Lot; the patriarchs; David; the godly kings; Job; etc.
2. The first man in this contrast is physically poor, but upright in his walk with God.
a. Upright: Integrity; pure; innocent; moral goodness; guiltless; blameless.
b. II Sam. 15:11- “And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.” They were innocent; pure in motives; unblameable.
c. Gen. 20:5-6 – Abimelech acted in integrity after Abraham stated that Sarah was his sister. – “Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. 6And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.”
d. Uprightness (integrity) is the quality that Solomon is highlighting in this proverb.
3. The combination of poverty and uprightness.
a. His point is that even with this strong negative (poverty) uprightness is still better.
b. It would be like saying, it is better to by physically sick and walk in integrity than… (something else).
c. No one would choose to be sick or poor. But even those negative things cannot hold back the surpassing value of uprightness – integrity!
1. The second man in this contrast is rich.
a. This would normally be something valued and highly prized.
b. Almost everyone would prefer to be rich over being poor—all things being equal.
c. There are many warnings in the Bible about the dangers of wealth. (That’s a good study for another day.)
d. But there are also some warnings in the Bible about the dangers of poverty.
e. Prov. 30:8 – “Give me neither poverty nor riches!”
• Riches have a tendency to cause us to forget the Lord and to feel self-sufficient.
• Poverty can lead to a bitter spirit that curses God and steals from others.
• Every situation in life has its good points and bad.
• But all things being equal—having enough money to survive is preferred over not having enough money to survive.
• III John 2 – John wished his readers would be healthy and would prosper both physically and in their souls. That is a good wish/prayer.
f. The second man in this contrast is wealthy physically. He has a lot of money and/or valuable property. He is rich in the things of the world.
2. But this man has a serious character flaw: he is “perverse in his ways.”
a. Perverse: The basic meaning of the term is “crooked”—morally and religiously. It is warped; distorted; corrupt.
b. This kind of “crookedness” is found in many areas of life.
c. Prov. 17:20 – “He that hath a froward heart findeth no good…”
d. Prov. 11:20–“They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.” Here we see our two words in the same proverb. God hates a forward (perverse) heart.
e. Prov. 19:1 – “Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.”
• Here is a nearly identical proverb, only the contrast is between the poor man of integrity and a man who is perverse in his lips.
• Perversity is often found in the language men use.
• Believers should be careful and go the extra mile NOT to use language that is anywhere near tainted or perverse.
• In a culture in decline that means exerting extra care.
• We want our language to be pure—not just “not as bad as the average Joe.”
f. Prov. 8:8 – “All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse (same word) in them.” Note that nothing perverse or crooked comes out of his mouth.
3. The concept of being “perverse” (crooked) is used in our proverb in a very general sense: perverse in his ways.
a. We often associate perversity with sexual perverts. Certainly that would be included in the concept.
b. But this term is much broader than that. Already we have seen proverbs that associate perversity with the heart and the tongue.
c. Solomon also describes this rich man as also being perverse in his WAYS.
• Ways: A road or a path that is travelled; his daily walk; his lifestyle; one’s general pattern of life.
• The perversity or crookedness has permeated deep into the life and lifestyle of this man.
• It has affected his mind, heart, tongue, and in general, the whole path of life he is on!
• If a person is crooked, they will be crooked in their business dealings; in their everyday conversations; in the way they treat others; in their home; in school; etc.
d. This is the opposite of an upright man – the opposite of a man of integrity.
e. Character affects all of one’s ways – every aspect of his life.
• If a person is upright, then they will be upright in their mind, heart, thoughts, speech, and actions.
• If a person is perverse or corrupt, then they will be perverse and corrupt in their mind, heart, thoughts, speech, and actions.
4. The contrast between the two men: it is better to be a poor man of integrity than to be a rich man who lacks integrity.
a. Most people want to be rich… or at least well off.
b. That’s pretty normal. It should not be our number one drive in life, but it is one of the benefits of hard work, hard study, etc.
c. Many people take great risks to become rich. Think of the California gold rush and all that people endured to become rich. They left everything behind; they traveled by covered wagons over dirt trails; over the Rocky Mountains; through deserts; etc—in order to make it to California to strike it rich.
d. People will put up with a lot of sacrifice in order to become rich.
e. People will endure years of study in school in order to have a better chance at getting a good job and being well off.
f. People will pay a lot of money for school and will completely devote years out of their lives to prepare themselves educationally for a job that pays well and has a good chance of prosperity.
g. Think of what so many immigrants do in order to make it to America—where they think the roads are paved in gold… only to discover that they are paved in potholes! Some hide in boxes and ship themselves from Laos to America. Some hop on rickety boats to escape Cuba in order to make it in America.
h. People are willing to sacrifice, suffer, leave everything behind; to cross oceans, exert themselves, study; pay high tuitions; etc.—do almost anything to have the chance to make it in this life—to strike it rich.
i. This proverb states that although a man may be willing to go without many things in order to be rich, a wise and godly man should NEVER be willing to give up his integrity in order to be rich.
j. Even though poverty can be a real trial and includes suffering and grief, it is still better to be poor and walk in integrity, than to be rich and not have integrity.
k. A man might obtain many earthly treasures that are valuable beyond description; but they are not as valuable as integrity.
l. Ideally, everyone would prefer to be both rich and honest – like Solomon.
m. But this proverb makes a bold statement in a proverbial and thought provoking way: integrity is better than riches.
Proverbs 28:7
The Company We Keep
Introduction:
1. This proverb sets before our eyes a contrast of two different kinds of men.
a. One is a wise son who obeys God’s law.
b. The other is a companion of riotous men.
2. They represent two very different lifestyles.
1. First we read of the son who keeps the Law.
a. This was the Old Testament, during the dispensation of Law.
b. Every Jewish citizen was expected (commanded) to keep the Law of Moses.
c. Their relationship to their country, countrymen, and to God depended upon it.
2. Keep: Guard; protect; observe; obey.
a. In our proverb, the term is used in the sense of obey or observe.
b. The author speaks of a son who walks in obedience to the Law of God… which was also the law of the land.
c. He wasn’t a rebel; he wasn’t a criminal; he wasn’t a traitor; he wasn’t out to overthrow the government; he wasn’t seeking to find ways around the law. He kept it. He obeyed it.
3. Law: the term means “instruction.”
a. It could be used in the sense of God’s law or the instruction from a mother or father.
b. Of course the one who keeps God’s Law will also keep the instruction of his parents – because God’s Law included that requirement: children obey your parents.
c. Obedience to God’s Law also includes obedience to the laws of the land. They were one and the same for Israel. And today, the “powers that be are ordained of God.” We are commanded to “obey all man made ordinances for the Lord’s sake.”
d. Obedience to God’s law incorporates earthly laws as well – both in the family and in the country. By way of application, we might even want to add the rules at work too – as servants were to obey their masters.
4. Ps. 119 speaks much of “keeping the Law.”
a. While the proverbs and the psalms describe life under the Old Testament Law, there is great application to the believer today. We might (by way of application) substitute “Law” with the “Word of God” for us today.
b. Ps. 119:69 – The right way to keep the Law is to do so with the whole heart – wholehearted obedience.
i. This speaks of not just doing what it said outwardly, but also doing what it said from the heart.
c. Ps. 119:2 – “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” There is a special blessing that comes from obedience. (A clean conscience; peace; boldness.)
d. Ps. 119:22 – “Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.” There is an expectation of being free from reproach and contempt that comes from a sinful lifestyle.
e. Ps. 119:129 – “Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.” There is a sense of wonder and awe that comes from living in obedience.
f. Ps. 119:33-34 – “Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. 34Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.” There should be an inner desire to live in accordance with God and His Word… and to do so wholeheartedly.
5. The son who obeys God’s Law is a wise son.
a. Wise: understanding; insight; discreet; the ability to perceive things as they really are; discernment.
b. This son will have wisdom from above.
c. He will have guidance and instruction from above.
d. By keeping the Law of God he will avoid many pitfalls in life.
e. Note that it is the son who KEEPS the law that is wise—not the son who studies the law or knows the Law. It is possible to dedicate one’s life to studying the Law (like the Scribes and Pharisees) and not DO what it says.
f. Wisdom doesn’t come from knowing in the head; it comes from obeying from the heart.
1. Here we have the contrast: between a wise son who obeys the law and a companion of riotous men who shames his father.
2. Companion: Friend; comrade; a special friend; used of a best man in a wedding – the friend of the groom.
3. Riotous men: Glutton; vile; worthless one; light – no depth; insignificant one.
a. Several translations translate this term as “glutton,” as it is translated in Deut. 21:20.
b. Deut. 21:20 – “This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, (same word) and a drunkard.”
c. Out of 7 Hebrew dictionaries, five of them included the meaning of a glutton; but the meaning seemed to be much broader than that. A glutton would be one good example of such a light and worthless person.
d. But the term is broader: Glutton; drunkard; immoral man; lazy; sluggard; light, superficial and worthless person with no depth of character.
4. Prov. 23:19-21 – Solomon had already warned against associating with such a “light and worthless” crowd.
a. One reason given here is that their laziness results in poverty.
b. That kind of laziness and party attitude can ruin your family and your life.
c. Therefore, listen to your parents’ instruction! (vs. 22-23)
d. Sometimes young people get their advice and counsel from “light persons” and from gluttons (party goers) instead of taking heed to the instruction of their parents. That is not a good idea.
e. I Cor. 15:33 – Bad company (communications = fellowship) corrupts good manners.
• You can’t associate with light persons and not pick up some of their lightness.
• You can’t associate with gluttons and not adopt some of their lifestyle – laziness; self-indulgence; party attitude towards life; etc. It rubs off.
f. Prov. 13:20 – “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” There are consequences to such associations and companionships.
5. This unwise son shames his father.
a. The father of a light, superficial son who is a glutton and a party goer with no direction in life will be ashamed of his behavior.
b. Of course, the opposite is true as well – a son who obeys the Law and is wise brings great joy to his father.
c. But the unwise son (the friend of gluttons and wine bibbers) can change his ways. He can turn around. The first step is to STOP associating with the light and vain persons
d. Ps. 119:115 – “Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.”
• It does become a choice between the two: associating with evildoers or associating with God, His word, and those who love His word.
• A foolish son CAN repent and bring forth the fruits of repentance by leaving his old ways and his old friends behind and making better choices in life.
• The prodigal son did just that. He repented and returned to his father—and found his father ready and waiting to receive him with open arms!
e. Ps. 119:65 – And when he leaves his light and vain friends behind, he should replace them with godly friends. “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.”
Proverbs 28:8
Unjust Gain
1. In this proverb, Solomon is speaking about one who increases his substance.
a. He stands in contrast to the poor in the second part of the proverb, which would indicate that he has substantially increased his substance.
b. The contrast is between a rich man and a poor man.
c. Throughout history, there has always been tension or friction between the rich and the poor—the haves and the have-nots.
d. We see this played out in our city streets with the Occupy Wall Street movement.
e. Their complaint is that the rich oppress the poor and the playing field is not fair… it is unduly tilted towards the rich.
f. This is a modern day reenactment of the peasants and the serfs charging after the wealthy landowners and the nobility.
g. James 5:1-6 – The book of James speaks about this tension between the rich and the poor as well.
2. But in our proverb (as well as in James), the conflict is not between the rich and the poor, but between the UNJUST rich and the poor.
a. James speaks of the rich men who failed to pay the poor and kept back their money by fraud. (vs. 4)
b. The rich man in James condemned and killed the poor (vs. 6).
c. In James 2:6, James speaks about the rich man despising and oppressing the poor and taking them to court.
d. The Bible does not condemn the rich. It is not wrong to have wealth.
e. But the Bible clearly condemns fraud, oppression, and deceit.
f. And in the real world, the wealthy are usually in a better position to oppress, deceive, and defraud than the poor are.
3. Our proverb is about a man who increases his substance: he becomes very rich.
a. And the proverb condemns his actions.
b. However, it is not the FACT of increasing his substance, but the MEANS of increasing his substance that is exposed and condemned here.
c. This particular rich man became rich by (1) usury, and (2) unjust gain.
4. Two corrupt policies:
a. Usury
• Defined: Literally it means to strike or bite off (used of a snake bite); it came to mean requiring interest payments on a debt or loan; charging money for a loan—above and beyond what the amount of the loan was.
• This practice was forbidden between Jews in Israel under the Mosaic Law.
» Deut. 23:19-20 – They could loan with usury to a foreigner, but not a fellow Jew. God would withhold His blessing from those who disobeyed this law.
» Lev. 25:36-38 – Again, the law is repeated. This included more than money. It also included “victuals” or food supplies – sheep; grain; milk; etc. Note the reason given: I am the Lord… the One who GAVE YOU the land and all the material goods that is in the land.
• Deut. 15:7-8 – Not only were the Jews not to loan money with usury, they were to generously HELP the poor.
» It was acceptable to loan to the poor, but it was not acceptable to loan with usury.
» That was considered oppression and taking unfair advantage of others.
• It was forbidden for Jews to increase their substance by means of usury against their brother.
• A clarification and application to today:
» We interpret the Bible according to the grammatical and historical setting of the day in which it was written.
» When the Bible was written, they lived under a completely different economic system.
» They didn’t have to deal with inflation and other modern monetary issues.
→ If you loaned your neighbor a camel and two sheep, 15 years later, he could pay you back a camel and two sheep – and it would be exactly even.
→ But if you loaned someone $100.00 fifteen years ago, and 15 years later he pays you back $100.00, you have actually lost money. That $100.00 isn’t worth what it was back then. (What was a gallon of gas in 1997? ($1.30-$1.40)
→ Interest today is needed just to keep even.
→ In addition to that, if you had put your $100.00 in a bank or CD for that time period, you would have MADE interest. Thus, loaning without interest today puts you WAY behind.
→ Not only has his $100.00 lost value due to inflation, but it also lost the interest that it would have had in the bank or in a cd.
→ It is like comparing apples and oranges if we try to implement the principle of usury to today’s economy. It doesn’t work.
→ It is certainly not wrong to loan money to a brother today with interest.
→ The application to today would be to not be excessive in interest. Don’t try to take unfair advantage over others in your use of money.
b. Unjust gain –
• Defined: Most common meaning is “multiply,” but a variety of other translations are also given: “Ask much” (Gen/ 34:12); “gather much” (Ex/ 16:18); “yield much” (Neh. 9:37); “to heap” (Ezk. 24:10).
• It is sometimes translated as “usury,” and it has also been translated “extortion.”
• It could include over charging for products; using unjust weights; etc.
• The KJV’s “unjust gain” captures the meaning, and is broad enough to include usury and other forms of unjust means of taking advantage of the poor.
• The application from this term broadens the net to include excessive interest rates, but also any other form of financial or material oppression of the poor.
• In the modern world, there are countless examples of extortion, deceptive sales methods, and a multitude of scams that are used to take advantage of others.
• It is unfair, dishonest, and sinful behavior.
1. In the second part of the proverb, Solomon explains what will happen to the man who increases his substance by unjust means: he will gather wealth for him who will pity the poor.
2. Like all proverbs, the author’s intention was to drive home one main point.
a. The statement itself is a nugget of truth. It doesn’t cover every possible situation. There will be exceptions to the principle… but even so, the principle still remains as valid.
b. The main thrust of this proverb is to state that justice eventually wins the day.
c. Eventually, justice prevails over injustice… kindness and generosity will ultimately triumph over greed and selfishness.
d. The meaning is similar to Jer. 17:11 – “As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.”
• Those who get rich by dishonest and unrighteous means shall leave their wealth to others… and will be proven to be a fool.
• He is as foolish as a partridge who sits on eggs—perhaps belonging to another bird (gains wealth) but they never hatch (never gets to enjoy the wealth).
3. Solomon doesn’t tell us in this proverb exactly HOW this will take place.
a. Is this greedy extortionist taken to court and thus loses his money to someone who is kind and shows pity on the poor?
b. Does he die and leave his wealth to someone who shows pity to the poor?
c. Is his wealth and property lost during a war and given to others?
d. Do the politicians that allowed this to happen lose their political position and clout, and a change of laws occurs which take away the loopholes for this greedy man to oppress others?
e. In one way or another, God in His Providential dealings is able to take from the wealthy oppressors and give to the poor.
f. The precise manner in which this is carried out is not the point. The fact that justice eventually prevails IS the point.
g. You reap what you sow.
Proverbs 28:9
Disobedience and Prayer
Introduction:
1. This proverb speaks about the relationship between obedience and answered prayer.
2. There is a direct connection.
3. Over all, the point of the proverb is that if we don’t listen to God, why should He listen to us?
1. The first half of this proverb describes the person in view: a disobedient man (or woman or child).
2. In Solomon’s day in the age of Law, obedience was marked by whether one obeyed God’s Law or not.
3. This man turned his ear away from hearing the Law.
4. He not only did not DO what it said, he wouldn’t even listen to what it said!
5. This is not a man struggling to obey, as Paul did in Romans seven.
a. In Romans 7, Paul wanted to obey the Law but found himself unable to do so.
