The path of life leads upward for the wise That he may keep away from Sheol below. Proverbs 15:24

The wise will have an upward bound life. That is what this passage tells us. It promises both an encouragement for the wise - that their path will lead upward. It also gives a warning - that the unwise path will end in Sheol, the place of the dead.

In His commentary on this verse Phillips makes the comment, "Darwin would have us believe that our feet are set surely on the upward way, that may is progressing by slow but sure degrees from protoplasm to paradise." This is the belief of those who account randomness and no purpose whatsoever for our existance and our origin. Unfortunately, both science and sociology tell us a much different story. They tell us a story consistent with the Biblical narrative.

Science reminds us through the second law of thermodynamics that we are in a constant state of decay. Things are not coming together into more order and more stability - they are moving from order to disorder. We look at the astounding complexity of life and see that it screams to us of an intelligent design infinitely higher than that of man. Science also tells us that something is wrong with this world. Things keep dying. It is as is this world has been cursed so that what originally was made - is now devolving into greater and greater chaos. Disease, sickness, pain, and suffering are the norm as we grow older individually - as well as our world grows older corporately.

Social Sciences also do not point in a direction that is good. The history of man is not a history of us getting wiser and wiser. It is not a history of mankind embracing new heights of goodness and mercy. On the contrary, the 20th and 21st centuries have witnessed a cruelty and evil that almost cannot be matched by previous generations. The endless wars and evils of our generation strike us in ways that at times takes the breath away. More people have been brutally murdered and systematically executed than ever before. We've found modern ways to exterminate our children, killing over 250 million of them since the inception of that horrific procedure. We call it population control - God calls it genocide of the innocents. The way of the fool leads to the place of death - that is what we know from experience. The way of the fool leads to pride and arrogance as he says there is no God.

The path of life goes upward for the wise man. He sees things as God sees them. He is blessed no matter what situations and privations await him in life. He knows that this life is not all that there is. In fact the Scriptures teach him that this life is just a fleeting breath. He is like a brief puff of wind that rustles the leaves and he is gone. Therefore he lives for God's will rather than his own lusts. Amazingly, this kind of choice fills him with joy - no matter what he faces in life. For him the worst he will ever face is in this life. He knows that things lead upward for him - until the day that he will embrace eternal life in all its fullness. He tastes it now, finding it sweet and delightful to his soul's palette. But how he yearns for the full meal. This grants him the joys of knowing life and of sterring clear from spiritual death and its ultimate companion, hell.

Things on this earth are not getting better and better. They were ruined by the entrance of sin brought on by man's rebellion and disobedience. Things are falling apart on this earth and will continue to do so until the day God brings an end to this fallen existance. Living for only here and now is therefore the utmost foolishness. The wise man knows this, because he knows God. The wise man therefore lives for eternal things. He lives because of His Creator's mercy in providing salvation through Jesus Christ. He also lives FOR His Creator and Lord - knowing that this is the pathway that leads upward - path this cursed ground - into the very presence of God in glory. Oh, precious ones - take this path!

He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him. Proverbs 14:31

God is very serious how He views the poor - especially when people choose to oppress them and take advantage of them because of their poverty. The warning that we are given here is about oppressing the poor. The poor by their lack of money and influence are people who have a difficult time finding a way to deal with people who trample their rights. They have no money with which to address the legal system. They have no power among elected officials to influence them outside of their one vote. History has proven that there are a couple of groups who oppress the poor. These two groups are the rich and those who want to maintain political power. The rich do so most often by not offering the poor a living wage when it is within their power to do so. In an interest in getting richer, they take the wages that the poor should receive and keep them for themselves. God offers dire warnings to those who do this. The second group are those who use political power to oppress the poor. Even within our government it is advantageous to prevent the poor from bettering themselves by setting up a welfare state that encourages dependence. This is often not recognized as oppressing the poor because it maintains the illusion that the person in political power is helping them. But any system which traps people in poverty is oppressive, even if it oppresses by handing out what at first looks like free money.

