Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of great men; For it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen. Proverbs 25:6-7

There is a real danger of claiming honor in the presence of leaders and people of importance.  The danger lies in whether they agree with your evaluation of yourself or not.  That is why it is wise to embrace humility when in the presence of leaders and people of importance.

We are told not to claim honor in the presence of the king.  This is because a king or a great man already has a standing of honor and respect.  When we claim one - we may claim something they don't think we should have.  We are also told to be careful about standing in the place of great men.  Your mother may think you are awesome and great - but that's because she is your mom.  Not everyone in the world carries a picture of you in their wallet.  The wise man embraces humility and a low view of himself.  He is not boastful and full of himself.  Instead he chooses to let his works, his attitudes, and his value be evaluated by others who see what he does.  He focuses on being a servant and being a person of excellence.  Whatever happens as a result of his actions he lets others decide.  This way, if he is lifted up and praised, it is due to the words of others and not due to the arrogant braggadocio of his own words. 

This is what verse 7 presents to us.  We are told that is it better for others to say to us that we should, "Come up here."  What is being said is that we should leave the praise to others.  When we receive it - others are elevating us.  We simply receive their praise graciously and gratefully.  There is one of the dangers of having too high a view of ourselves.  We begin to believe our own press.  We think we are awesome and that others really should be praising us and lifting us up.  This places us in a very precarious place. 

We read the final admonition to us in this verse and it is one we should think about very seriously.  It's better for someone to say, "Come up here," than or us to be demoted in the presence of the prince.  To be humbled is . . . well . . . a humbling experience.  It is bad enough to be humbled in a one on one situation - but here we are talking about being humbled before a prince - and probably before his court as well.  Arrogance has a very high cost - and that is seen nowhere more clearly than in this one who decided to assume a high place in the court of a king or a prince. 

The Biblical example of this is found in the book of Esther.  Haman was elevated to a high place in Ahasuerus' kingdom.  He was given authority which quickly went to his head.  Soon Haman decided that everyone should exalt him - like he was king.  When Mordecai would not do this - he decided to abuse his authority not just to hurt Mordecai, but to destroy his people as well.  This plot seemed like it would succeed, were it not for the prayers of God's people and God's intervention.  This process wasn't hindered at all by Haman's exceedingly great pride and arrogance.  His fall came when he was asked by the king what should be done for the man who the king desired to honor.  Haman's pride was at its highest and worst point when the only thought that came to him was that he was the one whom the king spoke of when asking this.  Little did he know that the one the king decided to honor was his rival.  Suddenly all the arrogance and pride in destroying an entire people for a slight he felt to his pride was caving in upon him.  He faced devastation as a series of events took place where he was no longer asked to, "Come up here," by the king.  His was a careening fall from grace to his death by execution. 

Arrogance does not pay in the end.  It will bring about a devastating end for the one who embraces it.  But the humble man who does not seek to advance himself will prosper.  He will do so in one way or another.  Either he will be advanced by the king - a turn of events he will receive with the same grace and attitude with which he served in the first place - or - he will continue to serve graciously because his goal was not honor and glory anyway.  His goal was simply to serve those around him in the name of Jesus Christ.  If he accomplishes that - he is happy.

A fool's lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for blows.  A fool's mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul. Proverbs 18:6-7

Our mouth can be a source of blessing or our downfall.  For the fool the latter is more the case.  His mouth is a means of trouble, strife, and eventually ruin.  Let's try to learn from him today and avoid the things that happens when a fool is speaking.

First we learn that a fool's lips bring strife.  The idea here is that when a fool opens his lips to speak - along with his speaking comes strife.  Evidently the fool is itching for a fight because that is what takes place after he speaks.  His mouth calls for blows.  The fool is the one who always has to have the last word - and that word is usually highly offensive to those who hear it.  You watch the fool escalate his statements from offensive to provocative.  He provokes those around him to the point where their anger is boiling over.  He enrages people with the way he speaks - and the end of it all is blows - a fist fight.  Rather than walk away from a growing tension, the fool throws gasoline on the fire and stokes it in every way he can.  He does not have the ability to let an insult go - and just walk away.  He has to one up the person who insulted him by offering an even greater insult.  Actually, the fool usually is the one who starts all this - almost as if he or she is wanting the fight. 

At the core of all this is pride.  The fool is filled with it.  As I said earlier he can never let something go.  Anything said requires his provocative response.  He loves contention and controversy.  He loves quarrelling and disputes.  He thrives on hostilities and his words invite them constantly.  A wise man knows how to calm people with his responses.  The fool only inflames them.  No wonder that in the end we watch him punching and being punched as the fight erupts.

