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.

Like a roaring lion and a rushing bear Is a wicked ruler over a poor people. Proverbs 28:15

Oppression of the poor by a wicked ruler - that sounds like a modern day headline in one of our newpapers - or in a report that we would read online.  Unfortunately oppression has been going on every since the fall of man - and the beginning of politics.  When the sinfulness of man combined with the treachery of politics - it was not going to be long before men learned how to oppress the poor and helpless for their own benefit.

We read in today's proverb that a wicked ruler over a poor people is like a roaring lion or a rushing bear.  A roaring lion scares the other animals in the forest.  The lion roars to establish his territory and his authority.  Thus when a wicked ruler acts like a roaring lion - he is establishing that he has the power and authority over the poor ones he is oppressing.  We've seen it again and again in history.  The powerful oppress and dominate the poor - even resorting to attacking them with the army to establish their power.  They will use the secret police to kidnap them and torture them to silence anyone's opposition and threat to their power.  It is a sad thing to see - but unfortunately it will continue until the day that Jesus Christ comes to establish a  kingdom based upon justice and righteousness. 

Those who dare to stand against such a wicked ruler will find themselves quickly attacked and often silenced for good.  They may be thrown into prison - or summarily executed for their boldness to oppose the ruler - or threaten their absolute stranglehold on power.  However it is done, the poor quickly learn to hide any desire for freedom and justice, because these things can cost them their lives.  This is why it is so vital for those who have the freedom to choose their leaders, to choose wise and godly ones.  To do otherwise will cost us far more than just a wrongly cast vote - it could cost us our freedoms - and in some severe cases - even our lives.

And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. Proverbs 23:34

Drunken fools are unstable.  This could have multiple meanings, but in this verse in Proverbs it actually only means that they are physically unstable.  The drunker the fool gets, the more he is unable to control himself.  He will eventually stumble around and fall down a lot.  This is because of how alcohol affects both his brain and his muscles.  Both are adversely affected and are hindered from functioning normally.  In dealing with the previous verse we saw how both sight and muscles are weakened and disfunctional when the blood alcohol level of a person rises.  The lack of sight - and the inability of the brain to handle the direction and regulation of our muscles is what causes this instability.

The actions of the drunken fool are compared to those who lie down in the middle of the sea.  This first phrase refers to one who has sunken down into the sea.  Similar words were used of Jonah and his fall into the depths of the waters in Jonah 2:4 - thus this is a picture of a person who is either drowning or in danger of drowning.  He is lying in the midst of the sea - which is literally the heart of the sea.  In his intellectual confusion he slowly passes into a state of unconsciousness - where he is no longer in control of his life.  The drunken fool drinks until he is fighting a battle with being conscious.  Even if he is conscious physically, often the drunk cannot remember what he did the night before.  Some fools who have lived like this even find that they have injured someone, impregnated or have been impregnated by someone they don't even know, or in severe cases have even killed someone.  Truly just as the man sinking in the heart of the sea is no longer in control of himself - so the drunken fool has lost control and places himself in grave danger. 

The second statement here is that he is like someone who lies down on the top of a mast.  This place mentioned here is the crow's nest or lookout mast on a ship.  These are not made for anything except standing.  When a man is standing in one he can hold on and can determine direction and warning for a ship.  For a man to be lying down in such a place is foolish on several counts.  First of all, doing this means that he is most likely lying down on top of the nest itself - with no way to hold himself stable.  Since the motion of the ship on the sea is greatly exaggerated here, he is more likely to be thrown from the nest into the sea or to his great injury or death on the ship below.  The drunken fool is similarly in danger because drunkenness greatly impairs his ability to protect himself and guide himself safely wherever he is.  He too is in danger of injury or death in his drunken state.  The second way this is foolish has to do with being watchful.  If you are lying down on top of the mast you are not watching.  The ship could run aground and face terrible problems when its lookout is asleep or lying down on the job.  If enemies approach he is supposed to be the first line of warning.  But since he is lying down on the job - he is subjecting the ship to a condition of having no lookout at all.  The drunken fool is similarly abandoning watch over his life, his family, his friends, and most especially his testimony.  He is a man adrift with no one at the helm - wandering through life with no direction as well as no protection.  Some who choose to live this way, ruin their lives in the course of one night. 

