He who profits illicitly troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live.   Proverbs 15:27

Ours is a society that is quickly becoming corrupt at multiple levels.  It has been sad to watch our country turn from one that valued integrity and honesty, to one that is moving toward the kind of values that exist in a banana republic.  The frequency of elected officials being charged and convicted with fraud is alarming.  The fact that we watch them use their positions of power to enrich themselves with laws they impose on us, while exempting themselves from their own statutes is terrifying.  That is because, as we will learn from today's proverb, those who do such things bring trouble to their own home.  This is true on a personal level, but also on a corporate and even national level too. 

We read that those who profit illicitly trouble their own house.  This simply means that when we choose to leave our integrity at the altar of greed and the pursuit of wealth at any cost, we are going to create serious problems for our family.  This is for several reasons.  First and most importantly is the trouble that is caused for our children and our grandchildren - even to the third and fourth generations of our family.  They watch as we abandon God and embrace the pursuit of riches.  Paul wrote young Timothy and warned that the love of riches is a root of all kinds of evil.  He warns him in the book of 1 Timothy that some who have done this bring harm to themselves and pierce themselves with many a harmful desire.  This will infect our families to several generations. 

We see this in our current immoral business climate in the United States banking and financial sectors.  Hardly a day goes by now without learning about another failure to preserve any moral foundation - as the generation that watched their parents make money and financial security their only goal now take those lessons to new lows.  They are now grabbing all the money they can - in any way that they can - regardless of who is hurt and what businesses are destroyed in the process.  The courts are now filled with men who set up ponzy schemes and who criminally mismanaged funds.  We are learning that raw greed motivated them to steal money that was not theirs.  Oh, and before we get too far away from our proverb, has brought great shame and trouble to their wives, children, and posterity even into the future. 

We are given a protective against this in the second part of this proverb.  The one who hates bribes will live.  He will be protected against the devastating effects of greed.  Bribes blind those who receive them.  They are unable to see the truth because they are focused on easy money that is put in front of them.  The bribe can be anything from the cash handed to a politician to look the other way of pass legislation that gives unfair advantages to certain businesses or groups - to the more subtle bribe that encourages someone to cut corners and cook books to cover their own greed for money.  No matter how the bribe presents itself it is lying to us.  It promises easy money, quick wealth, a way to get whatever we want without hard work and sacrifice.  But the bribe lies to us - not telling us of the pitfalls and dangers that are inherent in living for the world and the flesh.  These two foes of our spiritual growth and maturity are truly deadly - and can not just polute our spirits - but those of many future generations of our family.  That is why we need to protect ourselves from "every kind of greed," as our Lord warns.  For the truth is that a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.  Life comes as we learn to submit every area of our lives to the Lord for Him to use for His glory.  So the next time you are offered a bribe to lay aside biblical principles and values - see it for the dangerous thing it is.  Reject it and turn to the Lord for strength to be content with what you have.  That is the path to life!

He will not accept any ransom, Nor will he be satisfied though you give many gifts. Proverbs 6:35

Adultery is always stupid.  There is no amount of money or ransom that a man will accept for the love and purity of his wife.  God gave us marriage and is the very essence of love - and bequeathed to us the gift of loving someone else.  One of the most wonderful expressions of His love is seen when a man and woman commit to one another in marriage.  That picture is used in Ephesians 5 to show the love of Christ for His church.  The love that exists in marriage is supposed to be very strong - and thus breaking it is not something that can be paid back by any amount of money.

We read in Song of Solomon 8:6-7 these words that will help us understand why there is no ransom for adultery.  "Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised."  Love is as strong as death - that is why often a divorce is described as being as devastating as a death in a family.  Love is as powerful as death, jealousy is like death, and again is described as like "flashes of fire" and "the very flame of Jehovah."  These are not light, fluffy passing descriptions.  They are powerful and honestly, frightening!  When you choose to love someone and commit to them for life in marriage, this is the power that is released.  That is why no ransom will be accepted for adultery - no gift will seem appropriate.  We read in Song of Solomon that if a man were to give all the riches of his house for love - the one offered the money would utterly despise the offer.  Love is more powerful than ANY amount of money ever offered. 