• Vs. 22 – Paul had a high regard for God’s law.
• Vs. 18 – He had a strong desire to obey the Law—but HOW to perform it he found not.
b. The man Solomon describes is not at all like Paul in Romans 7.
c. The man Solomon describes isn’t desiring to obey and struggling in his performance of obedience.
d. Rather, this man doesn’t even want to hear what the Law says.
e. He has no interest in the Law, in God, or spiritual things.
f. Solomon is describing a self-willed man who CHOSE to turn his ear away from hearing the Law.
g. When the priest would seek to teach the law to the people, this man would not pay attention… he would purposely ignore the words spoken.
h. This is rebellious refusal to obey.
6. Disobedience to the Law was mentioned earlier in Prov. 28:4: “They that forsake the law praise the wicked.”
a. This is not a man who in a moment of weakness slipped into sin, confessed his sin, offered a sacrifice and sought to be restored to the Lord.
b. This is a man who abandoned the Law… rebelliously rejected it.
c. This man is a criminal. Keep in mind that the Law of Moses was also the law of the land for the Jews.
7. This was an ongoing problem in Israel and in the church.
a. Zech. 7:11 – “But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear…”
b. Acts 7:57 – “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord…”
c. The Jews stopped their ears so that they could not hear what Stephen said about Messiah. They refused to hear.
d. This has been the perpetual history of Israel—but not of Israel only. The church has fared no better!
e. II Tim. 4:3-4 – “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
f. It is human nature – the flesh does not want to hear what God has to say. It wants to have its ears scratched… it wants to hear that all is well.
g. And God’s message to the sinner is that all is NOT well! God’s message to the sinning believer is the same – for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth and scourgeth!
h. Darkness hates the light because light exposes their evil deeds and makes them feel uncomfortable and accountable!
i. Ezek. 33:31-32 – “And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 32And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.”
j. This was true of many in Israel; this is true of many more in the church age: nominal, cultural Christians. They know the language. They like a good sermon. They know the Bible. They say Amen. They give money. But they won’t obey. They refuse to change their ways.
k. I’m afraid that this problem is much more prevalent than we would like to imagine.
8. The obvious application to the believer today is disobeying the Word of God.
a. Solomon spoke of a Jew disobeying the Law of Moses.
b. Our disobedience is measured by our obedience to God’s Word or to the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
c. God speaks to us through His Word, and when God speaks, we are expected to LISTEN and respond in faith and obedience.
1. The second part of the proverb states that the prayer of this rebel is an abomination to God.
2. Note first of all, that Solomon implies that even rebels pray.
a. They mock those who pray. They mock those who obey.
b. But when they are in trouble, they pray.
c. When they are drowning in a lake and unable to swim—they pray.
d. When they are in a foxhole and the bullets are flying overhead—they pray.
e. When they hear that they or their son has level four cancer, they pray… or ask someone to pray for them.
f. Unbelievers are not quite as unbelieving as they lead you to believe.
3. Religion is full of rebels who have no intention of obeying, but they do want the benefits of religion.
a. They want their guilty conscience to subside so they can sleep at night—so they go to synagogue or church.
b. They want God’s blessings in their lives—so they give to charity.
c. They want good health and somehow sense that God is in control of that, so they follow some religious rules… and pray.
d. They might recite a rote prayer or say the rosaries.
e. Unbelieving rebels against God’s Law can be very religious.
f. They really couldn’t care less what the Bible actually says, they are determined to do what they want to do no matter what… but they still might shoot up a prayer once in a while—to keep on God’s good side… so they think.
g. This proverb exposes that kind of thinking… which is quite prevalent in the religious world.
4. The prayer of the rebel is an abomination to God.
a. This rebel can pray all day long if he wants to—and shed tears as well; but his prayer is an abomination.
b. God is not impressed with the religion of the rebel who refuses to obey His Word.
c. Abomination: that which is especially detestable, repulsive, an object, act or practice which is loathsome and abhorrent.
d. No doubt the religious rebel who disobeys God and yet prays THINKS that his prayer will show God how religious and pious he is. But God knows better. God knows the heart.
e. His prayer does not mitigate his rebellion and disobedience—it is actually an expression of it! It is just another form of rebellion.
f. The rebel prays, either assuming that God is ignorant of his disobedience, that God doesn’t care, or is hoping that God will forget about justice and truth and bless him in spite of his sin.
g. But his prayers do not fool the Lord. His prayer is not only not accepted; it is an abomination to a holy God.
h. Prov. 15:8 – This is true of sacrifices for God too: “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.”
i. Religious offerings of any sort (sacrifices; money; prayers; etc.) are an abomination when offered from a disobedient heart.
j. It is worse than disobedience. It would be like telling your child to pick up his room and then he can have dessert.
• The child refuses to pick up his room and comes downstairs asking for his dessert—knowing full well that he is living in disobedience.
• Does he think his parents are foolish? His parents would love to give him dessert—but not under those circumstances.
• The child has gone beyond disobedience to making a mockery of his parents—thinking they are ignorant fools!
k. Such is the prayer of the disobedient rebel. He can pray all he wants; but he isn’t getting any dessert. God is not mocked.
l. If he won’t listen to God; God won’t listen to him as he prays.
5. This truth is found elsewhere in the Scriptures too.
a. Prov. 15:29 – We saw this principle earlier in Proverbs: “The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.” (The opposite of being “far from” is hearing their prayers.)
b. Isa. 1:15 – “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.”
c. Isa. 59:1-2 – Sin separates between us and God. God chooses not to hear the prayer of the one who is living in sin. God hasn’t changed either. That is true for today also. It is not that God cannot hear; He chooses not to.
d. Psalm 66:18 – If we regard iniquity in our heart, God will not hear our prayers.
e. John 9:31 – “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”
f. Jas. 4:3 – “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”
g. The Word is God speaking to us. Prayer is God listening to us.
h. But if we don’t listen when God speaks; if we turn away our ears from hearing what the Spirit says to us through the Word, then why should God listen to our prayers?
i. If God speaks to us and we don’t listen (Word), then when we speak to God, He won’t listen (prayer).
j. Matthew Henry: If His Word is not regarded, then our prayers are not accepted.
Proverbs 28:10
Causing the Righteous to Go Astray
Introduction:
1. This proverb serves as a warning against leading others astray.
2. The warning is given and also its consequences.
3. And as a further incentive not to lead others astray, Solomon mentions a reward for the upright. Upright behavior is rewarded.
10a Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way…
1. The culprit that Solomon exposes in this proverb is the person who causes righteous people to go astray.
2. Go astray defined: To wander; to err; to deceive; to wander aimlessly; to swerve off course; to meander.
a. The term is used literally of sheep wandering away. (Ezek. 34:6)
b. The term is used of “erring” through wine. (Isa. 28:7)
c. It is used of a cruel person who causes a blind man to wander off course. (Deut. 27:18) That cruel person is cursed.
d. It often refers to a moral corruption that results in erring or wandering from the straight and narrow path. (Prov. 5:23)
3. The term is used in our present proverb in the sense of causing another person to go astray morally: in an EVIL way.
a. The “evil way” here speaks of an evil lifestyle – an evil manner of life… (lit. = an evil road).
b. It speaks of a person being enticed to wander off the straight and narrow way on a road to destruction.
c. It speaks of a person who entices someone into sin.
d. In the early chapters of this book, Solomon wrote of the immoral woman who entices the simple young man into sin.
e. It would also speak of one who is a stumblingblock to others and causes them to sin against their conscience.
4. Solomon also wrote of a band of criminals who seek to entice an innocent young man into their criminal gang. (Prov. 1:10-14)
a. Vs. 11 – come with us! Be part of our group!
• The bad crowd here entices the young man by offering him “membership”—“with us”!
• There is attractiveness to belonging…
• You can belong somewhere… you can be a part of our gang… the in crowd… the cool crowd…
• There is a clear line being drawn in the Bible on this issue.
• The evil crowd cries to the young man: “Come with us!”
• God’s Word says: “Come out from among them and be ye separate!” (II Cor. 6:14-18)
• Whose fellowship and companionship do you want?
b. Vs. 13 – they have persuasive arguments… which can be quite alluring to the simple… they speak only of the positive side of their sinful deeds…
c. Vs. 14- they make themselves sound like a “brotherhood”! We will all have one purse! We take good care of each other!
d. Vs. 10 – consent thou not!
e. Vs. 15 – stay away from them!
f. Solomon knows that they are up to no good… and that their persuasive speech is not quite accurate. They leave out some key issues: like getting caught! (vs. 18 – they ruin their own lives.)
5. Prov. 16:29 – A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him astray.
a. The violent man “entices” his neighbor.
• The term means persuasive speech that is used to convince a person… the salesman’s pitch… the attractive sounds and reasoning of the wolf in sheep’s clothing… the seducer’s line…
• It also implies a bit of simplicity or naiveté on the part of the hearer… overly open minded… gullible…
6. For evil men, this becomes somewhat of a sport: dragging a good man down to their level.
a. It makes them feel good to cause a righteous man to fall and to be led astray by them.
b. The righteous man who follows their ways becomes a sort of trophy to them.
c. They take pride in becoming a snare to others. In their eyes, it makes them look good.
d. These evil seducers are the tools of the devil. Satan himself is a seducer into sin—a tempter—and he often uses people to accomplish his goals.
7. It is an especially despicable thing to corrupt one who is innocent… or blameless.
a. Think of those who seduce young people into taking drugs. The drug dealer always gives the first hit free.
b. Then there are those who introduce young people to alcohol… perhaps at college.
c. There are seducers who lead young people into a life of sexual immorality—and convince them that it is acceptable because everybody does it.
d. II Pet. 3:16-18 – There are those who lead others astray doctrinally – they give them a book to read by an author who teaches the opposite of what his church teaches… and leads others astray.
e. Think of those who introduce young people to a contemporary church with charismatic worship and rock music. It is like a drug. Once you’ve tasted it, anything else seems boring.
f. Young people are easily corrupted; hence, the warning here.
8. It’s bad enough that they have wandered away from the straight and narrow themselves; it is far worse to encourage others to do the same.
1. There are consequences to the one who causes the righteous to go astray in an evil way.
2. He shall fall into his own pit.
3. This is a principle we have many times in proverbs. It is similar to another proverbial statement: you reap what you sow!
4. This principle is also mentioned often in Proverbs:
a. Prov. 26:27 – “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.”
5. This principle is also mentioned often in the Psalms:
a. Ps. 7:15-16 – “He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. 16His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.”
b. Ps. 9:15 – “The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.”
c. Ps. 35:8 – “Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.”
d. Ps. 57:6 – “They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.”
6. Prov. 1:15-19 – The gang members who seek to lure another young man into their criminal behavior will eventually discover that they are laying wait for their own blood.
7. The Lord Jesus made a similar warning in His day.
a. Matt. 18:6 – Here the Lord warns against leading a “little one” a child astray. The one who does lead a young person astray would be better off if he drowned himself. (strong language)
b. Of course, the Lord was speaking of a child or a young person who is innocent and then led astray.
c. Solomon speaks in general (including adults) who may be innocent of a life of sin or crime and are led astray.
d. The similarity is that those who lead innocent ones astray can expect God’s wrath.
e. Num. 31:16 – God sent a plague upon those who caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam to commit trespass against the Lord.
1. In contrast to the evildoers who lure others into their evil ways, stands the upright man.
2. Upright: Blameless; true; righteous; unblemished.
3. In this context, the “upright” man is the one who is blameless or unblemished with respect to wandering astray.
a. In other words, the upright man does NOT lead others astray.
b. He does not seek to entice others to sin or to be a stumblingblock before them.
c. He has not yet wandered away from the straight and narrow.
d. The “upright” man here refers not necessarily to one who is saved.
e. Rather it speaks of one who is innocent – one who has not yet been corrupted… but is now led astray.
4. The upright man shall have “good things in possession.”
a. He shall possess good things—or he shall possess that which is good.
• This could refer to his inheritance. The wicked fall into a pit of their own doing and die; the upright receive their parents’ inheritance as a reward for living well.
b. It is possible to understand this expression to mean not necessarily good possessions, but good in general – good character… good life… good fruit… etc.
c. Good defined: Good, well pleasing, fruitful, correct, proper, etc.
5. Quite a contrast has been drawn.
a. The evil man who entices others to go astray shall fall into a pit. The end of that man is destruction.
b. But the upright man (blameless – innocent – he has not wandered away) shall have GOOD in his future.
c. He will be blessed by God with a good life… an abundant life.
d. God is grieved when a man goes astray on his own. God is really angered when men entice others to follow their evil ways.
Proverbs 28:11
True Wisdom / True Riches
Introduction:
1. This is yet another proverb of comparisons.
2. Two comparisons are made:
a. The rich man vs. the poor man.
b. The man who is wise in his own eyes vs. the man who has understanding.
3. The proverb is designed to make you think: Which man has the real wisdom? Which man has the true riches?
1. The rich man in this proverb is truly rich in the things of this world.
a. This is the man the world would say is rich.
b. He probably had many herds of cattle, camels, and goats.
c. He probably owned a lot of land and real estate.
d. He became exceedingly successful.
2. And very often poor men wish they could change places with him.
a. The poor look at all of his houses and riches, covet his material goods; they feel that they got a raw deal in life.
b. Luke 12:17-19 – “What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”
• Most men observing their neighbor prospering in such a way he has no room for all his goods that he has to build bigger barns would be a bit jealous. What a problem to have! I wish I had that problem.
• They would see him starting to live a life of ease and be jealous.
• Who wouldn’t want a life of luxury?
c. Psalm 73:3-5, 7, 12 – Asaph was a poor man who envied his rich neighbors.
• He looked around and saw that many wicked men became rich.
• They lived a life of luxury and seemed to have it made!
• Nothing bad ever seemed to happen to them. He coveted their position and their possessions.
d. Asaph, the neighbor of the rich man in Luke 17, and countless others have observed the wealthy and have coveted their goods.
• Maybe we have done the same.
• It is especially difficult in a poor economy to watch your neighbor prosper while your finances dwindle away.
• In a roundabout way, Solomon deals with this issue.
3. The rich man described in this proverb is genuinely wealthy in material goods.
a. He is truly rich; but the question is, does his wealth constitute true riches?
4. This rich man is wise in his own conceits.
a. Now another question arises: he is wise in his own conceits, but does that constitute true wisdom?
b. “Wise in one’s own conceit” is a phrase that speaks of a person who THINKS he is wise.
c. This particular man is rich in earthly goods. Evidently, his riches have blinded him.
d. He assumed (wrongly) that because he is rich, therefore he is wise.
e. This premise is often true, but is certainly not always true.
f. Men with earthly wisdom (inspiration accompanied by perspiration) do often become successful in life… at least in earthly life.
g. However, many rich people become rich in other ways.
• Many inherit it. They are born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Being born into wealth does not guarantee that a person will be wise. Often they are very foolish.
• Some steal it or obtain it by dishonest means and are never caught. They are rich, but not wise.
• Some men stumble into wealth. They might discover oil on their property. It might be called “good luck” by some—but not necessarily wisdom.
• Ecc. 9:11 – “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”
• Some men become rich by “time and chance.” They just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
h. In light of this, it is presumptuous of a rich man to assume that he is wise because he is rich.
• He may have been the beneficiary of being born in the right family… or the beneficiary of “time and chance.”
• Riches don’t always land in the lap of wise men.
• Fools can be rich too.
• Asaph noted that wicked, immoral men can become rich.
• Wealth is not necessarily a sign of God’s approval, a sign of godliness, or a sign of wisdom.
5. “Wise in his own conceit.”
a. This rich man has the wrong attitude towards his riches.
b. Isa. 5:21 – God warns about this attitude: “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.”
c. He is proud. He has assumed that because he is rich, he must be wise.
d. The word “conceit” means eye. It indicates that he THINKS he is wise.
e. The subtle implication here is that no one else really believes that. Others may actually consider him to be a fool… but he is so full of himself that he thinks he is wise… and perhaps superior to the poor.
f. This kind of pride and conceit may well have been nourished and sustained by the flattery from those in their entourage who benefit from their wealth.
g. I think of Hollywood stars—and others who are “rich and famous” when I think of the rich who are “wise in their own conceits.”
• They can do one thing well (they can act), and extrapolate from that that they are wise in all areas of life.
• In reality, they are often (not always) immoral and foolish.
• They often promote bizarre philosophies… like scientology and earth worship.