The wise man does not impair himself willingly.  He keeps his wits about him and keeps watch over his life and testimony.  He knows that drunkenness will severely blind him to everything around him and also will leave him without any discernment or prudence in his decision making ability.  Therefore he avoids drunkenness like one would avoid the plague.  He knows that rather than being drunk he is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  That way he has a teacher and a guide who can keep him safe.  He knows that under the influence of This Spirit he will not have to wake up in the morning wondering what happened and whether he will need to be ashamed of the previous night's activities.

To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things; From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil; Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways; Proverbs 2:12-15 

Why is wisdom needed?  Well for many in the modern mindset, maybe it isn't.  They contend that the basic nature of man is good.  Yet the very reason for wisdom is the fact that evil exists.  But we are not being told about evil in theory - we are being told here that evil men exist.  The battle with evil in theory is one only in our minds - but a battle with evil that actually involves evil men - that is another story altogether.  

The first thing we learn is that there is a "way of evil" that exists in our world.  We are facing those who have developed lifestyles that embrace evil.  The facts are in - and those facts clearly deliniate for us that man is fallen.  The facts also indicate that being fallen, man has developed a whole way of life that is contrary to the will of God.  If we are not careful and wise - we will find ourselves following that path - that way of evil.  According to Solomon, we need to be delivered from the way of evil.  Maybe this is why we hear John telling us, "Do not love the world or the things of the world, if anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him."  

The way we are drawn into this way of evil is by men who speak perverse things.  This perverse speech involves saying things that distort and deviate from what God has said and what God wants.  It is deceptive, corrupt speaking that either denies the Word or twists it until it suits our fallen appetites.  That's why we need wisdom and discretion - the ability to distinguish between things godly and ungodly.  We need to know when an "evil man" is trying to decieve us and lead us astray.

The evil man leave the paths of uprightness to walk in their darkness.  Here it is again - the fact that there is an entire walk and path that is ungodly.  But we also learn that there is a corresponding walk that is upright and godly.  The evil man leaves God's ways and chooses those that are dark instead.  We learn again from John that the ungodly hate the light and does not come to the light.  That is the way of the evil man.  That is also why we need wisdom and understanding - to remind us that fellowship with the evil man means fellowship with darkness.  It seems that God is trying to get us to see that there is a light/darkness - good/evil - godly/ungodly situation in life.  

The evil man leave the paths of uprightness to walk in their darkness.  Here it is again - the fact that there is an entire walk and path that is ungodly.  But we also learn that there is a corresponding walk that is upright and godly.  The evil man leaves God's ways and chooses those that are dark instead.  We learn again from John that the ungodly hate the light and does not come to the light.  That is the way of the evil man.  That is also why we need wisdom and understanding - to remind us that fellowship with the evil man means fellowship with darkness.  It seems that God is trying to get us to see that there is a light/darkness - good/evil - godly/ungodly situation in life. 

Worldly wisdom equates the best of thinking and acting to mankind.  That is why they are shocked with evil rears its head.  They want to think the best of man - when the truth is man IS capable of the worst attrocities.  Proverbs tells us that there are those men who "delight in doing evil and rejoice in perversity."  We almost shrink from these statements - yet that is what is said here.

If there has been a "fall" of mankind into sin that has corrupted them utterly - then it really isn't that much of a stretch that man rejoices in evil and perversity.  To fallen man - evil is good and good is evil.  Isn't that what we see today?  In our world evil is called good and good evil.  They consider the things of God strange and His commandments as burdensome.  They see freedom as bondage and their current state of bondage as freedom.  Delight in doing evil then becomes the norm - and it should not be all that strange to see them devoting entire programs on television and articles in writing to rejoice in how they pervert the straight paths of God.  