The next verse continues this thought.  The fool's mouth is his ruin - and his lips are continually snaring his soul.  The word ruin is the Hebrew word "mehittah" which means destruction, ruin, and terror.  The root word for "mehittah" is "hatat" which means to be broken or afraid.  The fool thinks he is bringing himself honor or at least respect when he won't take anything from anyone else.  He thinks he is standing up for himself and that all others will know he is not someone with whom you want to tangle.  But the opposite is true.  His mouth is not bringing him respect, it is bringing him ruin.  His mouth is a continuous source of terror for his life.  He is constantly in danger because of his big mouth.  He keeps opening it and getting himself in trouble.  He says that he wants to stay out of trouble - at least that is what he tells the officer each new time he is arrested - at least that is what he says when he stands before the judge again and again - but his mouth is a snare for him.  He speaks out for himself and in doing so sets another trap directly in front of himself to step into.  We would consider a man the ultimate fool if he set a bear trap and then stepped into it - but that is what the fool does with his mouth all the time. 

Let me offer an example from real life.  We read of sports figures who are constantly getting in trouble.  It seems that they go from one altercation to another - in and out of a courtroom as if they were walking through a revolving door.  Why does this happen?  A lot of it happens because they have the mouth of a fool - and they use it in the company of other fools.  Where do they go regularly?  They go to bars and clubs.  What happens to them - they run into other fools whose minds are dulled by alcohol.  When they do some fool (either one at the bar or they themselves) opens their mouth in typical drunken arrogant fashion.  Feeling "dissed" they then "bow-up" in pride and let their foolish mouth run free.  Of course when you get two drunken fools like this together the escalation is not only going to happen - it is going to happen quickly.  More foolish words are exchanged as they trash talk one another and, you got it, a fight breaks out betwen them.  In recent years we've added to the fist fights - fools who carry guns with them into bars and other places - and someone becomes angry enough to shoot someone else.  Then we get the court case where any normal person would be send away for their crime - but in the case of the rich, spoiled athlete - some deal is cut to let him continue to entertain us with his physical prowess.  We never think about the damage done to our children who unfortunately are taught to idolize these fools - and who follow in their footsteps. 

Our mouths are incredibly powerful things.  James says that our tongue's can set the course of our lives on fire - and that they can be set on fire by hell itself.  That is why we need to learn things like humility, patience, and restraint.  It is also why we need to be wise and to avoid the company of fools whose mouths continually snare their souls.  Let your mouth be filled with the Word of God - with gracious and kind words - and with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Let your mouth become the instrument that brings you blessing - not the tool which the devil, working unhindered through your flesh, uses to bring you to ruin.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked, is sin. Proverbs 21:4

Two things that God hates are haughtiness and pride.  They are actually two sides of the same sin - but nevertheless God really despises these things.  We learn from this proverb that these two things are the very lamp that shines within the wicked - it is what they think gives them light and guidance.  It should be a no brainer then why they are so blind to the things of God. 

Haughty eyes are the first thing mentioned here.  The word for haughty here means something having height - and actually refers to the physical height of the heavens.  In the oriental culture it was considered a good thing to cast your eyes down before a superior.  It showed respect.  To this day orientals show their honor and deference to someone by bowing to them and lowering their eyes.  Thus to have lifted eyes - even eyes raised to the heights - is to be a very disrespectful and arrogant person.  It is a way of saying that you recognize no greater authority in life than yourself.  Everyone else is "below" you. 

A "proud heart" is also mentioned here.  The word proud means something wide, spacious, and broad.  When put with the word "heart" it came to mean someone arrogant - of a broad and prideful heart.  One of the ways this speaks to us is that in biblical times someone who held a "broad" view of their morals and choices was someone who ignored the Scriptures and the Law - and chose rather to walk in the pride of their own desires (broad as they may be - yet still wrong!) rather than submit themselves to the Law of God and the boundaries it put on their actions and attitudes. 

When a man has arrogant eyes that refuse any authority but their own, and a heart that refuses God's Law - that person is wicked.  This proverb tells us that this is the "lamp" of the wicked - these arrogant eyes and proud heart.  The lamp refers to the light by which this person seeks to live.  The psalmist prayed, "Send forth Your light and Your truth, let them lead me."  This was his request - that the light and the lamp that shone within him would be in agreement with God's Word - God's Law.  Thus, as this light shone within him - he would see to know where to go and what to do.  But for the wicked, their light is their own arrogance and pride.  The light that guides them utterly rejects God's authority over their lives - and God's Word that speaks what is truth and light.  The result is that their lamp shows darkness and not light.  They are blind as a bat when it comes to any kind of vision or any kind of ability to walk in God's ways. 