• It scares me that their political views are taken seriously by so many people in our country.
• What makes a Hollywood star, who lives in a very peculiar bubble, think that they know what’s best for America? Of course they are all entitled to their own opinion, (it’s a free country), but it is frightening that so many want to know their opinions on such important issues… like what to do in the Middle East… energy… protecting our freedoms… or what we should eat or wear!
• One man quoted a telling line from “Fiddler on the Roof” that is applicable here: “It makes no difference if you’re right or wrong; when you’re rich they think you really know.”
• Rich and famous does not necessarily translate into wise and godly… but people often THINK it does.
• Of course, Solomon didn’t have Hollywood stars in mind as he wrote this proverb. But he may well have had the children of nobles and royalty in mind.
» Those are the circles Solomon traveled in.
» He observed wealth passed on from father to son.
» He also observed that the son who inherited the money without lifting a finger didn’t have half the wits and wisdom of his father who worked hard and exercised skill and wisdom in accumulating that wealth.
» Solomon wrote about what he saw in Ecc.2:17 – “Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 19And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.”
→ Here Solomon became discouraged thinking about the fact that he demonstrated wisdom and much labor in accumulating wealth, but he has to leave it to someone else—a son—and who knows whether his son will be wise or a fool?
→ His son, upon inheriting the wealth will probably be “wise in his own conceit”… but that isn’t true wisdom.
• Solomon’s point in this proverb is that they may be rich, but that doesn’t mean that they are wise.
• They may be wise in their own eyes… but objective observers know differently.
1. In contrast to the rich man who thinks himself to be wise is the poor man, who would probably be considered ignorant and uneducated.
2. However, this poor man has “understanding.”
a. This is true understanding… discernment… insight… skill…
b. He may not be well educated like the noble’s son; he may not have had the educational privilege of others, he didn’t attend the most prestigious schools; but he has wisdom and insight—which is far more valuable… as we have seen many times in Proverbs.
c. The proverb states that the rich man was wise—but only in his own eyes.
d. The same proverb then states that the poor man “hath” understanding.
• It’s not just that he thinks that he has it; he actually does have it.
• And the understanding of the poor man is genuine discernment.
3. This poor man “searches him out.”
a. The poor man uses his genuine discernment to search out the rich man.
b. “Search out” – Discover; probe; examine; test; i.e., try to find out information about an object or event.
c. Perhaps this poor man heard the rich man speak about how wise he was, so he put his alleged wisdom to the test.
d. He began investigating, probing, and examining in order to find the truth of the matter.
e. While not stated, the implication seems to be that the poor man searched him out – he weighed him in the balances and found him to be wanting.
f. The poor man discovered that the wisdom of the rich man existed only in his own eyes.
g. The poor man sees right through his pride and pretention.
4. So, upon reflection, we discover which man in this proverb is the one with true riches and true wisdom.
a. It wasn’t the man rich in earthly goods and pride.
b. It was the humble poor man who had understanding – and his understanding was priceless!
c. Though considered by most to be poor and ignorant, he was in fact, both rich and wise!
5. And in the spiritual realm:
a. Asaph went into the house of God and discovered that the wicked wealthy may SEEM to be living a life of ease, but judgment day is coming for them, and their wealth will not buy them redemption.
b. And the man in Luke who built bigger barns because he was so rich in goods died that night and stood before God naked and unprepared. That isn’t very wise.
c. In the spiritual realm, earthly riches don’t buy much. But understanding and true wisdom lead souls to God – the Source of wisdom and understanding.
d. That kind of understanding is priceless.
Proverbs 28:12
The Effect of Leadership
Introduction:
1. This proverb speaks of the effect of leadership on the people.
2. Solomon speaks of two different kinds of leadership rising to power and the effect that it has on the people.
a. The contrast is between the righteous and the wicked.
b. Using poetic language, their “rise” to power is described.
3. This is an especially appropriate proverb for today—in light of the moral and spiritual decline in our country… but especially appropriate in light of the moral and spiritual decline in the churches today!
1. The righteous man rejoicing stands in contrast to the wicked man who rises to power and prominence.
a. As we have seen, very many of the proverbs come in two parts in order to make a contrast. That is the case here.
b. In many of these two part proverbs, the only way to understand the meaning of one part is to compare it to the other… which adds a little context.
c. Looking at the first part of this proverb, we might not know that Solomon is speaking about leadership, but when compared to the wicked man “rising,” it becomes obvious.
d. Thus, the proverb speaks of two different kinds of leaders rising to power – the righteous and the wicked.
e. Righteous: Upright; just; i.e., pertaining to being a person in accordance with a proper standard.
f. Rejoice: To be jubilant; i.e., be in a state of joy, which may include verbal expressions of joy and praise.
• The term “rejoice” sometimes has the meaning of “triumph” and is translated as such in at least two translations.
• That does seem to be the sense here – a righteous man triumphing… (and the context here speaks of rising to political power).
2. The righteous man is rejoicing because of his rise to power.
a. The righteous man rejoices and is jubilant because he is prospering and doing well.
b. The righteous man has risen to political power. He has been selected as the king or ruler or governor at some level. That is cause for rejoicing.
c. When a righteous man is chosen or permitted to take the reigns of power, it usually indicates that it is because the people are with him.
d. That is a good sign – when the people WANT a righteous man to be their leader.
e. People usually chose a leader who is LIKE THEM. They follow a leader who is like them. They vote for a leader who will promote their values.
f. Thus, when a righteous man is placed in the position of leadership, it usually because not only he, but the people desire that his righteous values be promoted, preserved, and proclaimed.
3. There is great glory…
a. Glory: This term has several different connotations in different contexts.
• Consider two slightly different shades of meaning the term has; they are not mutually exclusive; there seems to be a blending of these thoughts in our proverb.
» Honor, splendor.
» Pride, i.e., the state or quality of being legitimately proud of a person or circumstance
→ Prov. 17:6 – the glory of children are their fathers.
→ Prov. 20:29 – the glory of young men is their strength.
b. When Solomon says, There is great glory, he means that when a righteous man rules, there is great glory among the people.
• The people are proud to have such a leader. He represents their values. He represents them. There is a sense of national pride in such a leader.
• The people glory also in the sense of honoring that leader. They honor him by putting him into office and by following his leadership.
• The righteous leader and the righteous people are able to rejoice together.
• That is a sign of strength: righteous people AND a righteous leader.
• When righteous people have a righteous leader, they too glory in it… rejoice together.
• In a good sense, they are proud of it… national pride… patriotism.
c. Prov. 11:10a – The thought is similar in meaning: when things are going well for the righteous in the land, the city rejoices.
• They WANT righteousness in the land. That’s a good sign.
• They desire for justice, truth, high standards, things done well… and honoring to the Lord.
• For the Jews, that meant that God’s Word was honored, obeyed, and promoted.
• The people and the leaders are united around righteousness… and the result is that they GLORY in it… they rejoice and are jubilant.
d. Prov. 28:2 – “For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.”
• We also saw a similar principle in vs. 2.
• When transgression fills the land, there will be many princes… because they won’t last long.
• But when a man of understanding, wisdom, and discernment is in power, the state thereof shall be PROLONGED… it will be good for the land and the country.
• That results in stability and strength for the nation.
• That is cause for the people to rejoice. They glory in righteous leaders.
e. Prov. 29:2a – “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice…”
• Once again, we see this principle stated. When righteous men are in positions of authority, the people rejoice. It is GOOD for them and they know it.
• It is being repeated in this section of Proverbs… because it is important to realize!
1. Now for the contrast: In contrast to the righteous leader who causes the people to glory and rejoice, is the wicked leader who RISES to power.
2. Dan. 4:17 – “the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”
3. The fact that a man rises to power should not lead us to conclude that he must therefore be righteous. Sometimes the basest of men rise to power.
4. Solomon’s warning is that when that happens, instead of the people glorying and rejoicing and taking pride in their leader, they HIDE!
a. When righteous people – who truth, justice, fairness, and righteousness to rule in the land find that their leader is wicked… unfair, unjust, and unrighteous, they run for the hills!
b. This is what Elijah did when Ahab and his lovely wife Jezebel were in power—he ran for a cave!
c. Righteous men realize that the wicked leader might take their property… take their land… and make life miserable for them. He may even execute them.
5. Prov. 28:28 – “When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.”
a. The first part of this proverb makes the same statement.
b. When wicked men rise to positions of power and authority, men have to run for their lives and hide.
c. They know that the wickedness of the leader is going to have an evil effect on their lives.
d. Note that this proverb also states the opposite: “When they (the wicked leaders) perish, the righteous increase.”
e. When the wicked leader is removed from power (perishes; dies; etc.) then the righteous can increase and prosper once again.
6. Prov. 28:15-16a – “As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people. 16The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor…”
a. A wicked ruler is like a roaring lion and raging bear to the people. (He is not out for their good, but to feed on them.)
b. A prince or ruler who lacks wisdom and discernment becomes an oppressor of the people.
c. This section is FULL of such warnings about good and bad leaders.
7. There is a direct connection between the quality of the leadership and the condition of the people.
a. With a righteous leader, righteous people can increase, prosper, thrive, and rejoice and glory in it!
b. With a wicked leader, righteous people hide themselves; they know that they will be trampled over and oppressed by the wicked leader.
c. Leadership matters! It is the difference between being treated well and rejoicing AND being trampled over and running for the hills!
d. There are people (some of them our brothers in the Lord) who are running for the hills in Syria, Iran, and in Egypt today… and in various other places around the globe.
8. While this principle seems to be geared towards political leaders, there is certainly good application to the church today.
a. Leadership in the churches is still a problem.
b. Our political leaders (presidents and congress from both aisles) have pushed our country into a moral and spiritual decline.
• These rulers are spineless. They refuse to stand up to culture in decline and do what is RIGHT rather than what is popular. They go with the flow to attract votes.
• Things that would have been shocking, repulsive, and rejected by our grandparents (gay marriage; redefining family; banning the 10 commandments; etc.) have gradually become tolerated and accepted… and are standard fare today.
c. So too we see the present generation of church leaders promoting or at least tolerating a moral and spiritual decline in the churches… which is far worse!
• Things that would have been shocking, repulsive, and rejected by our grandparents, (lowering of standards in clothing; immodesty; pop culture music in churches; lack of concern about doctrine; etc.) have gradually become tolerated and accepted… and are standard fare today—yes even in churches that consider themselves fundamental and orthodox!
• We have political rulers who are spineless – they refuse to stand up to culture in decline and do what is RIGHT rather than what is popular. They go with the flow to attract votes.
• We also have Christian leaders in churches who refuse to stand up to Christian culture in decline and choose to do what is popular rather than do what is RIGHT… because it is hard to do what’s right. They go with the flow not to attract votes, but to attract the crowds..
d. And what is the effect on the righteous?
• They are abandoned and rejected… and hidden away.
• The author of Hebrews speaks of the plight of the righteous during the reigns of wicked men: “they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”
• He also describes them as they of “whom the world was not worthy.”
• So as the church continues its decline – from the pure and chaste virgin church after Pentecost until it becomes the harlot church of Revelation, the righteous will be relegated to obscurity… a tiny remnant.
• But a godly remnant! Don’t be discouraged by present conditions—the Lord is coming! Maranatha.
9. PRAY for our leaders… that they would do what is right rather than what is popular… both in the country and especially in the churches.
Proverbs 28:13
Dealing with Sins
Introduction:
1. This proverb speaks of the right way to deal with sins in our lives.
2. We are told what not to do and then what to do… and WHY.
A. He That Covereth His Sins
1. It is part of our fallen human nature to want to cover up our sins.
2. Nobody likes to admit sin, guilt, and shame. It is much easier to cover it up.
3. This is just what Adam did after the fall –
a. He never felt any guilt or shame about being naked before the fall. Why should he? He had no sin nature… no evil thoughts or feelings.
b. But when he fell into sin, everything changed.
c. Gen. 3:7 – But once he sinned, and his mind was corrupted by sinful thoughts and feelings, he attempted to “cover himself up” with fig leaves, hoping that somehow, his sin would not be discovered.
d. Gen. 3:8 – Then they attempted to run and hide from God.
e. They also sought to hide from their sins by blaming others. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent.
f. That was a blatant cover-up.
4. This has been the consistent method man has used in dealing with his sin ever since: cover it up and run and hide… and pretend it never happened… or pretend that it wasn’t that bad…
a. Religion has been the tool of the devil to help man run and hide from God… and to help man cover up his sins… and sooth his guilty conscience WITHOUT confession and forsaking them!
b. Religion tells him he can do good works to counteract his sinful deeds… and if he tries real hard, he will be accepted by God. He just needs to make sure that his good works outnumber his sins.
5. Our proverb states that covering up our sins is NOT the right way to deal with them.
6. Covering:
a. Keep to oneself, not respond with knowledge, i.e., keep information from others, though known and understood by oneself; conceal; hide.
b. Gen. 18:17 – “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?”
c. Gen. 7:20 – “Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.” (out of sight)
d. Ex. 15:5 – “The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.” (The Egyptian army was covered up by the Red Sea.)
e. This is NOT the term often translated in the Old Testament as “atonement,” which speaks of a covering.
f. The term in our proverb means to hide something, conceal it.
7. By “covering one’s sins,” Solomon is NOT speaking about an Old Testament saint who seeks to have his sins atoned for (covered up) by an animal sacrifice according to the Law.
a. He is speaking about an Old Testament sinner who seeks to conceal the fact that he sinned…
b. There are plenty of examples of this in the Scriptures too. This trait of fallen Adam was passed on to every one of his sons—every one of us!
• I Sam. 15:13 – “And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.”
• Saul tried to cover up his sin by a half truth. He did obey God… but only partially.
• He was covering up the fact that they did not fully carry out God’s commands. It was a convenient lie.
• But God was not fooled… neither was God’s spokesman, Samuel.
B. Shall Not Prosper
1. Prosper:
a. This term is broader that prospering financially.
b. Literally: to come on mightily; to be forceful, i.e., have an overpowering force, with the resultant strong, successful action.
c. It speaks of succeeding at an endeavor; flourishing, thriving, being victorious;
d. It is often used of God causing a person’s WAYS to prosper.
• Gen. 24:21 – “And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.”
• Gen. 39:2 – “And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man.” This speaks of Joseph being a successful man – not just wealthy.
• I Kings 22:12 – “And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king’s hand.” They were predicting a successful battle.
• Num. 14:41 – “And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.” Their rebellion would not be successful or victorious. It would fail.
2. The point of the proverb is that regardless of how clever, subtle, deceptive, artful, or shrewd one is at covering up his sins, he will not be successful.
a. The sinner might be successful at covering up his sins from men, but never from God.
b. Num. 32:23 – “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.”
c. Ps. 90:8 – All of our sins have been set before the Lord… our secret sins too! The sins no other human being knows about—God does.
d. Ps. 139:11-12 – There is nowhere to hide from the eyes of the Lord.
e. Prov. 15:3 – “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Beholding the evil and the good.”
f. Luke 12:2 – Jesus said, “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.”
3. Psalm 32:1-4: Not only will the sinner who attempts to hide his sins not be successful, he will be miserable!
a. Here David speaks of his sin with Bathsheba—about a year or so before the writing of this psalm.
b. In verse one he speaks about the blessedness of one whose sin is covered.
• This is a different term for cover.
• This is the kind of covering that God does.
• This covering results in forgiveness. (Of course their sins were forgiven on credit in the Old Testament… awaiting THE Lamb of God.)
c. However, David did not immediately go to the Lord with his sin to confess it in true repentance. He tried to cover it up and hide… like his forefather, Adam.
d. For about a year after his sin, David “kept silence.” He did not come to God in repentance. He was out of fellowship.
e. What was life like for a godly man out of fellowship during that year?
• His bones waxed old.
• His inner man roared (groaned) all day long.
• God’s hand was heavy upon him.
• He dried up like a withered plant in a drought.
• Life was miserable.
A. The Terms
1. Confess: To acknowledge; admission of sin or guilt; praise.
a. It is sometimes translated “praise.” The sense there is that to acknowledge God’s name is to praise His name.
b. The term speaks of acknowledging the truth of something or someone.
c. It is a common term used for acknowledging sin… admission of guilt… confessing sins.
d. Lev. 5:5 – “And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing.” This was to be accompanied by a trespass offering unto the Lord. (vs.6)
e. Psalm 32:5 – used of David acknowledging his sin before God.
f. God demands that we CONFESS our sins (I John 1:9)
• There can be no blaming others.
