He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life, And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.  Proverbs 11:19

Here we find life gained and life lost.  Both life gained and lost have to do with what we pursue and steadfastly desire in our walk on earth.  It is no shock to us to learn that those who are steadfast in their desire and pursuit of righteousness are those who receive life. The word "steadfast" here means to set something up so that it will be firm and established.  Here it refers to how someone views righteousness - and pursues it in their lives.  Are you building a life whose foundation is laid in God's view of righteousness - or more simply put, in what God says is right?  That is the life Christ referred to in Matthew 7 when He spoke about foundations.  The one who hears the Word of God and heeds it - he is the man who has built his foundation on a rock.  When the winds and storms of life come upon that man, as they surely will, his house will stand.  That is why the steadfast in righteousness will attain to life. 

The life lost is the one that is actively pursuing evil.  Consider King Ahab in the Old Testament, along with his wicked wife, Jezebel.  They pursued evil together.  They were the poster couple of pursuing wickedness and sin.  They excelled in it - and ran after it with an ever-growing lust for more.  They worshipped false gods, stole, killed, and plotted their way to the top.  When at the top they continued in their ways of evil - and heartily encouraged all of Israel to follow their foolish example.  It is no wonder then that they both brought about their own death. 

Ahab foolishly ignored the prophetic statements of Miciah, who warned him that God had allowed a deceiving spirit to move among Ahab's false prophets - so that he could be lured to his death in battle.  Ahab's response was to imprison the prophet - and have him fed with barely enough bread and water to survive until he returned from battle.  Miciah's fateful last words to him were, "If you return, the Lord has not spoken through me."  In another desperate but foolish move, Ahab then disguised himself and did not wear his royal robes into battle.  Thinking he had cheated death and God - he went into battle feeling safe.  We read in Kings that a random archer shot an arrow into the air - and God guided that arrow so that it hit a joint in Ahab's armor.  Badly wounded, he retreated to watch the battle from a distance until he died in his chariot.

Jezebel, having learned of a plot to destroy her family and their legacy in Israel, painted herself and called to her executioner from a tower.  Thinking herself safe there - her executioner called for the men in the tower to throw her down.  They did so and Jehu crushed her beneath his horses and chariot wheels.  These two who pursued evil so passionately both brought about their own death because of their rebellion against God. 

In Deuteronomy God reminded Israel that He put before them life and death.  There was a choice for them.  If they pursued evil and rebellion against God - they needed to know that their sin would find them out.  They would be pursued by the very One against whom they rebelled.  They would learn that He was not impotent as they thought.  They would learn that the One they defied is God - and that He will prevail.  They will also bring about their own death with the evil they think frees them from His authority.  But life is also available to us.  It is received by pursuing righteousness steadfastly.  What is amazing to those who receive that righteousness is that to pursue it, one must pursue by faith.  The just (righteous) man lives by faith.  Their steadfastness is gained by rejecting their own works - and turning to God who Himself will declare them righteous as a gift.  They will learn that the only way of being steadfastly righteous, is to steadfastly cling to God's gift of righteousness which comes only through His Son, Jesus Christ.  That, dear ones, is the only way we can be steadfast in righteousness - and thereby know life.

The merciful man does himself good, But the cruel man does himself harm. Proverbs 11:17

There is a way to live that will guarantee that we will be greeted with good from others.  There is also a way of living and interacting with others that may give us an advantage in the short term, but in the long term will do us tremendous harm.  The difference between these two lifestyles is found in how they treat others - especially when someone has done something wrong to them.

Our proverb begins by introducing us to someone called "the merciful man."  This is the man who is gracious to others when they wrong him.  He is called the "merciful man" because he delights in showing mercy to others.  Mercy is best described this way.  Not getting what we deserve.  That may not sound all that great until you realize that the context for mercy is when you do something wrong, or act in a way that merits punishment.  The man who shows mercy to others is willing to endure beging wronged.  He does not always demand "fair" treatment when it comes to himself.  He does not demand his pound of flesh whenever he is wronged.  By doing this the Bible says that he does himself good.  The literal Hebew here reads, "he does good to his own soul." 

There are actually two benefits to being a "mercy-man."  The first benefit is that others who receive mercy from you are far more likely to show you mercy as well.  Jesus, in the Beattitudes, said this same thing.  "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."  When we show mercy, others are more apt to show us mercy as well.  The second benefit is one we receive inwardly.  The passage says that we do our souls' good.  When we react with anger to every supposed slight and wrong, our spirit and our emotions are in a constant turmoil.  That is not healthy for us - because stress levels will be elevated all the time.  But when we learn to show mercy (and not take ourselves so seriously in the process) it will do wonders for our stress level.