Look at the sexual revolution of the 60's as an example.  The morals of the past were thrown off (possibly the biggest lie of that period was to deny that such things had always been happening - just that they were done far more secretly).  But I think that the shock was not that morals were cast aside, but that now those actin immorally were rejoicing openly in their perversity.  The movement was not just a desire to set aside what is right - it was a rejoicing in what heretofore was considered evil.  What is even more amazing to me is that several generations of this behavior has led to soceity adopting such actions as normal - and now even certain segments of soceity say we should rejoice in evil.  NOW we get why we need to cry out to God for wisdom, discretion, and knowledge to escape such a fate.

The final statement about the way of evil is that their direction in life becomes like their heart.  Their paths (again the word for lifestyle) are crooked.  Crooked is the Hebrew word 'iqqesh'.  It means something that is morally, religiously, and socially perverted.  This perversity comes from the source of an evil, deceitful, perverse heart.  No longer are certain actions perverted - but the whole direction and path of their life runs counter to the truth of God.

Their lifestyle is finally described as being devious.  This is the last straw.  It describes a person who has followed their perverse and wicked ways to the point where they now despise and reject God's ways.  They find them abhorant.  What is worse is that they are utterly blind to their condition.

What we have described for us is the natural degradation of fallen men.  They may begin with the remnants of God's image within them - but as they continue in their perversity they soon scald their conscience and harden it to the point where they no longer feel any shame in their sin.  By the way, this is exactly what is taught to us in Romans chapter one.  We learn that man begins with denying God and being ungrateful, but ends with those who cheer on the wickedness of man - preferring their own perversity to anything God has to offer.  In light of such an ignoble end - we see why Solomon impresses on his son the importance of crying out to God for wisdom and understanding.  There is too much at stake here to live and let live.  The fall of man guarantees that what starts as a mere snowflake will become a massive ball of snow that destroys all in its path.  May such a vision of the destrutive power of our core perverseness motivate us to a passionate cry for God's wisdom and a desperate search for His ways and paths.

Do not fret because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked; For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out. Proverbs 24:19-20

Ever watch what is going on in the world and wonder if the evil and wicked are winning the day?  It is difficult at times not to fret and become angry (even at God) when we watch the evil men and women of this world seemingly prosper and succeed during our lifetime.  But the wise man knows the Word of God - and knows that God promises that He is just, and knows that in the end it will not go well for the wicked.  His lamp may burn brightly for a season, but in the end his lamp - his influence - his power will be put out. 

We are warned against two things in this passage.  The first is that we do not fret because of evildoers.  The word "fret" here actually does not refer to worry but rather to anger.  The word for fret is the Hebrew word, "nahar" which means to burn, to be kindled and glow, or to grow warm.  It refers to someone becoming angry.  It was the word that was used of Potiphar's anger when he thought that Joseph had raped his wife.  It is also used in Joshua 23:16 of God's anger toward those who disobey His Law.  Here, we are being warned against becoming angry at God - because we watch evildoers prosper in this life.  David struggled with this very thing in Psalm 73.  The more he looked at the wicked and the evildoers in this present life - the more his anger was being kindled.  He reached the point in that psalm where he said that he almost betrayed his generation until he entered the sanctuary and saw the latter end of this wicked people.  His betrayal would have been the things he said about God and His justice.  David would have allowed his fretting to be manifested toward God.  But he saw that all at once these prospering evil people fell - that they faced God's wrath with no recourse.  He saw that they thought all was well until death or calamity crushed their world.  Since they were only living for the here and now - that meant that their entire world was destroyed.  David's fretting ceased - and instead he felt compassion toward them - and awe and fear toward God in his "ULTIMATE JUSTICE." 

We are also warned not to become envious of the wicked.  This second warning comes because we will watch the shrewdness of the worldlings as they use graft and corruption to gain wealth in this world.  We may watch them seemingly succeed in regard to money, sex, and power.  But once again we must see things from God's perspective.  As they gather power, sex, and wealth to themselves - they are also storing up wrath for disobeying God's commandments and laws as well.  Their supposed prosperity comes at an eternal price tag.  In the end their future will be horrific - not blessed. 