Those who oppress the poor are taunting God. Taunting is such an ugly thing. When those who have an upper hand mock those less fortunate, it is disgusting. The Hebrew word indicates a mocking and open reproach of someone else. This is done in a way that deliberately desires to agitate or humiliate someone. The truly frightening thing about this kind of taunting is that the one doing it is infinitely less powerful than God. Usually the stronger one taunts the weaker. Here although the person is stronger in what is openly seen (i.e. the powerful oppressing the poor) they are probably unaware that their actions are taunting the living God. This is the most foolish thing anyone could possibly do. I get a picture of a bully taunting a small child, unaware that their incredibly strong and huge brother is standing behind them watching the whole thing. In that situation, as well as the one mentioned here in Proverbs 14, someone is about to get a serious beat-down.

The wise man has mercy on the poor. He uses his position of strength and wealth to help them. The word mercy has the idea of being treated in a way we do not deserve. Therefore the wise and godly man remembers how God has treated him - and uses that as a barometer of how he should treat the poor. Maybe someone has become poor due to their own sinfulness. Even in this case we should show mercy and seek to help. This honors God because it reflects His own character in our actions. Whereas the fool taunts God by oppressing and taking advantage of the poor - the wise man wants a reward larger than the riches or power he can get on the backs of the unfortunate. He knows that in the end it will go well with the one who honors God.

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27

Ours is a society that craves safety. Some think that carrying a gun at all times or having a top notch security system will provide them safety. But for the man of God these things, although providing some measure of safety are nothing compared to the fear of the Lord. According to today's proverb that is the most effective security system known to mankind.

The fear of the Lord is described here as a fountain of life. The Hebrew words used for the phrase, "fountain of life" are "mekor chaiyim." This phrase literally means, "the vein of lives" and referred to the aorta which is the artery which carries the blood from the heart as it seeks to pump it throughout the entire body. Without our aorta we would be dead. I remember a very terrifying moment when my own father was found to have a seven inch long annuerism on his aorta. It was a life threatening condition of the worst kind. If my father's aorta burst - the very fountain of life in him would be cut off - and he would have died within seconds. The medical staff were able to do surgery and repair his aorta. But it was a reminder to me that without the "vein of lives" functioning, we will not live long. I am not saying that without the fear of the Lord we will die in mere seconds, but I am saying that the fear of the Lord is essential to us having the life that God provides. Here in today's proverb we read that the fear of the Lord is what helps us to avoid the snares of death. What are these "snares" that are mentioned here?

The Hebrew word for "snares" is very telling. The word is "moqesh" and it refers not so much to the snare itself, but to the bait which is placed in the snare. The word literally means the bait placed within a snare or trap - without which the animal would never come near it. It is the bait that makes the trap effective. The bait tempts the animal to come near even when his own instincts tell him the situation is dangerous. Unable to quell his own lusts for the free food, the animal draws near. The end is a trapped or dead animal. This parallels our problem with sin. Our desires draw us toward things that will eventually damage and destroy us. But we cannot seem to shake the lusts of our flesh, eyes, and prideful love of the world enough to turn away. We are bllind due to our sin. But this is where the fear of the Lord becomes a life-giving fountain to us.

The fear of the Lord is the respect and honor that we have of Him and of His Word. It is the willingness to respond to the Holy Spirit when He warns us about something we are about to do. We listen and obey when we fear the Lord - but we ignore Him when we have no repect or honor toward the God who made us. For those who do this, there is only death in the end. They may have an initial experience of pleasure in their sinful choice - but be warned that they will stand in the judgment for their actions. Any sinful action will be eternally regretted on that day. But know also that sinful choices, although their poison may not be felt immediately - also have consequences here and now as well.

