Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro
 
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!
 
 
Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.   Proverbs 27:1

Just about everyone thinks they have plenty of time left in life.  The only ones who don't think this way are those with a terminal disease in its latter stages.  And, to be honest, they are the ones who are living like we all should live - taking advantage of every moment that they have - because they know it may be the last one they have to live. 

Boasting about tomorrow is the problem in this passage.  It is the attitude that says, "I not only have tomorrow - I can make of tomorrow anything I want of it!"  Pride is the reason we would boast of tomorrow.  We do it because we think "we" determine our future and that "we" can make it what "we" want.  When this attitude prevails in our lives it also carries with it that the only reason to live is for this world and what it can bring.  James speaks of this attitude when he writes, "Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.  Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.  But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil."  (James 4)  This is all about whether we rule our lives - or if God rules them.  And the fact is that God not only rules our lives - but that He is sovereign over all creation. 

We don't know what a day may bring forth.  Here is the second reason why this attitude of boasting in a day is prideful.  When we do we are acting as if we are omniscient and omnipotent.  We think we have the power to make whatever we want to happen - when the truth is that we cannot make anything happen that is outside of God's ultimate purpose and plan.  We also think we know tomorrow when the fact is that we don't even know what the next 10 minutes hold.  As James said, our attitude needs to be, "If the Lord wills, we will do this or that."  Anything other than this is sin.
 
 
"The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate. Proverbs 8:13

Hate . . . most people believe that Christians should not hate at all.  They believe that hate is a bad thing.  Yet here in Proverbs, the book of wisdom from God, we have a command to hate!  Let's take a look and see how God calls us to be a hater . . . of sin and evil.

"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil . . . here is where it all starts.  It starts with a respect and honor for God Himself.  We will never be wise until we understand that God is great - greater than all others and penultimate!  That respect, honor, and yes fear will move us toward wisdom - because what is penultimate in our lives is what will eventually govern us.  That honor and respect also means that we will hate evil. 

Hate . . . This Hebrew word means to hate, to despise, to dislike something or someone and thus to be hostile toward it and loathe it.  The statement, God doesn't hate anyone is not theologically sound.  According to Psalm 11:5, God hates those who love violence.  We learn in Hosea 9:15 and Amos 6:8 that God detests and hates those who turn to evil and choose it instead of Him.  Psalm 5:5 makes is clear that God hates all those who love evil.  Rather than try to do an exhaustive study on this - let's realize at this point that God hates certain things - and yes - He hates certain people.  Here is the fact of this passage - if we honor and respect God - we will hate evil.  We will loathe and despise it with everything within us.  The proverb goes on to say, we hate several things specifically. 

Pride . . . we hate pride.  Pride has an interesting root word that instructs us greatly.  The root word means to rise up, to lift up, and thus to exalt.  There is only One Who sould be lifted up and raised up and exalted.  God is that One and His interests and desires should always reign supreme in our lives.  Problem is that they don't - and we lift ourselves up and exalt ourselves as the authority in our lives.  We decide we know best - and we are adequate for life and for everything.  This is the root of pride - when we choose to exalt self above God.  This we should HATE! 

Arrogance . . . this is pride in action.  Pride indicates the attitude that a person has that is independent of God - the one who thinks they can live apart from Him.  Arrogance is when a person acts upon that pride and lives in a way that no longer exalts and honors God.  We act arrogantly when we lift up our own thinking and reasoning above that of God.  That kind of action we should HATE!

The Evil Way . . . the word way is the often used word "derek" and it again refers to a lifestyle - a way a person walks and lives their lives.  Note here we've moved from the attitude of pride - to the acting out of that pride in arrogance - and now we see the fruition of many acts of arrogance in an evil lifestyle and way of living.  When we choose not to honor or lift up God, but rather lift up ourselves over and over again - we develop an entire lifestyle.  God hates a lifestyle that ignores and dishonors Him - and we should HATE it too.

The Perverted Mouth . . . This is a mouth that deviates and distorts the Lord's ways and turns from Him.  It is corrupt and deceptive speech - a distortion of what is straight and right.  When a prideful lifestyle and arrogant actions prevail in our lives - we will then justify them by speaking what is perverted.  We will justify our lives - and as we do - we will distort God's ways - and deviate from them in what we say.  Romans 1 says that the wicked not only live the way they do - knowing it is not God's way - but they also heartily encourage others to do the same thing. 

God does hate certain things - and He lists them here for us to learn and to avoid.  The wise man learns these things - and realizes that one of the most foolish things in life to do is to anger and enrage the living God and embrace what He hates.
 
 
A man who hardens his neck after much reproof  will suddenly be broken beyond remedy. Proverbs 29:1

Stiff-necked . . . now there is a term you don't hear too much any longer.  Yet, it would be wise for us to avoid being stiff-necked - especially when it comes to how we receive correction and reproof from others - and from God.

The "hardened-neck" is the one that is stiff, and it also has the idea of being severe or fierce.  Thus the hardening is very decided.  When a man hardens his neck - he is doing so with quite the attitude.  Zhodiates brings out that this means someone who is harsh with anger - cruel - stiff-necked.  This is a difficult person - stubborn and hardened and filled with resentment toward the one offering the reproof. 

The reproof is not just criticism.  It is also not just a one time statement.  The proverb says "after much reproof."   There are those who are offering the needed rebuke and correction - and when they offer it - they are offering A LOT of it.  But - from the previous word - it is clear that the one receiving it is not interested in hearing it.

Suddenly speaks of something that happens all at once - there is an aspect to this that is shocking.  The promise of the proverb is not for a slow decline - but for a sudden moment of retribution from the Lord.  The one who receives this "sudden" consequences is broken.  Broken is "shabar" means to break in pieces - and also has the idea of being abolished, crushed, demolished, destroyed, smashed, shattered, or torn down.  This is a devastating breaking from God.  What is worse is this breaking is described as bein beyond remedy - literally "no healing or cure" - This is something that is not recoverable.  When I consider this, it makes me fear pride and arrogance.  It also makes me want to turn from areas where I am receiving much instruction - and much rebuke - and turn to the Lord with a humility and brokenness that is self-imposed.  Actually, it makes me want to turn in any area where I'm receiving correction - why wait until it becomes "much" reproof - respond now.  Oh to have the brokenness that comes from the Lord as a gift - the broken and contrite heart that He gives as a loving gift to His children - rather than the brokenness that comes as a horrific retribution when we resist Him and those who are sent of Him to correct and train us in righteousness.  Learn to receive correction and reproof as good friends - friends who only want us to avoid the breaking that comes with arrogance and self-centered thinking that rejects comments not meant to hurt - but meant to protect us from a stiff neck and its consequences.