That is what these two verses in proverbs deals with in the second verse.  We are told that there will be no future for the evil man.  The word future is our old friend "acharith" which means the end of the matter.  Though the wicked does all his evil desires, and seemingly prospers in them - he is not seeing long term.  He may enjoy the moment - but the latter end of his life will be devastating.  There is NO future - NO latter end - NO prosperity eternally.  He will be damned for his rebellion and destroyed utterly for his wickedness.

Only someone who sees with a ridiculous short term vantage point would trade a few years of pleasure for infinite pain and suffering.  God's Word refers to this life on earth as a mere breath while there is no end to our state in eternity.  The other warning to us here is that the lamp of the wicked will be put out.  As I said earlier, he may burn brightly for a little while - for a breath or two - but his light will be extinguished.  Consider all the terrifying dictators of the past - Hitler, Ghengas Khan, Sadaam Hussein, Stalin, Lenin, Mao, Pol Pot - and a host of others throughout history.  For a brief moment they seemd to have a bright light burning for themselves and their regime.  Yet all are viewed as horrible men who committed disgusting crimes against humanity itself.  God assured that these men do not live on as famous - but as infamous.  So also will be the legacy of all those who oppose God and live out their wickedness.  Their lights will go out - snuffed out by God Himself.

The wise man does not become angry with God over such men and women.  He certainly does not envy them.  What we should do is pity such men.  We should pity them and pray that they would repent and turn to God.  We should also realize that God is showing them great mercy by not consuming them instantly in His wrath.  He is offering them another day of mercy during which time they have opportunity to hear the gospel and repent.  But know that beyond any shadow of doubt the day is drawing near for them to be judged according to God's law.  Envious?  Angry? - no . . . we should pity them - and we should tremble before the awesome, exact justice of our holy God.  And as wise men - we should depart from their ways and fully embrace those of our Lord.

Grievous punishment is for him who forsakes the way; He who hates reproof will die. Proverbs 15:10

What happens when we depart from God's ways?  According to this passage in Proverbs there is a very serious consequence for us when we do this.  Even worse is what awaits us if we go even further than this and reject God's reproof after we've left his ways. 

What is at stake here?  Well, what drives this particular proverb is the idea of "forsaking the way."  "The way," refers to God's way - the way of his commandments.  Several times the phrase, "the way of the Lord" is used to refer to this.  If you want to understand it better you can turn to the 119th Psalm which calls it by various names like, "the way of righteousness," "the way of Your testimonies," "the way of Your precepts," "the way of Your statutes," as well as what we've already said as the way of God's commandments.  This way is the commands and the things God calls us to be and to do in His Word.  When we "forsake" this way, we are doing the following.  We no longer listen carefully to God's Word - we don't pay heed to it or obey it.  But the core idea here is no longer listening or paying attention to someone.  That Someone here is God.  In case you do not know what this means - it means as you listen - you do so in order to respond and obey God.

What happens when we forsake God's way?  The Word here says that we face "grevious punishment."  The word translated for this is the Hebrew word "ra" - and it simply means, bad things!  When you no longer walk with God, listen to Him, or obey Him - bad things are going to eventually happen in your life.  This is the case no matter whether you are His or not.  If you take a close look at the progress (or regress) of the world around you, you can see that ignoring and forsaking God's ways has never led to a world of peace and blessing.  By its very nature this world works best when God's ways and paths are followed.  When they are ignored - or worse - shunned, things go bad.  This is a fait accompli - an established fact! 

Now a second warning is also issued at this point - and I think it is a reminder that God's rebuke and reproof are proofs of His love - not hate.  When we forsake God's way, we will face bad things, but when we go further and ignore His loving reproof of those ways and continue in rebellion - we are headed toward death.  It is God's great mercy and love that arrests us in our rebellion with disciplinary action.  He allows difficulties and problems to come to us to turn us from the insanity of abandoning His ways.  But when we are too stubborn to listen - we are moving toward death itself.  What is terrifying is the warning in 1 John that there is a sin leading unto death - a point at which a disciplinary measure from God involves having a person die.  Wisdom tells us to respond to His discipline and His reproof quickly - so that we will not have to go that far.

