Proverbs
Notes on Proverbs – Chapter 15
Proverbs 15:1
A Soft Answer
Introduction:
1. Chapter 15 speaks often about speaking. (vs.1,2,4,7,14, 23, 28)
2. This particular verse teaches us how to keep an argument going OR how to end it.
1. Soft: tender; soft; delicate; gentle words; pertaining to an attitude or behavior which is not harsh; a positive moral quality of kindness or responsiveness.
a. II Kings 22:19 – Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD…
• Soft answers are soft in the sense that our hearts are to be soft and tender in dealing with people… humility.
• If our hearts are soft and tender then that which comes out of our heart (words) will be too.
• A corrupted fountain does not bring forth sweet water but bitter.
b. Gen. 18:7 – Meat that is tender—as opposed to tough. Tender meat is easy to swallow. Tough meat is hard to swallow…
• Here the term is used of soft, tender meat… the kind that you can cut with a fork and melts in your mouth.
• That kind of meat is easy to chew, to swallow, and to digest.
• The same is true with our words. When they are soft answers, they are easy to swallow and digest.
2. Answer: answer; response; reply.
a. Solomon is speaking about a confrontation of some sort… and the way we RESPOND to the confrontation.
b. What is our response to criticism… to unkind words… to someone who is obviously trying to stir us up and get us mad… how do we answer such a person?
c. When confronted, we are often forced to respond. We have to answer the question or respond in some way.
d. The WAY we answer will determine which way this confrontation progresses.
e. Solomon notes that when someone is trying to pick a fight with us… our first response is vital. It can either cause the confrontation to be defused or explode.
3. Solomon suggests a SOFT answer.
a. A gentle, tender, cool, calm, and collected answer… a delicate answer…
b. Note that he doesn’t recommend:
• A brilliant answer…
• A snappy answer…
• A put down of an answer…
• A “setting the record straight” kind of an answer…
• A long and convoluted answer…
• An answer that includes the entire history of the problem… including 1001 details…
• Getting in a little dig…
• An answer that demonstrates the folly of the one making the confrontation… and the intellectual weakness of his/her argument…
c. It is NOT unmanly to use a soft answer.
• It takes strength of character to do so.
• Any fool can shout back.
• Prov. 16:32 – this man is more valiant than a mighty warrior!
d. In fact, Solomon says NOTHING about the content of the answer.
• This verse doesn’t tell us WHAT to say.
• Rather, it tells us HOW to say it: gently, tenderly, softly, and with a cool head and heart.
• When an argument is in the process of erupting… the other party will be reading your emotional response as much if not more than your verbal response.
• If someone is out to pick a fight with you, he is out for the challenge… to conquer… to win… to defeat you…
• If you respond with equal antagonism and hostility… (and you are also trying to win… to conquer), then the opposing party will be further psyched for the battle.
• But if you respond with meekness and gentleness… then you have let the air out of his/her balloon… you have removed the “challenge”…
• A person will get psyched up for a battle and their adrenalin will start flowing when confronted by an aggressive bear. But when confronted by a meek and mild lamb… the adrenalin stops flowing…
e. Solomon’s advice speaks more of the heart attitude to manifest rather than the correct words to say.
• Matt. 15:18-19 – that which comes out of our mouths proceeds from the heart.
• The soft answer for which Solomon appeals is in essence an appeal for a soft and tender heart.
• Prov. 4:23 – Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are ALL the issues of life… including this issue — the issue of interpersonal relationships.
• The only way for our speech to be soft and tender towards men is for our heart to be soft and tender before the Lord.
• Love is not easily provoked. Love is the fruit of the Spirit.
4. Turneth away: cause to return; bring back; to bring back; allow to return; turn around; reverse.
a. Solomon states that a gentle response to confrontation has the power to turn that rage and anger away.
b. We have no control over whether we will FACE confrontation. That could happen at any moment.
c. However, we DO have control or power over its progress.
d. WE have the power to diffuse potential arguments.
e. A soft answer turns away wrath…
• Remember, this is a proverb.
• This is the way things NORMALLY progress or occur.
• There are always exceptions…
• Sometimes we could be confronted by someone so enraged that NOTHING will turn away their wrath.
• But normally, a soft answer will.
• Be conciliatory. Be gentle. Of course, this requires self control… the fruit of the Spirit.
• This requires putting self aside… Self wants to strike back… and twice as hard and even more viciously.
• But we should have some foresight too. KNOW that a soft answer turns away wrath. Is that really what you want to do? Do you really want to go down that road? Haven’t you been there before?
5. Wrath:
a. Strong’s: heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, venom, poison, burning anger.
b. Dict. of Biblical Languages: hostility, and antagonism, usually in relation to a wrong, real or imagined, as an extension of the heat and burning feeling one can have when one is emotionally worked up and in strife and turmoil/
c. Translated: “the poison of serpents”… the “poison of dragons”… “hot displeasure”
d. Our soft answer can SAVE us from the burning anger, rage, hostility, and poisonous venom which is about to poured out upon us.
e. An argument that starts out relatively mildly COULD quickly escalate into uncontrolled rage… with venomous, poison words being cast like darts…
f. When that occurs, reason, truth, and common sense go right out the window.
g. From that point on, it is no longer cool minds reasoning together.
h. Emotion takes over and it becomes a battle to the death… survival of the fittest… a quest to hurt and conquer.
6. Thus, the BEGINNING of an argument is critical.
a. When someone approaches you with criticism, a problem, or a failure… your FIRST response is vital…
b. Prov. 17:14 – “The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.”
• When water begins to be let out (say a crack in a dam), it is easily fixed if dealt with right away.
• The beginning is the time to be most concerned about. It is relatively easy to deal with a little leak.
• It is nearly impossible to deal with a broken dam.
• When someone is attempting to “begin strife” with you (pick a fight!) leave off contention right away…
• Respond with a soft answer right away… before you start meddling with something that will soon burst out of control… like a broken dam.
1. Grievous words:
a. Defined: pain; hurt; toil; sorrow; labour; hardship; offensive.
b. Grievous words could include words that put down our opponent… pointing out his failures… his sins… weaknesses in his argument.
c. That only fans the flames. That only incites his defense mechanisms… and causes him to defend his character and his argument more vehemently… with more force and aggression…
2. Stir up:
a. Defined: spring up; cause to ascend; to rouse, stir up.
b. Like a smoldering fire—leave it alone, and it will probably die out on its own. Stir it up… and it can burn out of control again.
c. By adding grievous words, we stir up wrath… causing the argument (which was ready to die out) to ascend and spring up again…
d. Adding those grievous words is like adding fuel to the fire.
e. Prov. 30:33 – if you stop churning the milk, it won’t turn into butter! If you stop wringing the nose, it will stop bleeding. If you stop adding grievous words… the argument will die down too. It takes two to argue.
f. Prov. 15:18 –
• It is a heart of wrath that spits out those grievous words!
• Being slow to anger appeases strife.
• But this requires being slow to anger on our part. For it is natural to want to strike back!
3. In a sense, Solomon has empowered us. He has given us the power to incite an argument… or to diffuse an argument.
a. This is like teaching your son to drive a car.
b. By learning how to operate the steering wheel, he has the power to control the direction of the vehicle.
c. By learning how to respond to an argument, we have the power to control the direction of the conversation.
d. This is a fabulous tool God has given us. Let’s use it!
Proverbs 15:3
The Eyes of the Lord
1. This speaks of the omnipresence and omniscience of God.
a. He is everywhere. There is no escaping His presence.
b. He sees all and He knows all. He is observing everything in your life and mine.
c. His eyes are everywhere… even inside your head, your mind, heart, and conscience.
d. There is no escaping His presence… or His knowledge.
2. The eyes of the Lord are in every place.
a. Psa. 139:7-10 – God sees everything on earth, in heaven, under the earth, and in the sea.
b. That’s every place! The entire universe is under His watchful eye.
c. So is every detail of our lives.
3. God sees all and knows all.
a. He knows our deeds (Psa. 139:2)
b. He knows our thoughts (Psa. 139:2)
c. He knows our ways (Psa. 139:3)
d. He knows our words (Psa. 139:4)
e. He knows ME! (and you!) (Psa. 139:1) (how many hairs on my head… down to the tiniest details of our lives)
f. We can hide these things from men. We can fool our parents, our kids, our teachers, our spouses, our bosses, the police, the church leaders… but there is no pulling the wool over God’s eyes.
4. Psa.11:4-7 – God sits in heaven as Judge of all the earth… He is observing and judging.
a. But being in heaven does not mean He is a God who is afar off… or distant… or unengaged in the affairs of the earth.
b. He sits in heaven’s throne observing all… and taking notes… evaluating men’s lives.
c. Nothing is hidden from His eyes. Nothing escapes His scrutiny.
d. This means that not only can nothing can be concealed from the eyes of God, but also that everything is perfectly VISIBLE to God…
e. And because it is under His vision, it is being inspected… examined… scrutinized.
f. He sees our sins; our service; our home life; what we delight in; what we secretly lust after; what we grieve over; our hearts; our minds; our motives; our intentions.
5. John 3:19-20 – men love darkness.
a. The reason? Men think that if the lights are out, no one can see.
b. Many crimes occur at night… so that the criminal can hide his face and his deeds in the darkness.
c. Darkness gives a sense of safety to the criminal and the sinner… thinking that no one will see… no one will know.
d. They hate the light because light exposes them and their evil deeds.
6. Psa. 139:11-12 – There is no hiding from the Lord.
a. Even if we DO cover our deeds from men by means of darkness, we are not covering them up from God.
b. Darkness and light are the same to Him. He has night vision.
c. The eyes of the Lord are in everyplace:
• Heaven, earth, under the earth, the sea, the universe!
• In light and darkness…
• He observes our external deeds.
• He observes with equal clarity our thoughts, imaginations, motives, and intents.
(Now Solomon subdivides his main statement into two parts: evil and good)
A. He Beholds the Evil
1. Prov. 5:20-21 – He beholds the young man who heads off to the home of a prostitute.
a. Prov. 7:6-10 – note that this young man meets the harlot in the “black and dark night” (vs.9)… thinking that no one will see; no one will know.
b. God beholds the evil… even in the dark… as this man committed sin… and He observes when WE commit evil too.
c. Think about who God is the next time you are tempted to commit evil.
2. Psa. 66:7 – This truth is a check on our sinful pride.
a. God observes the nations and each individual in them.
b. He sees when proud, rebellious flesh exalts itself.
c. He sees this in us too… every exaltation of self is in the clear view of God.
d. He even sees self-exaltation when we try to cover it up with false humility… or with some other artifice or pretense.
e. Knowing who God is will keep us from exalting self… and it will help us keep self on the cross by faith.
3. He knows our sins (Psa. 69:5)
a. He knows all about our sins… regardless of how well we think we have mastered the art of covering them up.
b. Not one of them is hidden from God’s eyes.
c. Ps. 90:8 – He has set our secret sins in the full blazing light of His countenance.
d. If you think about this truth—it will become life transforming. Gazing upon God and His character ALWAYS has that effect on us!
B. He Beholds the Good
1. II Chron. 16:9 – He watches the good men do with a perfect heart. He is on their side.
a. He saw good old Joseph in the prison, suffering wrongfully. And the Lord kept good records of it all.
b. He saw the good the apostles were doing as they preached the gospel, and He saw how they were treated.
c. He saw Hagar being cast out of Abraham’s home… and she called God, “Thou God seest me.”
d. He saw the affliction of the children of Israel in Egypt. (Ex. 3:7)
e. He saw Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace…
2. He sees every ounce of injustice that is leveled against those who are doing good things… and He remembers.
a. He remembers the injustice done to His people and how they honored Him through it all.
b. He remembers those who committed the injustice and will never forget to BRING them to justice… one day.
C. This Truth is a Two Edged Sword
1. His eyes can tell the difference between good and evil. In fact, He is the Judge.
a. Heb. 4:12-13 – His Word is a two edged sword.
» It cuts deep into our hearts and separates between soulish and spiritual… and the thoughts and intents of the heart…
» It cuts both ways.
» It sometimes divides in order to exonerate the righteous.
» It sometimes divides in order to expose and condemn the evil.
2. Prov. 15:11 – He knows our heart.
a. There is no hiding from Him. There is no hiding behind lies, deception, or dishonesty.
b. He sees and knows all that is going on in our hearts.
c. Our own hearts can DECEIVE us. We might think things are not so bad. God knows the truth.
d. I have often heard believers use this thought as an excuse for their sinful behavior, when in reality, they should TREMBLE over this truth!
e. But when our hearts are right with God, this is comforting.
3. To those who are practicing good… this is a great comfort and encouragement.
a. Those who mistreat you and inflict injustice upon you are doing so in the clear vision of Jehovah… and will one day have to give an account to Him.
4. To those who are secretly practicing evil… this is a frightening and terrifying thought…
a. To those practicing evil: take heed! This is a warning. You will NOT get away with anything before the Lord.
5. Jer. 32:19 – He beholds for the purpose judgment… judging all works…
a. This means that the wicked shall not go unpunished. At the Great White Throne God judges according to works.
b. This also means that the righteous will not go unrewarded.
c. At the Bema, it is our works that are to be judged.
6. Justice eventually will be meted out to all… even though things seem so unfair today.
a. “Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?”
b. It appears like evil men are getting away with murder today… but in light of eternity—no one ever gets away with anything!
7. Hence, a pure conscience is absolutely VITAL to the Christian life.
a. God knows our heart and motives.
b. Hence, He knows all about our conscience too… if we have violated it… ignored it… seared it…
8. This Proverb is about God… His Person… His attributes.
a. And the knowledge of who God is should have an effect on the way we live!
b. It should engender FEAR.
c. That godly reverence and fear of God should keep us from evil… and lead us to the good.
d. Knowing this truth about God has a wholesome effect on our lives.
• When you are thinking about cheating on a science test at school… or you are planning to not do your homework and think you can get away with it tonight… God knows.
• When you think that I can loaf at work today because the boss is away on a business trip… God sees.
• When you think that you can give a sweet and syrupy answer… and harbor bitterness in your heart at the same time… God sees our heart.
e. In countless ways… be cognizant of the presence of God… and of the omniscience of God, which will have a spiritually healthy effect on our lives.
• Keep God on your mind and heart throughout the day. Be looking unto Jesus… and be aware that He is looking back.
f. Ps. 139:23-24 – This should lead us to be HONEST before God… knowing that He knows the truth anyway!
• Lord, help us to see this!
• When things are not right in our lives, this is a terrifying thought. When we are honest with God, and walking with Him, this is exceedingly comforting.
Proverbs 15:4
A Wholesome Tongue
Introduction:
1. In this proverb Solomon states a principle that is repeated in various ways in this book: words can either encourage or crush someone’s spirit.
2. Hence, while he doesn’t make the application, the application is obvious: be CAREFUL with our speech!
1. A wholesome tongue:
a. Wholesome: health; healing; cure; soothing; tranquil; sound; health; lacking disease or weakness.
b. Prov. 12:18 – ?There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
• Solomon is describing the purpose of the tongue (speech) in ordinary conversation.
• A wholesome tongue is one which does not pierce like a sword. It is not cutting; offensive; It is not used to hurt others; to make others feel bad;
• That is not the tongue of a wise man… that is the tongue of a foolish man.
• A wise man uses his tongue to bring health… healing… like the balm of Gilead…
• He uses his tongue to cure, to sooth, to bring peace and tranquility.
• This is the way of the wise.
c. Prov. 16:24 – Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
• A wholesome tongue speaks pleasant words…
• The wholesome tongue leaves a sweet taste in someone’s mouth… not bitter… or sour. Wholesome words are sweet as honey!
• Have you ever spoken to someone… or heard someone speak that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth… because they were unnecessarily harsh or abrasive? Have you found yourself cringing over their words?
• Those are not pleasant words… nor is this a wholesome tongue… nor it is a wise man.
• Pleasant words are health to the bones… soundness deep down inside… strength… support… stability…
2. A tree of life… (It is best to let Solomon define how HE uses the term.)
a. Prov. 13:12 – Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
• A tree of life is the opposite of being heart-sick… discouraged… defeated… disappointed… down… depressed… a sense of hopelessness… etc)
• A tree of life is hopeful; refreshing; encouragement; cheerfulness; a healthy heart.
b. Prov. 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life
• It is likened to good fruit…
c. Prov. 3:13-18 – Here, a tree of life is likened to the fruit of wisdom: peace, happiness, prosperity, honor, pleasantness…
d. A tree of life is mentioned in Gen. 2:9 – in the Garden of Eden… in paradise before the fall.
e. Rev. 22:2 – John tells us that in heaven there will be trees of life for the healing of the nations.
• Not that folks in heaven will be sick; rather, the leaves promote health…
• Healing = Therapeian – health giving; health promoting;
• The tree of life promotes good health… that which is wholesome… sound… healthy… it contributes to the well being of folks…
• Solomon uses the literal effects of the tree of life to figuratively describe the effects of our speech.
• A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.
• Our speech should be wholesome: and like a tree of life, it should promote spiritual health and vitality among the saints.
• Matthew Henry wrote: He that knows how to discourse will make the place he lives in a paradise.”
3. Our speech should be healing… and spiritually GOOD for the hearer.
a. We are not to use flattery dishonestly, but our speech is to be tempered with kindness… not cruelty.
b. Eph. 4:29 – our speech should minister GRACE to the hearer… something good… beneficial… helpful…
• Perhaps you have something TRUE to say about a person… but is it kind???
• That’s a mighty ugly hairstyle; that was a stupid thing to say; you have the worst solo voice I’ve ever heard; your family is a group of losers.
• It all may be true… but does it minister grace? Does it build up or tear down? Is it kind? Is it Christlike?
• Truth is important… but there are a lot of other virtues to consider when we open our mouths.
• When there is grace in the heart, there will be wholesomeness in the tongue.
4. The wholesome tongue is healing… promoting the spiritual life and health of the hearers.
1. Perverseness:
a. This term is only used 2 times in the Bible; both times in Proverbs; and both times translated perverseness in the King James Version.
b. Defined: crookedness, perverseness, crooked dealing; spoken words that are crooked and perverted from the truth and so false; duplicity, deceit.
c. This would include outright lies and deception. It would also include impure motives… hypocrisy…
2. Breach:
a. Defined: breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash, ruin, shattering.
b. The shattering or crushing of the human spirit is an awful thing.
c. Deceitful words are a breach of the spirit and are like a crushing wound…
d. They shatter a person’s joy… wound the spirit… knock the wind of out a person…
3. Breach in the spirit.
a. Prov. 15:13 – A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
b. Prov. 17:22 – A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
c. Prov. 18:14 – The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?
d. A crushed spirit wounds rather than heals; it saddens rather than cheers up; it dries the bones rather than rejuvenates; it becomes unbearable rather than sustaining…
4. This is all the result of speech that is not kind and gracious, but is rather perverse… crooked… twisted…
a. Prov. 6:19 – Sowing discord among the believers is perverse speech… it is almost always done under pretense… deception… perverse intent…
• Nobody ever sows discord and SAYS that they are sowing discord.
• That can wound the spirit… crush the spirit of a believer… or of a whole church!
• That can have a widespread, crushing effect.
• That can result in the sorrow of heart that leads to a broken spirit… discouragement…
b. Prov. 11:9 – An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour.
• A man whose speech is perverse (deceptive; not what he claims to be; hypocrite) DESTROYS… his neighbor.
• Words can and do destroy. They destroy lives; friendships; churches; families; marriages; relationships of all kinds.
c. Prov. 18:21 – Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
• Because of lies in court, many have been executed unjustly.
• Because of courageous truthful words in court, many who were slated for execution were spared.
• The tongue is powerful. It can heal and save life. It can wound, crush, and kill.
• Think of the POWER of the tongue of a mother or a father in the life of a young child.
• Some kids grow up in homes where they are constantly barraged with expressions like: “I hate you.” “Can’t you do anything right?” “You’re useless; you’ll never amount to anything.” “You worthless piece of trash!”
• That kind of language is powerful… powerfully destructive in a young life.
• It will CRUSH the spirit… wound a young life… cause a child to quit life on the inside… and develop a “what’s the use in trying” attitude…
• It’s bad enough when it happens in the world. Don’t ever let it happen in a Christian home!
• Dad—learn to control your anger. Your words are more powerful and destructive than you will ever imagine.
• No child… no spouse… no human being should have to put up with that kind of language.
5. Prov. 4:24 – Put away from thee a forward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
a. If you have been using perverse or deceitful speech… put it away. Stop! Stop before you do any more damage! And yes we can stop!
b. The fruit of the Spirit is self-control. If we yield to God we CAN have victory over our tongues… but it requires supernatural power.
c. Prov. 8:13 – as we learn of who God is… and we learn to FEAR Him… we will be putting away the froward mouth… perverse speech…
Proverbs 15:5a
A Father’s Instruction
1. Fool:
a. Strong’s: one who despises wisdom; one who mocks when guilty; one who is quarrelsome.
b. Dict. of Biblical Languages: without understanding, or one not using one’s capacity for understanding; simpleton; often by stubborn will and stupid behavior.
c. The particular KIND of fool Solomon has in mind is a son (or daughter) who despises the instruction of his father… (or mother).
2. Despises:
a. Strong’s: to spurn; contemn; despise; abhor.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: to feel contempt or strong dislike, rejecting as having little or no value; treat with contempt.
c. Stevenson: A deliberate, conscious rejection.
3. His father’s instruction:
a. Strong’s: discipline, chastening, correction.
b. Dict. of Bibl. Languages: warning, the teaching of a principle or axiom for life.
c. Job 5:17 – Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. (chastening = same word as instruction) (similar passage: Prov. 3:11).
4. The response of a foolish son (or daughter) to his father’s instruction
a. What he thinks and feels: He feels contempt for the reproof… he feels insulted that they felt he needed instruction; he strongly dislikes being told what to do; he sees little value in what his parents say; he thinks he knows more than they do.
b. What he does: he rejects the counsel and does what he wants anyway.
c. Prov. 19:27 – Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err.
• Often fools reject wise instruction because they are listening to other voices…
• And these young fools give more credence to what their foolish peers have to say than to the instruction of their parents…
• They reject their father’s instruction because they are listening to the wrong advice.
d. Prov. 12:15 – The way of a fool is right in his own eyes. He does his own thing because of PRIDE.
• His pride blinds him from seeing the issue clearly.
• He thinks his way is right and his father doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
• Hence, because pride is involved, it is not just an intellectual issue; it is a moral issue.
e. Prov. 14:3 – In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride
• The young man is likely to think that his opinions or views are as good as his father’s. He might even think that his knowledge is superior to that of his father.
• After all, his dad is ancient. What does he know about the modern world?
• Young people forget… or never seem to consider that their parents have many years of experience under their belts… the value of which cannot be estimated.
• It is childish pride that causes a son to reject the reproof of a loving father.
• I Pet. 5:5-6 – it takes a healthy dose of humility for a young person to humble themselves and ADMIT that maybe those who are older (especially his parents) really DO have more wisdom than he does.
f. Prov. 14:9 – Fools make a mock at sin.
• Dads warn about the dangers of this sin or that… and a foolish son mocks at sin!
• Either he doesn’t see it as sin… or he doesn’t see it as being all that bad… or he doesn’t see the long term consequences of sin…
• The fool is warned by his parents; mocks at their warning about sin; and commits it anyway!
• He assumes that all of their warnings are overstated and unnecessary… and that it won’t happen to him.
g. Prov. 1:7 – fools despise wisdom and instruction
• It is a characteristic of a fool… to despise instruction.
• They don’t like to be told what to do.
5. The price that foolish son pays:
a. Prov. 15:32 -He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul.
• He does damage to no one but himself… and he will have to live with the consequences of his folly the rest of his days.
• He is ruining his own life… and usually his father can foresee what his future will be like if he continues down that path… but the fool chooses that path anyway…
• He makes choices that are equal to despising his own life.
b. Prov. 10:21 – …The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom…
• Not only could it ruin his life. It could END it!
• Prov. 15:10 – Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.
• When a father hears of his son getting involved in drugs, alcohol, or road racing, gangs, or other forms of dangerous behavior… it COULD end that young life prematurely! It has happened thousands of time.
c. Prov. 11:29 – the fool shall be servant to the wise.
• The fool who follows the path of folly may well end up as a servant to those who LISTENED to good advice and took heed.
• The fool who didn’t listen to his father and decided he wanted to hang out with his friends rather than to go to college might end up in a subservient position to the young person who listened… and took heed.
• Rejecting a father’s instruction could affect the condition of the rest of your life.
• It could be the difference between doing well in life… or struggling just to put food on the table.
• Prov. 13:18 – Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction. (He could end up poor… and ashamed of the path he chose…)
d. Prov. 5:12-13 – And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me.
• He may spend the rest of his days regretting his folly… when it is too late to do anything about it.
• Very often decisions that we make in life are irreversible… the time you spent walking down a pathway in life can never be reversed… you can’t go relive the past… and undo past failures… you have to LIVE with them the rest of your life.
• Young people, your father is not trying to ruin your life.
• He is trying to help you AVOID making foolish choices and having to live with all that regret. He knows best. Listen to him.
• He’s out for your good… more than you may realize.
e. Prov. 27:22 – Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
• Here Solomon suggests that there comes a point in a fool’s life where his folly is SET like cement…
• The rod will drive out folly from a child, but if folly is practiced and practiced… it becomes a lifestyle… it becomes our character… and it may never depart!
• You could become permanently STUCK in a condition of folly.
f. Prov. 12:1 – but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
• Brutish = Stupid – he is learning to become a stupid person…
• How foolish to refuse to take heed to the warnings of a man who has walked the pathway you are about to traverse.
• LISTEN to those who have traveled life’s pathway before you! They have some valuable insight and advice to give.
• Those who refuse to listen pay a serious price… which could adversely affect your health, your wealth, your position in life, your career, your happiness, your family, and even your children, when they come along.
Proverbs 15:5b
He that Regardeth Reproof is Prudent
1. Regardeth:
a. Strong’s: to keep; guard; observe; give heed.
b. Dict. of Bib: obey a command with diligence and in detail; respect and revere.
2. Reproof: rebuke; correction; punishment; chastisement. (It is a different term than instruction, but in context is used as a virtual synonym.
3. Prudent: to be subtle; be shrewd; be crafty.
4. Context:
a. This expression stands on its own and could have a wide application to anyone’s response to any kind of reproof.
b. But since it is the second half of a proverb, it must be understood in light of the proverb in which it is found.
c. Solomon is speaking about a son who is reproved by his father…
• Only this son is wise… prudent. This son takes heed!
• This son doesn’t treat his father’s words with contempt. He VALUES the admonition.
• He doesn’t HATE to be admonished. He appreciates the genuine love of a parent that is seen behind the rebuke… he knows that his father only wants the best for him.
• He knows that his father has wisdom and his counsel is beneficial.
• He doesn’t reject the advice. He obeys.
The Proper Response to Reproof
1. Prov. 1:8 – HEAR the instruction of thy father.
a. The wise son responds first by hearing.
b. The first step towards obtaining wisdom is to LISTEN to your father.
c. While Proverbs was written as a father to his son, it also applies to a father and his daughter… or a mother and her son…
d. The first step towards wisdom is to listen to the instruction of BOTH of your parents.
e. Proverbs15:5 says that the one who regards reproof is prudent/wise. But it is impossible to regard reproof if you don’t hear it!
f. Early on, young people learn to tune out that which is unpleasant… that which they don’t really want to hear.
g. Hearing implies more than just being bodily present as your father speaks to you. Hearing implies more than that the sound waves vibrated your eardrums. Hearing implies an attitude of being WILLING to hear… AND willing to obey.
h. If you hear and DON’T respond… then you may have heard with your ears… but not with your heart. It is the heart that counts.
i. Prov. 4:1 – HEAR, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
• For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. (vs.2)
• The first reason Solomon gives to his children to obey is a very positive one: it is GOOD doctrine!
» Once again, Solomon seeks to make wisdom and obedience attractive to his children. (The wise shall inherit glory! 3:35)
» The doctrine or instruction that he is giving them is first and foremost GOOD!
» Note that his approach is positive—he does not tell his children to obey or he’ll knock their lights out!