Oh, how we as believers need to reject in us eyes that are arrogant and lifted against God's authority in our lives.  How we need to reject a heart that says that God's Word has nothing to say to us.  If we want to be spiritually blind, these are the things we need to embrace - but if we want any kind of spiritual vision whatsoever - we need to reject anything that has to do with arrogance or prideful attitudes toward God or toward His Word.

A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none, But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding. Proverbs 14:6

It is interesting in our day to see how many mock the things of God.  The large number of best sellers that mock the existance of God and the morality and truth of His Word is a little shocking to the general public - but for those who know the Word - just another proof that we live in a fallen world that rejects God and therefore rejects truth.

The scoffers present themselves as seekers of knowledge.  They paint themselves as the wise among us - and as those who are trying desperately to turn the ignorant masses away from God and away from seeing God's Word as anything more than an old, archaic, rotting document that no longer deserves our attention.  But, no matter how much these mockers present themselves as wise - they are anything but wise in the end.  They may seek wisdom - but they will find none.  The one prerequisite of wisdom is what they lack.  We read in a myriad of places that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - and that is what these individuals lack - any fear of the Lord.  Their mocking shows that they consider themselves to be the ultimate resource of wisdom and understanding - which honestly - makes them fools.  They will not humble themselves and admit that they are not the repository of all things wise.  They are so filled with pride that they will not admit their own ignorance and lack of perfect knowledge.  They not only don't know what is going on in perfect detail on the remotest planet in the universe - they are not even aware of its existance!  Yet they have the arrogance to say that unequivically there is no God in the universe.  Their scoffing will always keep them from knowledge and wisdom.  Only their foolishness will be verified in the end.

We are told something wonderful here though.  Knowledge is "easy" to him who understands.  The concept behind the word "understands" is that this person is teachable.  It is not that he already understands all things - but rather than he has a desire to understand all things.  His admission of a lack of knowledge is what makes his so marvelously teachable.  He longs to better understand things and to know what is true.  Therefore he has a very teachable spirit and heart.  This makes him a perfect candidate for wisdom.  James counsels us that the man who will receive wisdom from God is the very one who says that he does not already have it.  Since he doesn't have it - he asks God for it.  God loves this man - because he is open to all that God has for Him.  The Holy Spirit loves this man because He knows that this man will not resist Him when He comes to teach him truth.  Knowledge then becomes easy to this one - because he is wide open to God when He teaches him.  He loves receiving things from the Lord - and is longing to be taught - to be instructed - even to be rebuked and corrected.  Therefore knowledge becomes something very pleasant to his soul.  He is a wise man indeed - because he admits lacking wisdom.  But the arrogant scoffer - who exalts his own mind - his own learning - his own egotistic sense that he is always right?  That man won't receive anything from God - except an invitation to repent of his arrogance and come to the table to learn from the only One who truly has all wisdom.  My guess is that without God's mercy and grace touching his life - he would reject it anyway. 

Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished. Proverbs 16:5

If you even wondered how God feels about pride, this should be enough to cure you of ever wanting to be "proud in heart."  Let's take a look at this thing called "pride" and see if we can avoid its pitfalls.

Pride here is the Hebrew word "gaboah" and it means a high, exalted, and proud demeanor.  This particular proverb speaks of how dangerous it is to be "proud in heart."  How dangerous is this particular heart condition?  God says He finds it an abomination to be in this condition.  It is not just dangerous - it is eternally deadly! 

Pride is having an exalted attitude of self - and a very pitiful mindset toward God.  This is the condition of fallen man.  Man is fallen - and he has falllen into this sin of pride.  At the core of this sin is the idea that we are able to handle things ourselves and that we do not need God.  It is an attitude of independence from God and dependence upon self.  When man chose to disobey God in the garden - he chose to live by the knowledge of good and evil rather than by the spiritual life that God would have provided by his grace and free gift.  Man decided he wanted to be like God by his own efforts.  He wanted to decide what was good and evil on his own.  He wanted to trust in himself - rely upon himself - live for himself - and make his own destiny.  Oh, one last thing - all these things he would be doing for himself - he would also be doing them for his own glory, honor, and praise.  Here is the crux of the human condition of arrogance and pride that is at the very core of sin. 

This pride began with Lucifer himself - who in Isaiah made the comment that He would raise his own throne above that of God and He would have the honor that he was created to give to God.  Oh, how this arrogance reeks before a holy God. 

