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.

 A man who wanders from the way of understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead.  Proverbs 21:16

To wander from God's way of understanding is a very dangerous thing to do.  Here in today's proverb we see just how dangerous this can be.  According to Solomon the eventual end of the man who does this is a final resting place among those doubly dead.

The word "wander" is key to understanding this passage.  This is the Hebrew word "taah" which means not just to wander off - but to err and go astray.  The primary meaning is to err and to make a mistake.  This word is used most often of thos who err or who are being misled in a moral or religious sense.  It is the word used in Isaiah 53:6 when the prophet tells us, "All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him."  To wander is to go astray of God's moral path - and to incur iniquity in His eyes.  Therefore to wander is to go astray of God's path and God's will for us.  The wandering here is to err from the "way of understanding."  This phrase speaks of someone who no longer has discernment or any kind of spiritual insight.  And since the phrase begins with the word "way" - it refers to someone whose very way of life turns from any spiritual insight and discernement and chooses instead a way of life guided by self and selfish desires and longings. 

The picture we get now is not just someone wandering away from a single situation where advice is offered, but rather a situation where as a way of life he is turning from God's will and Word.  This is basically the condition of a lost person.  They reject the wisdom of God - the Word of God - and the way of God.  They instead choose the world, their flesh, and the lies of the devil - since that is what we have learned the Holy Spirit has been sent into the world to convict us of in life. 

What is important is the warning that is given to us in the second half of this proverb.  The one who lives this way - "will rest in the assembly of the dead."  For those who think this is a reference to spiritual death - or a lack of spiritual life and blessing here and now - the actual word for death here is, "departed spirits."  This is a warning to turn from rebellion and purposeful rejection of God's will and way.  The end of such a lifestyle is a life spent with those who are "doubly dead."  They have died in this life losing their physical life - but infinitely worse they are devoid of spiritual life when they die physically - so - the place of their eternal dwelling is hell.  That is why it is so important to reject the heart and mind that reject God's Word and way.  To continue in it is to continue toward an abyss where there is no return.  Far better to embrace God's way and Word now - to embrace repentance from our own fleshly mindset - to embrace a turn from ourselves to God - from our way to His.  That will keep us from a rest that will be anything but rest.  It will rescue us from a fate worse than death itself.

This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, "I have done no wrong." Proverbs 30:20

One of the worst aspects of sexual sin is the way that is blinds us to the truth.  Here we have a proverb dealing with the women who commits adultery.  Her way is to indulge her sin as one would sit down to a big meal - then wipe her mouth afterwards and boldly state that she has done nothing wrong.  She is completely blind and arrogantly unmoved by her actions and by the Word of God which proclaims them wicked.

We are living in the days of sin that looks just like this.  We have those who live openly in their sin - and argue that such a lifestyle choice is not sin.  God has proclaimed that adultery is sin - and that commandment from the time of Moses still stands this day without having been weakened in the slightest.  Some might protest that Jesus forgave the woman caught in the very act of adultery.  I would agree - but would add that after he gave her the most gracious forgiveness, He also stated to her that she should go her way and SIN NO MORE.  When He gave her grace - it was the grace of God that teaches us NOT TO SIN.  It was not grace that condoned sin.  And just in case some have forgotten the rest of the gospel - He eventually bore her sin to calvary's cross and paid the full measure of God's wrath for it. 

When a society begins to weaken its moral stances on adultery and sexual sin, it is preparing that society for horrible consequences.  When that lax morality reaches the point where adulterous women and men are allowed to embrace their wickedness while openly proclaiming that they've done nothing wrong - such a society is at the breaking point.  It cannot stand much longer because its very foundations are crumbling to the ground. 

Please pray for the United States - praying for revival in the church and awakening among the lost.  We've abandoned our moral underpinnings handed down to us from our forefathers.  We need for God to first revive His church so that we will once again hold fast to biblical morals - regardless of what is currently morally in style in our nation.  Unless this work of revival happens among us first, there will be no awakening among the lost.  We must put our moral house in order - dealing with our sexual sins.  Then we will have the moral authority to speak to our nation - to pray for our nation - and to witness the people of our nation return to the Lord and to the sanity of sexual morality.  May God have mercy on us - and revive and restore us in this most desperate of days.

A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious woman are alike; He who would restrain her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand. Proverbs 27:15-16

Here is a proverb concerning contentious women and the problems that come from them.  First we read that the contetious woman is compared to a constant dripping on a day of steady rain.  Thus we see that such a thing is a constant annoyance.  This is someone who will bother us greatly.  That drip, drip, drip that we hear will wear on us over time and drive us crazy.  Such is the contentious woman.  But understanding the word "contentious" is very important for us to grasp what Solomon is saying. 