» He was not afraid to use discipline or to warn his children of the consequences of disobedience—he does that often in this book.
j. But—FIRST he chooses to make wisdom and obedience attractive. It is GOOD! Hear it—pay attention—for it is GOOD!
k. So too when teaching God’s Word. We are not to bang people over the head with the Word. Rather, we are to be like a shepherd feeding the flock… making the food attractive… and to be desired… not something fearful and painful!
l. Fathers should instruct their children for the good of the child—not just for the pleasure of the parents!
• Example: chores around the house—kids should learn these things, but not just to make it easier on the parents, but primarily because it is good for the child!
• Children don’t often understand HOW some instruction is good for them—any more than they understand HOW broccoli is good for them—but it is!
m. The wise son will regard reproof. He will see that his father reproves him for his own good…
2. Prov. 23:12 – APPLY THINE HEART unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
a. This proverb also takes the concept of hearing into the heart.
b. What the ear hears, the heart is to apply.
c. This implies a hearing that is diligent, eager to learn, and desirous to obey.
d. Applying your heart to instruction is the way of wisdom. It is like saying “pay attention.”
e. Prov. 22:17 – bow down thine ear to hear…
• This implies a HUMBLE hearing…
• It is also translated “incline” in incline your heart unto the LORD God. (Josh. 24:23) (implying turning in the direction of…)
• It is also translated “stretched out” (as a hand)… (this implies eagerness to hear).
• It is translated yield… implying a submissive hearing.
f. Regarding reproof involves all of this: submission; humility; eagerness; inclination toward…
3. Prov. 4:13 – TAKE FAST HOLD OF instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
a. The wise son who regards reproof… not only regards it… he takes fast hold of it and won’t let go!
b. He grabs a hold of it with a firm grip… determined not to let it go. (As when you’ve got a big fish on the line… it is something you really WANT… so you take a firm grip on the pole… determined not to lose it!)
c. In other words… a father’s instruction is not to go in one ear and out the other. Grab hold of it! Keep it!
4. Prov. 12:1 – Whoso LOVETH instruction loveth knowledge
a. The fool… the brutish person, HATES instruction.
b. The wise son LOVES it.
• He loves to be corrected… because he wants to do things right.
• A young girl making a pie might need to be corrected by her mother. She may need some instruction (there’s a difference between baking soda and baking powder!) If she wants the pie to come out… she should WANT to be corrected!
• A young boy may be doing a math problem all wrong, and dad has to correct him. If the son is wise… and wants a good grade in math, he should LOVE to be corrected. (Because it’s better to be corrected by dad at home… than by the teacher’s red pen on your test!)
c. Do you LOVE to hear instruction from your mother or father? How about your teacher?
• Be honest. God knows.
• Or do you chafe when corrected… grind your teeth when dad tells you to do something… do you get angry when told what to do?
• Examine your own heart. Is your reaction towards your parent’s instruction closer to that of a wise man or a fool?
d. Prov. 9:8 – a wise son will love the one who rebukes him! That is the right response.
• “Thank you dad! Had you not corrected me, I might have flunked my math test!”
• “Thank you mom. Had you not corrected me, that pie I was going to bring to the party would have tasted awful!”
5. Ps. 141:5 – we should APPRECIATE and even desire reproof…
a. David didn’t resist reproof. He invited it!
b. He saw it as an excellent oil… a sweet smelling anointing!
c. To anoint a person with oil was a sign of friendship. It was refreshing. It made you smell good—as opposed to dirty and sweaty without any deodorant! It was considered a great blessing.
d. Hence, David appreciated those who rebuked him. He saw it as a sign of love, care, concern, and something that would remove an unpleasant odor and replace it with something sweet smelling.
e. Young people—that’s what dad and mom are doing every time they correct you! They are trying to improve your character…
Benefits
1. Prov. 13:18 – Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.
a. The one who regards reproof receives honor. (weight; value)
b. The fool gets poverty and shame. The wise son who regards reproof gets the opposite: honor… and perhaps wealth is implied.
2. 15:31 – he gets understanding
a. The son who does NOT regard his father’s instruction THINKS he already has understanding. He has the understanding of a child.
b. As long as he is willing to humble himself… and LISTEN to his father… he will gain REAL understanding… mature understanding.
3. 6:23-24 – will keep you from immorality and all the problems associated with it
a. Here Solomon states another benefit of listening to reproof and counsel: it will keep you from falling into immorality.
b. There are many problems associated with immorality: broken home; disease; heartache.
4. 19:20 – he will be wise in the latter end.
a. The son who listens to and obeys his father’s advice may be made fun of for a while… but in the end, his true wisdom will be seen.
b. This may refer to the end of his life OR it may refer to the end of the particular situation.
c. It is always better in the end to follow instructions… to regard reproof…
Application: our Heavenly Father has given 66 books full of instructions.
a. What kind of son are we?
» DO we despise His instruction? Do we despise His chastening?
» Do we read God’s Word READY to be admonished? Looking for areas where we can make improvements?
b. II Tim.3:16-17 – the Bible is given to us for REPROOF… and that is for our profit.
» Every time we read God’s Word… be ready to HEAR what the Spirit wants to say to you… and apply it… and be admonished by it…
» And make the necessary adjustments too!
Proverbs 15:6
Treasure or Trouble
A. Terms Used
1. The house of the righteous.
a. The righteous: just; lawful; righteous; right; correct.
b. This is the man who is righteous before God… and as a result, he LIVES righteously.
c. He does things right. He obeys the law. He doesn’t cheat, lie, steal, or deceive.
d. The righteous man will walk in wisdom. He will not cut corners. He will walk in integrity and honesty.
e. Because he is righteous… he will follow the Scriptural principles: he is a diligent worker… a faithful employer or employee… he is honest with his customers… he makes the best product he can make… he doesn’t cut corners, but does things right at work…
f. The righteous man is also self-controlled… temperate in all things.
g. The righteous handles his finances well. He is not a big spender. He doesn’t make big purchases just to show off.
h. A righteous man leads a righteous lifestyle.
2. Much treasure:
a. Defined: riches; treasure; wealth; stored treasure, i.e., valuable material possessions.
b. He not only has treasure, but he has MUCH.
B. Meaning
1. All things being equal, those who live righteously normally prosper.
a. Of course, this is a proverb and does not cover every possible situation.
• This proverb does not account for stock market crashes, an extended illness that causes a loss of job; death of a breadwinner; famine, natural disasters, wars; etc… all of which could result in the loss of great wealth… through no fault of the individual.
• This proverb isn’t talking about the exceptions to the rule either (like the crooked mobster who lives in the lap of luxury because of his illegal activities…)
• Very often the wicked seem to prosper in the world.
• So there are many exceptions to the proverb.
b. But all things being equal—two men facing the exact same set of circumstances will have very different results.
• The man who lives righteously will prosper
• The man who does NOT live righteously will not prosper.
2. Consider the way of wisdom:
a. Prov. 3:16 – Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
b. Prov. 8:18 -Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
c. Prov. 8:21 – That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.
d. A righteous man follows the way of wisdom… and that way leads to prosperity.
3. Think of how RIGHTEOUSNESS translates into prosperity.
a. He does things right. He obeys the law.
• Therefore, this businessman is not going to waste valuable time in jail… and ruin his business he spent so many years developing! (Like Martha Stewart)
• He is not going to have to pay expensive fines for violating the law… (Companies that pollute; don’t report potential dangers of their products are often sued and lose millions!)
b. He doesn’t cheat, lie, steal, or deceive. He is an honest mechanic.
• Hence, his customers believe him… trust him.
• They also tell their friends: “Finally, I found an honest mechanic!” Your reputation skyrockets… and your business thrives!
• By doing things right… you prosper.
c. The righteous man will not cut corners.
• He will walk in integrity and honesty. This earns him a good reputation which is exceedingly valuable in the business world.
• Doing things right… and making the product right earns your company a good name.
• That good name translates into much business… prosperity.
d. The righteous man follows Scriptural principles:
• Prov. 21:5 – The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness.
» A righteous man plans ahead; thinks ahead; and makes diligent plans.
» That approach usually leads to prosperity.
• Prov. 10:4 – He is a diligent worker…—the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
» A faithful employer or employee…
» He makes the best product he can make…
» He doesn’t cut corners, but does things right at work…
e. The righteous man is also self-controlled… temperate in all things.
• He doesn’t waste his money on alcohol… he has self control.
• He has self-control. He doesn’t throw his money away on gambling.
• He has self-control. He doesn’t waste his money on expensive toys he doesn’t really need and that he can’t afford. Some people can’t control their spending.
• The righteous handles his finances well. He is not a big spender. He doesn’t make big purchases just to show off. He doesn’t spend beyond his means.
• Prov. 21:20 – There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.
• Money doesn’t burn a hole in his pocket.
f. A righteous lifestyle leads to prosperity.
• An unrighteous lifestyle leads to poverty and trouble:
4. Consider this proverb in light of spiritual treasures and wealth.
a. Even if a righteous man does NOT increase in earthly riches, this proverb is still true at another level.
b. The home of the poor righteous man may not have expensive trappings, but he has a treasure of another sort: contentment; peace; joy; love; harmony;
c. This is something the prosperous unrighteous man could only dream of! He has wealth, but he can’t enjoy it.
d. Prov. 15:17 – Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.
5. God personally BLESSES the homes of the righteous.
a. Prov. 3:33 – he blesseth the habitation of the just.
• God’s blessing is not to be measured in physical blessings alone, but primarily in spiritual blessings; things money can’t buy.
• The ungodly cannot expect such blessing from the Lord, but the righteous man can.
• Again—this blessing is not merely physical… but primarily spiritual.
b. Ps. 112:1-3 – the blessing of the Lord is upon the house and the life of a righteous man.
a. Not only does a righteous man’s behavior tend toward prosperity… he has God’s hand of blessing in his life too… to bless his efforts… and to give increase.
1. Prov. 15:6 – the wicked man (opposite of the righteous man) may bring in lots of revenue.
a. But the revenue of the wicked is accompanied by much trouble.
b. Trouble: to stir up; to trouble; disturb; calamity.
2. Prov. 15:27 – He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house.
a. He may bring in a lot of money… but he brings much trouble with it. It isn’t worth the trouble that it brings!
b. A wicked man’s troubles increase with his riches.
c. Matthew Henry: In the revenues of the wicked, the great incomes they have, there is trouble; for there is guilt and a curse; there is pride and passion, and envy and contention; and those are troublesome lusts, which rob them of the joy of their revenues and make them troublesome to their neighbour.
3. Prov. 15:16 – Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.
a. This proverb implies that the great treasure is obtained APART from a fear of the Lord… hence, the trouble.
b. Trouble: tumult; confusion; disquietude; discomfiture; destruction; trouble; vexed.
c. Prov. 10:22 – The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
d. Ecc. 4:6 – Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
Proverbs 15:7
The Lips and the Heart
A. The Terms
1. LIPS
a. The organ which forms words on the front of the mouth; closely associated with language and speech.
b. The lips are the gates of speech, and hence the gates of honesty or deception, righteousness or wickedness, wisdom or folly.
c. 15:2 – Solomon also uses the tongue and mouth in the same sense… as the gate of speech… to represent speech.
2. WISE
a. Strong’s: Learned; shrewd; prudent; wise (ethically and religiously).
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: a capacity for understanding and discernment.
c. This wise man is contrasted to “the foolish” in the second part of the proverb.
3. DISPERSE
a. Strong’s: to scatter; fan; cast away; winnow; spread out.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: as a figurative extension of spreading an object over an area, it illustrates speech… as in words that are scattered like seeds.
4. KNOWLEDGE
a. Strong’s: knowledge, perception; skill; discernment; understanding; wisdom.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.; understanding; wisdom, i.e., a knowledge with focus on moral qualities and its application.
c. The illustration: knowledge is like seed. It is to not to be kept in a barn. It does no good there. It is to be scattered over the field… where it can produce good fruit… and do good for many.
B. The Meaning of the first half of the Proverb
1. Wise men speak wise words… and SHARE their wisdom.
a. This is similar in meaning to 15:2.
• There, Solomon states that wise men know how to USE wisdom aright.
• Here, Solomon states that wise men SHARE wisdom.
• Sharing wisdom IS the right way to use it!
2. If you need wisdom, then go to a wise man—or woman.
a. This speaks of the great BLESSING that a wise man is or can be to others.
b. Titus 2:1-5 – God commands the church to take advantage of the wisdom of the older generation… and commands the older generation to DISPERSE the wisdom they have gleaned over the years.
c. Older folks often have wisdom, common sense, and the maturity and calm spirit needed to disperse it to others.
d. If you are an older, mature believer, don’t be afraid to disperse the wisdom God has given you!
e. If you are a younger, less mature believer, don’t be afraid to avail yourself of the wisdom of the older saints! You’ll be surprised how helpful they can be!
f. A good fountain brings forth good waters. A good tree brings forth good fruit. When you need advise or counsel, choose a good fountain… a good tree… and you will get sweet water… and good fruit.
3. DISPERSE: The lips of the wise disperse knowledge; wise men scatter wisdom wherever they go… that’s what wise men do!
a. Prov. 10:21 – the lips of the righteous feed many.
• This implies that a truly righteous man not only possesses wisdom, but SHARES it! He disperses it!
• Vs.32 – they know what is acceptable.
b. A truly wise man will disperse his wisdom with humility and meekness…
• Not in pride… showing off his great wealth of knowledge and wisdom!
• Rather, his purpose is to be helpful… not haughty.
• He will give out words of wisdom in meekness, considering himself, lest he also be tempted.
• He will not look down on the young person for their lack of experience or folly… but rather, in humility will remember the days when they were in the same boat… and will be Spirit filled… Spirit led… gracious… gentle… kind… helpful… and not pushy.
c. He disperses his wisdom and knowledge because he sees the VALUE of it.
• This kind of knowledge is like wealth.
• If we have this world’s goods, and see a brother in need, and don’t share our wealth with him… then how dwelleth the love of God in you? (I John 3:17-18)
• The man who has valuable knowledge that he knows others could benefit from will be willing to share.
d. It is a SHAME not to disperse knowledge if you have it.
• If you have knowledge that can help someone… and you refuse to share it… shame on you!
• Your knowledge might save them from misery… from sickness… from injury… from failure… from a great loss… from death even!
• If we have this kind of knowledge and keep it to ourselves, we are guilty of spiritual negligence.
4. KNOWLEDGE: Helpful, useful, accurate information is to be found coming from the lips of a wise man.
a. Prov. 10:14 – First of all, wise men “lay up” knowledge… like a storehouse. They gather it in.
• Lay up = to hide, treasure, treasure or store up
• The wise person VALUES knowledge. He stores it up like a greedy man would store up treasure. This IS his treasure!
b. But they don’t gather it just to hoard it for themselves.
• They gather it in so that they might USE it for good!
• They gather it in for future use. They may need it later on… even if it is not relevant for today. (Remember that when hearing sermons!)
• You have to gather it in first… before you can disperse it… and share it with others!
c. Ecc. 12:9 – the wisdom of Solomon was seen not only in the wisdom he possessed, but what he DID with it.
• He shared his knowledge with others… and wrote it down for future use… for himself and for future generations.
• He didn’t hide or hoard the wisdom God gave him. He shared the wealth.
• His wisdom was obviously a gift of God… and he felt compelled to share the wealth and not to selfishly keep it for himself.
d. Eph. 4:29 – wise men disperse knowledge that is good, helpful, and edifying.
• Not all knowledge and information fits into that category.
• Some knowledge should NOT be shared.
• Knowledge or information may be true, it may be accurate, but it may not be wise to share it.
• It may be gossip… slander… aimed at tearing down rather than building up.
• Wise men use their knowledge to build up and edify others. It is to be used for GOOD.
e. II Tim. 2:2 – we have a responsibility to share the knowledge we have learned from God’s Word with one another… that they might have it to share with others.
f. The wise man disperses knowledge.
A. The Wise Man Shares Wisdom; the Fool Does Not
1. The fool has no wisdom to share.
a. Instead of wisdom dispersed from his lips come idle chatter, gossip, jesting which is not convenient or fitting, and unkind words. That’s what a fool disperses from his lips.
b. He has nothing worth sharing. He does best when he keeps his mouth shut.
2. Prov. 15:2 – the mouth of a fool pours out folly.
a. This implies that folly doesn’t just trickle out of the mouth of a fool. It POURS out… overflowing… like a fountain!
b. So be careful little ears what you hear!
c. Be careful about from WHOM you seek counsel and advice!
d. Not all men have wisdom. Choose your counselors carefully!
e. That’s why it is not such a good idea for young people to seek advice on important decisions from your peers.
• You would do well to seek counsel from older, more mature, and more experienced believers.
• A fool pours out folly. An inexperienced man will pour forth inexperience.
• In other words… the kind of well you approach is pretty much going to determine the kind of water you get from it!
• In seeking advice from your peers you are seeking experience from the inexperienced!
• In many ways, they are not going to have the kind of knowledge you need.
• The lips of the wise disperse knowledge. The lips of fools… have no knowledge to share.
B. The Relationship Between the Heart and Lips
1. Note the parallels in this proverb:
a. Contrast the wise and the foolish man. (used as opposites)
b. Comparison of the lips and the heart. (used as virtual synonyms)
2. Both the lip and heart are symbols of the SOURCE of our words.
a. Prov. 10:20 – The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth. (A contrast between tongue and heart.)
b. Matt. 12:34 – that which comes out of the mouth originated in the heart.
c. Ps. 37:30-31 – he speaks wisdom because God’s Word is in his heart.
• That which is in the heart (be it good or evil) will eventually come out of the mouth… or lips.
• Have you ever blurted things out… and you wondered where that ever came from?
• Did it really arise out of the clear blue sky, or was it not a thought that germinated in the heart?
• The things that come out of our mouths don’t really arise out of the clear blue sky. They arise out of our heart… which when controlled by the flesh is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked!
• What is going on in YOUR heart? Sooner or later it is going to come out.
• The best way to deal with what we SAY (no man tames the tongue) is to deal with our heart… (what we think… what we ruminate over during the day… where our imagination takes us…)
3. A spiritually wise man WILL take care of his heart, knowing that from it are all the issues of life!
a. That heart will be a source of words of grace… a fountain of sweet water… a tree of life bearing good fruit…
Proverbs 15:8a
Sacrifice and Prayer
A. The Sacrifice of the Wicked
1. The sacrifice of the WICKED. (Who are the wicked?)
a. Wicked: a criminal; a guilty one, one guilty of crime against man or sin against God; unrighteous, i.e., pertaining to being evil, with a focus on the guilt of violating a standard.
b. The man or woman described here as wicked would refer to any unsaved person.
• a sinner; unrighteous; guilty before God.
• This would be the most natural understanding of the term.
c. It could also refer to a true believer who is behaving like a wicked person…
• And that occurs all too often!
• A believer can also be guilty of sinning against God… or violating God’s standard… or of committing a crime against a man.
• The fallen heart of the believer is STILL desperately wicked. It does not improve with time.
d. Thus, the wicked here could refer to any person (saved or unsaved) whose heart is not right with God and/or man.
2. The SACRIFICE of the wicked.
a. Sacrifice:
• Strong’s: an offering or a sacrifice to God; the covenant sacrifice; annual sacrifice; thank offering.
• Dict. of Bib. Lang.: an offering killed and presented as an act of worship or propitiation to any deity.
b. Sacrifices are offered to the true God and to false deities every day!
• For many centuries pagans have been offering sacrifices to their idols in hopes of appeasing the wrath of their false deities and in hopes of avoiding judgment… or “bad luck.”
• For centuries pagans have been offering sacrifices to the TRUE God too… in hopes of appeasing His wrath.
» The pagan Philistines offered sacrifices to Jehovah God in hopes of removing His wrath and judgment from them. (I Sam. 6:4,17)
» The Roman Catholic Church has been offering what they call the “perpetual sacrifice of the Mass” to God every week… in hopes of expiating their sins.
• Israel has also offered sacrifices to God throughout the centuries.
B. An Abomination to the Lord
1. NOT every sacrifice is acceptable to the Lord. Some are an abomination!
2. Abomination:
a. Strong’s: a disgusting thing.
b. Dict. of Bib Lang.: detestable thing, repulsion, i.e., an object which is loathsome and abhorrent.
3. Here is a strange but common occurrence Solomon describes for us: men sacrifice and present to God their offerings in hopes of pleasing Him, but God HATES it—and He SAYS so!
a. This does not often occur among men.
b. If you sacrifice your own time, effort, and money to purchase a present for someone, NORMALLY the one on the receiving end is pleased and appreciates the effort, even if they don’t like the item offered to them. (Men usually PRETEND to like it!)
c. But God is not man that He should lie. God is painfully honest!
d. When people offer worship and sacrifice to Him, He SAYS what He thinks about it!
• Isa. 1:11 – To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
• Isa. 1:14 – Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
• Amos 5:21-23 – I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. 22Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. 23Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
e. Strange occurrence: Men offer worship and sacrifice to God and God HATES it… it nauseates Him! It is an abomination.
4. God appointed those feast days, offerings, and sacrifices in Israel… and then when they were kept and offered to God, God said it was an abomination! How can that be?
a. God hated their feast days and their sacrifices because of the HEART ATTITUDE that offered them.
b. God wasn’t really interested in receiving a dead goat or the blood of bulls. His concern was not for the offering.
c. God WAS interested in the HEART of the offerer.
d. The offering was to be a heart felt expression of love, gratitude, submission, obedience, dependence, and reverence, and faith in God.
e. But not every sacrifice WAS such an expression. Very often the heart of the offerer was filled with other things… and God can see the heart!
f. Men only see the outward appearance (two men offering the same sacrifice; two people singing special music; two Sunday school teachers teaching a class; two men passing out tracts; two women sitting in the worship service.) All look quite equal from man’s perspective. It seems unfair almost that one should be accepted and the other rejected, when they do or offer the very same thing!
g. But God sees the heart. He knows the motive; the intent of the heart; the attitude;
• And where men hear a lovely solo—God may see sickening pride!
• When men hear a helpful sermon—God may see laziness and sloppy workmanship on the part of the preacher.
• When the treasurer records the offerings of the Smiths and the Joneses, he may record the very same amount on the line… but God sees in one offering generosity and sacrifice… and in the other offering He sees stinginess, pride, or a grudging spirit.
• When the heart is not right… nothing that comes from that heart is acceptable to the Lord.
5. Could OUR worship and sacrifices be an abomination to the Lord?
a. Could it be that we sit through an entire worship service, thinking we are pleasing God, and yet He is nauseated by us?
b. Could it be that we sing in the choir, teach a Sunday school class, preach from the pulpit, or offer some other form of sacrificial service to the Lord… only to discover that it is repulsive to Him?
c. The answer is YES! NOT every sacrifice or expression of worship is acceptable to God.
• Gen. 4:4-5 – And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.
• Rev.3:16 – God was nauseated with the religious activities occurring in the church of Laodicea—and was about to vomit them out of His mouth!
d. John 4:24 – our worship and sacrifices MUST be offered “in spirit and in truth” to be acceptable to the Lord.
• If our spirit isn’t right—no matter WHAT we offer to God, it is unacceptable!
• And it doesn’t matter how hard we try to please God… how much we give… how long we work… how many good deeds we do… how many worship services we attend…
• If our spirit isn’t right—whatever we offer is an abomination to God.
• It is HYPOCRISY! We are PRETENDING to love and honor God—when in reality our heart is cold towards God… and there is no honor or reverence!
• We are pretending to obey Him outwardly, when inwardly there is rebellion and not a submissive spirit.
• God SEES the heart! What folly to pretend He doesn’t!
• That’s why every effort of the lost to please God is doomed to failure! They that are in the flesh CANNOT please God—no matter how hard they try—and no matter how MUCH they offer to Him.
• Our worship is to be in accordance with TRUTH.
• The Mormon billionaire can offer many millions to his church—but it is an abomination to the Lord.
• The Roman Catholic priest or monk can dedicate his whole life to his church… and offer sacrifices… do penance… go to Mass… fast… beat his body… take a vow of poverty… but it is all an abomination to God—it is not in harmony with God’s Word.
• It is all based upon a lie… not the truth. The truth has been rejected and replaced with traditions of men!
• God only accepts worship in spirit and in truth.
• Matt. 15:7-8 – Their hearts were far from God (wrong spirit) and their doctrines were of men (no truth). Jesus rejected their worship (vs.9)
6. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord because of the SOURCE of the sacrifice.
a. If there is no faith… no repentance… then the sacrifice or worship is merely outward show… ritualism… self righteousness… hypocrisy. (Without faith it is impossible to please God!)
b. Without faith the heart is a polluted well—and no good water can come from a polluted well.
c. It is a corrupt tree—and no good fruit can come from a corrupt tree.
d. Prov. 15:26 – The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD:
• Even if their outward DEEDS look good to men… if their thought life is not right, their deeds are rejected!
• It MATTERS to God what is going on in a man’s mind and heart AS he offers the sacrifice.
e. I Sam. 15:22 – And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
• In Israel they walked in their own ways all week long—but then kept the holy days and offered the proper sacrifices and assumed all was well before God!
• Men do that today too. They live in the world with no thought for God all week long—and then come to church on Sunday, put money in the plate, and think that that will make up for it.
• We can fool men with our sacrifices and worship—but we can NEVER fool God.
Proverbs 15:8b
The Prayer of the Upright
THE UPRIGHT CONTRASTED TO THE WICKED
1. Who are the wicked?
a. Wicked: a criminal; a guilty one; one guilty of crime against man or sin against God; unrighteous; i.e., pertaining to being evil; with a focus on the guilt of violating a standard.
b. The man or woman described here as wicked would refer to any unsaved person.
• a sinner; unrighteous; guilty before God.
• This would be the most natural understanding of the term.
c. It could also refer to a true believer who is behaving like a wicked person…
• And that occurs all too often!
• A believer can also be guilty of sinning against God… or violating God’s standard… or of committing a crime against a man.
• The fallen heart of the believer is STILL desperately wicked. It does not improve with time.
d. Thus, the wicked here could refer to any person (saved or unsaved) whose heart is not right with God and/or man.
2. Who are the upright?
a. Upright Defined: correct; straight; level; right; just; righteous.
b. To be right with God required salvation through faith.
c. Thus, the upright is the righteous man… the godly… the one who has entered the straight gate and walks the straight and narrow road…
d. This is the believer who does things right… he lives for God… his heart is right before God.
PRAYER CONTRASTED TO SACRIFICE
A. Sacrifice
1. Religious men sacrifice many things for God… but God hates it. It is an abomination to Him!
2. Consider the COST of some of the sacrifices men made in the Old Testament times.
a. II Chron. 35:7-9 – 35,000 bulls offered!
b. For a family to offer up a bullock or a goat sacrifice was quite costly.
c. Think of the sacrifices that the ascetics put themselves through… and for God!
d. Think of the sacrifices made for God among the Roman or Buddhist monks… or the Muslims who cut their heads for God and parade through the streets bleeding…
e. Think of the sacrifices that were made to build some of the lavish gold temples around the world… the Mormon temple… the gold mosques in Saudi Arabia… the Hindu temples…
f. Think of the sacrifices made by the worshippers of Chemosh in offering their children in a sacrifice of fire to their deity!
g. Sacrifices are often quite costly.
3. Yet regardless of the COST of the sacrifice, if the heart attitude in offering it was not right, it was an abomination to the Lord. If it was not offered in spirit and in truth—it was an abomination to the Lord.
B. Prayer
1. Prayer on the other hand, does not cost a million dollars. You don’t have to give up the family bull or goat.
2. Prayer is a quite simple thing… talking to your heavenly Father.
3. The prayer of the upright is a prayer that is prayed with a right spirit… the right way.
4. Prayer is a child talking to his father… having communion and fellowship with his father… and enjoying his company.
5. Prayer is simple, heart to heart communion between a child of God and his heavenly Father.
6. And prayer is free. Sacrifices are costly, but prayer is free.
ABOMINATION CONTRASTED TO DELIGHT
A. Abomination
1. No matter how many sacrifices are offered from the wicked… or how costly… or how much effort was involved, God hates all sacrifices offered from a wicked heart.