One last comment on this passage.  These two truths are just that - truth.  But they had their most astounding fulfillment in the cross of Jesus Christ.  It was there that we saw the most grievous punishment imaginable.  It had nothing to do with the Roman scourage or the nails in the hands of our Savior.  It had little or nothing to do with the agony of the cross physically as Jesus gapsed for air as His torn and bruised body slowly died on the cross.  But it had everything to do with why Jesus sweat blood the night before in the garden.  It had everything to do with the agony of the wrath and judgment of God upon sin.  Calling it a grevious punishment seems too small in light of what it truly cost Christ to pay for our sin before His holy Father.  That is why we should never take sin in our lives lightly.  Yes, our sin was paid in full by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross - but we should always view that truth with both trembling and a sense of honor to God for what He did for us.  Otherwise we will take sin too lightly - and risk thinking that forsaking His way really is not that bad - and it really won't cost us much.  There is foolish talk that reaches to the heavens themselves - and the kind of talk that will give rise to actions that will in the end yield that grevious punishment and stinging rebuke.

He who leads the upright astray in an evil way Will himself fall into his own pit, But the blameless will inherit good. Proverbs 28:10

It is one thing when the wicked are evil in their own ways and in their own thoughts, but that is not the case with some.  They are not content unless they lead others astray into a similar lifestyle.  This trait is at its worst when the one who has an ungodly lifestyle desires to lead the upright into that same wicked lifestyle.  Yet God makes it plain that such choices - such attitudes will have to pay in the end.

The upright are thsoe who are desiring to walk straight - and this refers to someone who desires to do what is morally pure and right.  Of course, since this is a biblical reference, we can assume that the moral course that is sought is that of the Scriptures.  The wicked man spoken of here wants to lead this morally upstanding person astray.  The word used here implies that someone has been deceived into their error.  Thus they are now wandering and straying like lost sheep.  They used to know the way of the Lord, but now they are straying like lost sheep having somehow been deceived to where they no longer look to the Scriptures for their moral rudder in life.  The path they are trying to lead them in is the "evil way."  Evil here is "ra" which is the term used for active evil - and it carries with it the idea of distress, misery, injury, and calamity. 

I find it fascinating, living in a city with a major university, how often godly students are turned by professors who hate Christianity.  What I find amazing is that the attacks that are made are almost always made at their trust and belief in God's Word.  I think of the passage in Hosea that warns that if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?  A very good question this is for us today.  This is the reason why I take the time to teach high school and junior high students classes on worldviews and philosophy.  During those classes I play devil's advocate and let them see what they will face in college.  I challenge their statements as one of the professors at the university would - and do so mercilessly for 5 or 10 minutes.  Then I back up and help them grasp what the philosophical backdrop was to that attack.  We work on understanding the false reasoning that was in the attack and also how to raise up the shield of faith by holding fast to a biblical worldview.  It is not easy for these students, because the barrage of questions, as well as the ignorance of other students is hard to stand in the midst of in class.  Too often they are ganged up on in the midst of the discussion - and the teachers will use their authority to make the students stop talking before they can make their point.  That is why we cover these things as well in class.  They need to know that Christianity is credible as a worldview - but also that Paul said that the cross was as stumbling block to Jews - and considered foolishness by the Greeks (the philosophical eggheads of that age). 

Our passage, though, has a warning to the wicked ones who try to lead the upright astray.  They will fall into the pit that they are trying to dig for the upright.  They think they will make the upright fall into a pit - that they will destroy their faith - but the one who will ultimately fall into the pit is the ungodly person who is trying to deceive.  He thinks that the believer is deceived - but he is the one who is deceived.  In the end, the very foolishness and philosophical ignorance of this man will damn him to the ultimate pit.  I know that this sounds pretty harsh - but it is what the Scriptures say is the end of those who mock the things of God - who oppose God and His Word. 