• Acknowledging our sin means that we acknowledge that it IS sinful. There can be no excuses… no rationalization… no attempts to justify our actions…
2. Forsaketh: To abandon; leave behind; release; depart from; reject; desert.
3. Ps. 55:1-12 – David wrote another poem about his sin and the results of acknowledging and forsaking his sin before God.
a. Vs. 1 – He prayed for God’s mercy and lovingkindness.
b. Vs. 2 – He asked God to wash away his sin.
c. Vs. 3 – FOR – on what basis was David able to ask for God’s mercies and cleansing? FOR he acknowledged his sin.
d. Vs. 4 – He acknowledged that his sin with Bathsheba was really a sin against God. All sin is against God.
e. Vs. 5- He acknowledges that sin is his nature.
f. Vs. 12 – He prayed for a restoration of the JOY of his salvation.
g. Vs. 16-17 – Though David was required to offer the proper sacrifices for his sins, (and he certainly would honor God in this too), yet he also recognized that the REAL sacrifice God was looking for was a broken and contrite heart… true repentance.
h. With that heart attitude, David was able to come to God for mercy… and receive it.
i. As David’s son later wrote in Proverbs 28:13, “Whoso confesseth and forsaketh them (sins) shall have mercy.”
B. Shall Have Mercy
1. The one who covers his sins shall not be successful. He will have misery… suffering… failure… and chastening…
2. But the one who acknowledges his sins and forsakes them, shall have mercy. Which would you rather have?
3. Mercy: Compassion; to be loved; to show strong affection for; to have deep sympathy for; to feel sorry for.
4. Psalm 103:13 – “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.”
a. This is a fatherly kind of pity towards a beloved child.
b. The father feels sorry and sympathetic when a beloved child fails or falls.
c. The relationship is restored. Fellowship resumes.
5. This is the JOY that David experienced when he acknowledged his sin before the Lord.
a. Ps. 32:1 – That’s when he wrote BLESSED IS THE MAN whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins is covered.
b. Ps. 32:7 – Then he experienced the joy of restored fellowship. Instead of hiding FROM God, he discovered he could hide himself IN God… God was once again his hiding place… his refuge…
c. Ps. 32:10-11 – David learned experientially of the sorrow of being out of fellowship… and of the mercy of restored fellowship. That brought to his heart gladness and rejoicing… shouting for joy!
Proverbs 28:14
Happy is the Man who Fears
1. This proverb presents us with a problem of translation concerning the meaning of “fear.”
2. This difficulty is seen in the various ways it is translated:
a. NKJV: “Happy is the man who is always reverent”
b. ESV: “Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always”
c. NIV: “Blessed is the one who always trembles before God”
d. NIV84: “Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord” (1984)
e. NET: “Blessed is the one who is always cautious”
3. The NIV added the words “before God” in their translation, and then in the 1984 update changed it to “the Lord.”
a. Those words do not appear in the original Hebrew text.
b. They were added as a means of interpretation, not translation.
c. The problem with adding words to the text for the sake of clarity is that while your interpretation may be correct, it may also be incorrect.
4. Note also that there are two different lines of thought in the way the verse is translated.
a. One assumes that the “fear” is fear of reverence of God.
b. The other assumes that the “fear” is a fear in the sense of being cautious.
c. The KJV did a perfect job in translating. They translated the term right out of the dictionary definition and left the interpretation to the reader.
5. FEAR defined:
a. To be startled; afraid; shake; dread; panic; terror; severe distress over danger or trouble.
b. It is sometimes used of reverence or awe, but mostly of fear and dread.
c. It is possible to define the term used in Prov. 28:14 as “awe” or “reverence,” (thus meaning a fear of the Lord) as many of the translations have done.
d. However, there is another Hebrew word for “fear” (yir’at) that probably would have been used in that case. That Hebrew term (yir’at) is used countless times in the Old Testament for the fear of the Lord or reverence for God.
e. But the term Solomon uses in Prov. 18:14 is a word that is used predominantly to refer to fear, dread, terror, distress, etc.
6. As for the interpretation, there are two good reasons to interpret the word “fear,” not as reverence but as dread or terror.
a. The first reason is the dictionary definition of the Hebrew word.
• It is by far most commonly used this way: dread or terror.
• A different Hebrew word would probably have been used if “reverence” was the idea being conveyed.
• One commentator noted that the book of Proverbs usually (generally – not always) follows that pattern of translation.
• For example:
» In Proverbs 1:33; 3:24-25, our word for “fear” is used and speaks of fear of evil or desolation. It is a dread or terror – real fear.
» In Proverbs 1:7; 3:7 (fear of the Lord) the word for “fear” is yare’, which means “to reverence.”
b. Context: The previous verse spoke about “how to deal with our sins.”
• The one who covers his sins up will not be successful at it.
• Sooner or later your sin will find you out.
• The one who confesses and forsakes his sin shall find mercy.
• In the second part of the proverb (vs.14) Solomon speaks of falling into “mischief” – meaning evil, sinful behavior.
• With that in mind, the “fear” of verse 14 seems to be a fear of sin… a holy terror of falling into sin… a spiritually healthy fear of falling to temptation and committing sin.
• Hence, the NET Bible translated it “Blessed is the one who is always cautious.”
» That translation is also an interpretation, but I happen to think it is the right one.
» The best translation doesn’t interpret the Bible for us.
7. That being the case, then our proverb is stating that the man who fears falling into sin will be a happy or blessed man.
a. Psalm 1:1 – He is blessed because he fears falling into sin and therefore refuses to go along with those who do.
b. The fear of falling into temptation is a healthy fear.
c. We SHOULD fear sin… if we understand what sin is and what it can do!
• Prov. 5:22-23 – Sin has cords that bind us up… (like tying up a prisoner) and you may not be able to escape!
» In particular, Solomon is speaking here of the snare of a harlot.
» It is true also of any sexual sin… pornography…
» This is certainly true of drugs and alcohol…
» It is true of unbridled anger, which can get out of hand.
» It is even true of seemingly innocent things – like video games, eating, etc.
• Prov. 11:5 – “The wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.” We should fear the effects of sin – the FALL… and the shame that it brings.
• Prov. 11:29 – Bringing trouble to your own house will leave you with nothing… but wind.
• Prov. 12:21 – “There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.” The wicked who sin will have lives that are filled with mischief – trouble, calamity, affliction. We should fear falling into that trap.
• Prov. 13:5, 6, 15 – We should fear (vs.5) coming to shame; (vs.6) being overthrown; (vs.15) the way of the transgressor is hard.
• We could go on indefinitely through the Scriptures to list many more consequences of sin that we should FEAR.
8. The clear implication of our proverb is that the FEAR of falling into sin will help to PREVENT us from falling into sin.
a. This is not the New Testament method of dealing with sin.
b. However, Solomon gives us here a principle that stems from common sense… that transcends dispensational distinctions.
c. We teach our children to fear the wood stove because it is hot. The fear of getting burned keeps them away.
d. We spank our children and in doing so we are teaching them that there are painful consequences to disobedience and sin. The fear of the consequences of sin helps keep them from doing it again.
e. Thus, HAPPY or blessed is the man who fears falling into sin.
f. His life will be spared from trouble, affliction, hardship, traps, cords, and shame that others endure.
g. Blessed is the man who fears… or as the NET Bible puts it, “Blessed is the one who is always cautious.”
h. Our proverb, though worded very differently, is similar in meaning to Paul’s warning in I Thess. 5:6: “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” WATCH out for sin… for snares… for temptations. Be cautious… be careful.
i. That attitude will keep you safe from sin, its consequences, and thus “blessed and happy.”
9. Note also the word “always.”
a. Blessed is the man that fears always – it is his lifestyle.
b. He is continually aware of the danger of sin that is ever present.
c. H realizes that the world is a minefield. He is always fearful of stepping on a mine.
d. He is always conscious of his own fallen nature and how susceptible he is to falling.
e. I Cor. 10:12 – He is NOT like the man who thinks he standeth – who prides himself in his own strength and ability to stand.
• That man OUGHT to fear falling. It would be good for him.
• That is Solomon’s point in our proverb.
• When we fear falling, we are less likely to fall.
• When we are weak (and know it) then we are strong (II Cor. 12:10).
• We will be more cautious.
10. And for those who prefer the translation “Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always” (as opposed to fear sinning)… the overall meaning and message of the proverb is much the same.
a. The fear of the Lord is NOT a dread or a terror to be in His presence.
b. The believer LOVES the Lord and desires to be in His presence. We seek to draw nigh unto God… to stay close to Him… like a chick “under His wings.”
c. The fear of the Lord is not a dread of Him.
d. Rather, we fear Him because we love the Lord and fear DISPLEASING Him. We fear offending Him.
e. And what causes us to displease and offend the Lord? SIN!
f. Thus, the fear of falling into sin and the fear of the Lord are very much related… two sides of one coin… because all sin is in reality a sin against God.
1. In the second part of this proverb we see the opposite.
2. The opposite of a man who fears sinning and thus avoids falling into sin is the man who “hardens his heart.”
a. This is a tough guy—or so he thinks.
b. His heart is not sensitive to God, to spiritual things, and to sin.
c. His heart is hardened towards sin. He doesn’t care about God, spiritual things, or sin.
d. Perhaps he has hardened his heart towards warnings such as, “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
e. He doesn’t think that applies to him… but it does.
3. Prov. 29:1 – “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
a. The result of a hard heart (or neck—stubbornness—he refuses to repent of his sin after many warnings and rebukes) is destruction.
4. The one who neither fears God nor fears sin shall fall into mischief!
a. He may proudly insist he won’t, but he will.
b. His life will be full of afflictions and suffering; sorrow and regret; shame and degradation.
5. The man who fears sin (and the Lord) is blessed and happy.
6. The one who does not fear sin (or the Lord) falls into mischief will experience misery.
7. Application: it is spiritually healthy for us to stop and think about the consequences of sin BEFORE we engage in it. Taking the time to reflect on this may save you from sin and its ugly consequences… and bring blessedness rather than shame and mischief. So what will you choose? Happiness or misery?
Proverbs 28:15-16
Rulers and Princes
Introduction:
1. These two proverbs deal with the subject of leadership… violent, oppressive government rulers and princes.
2. We already saw a similar theme in verse 12, which compares the effects of wicked leaders to righteous leaders.
a. The righteous leader causes the people to rejoice.
b. The wicked ruler coming into power causes men to run and hide!
3. The effect of rulers on the people is expanded in vs. 15-16.
1. This proverb compares wicked rulers to ferocious, wild animals.
a. A roaring lion
• One Hebrew dictionary defined “roaring” as “the deep guttural, piercing growl of a lion, especially as it grasps its prey.”
• Lions are mighty fierce animals. They sit quietly in the wings waiting for the innocent deer to come to the river. Then they pounce on their prey, easily overpower them, tear them to shreds, and then devour them.
• I’m sure we’ve all seen National Geographic videos of lions attacking their prey. It’s pretty graphic.
• Solomon’s readers never saw a video of it—but they probably all had seen the real thing. It must be frightening to witness such a thing. Lions are fierce!
b. A ranging bear
• Ranging: Thirsty, unquenched; to long for something and rush towards it; thus, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting creature.
• We sometimes think of bears as cute and cuddly, but they too are vicious animals when confronted.
• They may look slow and lazy as they lumber about; but in fact they are fast and ferocious and can be deadly.
c. By using these two illustrations, Solomon has painted a mental picture that all of his readers can relate to:
• They are animals you want to avoid.
• They are animals that can do much harm… and can be deadly.
• They are fierce and bloodthirsty creatures that can easily overpower mere humans and devour us… leave us as a pile of bones on the side of the road for the scavenger birds to pick over.
2. A wicked ruler
a. Wicked:
• This is the same term used to describe rulers in vs. 12.
• “Wicked” is defined as unrighteous; evil; not innocent; guilty.
• The term is often used of the enemies of God.
• The word indicates the guilt engendered by sinning against others.
b. Ruler: one who reigns; one who has dominion over others; one who governs and is in control; in charge.
c. All people have rulers over them. All people are under the leadership and dominion of someone. All people are under a government headed up by a ruler… one who has control over how people are governed.
d. To have a wicked person in control can be fearful and frightening. They have the power to make life miserable for all those under their rule.
e. We have seen many examples of that in world history: Germany, Russia, Middle East, etc.
3. Solomon likens wicked rulers to savage beasts: lions and bears.
a. Daniel also had a vision of four future Gentile empires and likened those empires and their rulers as vicious beasts.
b. Of the four beasts in Daniel’s dream, one was a bear and one was a lion.
c. They were good symbols of the power a ruler has over his people and the fear they instill in the hearts of people.
d. Solomon used these symbols before:
• Prov. 19:12 – “The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.”
• Prov. 20:2 – “The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.”
• BECAUSE kings and rulers have such power and are like roaring lions, Solomon advises his readers not to get them angry. They might pounce on you!
• There is no reasoning with a lion or a bear. Don’t expect mercy or pity from them.
4. This is how the wicked ruler treats POOR people.
a. The word translated “poor” means poor, weak, and helpless – those who are on the opposite end of the social scale from the rich and powerful.
b. The point here is that wicked rulers rule over poor people as lions and bears rule over their prey: they devour them!
c. Verse 15 states that some rulers are greedy and violent and take advantage of the poor. They devour the poor because they are easy targets.
d. Ecc. 4:1 – Solomon was sensitive to the poor and the fact that they were often trampled over and had no comforter. He noted that this is what happens “under the sun”—in a world that excludes God.
1. Verse 15 spoke of rulers; verse 16 speaks of a prince (which can mean a prince or any person of nobility).
2. The difference is relatively insignificant here.
3. Here the main distinction is the way the prince is described:
a. The rulers were described as vicious and devouring.
b. This prince is described as ignorant – lacking understanding.
4. The prince that “wanteth understanding.”
a. Want is an old English word that means “lack.”
b. Ex: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. (It does not mean that we don’t want the Lord—it means that if He is our shepherd, then we won’t lack anything we need.)
c. In our proverb, Solomon describes the prince who LACKS understanding.
d. “Lacking understanding” speaks of one who lacks good judgment.
• Prov. 6:32 – “But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”
• Prov. 9:4 – “Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding.” The one who lacks understanding is likened to one who is simple.
• Prov. 10:13 – “In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.” This proverb speaks of the one who lacks understanding as a fool!
• Just because a person has risen to national prominence that does not mean that he is wise or sensible.
• God raises up the basest of men to rule and govern—and God uses them for His purposes.
• The prince that lacks understanding is a ruler who lacks good sense and good judgment. He is simple—like the town simpleton. He is in many ways like the fool of Proverbs too.
• It is a bit frightening to think that men of such low caliber and character make it to such high places in government—but it happens!
5. The prince that lacks understanding is a great oppressor!
a. Oppressor: The Dictionary of Biblical Languages defines this term as “the obtaining of goods legally but immorally from a victim, by taking extra-ordinary, unfair advantage in a dealing, and so a kind of theft.”
b. Foolish leaders oppress their people.
• This is an interesting description.
• We might normally think of an evil ruler oppressing… or a greedy and vicious ruler oppressing.
• But here Solomon describes the oppressor as a FOOL – one who lacks good sense and good judgment.
• It is foolish for a ruler to oppress the people—because people can only be pushed so far before they revolt… and the ruler is rejected… replaced… or executed.
• A wise ruler should know that. Foolish leaders don’t.
• This brings to mind Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, who refused to listen to the wise counsel of the older men and instead did what his younger contemporaries told him to do: oppress the people even MORE than they had been in the past.
• I Kings 12:10-11 – Rehoboam said, “My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. 11And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”
• Foolish rulers oppress their people in hopes of increasing their treasury – becoming even more rich and powerful.
• Greed and covetousness motivates wicked rulers to take advantage of the poor and the weak.
• They will learn the hard way that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil and calamity.
• For Rehoboam, this led to civil war, a division of the nation, and he lost his rule over the nation except for Judah.
• As Solomon his father would have said, It is a foolish prince who oppresses his people.
6. “But he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.” (Worth repeating!)
a. In contrast to the foolish ruler who oppresses others and abuses his power, the one who hates covetousness prolongs his days.
b. Prov. 10:2 – “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.” It requires good judgment to understand this principle. Good and wise rulers understand… they are not lacking understanding.
c. It leads to a long term in office and perhaps a long life. (Many evil rulers are assassinated.)
d. The implication here is clear: A ruler’s real longevity and security in his throne arises not from his own wealth and power, but rather from the welfare of the people.
e. Ex. 18:21 – “Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.”
f. The Mosaic Law made it clear what kind of men should be placed in leadership positions: men of character.
Proverbs 28:17
The Murderer’s Torment
Introduction:
1. This is a proverb about murder and murderers.
2. The proverb also teaches us what our attitude ought to be towards murder and murderers.
3. We want to be sure that our minds are not conformed to the world and its views on the subject. We want our minds to be transformed and renewed so that we have God’s mind on this matter.