2. They are repulsive to Him.
a. Prov. 21:27 – it is an abomination because it is offered with a wicked mind (intent; purpose; plan)
• God knows what’s going on in the mind as the sacrifice is offered.
• The wicked mind can devise all kinds of reasons to offer sacrifice to God: an attempt to atone for our sin; to restore fellowship = a lack of confidence in the blood of Christ; a cloak for maliciousness; pretense; pride; showmanship; to be seen of men…
b. Prov. 28:9 – even the prayer of the wicked is an abomination!
• All religious activity on the part of the wicked is hypocrisy… it is a cloak for his sin…
• God is not impressed with the thousands of little old ladies saying their rosary beads… not if they have not received Christ as Savior and are earnestly seeking Him.
• God is not impressed with a room full of people here at our prayer meetings… if we are harboring SIN in our hearts at the same time we come to the throne of grace in prayer!
• If we behave in a wicked way—even our prayers are an abomination to God.
• Flowery prayers can dazzle and fool men—but will never fool the Lord.
B. Delight
1. Delight: pleasure; delight; favour; goodwill.
2. When the heart is right, everything changes!
a. The sacrifice that was an abomination (when the heart was not right) is now a delight to God!
b. The prayer that was not heard is now heard!
c. Sin in the heart makes our prayers an abomination; confession and forsaking sin makes our prayer God’s delight!
3. The simple saint who but talks to God brings DELIGHT to the Father’s heart.
a. What human father wouldn’t delight in sitting down to have a heart to heart talk with his son or daughter about the issues of their heart… things on their minds… their concerns… their burdens… their problems.
b. And when the child initiates that talk… (which is what prayer is) so much more delightful!
• That is an expression of LOVE for his father…
• The child DESIRES to spend time with his father… talking, communing, and fellowshipping with his father.
• A good father would WANT his children to come to him for help… guidance… comfort… direction…
• It is healthy for the lines of communication to be OPEN between the father and his children.
• When that is NOT the case, those kids (starved for attention from dad) are going to seek out guidance, comfort, and direction in life elsewhere! And you may not like the source!
• As earthly fathers, we can learn from our heavenly Father.
• Our heavenly Father is equally DELIGHTED when we come to Him with our problems, concerns, and burdens.
• It is no burden to Him… but His delight.
• John 4:23-24 – the father SEEKS such to worship Him in spirit and in truth… to commune with Him.
» He desires us to come to Him in prayer.
4. Praying and sacrifice that bring delight to God are examples of service that is the FRUIT of the new life… not religious labor to obtain life.
a. A new life empowered by the Holy Spirit will naturally result in the sacrifice of praise and prayer.
b. Rom. 8:15 – prayer prompted by the Holy Spirit.
• Prayer is the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit… or the evidence of Spirit filling.
• When filled with the Spirit, we will be a praying people… crying out continually: Abba, Father! Many, many times throughout the day!
• Eph. 5:18-20 states that the evidence of Spirit filling is singing in the heart TO the Lord… and thanksgiving UNTO God. That is prayer. (Communication directed to God… whether through music or just words…)
• Prayer and praise directed to God as prompted by the indwelling Holy Spirit, and vocalized by a yielded child of God is always a DELIGHT to God the Father.
5. Prov. 15:29 – God does not hear the prayers of the wicked, but He DOES hear the prayer of the upright.
a. It is not that God is unable to hear the prayers of the wicked, or that He is ignorant of what they are saying in their prayers. He knows their hearts.
b. It is that God CHOOSES not to hear them… BECAUSE He knows their heart!
6. He not only hears our prayers, but delights in them!
a. And this too is BECAUSE God knows our hearts. When our hearts are pure, our prayers are delightful to God.
b. Rev.2:3-4 – (and Rev.5:8)
» Prayer is illustrated as “SWEET INCENSE ascending to heaven.”
» The smell of it is sweet to God. It brings Him delight. (anthropomorphism)
c. I Kings 3:10 – Solomon’s speech pleased the Lord—because he asked for wisdom and not riches.
» God does not delight in the mere movement of our lips… but what it is we express!
» Solomon expressed his helplessness and his need and the Father delighted to answer that prayer.
» Solomon knows from experience that the prayer of the upright is a delight to God.
» DO you want to please your heavenly Father? Keep on praying—out of an upright heart.
7. REASONS God is delighted with the prayer of the upright:
a. I John 5:14 – The Father delights in our prayers because prayer is an expression of our CONFIDENCE in God.
b. Phil. 4:6 – The Father delights in our prayer when it is an expression of confidence in God in EVERYTHING… every tiny detail of life.
c. John 14:13-14 – The Father delights in our prayers in Christ’s name because through that prayer, the Father is glorified in the Son.
8. That Which Brings God DELIGHT
a. Ps. 19:14 – “acceptable” = same word as delight. Our prayer should be that our words and meditation be a DELIGHT to God. Are they?
b. Col. 1:10 – a worthy walk can be “all pleasing” to God.
c. Col. 3:20 – children obeying their parents is well pleasing to the Lord.
d. Prov. 12:22 – God delights in truth.
e. Ps. 103:21 – ministers who do His pleasure (same word as delight—bring Him delight). We can delight God through our ministry… IF our heart is right with Him.
f. Prov. 11:1 – a just weight is His delight too! (a man whose uprightness spills over into his job.) Honesty!
Proverbs 15:9
The Way of the Wicked and the Righteous
Introduction:
1. Once again, Solomon contrasts the wicked and the righteous.
2. Once again, Solomon speaks of that which is an abomination to the Lord. (vs.8 = sacrifice of the wicked; vs.9 = the way of the wicked)
3. Two WAYS are described in this verse: the way of the wicked, and the way of those who follow righteousness.
A. The Way
1. Way:
a. Strong’s: way = road; journey; manner; path; direction; habit; of course of life; moral character.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: way of life, the manner one conducts one’s life, including habits.
2. The way of the wicked described.
a. Prov. 4:19 – the way of the wicked is the way of darkness… and they stumble all along the way.
b. Prov. 22:5 – Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward.
c. Prov. 13:15 – the way of the transgressor is hard.
d. Prov. 2:13-14 – the wicked choose to leave the paths of uprightness and choose to walk in darkness. They delight in it!
e. Prov. 1:31 – the wicked shall EAT of the fruit of their own way. (cut by the thorns; trapped in the snares; stumble and get hurt from the fall; there are many consequences to walking in the way of the wicked)
f. Prov. 14:12 – the way of the wicked might SEEM right to him, but God’s estimate is quite different. It is the way of death… and an abomination to the Lord.
g. Psalm 146:9 – but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
B. An Abomination
1. This is the REASON for their sacrifices being an abomination—because their entire WAY of life is an abomination to God.
a. 15:7 – their sacrifices are an abomination.
b. 15:26 – even their thoughts are an abomination!
c. 28:9 – his prayers shall even be an abomination.
d. God considers the entire way of life of the wicked to be an abomination.
e. If a man is walking in the way of sin, rebellion, and unbelief, no prayer, no sacrifice, no thought could ever endear him to God. Nothing on that way is acceptable to the Lord.
f. The sinner has gone “out of the way”… and thus NOTHING he offers to God from that way (sacrifice or prayer) is of any merit.
g. Sacrifices and prayers offered to God from one walking in the way of the wicked is nothing but a corrupt stream flowing from a corrupt fountain.
2. Prov. 29:27 – “he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.”
a. God views the way of the wicked as an abomination.
b. Those who are walking on the way of the wicked view those on the straight and narrow way as an abomination.
c. The wicked cannot take their anger out on God directly, so it vents its wrath against godly men and women.
d. This is the world’s way of saying to God, “the feeling of abomination is mutual!”
e. This is one of the reasons for such hostility and deep division in our nation today.
» The deep division and hostility is not so much over tax cuts, building highways or schools, or passing this bill or that.
» The real division is over the MORAL issues of our day: abortion; gay marriage; fornication; euthanasia; divorce and the breakdown of the traditional Christian family; etc.
» The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. And the way of the upright is an abomination to the wicked.
1. Follow: pursue; chase; persecute; (following with intensity… not just strolling along aimlessly…)
a. This speaks of the believer who pursues righteousness with his whole heart… he dedicates his life to living for the Lord… he chases after purity and holiness…
b. He pursues godliness with as much vigor as the unsaved pursue money, power, and success in the world!
2. In contrast to the “way of the wicked” is the one who “follows after righteousness.” (two very different “ways of life”)
a. Isaiah refers to the faithful remnant of Israel as “ye who pursue righteousness” (Isa. 51:1)
b. I Tim. 6:11 – the man of God is also commanded to “pursue righteousness.”
c. Following after righteousness ought to characterize believers in any age.
3. The way of righteousness DESCRIBED in Proverbs
a. Prov. 3:5-6 – the way of the righteous is the way of acknowledging God and being led by Him. God loves those who follow that path
b. Prov. 3:23 – the way of the righteous is a way guided by wisdom… and is thus the way of safety…
c. The way of the righteous is the way of making proper CHOICES…
• Prov. 1:10-15 – it the way of choosing to avoid those who are dishonest.
• Prov. 3:30-31 – choosing to avoid the oppressor (violence).
• Prov. 4:14-15 – AVOID the way of the wicked. It is your choice. (mischief and violence (vs. 16-17)
d. Prov. 6:6 – the way of the righteous OBSERVES the ways of others and makes proper choices accordingly.
• If one is to avoid the way of the wicked, then it requires observation.
• It is necessary to observe the roads people take… and to observe the consequences of those roads…
• The way of the righteous LEARNS from that observation and avoids the pitfalls that ensnare others.
e. Prov. 8:13 – God fearing people HATE the way of the evil. (they don’t hate the people… just their “way”)
• When a way is observed and proves to be evil—learn to HATE that way.
• When it is known from Scripture that a road is evil—avoid it. Hate it. Love righteousness and hate unrighteousness.
• Ps. 119:104, 128 – the psalmist hated every false way. There is such a thing as good hatred. Hating evil = loving truth and righteousness.
f. Prov.10:29 – the upright who follow the way of the Lord find STRENGTH for their journey.
• We need never fear taking the way of righteousness.
• The way is hard, but strength is provided.
• Those who choose to pursue righteousness with all their heart will discover that God will enable them in that pursuit every step of the way.
g. Prov.2:7-8, 12 – Those who walk in the way of righteousness find protection.
• The way of righteousness has proven to be dangerous for many saints. (saints in Communist countries; Muslim countries; etc.)
• But for those who choose to pursue righteousness with their whole heart, God provides not only strength for the journey buy journey’s mercies: protection along the way.
h. Isa. 3:10 – the righteous shall also EAT of the fruit of their doings.
» There are evil consequences to sin and poor choices.
» There are good consequences to righteousness and good decisions.
» Prov. 21:21 – He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
» God blesses those who follow righteousness. Do you want God’s hand of blessing in your life? Pursue righteousness… follow righteousness… and you will find righteousness and much more.
4. God LOVES those who follow righteousness.
a. I Tim.6:11 – the man of God is commanded to FOLLOW after righteousness.
b. This is the way of life that God loves… the way of wholehearted dedication to pursuing that which honors HIM.
c. Prov.11:28 – God causes the righteous to flourish.
d. Prov. 5:21 – For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
• God is observing, pondering, all of our ways… every last one of them… every step along the way.
• Our steps and our ways are either an abomination to Him or He loves them!
• What about YOUR ways? Are we following (pursuing; chasing) righteousness? Is it wholehearted dedication?
• Or are we just drifting along… floating… wandering… dabbling… pretending to follow?
• The ways of man are all before the eyes of the Lord… whether we are pursuing righteousness or whether we are following some other road.
• Psalm 1:6 – two ways; two endings; God loves one and hates the other.
Proverbs 15:10
Correction & Reproof
Introduction:
1. Because of verses like this one, I struggled and debated at first as to HOW to approach the book of Proverbs.
a. Should I teach it topically, and lump together those passages which deal with various reoccurring subjects… such as work/laziness; the tongue; choosing friends; the use of money; immorality vs. purity… reaping what you sow; or this topic: correction and reproof.
b. Should I teach it verse by verse? But if I do, then we are going to come across certain themes (like this one) over and over again. It might be too repetitious and thus become monotonous…
2. Consider how often this theme is repeated:
a. 15:10; 15:5; 15:12
b. 1:30; 5:12; 10:17; 12:1; 13:1
c. I believe the Lord led me to teach His Word exactly in the order and with the same frequency of repetition as HE put in it… by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
d. And if certain themes are repeated often… and if it seems a bit repetitious at times—you take that up with the Author. I’m just the messenger boy.
3. There is good reason for repetition.
a. It is the very best aid to memory and learning device.
b. It helps drill truth in deeper so that it sticks.
c. We forget and need reminding.
d. We sometimes begin to drift in the wrong direction and need to be wooed back.
e. We sometimes disobey and need rebuking…
f. And an area that may not have been a problem when you heard it preached six months ago MAY be a problem in your life today!
g. Or maybe the Lord knows that you will be tempted tomorrow and need a FRESH reminder today…
h. God has His reasons for repetition.
1. Correction is grievous.
a. Solomon was a keen observer of human nature.
b. He was a people watcher and noticed that NOBODY likes to be corrected.
c. It is human nature to assume that our ways are right and thus we don’t need to be corrected.
d. Correction is grievous because it highlights something that is WRONG with self… and is always damaging to our so called “self image.”
e. Correction casts us in a bad light.
f. It places us BENEATH the one correcting us.
g. It involves accepting the fact that they’re right and I’m wrong!
h. That always hurts… doesn’t it?
2. It is grievous experience for many reasons… most of which are based in PRIDE.
a. Students don’t like to be corrected in class because they feel foolish… embarrassed…
• Everyone is looking at them… they feel “stupid” for doing the math wrong…
• However, they SHOULD be pleased that something wrong is being righted!
• It is far better to have it corrected in class… than with a red pen on your final exam!
• If you’re doing the problems wrong, the most helpful thing a teacher or a fellow student can do is correct you!
b. Workers don’t like to be corrected in the workplace for similar reasons.
• They feel embarrassed if their coworkers find out that they were doing something wrong.
• It makes them look bad.
• Or perhaps, they still THINK that their way is right… and who does my boss think he is?
• Workers also don’t like to be corrected because it might mean doing the work over again… correcting all the mistakes… fixing the errors…
• Lazy, mediocre workers do not like to be corrected.
c. Young people don’t like to be corrected.
• It hurts their pride… they feel that they are being treated like a little child…
• Sometimes, because of a lack of experience, they don’t see the error of their way and resent being told that they might be wrong.
• Sometimes it is just pure sin—they want to do it their way and don’t want anyone telling them anything different!
• They hate the authority which the reproof represents.
d. As Christians we don’t like being corrected.
• Once again, the reasons are similar.
• We don’t like to have our sin or failure to be highlighted.
• We don’t want to admit that we are wrong and someone else is right. Pride!
• We sometimes allow our hearts to become hardened and we don’t WANT to bend… to yield… or to submit to God’s Word.
• II Tim. 2:16-17 – the Scriptures are profitable for REPROOF…
» Refusing to be reproved—when the reproof is based upon the Scriptures, is refusing to submit to God Himself!
» We often take it out on the person who reproves (parent; teacher; boss; elder; pastor; brother… )
» In reality our problem is with God.
» It is a spiritual problem; an issue of the heart;
» Reproof points out an infection in our heart… and it HURTS to touch a sore, infected spot!
» When we are infected, it is precisely that infected spot that NEEDS identifying and cleansing! That’s reproof!
• Heb. 12:11 – NO chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous!
1. None of it is joyous; all of it is grievous!
2. This is true for young and old; parent and child; boss and employee;
3. EVERY son is chastened… no one escapes… and it always hurts.
4. But it is always good for us!
5. It hurts in the immediate; but is good in the long run… like cleaning out an infection.
3. Him that forsaketh the way.
a. Forsake: to leave; lose; to depart from; leave behind; abandon.
b. The way they forsake:
• Prov. 2:8 – the way of His saints.
• Prov. 2:13 – who leave (forsake) the paths of uprightness.
• Prov. 2:20 – the way of good men; the paths of the righteous.
• Prov. 4:11 – the way of wisdom; right paths.
• Prov. 10:29 – the way of the Lord.
• Psalm 119:1 – the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
c. Those who forsake the right way, end up going the wrong way.
• Prov. 1:15 – the way of foolish sinners who seek after mischief.
• Prov. 2:12-15 – the way of wicked men; darkness; crooked ways.
• Prov. 12:26 – the seducing ways of the wicked.
• Prov. 13:15 – the way of the transgressor… which is hard.
• Prov. 15:19 – the way of the slothful.
4. Correction is grievous to the one who forsaketh the way.
a. One would think he would WANT to be corrected!
b. Especially if he finds himself in the way with the wicked… the way of darkness… (stumbling) the way of the transgressor (hard life)… the way of mischief (getting in trouble and paying the consequences…)
c. One would think that when a friend points out a BETTER way, that it would be greatly appreciated. WRONG!
d. It is grievous. He HATES to be corrected.
e. Why? Because he is in darkness… and the darkness doesn’t comprehend the light; because he has been seduced by wickedness… and the wicked way seems “wicked good” to him… and because there is a temporary pleasure to sin.
f. This man who hates to be corrected is quite shortsighted.
• There is an immediate pleasure to sin, but there are also long term consequences.
• The darkness is appealing when you are trying to cover up your lifestyle.
• And after you’ve been in the darkness for a while, your eyes adjust… and the light seems TOO bright!
• But ultimately, it is PRIDE at the root of it all.
• Fallen flesh likes to do its own thing… and doesn’t want to be told what to do… and is BLIND and thus unable to see what’s wrong with his evil way.
g. Prov. 13:18 – Wandering off into the wrong path is shortsighted because (regardless of how much FUN that way may seem), the end of that path is often poverty and shame!
1. Prov. 13:13 – whoso rejects the Word shall be destroyed!
2. Prov. 15:10 – even death!
3. There are serious consequences of NOT LISTENING to the words of wisdom… to words of correction and rebuke…
a. Sinning is bad enough. It is bad enough when we stumble and fall into sin… caught unaware.
b. But this is much worse. This is the man (or woman) who sins… and HATES to be reproved! He is told of the danger; warned not to proceed; but continues going the wrong way anyway!
c. This is willful sin… deliberate sin… this is rejecting light and truth… and a refusal to acknowledge sin. And we are judged according to the light we receive.
d. The man who trips into sin and bangs his head usually is ready to accept help in getting up.
e. But this man walked off into sin… and is being encouraged to get up and turn around… and he HATES to hear it!
f. There is no help for those who refuse help… for those who hate to be helped.
4. Those who refuse to be corrected… those who hate reproof… shall suffer and even die!
a. This doesn’t mean that in every single incident, the person who hates reproof dies.
b. But the one whose life is characterized by “hating reproof” is on a pathway that is headed towards death.
c. It is the way of the transgressor… the way of sin… and the wages of sin is death.
d. Prov. 29:1 – He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
e. Even a righteous man (a believer) who refuses to submit to the correction of God’s Word may experience physical death as a result. There is a sin unto death! (The Corinthians!)
5. Ultimately, this man will refuse the offer of salvation… for the GOSPEL message is a message of reproof, isn’t it?
a. First God reproves us for our sin. He points it out and makes us admit it. He tells us that we are headed the WRONG WAY.
b. Then He offers a BETTER way… HIS way. (John 14:6)
c. Those who refuse correction will remain in the broad way that leads to eternal destruction.
Proverbs 15:11
The Hearts of the Children of Men
1. Hell: Sheol – the Old Testament Hebrew term for the abode of the dead.
a. It is usually translated by either “grave” or “hell.” (and a few times by “the pit.”)
b. It should not be thought of as MERELY the grave into which the body is placed, but the rather, “the place of the dead.”
c. It is the ABODE of the souls and spirits of men who died in Old Testament times.
d. It is the Old Testament equivalent of “Hades” which is also translated “hell” in the New Testament.
2. Destruction: abaddon = to die; to perish.
a. This term is used often in conjunction with death, hell, or the grave.
b. Prov. 27:20 – Hell and destruction are never full.
c. Job 28:22 – Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
d. Ps. 88:11 – Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?
e. It may be used as a synonym for death or those who have died.
f. Rev. 9:11 – it is the name of the angel of the bottomless pit…
3. Before the Lord:
a. The main point: God SEES and thus KNOWS all.
b. That which is HIDDEN from our eyes… hidden from all in the land of the living is open and BEFORE the eyes of the Lord.
c. God sees the souls of men in Hades/Sheol.
d. God is aware of their attitudes and their thoughts.
e. God is completely aware of all that transpires in the abode of the dead.
f. Everything that is OUT OF our sight is BEFORE the eyes of the Lord.
g. Even death and the grave cannot hide a man’s thoughts, words, attitudes, and motives from God.
h. It is ALL before the Lord—even after death.
i. Some men have committed suicide because of the guilt of their sin… because they were aware that it was not hidden from Him with whom we have to do. But even death will not hide us from God’s eyes.
j. There is no hiding from God’s piercing, penetrating eyes.
k. Psalm 139:8 – If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
l. Men commit suicide as an escape from their guilt and pain. However, it brings no relief whatsoever. It is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire for the lost.
m. God is in the land of living and in the land of the dead. He is omnipresent. There is no escaping His presence or His piercing eyes…
n. Psalm 139:12 – Darkness hides us not from Him. Neither does death!
o. Job 26:6 – all are naked and open to the Lord…
p. There is ABSOLUTELY no escape from God’s presence… God’s knowledge… God’s penetrating eyes.
1. Solomon makes ONE simple point in this proverb: Since God knows all about that which is hidden from our eyes (even in Sheol!) then He certainly knows what is going on in our hearts and minds!
2. This is a truth that is amplified throughout the Scriptures.
» Prov. 15:3 – The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
» Prov. 5:21 – The ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord
→ Way: road; manner; habit; course of life (fig.) of moral character.
→ God knows all about our moral character; our habits; the ordinary course of life we live.
→ Doesn’t it make sense to be CAREFUL about our habits and the course of our life?
→ Doesn’t it make sense to be COGNIZANT of the fact that God is observing all of our ways?
» Ps. 38:9 – Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee
→ Desire: Wish; longings of one’s heart; lust; appetite; covetousness (bad sense). Thing desired, object of desire.
• God knows all of our desires. That for which we crave and long for… all the affections of our heart.
• He knows what we have an appetite for—both good and evil. Do we long for spiritual things? For His Word? He knows.
• Do we long for the things of the world… do we lust after pleasure… do we secretly lust after that which is impure and immoral… do we covet our neighbors goods? He knows all that too.
• God knows what the true OBJECT of our desires is. Is it Christ? It should be!
→ Groanings: sighing, groaning (expression of grief or physical distress).
• Even our groanings cannot be hidden from God.
• But people groan for different reasons.
• In a positive sense, He is aware of all of our grief and mourning… of all of our suffering and loss.
• In that sense, we have a great High Priest who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities.
• In a negative sense, He is aware of all of our complaints and murmurings…
• God said: Do all things without murmurings and disputings. He knows when we are disobeying His word.
• This kind of negativity, constant groaning and complaining can easily become a way of life… a habit… and habits over time develop into character.
• Cut it off before it becomes your character. Remember: God is aware of your attitude.
» Ps. 44:21 – Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
→ God knows the heart.
→ God also knows the SECRETS of the heart (hidden things)
→ God is aware of the things we foolishly ATTEMPT to hide from Him.
» Jer. 17:10 – I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins,
→ God IS already omniscient. But He uses language we can relate to.
→ God doesn’t search our hearts in order to DISCOVER something about us He doesn’t know.
→ But the image is that of a SEARCH going on in the deep, inner recesses of our hearts. God “looks” in every nook and cranny. There is no hiding from Him.
→ When God searches our hearts… and points His light upon an area that needs “fixin”, then we had better respond in faith and obedience!
» Heb. 4:13 – Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
→ When we sit before our computer; watch TV; listen to the radio; read a book from the library; watch a video; God is perfectly and completely aware.
→ When we are all alone and no one earth can see. God is aware.
→ When we think in our minds and no one knows what we are thinking—God is aware.
→ When our heart grows fond of and becomes attached to a person, a car, a house, a fancy vacation, a swimming pool, the corner office, and our affection is given to this or that “thing”—God is aware… and jealous!
3. This is a two edged sword. It can bring great conviction AND great comfort.
a. Verse 11 seems to be part of a CONTEXT in Proverbs 15:
» Prov. 15:10-12 – DO appear to be speaking about the same subject: receiving or rejecting correction or reproof.
» Vs.10 and 12 both speak on this issue.
» Vs. 11 seems different, but it is likely that it was strategically placed there to highlight a truth.
• A man, woman, or child who is corrected or reproved has an option….
• He can either RECEIVE the correction and repent…
• OR he can REJECT the correction or reproof as in vs. 9.
• OR he can only PRETEND to receive the correction… and let it go in one ear and out the other.
» Solomon’s warning: God knows. You can fool your boss, your teacher, your parents, the policeman, but not the Lord.
• You can try to HIDE your real feelings… HIDE your real attitude behind the words you know they want to hear—even if you don’t mean it.
• But you can never HIDE anything from God.
• He knows what’s going on in Hades! He surely knows what’s going on in our hearts in the land of the Living!
4. Perhaps there is another intended application from this truth.
a. Sometimes people are corrected and reproved IMPROPERLY!
b. Perhaps they did not DO what they were accused of doing.
c. Perhaps the reprover is wrongly judging their motives and the secret intents of the heart.
d. Perhaps the reprover misinterpreted their actions—or put the wrong construction on their actions.
e. Parents, teachers, pastors, elders, bosses, policemen, judges, —any human being in a position of authority—in a position whereby they may attempt to correct or reprove another person is LIABLE TO ERROR.
• If you are WRONGLY corrected or reproved… and are forced to suffer the consequences for something you DIDN’T do… take heart.
• God sees all! He knows your heart when it is guilty. He also knows your heart when it is innocent!
• The Judge of all the earth does what is RIGHT.
• He condemns the guilty and He justifies the innocent!
• So, if you are wrongly accused, follow the example of Jesus who also suffered wrongfully.
• Thank God for the opportunity to experience the fellowship of His sufferings… and do so with a good attitude!
• God knows what’s going on in the hearts of the children of men. He would be PLEASED to see that kind of a Christlike spirit manifested in your heart!
Proverbs 15:12
The Scorner
Introduction:
1. Here is yet another proverb that deals with the subject of receiving or rejecting correction.
2. 15:10 dealt with the same subject… with a slightly different emphasis. This proverb emphasized the fact that the one reproved had “forsaken the way” and as a result would “die.”
3. 15:5 also dealt with the same subject. It too had its own emphasis. This proverb emphasizes the fact that a foolish child hates his father’s instruction… but a wise or prudent child regards the reproof.
4. 15:12, while speaking about the same subject of responding to reproof, this passage emphasizes the attitude of the one being reproved.
A. Scorner Defined
1. Strong’s: talk arrogantly; to boast; to mock; deride; to be inflated; scoff.
2. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: speak words which show no respect for the object, and make fun of the object.
3. Usage:
a. Prov. 14:9 – fools make a mock at sin. (scorners treat sin lightly—no sense of holiness or purity)
b. Prov. 22:10 – cast out the scorner and contention is gone. Scorners are by nature troublemakers. They stir up controversy and trouble.
c. Prov. 1:22 – Scorners delight in their scorning. (Scorners make a game out of mocking and making fun of sin and holy things. They not only do such things, but delight in it… in the mockery or in stirring up trouble.)
4. The particular KIND of scorner mentioned in 15:12 is one who talks arrogantly and mocks REPROOF.
a. When a person is a big mouth mocker… who treats sin lightly… and delights in his arrogant mocking… he is in NEED of reproof!
b. Solomon speaks of reproof, but he does not mention WHY the person is being reproved.
c. Rather, he speaks about the KIND of person who is being reproved: a scorner.
d. One might assume that the reproof is on account of his scorning… mocking… arrogance… big mouth.
e. BUT—the reproof could be given for ANY kind of behavior.
f. Usually arrogant big mouths who make light of sin have other issues too.
g. Thus, the reproof Solomon had in mind here could be for anything.
h. This proverb emphasizes not so much the REASON for the reproof, but the TYPE of person being reproved… and what to expect.