Just a note at the end for our instruction is given.  The blameless will inherit good.  Blameless here is the Hebrew word "tamim" and it means something or someone who is complete and tested.  The word was used of the sacrificial animals that had been examined and found to be without flaw.  What a marvelous word this is for this context.  Here is the truth we need to see here.  The wicked will seek to lead the upright astray into an immoral path - but we need to hold fast to the truth - to the Word of God.  We need to stand through every trial - and oppose every falsehood that we face.  Every time they try to deceive and undermine the foundation of our faith - we need to lift high the banner of Christ - hold fast to the Word of our God - and watch every argument fall infinitely short of the truth upon which we stand.  When we do this we will be the blameless, tested, tried one who will inherit good. 

Be ready, precious saints, for what you will face in the world.  Christianity is not just a religious practice - something we can tack on to our lives like we would put up a poster in our rooms.  It is a way of life - a philosophy - a worldview that is superior to all other worldviews.  It is a relationship with the living God that we are granted through Jesus Christ.  We need to view it as that - a life-changing way of viewing the world.  We need to therefore make understanding and knowing God our first and most important priority.  The reason so many supposedly lose their faith in college is because they never had one.  They had their religion - they had their denominational status - they had their childhood habit of going to church with mommy and daddy.  But . . . they never took Christ to themselves, repented of their sin - and entered into a life-altering relationship with God.  They never received a love of the truth so as to be saved.  As a result all they had was the trappings of Christianity - without a mind honed by the Word.  Therefore when tried and tested - when faced with someone who forced them to defend their faith with truth - they had nothing with which to fight back.  Assuming that Christianity had failed them - when all that had failed them was their false faith - they turned and fell into the pit of the wicked. 

Oh saints, know your God!  Know your Bible!  Know that the faith once and for all handed to the saints in the Scriptures has withstood every attack of man for some 2000 years.  Stand fast upon it - and stand strong with Him.  When you do you will be tested, tried, and approved - and according to this passage - due to inherit good.

There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19

What does God hate?  This is a good question to ask - because the Lord actually lists for us 7 different things that He hates.  Some think that God doesn't hate anything because He is love.  But when you realize that whereas He loves righteousness and holiness - it means that by nature He must hate the opposite - and that is sin.  This is a good list to remember because it reminds us of at least 7 things we absolutely need to steer clear of in life.  We do this because we do not want to incur God's wrath for loving something He hates.

#1 - God hates Haughty Eyes . . . The proud look is something the Lord really despises.  The eyes, according to Scripture, are the windows of the soul.  When the eyes are filled with a haughty look it is a sure thing that the heart is filled with that same haughtiness or pride.  We remember from the book of James that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  It is no stretch then to say that in hating haughty eyes God truly despises those whose look communicates an arrogance and pride that shows that they have no respect for God and His ways - just an utter disdain of them.

#2 - God hates a Lying Tongue . . . One of the 10 commandments is not to bear false witness.  That means lying is out with God.  He is a God of truth, and He wants us to speak the truth.  When a tongue is a lying tongue, God hates the lies that come from it.  Truth opposes lies at every turn - and we can be assured that God opposes the liar whose lying tongue promotes just the opposite of what God loves and is. 

#3 - God hates Hands that Shed Innocent Blood . . . Here is one that we need to remember.  Innocent blood is murder.  God hates murder.  Once again we find that one of the things God hates is listed in the 10 commandments.  You shall not murder is commandment number five.  Jesus goes further in Matthew chapter 5 when He tells us that even the thoughts and words that are at the core of a murdering heart - God hates.  There is an application of this we also need to remember.  The false god Molech required that his worshippers have their children pass through the fire as a child sacrifice to him.  God hated this worship - and made it clear that the innocent blood shed in this practice would pay dearly for their sin.  I believe we have a similar worship today in the practice of abortion.  This practice is an abomination to God.  We have decided that children (usually conceived due to sexual immorality) are too much of an inconvenience.  Therefore we've devised the most heinous ways of disposing of them.  We burn them alive through saline abortions or puree them within their mother's womb.  And if this is not enough, when we wait too long to decide to dispose of one's conceived immorally, we just birth them partially and kill them in a way that we would NEVER consider for a convicted murderer.  How God hates this shedding of innocent blood. 