The Murderer and His Guilt
1. This expression describes the murderer.
2. The “blood of any person” refers to blood that was SHED by the murderer.
3. Early on in the Scriptures God mentions the sin of murder and how it was to be dealt with.
a. Gen. 9:6 – “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”
b. This passage is crystal clear. Murderers are to be put to death.
c. This command was given just after the flood to Noah as the “new world” was about to begin (start over).
d. Gen. 6:5, 11-12 – The “old world” (before the flood ended in disaster. The earth was full of violence and murder so God destroyed them all and started over.
e. As the post-flood world began, God commanded that murderers be put to death. This was the beginning of human governments – the agency God ordained to carry out the death penalty.
f. This is amplified and expounded upon in the New Testament epistles.
g. Those who oppose the death penalty today on humanitarian grounds may have good intentions, but they are misguided.
• It is misplaced mercy and pity.
• Their attempt at “mercy” actually opposes divine justice.
• Do they really think they are more merciful than God?
h. WHY did God demand the death penalty for murderers?
• Because destroying the image of God through murder is open rebellion against God Himself.
• God’s purpose was to PREVENT the world from being filled with violence again. It had to be dealt with severely.
• Murder in society was to be treated like gangrene in a body. If it isn’t cut off—it will spread and destroy the whole.
• Num. 35:33 – Another reason for the death penalty was given to Israel.
» The death penalty was necessary in Israel because murder defiles the land and is only cleansed by shedding the blood of the murderer.
» The shedding of the blood of the murderer has a cleansing effect—as well as a preventative effect.
» It was also necessary in Israel because God said that He dwelled in that land. He did not want to dwell in a land that was defiled by blood.
» One must wonder what God must think of the USA and our murder rate—and (for what in practical terms amounts to) our lack of a death penalty.
4. The expression “a man that doeth violence…”
a. While this expression clearly refers to the murderer in this proverb, the Hebrew term translated violence merits closer inspection.
• The term can mean to mistreat or cause someone to suffer… even to do violence against.
• But it can also mean (in a passive sense—and the NET Bible lists it as a passive participle) to be oppressed or to be tormented.
• That seems to be the meaning in Prov. 28:17.
• Hence, the NET Bible translated this proverb, “the one who is tormented by the murder of another…”
b. Solomon is describing a man who shed the blood of another person and is tormented with a guilty conscience.
• He is internally tormented by the innocent blood he shed.
• His conscience is performing exactly as God designed it to perform.
c. The murderer may also be tormented internally by the fear of the avenger of blood.
• Deut. 19:6, 12 – God acknowledges that the family and friends of a murdered person would seek vengeance against the murderer. Therefore, the murderer was to flee to a city of refuge where he would be sheltered and brought to trial.
• Deut. 19:11-13 – However, the cities of refuge offered no shelter to a willful murderer. They offered refuge only to one who killed without premeditation.
• Thus, a cold blooded murderer would have no shelter in a city of refuge. He would be on his own—always fearing being caught by the avenger of blood.
• This was an ongoing torment. There would be no rest or peace to the murderer.
d. The murderer might also be tormented by the nagging fear of divine retribution.
• I Kings 21:17-19; 22:38 – King Ahab was a murderer and God Himself determined to deal with that sin.
• It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God—if you are guilty.
• While a murderer might run far away into the wilderness to hide from man, there was nowhere to hide from God.
• He would live the rest of his days in fear and torment.
The Murderer’s Attempts to Hide
1. “He shall flee to the pit”
a. The term for “pit”
• The term means a deep well or a shaft in the ground.
• It sometimes was used of a dungeon or prison – which were often pits in the ground.
• But it was also used of the grave – a pit in the ground for the dead.
• Hence, it was also sometimes used as a synonym for Sheol – the place of the souls of the dead.
b. It is not entirely clear which meaning Solomon had in mind.
• He could mean that the murderer would run and try to hide in a pit or a cave to avoid the avenger of blood.
• It could also imply that the murderer would be so burdened by his guilty conscience that he would try to commit suicide—and flee for the grave to end it all.
• Either way, the proverb speaks of a man who has no rest or peace in this life.
• Gen. 4:10-14 – Cain killed his brother and became a fugitive and a vagabond.
c. The proverb serves as a good warning against murder.
• We might think that we don’t really need to be warned against murder. That is not a sin we are likely to commit.
• Matt. 5:21-22 – However, the Lord Jesus equated the sin of anger with the sin of murder.
» This is similar to the fact that Christ equated the sin of lust with the sin of adultery.
» They are in fact the same sin – not the same in degree, but the same in kind.
» Uncontrolled lust leads to adultery. It is the seed of adultery.
» Uncontrolled anger leads to murder. It is the seed of murder.
• We might not think we are capable of murder or manslaughter—but so did a lot of men in prison for murder. Their anger got the best of them; they got in a fight that ended up in someone dying.
1. This is the rare proverb that actually ends with an exhortation.
a. Most proverbs that warn against certain activities do so simply by presenting facts. The exhortation is usually obvious.
b. This proverb gives us instruction.
2. The exhortation: if someone commits murder, let no man stay him.
a. Stay: Support; make secure; uphold; assist; help; embrace.
b. Ex. 17:12 – The term was used when Moses was weary of holding up his arms, and he was “supported – assisted” by Aaron and Hur “staying up” his hands… supporting him… helping him with his burden.
c. Solomon’s exhortation to his readers is that we are not to support, help, assist, aid, or embrace a murderer.
d. Aiding a criminal IS a crime.
e. Let God’s law take its course. (C. Bridges)
f. One commentator suggested that it might also imply that if a murderer tries to commit suicide—don’t stay his hands… don’t help him… or don’t stop him.
3. Judas is a good example of Proverbs 28:17
a. He betrayed the Lord Jesus which led to His crucifixion.
b. He was tormented by his guilty conscience.
c. He knew he had no place to hide, so he committed suicide.
d. No one helped or stopped him. He fled for the grave.
4. One final note: God’s law of no mercy for the murderer is God’s law for the STATE… for the government.
a. The state is not to ignore murder. They are to deal with it harshly so that it minimizes the amount of murders.
b. But on an individual level, we as individuals (especially as Christians) should show mercy to a murderer.
c. Though the state needs to carry out its exercise of justice, on a personal level we as individuals can forgive them.
d. This is what Christ was getting at when He explained an “eye for an eye.”
• On a national level, justice is to be executed – an eye for an eye.
• But on a personal level, we are to turn the other cheek.
e. As Christians we should want the government to carry out justice.
• But we should also desire to show mercy to sinners of all stripes – including murderers.
• Murderers can be saved. It is not an unpardonable sin.
Proverbs 28:18
Upright vs. Perverse
Introduction:
1. This proverb presents a principle that we have seen many times in this book – with a slightly different wording and emphasis each time.
2. Obviously it is a truth that God wants to drive home deeply into our psyches… so that we don’t forget… and so that we don’t fall.
3. This proverb is a warning about falling and how to avoid a fall.
A. Walking Uprightly
1. Walking speaks of a lifestyle.
a. It looks at life as going on a journey… going for a long walk and encountering various experiences along the way.
b. This walk will bring you by pleasant meadows and it will bring you by dangerous rocky ridges.
c. As you walk through life, you may encounter sunshine, birds singing, and beautiful foliage.
d. On other days in your journey, you will encounter sore feet, steep cliffs to climb, and storms.
e. It includes the mountain top experiences as well as the deep, dark valleys.
f. This walk consists of many forks in the road and many twists and turns.
g. In other words, it speaks of life itself… and in particular the way we choose to live.
2. Walking uprightly speaks of RIGHT behavior along the way.
a. The term translated “upright” means blameless, without defect, unblemished, righteous, true, virtuous, and genuine.
b. Ps. 19:7 – The word of the Lord is “perfect” (same word).
c. Walking uprightly speaks of walking in harmony with the standard of righteousness, God’s Word.
d. It speaks of behavior that is right before the law of the land and right before God.
B. “Shall be saved”
1. Saved:
a. Defined: Rescued; delivered; to be in a situation that is safe and free from danger.
b. Usage:
• Used of being saved from hostile enemies. (Num. 10:9)
• It can also be used of salvation. (Isa. 45:22)
• It can either be a physical or a spiritual “deliverance.”
• The context must determine the exact meaning.
• In our Proverb, the term is seen as the opposite of “falling.”
• Keep in mind that for the most part, the book of Proverbs speaks about living life on earth. They are basic, practical principles for life, not the theology behind justification or redemption.
c. Clearly Solomon is not teaching salvation by works.
• That is contrary to scores of passages found throughout the Scriptures.
• He is not saying that “walking uprightly” (living a good life) will save you from sin and eternal condemnation.
2. Thus, the question arises: walking uprightly will save us, but from what will we be saved or delivered?
a. The context tells us that we will be saved from a FALL.
b. Before we look at the fall, let’s lock in the fact that the first part of the proverb teaches us that there is SAFETY in walking uprightly.
c. Walking uprightly along life’s pathway will keep us safe from many of the pitfalls into which others fall or are tripped up.
3. Consider other proverbs that deal with the same truth:
a. Prov. 1:33 – “But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” (Listening to Lady Wisdom will keep us safe—and walking uprightly.)
b. Prov. 3:21-23 – Listing to the wisdom of your parents will keep you safe and free from stumbling in life.
c. Prov. 28:26 – Later in this chapter we read about a deliverance that comes by not trusting in our own heart, but through walking wisely.
4. A life of uprightness and integrity will preserve us from trouble and calamity.
a. Daniel is a perfect example of this truth.
• Daniel lived a godly life and walked uprightly.
• And although he lived in a perverse environment, his integrity preserved him from falling.
• He lived a long, prosperous, and fruitful life in the midst of an environment that would have caused many men to fall.
• Daniel “walked uprightly and was saved” – delivered from many pitfalls and traps.
b. Prov. 2:6-7 – “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 7He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.” God is a buckler (shield; protector) to those who walk uprightly.
c. Prov. 11:3 – “The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.” Those who walk uprightly in integrity of heart shall be guided by the Lord. The implication is that they will be guided safely—as opposed to the destruction that comes to perverse (crooked) men.
d. Prov. 11:6 – “The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them.” Their righteous lifestyle is their protection.
e. Prov. 14:11 – “The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.” His house shall flourish.
f. The upright man avoids sin and thus avoids the awful consequences of sin.
A. He That Is Perverse
1. Perverse defined:
a. Morally crooked; twisted; distorted; a state that is not in accord with the standard.
b. We normally use the English term to describe a sexual pervert. The Hebrew term would certainly include that, but is much broader and includes all kinds of deviations from morality… not just sexually.
2. The one who is perverse in his ways stands in contrast in this proverb to the one who walks uprightly.
a. The one who walks uprightly is safe.
b. The one who is perverse in his ways shall fall.
c. We saw this contrast in Prov. 28:10 between the upright man who does good things… and the one who causes others to go astray who shall fall.
d. Good behavior leads to safety; bad behavior leads to a fall.
3. Those who are perverse in their ways exhibit this perverseness in various ways.
a. A man might be crooked in his business deals.
b. A man might be crooked in his speech – a liar.
c. A man might be crooked in his personal finances.
d. A man might be crooked in his relationship to the government.
B. “Shall fall at once”
1. “Fall”: This could refer to a physical fall; a moral fall; a financial fall; falling into trouble and calamity. There are many ways men can fall.
a. Prov. 17:20 – The man with a perverse tongue will eventually fall into mischief. Be sure your sin will find you out!
2. “At once” means at one time – emphasizing not so much the immediacy of it, but the certainty of it.
a. At one time or another, this man will fall.
b. The fall will come at once – suddenly.
c. He may get away with his crookedness for a while—and because of that assume that he will always be able to get away with it.
d. However, one day, quite suddenly, he will fall.
e. Even if he gets away with it in this life, eventually he will stand before God and if not saved, will experience the ultimate fall.
3. There is another intriguing interpretation of the second part of this proverb.
a. It is based on the meaning of the word “perverse.”
b. It views the man as being devious in his ways (plural). In other words, the man is crooked in that he seeks to walk TWO ways at once. This would speak of a deceiver who tries to live a double life.
c. The proverb states that the man who lives a double life will suddenly fall in ONE of those two ways. His deception will not go on forever.
4. But regardless of which view you take of the second part of the proverb, the meaning of the first part is unquestionable: the SAFE way to walk is uprightly… honestly… with integrity… righteously.
a. This man is safe. He will avoid many pitfalls in life.
b. But the one who deviates from an upright walk will surely fall.
c. He is not safe; he will not be delivered but will fall into trouble and calamity.
Proverbs 28:19
Plenty vs. Poverty
Introduction:
1. This proverb makes a clear statement as to what constitutes the real difference between having plenty and being impoverished: hard work!
2. This proverb is just as true and practical today as the day it was written 3000 years ago.
1. “Tilling the land”
a. This is an agricultural expression referring to plowing the land for the purpose of planting crops.
b. The word “till” simply means to work, to serve, to labor.
c. It was used of Jacob’s service to Laban. (Gen. 29:15)
d. It was used of the Israelites’ “service” to Egypt. (Ex. 1:14)
e. It was often used of “serving” God. (used 4 times in Josh. 24:15 – translated “serve” – “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
f. The word simply means to serve or to labor for something or someone.
g. When combined with “the land” it speaks of “serving the land” which meant working the land… plowing and seeding and watering and weeding… taking care of the land so that it produces an abundant crop.
h. In fact, the term was used of Adam “dressing” the Garden of Eden. (Gen. 2:15)
i. Tilling the land implies taking care of the land. The last thing a farmer wants to do is harm his land. His land provides food and income for him. Thus, he wants to serve the land and take good care of it.
2. It is an interesting concept of farming: serving the land.
a. I would normally think of the land serving the farmer – but this passage speaks of the farmer serving the land.
b. Just as all service to God is rewarded; so too, all service to the land is rewarded.
c. Farmers are to “serve” their land. Solomon uses farming here as an illustration of all labor.
d. Regardless of what we do for a living, we ought to see our work, our labor as service to our company… service to our customers… a service to our employer—regardless of what the occupation is.
e. This goes way beyond farming.
f. We easily see that the ministry is a service. Those in full time ministry are serving the Lord… and serving God’s people.
g. Those who work for the government are considered public “servants.”
h. But this ought to be applied to your career as well.
i. As Adam took good care of the garden, we should take good care of the company we work for. We should serve for the good of the company.
j. The farmer serves his land and cares for his land because the land takes care of him. It’s like the mythical golden goose. If you have a goose that lays golden eggs, you take good care of that goose because it takes good care of you!
k. So too, the worker should serve and take good care of his company because his company takes good care of him.
l. It is good for the company—and it is good for you too.
m. It is a wise way to view your relationship to your job.
3. “Shall have plenty of bread.”
a. Here Paul states that the one who labors hard in serving the land will be rewarded for his service.
b. The one who takes extra good care of his land will discover that his land will take good care of him.
c. He will have PLENTY of bread.
d. The one who takes good care of his soil and keeps it enriched, weed free, and moist will have a good harvest.
e. From that good harvest he will have plenty of bread. He will have enough bread to eat and feed his family. He may have enough grains and bread to sell in the market and make some extra money.
f. PLENTY: Satisfied; filled; full; enough or too much.
• The one who works his land will be satisfied with bread.
• He won’t go hungry—he and his family will be full.
g. This passage teaches what other proverbs have stated before: hard work pays off! There is good reward in labor.
h. But this proverb adds an extra twist:
• If you work the land hard, you will be rewarded.
• But it also implies that if you take good care of the land and “serve” the land, you will be rewarded.
• It is possible to work the land and use the land solely for self-interest.
• It is possible to work the land to the point of depleting the land of all of its nutrients, leaving the land worthless in the end. That may be working the land, but it is not serving the land.
• Serving the land implies “having plenty of bread” and benefiting from the labor… but it also implies taking CARE of the land so that it continues to be productive.
i. In the early part of the 20th century in this country (called the dirty thirties), farmers in the mid-west worked the land hard and benefited from it for a while.
• But they worked it so hard they ruined it and it resulted in the dust bowl.
• They worked the land but they didn’t serve it.
• They didn’t serve the land by rotating the crops. They didn’t serve the land by protecting it with cover crops to protect it from wind erosion.
• When a drought came, the land was destroyed. It affected 100,000,000 acres of land.
• They didn’t have plenty of bread any more.
• There is a difference between working the land and serving the land.
j. Prov. 27:18 – He that KEEPETH the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Keep = guard; protect; care for)
• The fig tree provides valuable figs for food.
• But the fig tree requires some tender loving care. If you “keep” (protect; care for) your tree, it will continue to provide for you.
• If you simply pick the figs without caring for the tree, and cultivating it, it may die… and everyone loses.