B. The Scorner Loveth Not the Reprover
1. First of all, this is a warning to all well-meaning reprovers.
a. This proverb really has meaning for BOTH parties: the scorner and the reprover.
b. To the reprover comes this warning: WATCH OUT! Be careful! The one you reprove isn’t going to like it.
c. We have seen this thought before. People do not like to be reproved or corrected.
• 15:10 emphasizes the correction – the correction itself is grievous to him.
• 23:9 – he will hate the words of wisdom you speak.
• 15:12 emphasizes the person giving the correction.
d. Love: affection; human love for one another, includes family, human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sex, sleep, wisdom; the act of being a friend.
e. The scorner will have no affection… no appetite… no desire for the one reproving him. He will have NEGATIVE affections… he will HATE the reproof AND the reprover!
f. So if you see a person who needs reproof: BEWARE!
• Before you begin to reprove him, think about what you are getting into!
• If the person is a fool and a scorner, he will not only hate the reproof. He might hate YOU too!
• He might even take out his anger on YOU.
g. Prov. 9:8 – here Solomon says NOT to reprove a scorner lest he hate you!
• Note the different reaction from a wise person. He will love you!
• The wise man will see that you are concerned about him and will take heed to the correction, change his ways, and will appreciate you!
• Ps. 141:5 – it shall be received by a righteous man as a sweet anointing… an excellent, fragrant oil… that causes his face to shine.
• The same reproof to a scorner results in hatred. He might even turn on you… strike back… make trouble for you… gossip about you…
• Prov. 9:7 – Here’s WHY Solomon says in vs. 8 NOT to reprove a scorner: if you do, you will receive SHAME and a BLOT.
» This reprover receives shame and a blot because he is disregarding Solomon’s advice: DON’T reprove a scorner!
» The advice here is DON’T constantly nag a person for their behavior. A fool will quite likely NEVER change his behavior.
» If you disregard Solomon’s advice here and continually reprove a person—he will turn on you. You will earn a bad reputation.
» I have heard Christians nag unbelievers because they smoke or drink… or the music they listen to at work.
» Solomon’s point is that constant nagging… continual reproof is only going to work against you… and it may embolden the one reproved to action against YOU!
» You may receive shame and a blot from the person being reproved… he may pick a fight over the issue… or strike back…
h. This is a warning to the one giving the reproof.
• The warning is this: if you feel the need to reprove a person… be careful! Be wise! Be discerning!
• Not everybody is going to respond to reproof in the same way.
• Some will love it and appreciate your concern and thank you.
• Some will hate what you say and despise YOU for saying it!
• Matt. 7: 6 – Jesus said, “Don’t cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn and rend YOU!”
» This means that we need to size people up a bit before we seek to help them.
» Some people are like dogs or swine.
» Jesus said DON’T cast your pearls (gospel message; or words of wisdom; or reproof) before them.
» Jesus gives the same warning as Solomon.
» Not only will mockers and scorners (dogs and swine) hate your words … they will then vent their anger on YOU!
» Prov. 13:1 – besides, “a scorner heareth not rebuke.” There are times when it is best NOT to rebuke a man who needs rebuking. If he is a scorner, he isn’t going to listen anyway!
i. Be discerning. Think about what you might be getting yourself into. Is that really the route you want to go?
• You may NEED to rebuke the person (especially if it is your son or daughter!)
• But if it is a co-worker, it may not be the best idea.
• Try to discern the TYPE of person you are dealing with… before you offer advice or reproof.
• If he is a genuine scorner and has proven himself to be… or if he has demonstrated himself to be a dog or a swine, you may want to think twice!
• The situation may be uncomfortable, but you may find yourself jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
• God says to be discerning. Not every person who could benefit from reproof or needs to be reproved… SHOULD BE.
• Here, God is taking care for the one who wants to be helpful and offer reproof or correction.
2. This is also a word of warning the scorner.
a. The scorner is described as one who does not love (hates?!) the one who rebukes him.
b. Perhaps the scorner reading this verse ought to reconsider his scornful attitude! I think Solomon intended that to occur because of this passage.
c. Perhaps a scorner ought to RETHINK his reasons for not liking rebuke or reproof. (Could it actually be for my good?)
d. Perhaps he should think about the CONSEQUENCES of his actions… (Cf. 15:10c – he could die!)
1. The scorner will not go to the wise.
a. WHY? Because he loves not… (he hates!) those who rebuke him!
b. If a scornful fool goes to a wise man, the wise man is going to point out his folly… point out his faults… correct areas that need correcting.
c. John 3:20 – For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
→ Sinful men don’t want the light to shine on their sin.
→ Foolish men don’t want their folly pointed out to them.
→ Scorners don’t want to have their faults displayed either.
→ Hence, they stay away from wise men… lest they hear words of wisdom that makes them feel uncomfortable!
2. This also seems to be designed as a warning to the scorner.
→ The average scorner will not go to a wise man.
→ But perhaps there are some scorners who are reconsidering their scorning and mocking of holy things.
→ Perhaps this passage could serve as a slap in the face to such scorners… a wake up call!
→ If you remain in your scorn… bitterness… anger… and mocking of holy things… and you refuse to go to a wise man… you may end up being a scorner FOREVER!
→ Prov. 3:34-35 – 34Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. 35The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Proverbs 15:13
A Merry Heart
Introduction:
1. Vs. 13-15 speak of the heart… and in particular that which makes for a merry heart.
2. A large percentage of the American population is on antidepressants.
a. That tells us that possessing a merry heart is a problem in our land. Everybody wants one… but few people have it!
b. The treatment I’m on for my virus is a depressant… and after 7 months on a depressant, I’m sure I’m not the best poster boy for a cheerful countenance…
c. But this is the next verse, so I’m going to teach what it says—even if it hurts!
1. Merry = the word for rejoice; to be glad.
a. Ps. 113:9 – He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children.
b. When a barren woman bears a child, she has the kind of heart described in Prov. 15:13.
c. In this case, the favorable circumstances resulted in a merry heart: barrenness was turned to motherhood!
d. There is a place for joy and rejoicing. It is essential to being a whole, balanced, well adjusted person. That’s the way God made us!
2. When the heart is merry on the inside—it shows on the outside (countenance).
a. This countenance will be CHEERFUL: “good, pleasing, glad”.
b. The barren mother probably looked a bit gloomy at times when she was barren.
c. But rest assured, when she brought her baby home, she glowed! It changed her countenance… to cheerful!
d. Changing circumstances can change the condition of our heart… and the condition of our heart is reflected in our countenance.
3. But the condition of our heart as a CHRISTIAN ought not to be determined by circumstances!
a. The condition of our heart ought to be determined by our relationship to Christ! (Ps. 42:11 – HE is the health of my countenance!)
b. If we are close to HIM… then even the barren woman can have the joy of the Lord. She might be sad over her barrenness, but that does not diminish her joy in the Lord! The man who losses his job may be sad about that, but it is not crushing IF his focus is on Christ… because CHRIST is the true source of our joy.
c. We are told to rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS.
• And circumstances aren’t always favorable! Oftentimes they are considerably less than favorable!
• But we are to rejoice anyway!
• Our joy has a source other than circumstances.
• And notice that we are commanded to rejoice, but our joy is completely separated from circumstances.
• We are to rejoice in the LORD… not in favorable circumstances!
d. Hab. 3:17-18 – Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
4. Solomon’s point is that a merry heart is GOOD for your countenance.
a. Countenance = face; front; presence; one’s overall body language, especially facial expression.
b. The condition of the inner man is expressed outwardly by the outer man… the body. That is by God’s design.
c. Prov. 17:22 – A merry heart doeth good like a medicine
• Just as medicine is good for the body, the outer man, so a merry heart is good for the inner man.
• Solomon may even have had in mind the fact that a merry heart does the BODY good too.
» There is definitely a connection between body, soul, and spirit.
» We humans are a unit.
» That which affects our inner man also affects our body: worry; anxiety; fear; hatred; bitterness.
• It is GOOD to be happy… merry… joyous… upbeat. It is healthy to be cheerful… healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
• Wholesome mirth and merrymaking is good for your countenance; it’s good for your inner life!
• It’s also good for the people around you!
» It’s good for your spouse and kids when YOU are cheerful!
» It’s good for your brethren in the local church when you are cheerful.
» It’s good for the people at work when you are cheerful!
» It’s hard to live with a person who never has anything good to say… everything is negative… always sour… never sees the silver lining; can only see the dark cloud… always nit-picking… complaining… generally unhappy and miserable! Nothing’s good enough…
• That’s a terrible way to live. It’s a terrible training for our kids who watch us every day. They are learning HOW to be a person by observing dad and mom.
• But a merry heart does GOOD.
» Living cheerfully with your wife at home is the best training your kids will ever have.
» God instituted feast days in Israel—times of festivity and joy and celebration. It is GOOD for man to experience such festivities and opportunities for merriment and rejoicing.
» If you are more like the one who never sees the silver lining—you need to get out more often!
» Get out to times of fellowship more often.
» Don‘t sit around in your gloomy world all day. Open the windows… let in some light… fill your mind and heart with the Word… and spend time with God’s people. Smile!
» Do something fun. We can lift one another’s spirits.
» It isn’t worldly to be merry. God says it’s good for us!
1. Neh. 2:1-3 – Nehemiah’s countenance was sad and it was obvious to onlookers.
a. External events/circumstances (condition of his people) made Nehemiah’s heart sad.
b. That sad heart was seen in his countenance… face. He couldn’t hide it—even though it could have meant his job… even his life.
2. Like it or not, external events DO affect our hearts… and this is quite normal and natural.
a. Who isn’t saddened at the death of a loved one? Who wasn’t affected by the events on 9/11? Whose heart wouldn’t be sad if your house burned down?
b. Who doesn’t grieve over the moral decline in our country… and even more so the spiritual decline in the churches?
c. This kind of grief and sorrow is normal and natural.
d. Ezek. 9:4 – In Ezekiel, the identifying mark of the godly remnant was the fact that they grieved over the awful spiritual decline and the abominations in their country.
e. It’s not a sin to be sad or sorrowful. Jesus was a “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (Isa.53:3)
f. Phil. 3:10 – Paul states that the godly of this age FELLOWSHIP in Christ’s sufferings and sorrows… as we lead holy, separated, godly lives.
g. There are times when it is RIGHT to be full of sorrow and grief… just like Jesus our Lord.
3. Proverbs 15:13 is not teaching that it is WRONG to experience sorrow of heart.
a. Rather, the proverb is a WARNING: sorrow and grief CAN break the spirit!
b. Sorrow and grief in their time and place are right, normal, and natural.
c. Ecc. 3:4 – A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
• There is a time to weep. There is also a time to STOP weeping… and to return to laughing.
• Some folks experience the death of a loved one and refuse to be comforted. They refuse to laugh and to join into life again… thinking that if they attend a festive activity or begin to laugh again, it would be insulting to the lost loved one. If that person loved you, they would NOT want you to remain in misery!
• And what about insulting GOD? Do you think God is pleased if we refuse comfort?
→ II Cor. 1:3 – Where does comfort come from, if not the God of all comfort? (That’s the Father’s name!)
→ The Holy Spirit is the Comforter according to John 14:16-17.
→ Jesus Christ is the Comforter according to I John 2:1.
→ God also uses His Word to encourage and comfort hearts full of sorrow.
→ In addition, God uses His people to encourage and comfort hearts.
→ God is the GOD… the Source of all true comfort.
→ So when God sends comfort to our hearts… RECEIVE it! Don’t refuse to be comforted! Submit to His comfort in whatever form it takes!
→ ALLOW Him to comfort your grief stricken heart.
d. There is a normal and natural period of grieving after the death of a loved one… but to wallow in grief… to refuse to be comforted…
• There seems to be a morbid delight some folks have in wallowing in their sorrow…
• This behavior is DANGEROUS!
• Over time, it can crush the spirit…
• Prov. 17:22 – a broken spirit drieth the bones. The bones can take a lot… they can bear much, but over TIME… if the sorrow continues unabated… it will eventually dry out the bones—
» This is a picture of a withered inner man!
» A broken spirit will eat at you from the inside out!
» Once again, we have a picture of the effect of our emotions on our body: on our whole being.
» It is dangerous to continue in grief and sorrow and to refuse to be comforted.
• II Cor. 2:7 – So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
» Swallowed up = devoured; destroyed.
» The assembly was commanded to forgive this brother, lest his spirit be broken, and his spiritual life be destroyed!
» There is a time and place for grief. There is also a time and place for grief to end.
• Prov. 18:14 – A wounded spirit, who can bear?
• Unending grief… sorrow that refuses to be comforted… can make life unbearable… miserable… intolerable.
• WHO can bear it? The implied answer is no one! You are not the exception!
• A wounded spirit makes life unbearable… and it can lead to suicide… and it has many times over.
• A broken spirit seems even WORSE than a wounded spirit… but actually, wounded and broken are the same Hebrew terms.
• Thus, by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken… and that broken spirit is unbearable!
• A wounded or broken spirit seems to be inoperative… broken and unable to function as designed.
• If that broken spirit REFUSES to be comforted… if it refuses the comfort God sends… if it insists in wallowing in grief… it may arrive at a place where it CAN’T function… it is STUCK in depression…
• The one who is offered comfort and refuses to be lifted out of the miry clay may discover that, if they persist in that condition, when they WANT to get out… they may not be able to!
• God is the Source of all comfort. If we refuse the source of all comfort… we may not have that opportunity again for a long time. Don’t put God to the test.
Proverbs 15:14
Knowledge vs. Foolishness
1. The heart of him that hath understanding.
a. This speaks of a man with discernment… good understanding… wisdom… common sense… sound judgment… prudence… insight.
b. This man is contrasted with the FOOL in second part of the proverb. Hence, this is the WISE man.
2. He SEEKS knowledge.
a. He doesn’t wait for wisdom and knowledge to come to him. He SEEKS it.
b. He wants light… truth… the best education he can get…
c. SEEKS: The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; asks; begs; demands.
• Translated “begging” bread.
• Used in Prov.2:4 – of seeking wisdom as for hidden treasure! That is wholehearted pursuit!
d. Note that it is the HEART of this man that seeks knowledge.
• He seeks knowledge from his heart—wholeheartedly.
• This is not superficial or phony. It is the desire of his heart.
e. A wise man is never satisfied with the wisdom he has. He always SEEKS more.
• A truly wise man is aware of how much he does NOT know… and hence, seeks to learn.
• A wise man’s education does not end when he graduates from school. That’s when it begins!
3. Prov. 18:15 – he not only seeks it but he GETS it!
a. This implies that he keeps on knocking until it is opened unto him! He keeps of digging until he finds that treasure!
b. He doesn’t seek for a while and then quit. He seeks until he finds.
c. It is like the man who has developed a “taste” for wisdom and knowledge and craves more… and he won’t stop seeking until he gets it!
d. He is HUNGRY for knowledge and wisdom… and a man who is truly hungry has a mind for nothing else but to satisfy that hunger.
e. Prov. 2:10 – “When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul.”
• The man who hungers after knowledge, and then gets a taste of it… learns to LOVE it.
• It becomes pleasant to his soul and thus he will hunger and crave for even more!
• Once a man learns wisdom… and puts it into practice in his life… and discovers how VALUABLE it is… how safe it keeps him… what trials and pitfalls it enables him to avoid… how much grief and heartache he can avoid by using it… he wants more and more wisdom!
• This is the man who will never be satisfied until he GETS it!
f. Acts 17:11 – and when he obtains a treasure, he checks it out to make sure it is real gold and not fool’s gold… a shiny but phony counterfeit.
• This too is part of seeking knowledge… investigating for yourself!
• Whether it is the pastor or Sunday school teacher in church… or a professor in college… a true seeker of knowledge and truth will not swallow everything he is fed. He wants to make sure it is good food…
• To our young people in college—beware—it is no secret that the ivory tower leans to the left… and when everyone in that box is leaning to the left it begins to look straight to them all.
• It is helpful to step back for a different perspective, and examine what is being said through the filter of God’s Word.
4. Prov. 21:11 – sometimes he gets knowledge through simple instruction.
a. He is told, he listens, and he learns. This is the simplest way to learn.
b. He is instructed and he pays attention.
c. This implies instruction that actually SINKS IN.
d. Much instruction is given in the schoolhouse, but it doesn’t all sink in.
e. In the local church, much instruction is given too, but even there it doesn’t all sink in.
• Sometimes it is because while our body is present, we are not really “there.”
• If we were up too late Saturday night at a party or playing games… we will be too tired on Sunday morning… it’s hard to gain understanding when you’re sleeping… or staring out the window!
f. If we are harboring sin in our heart, (a bad attitude) spiritual instruction may be given, but it won’t sink in.
• And when that is the case, it is not primarily an issue of the intellect (too hard to understand)…
• It is usually an issue of the heart and will.
• It is not that the information is too hard to understand, it is the heart that is too hard… to obstinate… too stubborn… too rebellious… too callous.
• We don’t want it to sink in because it might require repentance; it might require a change of behavior or attitude; personal responsibility; etc.
g. But when the heart is right, the wise man… the man who has understanding will SEEK knowledge… and when he is instructed in knowledge, he will take heed… receive it.
h. What is the MAJOR means of instruction for the believer? The word of God—is given for instruction! Are you listening? Receiving? Doing? Practicing? Or resisting and rebelling? (II Tim. 3:16-17)
5. Prov. 19:25 – He gets wisdom through various means.
a. Sometimes the wise man obtains knowledge through being rebuked.
b. He is wise enough to receive the rebuke and gain knowledge through it!
c. He will “understand knowledge.” In other words, he will “get it.” It will make sense to him. He will see the value of it. He will appreciate it. The light will go on!
6. Prov. 14:6 – it becomes EASIER over time.
a. The man who exercises himself in seeking wisdom discovers over time that obtaining knowledge becomes easier.
b. The man who seeks to dig up buried treasures may find it very difficult to find his first gem. At first he is not familiar with the use of the minor’s pick. He doesn’t know where to look. He doesn’t have experience, and hence wastes a lot of time looking in the wrong places.
c. The experienced minor, who is skilled in the use of his tools, knows the land, knows his minerals, knows what to look for, knows where precious metals are most likely to be found will have an EASIER time finding such treasures.
d. So too, the man who already HAS a measure of wisdom and understanding, he will find it easier to obtain MORE.
e. Matt. 13:12 – For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
f. Prov. 9:9 – The wise grow wiser
g. Prov. 1:5 – a wise man will hear and will increase learning.
1. The mouths of fools FEED on foolishness.
a. Feed: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
b. The picture is like cattle slowly walking about the field, grazing and feeding… filling up on grass and grain.
c. So too the fool walks about grazing on folly… filling his gut with it.
d. The man of understanding is feasting on knowledge and wisdom. The fool is feasting on folly…
e. The fool feeds his mind and heart continually with that which is foolish.
f. He reads books that promote folly; he listens to music that encourages folly; he watches videos that glorify folly;
g. He is continually feeding his sinful nature… with vanity… gratification of the flesh and sensual pleasures: folly!
h. We could say to this fool: you are what you eat!
2. Poureth out foolishness (Prov.15:2).
a. Pour out = to flow; pour; gush forth; spring; bubble up.
b. This speaks of a continual flowing… constant motion.
c. Once a fool is full with folly, folly will pour out of his mouth… His mind and heart are full of it—and what’s on the inside will eventually come out.
d. And it doesn’t just trickle out. It POURS out!
e. Prov. 18:4 – The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing (same word) brook.
f. Prov. 15:28 – he pours out folly—but not in the sense of silly, innocent, childlike things. His folly is EVIL… immoral.
g. Prov. 29:11 – A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
• The fool blurts out whatever is on his mind—without any thought for the impact it might have on others… the hurt, the offense, its truthfulness, kindness, the feelings of others, etc…
• The wise man keeps it all in… until the right time.
3. It is a JOY to him. He delights in it. (Prov. 15:21)
a. Folly is a joy to the fool.
b. He cares not for that which would strengthen his faith, nourish his soul, or build his character.
c. The fool HATES knowledge! (Prov.1:22)
Proverbs 15:15
Evil Days vs. a Continual Feast
1. Afflicted: poor; humble; weak; wretched; needy; oppressed, i.e., pertaining to being a lowly, needy state; miserable; wretched with the focus on the trouble and hardship caused by poverty.
a. This term is almost always translated POOR.
b. Solomon is speaking about a particular kind of affliction: poverty.
c. Of course, application could be made to all kinds of other afflictions, but Solomon is speaking about poverty in this passage… and two very different responses to it.
2. Evil: bad; disagreeable; malignant; unpleasant; misery; injury; calamity; distress; adversity.
a. To some men afflicted with poverty, every day is evil: miserable, disagreeable, unpleasant.
b. WHY? The reason is not stated explicitly, but putting the two sides of this proverb together it is clearly implied.
c. Why are all the days of this poor man miserable, disagreeable, and unpleasant? Because the spirit of the man himself is miserable, disagreeable, and unpleasant!
3. The point: unfavorable circumstances can RUIN the lives of some folks.
a. Every day is miserable because this poor, afflicted man has not yet learned to be content.
b. His source of joy and happiness is related to things that are out of his reach… treasures of this world which can be destroyed by moths or rust or thieves.
c. Wealth does not bring happiness. One man said: “Wealth only makes misery more comfortable!”
d. When one’s joy is found in the Lord—even poverty and other forms of affliction won’t get us down… at least not for long.
e. Hab. 3:17-18 – 17Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.
• Poverty didn’t get this man down!
• His cheerfulness was not dependent upon wealth. The Lord was the strength of his heart—and his joy.
• Of course there is a certain amount of earthly grief and discouragement that comes from failed crops—after all the work he put into his vineyard!
• But a poor year on the farm—or in the office—or in the family business—does not have to translate into a poor year with the Lord.
• In fact, such years of physical poverty CAN be (with the right attitude) prove to be exceedingly WEALTHY years spiritually!
f. Phil. 4:11-14 – Habakkuk didn’t allow his poverty to get him down spiritually. Poverty didn’t get Paul down either.
• He LEARNED to be content.
• He saw various forms of affliction as learning opportunities…
• He grew spiritually through various seasons of life… times of abundance and times of poverty.
• Paul was afflicted with poverty and no one but the Philippians seemed to offer assistance.
• But he didn’t grow bitter. He learned to LEAN on Christ. He experienced the strength of Christ in him
• Vs. 15-18 – Paul learned that even though in the world he suffered need—in Christ he was abounding!
4. But not all afflicted people have the spirit of a Paul or Habakkuk.
a. Solomon’s point is that some folks who are afflicted (with poverty or any other affliction) seem to let their affliction dominate their lives… and life is miserable to them.
b. They allow unfavorable circumstances to RUIN their lives… and make life miserable.
c. Such a person is a slave to circumstances… And let’s face it… Circumstances in a cursed earth are not always favorable!
d. If our happiness is dependent upon favorable circumstances: it’s going to be long, tough, miserable life!
1. Solomon now contrasts two kinds of persons.
a. At first glance, it appears that he contrasting a person afflicted with poverty and a merry/happy person. (poverty and happiness)
b. It seems better to understand Solomon’s contrast this way: a poor person who is not happy and a poor person who is happy.
2. One issue to settle in this verse is this: is the continual feast the RESULT of the merry heart or is it the CAUSE of the merry heart?
a. In other words, does this person have a merry heart because he is wealthy and has a continual feast before him? Does he have a merry heart because of merry circumstances?
b. OR does this person have a continual feast even in the midst of poverty… BECAUSE he is a merry person… a content person with a merry heart?
→ This second view is correct.
→ Solomon is teaching that if a man is a cheerful person with a merry heart, even if he is poor—he is happy!
→ 15:17 – this is similar to what he states here.
→ If the spirit is right (love) then a dinner of wild vegetables is better than a steak dinner around a table full of unhappy, bitter, angry people!
→ Where the attitude is right (love; contentment; cheerfulness) even a peanut butter sandwich is a feast!
3. A continual feast.
a. It appears that his continual feast is not necessarily the result of favorable circumstances, but rather, it is due to his merry heart.
b. A person who is cheerful and has a merry heart will be cheerful regardless of his circumstances.
c. Our disposition rather than our circumstances is the key to enjoying an abundant life.
• Paul and Silas sang in prison.
• Job praised God when everything was taken from him. The Lord took away: Blessed be the name of the Lord!
• The Hebrew believers took joyfully the spoiling of their goods.
• In Acts, the apostles were imprisoned and then beaten, yet they went away “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”
d. It is the condition of our heart—our inner man that determines whether we are miserable or cheerful… not the stock market… not the job market… not the traffic… not our health… not any tranquility from without. It is tranquility from within!
e. The same set of circumstances may befall two different kinds of persons (loss of income; loss of health; tragedy; accident; loss of mobility; loss of a relationship; house burning down; etc…) — and there will two very different reactions.
f. Even something like losing a baseball game can reveal differences in the hearts of men. Sports are good training for that reason.
• Some folks can walk away from a loss and say, “That was fun.”
• Others tromp away in a rage, complaining about this call, saying the refs are not fair, and angry at the coach etc…
g. Some folks find themselves with a handicap. One person may handle it well, and learn to life with it and be cheerful. Another with the same handicap grows bitter and resentful.
h. Solomon noticed that about human nature.
• It isn’t really one’s health, income, social status, intellect, looks, talents, or favorable circumstances that determine whether a person will be happy or not. It is his heart attitude.
j. Enjoying life is not determined by what’s happening on the outside, all around us. It is determined by what’s going on inside… in our heart… our inner man… our inner attitudes.
k. This passage teaches that a merry person with a merry heart is going to be merry in any environment… in any set of circumstances! A miserable person will also be miserable in any circumstances.
l. People find themselves in unhappy circumstances all the time—and think that if they could just change their circumstances or their environment, that life would be happy again.
• For this reason we have a high divorce rate.
• For this reason, we have folks running from one church to another.
• For this reason we have people who face problems and pack up their goods and move to Miami, hoping that life will be happy there… in a new environment… leaving all my problems behind.
• The problem is, if we leave our spouse, leave our local church, leave our job, or even leave our country because we are not happy… we are not really leaving our problem behind.
• SELF is the problem… and there isn’t any way to leave him behind. He goes with you to Miami, or to a new church… or to a new marriage.
• That kind of thinking is wrong! If life is miserable, it is a heart problem, not an environmental problem!
• As a Christian, the right way to deal with our real problem (self) is the cross!
• That miserable old man will follow us everywhere and make life miserable until we by faith learn to leave him on the cross where he belongs!
• As a new creature in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, we will then learn to be CONTENT. And even if dinner is a bowl of plain rice, it will be a continual feast if our heart is full of the joy of the Lord!
4. Obvious application: those who have a merry heart ought to try to cheer up and encourage those who are afflicted and are miserable.
a. One way to cheer them is to try to improve their circumstances. (if they are poor, give money; if they are weak, do something for them that they are not able to do)
b. But the best way to cheer up a person who is miserable, is to point him to the Source of unending joy: Christ.
• The money you give will be an immediate, but short-lived encouragement…
• Because that kind of help doesn’t change the HEART of the person. After the money is gone, then he’s back to his old, miserable, square one.
• But if we teach a person to focus on that which is eternal, then he too can learn to have a continual feast, regardless of his earthly condition.
• If we teach a person to encourage himself in the Lord, he has a valuable skill! (David at Ziklag)
• It is the difference between giving a hungry man a fish and teaching him how to fish.
Proverbs 15:16
Better is a Little
Introduction:
1. Vs. 16 and 17 are 2 of the 19 “better than” proverbs in this book.
2. The purpose of “better than” verses is to give us wisdom in making choices.
a. We will all face similar issues in our lives.
b. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do.
c. God gives His advice: 19 times God says, “This is better than that!”
d. The implication is obvious: choose that which is better!
e. That simplifies decision making considerably.
3. Whenever we approach a fork in the road and have to decide which way to go… read through the book of Proverbs.
a. There are lots of proverbs which tell us “this way is better than that way.”
b. Following God’s counsel is always the best way to travel through life’s journeys.