The "contentious" woman is the woman who is involved with strife and dissension.  This is the Hebrew word, "madon" which refers to a quarrel or dispute that gets out of hand quickly.  Once started, it cannot be stopped.  These are the kind of disputes that create barriers between people.  According to Psalm 80:6 an evil heart is the source of these contentions and bitter arguments.  These things come from someone with a hot temper and are very difficult to contain.  Thus we see that the "contentious woman" is not someone who disagrees with us, but rather someone who vehemently disagrees and who takes that disagreement to the level of fighting and quarreling.  This fighting is not a normal disagreement, but becomes something that can separate people for long periods of time as bitterness and resentment seethe because of the fighting.  

Too often I have heard of this proverb used to disrespect a woman who respectfully disagrees with her husband.  The contentious woman is anything BUT respectful - she is fiesty and cantankerous.  She is itching for a fight - and when given the slightest reason to enter one - does so with both feet firmly set in the middle of it.  It is not sinful for a woman to disagree with someone - even her husband or a person in authority.  That is not what this proverb is about.  It is about a woman who is ready to fight, and quarrel, and do so disgustingly.  The next verse says that trying to restrain such a woman and her venom is like trying to restrain wind or grasp oil and hold it.  It is impossible to do so, because such things cannot be done.  Thus, when we come upon such a woman, we should avoid her and keep ourselves clear from her path.  She is a dangerous woman - whose actions will prove very destructive in the end.  Rather than trying to restrain and hold her back, we need to withdraw from her and avoid her at all costs.

What we should remember as we read this is that God places great value on a woman who has a quiet and gentle spirit.  This is what God desires - so when a woman goes the opposite direction, it is not only against what He wants, but it places an example before other women that is not only lacking, but it encourages them to behavior that is completely outside of what God desires in a Godly lady.  May the Lord give us grace to see such godly women raised up in our fellowships - women whose testimony only makes the gospel of Jesus Christ more attractive and beautiful - like He has made them.

He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die. Proverbs 19:16

God's commandments are excellent keepers of our souls.  God did not give us His commandments to make our lives miserable - or to keep us from ever having fun - as some would accuse.  His commandments are boundaries that protect us from entering into areas where we would be harmed.  He does not command us to honor and obey our parents because He desires for us to be miserable as children - not getting our own way and being dominated by an older generation forever.  He does this so that children, who do not have good sense and whose sin nature would run rampant, would be protected from themselves.  He does so because they must be guided and helped to know the right from the wrong in their lives.  The Lord tells us to steer clear from adultery because God knows the damage and the destruction and misery caused by unfaithful partners in marriage.  He knows that sexual immorality will lead to disease and to the destruction of our bodies.  Thus the one who keeps the commandment indeed keeps his own soul. 

God's commandments go even deeper than our physical beings.  The one who keeps the commandment keeps his soul.  The word for soul here is the Hebrew word "nephesh" which means our breath.  This speaks of our inner being with its thoughts and emotions.  This came to mean our whole person - both body and spirit.  It spoke of the whole creature of man - both his outer health and his inner.  When we keep the commandment - watching closely to obey and even kep the "spirit of the commandments," we are protected inside as well as out.  Our mental health will be blessed by holding fast to God's commands and living by His ways.  God blesses our thinking, our reasoning, our understanding, our discernment, our decision-making processes . . . He blesses so much when we learn to walk in obedience to His commands.  But again I want to stress we obey the command - and we come to grasp the heart and love that is behind them.

The second part of the Proverb today reminds us that the one who is "careless of his conduct" will die.  The word careless is "bazah" which means to hold in contempt or to despise.  The reason one acts this way is because they have a basic disdain for something.  They disrespect the idea of a code of conduct.  They despise the idea that God would tell them how to live.  Here is the sin nature exposed in all its ugliness.  Mankind rebels against any master - and that is especially true of God as our Lord.  Fallen man trumpets his own freedom of will to do as he pleases - yet is so blind not to see that his will is in bondage to his own sinful desires and the spirit of this world.  He is careless of God's commands - and of his own ways.  He walks where he wants - being led about by his own lusts and by the "ruler of this world" who has rebelled against God as well.  He does not grasp that this rebellion - this contempt of God - this disrespect for His Word is a hellish thing. 