The end of today's proverb deals with the problems that the "cruel man" brings upon himself.  We read that the cruel man does himself harm.  The Hebrew word for "cruel" here means someone who is fierce and who lacks any kind of sensitivity, compassion, or mercy towards others.  Since we have an example from our news, I will use it to illustrate this.  Ghadaffi was the leader of the nation of Libya.  He was a living example of a "cruel man."  He ruled with an iron fist over his people.  He was not known for his wonderful acts of mercy, but rather for his horrible acts of cruelty.  The day came when he no longer had an army to protect him.  The media informed us of his last moments on this earth.  He hid in a drainage pipe, hoping to escape those who were hunting him down.  When they found him they treated him just as he had treated others.  I won't go into detail as to what was done to him, but it was a horrible end.  His cruelty was the example that was set for the people of his country.  No wonder when he was caught he was subjected to the same lack of compassion and kindness he was known to use upon others. 

The way we respond to others will prepare the way for our own treatment in life.  That is why the man who chooses to show mercy will have good come upon him for his choice.  The cruel man has a much different end.  Having chosen a lack of compassion throughout his lifetime of interaction with others, he has nothing except the overflow of his own cruelty awaiting him in this life - and the full measure of God's wrath in the next.

A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of evil devices is hated.  Proverbs 14:17

One of the most often repeated mistakes in life is reacting in anger quickly and because we do, making very foolish choices.  That is what today's proverb warns against.  We are told that a quick-tempered man acts foolishly.  This quick-temper means to have a temper that is hasty in what it says and does.  It is a man filled with impatience and has what a Hebrew would refer to as a "short spirit."  The idea behind this concept is a man who is not truly in control of his spirit.  When something happens that irritates him - he reacts quickly.  He is weak in his moral disposition - and therefore will be prone to outbursts of anger and temper. 

The real problem this poses is that the man who is so "quick-tempered" is unable to make wise decisions.  Wise decisions are made because we can step back from things and see them from God's perspective.  The quick-tempered man cannot do this.  He reacts quickly to problems and irritations in life.  The quick knee-jerk reactions he makes gets him into a world of hurt.  A fool does not think through what he is about to say or do.  A wise man considers his words and steps and often resists saying or doing things that wisdom counsels against doing and saying. 

The second half of this proverb says that a man of evil devices is hated.  The words "evil devices" is the Hebrew word, "mezimmah" which means a plan or thought.  This term is used to describes the evil plans, schemes, and plots of humanity that are contrary to the will and Word of God.  How is this related to the first half of this proverb?  The plans and schemes that arise out of anger and rage are more than you can ever imagine.  So often a person who has committed a murder or some other heinous crime did so because he or she was acting in anger.  Someone has deeply offended them - or hurt them deeply - and instead of acting with wisdom and tempering their reaction - they want to act.  Some grab a gun and shoot someone, killing them in the heat of their passionate outrage.  Others blow their stack and then simmer in their anger until it moves them to hatch a horrible plot that they will wind up regretting for the rest of their lives.  Just as the proverb says, the one who acts on this evil plot or scheme is hated.  It does not matter what originally motivated them to these actions, others hate the outcome of their hatred, anger, and evil devices. 

We are reminded in this proverb that patience IS a virtue!  We are to be slow to anger - and rich in mercy - just like our God and Father.  These things will keep us from reacting in our anger and doing something truly foolish.

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his life. Proverbs 16:17

I live in a city where there are two ways to get around.  The first is to get around the city by trying to navigate the maze of city streets that are in it.  When you do this you also have the problem of constantly running into traffic lights and stop signs.  What is far superior to this way of getting around town is what we call the bypass.  It is a highway that goes around the city and provides a very quick way of covering large distances without having the problems of the normal city streets.  The upright also have a highway that blesses them and makes sure that they have a clear path in walking with God.  That is what today's proverb addresses and helps us to see. 

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil.  The best way to walk in God's will is to depart from evil.  This is a pretty simple thing to understand.  When we see evil - we go the other way.  The difficulty in our society is determining what is and what is not evil.  Our society would call good evil and evil good.  They do not value God's Word and God's ways.  They also in most cases even believe in truth - except as the individual views it.  Therefore a lifestyle where we go to the Word of God to learn what truth is - is not the common thing.  Most folks call what Christians call righteousness - judging - and intolerance.  God calls it knowing the difference between good and evil. 