• The business man who takes good care of his shop will do well. If he lets it get run down, he will lose customers.
k. There is a good application for our jobs too.
• Our relationship to our company/employer ought not to be like a parasite to his host—to suck out of it as much as you can and then move on to something else.
• Solomon’s proverb teaches us that we ought to view our relationship to our company as being mutually beneficial.
• Ask not what your company can do for you; ask what you can do for your company!
• By serving your company and doing what you can for the good of the company, you are also taking care of that which provides a bountiful harvest for yourself and your family.
l. We could apply this principle to the local church too.
• We could attend church for selfish reasons—to get out of it whatever we can for ourselves.
• But we ought to do so with a servant’s heart. We are here to serve, not just to BE served.
• We should care for the spiritual health of the Body. We should use our gifts for the good of the Body.
• In doing so, WE benefit from being attached to a healthy body.
• Don’t just milk the church for what you can get out of it; serve the Body for the common good of the Body and members in particular.
• If we serve the local body, we will have “plenty of bread.” We will be nourished… and the Body will be strong.
1. Note that the word “persons” is italicized. It was added by the translators.
2. The text reads, “He that followeth after vanity.” It is not limited to vain persons… but vain pursuits… a vain lifestyle… vain philosophies… vain values… vain standards… etc.
3. In this proverb, the opposite of serving the land and taking care of the land (dressing the garden) is “following after vanity.”
a. It requires a lot of work and many hours of labor to take care of the land (tilling; planting; seeding; weeding; watering; enriching; rotating crops; planting cover crops; etc.)
b. It is much easier to follow VANITY – empty, pointless, pursuits… like chasing after bubbles or sleeping in the warm sun… or pursuing fantasies and idle dreams.
c. Proverbs 14:23 – “In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.” (penury = need; lack)
• Talk can be just an empty and worthless waste of time.
• Talking doesn’t get the job done.
• You probably know people at work who do more talking and loafing than working.
• That tends not towards plenty and abundance but to a lack… poverty.
d. Following vanity may take many different forms:
• Instead of putting in hard work and taking care of business, just seek to have fun, fun, fun.
• Pursue a life of leisure, cross your fingers, and hope that your business turns out ok.
• Take as much money out of your business as you can and spend it on yourself. That too is following vanity. Spending more than you take in is a form of vanity.
• Pursuing get rich quick schemes is another form of vanity.
4. “Shall have poverty enough.”
a. The end of that road is poverty.
b. The earth is under a curse. The land (without tilling) will bring forth “thorns and thistles.” “Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee.” (Gen. 3:18)
c. Serving the land results in prosperity – plenty.
d. Serving your own vain pursuits results in penury – poverty.
e. The entrepreneur who puts all his blood, sweat, and tears into building up his company and taking care of it will prosper.
f. The one who puts all his energy in pursuing vanity will be impoverished.
g. Prov. 12:11 – “He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.”
• It is not only fruitless; it is foolish!
• This proverb is identical to 28:19 except the last phrase: “”is void of understanding.”
• 12:11 emphasizes the root: folly; 28:19 emphasizes the fruit: poverty.
h. Luke 15:17 – The prodigal son is a perfect example of this truth.
• In his father’s house there was “bread enough and to spare” because his father served the land.
• But the prodigal son pursued vanity with vain persons seeking riotous living—and ended up in poverty.
• He said, “I perish with hunger.”
5. The one who tills his land shall have plenty of bread. The one who follows vanity shall have plenty of poverty.
a. Solomon lays out the options.
b. Then he leaves it to his readers to take their pick.
Proverbs 28:20
A Faithful Man Abounds
Introduction:
1. The contrast in this proverb is between a man who is faithful in his work and a man who seeks to get rich quick.
2. The proverb reminds us of the outcome for each one – in the end.
A. The faithful man
1. Faithful: Firm; steadfast; trustworthy, dependable, reliable, honest, a man of integrity, truthful, etc.
2. The exact KIND of faithfulness Solomon had in mind in this passage needs to be understood by observing the contrast he is making.
a. The contrast is not between a faithful man and a man who is unfaithful; but between a faithful man and one who seeks to get rich quick.
b. Thus, Solomon is comparing two different attitudes towards work and the rewards of work.
3. The faithful man is faithful with respect to his work – his means of supporting himself and his family.
a. He is faithful in doing his work. He doesn’t procrastinate; He doesn’t slack off; he gets the job done. (Prov. 6:10)
b. He is faithful in the sense of being reliable, dependable, responsible.
c. He is faithful when no one is looking at work. (Col. 3:22)
d. He is faithful at the little things as well as at the big things. (Luke 16:10)
e. He is faithful at doing his fair share of the work.
f. He is faithful at doing his best. He is concerned about the quality of his work… not just checking out at 4:00 p.m.
g. Faithful implies that he is consistent; diligent; he does all the little chores that others might skip over; he is careful, conscientious, thoughtful; slow and steady.
h. The faithful man keeps his word; he keeps his appointments.
i. The faithful man is a GOOD worker… and they are hard to find. (Prov. 20:6)
4. The faithful man is a desirable worker because of his character: he is faithful! Character makes a good worker.
B. He Shall Abound With Blessings
1. The man who is faithful with respect to his work-life will abound with blessings. There are rewards awaiting this kind of man.
a. Hard work pays off. (Prov.10:4 – the hand of the diligent maketh rich.)
b. Faithfulness and consistency pay off. (Matt. 24:45-47) A servant who is faithful is promoted; the same principle holds true for believers today too.
c. Character is prized and rewarded.
d. The faithful man is often promoted, honored, and remunerated for his faithfulness to his job and to the company.
2. Of course the proper MOTIVE of a faithful man is not the reward, but a heart desire to honor God and obey His Word.
a. The reward is a fringe benefit of faithfulness.
b. As Christians, we should be faithful not just for an earthly reward, but for our heavenly reward.
c. The goal of being faithful at our job should be to glorify God, not self-promotion.
d. Our goal is to be a good testimony for His name’s sake.
A. He That Maketh Haste to Be Rich
1. “He that maketh haste” speaks of a man who is eager, energetic, in a hurry.
a. Brown-Driver-Briggs: To be pressed; confined; but to make haste; (pressed for time).
b. Dictionary of Biblical Languages defines the term as “behaving or reacting to circumstance in a way that is senseless because you are hurrying or running without purpose.”
2. The faithful man is contrasted NOT to the rich man. It is possible for a man to be rich because of hard work and the blessing of God. Some men are rich and faithful.
a. The faithful man in this proverb is being compared to the man who HASTES to be rich.
b. This is a covetous man. He desires to have money and material goods and wants them right now.
3. This is the person who doesn’t want to wait for things…
a. Like the man who starts a new business and doesn’t want to put in the blood, sweat, and tears and years of sacrifice that it takes to build up a business and a good reputation. Instead, he wants it all – now!
b. Or like the young couple that get married and expect to have a nice house, two new cars, and brand new furniture instantly. They don’t want to wait until they can pay for it piece by piece. They want it now!
c. This is like the student who doesn’t want to take all the time and expense to go to school. He thinks he can go out into the world and make it on his own – without an education. He wants to start making money now!
d. This proverb could be applied to countless situations.
4. The man who makes haste to be rich sees himself as being pressed for time.
a. He wants instant gratification. He wants his porridge and he wants it NOW.
b. When one is pressed for time to gain wealth, the tendency is to use devious means to accomplish that goal. When your goal in life is to become rich, one soon discovers that that goal will eventually be at cross-purposes with God.
c. He is only interested in the end goal: to be rich. Therefore, he is not so concerned about the means to that end.
d. There will be a tendency to cut corners… to cheat…
B. This Man Shall Not Be Innocent
1. Innocent: Free of guilt and thus unpunished.
a. This speaks of a moral connotation associated with “hasting to be rich.”
b. The haste to become rich leads to less than honest behavior – which leads to some sort of punishment.
c. His wrong focus in life will lead to fraudulent schemes which will eventually lead to trouble and punishment.
d. This man will not be innocent – meaning he WILL be punished.
e. Count on it: the inner drive to get rich quick… or to obtain material goods quickly comes with a price tag… there are built in consequences to that.
2. Prov. 13:11 – Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished.
a. The man who wins a lottery and then gets hooked on gambling discovers this truth. He got rich quick… but in the end it was diminished.
b. The man who bets on horses or at the casino might win a few… and assume that he can keep it up – that he can beat the system – discovers that over time, his wealth is diminished.
c. And think of how many young kids become millionaires overnight because they know how to throw a ball. Sadly for many of them, their wealth is diminished – through loose living and bloodsuckers who take advantage of them.
d. Prov. 21:5 – “The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.”
• The one who continually “hopes and dreams” to get rich quick is ultimately disappointed.
• He keeps waiting for his ship to come in – which never seems to come.
• He keeps waiting for someone to discover oil on his property… and they never do.
• Instead of working and being faithful at his place of employment, he dreams, hopes, and waits… and his riches never arrive.
3. Prov. 28:22 – The man who hastes to become rich:
a. The one who hastens to be rich has an evil eye –
• He is envious of others. He sees their riches and wants them… now!
• He doesn’t seem to consider that the other person has accumulated his material goods through years of hard work and toil.
b. He is also unaware (considers not) that poverty shall come upon him.
• He is genuinely deceived.
• He thinks he has beat the system, but discovers when it is too late that he was a fool.
5. We could almost connect the message of this proverb with the story of the tortoise and the hare.
a. Slow and steady wins the race – as in the tortoise and the hare.
b. But the hare (who makes haste to win but isn’t consistent) loses in the end.
c. The tortoise, who may seem much slower is consistent… steady… reliable… and eventually wins the race – or to use Solomon’s image – will abound with blessings.
Proverbs 28:21
Respect of Persons
Introduction:
1. This proverb speaks of the evil of having “respect of persons” or prejudice… bias.
2. This theme is mentioned many times in Scripture. It is a lesson God doesn’t want us to forget.
3. What makes this proverb unique is the fact that it links bias together with bribery. That is a deadly combination.
A. Respect of Persons
1. Respect of Persons: The two terms defined:
a. To know; to acknowledge; to consider carefully +
b. Face; appearance; presence.
2. Combined they have the meaning of bias, bigotry, prejudice, partiality
a. Literally the combination of terms means “to carefully consider someone’s face… appearance… who they are…”
b. The idea is that a judgment is made based on their appearance… their face… their presence.
3. Respect of person is shown in various ways:
a. One’s financial status
b. One’s celebrity status
c. The color of one’s skin
d. One’s educational background
e. One’s nationality
f. One’s political party
g. One’s looks
h. One’s clothing—cool or uncool—rich or poor
i. One’s political position (senator, governor, etc.)
j. One’s social status
k. Would you treat them all the same? Would you treat them the same as you would a foreigner of another race, another language, a different culture, in a lower social strata?
l. Would you really? Be honest.
B. Is Not Good
1. Here Solomon states the obvious. In fact he understates it for effect.
2. Of course it is not good. It is far worse than just not good. It is unjust… ungodly… abominable! It is sin.
3. Prov. 24:23 – It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
a. It is wrong to make judgments on persons made in the image of God solely upon their appearance… or their status.
b. It is especially not good in the legal realm (in judgment).
4. In Solomon’s day it was “not good” not only because it is immoral. It was also illegal – contrary to the Law of Moses.
a. Lev. 19:15 – Moses warns against judging on the basis of one’s wealth. You should not be able to “buy” justice.
b. Deut. 17:21 – Moses warned against having respect of persons in judgment.
• Vs.16 – Moses commanded them to judge righteously. (This is exactly what the Lord Jesus said in John 7:24 – “judge righteous judgment.”)
• Vs. 17 – The small as well as the great were to be heard and judged fairly. (The small farmers and “little people” were to be heard exactly as the judge would hear the great, powerful, wealthy, and important men).
• They were not to be afraid of the face of man… nor treat people differently because of their “face.”
A. A Man Will Transgress
1. A man – the term for man here is a term that means “strong man.”
a. In context, it speaks of a man who is strong because of his position over someone else.
b. Perhaps his position of strength over another is the fact that he is a politician, policeman, employer, or (what best suits the context) a judge in a legal matter.
c. Solomon’s point is that strong men (in positions of power) DO transgress. (rebel)
d. They can be bribed… this seems to be the kind of “transgression” spoken of here.
e. He abuses his power and authority in a sinful and rebellious way.
2. He transgresses by showing partiality.
a. Some men in positions of power and authority over others are willing to rebel against the law of the land because of bigotry and partiality.
B. A Piece of Bread
1. This I take as figurative language… as a small bribe.
a. It is unlikely that a judge would actually take a piece of bread as a bribe… or that a man could be persuaded to transgress for simply a piece of bread.
b. But the point of the figure of speech we take literally: that when men are biased to begin with, it doesn’t take much for them to transgress against someone they hold a bias against.
c. Erasmus thought that Solomon was describing the image of a man luring a dog by holding out a piece of bread or a piece of any type of food.
d. A dog can be lured into almost anything for food.
e. A biased man can be lured into almost anything for a piece of bread… or some other small bribe.
2. Our proverb states that the strong man who is already biased can be lured into transgression for a piece of bread.
a. He sells his soul cheaply.
b. Example: Suppose you had a Protestant judge in Belfast Northern Ireland. Before him is brought a Catholic boy accused of rioting. And suppose he was already biased AGAINST the Catholics. It would take a big bribe to get this Protestant judge to rule unjustly against a Protestant. But he may be willing to pervert justice against someone he’s already biased against for a “piece of bread.”
3. Matthew Henry made a couple of helpful observations on the type of bribe mentioned here:
a. “Those that have once broken through the bonds of equity, though, at first, it must be some great bribe, some noble present, that would bias them, yet, when they have debauched their consciences, they will, at length, be so sordid that for a piece of bread they will give judgment against their consciences…”
b. “Those that are partial will be paltry.”
4. Another commentator noted: “Greed and a lust for power will drive people to do amazing injustice.”
5. It is said that every man has his price.
a. If you offer enough money or the right price, a man can be enticed into anything: Stealing, murder, adultery, pervert justice.
b. The implication in our proverb is that this man (presumably a judge or a person of influence) is already biased or bent in one direction. Therefore, it doesn’t take much to get a biased man to transgress or pervert justice.
6. This proverb challenges us all to ask ourselves the question: do we have a price?
a. What would it take to get you to transgress?
b. Are we biased? Are we bent in a certain direction?
c. Do our internal biases cause us to be easily lured into outwardly transgressing?
d. We may not be a person of prominence (a judge; senator; president), but we DO make judgments all the time.
e. Do our inward biases cause us to be easily lured into sinning with our tongues?
f. Are we willing to compromise integrity for a piece of bread?
g. What would it take to cause our biases and prejudices to come out and harm others? Would you transgress to be in with the in crowd? To be popular? To be funny? To avoid sticking out like sore thumb?
7. The best way to avoid being reduced to a piece of bread is to DEAL with all inward biases!
a. Respecting persons is sin—and it leads to other sins.
b. It can cause us to be easily lured into acting on those biases.
c. Therefore, get to the root of the problem: prejudice—and confess it as sin and forsake it!
d. Integrity is the answer.
Proverbs 28:23
Rebuke is Better than Flattery
Introduction:
This is a simple proverb that states the value of rebuke. It may be more difficult to give and to receive up front, but in the end, it is far better than its opposite: flattery.
A. How to Rebuke (There is a right way and a wrong way.)
1. Do not have a beam in your own eye. (Matt. 7:3-5)
2. Do so for a matter that is worthy of rebuke (Matt.23:24)—not just a personal dislike.
3. Do so with grace. (Col. 4:5-6)
4. Do so in love – (Rev. 3:19 – the Lord rebukes in love.)
a. Rebuke should be done for the spiritual best interest of the one rebuked.
b. Rebuke a brother when necessary, “Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”
5. Do so in accordance with truth – (II Tim. 3:16 – the Scriptures are for reproof – not opinions; John 12:48)
6. Do so in a timely fashion (Prov.15:23) in due season…
7. Do so privately (Matt. 18:15) – not in a crowd; not on Facebook; etc.
8. Do so as led of the Lord.
9. Do so with proper motives.
B. Reproofs and Rebukes Are Often Rejected Initially
1. The person who is rebuked has no favor towards his rebuke initially.
a. In fact, he may become angry and even hostile towards the one who rebukes.
b. Gal. 4:16 – “Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?”
c. When you rebuke a friend, there is always that chance that he will no longer be your friend. He may become so insulted, so hurt, and so angry that he doesn’t want to talk to you any more.
d. That is the risk that one giving a rebuke must be willing to take.
e. You are sticking your neck out when you rebuke a brother. He may welcome it—or he may chop your head off.
