Proverbs 16:29
A Violent Man
In vs.27-29,
Solomon speaks of different kinds of evil men:
- vs.27
– the ungodly man
- vs. 28
– the forward man
- vs. 29
– the violent man
A violent man enticeth his neighbour
- Violent
Defined:
- Strongs:
violence, cruelty, injustice.
- Dict. of
Bib. Lang: strong, fierce, destructive force resulting in acts that maim,
destroy, kill, often implying a lawlessness, terror, and lack of moral
restraint.
- Zodhiates:
It implies cruelty, damage, and injustice; When it describes a person, it
can mean an oppressor or a violent man (Prov. 3:31).
- Gen.
6:13 – it is the term used for the reason for the flood: the earth was
full of violence.
- It is always
used of a sinful type of violence… never of the violence of a
storm or natural disaster.
- It most
often translated violence, but also: cruelty; injustice; oppression;
- The
Hebrew term is “hamas.”
- Enticeth
- To be
open; to be open minded; to be gullible; naïve; it came to mean to
deceive someone who is gullible or naïve;
- Thus: to
entice, deceive, persuade, seduce;
- Jud.
14:15 – it was used of Sampson’s wife “enticing” him to declare the
riddle.
- II Kings
22:20 - It was used of Michaiah the prophet who spoke of the Lord using a
demon to “persuade” Ahab.
- This
term means to persuade – usually with language… verbally.
- 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…
- The
violent man enticeth his neighbor.
- Prov.
1:10 – if
sinners entice thee…
i. Same word for entice
ii. Solomon assumes here that young men
(and young women!) WILL be enticed by trouble makers.
iii. Vs.11 – “If he SAY” – they will have
enticing speech… they use words to entice…
iv. Vs. 11 – notice their violence: lay
wait for blood!
v. Vs. 11 – come with us! Be part of
our group!
Þ The bad crowd here entices the young
man by offering him “membership” - “with us”!
Þ There is attractiveness to
belonging…
Þ You can belong somewhere… you can be
a part of our gang… the in crowd… the cool crowd…
Þ There is a clear line
being drawn in the Bible on this issue.
Þ The evil crowd cries to the young
man: “Come with us”!
Þ God’s Word says: “Come out from among
them & be ye separate!” (II Cor. 6:14-18)
Þ Whose fellowship & companionship
do you want?
vi. 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…
vii. Vs. 14- they make themselves sound
like a “brotherhood”! We will all have one purse! We take good care of each
other!
viii. Vs. 10 – consent thou not!
ix. Vs. 15 – stay away from them!
x. 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.)
And leadeth him into the way that is not good.
- Prov.
1:10-14 - This
man is not content just to sin. He wants to lead others
along with him.
- Lead = to
walk;
- Strongs:
lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk.
- It is
the word translated “come” in Prov. 1:10;
- It is
translated “come” in 7:18 – the harlot inviting the young man to come
into her house.
- It is an
invitation… walking someone down a pathway…
- It can
be used in a good sense. It is the term used for God leading the children
of Israel. But here it is obviously used in an evil sense… leading in a
way that is not good.
- The GOAL
or AIM of this violent man is to lead YOU down a path that is not
good.
- The tactic
he uses is satanic.
- Satan is
violent… he was a murderer from the beginning.
- Satan
seeks to entice and allure us… and Satan uses people… and speech
to lure us away.
- Satan
also seeks to lead us away from the straight and narrow path into
a way that is not good!
- When a
sinner entices us we should hear the hissing of the devil behind those
words! Stay away!
- Prov.
3:31 – Don’t
envy him and don’t chose any of his ways! (oppressor = violent man.)
- Why
would anyone envy
such a violent man?
i. Because there is something
attractive about sin.
ii. There is a pleasure to sin.
iii. The drug dealer often has fancy
clothes and an expensive car…
iv. But later on those fancy clothes are
usually exchanged for an orange jump suit… and instead of sitting in the
driver’s seat of his Lexus, he is sitting on a hard bench in a jail cell.
v. But the simple and the gullible DO
often envy this person BEFORE he gets caught.
- Don’t CHOOSE
his ways.
i. Don’t choose his ways… because you
may also be choosing his END…
ii. There is something glitzy, glamorous
and attractive about his lifestyle before he gets caught.
iii. But there is nothing glitzy about
his life after he gets caught!
iv. Even APART from the fact that it is
sin against a holy God… even by examining the evidence according to life under
the sun (earth)… the wise decision is to stay away!
- The
violent man will lead you in a way that is not good.
- It is not
honest, nor honorable, nor safe.
- It is
not proper, beneficial, right,
- It is a
direction that takes one AWAY from God and the narrow path.
- This is
true of violence (street gangs); drug abuse; drinking; stealing; sexual
sins; corruption of all stripes;
- There
are all kinds of evil men… with all kinds of alluring ways… seeking to
lead you down all kinds of evil pathways…
- There is
an evil pathway for every evil inclination may has ever devised.
- This sort
of person aims to ruin others. Misery loves company.
- Often
times he allures others into his corruption so he doesn’t look so bad! If
he can drag you down, it makes him look better!
- If he
can drag you down, he has bragging rights.
- If he
can get an otherwise “good kid” to follow his ways, then he doesn’t feel
so vile.
- Rom.
1:32 – they
not only commit such sins, but DELIGHT when others do it too!
- II
Chron. 18:1-3
–
- Ahab
killed sheep and oxen for godly King Jehoshaphat in abundance…
- Ahab PERSUADED
him to go to battle with him at Ramoth-Gilead.
i. Ahab, the evil king of Israel, the Baal worshipper, somehow convinced Jehoshaphat through enticing speech to join
with him.
ii. Ahab heaped on the accolades, gifts,
banquet, compliments… and Jehoshaphat fell for it…
iii. It’s hard NOT to be taken in when
someone is buttering you up like that!
iv. Jehoshaphat was persuaded & nearly
to his own ruin!
- Don’t
allow yourself to be duped
by such men.
- You are
warned: they are out there!
- And they
are not out for your good… but for your ruin.
- MANY
have fallen prey to their evil enticements.
- Don’t
YOU fall for their enticing speech.
- That is
the obvious purpose for Solomon writing this proverb. It comes to us as a
warning.
- Do not
be partakers of other men’s sins.
- II
Pet. 3:16-18
– Peter warns believers about corrupt men who seek to allure us into
false teachings & bring us to spiritual ruin!
i. Since you KNOW this – you have been
warned; Beware!
ii. If not, then we too could be
deceived & FALL!
iii. Growing in the knowledge of God will
keep us safe!
iv. Come out from among them & be ye
separate!