Unfortunately, a movie I know of but have not seen, illustrates our point.  The move was called, "Indecent Proposal."  I would NOT encourage anyone to see it - so I will describe what I've read about it.  In the movie a young couple are given an indecent proposal by a rich man to pay them $1,000,000 for the wife to commit adultery once with him.  After weighing what they could do with that much money, they unwisely agree to this indecent proposal.  The wife commits adultery and they are paid the money.  But the film examines the carnage that follows as, you guessed it, jealousy begins enraging this man over what has happened.  Just like it says in Song of Solomon - no amount of money is worth love.  Any amount is utterly despised.  The man comes to realize too late that the purity and sanctity of their relationship is not worth any sum of money - not even a million dollars.  Even a ransom of that enormous amount is something despised and abhorred by a husband and wife.  Thus when one partner sins for usually far less, it is a foolish choice indeed that they are making.  They are selling out their vows for nothing more than a fleeting promise of forbidden pleasure.  What they will pay in the end would make them recoil from such actions.  The problem is that "in the moment" they do not think, nor do they reason with any kind of biblical or moral judgment.  They destroy themselves and their marriage in a bid for the illusive promise of a night of passionate pleasure.  What they most likely do not know is that the indulgence will cost them more than they could ever imagine.  This is why, dear saints, Adultery is always stupid.

A gift in secret subdues anger, And a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath. Proverbs 21:14

Some of the proverbs are instructional while others are observational.  In no way is the Bible endorsing giving bribes to subvert justice - but God, the One who has inspired the Scriptures, is also not blind to the observation that bribes do exist and they are used to turn away anger and wrath.  In understanding this proverb we do need to focus on the fact that what is being said here deals with the issue of those who are angry and filled with wrath toward another.  This is not a proverb dealing with wanting to pervert justice - it is about dealing with those who come to a court situation and who are very angry.  It is written with truth that will help those who are wanting to lessen that anger before they get to court.  So what is this proverb telling us - and what observation is it giving to us?

When facing anger and wrath from someone - it is helpful in subduing it to offer a gift or a bribe.  Bribes do exist - and unfortunately the rich use them to subvert justice.  When a situation arises when someone is very angry and they are considering acting in the wrath of the moment - a bribe will help tone down the anger.  Is this righteous?  Most likely in the case of the bribe it is not.  Is it effective in the world?  Unfortunately it probably is.  But there is another way of looking at the statement that a gift in secret subdues anger. 

Those who know of court proceedings know that many cases are "settled" out of court.  What is often done is that lawyers offer a "settlement" to make a case or a person's anger go away.  The injured person is willing to have a sum of money - a gift given in secret if you will - subdue their anger and move them to drop the suit in court.  These settlements usually involve fairly large amounts of money.  They are meant to pacify the anger of the one who is bringing the suit or threatening to do so.  When this gift is given in secret - the case goes away.  For those who know that they are in trouble and guilty, yet do not want a court or a jury deciding the award in the case, a settlement may save them millions of dollars.  For the person injured or wronged, it saves them the difficulty of the court case itself - and the risk of getting nothing.  In the end, though everyone may not be completely thrilled, it does subdue the anger and settle the dispute. 

Remember though, this is a proverb that is observatory.  It is observing what happens in life - not dictating what should happen.  In this regard it is good to know these things - and to know that God knows too.  God knows that often these things will happen - but one thing to remember is that they will never happen at His bar of justice.  When we stand before God, there is no amount of money or works that will speak for us subduing His wrath.  The only thing that speaks in that day is the blood of Jesus Christ shed to pay for our sins in full.  There will be no bribes or gifts passed under the table.  God Himself has made the way of payment for sin - but know this - it is the ONLY payment accepted.