4. This proverb deals with the fear of the Lord.
a. Better is a LITTLE with the fear of the Lord than great treasures accompanied by trouble.
b. Solomon pictures a crossroad: a right turn leads to you becoming a poor man but God-fearing. A left turn leads to you becoming wealthy—but a life of turmoil.
c. When faced with that choice, turn right. Solomon says that it is better to go right.
d. Prov. 1:29 – For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD—the fear of God is a choice—a choice we make every day… a test we face continually throughout our lives.
1. Solomon contrasts the following in this verse:
a. Little with great treasures (poverty vs. wealth)
• Prov. 16:8 – the same contrast is made between little and great revenues.
• Little in both passages means a little money: poverty.
b. Fearing God vs. trouble
2. The fear of the Lord.
a. Ps. 111:10 – is the beginning of wisdom.
b. Prov. 8:13 – leads to hating evil.
c. Prov. 14:27 – is a fountain of life and safety.
d. Ps. 19:9 – “is clean” = cleanses and purifies.
e. II Cor. 7:1 – holiness is perfected in the fear of God.
f. Ps. 89:7 – Godly fear is an integral part of worship. —God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
g. Ps. 147:11 – The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him.
h. Ps. 103:13 – Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
i. Ps. 103:11 – For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
j. Ps. 115:13 – He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.
k. Ecc. 8:12 – Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him.
3. The fear of the Lord is OVERWHELMINGLY good for the believer.
a. Solomon’s point here is that it is overwhelmingly good even if it must be accompanied by poverty (a little in this life) it is far better than the other route.
b. The eternal SPIRITUAL treasures of being a God-fearing man, woman, or child by far surpass any temporal, physical treasures that may be accumulated by violating our attitude as a God-fearer.
c. If you come to a crossroad in life and are forced to give up or leave something behind, leave the wealth or opportunity for wealth behind. Don’t ever leave behind your fear of God.
d. It is far better to have just a little of this world’s goods and the fear of the Lord than to choose a path of great earthly treasures which cause you to COMPROMISE the fear of God.
e. I Tim. 6:6 – godliness with contentment is GREAT gain—in this life and in the life to come.
f. James 2:5 – God has called the poor of the world to be RICH in faith.
4. There are many occasions in life where a man is faced with this kind of choice; crossroad in life- where important decisions must be made.
a. The fear of the Lord causes us to HATE iniquity and to DEPART from evil.
b. When you have been out of work and are desperate for a job, and have an opportunity for a good job IF you embellish your resume… would you do it?
c. Or, your boss offers you a promotion with a huge pay increase, BUT it requires working every Sunday.
d. You live in a country where Christianity is persecuted. Christians are denied decent jobs and are relegated to servitude if they fear God and make their faith known. If they fear man and refuse to take a stand, their income is secure.
e. At such crossroads in life, it is as if the devil were standing there appealing to the flesh: “Choose the way of wealth; forget fearing God—that is the way of losers. That will get you nowhere!”
f. It is also as if the philosophy of the world makes its appeal to us at that crossroad too: appealing to the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
g. Then of course, there is the old self-life who HATES a little for self. He would prefer the great treasures for self. He too is an influence to take a wrong turn.
h. But if we fear God, we will put all those thoughts aside and choose that which pleases Him—and we do so because we fear displeasing Him.
1. Great treasure in context.
a. In this proverb, the great treasure is seen in contrast to the little in the first part of the proverb.
b. There is an assumption made in this proverb that this particular great treasure is gained by means of rejecting the fear of God.
c. This choice is seen here as the OPPOSITE of choosing a little with the fear of God. This is choosing a lot without the fear of God.
d. This involves making a conscious choice to ABANDON the fear of God in order to obtain earthly wealth and prosperity.
e. Not ALL treasures are obtained that way. Consider Solomon. He was the wealthiest king Israel ever had—and his treasures were a gift from the Lord.
f. But the context of this proverb indicates a particular KIND of treasure.
2. This great treasure (material advantage) is accumulated or obtained by violating or abandoning the fear of the Lord.
a. The examples cited above illustrate the type of choices and crossroads where decisions need to be made.
b. If we choose to fear God, sometimes it results in poverty.
c. If we choose to fear man, compromise our fear of the Lord, choose NOT to depart from evil, we may prosper in the world…
3. BUT there are strings attached.
a. It may be the way to prosperity, but not the way to peace and rest.
b. It may be the way to financial gain, but to spiritual loss.
4. Trouble:
a. Defined: has a wide range of meaning
• Strong’s: tumult; confusion; disquietude; discomfiture; destruction; trouble; vexation; disturbance; turmoil; disquietude; panic.
• Turmoil seems to fit best here.
b. The one who rejects the fear of the Lord and chooses the way of prosperity at the expense of godliness is in for serious trouble!
• Those who receive great treasures the honest and godly way have a blessing from the Lord.
• Those who use their great treasures for the glory of God receive a blessing from the Lord.
• But those who receive great treasures by rejecting the fear of the Lord and choose mammon over God do so to their own peril.
• This crossroad decision forces the believer to choose masters: Christ or mammon… which way will I go? For whom do I live—Christ or self? Whom do I really serve?
• It is far better to choose the route that leaves us with little to show in this life, but treasures in heaven!
• Those who choose to reject the fear of the Lord and walk down the opposite pathway of earthly riches will have TROUBLE… from without and from within.
5. He can expect trouble and turmoil from WITHOUT.
a. One of those roads led to God’s protection, satisfaction, contentment, mercy, pity, and blessing.
b. This man has chosen the OPPOSITE way!
c. When a man steps OUT OF the way of fearing God is also stepping out of the way of God’s pity, mercy, protection, and blessing, he is on a dangerous path spiritually—even if he does prosper in the world.
d. He may obtain the riches, but he soon discovers that the way of the transgressor is hard.
e. Treasures obtained by abandoning the fear of the Lord come with strings attached… a heavy price…
→ Consider Lot—choosing the land that was lush: Sodom. He had to flee for his life.
→ Consider Achan who coveted riches and was stoned to death.
→ Consider Gehazi, the servant of Elisha who did not fear God but chose mammon—and was smitten with leprosy!
→ Consider Ananias and Saphira—who did not fear God, but coveted wealth… and were struck dead by God. THEN the church walked in the fear of God and was multiplied!
6. He can expect trouble and turmoil from WITHIN.
a. The believer who forsakes the fear of God for earthly gain will NEVER have the peace of God ruling in his heart.
b. He will not have contentment.
c. He will not have rest of conscience—but will be plagued with guilt and remorse.
d. When a man forsakes the fear of God for monetary gain, things may go well for him on the outside (the ungodly who prosper in the world seem to have no plagues as other men)… but if he is saved, it is a different story on the inside!
• I Tim. 6:9-10 – The motivation for rejecting the fear of the Lord in this proverb is the love of money… two masters… choosing the way of prosperity OVER the way of the Lord.
• This man will never be at rest. He will live with guilt and shame until he repents… and chooses the fear of the Lord.
e. Prov. 10:22 – The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
• When we choose God and put Him first, He often blesses us abundantly with the things we need for this life…
• And far better is it to possess material goods that come with God’s blessing than (like Achan) possess things that come with His curse!
Proverbs 15:17
What Love and Hatred Can Do
Introduction:
1. This proverb is quite similar to vs.16, with a few differences.
a. They both contrast poverty with wealth.
• Vs. 16 – little vs. great treasures
• Vs. 17 – a poor man’s meal vs. a wealthy man’s meal.
b. They both teach a similar truth: poverty can be better than wealth, and often is. That which really determines one’s wealth is not his earthly treasures or his lavish meals, but his heart attitude.
c. There is also a notable difference between the two:
• Vs. 16 – the heart attitude that makes poverty better is the fear of the Lord.
• Vs. 17 – the heart attitude that makes poverty better than wealth is love.
1. In one sense, the contrast appears to be between a bowl of vegetables vs. a steak dinner.
a. For most folks, there is no contest! Steak dinner is better!
b. The contrast is between poverty and wealth… a poor man’s meal and a wealthy man’s meal.
c. When viewed at that level, anyone and everyone—rich and poor alike would choose the steak dinner if they had their choice!
d. Given that choice, choose the steak dinner. It’s way better!
2. But the REAL contrast in the passage is between a steak dinner with a side order of hatred… and a bowl of broccoli with a side order of love.
a. If you have to eat the whole thing—side order and all, then the dinner of herbs is better!
b. A poor man’s meal of plain vegetables is better than the rich man’s banquet, if it is accompanied by love.
c. In this case, choose the herbs! It is far better!
d. All things being equal, no one in their right mind would choose poverty over being prosperous. That would be like choosing sickness over health.
e. But take a deeper look at this proverb.
f. Sometimes, things come with STRINGS attached. This is what Solomon is getting at in this proverb.
3. A deeper principle appears upon further thought…
a. Many things in life APPEAR to be superior on the surface, until we dig a little deeper and read the fine print.
b. When offered a steak dinner in life—be sure to ask what comes WITH it!
c. On the surface, of course a steak dinner is superior to a bowl of rice. But when the whole package is examined, the rice dish might prove to be better!
d. If you are offered a new position at work—a raise from a bowl of rice to a steak dinner, so to speak—be sure to ask what comes with it!
e. On the surface, the pay and position might seem to be better, but when the whole package is examined (all the new responsibilities that come with it) the old job and lower pay might be better in the long run!
f. Sometimes choices on the surface seem like a no-brainer!
→ Of course steak is better dinner. Why bother giving it any further thought?
→ Advertisers prey on this principle: they have ways of wording their sales pitch that make buying their product SOUND like an obvious choice. Why look any further? Why read the fine print?
→ Of course I should go to this college; that’s where all my friends are going! It’s obviously better, why bother praying about it? (Do you see the potential danger in this kind of thinking?)
→ Lot looked out over the landscape and saw a very appealing lush valley… the lush valley compared to the other drier areas was like comparing a steak dinner to bowl of rice. Of course you choose the lush valley! Why think about it? Why investigate further? Why pray about it? The choice is obvious.
→ BUT, the lush valley of Sodom came with a side dish… it was an evil city!
4. There is something that can make the poor man’s dinner BETTER than the rich man’s feast: LOVE.
a. Love can SWEETEN the most meager portions in life and make them better than prosperity.
b. It is far better to be poor and have genuine LOVE in the family… displayed at mealtime… than to have 6 cars, 3 homes, 2 boats, 3 bank accounts, and 4 lawyers ready to divide it all up in divorce court!
c. This is Solomon’s main point in this proverb.
d. LOVE can transform poverty into something BETTER than wealth!
e. Psalm 133:1 – dwelling in unity (and love) is SO pleasant!
• When family members dwell in love, they can have a grand time around a table spread with peanut butter sandwiches.
• They can enjoy their mealtime far better than the royal family can enjoy their banquet in the palace… when accompanied by hatred.
• The same principle applies in the local church: when there is love and unity in the body, the fellowship is a taste of heaven on earth!
• When there is no love or unity—but hatred, it can be a taste of just the opposite!
f. Prov. 15:15 – A merry heart can turn any meal into a feast!
• This is the same principle in different words… with a slightly different twist.
• Here that which sweetens up a poor meal and is able to turn it into a feast (make it better) is a merry heart—a sweet disposition—a happy, joyous attitude.
• The heart attitude towards those sharing a meal with us can make a poor man’s meal a feast!
• No wonder the Lord instituted the Lord’s Table –an occasion when believers sit around a table to share a meal with one another… and no wonder it is to be preceded by a time of self-examination!
• Without love for the brethren and love for the Lord –we turn the Lord’s Table into a mockery.
• But a simple cracker and juice WITH LOVE, is a FEAST!
• In vs.17 Solomon states that LOVE for those sitting around ANY table can turn it into a feast… including your family’s kitchen table… even if it’s only leftovers!
• Thus, in the immediate context of vs.15-17, Solomon lists 3 things that will transform meager conditions into banquet-like conditions:
→ A merry heart (vs.15)
→ A fear of God (vs.16)
→ Love (vs.17)
• Thus, if we want a continual feast,… if we want to transform our meager portion in life into something BETTER than a feast, what REALLY needs transforming is not the condition of our bank roll, the condition of our earthly circumstances, but the condition of our heart!
• I have known both types of people: God-fearing folks who love the Lord, love people, and love life, who seem to be eternally cheerful though not well off financially… and I have known some miserable wealthy folks who, though they possess many things, don’t seem to be able to enjoy any of them.
• It is far better to love the Lord, love people, and love life… even if you do have to eat rice.
• It is better to eat rice and enjoy it and be satisfied, than to eat steak and not enjoy the meal.
1. This man has a stalled ox for his meal.
a. This is a fatted calf—a desirable meal of luxury!
b. This speaks of the meal of a well to do man… a wealthy man… prosperous in the world.
c. He is able to afford the “best.”
d. But Solomon’s point is that his meal is not really the best!
e. Everyone would look upon this man’s circumstances and agree that this meal is best… this man is truly BLESSED!
2. BUT—the steak dinner comes with a side order of HATRED.
a. This hatred is powerful enough to REVERSE his blessings.
b. Hatred undermines his capacity to ENJOY his blessings.
c. Possessing material blessings does not guarantee that the owner is able to ENJOY them.
3. A bad attitude… a bitter spirit… a lack of love… can RUIN the best of events.
a. It ruins a banquet here.
b. It can ruin a trip to Disneyland too!
c. It can ruin all your efforts to go camping.
d. It can ruin a very expensive ski trip to Vail.
e. It can ruin a first class suite on a cruise to Hawaii.
f. Has it ever happened to you?
• You planned this big family vacation for months, saved all year for it, and then when you finally hop in the car to go—tempers flare… bad attitudes boil up… hurtful words are spoken… the atmosphere is poisoned.
• Suddenly your dream vacation is no fun… you almost feel like heading home.
g. Try this: pull the car over… have a family prayer time… confess your sin of an angry, bitter spirit… apologize to those you hurt—and then go to Disneyland and enjoy the rest of the vacation!
4. The cure for the issue Solomon raises is to deal with the attitude of our heart.
a. A merry heart doesn’t need a trip to Vail or Disneyland to have an enjoyable time.
b. With love and a merry heart—a meagerly picnic at Billerica common can be as enjoyable as a trip to Vail.
c. Just as a good spirit can SWEETEN poverty and make it better than wealth, a hateful spirit can SOUR wealth and make it worse than poverty!
d. Prov. 21:19 – if the attitude in the house is contentious and bitter—life in the wilderness is better than living in a comfortable home!
e. Heart attitude is everything.
f. There are many extremely wealthy people who are so miserable, hateful, suspicious, jealous, etc… that they are unable to ENJOY the physical blessings they possess.
5. Remember, the MAIN contrast here is not between the poverty and wealth, but between love vs. hate—the spirit of the man or woman.
a. Solomon mentions the possibility of a wealthy man with a hateful spirit.
b. Of course, it is equally possible for a poor man to have a hateful spirit too. That’s a subject for another proverb!
• The BEST situation is the steak dinner with love.
• But if you have to choose between steak dinner and hatred or a bowl of vegetables and love—choose LOVE!
• It is superior—far more enjoyable.
Proverbs 15:18
Wrath
Introduction:
1. This proverb states that the man (woman or young person) that is full of wrath causes trouble wherever they go.
2. In particular, they stir up STRIFE.
3. But the one who controls his anger has the power to bring about peace.
4. The power to start a fire or to put out a fire in relationships with other people lies within the breast of man.
A. Wrathful Defined
1. Strong’s: heat; rage; hot displeasure; indignation; anger; wrath; venom; poison; (implying that uncontrolled anger is like injecting poison into a relationship).
2. It speaks of the he heat and burning feeling one can have when one is emotionally worked up and in strife and turmoil.
3. Wrath is often associated with FOLLY in Proverbs. Fools break out in anger. Wise men hold it in. Prov. 27:3, 4.
B. Stir Up Defined
1. Stir up; contend; meddle; strive; be stirred up; wage war against; excite oneself against; foment; provoke; meddle.
C. Strife
1. Uncontrolled wrath always results in strife… contention… fighting.
2. Prov. 30:33 – forcing wrath produces more strife—like continually blowing one’s nose results in a nosebleed.
3. Prov. 29:22—an angry man stirs up strife.
a. Trouble and contention follow this man around.
b. But he isn’t the poor innocent victim of circumstances. It’s his FAULT! His anger produces the strife and contention.
c. Wrath and anger produce strife; fighting—wherever they are manifested: home; school; work; neighborhoods; etc.
D. Consequences of Uncontrolled Wrath
1. Prov. 14:17 – He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
a. Solomon states that the angry man does FOOLISH things in his anger.
→ Anger causes us to do and say things that we would never do or say with a cool head.
→ And then you have to live with the aftermath.
→ Have YOU ever said something foolish when angry? Have you ever done anything stupid when angry? Then you are living proof of this proverb. (I am living proof too!)
b. Solomon suggests in the second part of this proverb that people end up HATING YOU because of the foolish things you do and say when anger takes over.
→ There are serious consequences to submitting to anger and letting it take over.
→ They may even HATE you as a result of your anger.
→ Angry men make a lot of enemies along the way.
→ You say and do foolish things. People won’t like you! You will gradually lose your friends. (Cf. Prov. 22:24 – wise people will stay away!)
→ Prov. 22:10 – Strife ceases when the source of the strife is removed.
1. When it is discovered that the SOURCE of all the strife in the office, or the church, or in a group of friends is YOUR ANGER… those folks may not want you around any more… and can you blame them?!
2. Get rid of the trouble maker—the one who will not control his anger—and the trouble ceases!
3. Before too long folks will begin to notice that when the hot head is not around, things are much more peaceful… more unity… a better atmosphere.
4. One hothead can really spoil the atmosphere in a local church, a home, an office, a classroom, a team, etc.
5. Don’t YOU be that hot head… because before too long, folks will notice that YOU are the source of their strife and will want you OUT of the picture.
c. Uncontrolled anger can RUIN relationships! It can turn people against you. It can cause people to hate you. It will make life miserable for you. It complicates life.
→ Hence, CONTROL your anger!
→ Why go through life having to continually put out fires… continually mending broken fences… continually trying to restore broken relationships… continually trying to put Humpty back together again!
→ It makes so much MORE sense, to put all that energy and effort into controlling one’s temper in the first place…
→ Preventing fires is much easier than putting them out.
→ An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.
→ It only takes a moment to blow up and do and say something stupid. It could take the rest of the week to try to REVERSE the consequences of that anger.
→ It only takes a moment to blow up and hurt someone’s feelings. It could take a year to restore those feelings back to where they should be.
→ Rather than spending the rest of our days putting out fires in our personal relationships, work on preventing those fires from get started in the first place.
A. Slow to Anger
1. Defined: these two words combine to give the meaning of patience… a patient man… longsuffering… meekness… not short fused.
a. This attitude (longsuffering; patient; meek) will go a long way to reducing strife and friction in a relationship.
b. Ps. 103:8 – the Lord is slow to anger. We should be too.
2. Prov. 14:29 – the man who is slow to wrath is of GREAT understanding. That is wisdom in practice!
3. Prov. 19:11 – deferring anger is a sign of wisdom and discretion.
4. Prov. 16:32 – he is better… more powerful than a mighty warrior!
5. James 1:19 – we too are commanded to be slow to wrath.
a. God wants to spare us from all the heartache, broken relationships, and other problems that we bring upon ourselves by not controlling our tempers.
b. Of course, controlling one’s anger must be the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
c. On our own, we are helpless to control anger—try as we may! Anger just happens in the flesh!
d. Only by being filled with the Spirit will we control our anger. The fruit of the Spirit is self-control!
e. This means being absolutely YIELDED to the Lord… holding nothing back… surrendered so that God is able to work in us both to will and to DO of His good pleasure: that we be meek, mild, longsuffering, and patient—like the Lord Jesus.
f. If we are unyielded in one area, the result is the FLESH is in control… and flesh often manifests itself in anger. Therefore, be yielded in EVERY area, if we expect God’s power and victory in this one!
B. Appeaseth Strife
1. Appease Defined:
a. Strong’s: to be quiet; be tranquil; be at peace; be quiet; rest; lie still; be undisturbed; to produce tranquility.
b. To be at rest (Josh. 11:23 – the whole land rested from war.)
2. Not only does patience, meekness, and longsuffering PREVENT strife from arising, but once it does arise, this same quality will go a long way to appeasing it…
a. Appeasing anger is like putting water on a flame… like the balm in Gilead… a calming, soothing effect… bring rest where there was once war…
b. God would have the believer to be a peacemaker.
c. Rather than loving controversy and stirring up strife, we should seek to appease it… seek to put strife to rest…
d. We should endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3)
3. Prov. 15:1; – a soft answer turns away wrath.
a. It takes patience to reply with a soft answer when someone has just yelled at you and said some mighty unkind things about you!
b. Any idiot can start a fight… and any idiot can shout back.
c. But a man who is SLOW to anger (meek; mild mannered; patient) can turn wrath and strife away.
d. That man can END a fight. It takes a lot more wisdom, grace, patience, and inner strength to END a fight than it does to start one.
4. Ecc. 10:4 – yielding pacifieth great offences.
5. So often we assume that the way to end a fight or an argument is to WIN the fight or argument.
a. Solomon says the way to end strife is to control our spirit… our wrath…
b. A controlled spirit is able to control the atmosphere.
c. You don’t end an argument by demanding the right to have the last word. You end an argument by YIELDING.
d. A soft answer turns away wrath—not a loud, strong, counter attack.
e. Wrath is explosive, like gasoline. It won’t put out a fire, but will fuel the fire.
f. Water is not explosive. It is MILD compared to gasoline. The mild water will put out the flames and end the heat.
g. Meekness, yieldedness, longsuffering, and patience will cause the strife to cease.
h. The one who is patient—slow to anger—will APPEASE strife.
i. What a valuable and useful quality for the Spirit of God to develop in each one of us… till Christ be formed in you!
Proverbs 15:19
More Problems We Bring on Ourselves
Introduction:
1. In this section, Solomon speaks about various ways in which we bring trouble upon ourselves.
a. Vs.17 – greed – seeking earthly treasures often brings trouble to our homes.
b. Vs. 18 – uncontrolled anger also brings trouble to our lives… a life full of strife!
c. Vs. 19 – now Solomon speaks about how laziness can bring much trouble into our lives.
2. These are good things to know… for if we know these things, then we should be able to avoid much of this trouble in our lives.
a. Sometimes we as people INVITE trouble into our lives. Solomon teaches us here how to AVOID it.
b. By revealing the doors through which trouble enters our lives and homes… we then know which doors to SHUT in order to keep trouble out.
c. Once we know this, it is then up to us to KEEP those doors shut!
d. By knowing and practicing this, we are empowered with the God-given capacity to make our lives easier!
e. Let’s face it. Not all, but much of the trouble we face in life is self-inflicted!
A. The Way of the Slothful Man
1. Slothful Defined: sluggish; lazy; pertaining to be slow to take any action; suggesting a lack of discipline or initiative; as a moral failure.
a. Solomon is describing the LAZY man, woman, or child.
• This is the person who doesn’t want to do his work;
• He always wants to do his chores mañana…
• He lets things pile up so much, that when he does decide to tackle the job, it is a mountain of work… overwhelming… too much… so he doesn’t bother trying.
• He lets work pile up because he lacks personal discipline.
• He lacks initiative and motivation. He needs a stick of dynamite placed under him to do his chores.
• This is the housewife who allows green fur grow in the refrigerator.
• This is the student who takes the book out of the library the night before the book report is due.
• This is the employee who won’t tackle an assigned project until the final warning comes from the front office.
• This is the teenager who won’t clean their room until the consequences are made clear: like no meals until it is done… or you’re missing the activity on Friday night if your room is not cleaned…
• Slothfulness takes on many forms and shapes.
b. This word is found only in the book of Proverbs… but appears often in this book—14 times.
c. This is so perhaps because there are a lot of good lessons for young men to learn from the sluggard… and that was Solomon’s purpose in writing the book—to give discretion and wisdom to young men.
2. The WAY of the slothful man revealed in Proverbs…
a. Prov. 6:9-10 – He sleeps and takes it easy when he should be working.
b. Prov. 10:26 – when he is assigned a job to do, he takes forever to finish it!
c. Prov. 20:4 – when it is time to plow, he comes up with an excuse:
• “It’s too cold out!” Lazy people have no lack of excuses for their laziness.
• 22:13 – “There’s a lion in the street!”… It’s too dangerous! This is just another excuse.
d. Prov. 21:25 – he refuses to labor. He is unwilling to work.
• This is not the man who, through no fault of his own has no job.
• This is the man who has work available to him, but he refuses to do it!
• It’s beneath him; he’s too important for a tedious task like that; etc…
• Prov. 26:16 – Pride is associated with laziness.
e. This is the WAY of the sluggard in Proverbs:
• He invents excuses not to work; he sleeps too much and is late or doesn’t show up; he has no motivation to work; and if he does work, he takes forever finishing the job; and sometimes he outright refuses to work.
• And this is a MORAL problem. It is not entirely genetic; it is not entirely cultural; it is not entirely a physical problem.
• It is a MORAL problem. Let’s call it what it is: laziness is SIN.
f. It is the result of BOTH nurture and nature.
• It is nurtured in children when parents don’t TRAIN their children to work…
» When children are left to themselves and not chastened or disciplined, they become UN-disciplined!
» In this sense it is LEARNED behavior.
» Parents who do everything for their children are actually nurturing… cultivating… encouraging laziness in their children.
• It is nature as well. It is part of our fallen nature to be lazy.
» It comes naturally… just like any other sin.
» Hence, this tendency in our fallen nature must be overcome by the indwelling Holy Spirit in the believer.
» Perhaps you know unsaved people who are not lazy.
» Well, that may be so—but they are diligent because they exert much EFFORT to overcome laziness.
» And they are MOTIVATED by many things to work hard (greed; pride; self respect; even phileo love… a natural, family love; etc…)
» Either way, it requires effort and motivation to overcome the natural tendency in us all to be lazy… and to let someone else do the work.
B. A Hedge of Thorns
1. A hedge of thorns described…
a. The way of the slothful man is characterized by a hedge of thorns.
b. If you are walking down the way… a pathway… a road… and you come to a hedge of thorns, it is a serious OBSTACLE to your progress!
c. That is the main point of this proverb: laziness will HINDER your progress in life… in every possible realm.
d. It will be an obstacle at your place of employment… in your home life… and especially in your spiritual life.
e. And laziness is a hedge of thorns (an obstacle; a hindrance) that we impose upon our own selves!
f. A hedge is hard enough to climb over as we travel down a pathway… but a hedge of thorns is especially hard to get over.
2. And when viewed from this perspective, it is so irrational for us to put a difficult obstacle in our OWN way!
a. Solomon is attempting to warn the lazy man about the LONG TERM consequences of his laziness.
b. The lazy man is lazy (presumably) because he does not like to do hard things… he likes to take it easy…
c. In the short term taking it easy might SEEM like the easy route.
• Think of the high school grad who is too lazy to go on to college.
• He thinks it’s easier to skip going on to school… so he opts for what he thinks is the easy route in life.
• In the short term, he is working at McDonald’s and has more spending money and more free time than his friends at college.
• In the short term he has taken the easy route.
d. But in the long term, it is the more DIFFICULT route!
• To his dismay, by and by, he discovers that by NOT going to school he has actually set up many roadblocks that he will have to hurdle LATER in life.
• Roadblocks full of painful thorns!
• When his friends are out of school, they will walk down life’s pathway and have many doors opened to them… because of their diligence.
• But their lazy classmate will walk down the same pathway in life and where his hard working friends find open doors, he finds many obstacles to his progress… hedges of thorns… obstacles of his own making!
• Don’t forget Solomon’s point here: Laziness is NOT the easy route in life. It is by far the more difficult route!
e. Apply this to our spiritual lives…
• The spiritually lazy man invents excuses too: “I can’t seem to get up in time for Sunday school. I don’t have time to read the Bible every day. I’m too tired on Wednesday nights to come to prayer meeting.” (There’s a lion in the street!)