The one who lays hold of such a lifestyle will perish.  He will die in two ways.  First he will die physically - the wages of sin is death.  When God told Adam and Eve that in the day that they ate of the fruit they would surely die - He was not lying to them.  This was no mere ploy of God to keep them away from something good.  It was a loving warning that death lay in that decision to turn against Him and rebel.  But there is a death that comes spiritually as well.  The first pair knew sweet fellowship with God.  They could actually walk with the Lord in the cool of the day in the garden.  They could talk with Him, love Him, fellowship with Him in ways that we will only know in eternity.  All that was gone after they despised their conduct - or at least the one commandment given to them.  They died spiritually and passed down to all future generations a dead spirit at birth.  They were dead in their transgressions and sins - and so was every child descended from them.  In the first Adam we all died. 

Oh such a warning is given to us by this proverb.  How we should watch our ways - and watch God's commandments as our way.  The one who does so watches not just over his physical existance in this world.  He watches over the life that God gives him - both physically, but so much more importantly - spiritually.  Watch dear saints - watch your life and keep it according to God's Word.  See the positive call to life in every one of God's commandments.  For though they are given with a thou shalt not - there is within every one of them a call to life and life abundantly.  They is within them a freedom to walk in fellowship with God.  Enjoy it and walk in it!

There is a kind of man who curses his father And does not bless his mother. There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes, Yet is not washed from his filthiness. There is a kind—oh how lofty are his eyes! And his eyelids are raised in arrogance. There is a kind of man whose teeth are like swords And his jaw teeth like knives, To devour the afflicted from the earth And the needy from among men. Proverbs 30:11-14

Today's proverb is a four verse description of the hateful, wicked man.  The way this passage refers to this is with the phrase, "There is a kind."  The word "kind" is actually the Hebrew word for generation.  When you have a generation of people who are like this - you have a very difficult time coming upon the earth.  It is an interesting list of things that make for a wicked generation.

Verse 11 describes the first godless characteristic - which is having graceless, ungrateful children who dishonor their parents.  This generation curses their fathers and does not bless their mothers.  They disobey the one commandment with a promise - Honor your father and mother.  The bedrock of any generation is their ability to learn from their parents.  When the family goes awry there will be a basic disfunction and rebellion that will pervade the entire structure of the society.  The basic unit for passing on wisdom is the family.  Proverbs makes it clear again and again in the first 9 chapters of this book that it is through a father and mother that wisdom flows to the next generation.  So, when they have basic disdain for their parents that wisdom is lost to an entire generation.  We watched this in the late 1950's and 60's as almost an entire generation cast off the morals and the wisdom of their parents and decided to start their own revolution.  They decided that their's would be a generation of love and peace.  They tuned out on drugs, turned their ears from hearing and honoring their parents, and did whatever they wanted.  It was a disastrous generation - and those who embraced this kind of lifestyle and living continue to wreak havoc on society today. 

The second godless characteristic of this generation is that they are pure in their own eyes.  The Bible considered this particular sin one that is very damaging.  Those who consider themselves pure in their own eyes are blind to the truth that they are fallen and sinful.  They will justify themselves no matter who disgusting and disobedient their behavior becomes.  It is as if they are deaf to anything God says - and decide that whatever their flesh wants is true and good.  Those who fall into this trap will find themselves hopelessly bound in their sin and wickedness - and will only be delivered by the sovereign goodness of God as He draws them and illumines them to truth that is outside of themselves.  The Word tells us that even though they are pure in their own eyes, they are still unwashed from their filthiness.  Just because we decide we are going to redefine sin in our own minds does not mean that we are not guilty of it in God's sight.  No matter how many times the world tries to redefine sin, God's Word stands as ultimate and absolute truth.  When the wicked disobey God's Word - and decide that their own thinking is what defines pure - they still wind up standing before God as sinners.  But the world in which they live is upside down - and as such it is a difficult place for believers and those who desire to lead holy lives to live. 

The third evil characteristic is that they are arrogant.  This is described as having "lofty" eyes.  This simply means that they look down upon everyone else.  They consider themselves awesome and wonderful, while everyone else is lower than them.  This makes them arrogant.  Arrogance is defined in the Bible as primarily a sin agaisnt God.  Psalm 119:21 speaks of the arrogant as those who wander from God's commandments.  They ignore and look down upon God Himself - and therefore think far higher of themselves and what they want to do than they do of the commandments of God.  Proverbs says this makes them embrace sin and be careless (Prov 14:16) as well as those who stir up strife (Prov 28:25).  An arrogant heart ultimately disregards God.  Such a generation will exalt their own thinking and reasoning above God's.  If anyone tries to instruct them or correct them - up will go their eyes and eyelids as they look down on the poor fool who has decided to oppose their perfect wisdom.  Problem is the fool is the one whose eyelids are lifted in arrogance against God and against those who walk in His wisdom.