What is interesting to most folks is that often they don't get this whole "pride" thing.  In fact - many - when they hear that God wants man to give Him the glory - accuse God of pride.  Here is where the greatest disconnect from the fall is manifest in the hearts of wicked men.  They are so blinded by their own arrogance that they don't see God for Who He is.  This is why God has to reveal Himself to us through the Scriptures - because we are utterly blind to Him in creation and in our own beings.  Scripture says that the heavens are declaring the glory of God.  Man . . . he invents a theory that says that we are a cosmic accident - a happenstance that just eventually had ridiculous levels of order and design.  So man denies the existance of God.  Scripture tells us that when we consider the human body we should come away with the thought that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Man . . . again decides that we are what the primordial slim just accidentally belched forth over billions and billions of years.  Man will negate God every way that he can - because man will not tolerate a God greater than Himself.  In the rare instances when he does - he wants that god to have all of his problems and idiosycracies.  At least that way he can continue to exalt himself in his fallenness. 

In the rare instances where we see a human being accosted by the glory and majesty of God - the human suddenly hits the deck - falling on his face.  He trembles and fears for his life.  Even godly men, when experiencing the power and glory of God - are so struck with awe and wonder - that they struggle to breathe.  Man faces the truth - there is One greater than himself - there is One to Whom he is accountable - there is One Who is responsible for his very existance - and - there is One who is grieved and angered by his unbending arrogance. 

That is why this proverb tells us in no certain terms that this arrogant, prideful heart is an abomination to God.  That the one who has such a heart will be punished for it.  We are told bluntly in proverbs 16:5, "Assuredly, he will not be unpunished!"  There it is for mankind - put as bluntly and as clearly as anyone can put it.  A prideful heart is a horrific condition - one that is dangerous and deadly - and one that reminds us that God has every reason to bring punishment upon man to the fullest measure.  Yet - the astounding reality shown to us in the Scriptures is that God, Who has every right to condemn us and punish us - chose instead to reveal His glory the brightest by having His own Son face the ultimate cost for our wickedness and pride.  His glory shines with full force in the grace He has made available through the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of His Son.  Truly - He is a God of inestimable mercies!

In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back, But the lips of the wise will protect them. Proverbs 14:3

Oh, how the mouth of the foolish boasts.  This is seen again and again in our society.  In fact, we now have a whole type of speech devoted to prideful talk.  Trash-talking is popular today among those in sports.  The dangerous thing is that this type of talk is slowly morphing its way into regular life as well.  This will not bode well for our society - as pride is never a good thing among the conversations of men.

Biblically there is a great picture of this very verse.  When David fought the Philistine champion, Goliath, there was some serious "trash-talking" going on from Goliath.  He laughed at David and disdained him publically in front of all the troops that day.  HE bellowed that he would give little David to the birds of the air when he killed him.  You can hear this boast echoing through the valley just as 40 previous boasts had done for the 40 days he had been bragging about his pwoer and abilities.  In his mouth was a rod for his back.  The literal translation of this phrase is "rod of pride."  Interesting that the Hebrew language would have such a phrase.  But it only shows the way that pride does give God a rod which He will use upon our backs to discipline us for our arrogance.  Goliath's boasts ceased - because he lost his head - literally.  He thought he could destroy David with little effort.  In the end - his arrogant words were a rod of pride that struck him as a rock sunk into his forehead.  As the sword severed his neck - Goliah - once a hero and champion - would forever be known for his defeat at the hands of a ruddy little shepherd with a sling, stone, and a trust in the living God.

The wise have lips that protect them.  They are careful about what they say - and how they say it.  The old WWII phrase "loose lips, sink ships," is in order for the wise man.  Far too many have not watched what they say and have paid for it dearly.  David is a good example in this story as well.  He did not go out and make empty boasts.  He did not try to one-up Goliath at his "trash-talking" game.  He simply referred to his God and reminded Goliath that though he came with superior "human" firepower - David relied upon an omnipotent God to win the day.  David's words were far from proud and arrogant.  They were humble words that relied upon Jehovah God for strength.  In the end, David's words protected him from not only arrogance and presumption - but also from Goliath's attack. 

We need to be wise - and watch what we say.  It is protection for us to stay as close to what the Scriptures tell us as possible.  Our protection is given to us by a God who loves to act strongly on behalf of those who look to Him.  Rather than have our words be the very whip that disciplines us - they become a shield that keeps us from harm.

A poor man who oppresses the lowly Is like a driving rain which leaves no food. Proverbs 28:3

We have all heard stories of the oppressive who are rich.  God condemns this kind of behavior.  But when a poor man does the same - it is an even greater sin because the poor man should know better being among the lowly himself. 