• But when out of laziness we excuse ourselves from spiritual exercise (work!) we are building hedges of thorns for our pathway.
• Those hedges of thorns will eventually make life DIFFICULT for us a little farther down that pathway.
• We are constructing obstacles that will eventually HINDER our development and progress spiritually…
• You don’t know how many times as a pastor I have had to deal with this sort of thing.
» I spend six months teaching on an important practical subject during the evening service—because I know that ignorance of this subject causes believers to be confused and perhaps to stumble.
» Then someone (who does not come to evening service) comes to me all upset because he is confused over this issue…
» Could it be that the trouble and confusion he is dealing with is a thorny hedge of his own making… because he was too tired to come to evening service… or because there was a lion in the street?!
» When we are spiritually lazy and slothful, we bring MUCH spiritual trouble into our lives and into our families… and into the church!
» Heb. 6:11-12 – be diligent, not slothful.
→ What precipitated this exhortation?
→ Cf. 5:14 – they were not exercising themselves spiritually…
→ Spiritual laziness resulted in a thorny hedge for these believers… they lost their discernment… and became dull… blind… and immature.
→ Their spiritual laziness not only hindered their spiritual progress. It resulted in spiritual regression.
1. Notice that the opposite of a slothful man is a righteous man in this proverb!
2. The righteous man is one who does things right.
a. He does his work diligently… and on time.
b. He doesn’t make up excuses.
c. He doesn’t refuse to do his chores.
d. He doesn’t procrastinate.
e. He doesn’t take a nap when it’s time to work.
f. He doesn’t take forever to get his job done.
3. The righteous man takes the RIGHT route.
a. It might be more difficult up front… but in the long run, it makes his life EASIER!
b. Instead of finding his way strewn with thorny hedges, his way is PLAIN.
• Plain = to cast or lift up.
• It is used in good and evil senses.
• In an evil sense it is used of being lifted up in pride or rebellion.
• But here it is used of the process of “lifting up” a road and making it a bit higher than the land around it for a smoother ride.
4. Consider the trouble from which the hard worker is delivered:
a. Prov. 10:26 – people will be irritated with you—loss of friends.
b. 13:4 – a life overflowing with unfulfilled desires… always craving and never obtaining.
c. 20:4 – poverty and hunger is the result of laziness. That is a thorny hedge of his own making. (24:30-34)
Proverbs 15:20
A Wise Son
Introduction:
1. In this section, Solomon is speaking about various ways in which we can improve the quality of our home-lives.
a. vs. 15 – a merry heart brings a continual feast… regardless of the external conditions.
b. vs. 16 – the fear of the Lord is better for a household than great treasures!
c. vs. 17 – Love with a plate of vegetables at the family table is better than a steak dinner with hatred.
d. vs. 18 – the ability to control one’s anger removes strife from the home.
e. vs. 19 – diligence and hard work makes life plain and easy… as opposed to laziness which erects hedges of thorns to obstruct the way.
f. vs. 20 – now Solomon speaks about the joy that is brought into a home by means of wisdom.
2. Note the contrasts also:
a. Wise/foolish
b. Glad/despise
c. Father/mother
d. Son/man
1. A wise son brings joy and gladness into the home.
2. When a son makes wise decisions in life, he makes his parents proud… glad… joyous.
3. This puts responsibility on the children in the home.
a. They are a vital part of the atmosphere in the home.
b. They can add or subtract from the peace and joy at home by their behavior and by their choices in life.
4. Faithful, good, obedient, wise children are the JOY of their parents.
a. III John 4 – What a joy for parents to see their children grow up and be saved… and to walk with the Lord… and to bring their children up in the things of the Lord. No greater joy!
b. Ps. 127:5 – When they turn out right, HAPPY is the man who has his quiver FULL of them!
c. Prov. 23:15-16 – My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. 16Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
• In a sense, the joy of a parent is contingent upon the way their children turn out.
d. Prov. 29:3 – Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.
e. Prov. 23:24-25 – not just the father but BOTH parents will rejoice in a wise, righteous son!
f. And parents OUGHT to have joy from their children… seeing that they have poured so much into them!
1. The foolish son does not bring joy into the home, but grief, sorrow, worry, and heartache.
a. Often the foolish son was pampered too much and given too much…
b. And after all he received FROM his parents, this only makes his sin in despising his parents all the more sinful and makes it all the more sorrowful to the parents!
c. A foolish son is a grief to his MOTHER…
d. Prov. 17:25 – But he is also a grief to his father!
2. But note the subtle SHIFT Solomon makes here.
a. One would expect that he would contrast gladness with grief or sorrow.
b. This IS the contrast in Prov. 10:1 = glad dad or a heavyhearted mother.
c. Instead, in this proverb, he contrasts gladness with despising.
• Prov. 15:5 – The foolish son is characterized by NOT listening to advice and NOT taking heed to counsel.
• Hence, it is likely that there would be much FRICTION between him and his parents.
• His reaction to this rising tension in the home is scorn. He despises his parents’ counsel and advice—and proves it by not following it!
d. The wise son brings GLADNESS into the home.
e. The foolish son brings HATRED into the home.
f. Note also that Solomon shifted from the father’s reaction to the wise son… to the heart attitude of the foolish son.
g. Instead of making his parents proud of him, and filling them with joy and gladness (that is what LOVE would do)… the actions of the foolish son demonstrate that he DESPISES his mother… his parents.
→ Despise: to hold in utter contempt; to have no respect for; disdain.
→ He SHOULD love his parents and demonstrate it by showing respect. The fool does not. He is not demonstrating love… just the opposite.
h. It is not love to hurt one’s parents. It is not love to bring them grief and sorrow. It is not love to cause them to worry.
i. Love is willing to sacrifice self for others. The fool is not willing to sacrifice self.
j. His only goal in life is to PLEASE himself… regardless of how it affects others… including his parents.
k. And in the process of pleasing himself, he does some very foolish things and makes hasty and unwise decisions.
l. When you make a decision that you KNOW hurts your parents, you are despising them.
m. When you do something you know will grieve your parents—that is not love. That is the opposite of love… it is an act of hatred… it is despising one’s parents.
n. Love is kind, love vaunteth not itself, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth.
o. Love is selfless and thinks of others.
3. Note also that the wise SON is contrasted to a foolish MAN.
a. That is because (apart from repentance) foolish sons turn into foolish men. Wisdom doesn’t always come with age!
b. Notice I didn’t say they grow up to become foolish men. They don’t ever grow up! The folly that is normally associated with youth and inexperience stays with them the rest of their days!
c. Thus, even when they are 30, 40, 50 years old—they are STILL making foolish decisions.
d. And they are STILL a grief to their parents.
e. And their ongoing actions STILL constitute hatred towards their parents… demonstrating they have no concern for their parents’ feelings.
f. And even though their bodies have developed to adulthood, they did not. They are still, foolish, immature, inexperienced, childish, and self-centered… there are a lot of 60 year old teenagers… who never grew up!
g. And the consequences of their folly continues with them the rest of their days… and is a grief to their parents the rest of THEIR days!
h. Prov. 23:22 – Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
• Any son will do a few foolish things in their youth and inexperience.
• But when that foolish son becomes a man… and retains his folly, there is a point when those foolish indiscretions become HATRED and despising one’s parents…
• Old age for parents should be a time of peace and rest.
• Prov. 29:17 – Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. (This implies that the son RECEIVES the correction—the problem is that foolish sons do NOT receive reproof!)
• But there is no peace or rest for the parents of a foolish son.
• The son that ends up in prison or an alcoholic, or lives on the street, or becomes a drug addict… will be a grief to his parents the rest of their lives. They will NEVER get over that entirely.
• But those are burdens that parents will carry to their graves.
• That is HATRED for a son to knowingly put their parents through that!
• And this is perhaps why Solomon speaks of the MOTHER here… because the mother is the one whose heart is more burdened by this folly than the father.
i. Folly is a vicious cycle. If it is not driven from a child, it will continue with that child.
• Prov. 22:15 – Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
• Prov. 19:18 – chasten them while there is hope.
• And if it isn’t driven from him as a child, God has other means of driving folly from a man.
• Prov. 30:17 – The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. (Poetic language—but you get the point!)
• Justice WILL catch up to a young fool sooner or later… and when it does, it may not be very pretty either!
• Prov. 19:29 – stripes are prepared for the back of fools. (Punishment… if they don’t get the stripes at home from the rod… the judicial system may have to do it—at the State Pen!
Proverbs 15:21
Folly is Joy
Consider the contrasts:
1. Him that is destitute of wisdom / a man of understanding
2. Folly / walking uprightly
3. The joy of a fool / Implied: the joy a man receives by walking uprightly
1. Fools enjoy their folly. They love doing foolish things.
→ Prov. 14:9 – fools mock at sin.
→ Remember, the fool in Proverbs is foolish morally too.
→ The fool in 15:21 is seen as the opposite of one who walks uprightly. In other words, the walk of this fool is NOT upright!
→ His ways are crooked… dishonest… he doesn’t stay on the straight and narrow, but wanders off.
→ He gets JOY out wandering out of the way. He enjoys his folly.
2. Wicked men LOVE sin…
a. Like a fish with an appetite for the bait, but no consciousness of, and no fear of the hook.
b. Ad campaign against drugs (effective for girls; had the opposite for young boys.)
→ The fear scared the girls off and was effective. The girls were disgusted by the image in the ad.
→ The fear became a challenge and a game for the boys… a sport… The boys thought it was “cool” and said the ad made them want to try the drugs!
→ Prov. 10:23 – it is a sport!
→ Prov. 4:16 – they can’t sleep until they have done mischief. They stay up at night thinking of mischief to get involved in…
c. Consider the folly of many of the extreme sports today.
→ Most of those involved are young boys.
→ You don’t see too many 50-60 year old men jumping off cliffs on skis… or jumping a motorcycle over a school bus… or some of the other foolish stunt.
→ A lot of young boys see those stunts on TV (done by professionals) and try it at home… and get hurt. That is truly foolish.
d. Heb. 11:25 – There is a pleasure to sin. The pleasure is short lived, but the consequences are long lasting.
3. Not only does the wicked fool sin, he DELIGHTS in his sin and folly…
→ Prov. 12:23 – the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness
a. Proclaim: to call; cry; utter a loud sound.
b. He isn’t quiet about it. He shouts out his folly.
→ Prov. 13:16 – a fool layeth open his folly
a. Lay open = to spread out; display.
b. He isn’t embarrassed by it.
c. He isn’t trying to hide it… like a closet drinker.
d. His folly is right out in the open for all to see.
e. He has no shame.
→ Prov. 14:29 – he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly
a. Hasty of spirit—an uncontrolled temper… this is a special kind of folly.
b. Not only does he commit folly, he EXALTS folly!
c. Exalts: to lift up; rise up; to be on high; lofty.
d. The man who blows up instantly makes his folly conspicuous.
e. Everybody knows he’s a fool. Just listen… watch! He proves it every time.
f. He seems to be proud of his foolish temper…
→ Prov. 15:14 – the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness
a. it is sweet in his palate; like ice cream; he can’t live without it
b. Feed: to pasture; tend; graze.
c. The picture is like cattle slowly walking about the field, grazing and feeding… filling up on grass and grain.
d. So too the fool walks about grazing on folly… filling his gut with it.
e. It is his joy; his delight; he eats it up every opportunity that he can.
f. The fool feeds his mind and heart continually with that which is foolish.
g. He feeds on folly by what he watches on TV; the kind of video games he plays; the books he reads; the company he keeps.
h. All of this FEEDS his appetite for folly.
→ Prov. 15:2 – the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
a. He feeds on folly… fills his mouth with folly.
b. It should be no surprise that folly pours out of his mouth too!
→ Prov. 26:11 – As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
4. This young fool is destitute of wisdom.
a. Margin: void of heart…
b. Destitute: in need of; lacking; needy; in want of; empty.
c. Wisdom: inner man; mind; will; heart; understanding.
d. Solomon is describing a man who is empty in head and heart.
• There is a VOID in his head and heart.
• His appetite for sin and folly PROVE that he is destitute of wisdom… void of head and heart.
e. It is likely that he was warned… but the fool hates to take advice.
• 15:5 – a fool despises his father’s instruction.
• 15:10 – correction is grievous!
• Because he rejects counsel, his head and heart remain empty… void of counsel and wisdom that COULD have enabled him to avoid the folly and its consequences!
• He is often warned, but rejects the counsel and plunges straight on into the folly.
• Prov. 14:16 – a wise man fears, but a fool rages and is confident. This foolish confidence convinces him that he is invincible… and he plunges right into the folly. (I can do this—and won’t get hurt—I won’t get caught!)
5. The ultimate form of his folly is his hatred for the gospel.
a. He loves his sin and folly.
b. Hence, he hates the gospel, because salvation DELIVERS him from his sin and folly!
c. Christ came to save us from our SIN!
d. But that fool can become wise in a moment—by means of repentance. He can choose to turn to God and leave his folly behind!
e. God can convert a sinner into a saint. He can also transform a fool into a wise man.
f. The first step in that transformation is to believe on Christ and be saved!
1. Uprightly
a. Defined: to be right; be straight; be level; be upright; be just; be lawful; be smooth; to be straight.
b. Vs. 19 – his way is made plain—smooth; easy; well paved; less likely to trip up.
c. He is careful, thoughtful, sober, sensible.
d. Eph. 5:15-17 – Wisdom is associated with walking in the will of God. The wise man walks the straight and narrow way… he walks with God… He walks in obedience to God’s Word…
2. Though not stated, it is implied: his upright walk is his joy.
a. There is JOY in walking with God… and receiving God’s blessing in one’s life.
b. Prov. 21:15 – it is a JOY to the just to do what is right.
• Only those who PRACTICE righteousness and justice will delight in justice!
c. Prov. 11:5-6 – he gets joy from doing what is right, and from reaping the benefits of doing what is right.
d. Prov. 14:16 – A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil. That brings him joy—avoiding evil and its ugly consequences.
e. A fool gets his joy from his folly.
f. A truly WISE man will get his joy from God’s wisdom.
g. He loves God and His Word… and he walks in it… feeds on it… is nourished by it… and delights in it!
h. Ps. 40:8 – I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. That is real wisdom.
i. John 4:34 – My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
Proverbs 15:22
Good Counsel
HOW does a man find himself without counsel?
1. He refuses to seek it… so he never hears it in the first place.
2. He refuses to receive it. They hear it but reject it, and thus, are without counsel.
WHY would anyone refuse to get counsel?
1. Often it is the result of arrogance. By not seeking counsel we demonstrate that we think we know enough already.
a. Prov. 12:15 – ”The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.”
2. Often it is the result of impulsiveness.
a. We like to act on impulse and gut feeling, rather than reason.
b. We don’t like to take the time to think an issue through… to seek advice and counsel.
c. So rather than listen to words of wisdom, we just do it!
3. Often it is the result of a lack of faith.
a. Why a lack of faith? Because God SAID to seek counsel because we need it. Those who refuse to seek counsel don’t believe God’s word of warning.
b. It is a demonstration of leaning on our OWN understanding… the opposite of faith. We are not trusting in God’s advice, but are trusting in our own wisdom.
c. Prov. 3:5-6 – Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
4. Often it stems from pride. (I don’t need their advice! If I ask for advice, they’ll think I’m foolish.)
WHAT are the results of a lack of counsel?
15:22 – Purposes are disappointed.
1. Like the foolish driver traveling in Boston, trying to get to Kenmore Square, but is too proud to ask directions… and thus spends two hours driving in circles… and is too late for his appointment. His purpose of making the meeting was disappointed…
2. As Christians, we can be just as foolish. There may be a simple way of dealing with a spiritual problem, but we are too proud to ask for help… and thus we wander around in circles for years trying to get there on our own!
3. Without counsel, circumstances arise which defeat them which, with a little consultation and advice, might have been foreseen and prevented.
4. We discover the hard way that an ounce of preventative advice would have saved us from needing the 10 pounds of curative advice!
5. Often, all it takes for plans to be successful is a little tweaking here or there.
6. Wise counsel from people who have expertise in that area might mean the difference between success and failure.
• A coach might transform a lousy batter into a pretty good batter with some simple advice about how to stand or how to hold the bat!
• A skier can be spared falling down many times by taking advice from an expert—something as easy as bending the knees or leaning forward. Such counsel can prevent a fall.
7. How much MORE important is it when it comes to spiritual matters!
• The believer who thinks he knows how to live the Christian life may never ask for help or advice or counsel.
• He may never grow or mature in the faith either!
• He may WANT to grow and advance in the faith… and try real hard. But without counsel, even good purposes fail… and leave us disappointed.
11:14 – The people fall.
1. Solomon states here that with a little bit of counseling, those who might have experienced victory instead experience defeat—a fall.
2. Businesses fail because of a lack of counsel…
3. Teams lose games because the players refuse to listen to their coach and demand on playing the game their way…
4. Marriages fail because someone is too proud to get help… to listen to advice from the Bible… or refuse to implement it.
5. People make terrible choices sometimes because they make important decisions on their own. They don’t get advice from those in the know.
6. People FALL by not getting the counsel they need. Sometimes terrible decisions are made with irreversible consequences!
From WHOM should we seek counsel? From a multitude of counselors!
1. Parents—
a. 13:1 – a wise son heareth his father’s instruction.
b. But sometimes a Christian child has unsaved parents.
c. That child should STILL listen to his parents. They may not know the Lord but they are still out for your good.
d. Of course be careful about their advice in spiritual matters.
e. Perhaps an unsaved young person could ADOPT some Christian parents in the church—to get their spiritual advice from them.
2. A Spirit filled Christian friend
a. Prov. 27:9 – the hearty counsel of a friend rejoices the heart.
b. Do you have a good, solid Christian friend? Someone you can bounce your ideas and goals off?
c. Prov. 27:17 – iron sharpens iron. (Speaks of spirited conversations… discussing and even debating issues… thinking an issue through…)
d. Prov. 27:6 – a true friend doesn’t just flatter us and tell us what we want to hear. He may have to wound us on occasion. That kind of advice is necessary!
3. Mature, Spirit filled brethren in the local church
a. Psa. 55:14 – We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
b. This was true in the Old Testament times. It should be true in this age as well.
c. When the saints gather for worship and fellowship, it should also be a time for sweet counsel!
d. Psa. 89:7 – the word “assembly” is the same word as counsel in Prov. 15:22! This indicates that an obvious purpose of assembling together is to counsel one another… to share together in spiritual things…
e. Gal. 6:1 – spiritual men can offer good counsel on walking with God.
4. Pastor and Elders in the local church
a. One of their qualifications is to be apt to teach…
b. They are spirit filled men who know God and His Word.
c. They have been serving God in the local church for quite some time… and have dealt with all kinds of issues… probably some just like your situation!
5. Seek Expertise: in a specialized field of knowledge (medicine; law; technology; creation science; nutrition; consult consumer guide… etc.)
6. Seek Experience: seek men and women with hands-on experience… (sports; art; music; someone who has experienced the same trial you are going through).
WHAT are the results of a multitude of counselors?
1. Purposes are established.
a. Those goals and plans will come to fruition!
b. And all it took was a little swallowing of one’s pride… a little humility… and ASKING someone in the know for advice!
c. Ask for directions and you might make it to the meeting on time!
d. Ask advice on buying a car and you might not end up with another lemon.
e. Ask advice in seeking a college; a career; a marriage partner; surgery; —things go much smoother and purposes are established when we seek good counsel.
2. Safety (11:14)
a. Many eyes see more than one.
b. Skiing: if somebody wants to warn you about a rock or a patch of ice—listen!
c. If someone wants to give a new driver advice about driving on route 93, listen.
WARNING
1. The purpose of a multitude of counselors is NOT to go from counselor to counselor until you find one that tells you what you want to hear! That’s not seeking counsel. That is seeking confirmation for what you have already decided to do.
a. I Kings 12:8-16 – Solomon’s own son, Rehoboam sought counsel from the older, wiser men—but evidently didn’t like what he heard.
b. He continued to seek counsel from others (younger, less experienced men) who told him what he wanted to hear.
c. We will ALWAYS be able to find a counselor who will tell us what we want to hear… especially marriage counselors.
2. Not every Christian friend is Spirit filled. Not every believer has a good grasp of God’s Word. Not every believer is mature in the faith. Not every believer is wise. Not every believer is walking with the Lord. Not all advice from Christians is GOOD advice.
3. Be sure to get counsel on the BIG issues.
a. It isn’t necessary to seek counsel on every single issue… which shirt to buy…
b. Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war. 20:18
• Trained, experienced generals in the military seek counsel when they face war in various places in the world.
• Generals seek counsel concerning their strength, their resources, other branches of government, etc.
• Shouldn’t we seek counsel as we face spiritual battles in life?
4. Test everything by the Word of God. (Acts 17:11)
5. Don’t forget to go to the Wonderful Counselor first—the Mighty God! (Isa. 9:6)
Proverbs 15:23
Good Words
1. The fact that this man receives JOY by the answer of his mouth obviously indicates that his answer is a GOOD answer!
a. Not every answer brings joy… but this one does.
• Unfortunately, many of the answers I’ve given I have regretted later.
• You don’t get joy if your answer was wrong… or deceptive… or untrue… or unkind… or if your motive was impure… or if your answer was intentionally hurtful… vengeful… slanderous…
b. The answer that brings joy is an appropriate answer: well worded… one that gets right to the heart of the matter…one that actually answers the question.
• We receive joy from the answer of our mouth IF our heart is right with God and we are filled with the Spirit.
• If the Spirit is in control of our tongue—JOY is the result.
• If the flesh is in control of our tongue… there is no joy in that… maybe bitterness…
2. Prov. 23:16 – JOY is natural when we say the right thing…
a. Just as you feel AWFUL when you say the wrong thing, so there is a good feeling when we say just the right thing!
b. There is personal blessing in GIVING a good answer… a helpful, kind, Christlike answer. It is more blessed to give than to receive.
c. We can give to others from our wallets. We can also give to others with our words… Selfless giving is rewarded.
d. When we speak the truth IN LOVE… there is reward in glory… and JOY in this life.
e. But our reins won’t rejoice when we speak the truth in order to expose someone’s failures or hurt someone…
f. Some folks might THINK they get JOY from hurting people. But that isn’t joy. Joy is the fruit of the Spirit.
g. They might receive a ghoulish glee from their hurtful words, but not joy.
h. They might get a morbid delight out of hurting someone with their tongues… but that delight is soon replaced with guilt and shame.
i. There is a pleasure to sin, but a short-lived pleasure.
j. Prov. 12:14 – the REJOICING that is brought to our hearts when our words are RIGHT is a sense of satisfaction!
3. Prov. 25:11-12 – a word fitly spoken = apples of gold in pictures of silver.
a. Words FITLY spoken refer to good words… choosing just the right words to say what you want to say. This is an art.
b. Such well spoken words are beautiful…
c. They are as beautiful as golden apples on pictures of silver
d. Pictures: Showpiece; image; idol; picture; carved figure.
e. Perhaps a reference to the beauty of the ornate carvings in precious metals that adorned the Temple and other public buildings.
f. Some see it as a reference to real apples (golden in color) that are served in a silver basket. (good food well served!)
g. Both views make good sense.
h. The point: words fitly spoken are a beautiful work of art! Either way, the emphasis is on the beauty of it… not its taste.
1. This refers to timely words: words spoken at the right time.
i. It is possible to say the right thing at the wrong time and get in trouble.
• It is possible to speak up BEFORE we should.
• It is possible to speak up AFTER we should have.
• It is possible to be afraid to speak up at all.
• It is possible to speak at a time when we are irritated and ANGRY. That is the time to be silent… and wait for a right spirit to return.
j. When your husband just walks through the door after a long difficult day at work—that is NOT the best time to bring up all the problems of the day…
k. A much better season to speak would be after dinner… when he has eaten, has relaxed a bit, and has calmed down!
l. When your son just got bumped off the baseball team he was trying out for… that is not the best time to bring up other issues he needs to deal with.
m. When your wife has just spent a whole irritating day dealing with three sick, crying, dirty-diapered kids… that’s not the best time to talk to her about the long distance calls she made!
4. To have the wisdom to say the right thing at the right time is an art! It is also WISDOM.
a. It is an art and a type of wisdom that not everybody possesses.
b. Learning this art makes our speech considerably more useful and influential.
5. In many areas of life—timing is everything.
a. This is also the case with speech.
b. Unfortunately, we often learn this the hard way… by saying the wrong thing at the wrong time… and smarting for it right after you say it!
c. When investing money in the stock market—timing is everything. If your timing is right, you will do well. If your timing is off, you will lose your shirt!
d. When driving a car, timing is important: knowing WHEN to turn the wheel… WHEN to step on the brake… WHEN to step on the gas… if your timing is OFF… it can be disastrous!
e. In playing sports, timing is everything. A smaller basketball player who excels at timing can fake out a much larger player, get him to jump at the wrong time, and then go up for an easy basket!
f. Timing is even MORE important with our speech.
• Even if we know WHAT to say… we can do more harm than good… if we don’t know WHEN to say it.
• I have heard well meaning, but ignorant believers ask a brother in the Lord, who is grieving at his mother’s funeral: was she saved?
» THINK about the thoughts it will conjure up in the mind and heart of that grieving person if she was NOT saved!
» Wouldn’t it have been a better TIME to ask the question when the woman is up and about and healthy… or even when she was in the hospital and there was TIME left to bring the gospel to her… but NOT at her funeral!
• Timing is important in dealing with our kids. You may have to rebuke your son or daughter about something personal and is a private issue.
» There is a time for that… but certainly NOT when they are standing around all their friends at a school event… so everyone can hear!
» There is a time to speak and a time to keep silent. That was a time to keep silent!
» What damage can be done if our timing is off!
→ Your basket will get blocked; your investment dwindle; your car will hit a tree; your friend’s grief will be increased; and your son will be humiliated before his friends.
→ When our timing is off, we do a lot of damage… especially with our speech.
6. There is a time for everything under heaven. (Ecc. 3:1,7)
a. There is a time to speak and a time to keep silent.
b. The ability to know the difference is priceless.
c. Without that kind of wisdom we do much damage—even if we have all the good intentions in the world. We still do damage!
d. Even if we have good intentions AND a good word to say. If the timing is off that good word will not do the good it COULD have done if spoken in due season… and the good intentions don’t mitigate the harm done.
e. If we are trying to accomplish a good goal with our speech (encourage; rebuke; teach; comfort; etc)… our TIMING of the speech is almost as important as the CONTENT of the speech!
7. How GOOD it is!
a. When a good word is spoken at the right time, it is GOOD!
b. It is good all around!
c. It accomplishes its good goal… it fulfills those good intentions…
d. The wrong timing can UNDERMINE that good goal or those good intentions. But the proper timing ACCOMPLISHES that good.
e. It is GOOD for the one speaking.
• He receives JOY from his well-timed words.
• It is no cause for pride, but for joy!
• It is good when we use our tongues to help someone… encourage them… comfort them… exhort them…
• It is a blessing to the heart of the speaker to be able to be used of the Lord in ministering to another with our words… words well spoken and well timed!
f. It is also GOOD for those hearing the well-timed words.
• He receives instruction… comfort… encouragement…
• The good that was intended is accomplished!
• The one about to throw in the towel was encouraged to persevere!
• The one about to sin was challenged to consider the consequences.
g. It is good because the good word did its job!
→ Words of encouragement
→ Words of rebuke
→ Words of love
→ Words of grace
→ Words of support
→ Words of correction
→ Words of forgiveness
The words of our mouths can bring JOY and GOODNESS
→ Into our home
→ Into our office
→ Into our school
→ Into our church
→ Into our community
May the words of my mouth be acceptable in THY sight…
Proverbs 15:27
Troubling One’s Own House
Introduction:
1. There are LOTS of ways to bring trouble into our homes.
2. Solomon doesn’t deal with all of them here: just one… DISHONEST GREED.
A. Greedy of Gain
1. Greedy Defined:
a. Strong’s: to cut off; break off; gain by unrighteous violence; get; finish; be covetous; be greedy.
b. Greed seems to be at the root of this… but it often leads to violence or dishonesty of one sort or another.
c. It speaks of unjust gain… dishonest gain… getting by cheating or violence.
d. In this proverb it is likened to taking bribes.
e. Used in Prov. 1:19 – a band of young, violent thieves… city gang members plotting their evil. (Cf. vs.11-16 – greed causes them to rob and shed blood!)
f. The context in Prov.1:19 speaks of a particular KIND of greed as demonstrated in street gangs.
g. But the term in 15:27 does not come in such a context. Hence, it should be understood in a broader sense: any sort of dishonest gain motivated by greed… and an overall lack of integrity.