2. That makes rebuking very difficult.
a. Sometimes a needed rebuke is avoided because we fear upsetting the apple cart. We fear a hostile response.
b. We fear alienating the one who needs to be rebuked.
c. It is not easy rebuking a brother or friend who needs to be rebuked. Nobody likes doing so (almost nobody).
3. Heb. 12:5 – “Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord.”
a. God had to send out a similar warning to His sons as He rebukes and corrects as a Father.
b. Ultimately, rebukes are from the Lord, whether it comes from the indwelling Spirit who convicts our heart or from the Word of God as we read, or whether God uses a brother to deliver it.
1. Prov. 29:5 – A man that flatters spreads a net for his neighbor.
a. Here the picture is of an unseen danger.
b. A net is designed to capture an unwitting animal.
c. The net is hidden and unseen—but a very present danger nonetheless.
d. Flattery is not immediately seen for the danger that it poses… but it does pose a real danger.
2. Prov. 26:28 – A flattering mouth worketh ruin.
a. This is the danger of flattery: It can ruin the one being flattered.
b. The real danger of flattery is that the one being flattered might actually BELIEVE it!
c. It is often perceived as a green light to continue ahead on the same course.
d. The one who is headed in the wrong direction and is flattered when he should be rebuked, will be strengthened in his pursuit of evil or error or folly.
e. That is the road to ruin. That is the point of this proverb.
3. Psalm 12:2 – Flattery is often associated with deceitfulness – a double heart… from a two-faced so-called friend.
a. One cynic wrote: “The chances are about 10 to 1 that when a man slaps you on the back, he wants you to cough up something.”
b. There is often an ulterior motive behind flattery. The flatterer wants some sort of favor in return.
c. Thus, the flatterer tells you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear.
d. The flatterer is often out for his own best interest—not yours!
4. Prov. 20:19 – “Meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.”
a. Stay away from the flatterer. You can thereby avoid the snare… avoid being deceived… avoid ruin… avoid being taken advantage of by deceivers.
b. Ben Franklin said, “The same man cannot be both friend and flatterer.”
A. Afterwards
1. Afterwards: Upon reflection; upon maturity; after dealing with the consequences of not being rebuked for folly; the one who is rebuked will reconsider the anger that he once held towards his rebuke.
2. He may also shift that anger on to the one who flattered him.
3. Rebuke is sort of like getting a flu shot. It stings initially, but in the long run, it prevents you from getting something worse.
4. Sometimes when a man is flattered for sin, when he should have been rebuked, the flattery actually encouraged him to continue on in that sin.
a. If he continues in sin, he will also be paying the consequences of that sin.
b. If he ever gets right with God, he will repent of his sin and will now be upset over the so called friend who flattered him in his sin.
c. And those who rebuked him (even if he rejected their counsel and became angry at the time), afterward, he will be favorably affected towards them.
B. Favor
1. Prov. 27:5 – Open rebuke is better than secret love.
a. Afterwards, upon more reflection, the one who is rebuked realizes that the rebuke WAS necessary, and in fact, it was exceeding helpful.
b. The patient who yells in pain at his doctor as his arm is being reset will thank him later… and show him great favor when he regains full use of his arm again. This might become his favorite doctor.
2. He may even begin to see it as a blessing to be rebuked! (Ps. 141:5)
3. Prov. 9:8 – Rebuke a wise man and he will love thee.
4. Prov. 27:6 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
5. Ecc. 7:5 – “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.”
6. Prov. 13:18 – “Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.”
a. It delivers from folly and shame and eventually leads to honor.
b. Upon reflection, the one rebuked realizes what is really valuable.
7. Prov. 15:32 – “He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.” It leads to understanding and wisdom and maturity… and that is appreciated.
8. The one who eventually responds properly to rebuke (even if his initial reaction is not so good) will afterwards learn to appreciate what his friend risked in giving the rebuke.
9. Charles Bridges quoted another: “Few people have the wisdom to like reproofs that would do them good, better than praises that do them hurt.”
a. His friend stuck his neck out in love… realizing and taking the risk of having his head chopped off… but he rebukes his friend anyway, out of love and for his friend’s best interest, not his own.
b. The wise man will recognize that the flatterer took the easy route and was not really operating in love. The wise man will see the vanity in flattery and the value of a needed rebuke.
Proverbs 28:24
Robbing One’s Parents
Introduction:
1. The book of Proverbs has much to say about the way parents are and are not to bring up their children.
2. It also has a few words to say about how children are and are not to treat their parents.
1. Here Solomon describes a situation that might seem incredible at first. Who would ever rob from their own flesh and blood… from their own parents who brought them up and nourished them?
2. It’s bad enough to rob a stranger, but to rob one’s own parents almost sounds unthinkable.
3. This might happen more often than you think—and in some ways that we may not have thought of.
4. Rob: Seize; gain possession of an object without a proper agreement between parties; rob.
5. There are many ways that robbery can occur.
a. Robbery by actual theft (secretly).
• A son could rob his parents by stealing money out of the draw or taking his mother’s jewelry or by cashing their checks.
• Drug addicts often steal to support their habit. And their target of choice is usually their own parents. They figure, if I get caught, they won’t press charges.
• They often steal their mother’s jewelry, cash checks, etc.
b. Robbery by wasting their goods and finances.
• Spending money foolishly; and simple things like throwing away a ¼ of a toothpaste tube; eating half of an apple; wearing clothes a few times and trashing them; etc.)
c. Robbery by fraud
• A son could rob by lying about how much money they have, or need, or how much something costs; etc.
d. Robbery by running up a debt.
• They might run up a bill on a credit card in their parent’s name.
e. Robbery by playing on their heartstrings
• They might tell some sob stories to ooze some sympathy in order to get money from their parents.
f. Robbery by borrowing without any intentions of paying it back.
g. Robbery by spending their inheritance like the prodigal son.
h. Robbery through sloth.
• Prov. 18:9 – They can commit robbery by not doing the chores or by not taking care of the property, thus, letting things fall into disrepair.
• He’s too lazy to harvest the crops at harvest time, so they rot and he impoverishes his parents.
• Through sloth they can slowly rob their parents a few pennies at a time… by leaving food on the counter to rot.
• He can rob his parents by carelessly not putting oil in the lawnmower and allowing the engine to seize; by carelessly losing his clothes and other things; etc.
i. There are lots of ways to commit robbery.
6. He has virtually no concern for his parents at all.
a. It doesn’t dawn on him that all the things he wastes, his parents had to purchase. They had to work hard to earn the money to buy the goods that he wastes.
b. He has no concept of the value of money… or the value of hard work… he seems to think money grows on trees.
c. Of course if HE had to work many hours to purchase those items with his own toil and labor, he might see things differently.
d. Telling this young man to turn off the lights to save electricity goes in one ear and out the other because he doesn’t have to pay the light bill.
e. If you tell him not to leave the hot water running or the AC running all day he thinks you are weird and mean.
f. The young person Solomon describes here is immature, irresponsible, and selfish.
g. He demonstrates the height of ingratitude.
h. This is not a very nice young person Solomon is describing.
i. Prov. 19:26 – Here Solomon describes this kind of son as one who “wastes his father” (by robbing him or wasting his money or goods) and “chaseth away his mother” (perhaps by running her off her own property).
• This is a son who abuses his parents… and we hear about that today too – elderly abuse… scams committed against the elderly, etc.
• This is disgraceful and shameful behavior.
1. This young person commits a crime against his parents, but he doesn’t see it that way. He says, “I did nothing wrong. It is not a sin to take things from my own parents.”
2. He is self-centered.
3. He has an entitlement mentality: “I deserve what I took. After all, I live here. This is my house too. I am entitled to have everything that I want.”
4. He is deceived and blinded by his own narcissism.
5. He may genuinely believe that whatever he takes from his parents he deserves or is entitled to… and therefore, taking it is not robbery.
6. Mark 7:10-11 – Jesus spoke of the wickedness of a son in a similar situation.
a. The son Jesus describes is not one who is robbing from his parents.
b. Rather, this is a son who SHOULD have been providing for his aging parents. The law required it. He was to “honor” his parents… which included providing for their needs.
c. However, this man did not want to provide for his aging parents.
d. Therefore, in pretense, he says that he ceremonially dedicated all his goods to God. (Corban). That meant that those goods could not be used for any purpose other than the Temple service.
e. Thus, this man went to his parents and said, “Dad and mom, I’d love to help you out, but all my goods are “corban” – dedicated to God, so I can’t help you out. Sorry.”
f. Instead of helping his parents, he made up an excuse.
g. The son in our proverb robbed his parents, and made up an excuse: “I did nothing wrong. It was no transgression.”
7. In both cases (the one mentioned by Solomon and Jesus) the son had utter disregard for his parents and was concerned only about himself.
a. It’s hard to imagine children behaving this way—but it does happen.
b. It happened in Solomon’s day, centuries later in Jesus’ day, and centuries after that in our day.
c. It is human nature to think only about ourselves.
d. In extreme cases, it causes adult children to have no concern even for their own parents… their own flesh and blood.
e. Salvation – repentance is the cure.
1. He has destroyed their peace of mind… their rest… their joy… and perhaps even their reputation.
2. His character is that of a destroyer.
a. And if he treats his own parents this way, how will he treat others? What does it say about his character? Who would want that kind of a person for a spouse?
b. He brings misery and grief to his parents.
c. He destroys family harmony and peace… no natural affection.
d. He destroys the security of the family nest egg for his parents retirement years.
e. He is no different than an outright destroyer or a robber.
3. Prov. 21:7 – The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them.
a. Ultimately, wicked men who rob will receive judgment from the Lord—even if they get away with it on earth.
b. Sooner or later, your sin will find you out. That applies to robbers too.
c. Not only will it find you out, it will destroy you (either in this life or in the life to come).
d. The law gave a special blessing to those who honor and care for their parents: “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”
e. There is also a special curse for those who mistreat them.
f. Prov. 20:20: “Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.”
Proverbs 28:25
Pride vs. Trust
Introduction:
1. There is a considerable difference among the translations of this verse.
2. The difference has to do with the meaning of the word translated in the KJV as “proud.” Other translations insert the word “greedy” in its place.
3. It is a simple disagreement: the word has a couple of meanings. It could go either way. Both make sense.
4. It is clearly a judgment call for the interpreter. I have chosen to stick with the KJV translation because it seems to fit the greater context of the book of Proverbs (and the Bible as a whole) better.
1. “Proud” defined
a. Brown-Driver-Briggs: Wide, large; widened, enlarged, expanded; broaden; open place.
b. Dictionary of Bible Languages: Roomy; enlarge; broaden; find relief.
c. But the term also is used a couple of different ways – what one scholar described as “different semantic extensions”:
• greedy (enlarging one’s possessions for selfish ends);
• boast/pride; (puffed up? Enlarging one’s view of self?)
d. It clearly is not to be taken in the literal sense in our Proverb: wide, expanded, open space, roomy. That meaning does not fit at all.
e. That leaves us with a disagreement as to which of the two “different semantic extensions” is meant here: greedy or pride.
f. That is why various translations differ.
g. The dictionary definition does not help us make that choice. Thus, we rely on the context.
2. Proud heart
a. Heart refers to the soul… the self life… the essence of life… the person… a breathing soul… a living being.
b. Thus, Solomon is speaking of a proud PERSON… his inner self life is focused on self.
c. A proud person always puts himself first… above others.
d. That is the essence of pride: “Me first; I am the greatest.”
3. Stirreth up strife
a. Stirs up: Excites; stirs up; engages in.
b. Strife: Contention; discord; dissention; verbal quarrel.
c. Solomon’s point in Proverbs 28:25 is that a proud person (a proud soul) stirs up trouble, contention and strife wherever he goes.
4. There is more than one root to contention according to the following passages:
a. I Cor. 3:3 – For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
b. Prov. 10:12 – Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
c. Prov. 15:18 – A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
d. Prov. 16:28 – A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. (an evil spirit)
e. Prov. 26:21 – As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. (a contentious spirit)
5. Prov. 13:10 – “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.”
a. While all of these passages are true. There may be various causes for controversy.
b. However, at the root of it all there is PRIDE.
c. Pride is so insidious. Pride is at the root of wrath and unjustified anger. It is at the root of carnality. It is at the root of hatred.
d. ONLY by pride cometh contention means that ALL contention has as its ultimate source, fallen, human pride.
e. Pride results in nothing but contention and strife.
f. The proud soul cannot tolerate any competition. He cannot stand to have someone oppose his views or contradict his statements. Therefore, he causes contention and trouble.
g. This is a good reason to translate the term “proud” rather than “greedy” in Proverbs 28:25.
h. It is a PROUD heart (person) who stirs up strife—every time.
i. Get rid of the pride, and the controversy ceases.
j. Phil. 2:3 – Christlikeness demands this: let NOTHING be done through strife or vainglory. In other words, deal with the selfish pride!
k. Prov. 13:10 ends with the thought: “with the well advised is wisdom.”
• It is wise to be humble. It is wise to confess pride and forsake it.
• It is wise because pride is at the root of our troubles and contentions.
• In the midst of controversy and strife, we would be “well advised” to HUMBLE ourselves and follow Paul’s advice: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
1. In contrast to proud soul, we now have a trusting soul.
2. Consider the contrast between pride and trust/faith.
a. In this proverb, pride is seen as the opposite of trust or faith.
b. This demonstrates that pride is at the root of unbelief.
c. Self-centered pride is the essence of unbelief. It says the following:
• “I am not a sinner. I am pretty good.”
• “I don’t need a Savior. I can make it on my own.”
• “I don’t have to trust in God. I can lean on my own understanding.”
• “I don’t need God’s strength. I can handle life myself.”
• Pride and unbelief go hand in hand.
3. However, the person in the second half of our proverb is trusting in the Lord.
a. He is not proud. He is not trusting in himself.
b. He is not proud; he does not put self first. He puts God first.
c. This person does not have to exalt self or put his own opinion first. He commits his case to the Lord and trusts God for the outcome. He is totally dependent upon God and His grace.
d. Because he trusts in the Lord and leaves his case to God to resolve, he doesn’t have an ax to grind. He doesn’t feel it necessary to fight for his way first all the time.
e. He walks by faith and lives in peace with others.
4. He “shall be made fat.”
a. This was considered a blessing in Bible days.
b. The Hebrew word literally means anointed; but it often is used of a dry object being smeared or covered in fat. (Think of dry leather and putting some grease on it to make it supple.)
c. The term came to mean: prosperous, to have an abundance; well fed, well taken care of… and thus satisfied.
d. It indicated that life was good; things were going well.
e. Thus, instead of living life like the proud person—constantly in the midst of quarrels, controversies, and contention, this trusting soul is well taken care of. He is full and satisfied. His life is full of blessings—not trouble.
f. Prov. 13:4 – “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” (meaning, he will prosper and do well)
5. The proud, self-centered soul will suffer contention and strife wherever he goes. The trusting soul will experience blessing wherever he goes.
Proverbs 28:26
Misplaced Trust
Introduction:
1. This proverb is connected in thought to the previous proverb.
2. Both of them speak about TRUST.
3. Both of them also speak of the results of that trust—whether in the Lord or in self.
4. There is a difference however in the contrasts in each proverb.
a. Vs. 25 – the opposite of trusting in the Lord is being proud.
b. Vs. 26 – the opposite of trusting in self is walking wisely.
A. Trusting in Self
1. This stands in contrast to the one who puts his trust in the Lord in vs. 25.
2. Of course, our trust OUGHT to be in the Lord always, but that is not always the case. Sometimes we put our trust in other things.
a. Ps. 31:6 – Some trust in “lying vanities” (idols). “I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.”
b. Ps. 118:8 – Some trust in man. “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”
c. Prov. 3:5 – Some trust in their own understanding. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
d. II Cor. 5:6b – Some trust in what they can see. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (Trust in sight vs. faith – trust in God.)
e. Jer. 9:23 – Some trust in their own wisdom, might, and riches when they should trust in the LORD. “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches.”
B. Trusting in Self is Folly
1. FOOL defined:
a. Dull; thickheaded.
2. This proverb teaches us the nature of a fool: he trusts in his own heart… in his self… in his wisdom… in his own merit.
a. Ps. 14:1 – The fool also says that there is no god. That’s why he trusts in his own heart. What else is there?
b. The nature of the fool to reject God and to be self-reliant—a trait that the world adores.
c. What folly it is to take no counsel (even from God’s Word) but to rely on self… our own wisdom and intelligence!
d. Many times in Proverbs the fool has been described as one who refuses to listen to counsel because he thinks he doesn’t need it. He is wise enough on his own. He trusts in his own wisdom.