Disregard for parents, purity in our own eyes, and arrogance will lead to a society where gentility is gone.  The last of these four evil characteristics is that this generation is one where their mouths are out of control.  Their teeth are like swords - their jaw teeth are like knives - to devour the needy and afflicted among men.  They have no regard for the poor and needy.  They only see them as someone to exploit for their own ends.  There is a complete lack of civility because there was never other characteristics built into their lives to encourage it.  They do not regard parents - who would have taught them obedience and selflessness.  They do not see anything as sin - because they justify their own actions - and would even justify treating the afflicted and needy badly.  Finally, they are arrogant - and view all others as beneath themselves.  This makes it far easier to have little or no conscience at all as long as they get what they want in the end. 

There is a generation that lives this way.  Before you think I am going to refer to a specific generation - think about what the Bible says about the heart condition of mankind.  This is actually what happens in every generation of men.  It happens because of the fall of man into sin.  It happens because we are in rebellion against God - and want to do our own thing.  The generation of which Solomon speaks is any generation from the fall to the end of the age.  Unless God intervenes with the gospel and the saving of mankind by His grace - we would all eventually gravitate in these four directions.  These verses teach us wisdom by helping us to understand where the sinful nature and the flesh will take us.  If anything these verses should make us very open to running to God for his grace and His transformation.  Because if we don't - this is most likely what life will look like.  A world filled with a disregard for parents, filth being called purity, arrogance, and a society filled with harmful and vicious words.  This is a generation to be avoided at all costs.  But the only way out is through the gospel of Jesus Christ - and the regeneration in Him that changes us from the inside out. 

The eye that mocks a father And scorns a mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it. Proverbs 30:17

This proverb is one of those that seems a little harsh when you first read it - especially if you've ever been disrespectful to your parents.  Your average kid might say, "You mean to say that if I scorn my parents, I'm doomed to have scavenger birds peck my eye out and eat it?"  Since we know that not every rebellious child and teenager has had his eyes destroyed by a flock of ravens and eagles - we know that this passage has more to teach us than just a scary warning that probably would not work on kids anyway.  But just what is this proverb trying to show us?

The key comes in understanding why a bird - especially a scavenger would have any interest in an animal's eyes.  You see both of the birds mentioned in this passage are scavengers.  That means that they both eat dead things.  But one practice that ravens have as they approach carrion is that they need to be sure it is dead.  That can mean the difference in having a meal and being one to the raven.  Therefore when a raven suspects an animal to be dead - he goes straight for the eye.  The raven lands near the animal and sees if the animal makes any movements.  Then when the raven detects that things are clear for the most part - he subjects the animal to the ultimate test as to whether it is alive or dead.  He pecks at the animal's eye.  If an animal does not move to protect the eye, it is dead.  As the raven picks out the eye of the animal - it assures him that the animal is dead.  Often early in the meal that follows, a larger predator - which is where the young eagle comes in - will arrive and take over the meal from the raven, who wisely knows when he is outmatched. 

Now, let's take what we've learned from nature - and apply it to what is said in this passage.  When a young person feels his oats enough to begin mocking his own father and mother it is a very dangerous sign.  The reference to the raven and the young eagle is not a direct threat - but rather a reminder.  He is spiritually dead.  This is not so much a threat of future aviary retribution - but of the spiritual reality of where this young man or woman is.  God promises us that the one who honors his mother and father will live long on the earth.  Great blessing is in store for the child who learns about respect, honor, and submission in subjection to his parents.  These are vital lessons to learn if he or she is going to be successful in life - and after life is over.  These come through properly relating to one's parents.  If we don't learn them in the home - we will face learning them out in the world where the cost to learn them is far higher than it is with mom and dad. 

One last thing that we need to note here is that we are not talking about open rebellion here - but the "eye" that mocks father and mother.  This is as much a look as it is an action.  I remember my mother telling me not to look at her in that tone of voice.  It was a little bit of a joke - but not really.  She knew, and so did my father, when my eyes were revealing what was really going on in my heart.  The eyes are the window to the soul - and reveal much of what is truly going on in our hearts.  Thus we need to be careful to not only watch our words concerning our parents, but also the way our eyes function as well.  Quite often we might be obeying in our outward members - but our eyes reveal another story altogether.  Remember then, that when the scavengers come looking for the dead - they come looking for those who are dead in their eyes.  When a wise man seeks to determine whether someone is spiritually alive or dead - he can learn much in how a person treats their parents.