#4 - God Hates a Heart that Devises Wicked Plans . . . There are hearts that are thinking of evil - and who begin to plan to do evil.  This is true even of us when we set our hearts on sin and want to do our best to keep it hidden.  But there are those whose plans involve far more than just one man wanting to sin without being caught.  These are those who devise a wicked plan either in business or in the government.  These plans will harm thousands - and possibly millions.  They do not consider that their wicked plans will do this - because they are consumed either by the acquisition of wealth or power.  God hates these people because of how their thinking harms others.

#5 - God Hates Feet that Run Rapidly to Evil . . . Here we have someone who is just itching to run to evil things.  There is no restraint in this one - because when he or she sees evil - they want to run "rapidly" to it.  When a society turns from God - there is a growing stupidity and spiritual deadness that causes them to become insensitive to the warnings of Scripture.  Thus they start to run to evil - rather than stop and think about the harm it will do to them and to others.  When people run rapidly to evil it is also a sign that self is so completely dominant in their thinking that they are deaf to any other voice except the one that is urging them to do what they want.  God hates this because it reveals that a conscience is dead to Him and dead to the warnings of both the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. 

#6 - God Hates A False Witness Who Utters Lies . . . Here we have what seems to be a second time that lying is mentioned.  This second time though it is mentioned in the context of someone who is a false witness on a matter.  This first time is was just a lying tongue.  The false witness could be someone who speaks lies in a courtroom where the role of perjury comes into play.  This would mean a perversion of justice and God loves justice and righteousness.  It can also mean a false prophet or someone who lies about religious matters - thus causing some to put their faith in a god who is not God at all.  Either way God hates it when someone who lies as a witness on a matter.  They encourage people to make decisions based upon deception and lies.  No wonder He hates these things - because the very first sin was due to the work of the devil as he was a false witness to Eve about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  That lie, that deceit - when believed was the impetus that led to the fall of all of humanity into sin and rebellion against God.

#7 - God Hates One who Spreads Strife Among Brothers . . . The final thing in this list of seven is a person who is causing problems - actually who is spreading strife among the brethren.  This person is one who either learns of strife - or is causing it.  He is not content though we knowing it himself.  He becomes the ultimate evangelist for strife among the brethren.  He wants to see as many people upset and involved in this strife as possible.  It should be no small wonder to us then that God does not say, "Blessed are the strife-makers."  He says just the opposite.  It is the peacemakers who will be called the sons of God.  When God could have magnified the ultimate strife of the universe in sin - He did not.  He chose to make peace through the blood of the cross of Jesus Christ.  Therefore it really should be no shock to us that He also hates those who go the opposite way - and spread strife rather than spread peace among the brothers.  We might need to remember this the next time we have a choice to continue a situation of strife and conflict - when we have an opportunity to bring peace instead.

Seven things God hates . . . it is a very sobering list.  There are some things like murder and wicked plans that we would fully expect to be on this list.  But other things that we tend to minimize tend to shock us here.  Some call lying just telling a little fib - or a white lie.  Others might not see spreading strife by gossipping to be something that is not the best - but certainly something that everyone does.  The fact is that when God calls these things the seven things He hates - we need to remember them - and then learn to hate them in our own lives as well.  That, my dear saints - is wisdom.

Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, Even strife and dishonor will cease. Proverbs 22:10

How do you get rid of strife and contention in a group?  That is what God wants us to be instructed in today in Proverbs.  He is about to tell us about the horrific fellow known as the "scoffer."  Wherever this man is - there is trouble and strife about to break loose.  When we learn how to identify and rid ourselves of him and his ilk, we will find that the dishonor and disunity will go away as well.