3. Jer. 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
a. As believers, we believe God’s Word. We believe what it says about our own hearts.
b. And God’s Word says that our hearts are deceitful. The fallen heart leads us to believe things that are not true—that do not square with God’s truth.
c. And God’s Word tells us that our hearts are bent towards evil.
d. Why in the world would anyone trust in his own heart IF he believed that his heart would deceive him? What folly!
e. Would you invest your hard earned money in an investment firm that you knew lied to its clients and regularly deceived them? No one in their right mind would want to put their money in such an investment.
f. So why would anyone trust in his own heart? It IS deceptive—and evil to boot!
g. Bishop Hall called the heart “The Great Imposter” because it has been practicing a system of deceit on us since the first moment of consciousness!
h. It is not the way of wisdom to trust in that kind of a heart. That is the way of folly. And ultimately, the way of ruin.
4. Matt. 15:19 – “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”
a. What folly to trust in that kind of a heart! It is a cesspool of sin.
b. God’s estimate of our own hearts ought to cause us all to cast ourselves at His feet for mercy, guidance, and wisdom.
c. If this is what our heart is like (and it is) then self-confidence (trusting in our own heart) ought never to enter our mind.
d. We should fear committing every one of these sins that lie in our bosom and rest continually and solely on God and His wisdom, guidance, and power for victory.
5. Jer. 17:5 – “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man… Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord.”
a. Trusting in self or another man is folly because it brings a curse.
b. It brings the curse of failure… defeat… misery… slavery… and all of the other consequences of the sins into which we fall.
c. Sin has its own built in curse – its own built in set of consequences.
d. But on the contrary, there is a great blessing to the man who trusts in the Lord.
6. Deut. 8:17-20 – “And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.”
a. Vs. 19 – “I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.”
b. When the Israelites entered into the land, they were reminded NOT to trust in themselves but in God – the One who gave them the land and liberty to enter.
c. There was a clear warning: IF you begin to trust in yourselves, you will perish.
7. I Cor. 1:19 – “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
a. What folly to trust in our own WISDOM – because God’s Word has promised us that He will destroy the so called wisdom of the wise.
b. Prov. 14:12 – “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
c. It is folly to trust in our own wisdom, because our choices may SEEM right—but may in fact be the way of destruction, ruin, and even death!
d. Why not trust in God and in His Word. We know for sure that His ways are perfect… His Word… His wisdom… His counsel are all true and right—always!
A. Walking Wisely
1. Walking wisely is seen in this proverb as the opposite of trusting in self.
2. He is wise because he consciously chose not to trust in himself and to place his trust in the Lord. That is wisdom.
a. The wise man knows better than to trust in himself.
b. He has failed many times by trusting in himself, and now knows from experience that his faith is to rest in the Lord and in Him alone.
c. He has learned from experience that his own personal wisdom is extremely limited and his own strength is feeble at best.
d. He realizes that he needs to look beyond SELF for the wisdom and strength for daily living. He looks to the Lord in faith.
3. The way of wisdom is the way of faith – trusting in the Lord. (Prov. 3:5-6)
4. Eph. 5:15 – “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.”
a. We need to walk “as wise” men because the pathway down here on earth is strewn with traps, snares, pitfalls, stumblingblocks, and the road is infested with enemies.
b. If we know and believe this, then it behooves us to walk circumspectly and wisely… TRUSTING in God for each and every stop along the way.
c. Self-confidence on such a pathway is folly to the nth degree.
d. We should thank God for doors that He in His providence and wisdom closes along the way… even if they are doors our hearts longed to enter. Lean not on thine own understanding.
e. Wisdom naturally distrusts our own hearts… distrusts our own feelings… and distrusts our own inclinations—and therefore puts every thought, word, deed, and feeling under the scrutiny of God’s Word before taking one step.
f. The better we understand the depth of the depravity of our own hearts, the more likely we are to refuse to trust in SELF and therefore put our trust in God.
g. Prov. 3:5 – The way of wisdom is to TRUST in the Lord: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
B. Deliverance
1. Delivered defined: Escape; slip away.
a. Two interesting usages of the term:
→ Job 19:20 – “My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.”
→ Ps. 124:7 – “Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.”
2. Prov. 29:25 – He shall be safe—rescued—delivered—saved from many calamities that are to be directly traced to the fact that he is walking wisely—by faith which rests on God.
3. The wise man who trusts in the Lord and who trusts in the strength and power of God is delivered because the arm of flesh will fail us.
a. Self and its fleshly nature are not reliable. They will not bring about deliverance from sin. (Read Romans 7!)
b. He is delivered because he does NOT trust in self.
c. He seeks wisdom and guidance from above and in God’s Word he FINDS the wisdom that he needs.
Proverbs 28:27
Giving to the Poor
Introduction:
1. In this simple proverb, Solomon speaks about the results of being either generous or stingy towards the poor.
2. This principle has great application to us today—with some minor adjustments for dispensational distinctions.
A. Giving to the Poor
1. Here Solomon speaks about giving to the poor.
2. The term he used is broader than giving financially.
a. This Hebrew word is used about 2000 times according to the Complete Word Study Dictionary.
b. It involves many shades of meaning: To give; ascribe; bestow; commit; consider; present an offering; granting.
3. Thus, when used in conjunction with giving to the poor, it may imply more than just monetary donations.
a. It would certainly include giving money.
b. But it also implies “considering” them – considering their cause and being sensitive to their situation.
c. It may imply granting funds to the poor as a national endeavor. Remember, Solomon was the king of a nation.
d. It could include providing opportunities for them.
e. There are lots of ways to help the poor. People (even today) are not always in agreement as to what is the BEST way to help the poor. (Should we give them free corn or teach them how to plant corn? Should we give them fish or give them a fishing pole?)
f. As believers, we may disagree as to what is the best way to help the poor, but we should be in agreement on the fact that God has always desired His people to be considerate of the poor.
g. Solomon doesn’t recommend any particular program for the poor here. Rather, he speaks of the principle: giving to the poor is good. It is God’s will.
4. The poor defined:
a. Dictionary of Biblical Languages: “to be in a state of not having enough income or means of livelihood for normal essential needs.”
b. It can refer to a person in need.
c. It can refer to people who have “few resources and little standing or influence in a society.” (Complete Word Study – Old Testament)
d. The term also can describe a weakened condition (sometimes the result of a lack of food or water). The poor are usually the weakest group in any society and are easily trampled over.
e. Solomon is obviously speaking here of one who is poor through no fault of his own. That is not always the case.
5. Solomon sometimes spoke of the poor in a bad light.
a. Prov. 10:4 – “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” Laziness results in poverty.
b. Prov. 20:13 – A love for sleep also leads to poverty.
c. Proverbs 28:19 – “Hanging around” with “vain persons” also leads to poverty.
d. Prov. 23:21 – An overly indulgent lifestyle leads to poverty. Solomon uses two examples: “drunkenness and gluttony” Spending too much might also be included in that overly indulgent lifestyle.
e. But that is certainly NOT always the case.
6. Often, people are living in poverty through NO FAULT of their own.
a. A person may be in poverty because he happened to be born in a poor country—ruled by a dishonest and greedy dictator who abuses his power and keeps the nation’s wealth for himself.
b. A person may be in poverty because he became sick and unable to work, or perhaps his company fell on hard times and laid him off.
c. There are lots reasons for poverty. We should not be quick to judge the poor until we have walked in their moccasins.
d. Prov. 22:2 – “The Lord is the Maker of them all,” meaning both the rich and the poor.
• God sovereignly appoints individuals to poverty for His own good reasons.
• Perhaps it is to test our faith or to cause us to depend upon Him more.
• God is the MAKER of both groups.
• We look at the rich or poor from an earthly perspective and usually think highly of the rich and not so highly of the poor.
• God does not see mankind that way as Maker. The Creator looks at them all as His creatures, made in His image.
e. The fact of the existence of these two groups is to be traced back to God: to His providence and to His sovereignty.
• The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. That is His right as Sovereign and Creator. He has allowed men to be born into and to live in either great wealth or poverty.
• 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.
• I Sam. 2:7-8 – The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich.
• Deut. 8:18 – For it is HE that giveth thee power to get wealth.
f. The Bible is pretty clear that God is sovereign over the social strata into which men are born, live, and grow.
7. This proverb encourages us to be generous in our giving to the poor. This principle is seen in every age.
a. Israel under LAW:
• Lev. 25:35 – RELIEVE the poor: “And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him.”
• Ps. 82:3-4 – DEFEND the poor: “Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.”
• Deut. 15:11 – BE GENEROUS to the poor: “For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” (see vs. 7 – harden not your heart)
b. Church under GRACE:
• Gal. 2:10 – REMEMBER the poor: “Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.”
• Gal. 6:10 – DO GOOD: “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
• Acts 20:35 – SUPPORT the weak; “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
• Acts 11:29-30 – SEND RELIEF: “Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: 30Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.”
• Romans 15:26 – CONTRIBUTE: “For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.”
• I John 3:17 – SHOW COMPASSION: “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”
• Clearly the church is to be generous to the poor – in particular, to the poor saints.
B. Shall Not Lack
1. Here we see a slight dispensational distinction.
2. Under the Law, those who obeyed could expect blessings for obedience in this life.
a. Deut. 15:10-11 – “Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.”
b. Prov. 3:9-10 – “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
c. Deut. 28:1-6 – This was part of the Mosaic Covenant. “If ye obey… then I will bless.”
d. Prov. 19:17 – “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.”
3. In the age of grace, we are also promised blessing for obedience and for giving to the poor. However, the blessing is not promised for this life but rather, heavenly rewards.
a. Luke 14:13-14 – “But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”
1. The opposite of generous giving followed by blessing is mentioned.
2. The one who hides his eyes
a. This speaks of the one who SEES the poverty.
b. In the story of the Good Samaritan, there was a priest and a Levite who SAW the plight of the crime victim, beaten, and lying on the road. They turned their eyes the other way.
c. God providentially caused their pathways to cross and they refused to offer any help.
d. This is willful ignorance. This man cannot excuse himself for a lack of knowledge. He saw and chose to hide his eyes.
3. This man shall have many a curse.
a. This too has dispensational ramifications.
b. This was part of the Mosaic Law. If a Jew did NOT obey, then he could expect cursings.
c. Prov. 11:26 – “He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him…” This curse shall come from the people he treats cruelly.
d. Deut. 28:15 – These curses shall come from the Lord Himself.
e. The application for the Christian here is that if we refuse to help the poor, we will lose rewards that we could have had.
• When God confronts us with a “Good Samaritan” moment, he expects us to help the poor.
• I John 3:17 – When God confronts us with the need of a brother, he expects us to show love and compassion.
• These are opportunities for the believer to manifest Christ and when he acts in love and obedience, then he will be rewarded in heaven.
• God may bless us in this life for our generosity. But we are not to give in order to get, or to obey in order to be blessed. We are to give because we have already been blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
4. Our proverb encourages generosity towards the poor… and consequences for our action or inaction.
Proverbs 28:28
When the Wicked Rise
Introduction:
1. This proverb makes a simple statement about the rise of wicked leaders and its effect on righteous people.
2. Similar statements have been made in other proverbs.
A. When the Wicked Rise
1. This speaks of wicked men rising to power as rulers, kings, presidents, and prime ministers.
2. The fact that a man rises to political power does not guarantee that he did so out of noble motives and with honorable character.
3. We saw in the book of Daniel that sometimes God raises up the basest of men to rule.
a. Dan. 4:17 – “the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”
b. But note that regardless of who rises to power (righteous or wicked) it is the Lord who raised him up and for His purpose.
c. Ex. 8:16 – God raised up Pharaoh for His purpose.
• Pharaoh was an ungodly king who enslaved God’s people and refused to let them go. God raised up Pharaoh for His purposes.
• Moses records God’s reason for raising him up: “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.”
d. Jer. 27:5-6 – God raised up Nebuchadnezzar
• Nebuchadnezzar was a pagan king – an idolater. He may have come to know the Lord later, but God raised up an idolatrous pagan king to rule.
• And the Lord did so for His own glory.
• “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. 6And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.”
e. Isa. 10:5-7 – God raised up Assyria for His own purpose.
• The Assyrians were especially cruel and wicked towards the people they conquered.
• “O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.”
f. This concept has been a perennial problem for the Jewish mind—WHY would God raise up wicked men to rule? Why not raise up good men and make the world a better place?
• Because that is not God’s purpose. God’s purpose is not to “fix” the world system but rather to replace it with HIS Kingdom.
• Hab. 1:6-7a – “For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs. 7They are terrible and dreadful…”
• Hab. 1:13 – The prophet was puzzled as to WHY God would raise up those who were dreadful and terrible.
» It seemed out of character for a holy God to raise up wicked rulers and put them in positions of power.
» “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?”
• Hab. 2:20 – The prophet heard God speak and (like Job) was left speechless and in awe of who God is.
» “But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.”
» Who are we to question who God raises up to rule?
2. This is a helpful thought during election season in our own country.
a. Regardless of what you think of the candidates and their policies, God is still on the throne.
b. He has a purpose for whatever He allows and for whomever He raises up to a position of authority.
c. God is bringing His plan to pass.
d. As Christians, our responsibility is to “honor the king.”
e. We may disagree strongly with his religious beliefs, with his political policies, and with his handling of social issues.
f. But God didn’t command us to agree with the king—but He did command us to honor the king.
g. Whether we like it or not, we are living in the end times and God’s plan WILL come to pass. The world will be brought into a one world government. We should expect to see more and more indications of that coming to pass in the next generation or so.
h. We may find ourselves puzzled as Habakkuk was; but we should also be willing to be silent before Him and trust that His ways are perfect… even if puzzling to us.
B. Men Hide Themselves
1. Hide defined: To hide; conceal. It has the sense of preventing someone to know or see something, to keep something from public notice or from certain persons. It has the sense of to guard and protect oneself from perceived danger.
2. Solomon’s point is that the character and quality of the leadership has a direct effect on the people they rule over.
a. Solomon suggests that when wicked men rule, the righteous in the land head for the hills and hide!
b. Some may have to literally hide. This is certainly the case in many Middle Eastern countries today.
c. Sometimes righteous men are considered enemies of the state and have to hide or leave the country. Life is not good for Christians in Egypt right now.
d. Others may not have to literally hide. They simply lose their voice and sink back into the woodwork… silent… ignored… abused… without power… waiting for a change on top.
3. Prov. 29:2 – When the wicked bear rule, the people MOURN.
1. But when the wicked ruler perishes…
a. Wicked rulers often DO perish.
b. We have seen a good number of wicked rulers in the Middle East perish in recent years… with a few more ready to be assassinated or perish some other way.
2. Even the removal of kings is the Lord’s doing.
a. Dan. 2:20-21a – “Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: 21And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings:”
3. What is the result of that? The righteous INCREASE.
a. Prov. 28:28 – They had been hiding in the shadows, but now they can come out in the open.
• They are no longer hunted and persecuted and decreasing.
• Now they are increasing—in power, prosperity, and freedom.
b. Prov. 28:12 – With a righteous leader, righteous people can REJOICE! They will increase, prosper, thrive, and rejoice and glory in it!
4. There is a direct connection between the quality of the leadership and the condition of the people.
a. With a wicked leader, righteous people hide themselves; they know that they will be trampled over and oppressed by the wicked leader.
b. Bad leadership has an adverse effect on the righteous.
5. While this proverb seems to be directed towards the political leaders, this same principle is operative in the churches too.
a. Leadership matters.
b. There is also a direct connection between the spiritual quality and character of the leadership and the spiritual condition of the people.
c. When wicked men (or false teachers) rise to power in the local church, righteous men have to go into hiding.
• The righteous and the godly are silenced and have no voice.
• They are ignored and relieved of their duties.
d. When the bad leader perishes (or leaves) then the godly increase.
• They increase in influence and position and numbers.
• They can come out from the shadows and be out in the open… sharing godly views and godly influence.
• It’s a breath of fresh air.
e. Charles Bridges lists some Biblical examples of the righteous increasing and rejoicing when the wicked perish:
• There was a revival after Hezekiah opened up the Temple doors which his wicked father Ahaz had shut up.
• When the wicked Haman was hanged, the godly Jews increased and rejoiced. (Esther 8:17)
• When the wicked Herod perished, “the word of God grew and multiplied.”: (Acts 12:23-24)
f. Leadership affects the condition and well-being of the people—whether it’s in a nation, an office, or in the churches.
6. It’s no wonder we are commanded to pray for leaders: those in positions of authority in the local church and in the government:
a. I Tim. 2:1-3 – “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.” Paul asks for prayer for our political leaders.
b. I Thess. 5:25 – “Brethren, pray for us.” As an apostle (a church leader), Paul asks for prayer.
c. God is still on His throne… both with respect to the nations and the churches. Trust in Him.