God calls us to depart from evil.  Because I don't want to have anyone misunderstand what God says here - I will fully define the word "depart."  It is the Hebrew word, "sur" and it means to turn away, to go away, to desert, quit, keep far away.  It is also translated to stop, to take away, to remove, and to turn aside from something.  So when we realize what this word means - it is very easy to see that when God calls something evil - our response to it is to stay away from it - and if we are already doing it - to depart and go away from it - keeping as far away as possible. 

The second thing we are told here is that the one who "watches his way preserves his life."  Watching our lives means being very careful and cautious.  Times when I have sinned against God are usually times when I have become careless about watching an area of my life.  Sin is insidious in how it will seek to gain a foothold - and we must watch if we are going to avoid it and walk godly.  The one who does watch is not being ultra-victorian as some would chide - rather he is doing what is necessary to preserve his life.  This can be viewed two ways - first that he is preserving his life itself - because sin will bring death in many circumstances.  Second, though is preserving the life of God that is given to us as we live by the Spirit of God who is in us.  Either way - the man who watches what he says and does is wise to do it. 

There is a highway that is before us every day - it is marked as well as the highways upon which we drive our cars.  This highway is clearly marked out for us in the Word of God.  It is revealed to us as the highway of the upright - but also as the way of righteousness and the way of the Lord.  The wise man is the one who daily consults with the map (the Word) and who chooses to follow it.

A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless. Proverbs 14:16

Why is it wise to be cautious in our choices and decisions in life?  It is because we live in a world that has fallen.  I know that those of you who read this regularly in these posts may think that I emphasize this too often, but I fear that we do not fully grasp at times what mankind's rebellion against God has wrought in this world. 

Today's proverb tells us that a wise man fears.  That is the literal translation of the word "cautious" here.  It refers to the fact that the wise man fears God.  He fears God becasue he reads of God's Word - God's glory, power, majesty, and holiness - and he fears displeasing and dishonoring Him.  Wisdom tells us to fear God's displeasure.  Wisdom also tells us that there is a way that is evil. 

Here is where we run into some very serious worldview problems with the world and its philosophies.  The majority of worldviews do not take into account the fall of man into sin and the subsequent ruin of this world.  They consider man's basic nature as good.  As a result you will hear people tell others to, "Just trust what is in your heart."  That is not wise or good advice.  What is in our hearts is rebellion toward God and a bent toward sin.  We will choose with an astounding regularity contrary to God's ways.  This is because there is within us a bent toward selfishness - and a bent away from God.  The wise man knows this - and as a result is cautious - and does fear making decisions and choices that run contrary to God's Word.  This is the place he turns for wisdom - to the Word - because it gives us an objective revelation of Who God is and what He has said.  Thus he takes time in making those decisions to check for God's will and favor in things.

The fool though is said to be arrogant and careless.  He is arrogant because he thinks he does not need anything to make wise decisions.  He doesn't need anyone to tell him what to do - especially a "God" Who knows all things.  He considers the Bible to be an ancient document that has no bearing on his life or his decisions.  His arrogance is manifest by how he views himself - as just fine and having NO need of refinement - let alone a fundamental change in who he is or how he makes decisons.  Therefore he is careless - he does not care about God, about God's Word, about God's will.  He will make his own way.  His favorite verse is an interesting rendition of Proverbs 3:4-5.  It goes something like this, "Trust in yourself, and lean heavily on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge yourself and what you want.  Forge your own path - make it what you want." 

These two paths definitely diverge from one another.  One heads toward God and sees God's Word as a road map and a guide for decisions - for life itself.  The other sees nothing but self and a pursuit of what the world says is valuable.  Even in instances where the world is not used as the standard - this one turns to his own desires and his own ways.  Correspondingly, one path leads to destruction and misery - the other to life and life abundantly.  

A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13

The state of our hearts is vitally important to the way that we live - and whether we will live in joy or sadness.  Also, as we will learn from this passage, the state of our countenance is also something about which we should be concerned.  To say that we are Christians and know God's joy, yet for this joy never to reach our face (i.e. our countenance) is a bad testimony to those around us - and especially to the lost.  This proverb holds a great deal of wisdom for us if we will open it and learn from it. 