2. We too can be greedy of gain in this way.
a. By not being completely forthcoming on our tax returns.
b. By embellishing our resume… exaggerating our skills or accomplishments at that job interview.
c. Shady business deals…
d. Taking bribes…
e. Getting involved in gambling…
f. Stealing from your company…
B. Troubling One’s Own House
1. Trouble Defined: to trouble; stir up; disturb; bring calamity; cause hardship and distress for another; anguish.
2. Prov. 15:6 – in the revenues of the wicked there is trouble.
a. There is trouble because of the WAY that treasure was accumulated!
b. Dishonest gain brings quick, easy money… but there is much trouble associated with it.
c. Drug money brings much revenue to the wicked… but linked to it is much trouble.
d. There is the trouble of:
• No rest… no peace…
• Always looking over your shoulder…
• Always worried about being caught…
• Having to live a lie…
• Even spending time in jail…
• The trouble of realizing that at any moment you could be discovered and lose it all.
• There is the trouble of knowing that the slightest misstep could cause your house of cards to come crashing down.
3. Prov. 11:29 – He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.
a. Instead of inheriting the family estate, he will inherit the wind: nothing!
b. The trouble he brought upon his family caused him to be excluded from the inheritance.
c. This man who was motivated by greed and a desire to exalt himself behaved like a fool… brought shame upon his house… and ended up becoming a servant to those who are wise!
d. In any setting, the one who brings trouble into his own household ends up with nothing!
• The man who steals and gets sent to prison ends up with nothing… and his family has to deal with the trouble he brought upon them.
• The man who commits adultery brings trouble into his household… misery upon all… that doesn’t go away easily.
• The man who cheats on his taxes brings the wrath of the IRS upon his household.
• The man whose face ends up on the 6:00 news brings shame to his household.
e. Dishonest greed brings trouble upon a household… a blot on the family name… and the one involved inherits the wind… ends up with nothing.
• Consider Lot – moved by greed and chose Sodom… and ended up with nothing… led out of the city as it went up in ashes!
• Consider Achan – moved by greed and a desire for dishonest gain… he stole gold and garments… and ended up with nothing… he troubled his house…stoned and burned!
• Consider Gehazi – he was moved by greed and took the gift from Naaman that Elisha refused. He was smitten with leprosy… and his seed forever!
• Boy did these men trouble their own houses!
• I have known believers who have done much damage to their own houses too…
• Often, greed and gain is at the root of it.
• The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
4. There are various WAYS in which a dishonest, greedy man troubles his house.
a. He may trouble his family with the hardships they experience because of him being arrested… losing his job… being imprisoned… losing their house… etc.
b. But he may also trouble his house for years to come by TEACHING HIS CHILDREN to follow his behavior.
→ Our kids pick up on our values by observation.
→ The dishonest, greedy man demonstrates his character not only when he robs a bank. His kids will pick up on as they are growing up.
→ Often those values (or lack thereof) are passed on to the next generation.
c. This may go on for many generations. (Ex. 34:7)
• Alcoholism and drug abuse is often passed on in a family. Partly perhaps to genetics… but mostly through LEARNED and observed behavior!
• You don’t have to worry about a genetic predisposition to alcoholism if you don’t take your first drink!
• If the parents are involved in lying, cheating, stealing, those poor kids don’t stand a chance of growing up honest!
• Domestic violence is also learned and passed on.
• Trouble brought into the home is often kept there… and passed on to future generations to CONTINUE to trouble that household…
d. Kids are like sponges and they are watching and observing everything their parents do.
• And more often than not, those qualities are repeated in their lives.
e. A man who is greedy for gain can trouble his own household even if he does nothing illegal!
• If a man is so driven to succeed materially that he works so many hours that he never has any TIME for his family, he too troubles his house.
• Those kids will grow up with many toys and nice clothes, but will RESENT that dad never spent any time with them.
• Kids grow up fast… and if they grow up angry, bitter, and resentful because Dad was more interested in material gain than in them… that exacerbates the trouble in the home…
A. Hating Gifts
1. The gifts here speak of bribes.
2. This is but one example of dishonest, greedy gain.
3. The one who HATES bribes is a man of integrity who HATES dishonest gain.
4. This is the man who refuses to be BOUGHT off with a gift… a bribe.
a. This is plain, old fashioned integrity.
i. Like Abraham who refused the gift offered by the king of Sodom (Gen. 14:22-23)
b. The fact that many are willing to be bought off has always been a problem… since the days of Solomon to today.
→ Politicians are sometimes bought off.
→ Judges are sometimes bought off.
→ Police are sometimes bought off.
→ CEO’s are sometimes bought off.
c. Do YOU have a selling price? What would it take to get you to lie… to cheat… to look the other way… to refuse to blow the whistle?
d. Do YOU hate gifts?
→ Not birthday presents, but bribes!
→ Believers should not only refuse bribes, but HATE them!
→ Do you HATE the fact that people are bought off by money and that justice is being perverted by money?
→ It happens every day! (Prov. 17:23 – that is the purpose of a bribe!)
→ The poor do NOT get a fair shake in this country… even though this is the fairest country in the world… still money talks… money reigns… money is power.
→ It is the ruin of any country! Prov. 29:4
B. He Shall Live
1. His life is lengthened.
a. Prov. 11:19 – those who pursue evil do so to their own death.
b. Gang members don’t live that long. Bank robbers often get shot.
c. Violent men often become victims to violence themselves and their lives are cut off abruptly.
d. In the long run, honesty is not only the best policy; it could add years to your life!
2. His life is improved.
a. Shall live: he shall REALLY live! He shall live a good life… one worth living.
b. Need not fear the police; need not fear getting caught.
c. Doesn’t have to fear being imprisoned.
d. Need not fear losing all he worked for.
e. He doesn’t have to fear losing his family.
f. Can experience peace at home rather than turmoil.
3. So is the life of his family!
a. His family need not fear dad going to jail or losing the house.
b. The family need not fear the shame and embarrassment of seeing dad’s picture on the 6:00 news.
c. Every time you see someone arrested for a crime on the local news… think of all the trouble and shame his family is going through…
4. Our actions not only affect ourselves, but they affect our families too.
a. Of course dad can be guilty of dishonest gain and bring trouble to his household…
b. But so can mom! Mothers… even grandmothers have been arrested for selling drugs. Kids can trouble their own homes too.
→ They can bring shame upon their family by criminal behavior…
→ Shoplifting: Is it really worth it to put your family through all of that trouble just to steal a new pair of sneakers?
→ Why bring poison into the house you have to live in?
Proverbs 15:28
Think Before You Speak
Introduction:
1. This proverb deals with the subject of SPEECH.
a. This is a subject that is repeated often in proverbs… from all kinds of angles.
b. It is repeated because it is such a practical aspect of life that NEEDS repetition!
c. The tongue no man can tame… but the Holy Spirit can!
d. A Spirit filled believer will demonstrate temperance… self control—even from his mouth.
e. To demonstrate how practical this is to every believer, let’s see a raise of hands of those who verbally communicated with another human being today!
f. We talk every day! We also think every day. Solomon reminds us here of the proper order in all that. Think first!
2. Solomon contrasts two kinds of men and their two kinds of speech.
a. A righteous man… THINKS before he speaks.
b. A wicked man… does NOT think before he speaks. He just pours out whatever is floating around in his head and heart.
1. The righteous man STUDIES to answer.
2. Study Defined:
a. Strong’s: meditate; devise; muse; imagine (moan, growl, utter).
b. Dict. of Bibl. Lang.: decide; weigh, i.e., make a judgment about something after a thought process; meditate; ponder; give serious thought and consideration to selected information.
c. Used in Josh. 1:8 – meditates in God’s Law day and night
d. Used in Ps. 1:2 – he meditates in the Word day and night
e. Ps. 2:1 – why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing?
f. Ps. 63:6 – meditating about God in the night watches… dwelling… mulling things over in one’s mind…
3. Answer Defined:
a. Strong’s: to answer; respond; testify; speak; shout out.
4. Various Translations of the Phrase:
a. Ponders how to answer.
b. Good people think before they answer.
c. The heart of the righteous weighs its answers.
d. The godly think before speaking.
e. The heart of the righteous meditateth to answer.
5. A righteous man THINKS before he speaks.
a. This is always good advice.
b. This kind of speech is characteristic of a righteous man or woman.
c. Because a righteous man is concerned about righteousness in his speech, he takes TIME to think before he blurts things out.
d. He is concerned about giving the RIGHT answer… which includes not only the right information, but the right spirit, attitude, delivery, setting, tone, and timing.
e. That often requires time to THINK about HOW to answer.
f. Obviously, this is not intended for daily chitchat such as, How are you? or What time is it?
g. But if that chit chat progresses to more important issues, that which is delicate, touchy, potentially hurtful, controversial, harmful to others, etc. Those issues require THOUGHT.
h. It never hurts to think… especially when our mouth is moving and our tongue is wagging.
i. Consider the definition: musing; meditating; imagining…
• Before we speak to a person about a delicate issue THINK… put your imagination into gear…
• How will these words be perceived by this brother?
• Could this information be used against me? Could it be used to slander someone else?
• Imagine how it might sound if repeated in another setting… for it very well may!
• Would you want your name attached to this information as its source if it gets disseminated?
• Would it be more helpful and edifying to give forth this information or to withhold it?
• Would the person who told me this information WANT me to tell others? Was it given in confidence?
• HOW should it be worded?
• How can it be seasoned with grace?
• Is this the right time and place to say this or would another setting be better?
• Does it really need to be repeated?
• Is this going to stir up controversy and divide friends and brethren? Will it be unifying among the saints? Edifying to this brother? Glorifying to God?
• Is it TRUE? Do I have my facts straight? Am I sure? Is my source reliable? Am I repeating hearsay?
• There are a LOT of things to think about before we speak.
6. He is SLOW to speak. (Jas. 1:19)
a. Slow speech here does not refer to a Southern drawl. It is not a matter of how fast we talk. (Bostonians vs. Louisville)
b. It speaks of being slow BEFORE we speak… not just blurting things out without thinking.
c. Be slow in making a decision concerning whether this should be said or not!
d. Be slow to give yourself time to think… time to think about the ramifications of what you were about to say…
e. Be slow to think about whether this is worth repeating…
f. Be slow to consider whether this is true, lovely, of good report, full of virtue… etc.
g. All that takes a bit of time…
h. The person who is constantly blabbing and constantly throwing their two cents into the conversation just to hear their voice often says things he or she later regrets.
i. But perhaps the righteous man is SLOW to speak because he is God-conscious… and aware that one day he must give an account for every idle word he speaks. That will slow us down a bit!
7. The mature believer is one who controls his tongue. (Jas. 3:2)
a. The mature believer BRIDLES his tongue. (Jas. 1:26)
b. A bridle indicates that it NEEDS to be controlled… an awareness of the danger of NOT controlling it…
c. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. This is serious language… we would do well to take heed!
d. The Spirit filled believer is characterized by temperance. (Gal. 5:22-23)
8. What comes out of our mouth is really a HEART issue.
a. Ps. 15:2 – the righteous man speaks truth in his HEART.
b. Therefore, the HEART of the righteous man meditates in his heart before it flows out of his mouth.
c. Speech begins on the inside… in the heart… in the mind.
d. The righteous man mulls things over in his mind and heart before he speaks.
e. Neh. 2:4; 5:6-7 – Nehemiah prayed to God in the midst of a conversation. He “consulted with himself” before he spoke to the nobles… because it was a touchy subject!
f. Prov. 16:23 – the heart of the wise TEACHES his mouth what to say and what not to say.
• A wise heart makes a wise mouth!
• There is a definite connection!
• A person has a wise mouth because the heart is wise
• A person has a foolish mouth because their heart is foolish.
1. Note the contrasts again:
a. A righteous man vs. a wicked man
b. The heart (inner man; mind; soul) vs. the mouth
c. Thinking vs. pouring out…
2. Poureth out Defined
a. Strong’s: to flow; pour out; pour; gush forth; spring; bubble up; ferment; emit; belch forth.
b. Used of a flowing brook.
c. There is nothing to hinder, restrict, or control what comes out of their mouth.
3. Their mouths pour out evil things…
a. Evil things dwell in the hearts of wicked men.
b. And those evil things will come out of the mouth eventually.
c. And they don’t just dribble out… they flow out… like a brook or river… flowing water… an unending supply of evil things…
d. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin (Prov. 10:19)
e. Often this starts as a toddler. Kids can be naughty, disrespectful, disobedient, and defiant… and CUTE at the same time.
• If that behavior is encouraged by laughing, and saying, “isn’t that cute!”… and not rebuking… it will develop into character.
• And while it might be cute when they are young… it is anything BUT cute when they are older!
• Kids can learn this simple lesson: be careful little tongue what you say!
4. Prov. 15:2 – the mouth of fools pours out foolishness!
a. What else would you expect from a fool but folly?
b. And note that the fool has PLENTY of it! It POURS out of his mouth… a constant stream.
c. Prov. 15:14 – He has plenty of folly because he FEEDS on folly… like cattle grazing in a field…
d. They fill their gut with folly and it continually flows out of their mouths.
5. Prov. 29:11 – A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
a. The fool blurts out whatever is on his mind—without any thought for the impact it might have on others… the hurt, the offense, its truthfulness, kindness, the feelings of others, etc…
b. The wise man keeps it all in… until the right time. A word spoken in due season, how good it is!
c. Vs. 20 – a man hasty in his words… there is more hope for a fool than him!
d. Conclusion: be SLOW to speak; take time to THINK; that usually will reduce the volume of our words… volume in loudness… and amount of words spoken.
e. CAUTION is the word when it comes to the mouth! STUDY to answer. Do your homework before you open your mouth!
Proverbs 15:29
Prayer: Answered or Unanswered
1. God is FAR from the wicked.
a. Defined: remote; far; distant.
b. An amount of separation between two points.
c. Obviously, this does not refer to PHYSICAL distance. God is omnipresent.
d. Acts 17:27-28 – God is in fact NEAR to every one of His creatures.
e. FAR is used in a figurative sense in Proverbs 15:29… in language finite creatures can better relate to.
2. God is far from them BECAUSE of their wickedness.
a. Isa. 59:1-2 – sin SEPARATES men from God.
• Separate = divide; separate; sever; withdraw.
• Sin always separates man from God.
• It is a permanent wall between God and the unsaved. He is NEVER near to them until they are willing to call upon Him.
• Sin is a temporary wall between God and the believer. It separates us from His fellowship but not from His presence.
• Sin does not cause us to LOSE the presence of the Holy Spirit, but it does GRIEVE Him. (Eph. 4:30)
3. Related passages.
a. 15:8 – their sacrifices are abominations to Him.
b. 15:9 – their ways are abominations to Him.
c. 15:26 – their thoughts are abominations to Him.
d. It is not that God in His essence as DEITY is physically distant from the wicked. It is that His FAVOR is distant from them.
e. God is REPULSED by their sinful behavior and attitudes and… like a man who gets a whiff of rotting flesh… he turns His face away from it… (Ps. 34:15-16)
4. In particular, this distance has to do with PRAYER.
a. Nothing in the first part of the proverb tells us that.
b. If the first half was all we had, we would have to conclude that Solomon meant this distance to be a general distance.
c. But Proverbs are to be understood in light of the counterpart… namely, the second part of the verse.
d. Consider the contrasts in this proverb:
• The wicked vs. the righteous
• Far from vs. He hears their prayers
e. The distance is thus understood in a figurative sense… of someone who is too far away to hear.
• Obviously, God HEARS what the wicked say in their prayers. God is omniscient. He knows even before they pray!
• Isa. 59:1-2 – It is not that He CANNOT hear, (a hearing problem—or too far away), but that He WILL not hear… He chooses NOT to hear. It is a matter of His WILL… not His hearing.
f. God chooses NOT to hear the prayers of the unbeliever.
• Their sin separates God from them…
• Figuratively speaking, it puts God at a distance from them so He is out of range.
• God knows what they are praying for in His omniscience… but He chooses to ignore them all.
• Someone might reply, “That’s awful! Why won’t He hear their prayers?!”
• Well, He TELLS us what it is that separates Him from our prayers: sin!
• If men choose to cling to their sins, they are choosing to distance themselves from God… regardless of how religious they are.
• The NUMBER of prayers is irrelevant. (Matt. 6:7-8)
• The sincerity and zeal with which they pray is irrelevant.
• If there is sin in the way… God is DISTANT.
g. Whether God hears a prayer or not is a matter of HIS CHOICE.
• We cannot LIMIT God.
• God does NOT hear the prayers of sinners. Sin separates us from God’s ears.
• God knows what they are saying, but He CHOOSES to ignore the prayers of the unsaved.
• However, there are exceptions to that rule.
• God has the right to hear ANY prayer He wants to. The choice is up to Him.
• When God sees that the heart of an unbeliever is WILLING to know the Lord… willing to come to Him… willing but ignorant… God makes a distinction.
• Acts 10:1-4
» Cornelius was NOT saved. (Cf. Acts 11:14)
» Yet he feared God and was devout (10:2)
» He gave alms to the people and prayed continually.
» It does not say God heard… but it says his prayers went up as a memorial before God. (10:4)
» 10:31 says that at some point God CHOSE to hear those prayers.
» God knows the hearts of the unsaved. He knows when they are ready to receive Him.
» Perhaps Cornelius was praying, “Lord God of Israel. I know you are the true and living God. I have read your Word and have been stirred by it. I want to know MORE about you.”
» God will answer prayers like that… even from an unbeliever! This is the exception.
h. God chooses not to hear the prayer of the BELIEVER if sin is in his heart.
• Psalm 66:18 – if I (as a believer) regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord WILL not hear me.
• He CAN, but He WILL not. It is His choice.
• Sin in our lives will HINDER God from answering prayer!
• I Pet. 3:7 – Not treating your wife properly will hinder prayers of the believer. That is a sin that separates us from God’s fellowship and from answered prayer.
• Prov. 21:13 – Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
• John 9:31 – We know that God heareth not sinners… The fact that God does NOT hear sinners was common knowledge.
• Wrong behavior and the wrong heart attitude of a believer can hinder God from hearing our prayers.
• Prov. 28:9 – Not only will God not hear, He is DISGUSTED by the believer’s prayers when he walks in disobedience to God’s Word.
1. God DOES HEAR the prayer of the righteous.
2. Prov. 15:8 – but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
3. God hears the prayers of the righteous because their prayers are pleasing to the Lord.
4. God listens not only to the words prayed, but He also observes the heart from which that prayer flows.
a. He can tell if we are praying to consume it on our own lusts… He can tell if we are praying to please God!
b. He can tell if we are praying because we desire to see OUR will done… or HIS will done.
c. He can tell if we are praying for our own glory or for the glory of God.
d. He can tell if we are praying out of a sense of duty and religious obligation… or if we are praying from the heart.
5. When a righteous man prays… praying the RIGHT way… with the RIGHT heart attitude… God is delighted… and He answers that prayer.
a. God is NOT distant but near… near enough to hear their cries.
b. When a man prays righteously, God CHOOSES to hear that prayer… and answer accordingly.
c. God is listening to the burdens on the hearts of His children with great interest.
d. Ps. 38:9 – God even hears the groanings of our hearts without words!
e. John 15:7 – the righteous man is further defined by Christ… one in whom God’s Word ABIDES.
• Hence, these are not IGNORANT prayers that will be answered… but Biblically educated prayers that God answers.
• Answered prayers occur IN LIGHT OF Bible truth… understood… loved… submitted to… obeyed.
• When the word DWELLS in our hearts… and Christ DWELLS in our hearts by faith… childish, frivolous prayers will die out… and serious, intelligent prayers will replace them.
Proverbs 15:30
The Light of the Eyes and a Good Report
Introduction:
1. This proverb speaks of the means of communication: verbal and nonverbal.
2. It also speaks of the result of communication: rejoicing their heart… or making their bones fat.
1. The light of the eyes.
a. The light of the eyes speaks of a cheerful look. It speaks of a sparkle or the twinkle in the eye…
b. Prov. 16:15 – the LIGHT of the king’s countenance. This speaks of the favor expressed on his face… the pleasant acceptance expressed on his face.
c. Ps. 31:16 – it speaks of God’s face SHINING upon the king… showing Divine favor.
d. Various translations:
• Smiling faces
• A cheerful look (a couple of translations)
• Bright eyes
e. Eyes are a window into the inner person.
• Eyes can smile!
• “When Irish eyes are smiling!” Actually ANYBODY’s eyes can smile!
• Eyes communicate.
» They can scowl… they can communicate anger (Prov. 25:23)…
» They can communicate disbelief… they can communicate frustration… they can communicate rebellion… they can communicate lust…
» They can communicate depression… (have you ever seen the darkened, sunken eyes of a person who is truly depressed?)
» They can communicate pride… (Ps. 10:4 – through the pride of his countenance.)…
» They can communicate rebuke (Ps. 80:16)
• Eyes are good communicators. They communicate what is going on in the heart… in the soul.
• Of course, we can behave like a hypocrite (mask). Our face can be a mask for what is really going on inside too.
• We can PRETEND to smile… we can put on a phony face outwardly, when the opposite is occurring on the inside. That is called hypocrisy.
• However, when we are HONEST, and not putting on a hypocritical mask, our eyes are a window into our soul.
• Prov.15:13 – If the heart is cheerful, it is SEEN on your face… in your expressions… and in your eyes.
» Our inner attitude towards a person is reflected in our countenance and especially our eyes.
» Friendliness inside is communicated outwardly through facial expression.
2. The light of the eyes (cheerful countenance) = non-verbal communication.
a. You can communicate to a person with facial expression…
b. But no part of the face is as expressive as the eyes.
c. We can warmly GREET people with our eyes.
d. We can coldly IGNORE people with our eyes.
e. We can communicate ANGER through our eyes.
f. We can communicate PLEASURE through our eyes.
g. We can communicate BOREDOM through our eyes.
h. We can FLIRT with our eyes.
i. We can show RESPECT with our eyes.
j. We can show DISRESPECT with the rolling of our eyes.
k. Eyes communicate… not just the mouth.
l. There is a lot of communication that we MISS because of technology… email… phones… etc. We miss the body language… we can’t see the eyes…
m. Even without a word, we communicate much through our eyes.
n. This truth is obvious… but it is also revealed in the Bible.
• God describes Himself in human language… so that we can understand Him better… in terms we can relate to.
• The Bible speaks of His facing shining on us… or His countenance directed towards us…
3. Our eyes can have an EFFECT on others. It is non-verbal communication.
a. Ps. 21:6 – Thou has made me GLAD through thy countenance!
b. Ps. 42:5 – God’s countenance can HELP us… by encouraging us…
c. Num. 6:25 – God’s face shining on a person is a way to describe God’s FAVOR towards that person or nation.
d. Ps. 80:16 – they PERISH at the REBUKE of thy countenance
→ It is as if the expression on God’s face rebukes, encourages, helps, or shows favor to those He looks AT.
→ Obviously, we don’t actually SEE God’s eyes or His face. But the language of humanity is used to teach us about God.
e. Hence, in the Bible, it was obvious, that the face can and does communicate to others.
→ Our facial expression… our eyes can make others glad… or chase them away in fear!
→ Our eyes can express warmth and friendship or anger, rejection, and scorn.
→ Thus, what WE do with our eyes (and other facial expressions) has an EFFECT on other people.
→ Our eyes communicate WITHOUT words. That communication sends a message to others… and it has an effect on them.
f. This is form of communication parents would do well to observe in their children.
→ Children can REBEL with their eyes… without saying or doing anything. (rolling the eyes…) It needs to be dealt with.
→ Children can show DISRESPECT by refusing to look at people in the eyes.
→ Teach them to LOOK at a person in the eyes when speaking to them or listening to them.
→ Don’t take “shyness” as an excuse.
→ Their eyes send a message and it has an effect on others. Teach them to send the RIGHT message!
4. The light of the eyes sends a GOOD message. It REJOICES the heart.
a. The LIGHT of the eyes speaks of brightness… cheerfulness… warmth… friendliness… acceptance… graciousness…
b. When we express warmth, grace, and friendliness to others through our eyes, it causes THEM to rejoice!
c. It is an encouragement to them to receive such a non verbal MESSAGE of friendship… grace… warmth.
d. Consider that when folks visit the church.
• Even if you don’t get a chance to greet them VERBALLY, you can greet them with your eyes… with your facial expression.
• You can say WELCOME with your eyes and make them feel comfortable.
e. Consider this young people, when a new teen comes to the teen group for the first time. Your eyes and facial expressions can make him feel welcome… or like a fish out of water.
f. Consider this when you sing in the choir (I’m guilty of this too!)…
• We send a message through the song we sing… but also through the non-verbal communication on our faces.
• It ADDS another layer of communication to the song, There is Joy in Serving Jesus, when our faces smile as we sing.
• A choir member CAN’T smile with his mouth when singing… but he can through the LIGHT of your eyes!
1. A good report…
a. This speaks of a verbal communication.
b. This is a more common form of communication…
c. In the proverb, it stands as the counterpart to the light of the eyes.
d. The light of the eyes is a GOOD message communicated non-verbally through the eyes.
e. The GOOD report corresponds to that… only it is a VERBAL message communicated. (It is unlikely Solomon had a written report in mind here… but a verbal one.)
2. Good news makes the bones fat.
a. This is the counterpart to “rejoicing the heart.”
b. Fat bones are moist, strong, healthy, and full of healthy marrow.
→ They are the opposite of dried out bones. (Prov. 17:22 – a broken spirit drieth the bones)
→ Envy is the rottenness of the bones. (Prov.14:30)
→ A broken, defeated, discouraged spirit dries up the bones
→ But good news encourages… and makes the bones fat…
c. Good news communicated verbally encourages and makes strong and vibrant the inner man… just like the light of the eyes communicated non-verbally makes the bones fat.
d. Fat bones = rejoicing the heart… encouragement… health to the inner man… joy… warmth…
e. Sometimes that encouragement is communicated through the mouth. Sometimes it is communicated through the eyes.
f. Be aware that your communication to others can have a deep impact and effect on their heart… regardless of the METHOD of communication.
g. Prov. 25:25 – As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
→ Good news… a good report REFRESHES the hearer!
→ Have you ever received a letter from your son or daughter when they were far away… at college… in the military… on a business trip… or in their new home on the west coast?
→ Good news brings refreshment to your soul.
→ Or perhaps you are living abroad… and you hear news from your home country that things are going well… it brings refreshment… it satisfies like cool water to a thirsty man!
→ We can bring REFRESHMENT to others by our communications to them… verbally and non-verbally.
2. Of course, the BEST good news we can bring to another is the gospel of the grace of God!
a. This will cause the hearer who responds in faith to rejoice… and it will make his bones fat!
b. The message of Christ is a message of great joy (Luke 2:10-11).
c. And when presenting the gospel, remember Prov. 15:30: your FACE communicates to the sinner!
→ You can express insincerity… and apathy.
→ OR you can express CONCERN and SINCERITY in your facial expression…
Proverbs 15:31
The Hearing Ear
Introduction:
1. Vs. 30-33 all speak about wisdom and how it is obtained.
2. It comes through reproof, instruction, and the fear of the Lord.
3. We might do well as believers to think of this concept of hearing reproof as not only reproof from men… but especially reproof from God—which He gives us through His Word and His people continually.
4. We all need ears that hear.
A. Reproof of Life
1. Reproof Defined:
a. Strong’s: rebuke, correction; reproof; punishment; chastisement.
b. Dict. of Bib. Lang.: the infliction of a just penalty, often with emotional or physical pain (Ps 149:7).
c. Complete Word Study: The primary thrust of this word is that of correcting some wrong.