Proverbs describes this man as a driving rain which leaves no food.  The rain described here is one that is a deluge - a true drenching storm.  It is described as being a "driving" rain.  The word here means something that sweeps things away.  It is rain that is so heavy and strong that it literally washes all the crops in an entire field away.  It leaves nothing behind, completely destroying all that is in its path. 

The poor man who oppresses the lowly is best described in the parable of the debtors.  Matthew 18 tells this parable of two men who owed money.  One owed millions to the king - and there was no way of paying it back - even in a hundred lifetimes.  When the king pronounced judgment upon him for his debt, the poor man begged for mercy.  The king then acted with unimaginable mercy - forgiving the man every penny of his debt.  It is one of the most poignent displays of mercy in all of Sripture.  But what did the poor man do with this mercy and newfound freedom.  The Word tells us that he went out and found a fellow lowly servant who owed him about 50 to 100 dollars.  The fellow servant begged too for mercy - and asked for a little time.  He promised to pay it all back.  But the forgiven servant then grabbed the other by the throat and cast him into the prison till he was paid all that was owed to him.  Indeed, this was a case where the poor was oppressing the lowly.  When the other servants heard of this, they informed the king - who then called the poor oppressor to account.  He was told that having received mercy - he should have shown it to others.  Having been forgiven, he should have forgiven others.  The end of the oppressing servant was to be thrown into prison and handed over to the torturers until every cent was repaid of his debt. 

This proverb does speak to us about the need for reciprocity in showing mercy.  If we are the poor - we of all people should have great patience with the por who are around us.  To oppress them is like being a driving rain that washes away everything.  If there cannot  be mutual grace among the lowliest of people, what is left.  But there is a greater reminder given to us here.  It is the reminder of the spiritual lesson before us.  Just like the poor man in the parable, we need to forgive as we have been forgiven.  We are the poor in spirit - the spiritually devastated and bankrupt.  God has shown us astounding mercy in forgiving our sins and giving us His unmerited favor.  Oh, how we should be ready to show that same mercy and grace to others - the ones around us just as poor, just as spiritually bankrupt - as an example of our Father's love.  To do otherwise is to be a driving rain that leaves nothing behind.  It is to offer no hope of forgiveness and grace among the lost.  Our message is also to be our example.  By God's grace - when we show grace - we will verify grace - thus offering grace to those who need grace.  Don't be a driving hurricane that leaves nothing behind - be a gentle rain that waters so that fruit can be borne to God - fruit that will last - and thus our Father will be glorified.

He who separates himself seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom. Proverbs 18:1

This proverb speaks of one who separates himself.  Here is an interesting issue - because the Bible does speak of separation for God's people.  God calls for this on the basis of holiness.  2 Corinthians 6:17 tells us to "come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord, "and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you."  God speaks of separation from the spirit of this present world.  We are in the world, but we are not to be "of" it.  That is the separation that God wants for us to know.

Human reasons for separation (outside of medical ones for infection and disease - which by the way the Law encouraged) are foolish.  Our society separates for the sake of race - seeking categories of blacks, whites, hispanics, orientals, etc.  God does not see this way.  He sees men as either saved or unsaved.  They are either of the world or of His church.  But outside of these distinctions - which by the way are not for discrimination, except that we might know to whom we should minister - God does not see as man does. 

This man is separating himself out of a desire to ignore wisdom.  He wants to walk in his own rebellion and godlessness.  He is separating himself from those who would offer biblical advice and counsel concerning his lifestyle and choices.  Rather than receive that advice and counsel - he utterly rejects it - even going to the point of separating himself from the people who offer it.  He even quarrels against all the godly wisdom that is offered to him.  The word quarrel is the Hebrew "gala" and means to burst forth against - which has the idea of arguing and being stubborn and obstinate.  This man wants nothing to do with God's wisdom - and rejects it so he can "seek his own desire.

There are men who just don't want God's ways.  They separate themselves against God - and subsequently against anyone who speaks the things of God.  They do so in order to walk in whatever way they want.  Some do so for the sake of immorality and sensual conduct that they want to maintain.  When faced with godly counsel concerning the immorality, they rage against it and turn away from the messenger and the message.  God calls this arguing against sound wisdom - and continues His commentary in the next verse.  He says there that the fool doesn't even want to understand - he only wants to babble his ideas and speak his own mind.  Here the fool is the one who doesn't want to listen - he only wants to live out the desires of his flesh.  Separating yourself from others to seek out wickedness is one of the most harmful foolish ways of all.  May God deliver us from such foolishness!