First, we have the joyful heart.  This heart is the one filled with joy and as a result is exceedingly glad.  This gladness does not come from mere human prosperity - but truly comes from and is maintained by the blessings of the Lord.  In the New Testament this joy comes from knowing Christ Jesus and the salvation that He brings to us.  It comes from knowing that God loves us and that we are saved from the wrath of God through Him.  This is a joy that floods our hearts no matter what our outward circumstances.  It is a joy, as Peter expresses it, that causes us to greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.  The foundation of this joy - obtaining the outcome of our faith - which is the salvation of our souls (1 Peter 1:8-9).  This joyful heart communicates with our countenance - and brings us to have a cheerful face.  No matter our circumstances we can stop and remember that our sins are washed away - that we are made righteous in Christ - and that as a result - we are saved.  That can bring a cheerful expression to any face. 

I find it disturbing that some are what I would call, "lemon-sucking Christians."  They seldom have a joyful or cheerful expression on their face.  They always seem sour about something.  It is almost that they are unwilling to be happy and joyful.  This is a horrible witness to Christ and to the salvation that He brings.  Sure there are things about which I am concerned - even heartbroken.  But, in spite of everything that happens and can happen - the one constant is my salvation - that I will not face the wrath of God and I will enjoy fellowship with God here and now - and forever in heaven. 

Then there is the sad heart.  The word used for "sad" here is "assebet" which clearly refers to emotional suffering - and not usually to pain or injury.  This is a sadness of heart.  It is truly fascinating to look at what brings on "assebet" in someone Scripturally.  This kind of sadness or grief is caused by idolatry (Psalm 16:4),  by a fear of spiritual discipline over our sin (Job 9:28), or by those who "wink the eye" in evil plots (Prov. 10:10).  Some might refer to this to speak of someone with a broken heart over sin or over the loss of a loved one - but that is not the way that "assebet" is used Scripturally.  This is a sadness brought on by disobedience, sinfulness, and a walk contrary to the ways of God.  This kind of sadness causes our spirits to be broken.  The word "broken" here means that we are stricken, smited, or scourged.  We have a bad situation in our lives due to sin - and our spirits are broken due to the consequences of our sin. 

When you look at this proverb and the meanings of the words used in it, you see that wisdom therefore is to walk with God.  When we do joy will come to us - and our countenance, our face will reflect it.  But to walk in disobedience and rebellion is to invite a brokenness and sadness into our lives which will fill our hearts with emotional suffering.  How many in our world walk in this kind of suffering every day.  But, dear saints of God, we can alleviate this suffering by sharing the gospel with them and encouraging them to come to Christ - Who can deliver them from their sin and flood their hearts with His own joy.  This Proverb truly helps us to see the difference between the lost and the saved - between those who embrace obedience to God versus those who mock such a lifestyle.  The difference is the Source of their joy.  The difference between a sad countenance - and a cheerful one - is the gospel and the joy of knowing that we are saved.

To keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the adulteress. Proverbs 6:24

Why do we need additional light by which to see in life?  Why is it that we need to be reproved and disciplined so that we choose life?  The answer to these questions and to the reason the Bible spends so much time warning us about sin, is found in the worldview of the Bible when it comes to the basic nature of man.  The Bible teaches that man is fallen and sinful.  Our basic nature is to turn from God and His ways.  If left to ourselves, we will NOT choose life.  If left to ourselves, we will by the very evil in our nature, go in a direction that is contrary to God's way.  That is why we need the light of God's Word to light our way.  That is why we need reproofs and corrections to move us into the path of God's commandments.

Here, after making that clear, the writer of Proverbs then reminds us that one of the ways that we will choose to our detriment, is the way of the evil woman.  The word evil here is the Hebrew "ra" which means an active, pernicious evil.  This is an evil that cannot rest unless it is acting out evil - and encouraging others to do the same.  The woman who is abandoning her vows to her husband - and encouraging other men to do the same - is an evil woman.  But unless you are wise, you will not detect her as such.  The father who is speaking here warns his son to turn to wisdom and the commandments and reproofs of God, so that he will not be led astray by the smooth tongue of this adulteress.  Her smooth tongue is her weapon of choice.  She uses it to flatter a man and use his natural tendency toward pride and a bloated ego as a trap.  That is why we are warned against her smooth, flattering tongue.  And it is also why we need God's commandments to direct us where our egos and our sinful nature will not.  Finally, it is why we also need the Word of God to rebuke and reprove us when we begin to make unwise decisions concerning sexuality and the kind of company we keep with the opposite sex.