2. Its Usage
a. It is employed to express the concept of rebuking.
b. For correction
→ Prov. 15:10 – reproof is used as a synonym for correction in this passage.
→ God corrects our behavior as a Father corrects His son.
→ Ps. 73:14 – chastened every morning…
» Chastened = reproof
» Why? Because his attitude was wrong.
» He needed to be rebuked not for anything that he DID, but for the way he was THINKING…
c. The argument of a claim – Job 13:6 – reasoning = reproof
B. Reproofs of Life
1. Solomon states here that reproofs are PART of life… a big part of life. The psalmist was chastened every morning!
2. Everyone is reproved… not everyone responds well to it…
3. Life involves growing up and maturing… and there will be precious little growth or maturity without reproof.
4. If our lives were perfect, we wouldn’t need reproof.
a. But because we are NOT perfect… and are NOT complete/mature/full grown… therefore we NEED to be reproved.
5. Heb. 12:5-6 – Our whole lives as Christians are characterized by reproofs and rebukes.
a. Vs. 6- it comes from a loving Father.
• He chastens and reproves EVERY son… no exceptions.
• A Father demonstrates His love by CONTINUAL reproof…
• God is never satisfied with our progress until we are perfectly like His Son. And we should never be satisfied either.
• We should DESIRE to be like Christ… and thus be THANKFUL when reproved…
• However, we are rarely thankful at the time. It hurts. But afterward, we should learn to be grateful.
b. Vs. 5 – Don’t faint or get discouraged. This is part of life.
• Rebuked = present passive—the chastening or rebuke is ONGOING… it is a continual part of life…
• Get used to it. In this life, God will NEVER stop reproving our behavior, attitudes, deeds, etc… because He will never stop loving us!
• Here we are told not to FAINT… don’t grow weary of it because it never seems to stop. That’s what life is like!
• And when a young child leaves home, he may think reproofs have ended.
» Finally! No more being rebuked and reproved by my parents! My days of reproof are over!
» Not so. He will be receiving reproofs in college, and then at his job, and even in the local church—and from the Lord through the Word of God for the rest of his days!
• The reproofs of life are the reproofs that are ongoing throughout our entire lives till glory.
• Don’t get weary of them and don’t ever quit listening!
• Why do you suppose we are told not to get weary? Because we DO get weary and tired of being told this is wrong… that is not the best way to do that… your attitude needs correction here and there…
• Kids get tired of their parents continually reproving them.
• Christians can get tired of our heavenly Father continually reproving us.
• But the wisdom from God is easily entreated.
• Wisdom and maturity accept the fact that reproof is a normal part of life.
• They learn to accept it, submit to it, deal with it, grow through it, and be thankful for it! (It was GOOD for me that I have been afflicted!)
C. Hearing
1. Hear Defined:
a. To hear; listen to; obey; hearken.
b. Listen; take heed; pay attention.
c. There are three aspects to this concept of hearing:
• Hear with the ear
• Pay attention
• And then to obey
2. It takes HUMILITY to hear reproof.
a. Pride rejects it… hates to be told what to do… thinks it knows better… and lets it go in one ear and out the other.
b. Pride likes to cover up one’s faults… pretend they aren’t there… or aren’t so bad… refuses to discuss them…
c. He puts a shield around all his faults… thus shielding his worst enemies!
d. But the humble person realizes that he has faults… he realizes that his faults need to be exposed and dealt with.
e. He realizes that he has a lot to learn… swallows his pride, and LISTENS…
3. Prov. 1:23 – When God’s wisdom speaks, He expects us to TURN at His rebuke! He expects us to repent… and change direction!
4. Prov.17:10 – The reproof ENTERS IN… is accepted, received, submitted to…
a. Reproof penetrates into the mind, heart, and life of the one who has hearing ears.
b. The message of the reproof sinks in. He applies it, and benefits from it.
c. The one who responds to reproof does not need to be whipped or punished. The reproof accomplishes the same task.
d. If we allow God’s Holy Spirit to gently reproof us, He may not have to severely chasten us!
e. LISTEN to reproof. It is good for us.
5. Prov. 27:6 – It is often an expression of friendship. Don’t misjudge the one rebuking! Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth. LISTEN to the friend who attempts to reprove your ways.
6. Prov. 15:12 – A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.
a. Don’t be like the scorner who HATES the one who rebukes.
b. He’s doing it for your own good. LISTEN!
A. Result: Lasting Wisdom
1. Prov. 19:25 – The one who submits to it LEARNS and grows in understanding and wisdom.
a. The message of rebuke is taken in intellectually, but it is WISDOM which moves this man to receive the lesson in the first place.
b. The hearing ear INCREASES his wisdom. (Cf. Prov. 1:5 – a wise man WILL hear and will increase learning.)
2. The man who receives reproof ABIDES among the wise.
a. He has a lasting place in their presence.
b. He becomes one OF them… one of the wise.
c. He is numbered among them.
d. Prov. 6:23 – reproofs are in the way of LIFE. Wisdom ABIDES in the way of life…
e. Wisdom settles down and gets comfortable in the place where he knows his faults will be exposed, critiqued, and dealt with.
f. The fool hates his faults exposed and dealt with. But the wise man APPRECIATES it.
g. Consider a disease that leaves his skin with infected, oozing sores.
• One man with this disease—like a fool—seeks to cover up his sores… sores that will eventually kill him. That is folly.
• Another man with the disease is WILLING to have the doctor expose his sores and deal with them. If dealt with soon, they can be taken care of… and health will return!
• In a sense, this is the folly and wisdom of our response to reproof.
3. Note the main emphasis here: it is the nature and character of wisdom is RECEIVING instruction and reproof.
a. Wisdom is described here as a WILLINGNESS to receive and a WILLINGNESS to learn… and a WILLINGNESS to change.
• It is a TEACHABLE spirit…
• David had this kind of wisdom! (Ps. 141:5)
b. Psa. 119:67 – It was GOOD for me that I have been afflicted!
• The psalmist was GLAD for his affliction… which he took as a reproof from the Lord to LEARN a lesson he wasn’t learning otherwise!
c. The wisdom from above is EASY to be entreated. (Jas. 3:17) That is the one with a hearing ear.
d. Prov. 25:12 – As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
• The “hearing ear” is described as an “obedient ear” here.
• The reprover is likened to a golden earring.
• An ear isn’t all that beautiful all by itself, but its beauty is greatly enhanced by a golden earring.
• Thus, the beauty of a hearing or obedient ear is greatly enhanced by LISTENING TO and OBEYING reproof!
• That’s a beautiful person! Being easily entreated… listening to, obeying, and appreciating reproof makes a person beautiful… a beautiful character quality.
• The one who KNOWS this and believes it is more likely to PRACTICE it. And when he does practice it, he is WISE. His wisdom is his beauty.
• This kind of wisdom (listening to advice and reproof) is early likened to the beauty of a necklace…
B. Fools Reject Reproof
1. Prov.1:25, 30 – Ye would none of my reproof.
2. Prov. 12:1 – Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
3. Prov. 13:18 – Poverty and shame comes to the one who rejects reproof… and defiantly chooses to do it his way!
4. Ecc. 7:5 – fools prefer other fools to sing them happy songs and either wink at or encourage their faults, rather than to hear the reproof of the wise.
Proverbs 15:32
Refusing Instruction
Introduction:
1. Prov. 15:31 spoke of the person who HEARD reproof. This was the positive side.
2. Prov. 15:32 speaks of the negative side primarily: the one who REFUSES instruction.
3. Solomon speaks of this as self-destructive behavior.
A. Refusing Instruction and Other Various Responses To Instruction (Cause)
1. Instruction:
a. This word is most often translated instruction, but sometimes as: chastisement, correction, discipline, rebuke.
b. In Proverbs it is often used of the corrective instructions of a father to his son.
VARIOUS RESPONSES TO INSTRUCTION:
2. Some refuse instruction.
a. Refusing: to let go; let loose; ignore; let alone.
b. Prov. 1:25 – they set at nought all my counsel. (ignored it!) [set at nought = refuse — same word]
c. They treated God’s wisdom as nothing… they treated it lightly… they turned it away as if it were of no value.
d. Prov. 1:30 – They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
e. They didn’t want it. (would = will — they were unwilling to receive it… unwilling to hear.)
f. You don’t refuse something that you really want. The fool does not WANT any instruction from others… or from God.
g. There is nothing wrong with being innocently ignorant. But there is something dreadfully wrong with being WILLFULLY ignorant!
h. There is something fatally wrong with being unwilling to learn… unwilling to be taught… unteachable.
i. This is what Solomon addresses in this proverb.
3. Some resist instruction or discipline.
a. Prov. 29:1 – some are chastened time after time… they harden their necks against it.
b. Hardening of the neck is a figure taken from the taming of a wild animal. When the animal does not want to be tamed, he stiffens his neck to resist the yoke.
c. It came to be an illustration of resisting authority… a lack of submission… refusal to cooperate.
d. That’s how Solomon uses it here. The one who resists chastening… correction… instruction… is likened to a wild animal resisting his master.
e. When some hear instruction (whether a father’s, teacher’s, government official’s, or even God’s) they resist… refuse to cooperate… and behave like a stubborn mule.
f. Prov. 15:10 – Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way.
• Just as it is grievous for the animal to submit his head to the yoke and do the work…
• It is grievous for us sometimes to submit to discipline and instruction — from man or God!
• But although discipline and instruction are grievous, they are GOOD for us… profitable.
g. God was working in the life of Saul of Tarsus…
• convicting him about his awful treatment of Christians.
• God said that Saul/Paul was also acting like a stubborn animal resisting and refusing to submit… “It’s hard for thee to kick against the pricks!”
h. When someone is trying to give you instruction, discipline, reproof, or correction, don’t fight against it like mule! Take it in… receive it… give it due consideration.
i. Psalm 32:8-9 – be not as the mule! Let’s face it: we all have a little mule in us.
4. Some avoid instruction.
a. Prov. 15:12 – A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise. He avoids it.
b. WHY won’t he go to the one who reproves?
• Because he KNOWS that he is going to be reproved… and have his faults pointed out. That hurts.
• He LOVETH NOT reproof or the reprover. He avoids it at all costs.
• Often folks who need counseling say, “I’m not going to pastor. I know what he’s going to say!” They know they are in the wrong… and they know that it will be pointed out… and thus they avoid it!
• Darkness hates the light and will not go to it.
• Often believers who are not walking with the Lord stay away from church because they know that they are going to hear some form of reproof from the Word… or from a brother…
• One way to RESIST instruction is to avoid the place where instruction is likely to be given!
5. Prov. 5:12 –
a. despise: to spurn; contemn; despise; abhor.
b. Hated = to be hateful; to be an enemy.
c. Cf. Prov. 1:30 – they despised my reproofs!
d. This takes resistance to a whole new level.
e. It’s one thing to “not love” reproof. It is quite another thing to hate it.
6. I Kings 18:17 – Ahab played the “blame game.”
a. Elijah came to rebuke the king and Ahab knew it.
b. Therefore, as a defense mechanism, he shifted the focus away from himself to Elijah and blamed him for the trouble in the land.
c. Perhaps we have been guilty of this. A friend comes with the best of intentions to point out an area of your life that needs some attention—and the first thing out of your mouth is, “Oh yea! Who do you think you are! I suppose you’ve never sinned?!?”
7. Mark 6:18-19 – John the Baptist exposed the sin of Herod and Herodias.
a. Herodias developed a quarrel/ grudge against John and even wanted to kill him.
b. That is certainly not a good response to reproof.
c. We may not take to the extreme of plotting a murder, but we can develop a grudge against the one who reproves us.
d. Maybe someone here tonight has some ill will in the heart against someone who gave you some unwanted, but needed instruction…
e. Acts 7:54 – when the Jews heard Stephen’s rebuke, they gnashed at him with their teeth and stoned him to death.
B. Despising His Own Soul (Effect)
1. Despiseth =
a. Strong’s: to reject, despise, refuse
b. Zodhiates: to abhor; to refuse. The primary meaning of this word is to reject or treat as loathsome.
c. This is quite similar in thought with the previous verb: refuse. That is by design.
d. His point is this: the one who is despising or refusing instruction is despising or refusing his own soul.
e. Soul here is best understood in the sense of HIMSELF… his own life.
2. Refusing instruction is self-destructive behavior.
a. Instruction is for the benefit of the one being instructed.
• Instruction is for the health, safety, protection, prosperity, and well being of the one being instructed.
• To refuse instruction is to refuse the health, safety, protection, and prosperity of your own self!
b. Prov. 8:36 – He wrongeth his own soul.
• Wrongeth = to wrong; do violence to; treat violently.
• We use another figure of speech to say the same thing today. When someone is about to make a decision or say something that you know he will pay for down the road, we say, “He’s shooting himself in the foot.”
b. Prov. 10:17 – He that refuseth reproof ERRETH.
• refuse: depart from; leave behind; leave; let alone; to leave; abandon; forsake; neglect; apostatize.
• The one who refuses to listen to reproof and instruction errs… he wanders away…
• The instruction is designed to keep us in the straight and narrow way.
• The one who refuses is like the man who refuses to follow the directions. He will wander all over the city aimlessly until he swallows his pride and asks for directions.
• This man is working against himself… despising his own soul… making his own life miserable.
c. Prov. 29:1 – He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
• Destruction comes to the unteachable one… in many forms.
• There is a price to pay for this kind of folly.
• And the damage can be irreversible!
• Think of all the people in jail right now…
→ How many words of warning, admonition, instruction, and reproof did they receive in their lives!
→ How many times did they mock at those words of instruction!
→ Now they’re in jail, and their sentence is irreversible.
→ You can resist authority and resist instruction only so long before it catches up to you.
→ And when it does finally catch up to you… there is no remedy.
d. 13:18 – Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction.
• In the work world, a man who refuses to hear instruction will fail at whatever he does.
• Poverty will be his reminder of his folly.
• In his social life, the man who refuses to hear instruction will be brought to shame.
• He will hear “I told you so” wherever he goes!
• Sooner or later he will be ashamed of the course he took.
e. It’s hard to imagine a character flaw more damaging to one’s life than an unteachable spirit.
• No matter how far astray a person may be, no matter how ignorant he may be, if he is teachable, there’s hope for a recovery.
• But if he is unteachable… there is no hope.
• Prov. 26:12 – if he thinks he knows it all and will not submit to instruction, there is no hope for him.
1. This is basically the truth we saw in the previous proverb.
a. Verse 31 speaks of the one who hears reproof and gains wisdom.
b. Verse 32b speaks of the one who hears reproof and gains understanding.
c. The person who is wise enough to HEAR reproof benefits from what he hears.
Proverbs 15:33a
Fear Before Instruction
Introduction:
1. This is the third proverb in a row that deals with the subject of wisdom.
2. Each approach the subject from a slightly different angle.
a. Vs. 31 – a hearing ear = wisdom
b. Vs. 32 – refusing reproof = the opposite of wisdom
c. Vs. 33 – reverence and humility = wisdom
PROVERBS SAYS MUCH ABOUT THE FEAR OF THE LORD
What the book of Proverbs says about the fear of the Lord
→ It is the beginning of knowledge. (Prov.1:7)
→ Prov.9:10 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
→ Prov. 8:13 – The fear of the LORD is to hate evil.
→ Prov. 10:27 – The fear of the LORD prolongeth days.
→ Prov. 14:26 – In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
→ Prov. 14:27 – The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
→ Prov. 15:16 – Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.
→ Prov. 15:33 – The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom.
→ Prov. 16:16 – by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
→ Prov. 19:23 – The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
→ Prov. 22:4 – By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
→ Prov. 23:17 – But be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
In Proverbs 15:33, Solomon says, “IF YOU WANT WISDOM AND INSTRUCTION FROM GOD –THEN FEAR HIM!”
1. Deut. 5:27-29 – God laments when His people don’t fear Him.
a. Moses is about to receive the ten commandments.
• The people were afraid of the fire and noise… and asked Moses to speak to God for them.
• Vs. 27 – They told Moses that whatever God said to them, they would DO.
• Their intentions were good.
b. In vs. 29, God laments because He knows, in spite of their good intentions, they do not have the proper kind of fear and reverence for Him that they should.
• God knew that they would not follow through on what they intended to do.
• Their fear of God would fizzle out… and so would their determination to obey.
• And as a result, they are missing out on His blessing!
c. Vs. 29 – God knew that godly fear is GOOD for them… and for their families!
• God laments because His people are missing out on His blessings…
• But perhaps more so God laments because their fear of God would soon turn into disrespect and that would turn into disobedience..
• He is WORTHY of our respect and reverence!
d. God laments when He does not receive it… like any father would lament if their children were disrespectful towards them.
• God, like any father, is concerned about the ATTITUDE of His children towards Him.
• Fear, respect, and reverence are essential to a right relationship to God.
e. Before we can ever receive instruction from the Lord, God demands that we demonstrate reverence and respect for who He is… the fear of the Lord.
• In this section of Deut., God was about to speak to the children of Israel… He was about to give them His Word… the moral law… the Ten Commandments.
• God lamented because He knew their fear of Him was quite shallow… and that His word would not be understood OR obeyed without a fear of God.
2. Psalm 4:3-4 – The fear of God is standing in awe of who He is, leads a man to be STILL before Him… and to commune with our own heart.
a. Vs. 3 – the lord hath set apart to Himself those who are godly.
• David also notes that God HEARS those folks when they pray.
• Genuine communication exists between God and the godly.
• God listens and responds to the godly.
b. Vs. 4 – David is telling the sons of men to stand in awe of God… become a God-fearer.
• The one who begins to learn who God is, and learns of His omnipotence and omniscience, will naturally stand in AWE of Him.
• He will be humbled before Him… stand still.
• Part of learning to fear God is learning how PUNY we are in His presence!
• As we learn to fear God, self is abased… pride is put aside…
c. The one who fears God has great reverence before God will be still and LISTEN to Him through His Word.
• First we HEAR God in His Word, then that hearing is to be followed by an appropriate RESPONSE.
d. Because we are made in God’s image (intellect, emotion, and will), the appropriate response is to THINK THROUGH what God said.
• Commune with your own heart: think things through in your own mind and heart; meditate; reason things out in the presence of God…
• WHY commune with our own heart? Because it usually leads to making some ADJUSTMENTS in our hearts.
• THAT is the way of wisdom!
e. The awe of God… the fear of the Lord leads to genuine instruction in wisdom in the heart.
• This instruction is HEARD; it doesn’t go in one ear and out the other.
• It enters the mind and meditated upon. It sinks into the heart.
• Necessary adjustments are made, and it is applied to the life.
• That is the one who truly LEARNS… divine instruction of wisdom… that is experienced.
• This is not just book learning. That’s real learning.
3. Psalm 25:12 – God chooses to TEACH only those who fear Him.
a. In this psalm, David seeks to be taught… instructed by the Lord.
• Vs. 4-5 – Show me thy ways; lead me; teach me!
• Vs. 8-9 – God teaches sinners like us; He leads and teaches those who are meek…
• Meekness implies a teachable spirit…
• God teaches the teachable… God leads those willing to be led.
• Those who are proud and arrogant, God will neither lead nor teach.
b. And doesn’t that make perfect sense?
• God teaches His children only when they come before Him in godly fear, respect, and reverence.
• The opposite of that is pride—the know it all—the arrogant one who really isn’t interested in listening.
• Why should ANYONE teach such an arrogant fool?
• His refusal to bow in the presence of God in reverence indicates that he really doesn’t WANT to be instructed.
c. God teaches those who fear Him. He doesn’t teach those who do not fear Him.
• Remember that every time we come into God’s presence in a special way… in church… family devotion time… when we pray… when we open His Word.
• God seeks to lead, guide, and instruct those who approach Him in fear, respect, and reverence.
• Absent that, we will NOT be led, guided, or instructed.
• Absent that godly fear, approaching God is a mere sham… a religious front… a facade… an empty, shallow, religious form.
d. But when we DO fear God, HE INSTRUCTS! He taught the God-fearers in Israel the true meaning of His covenants!
• To all the rest who did NOT fear Him, the law was but nothing but an old book of burdensome rules.
• But to those who feared God, they DELIGHTED in the old covenant law! It was God’s Word… sweet as honey!
• A fear of God changes our whole attitude and outlook.
e. Cf. Vs. 14 – The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him.
• Secret = confident counsel.
• God gives counsel and guidance to those who fear Him.
• God will teach the God fearer and enable him to understand His covenant… His Word.
• Cf. usage in Job 29:4 – God’s secret was upon Job’s tabernacle in the days of his youth.
• Job remembered his times of intimate fellowship, communion, and counsel he received from God.
• God’s counsel is only upon the tabernacle of those who fear God.
4. Psalm 31:19 – God has rich treasures for those who fear Him.
a. Goodness = this is a general term for goodness used in various ways in the Old Testament:
• The plentiful harvest of the land (Neh. 9:36; Jer. 2:7);
• Items of superior quality and desirability (2 Kgs. 8:9);
• Inward joy (Isa. 65:14);
• The manifest goodness of the Lord.
b. Laid up = to hide, to keep secret. It is used of concealing something, often of great value.
c. God has hidden away from the sight and experience of the multitudes, GREAT GOODNESS.
• It is concealed from the pride and arrogant…
• It is concealed from those who refuse to listen…
• It is hidden away from the foolish know it alls.
• But it is hidden away FOR those who fear God!
• That’s why the psalmist—who feared God—said as he read Scripture: “Lord, open thou mine eyes that I might behold wondrous things out of thy law!”
• Wondrous things are IN Gods’ Word… but they are hidden from those who do not come to God bowed down… in respect and reverence.
• A great harvest of things of a superior quality that brings inner joy is found in the instruction of the Lord… but they are ONLY for those who fear God.
• God is able to tell who’s who when we pray, read, and hear His Word taught.
d. One of the special treasures hidden away from the world and hidden FOR the believer is instruction in wisdom.
• God DOES seek to impart wisdom to men.
• However, we KNOW that God has a prerequisite: fear or reverence.
• God’s good gifts are for God fearers and no one else. This certainly includes the impartation of the knowledge of God and an understanding of his Word.
• If we are not understanding the Scriptures when we read, perhaps we need to bow a little lower…
5. Prov. 1:7 –the fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom.
a. This is where it starts.
b. No reverence; no wisdom.
c. God won’t even BEGIN to teach us wisdom until we come into His presence bowed down in reverence.
d. He who fears God will be well taught in the ways of wisdom.
e. The more we get to know who God is, the more we will fear Him. To know Him IS to fear Him!
f. A lack of fear of God indicates that we don’t know Him very well.
• He is WORTHY of fear… respect… reverence.
• How can you not fear a God who sent fire and brimstone from heaven?
• How can you not fear and reverence a God who holds your next breath in His hand?
• How can you not fear a God who is omnipotent?
• If you don’t fear Him, you don’t know Him.
g. The more we know of Him, the more we will fear… and thus, the more He will instruct us—for fearing God is the BEGINNING of wisdom… and is the beginning of instruction!
• God only instructs those who fear Him.
h. Fearing God implies a willingness not only to HEAR, but to OBEY.
i. John 17:7 – He will KNOW the doctrine IF he is willing to DO what it says. Otherwise, that teaching remains a secret… hidden from him… he will be blinded towards that element of truth.
Proverbs 15:33b
Before Honor is Humility
Those who seek for honor shall be dishonored
A. Pride
1. The opposite of humility is PRIDE… arrogance.
a. Pride is one of the sins God especially hates. (Prov. 6:16-17)
b. Pride was that sin which first filled Lucifer…
c. Pride is at the heart of all sin… a love for self above God. A spirit of independence from God.
d. It is exalting self above God and others… exalting self will, our own thoughts, our own ways, our own ideas,
B. Shall Be Abased
1. Prov. 16:18 – pride precedes a fall…
2. Prov. 18:12 – pride brings destruction…
3. Prov. 29:23 – pride brings a man low…
4. Luke 14:8-11 – the humble are honored; the proud are abased
5. I Peter 5:5 – God resists the proud.
6. Those who proudly seek for personal honor shall be dishonored…
Those who seek for humility shall be honored
A. Humility
1. The believer is to be clothed with humility 1 Pet. 5:5.
a. Our person is to be characterized by humility.
b. As clothing COVERS the body… humility and lowliness are to cover self.
c. Be clothed! This is a command. It is our responsibility to put on this kind of clothing!
2. The believer is to walk in humility. Eph 4:1, 2
a. Our walk is to be one of lowliness, meekness, and humility.
b. This too is a command.
c. Humility and meekness are to characterize our whole lives.
d. Wherever we walk, it should be in humility.
3. Beware of false humility: Col 2:18, 23.
a. The cult in Colossae had become experts at LOOKING humble.
b. Cults today also attempt to LOOK humble… by wearing old fashioned clothing… looking to be poor…
c. Jesus rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees for trying to APPEAR to be humble and holy… but they did it to be seen of men!
d. We can do the same. It is hypocrisy when we put others first… in order to be SEEN putting others first!
e. That is PRIDE wrapping oneself in a false humility.
f. There is no honor in putting others first… or other expressions of humility… if the motive is wrong!
g. Phony humility is pride… of the worst sort!
h. We might be able to fool other men, but God can tell the difference between genuine and phony humility.
B. Shall be Honored
1. True humility is HONORED by God.
a. God delights in honoring the humble.
b. Matt. 18:4 – whosoever shall humble himself as a little child shall be called the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
2. Honor: glory; honor; reputation; abundance; wealth; reward.
a. This is the term in Gen. 45:13 when Joseph sent his brothers to tell his father of all his “glory” in Egypt. (which included position, power, and wealth).
b. Joseph was humbled by men… and rather than fighting against it, he submitted to it, recognizing that God was sovereign.
c. In time, God lifted him up and gave him honor!
3. Prov. 18:12 – before honor is humility.
4. Isa. 66:2 – God looks to the man who bows before Him in humility and fear.
a. Looks: regard; show regard to; pay attention to; consider; to gaze intensely.
b. God cannot stand to behold proud flesh, but He gazes intensely upon the humble.
c. This is just what Proverbs 15:33 says!
5. Cf. Isa. 57:15 – God DWELLS with the humble…
a. What greater honor could there be than to have the Creator of the universe pay attention to us!?
b. What greater honor than to have the One who dwells upon high dwell with us who are but dust?
6. This principle is demonstrated in the life of Christ.
a. The principle: first comes humility, then comes honor!
b. Phil. 2:5-11 – First came His period of humiliation—incarnation to the mortal state. Then came glory and honor!
• This glory and honor to come enabled Him to continue to endure suffering and humiliation on earth.
• This is our example in running the race!
c. Luke 24:26 – Christ is our example of this truth: first comes humility, then honor!
• First the cross, and then the crown.
• The same principle holds for those who follow Christ.
• A life of humility on earth followed by exaltation in glory!
d. Paul too followed the example of Christ in this.
• II Cor. 12:7-9 – God HONORED Paul greatly. He was caught up to the third heaven.
• This honor could easily have tempted him to PRIDE.
• LEST Paul should be exalted… (to keep him humble), God sent a thorn in the flesh. We all have one… or maybe several!
• He was HUMBLED by a thorn in the flesh. Some sort of trial or ailment kept Paul humble.
• Thus, God kept Paul humble that Paul might continue to be useful in God’s service.
• After a lifetime of faithful service, Paul will be exalted and receive a WELL DONE.
• But in order to receive that kind of honor at the Bema, God had to humble Paul on earth.
• God does that in our lives too. It is His mercy that does so.
7. Practical examples for life on earth.
a. Luke 18:14 – God exalted the humble publican… and abased the proud Pharisee.
b. Jas. 4:10 – humble yourself before God and He will lift you up!
c. Put this principle in the light of the context:
• Solomon has been speaking about the reproof (vs.31) and admonition (vs.32).
• The person who is HUMBLE enough to listen to reproof abides among the wise. He is honored.
• The person who is proud arrogantly refuses admonition (vs.32) will be abased.
• Humility will bring a person to honor when he humbles himself and listens to rebuke, admonition, and reproof.
• The proud fool will face a fall… destruction.
• But the humble wise man will see honor… and add to his wisdom. God will lift him up.
