Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro
 
One who plans to do evil, Men will call a schemer. The devising of folly is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men. Proverbs 24:8-9

There is a foolishness that leads men to plan evil and devise ways of running after foolish things.  We are warned against such things here in Proverbs.  The term "plan" here means to think up things, to mull them over in your mind and to consider something extensively before doing it.  The wicked man's mind is set on his evil - he plans it and considers it - thinking through the things he is going to do.  Every wicked man is given to doing evil - everyone who has not been redeemed by the work of Christ on the cross is set in this direction - but there are those who take it to another level.  They actually sit and make serious plans to act out their evil.  Proverbs tells us that men like this will become known as a "schemers." 

What is a "schemer?"  The term here is literally, "lord of mischief."  He becomes a master at doing things that are wrong - things that are just plain evil.  The word here is "ra" and it means evil, misery, and wickedness.  It is not just that the schemer is planning mischief like you would see from a bunch of young men who plan pranks.  This is a man who is planning and scheming about evil and godless things.  And anyway - who wants the title, "lord of mischief" anyway?  This is not exactly a title that brings great respect with it, except among those who glory in evil. 

The next verse expounds upon this even further.  We read that the devising of folly is sin.  There it is as plain as we can make it.  When you become known as the "lord of mischief" you are sinning.  When a person begins to "devise" folly - they are planning, purposing wickedness, lewdness and sin.  The Hebrew word used here almost never pertains to any kind of good intention.  It is reserved for the plotting of the wicked and the thoughts of foolish people.  This word also is used heavily when describing sexual sins like prostitution, adultery, rape, and incest.  This is NOT a good word at all - and when we are planning and purposing to do such things - we are walking in gross wickedness and sin.  That is why this word for planning and purposing here is stated as sin itself.  When we are devising foolish things like this - we are sinning.  There cannot be any clearer statement than this made to us and given as a warning to us. 

This is also why when someone begins walking in this way, they become a scoffer.  They scoff at God's Word with its warnings and its prohibitions of such lifestyles.  They hate it - and mock it because it points to their actions and says plainly that they are sinful and wicked.  In fact - this particular scoffer is so godless that God tells us that he is an "abomination to men."  This is sinking to the lowest of low points.  We have someone who has decided to plan and to map out their life for the purpose of evil, godless scheming, being the "lord of mischief," walking in folly, sinning, and scoffing at God's ways and morals.  This is not a path the wise want to take.  It is a warning to us to abandon even the smallest of sins - and to deeply abhor departing from the Lord.  We do so because we do not want to displease or dishonor the Lord in any way.
 
 
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!
 
 
Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not alight.   Proverbs 26:2

Curses . . . here's a Proverb that is vastly overused by those who would like to build an entire doctrine of curses.  This Proverb is not teaching some sort of voodoo where we can go around cursing others - neither does it allow for a doctrine where what we say can curse someone else and make what we say happen.  Granted words have power - but not to the point of exerting some kind of strange, dark magic over those to whom we speak.

This Proverb is stating something to the contrary.  It speaks of the curse that is without cause.  So the first thing to examine is a curse that is with cause.  What is that all about?

God speaks curses in Deuteronomy 28 for those who do not obey the commandments that He gives.  He also promises blessings for obedience.  The interesting thing though is that curses throughout the Biblical text refer primarily and almost exclusively to disobedience to God's Word.  It is foreign to the Bible to have the kind of curse that exists within black magic or Voodoo.  This is something we don't need to encourage - and yet some in churches jump at this whole area and want to make every word spoken against someone a curse with real spiritual power.  The only way a curse can have power over someone is if they let it by believing it and paving the way for the demonic world to oblige the poor sap and work double time to create situations in which the person can give the curse more power over them.  Believe me, I know how this works.  I'm a Cubs fan and the Chicago area baseball world has given power to a goat for over 50 years.  They've even brought in goats to try to break the curse.  But the problem is that they give the curse power by believing it year after year - when their problem is that they have a lousy baseball team.

The curse here is compared to a sparrow's flitting and a swallow's flying habits.  These two birds are notorious for not staying put anywhere for any length of time.  The Proverb is trying to teach us that just like these birds - so a curse without cause does not remain.  Here is a very simple rendering of this truth.  Curses remain because we continue to disobey God's commandments and live in rebellion to Him.  God, who is sovereign over all the universe, will see to it that we do not enter into a blessed state while walking in rebellion and disobedience.  So . . . if you do not rebel against His Word, but submit to Him and obey His commandments - then no curse will "alight" or remain. 

Remember, that this verse is stuck between two others commenting on the fool.  Therefore I think it is not going too far to say - only a fool would remain in his rebellion and experience the curse that God places on that kind of lifestyle.  As for the rest of the words that are spoken to us - about us - maybe even over us by those intending demonicly-instigated problems?  Well, those words are like flitting sparrows and flying swallows.  They fly overhead - but do not receive permission to land on us - unless the providence and sovereign hand of God allows.  Oh, and by the way, God's intent for His obedient people is blessing - not cursing!