The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.   Proverbs 21:10

Have you ever considered the thoughts and desires of a very wicked man - who seems to truly consider nothing other than himself.  I realize that theologically we all are wicked and we all are consumed by our own selfishness.  Yet God in His mercy has blessed us with societal restraints and parental restraints - and even conscience-driven restraints that keep us from fully manifesting our wickedness.  But there are those who whether by searing their conscience as with a hot iron - or by giving themselves to every wicked impulse of their hearts - have unlocked the depths of wickedness in their hearts like no one else.  They may be the mass murderers or the wicked rulers of a nation - or just someone who seems to not have an ounce of mercy in their being.  Whatever it is - it is truly terrifying to think what it is that brings someone to that level of having their wicked desires rule their thinking and their heart.

The wicked man has a soul that desires evil.  That means he desires it at the level of his mind in his thinking, at the level of his will in how he chooses to live his life, and in his emotions in that he truly delights in evil and in what is contrary to God's Word.  It should be no shock to us then to see that his neighbor finds no favor whatsoever in his eyes.  He has no proclivity to show grace and favor to anyone except himself.  Ultimately his desire is for himself and what he wants.  If it looks like he is showing favor - it is only because that is what will get him what he wants in the end. 

Wisdom realizes that we need to shun evil - and have nothing to do with it.  The reason that this is so is because evil will never be neutral in our lives.  If we give in to it, evil will seek to expand its influence in our hearts and minds - and ultimately will work its ways in our wills.  You cannot choose to do evil and have evil be sequestered to only that area of your life.  Evil will expand - evil will grow - and left undealt with - it will eventually dominate our lives.  This proverb should be sufficient to remind us that this is true.  That the wicked man's appetite for evil will end with there being no favor for anyone or anything except that which will support the expansion of evil in his doings.  Steer clear of evil - reject it - hate it - that is the course of the wise.

A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty. Proverbs 27:12

What do you do when you see evil or sin coming toward you?  Your answer might be that you don't often have evil coming in your direction.  But the fact is that temptations come in two basic types.  There are temptations that we will most likely not be able to avoid in life.  They are going to happen so quickly that we do not have time to flee from them in advance.  But there is a second type of temptation that is mentioned in this proverb.  It is the temptation that we see coming - or the one that we just do not avoid or hide from in life.  We just walk right into it.  Those kind of temptations are the ones that we will most likely fall into - and pay the penalty in the process.

The prudent men sees evil - and hides himself from it.  He sees that there is a situation where temptation and testing is coming - and he makes choices to avoid it altogether.  The alcoholic knows when he is being invited to a party or to a restaurant where liquor is being offered to him.  He knows this and avoids the situation.  The man struggling with sexual temptation is smart enough to hide himself from the R or PG13 rated movies - and avoids situations when he will be exposed to sights that will only cause him greater temptation.  There are numerous temptations that we can avoid by simply being wise enough to hide from them.  Rather than proceed into situations that pose us with choices that we would rather not make, we stay away from them. 

The proverb warns us what will happen when we do not make these kind of "choices-in-advance-for-righteousness."  We read that the naive proceed and pay the penalty.  I love the word for naive here.  It is the Hebrew word "pethi" and it means to be simple or open-minded.  The idea here is one who is so open-minded that they are naive about the evil that is in the world around them.  They are simple in that they do not see the consequences of actions they are about to take.  Contrary to this is the one who is spiritually mature.  Hebrews 5;14 tells us about this person when it says, "But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."  Here is the wise man.  His senses are trained due to exposure to the Word of God.  The passage tells us that this man is feeding on the meat of God's Word, not just the milk.  As a result, he has his senses trained from reading the "word of righteousness."  Thus he knows what is right and wrong.  That is why he can discern good and evil.  He does so through God's Word, the Bible.  And as he does - he makes sure that he avoids situations where evil is present. 

Jesus taught us to pray, "Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil."  That phrase has within it this same passage.  There are times when we will have to face evil - when we will have to face temptation.  But our heart is not to be led into it.  When we have to face temptation we long for God to deliver us from evil.  But in some cases, God desires for us to learn enough wisdom to avoid tempting situations altogether.  That is where we learn to see the evil and hide ourselves - rather the walk into it thinking we can handle it - and find out we cannnot.