The word scoffer refers to someone who loves to mock, scorn, deride with great contempt to anyone but himself.  The scoffer loves to express his utter contempt with someone with whom he disagrees.  He knows nothing of positive criticism - he only knows of mocking and seeking to scorn his enemies.  It is not enough for him to merely disagree - he must do it in the most disagreeable way possible!  He knows only how to show complete and absolute contempt toward those he finds in his philosophical crosshairs. 

A wise man knows that mocking his detractors will usually yield him some serious enemies.  Very rarely does this tactic yield converts to his way of thinking.  Heaping a mocking shame and disgrace on others is not a positive way to communicate a message which you desire to use to change someone's mind and thinking.  But that is what the scoffer excells at in life.  As a result when he comes around you will also find contention, strife, and dishonor.  He will use his words to strike up fights among people.  He loves to fight - and loves to accelerate an argument to the point of intense strife.  He also loves to see dishonor come to his opponents.  He cares little what happens to the organization in which he is wreaking his havoc.  He only cares for his own ungodly thoughts and desires.  The more damage he can render to his opponents - the better he sees the outcome of his actions. 

There is one response to such a man - get him out!  Scripture says that we are to "drive out" this kind of man.  Too often we want to try to win him over to our way of thinking.  That is NOT going to happen - because he is un-winnable while he is a scoffer.  The New Testament tells us to reject a factious man after a warning.  We are not to have a three strikes policy with such dangerous men.  Get their contention-stimulating behavior and conversation thrown out of the assembly of God's people.  This man knows nothing about how to walk in unity with others.  He only airs his own opinions and contentious thoughts.  He cares nothing for those of others.  The best thing we can offer him - is the way out.  This may sound hard - but when dealing with a scoffer, you are not dealing with someone who can be won over.  Therefore the best thing to do is to follow the godly advice of Solomon - drive him out!

The way of a guilty man is crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright. Proverbs 21:8

How do you know whther you are dealing with someone who is criminal and crooked in his ways - or whether you are dealing with a man who is pure in his motives and ways?  Here is an excellent question.  I am sure that many a man who has been conned would love to know the answer to this question.  That is what we will learn today as we open the book of Proverbs to verse 8 of chapter 21.

First we see the "guilty man."  What Solomon is describing to us though is the way of this man - the roads he takes and the lifestyle that is developed as a result.  This man is described to us as the guilty man.  The word used here for this designation is the Hebrew word, "vazar."  This word means a man who lacks innocence.  He is guilty because his behavior and choices reject God's law and ways.  In this regard he is a criminal - because his consistent choice is to break the law.  Solomon tells us that such a man is "crooked."  Crooked here is "haphak" which refers to someone who is very perverse and devious.  This guy is constantly perverting this - being devious - and lacking in honesty.  He is filled with a dishonesty that makes you wonder about his integrity.  

Note this when trying to determine whether someone is godly or ungodly in their dealings.  If you catch them making statements that are being twisted and fundamentally dishonest - most likely you are dealing with someone who is crooked and should be avoided at all costs.  You are going to pay dearly if you continue to do business and allow this man into your life.  The best thing you could do is cut and run.

The other man - the godly one - is pure.  The word here means someone who is clean - like pure water or pure oil.  This man is a godly man - and his godliness is verified by the honestly and integrity with which he speaks and acts.  This man's conduct is described as "upright."  This is the word "yashar" which means something that is straight, just, and right.  This word usually refers to things in an ethical and emotional sense.  These are men who are very concerned with being right in the eyes of the Lord.  They want a godly integrity in their dealings with others.  They do not want to deceive or to mislead. 

Wisdom tells us to be mindful of the character of those with whom we deal in life.  It is not enough that a good offer is on the table - or that someone is offering the best price.  We need to know that a man is also placing good character on the table as well.  Then we know whether we are dealing with a thief or not.  See behind the offers and see into their lives or the "way" that they live.  Do this and you will be much less likely to be caught in the schemes and the deception of the ungodly.