Today's society, and unfortunately many in the church, think that the fear of the Lord is a thing of the past. They ignorantly say that we are a people of grace in the New Testament. The Old Testament idea of fearing God is out of step with who we are supposed to be. What I find interesting is that the book of Acts tells us that the church benefited greatly from the fear of the Lord. In Acts 9:31 we read the following, "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. " The fear of God is a New Testament truth that will bless God's church. In fact the fear of the Lord is linked here with the "comfort of the Holy Spirit." It was the combination of these two that worked together by God's grace to cause the church to increase. But there is one more thing that will bless us as we look at the proverb for today.

The fear of the Lord is said to be a "fountain of life." There is another parallel that is such a blessing to see here. In John chapter 7 Jesus spoke of the way that the Holy Spirit would come to those who believed in Him. He used the picture of fountains of living water that would flow from the innermost being of those who experienced the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is what we have learned today in Proverbs. It is another way that the Holy Spirit is linked directly to the fear of the Lord. We need to realize that one of the ways that the Holy Spirit works in our lives is to bring us the fear of the Lord. We have a respect for God - a desire to honor Him and not to displease Him. This makes us very receptive to His Word which tells us what He wants us to know. Both are the same fountain. As we fear God the Holy Spirit works in us to teach us God's Word - and then to urge us to listen and respond to what God has said. All this comes together to turn us from the snare - from the bait of Satan which seeks to lure us into His traps and his snares of death. May God give us grace to fear Him - to experience the Holy Spirit's teaching and warning - and to avoid sin as a result.

The desire of the righteous is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.   Proverbs 11:23

What do you want?  That is a pretty general question - but it is the one that is addressed in today's proverb.  The thing is that we are looking at what people want from the perspective of God, not just what people or the "market" wants.

From God's standpoint we are oing to watch Him put boh the righteous and the wicked man into the balances, weigh them and their choices, and state what each deserves. First we see that God places the righteous into the scales.  He says that the righteous man's desires are only good.  This coincides with what Jesus says in the Beattitudes.  In Matthew chapter 5, we read the following, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."  God not only is pleased with those who hunger and thirst for what He says is right - He promises wonderful levels of satisfaction for those who do.  There is also another statement made in the Psalms that when we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart.  It is so important to know that when we are living for righteousness and pursuing what is right - God cuts us loose to enjoy as much as we want.  That is why He says here that these kind of desires are "only good." 

The wicked, though, have no sch guarantee.  We read that the expectation of the wicked in wrath.  It is helpful for us to see that word "expectation" here.  The reason it is so important is because often what the wicked desire will give them an immediate positive feeling.  The person who abuses alcoholic drinks has an immediate positive response as he feels better and is much more free in his expression of himself.  But he can expect problems later.  Having been a drunkard before I was saved I can concur with God's statement here.  The expectation of the drunkard is only wrath and bad consequences.  There is the hangover that comes in the morning.  There is also the realization that the supposed freedom that you felt the night before took away your natural defenses against saying something stupid.  Can't tell you how many times a Friday night bender led to a whole week of consequences with friends and aquaintences.  Another area I want to address here is that of sexual immorality.  The person who is sexually immmoral loves the immediate pleasure provided by it.  Unfortunately, the crisis pregnancy, the positive STD test, and the broken relationships are not so pleasurable.  The pornography may give us a temporary high feeling and sense of thrill as we look at it, but later the bondage that results, the pull into deeper perversion, and the way it leads people to treat the opposite sex as an object can be devastating. 

The Word of God speaks of God's "judgments."  These are things that God has said concerning certain behaviors in life.  When we choose to disobey God and embrace our lfleshly lusts we do so because of the promise of pleasure and immediate satisfaction.  The problem is that God has said what His response will be to such things.  These are His judgments.  He says that problems will result - disasters are on the horizon - and blessing will be forfeited.  These judgments WILL COME upon those who choose to disobey regardless of what God says.  They can expect the wrath of God when they rebel.  God has made this very clear when He said in Romans chapter 1, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness ofmen who suppress the truth with their unrighteousness."  God's attitude and actions toward ungodliness and unrigteousness have been settled from eternity past.  Those who reject Him and His Word need to know that He has amply published the results of such behavior - and it has never been good.  Therefore the truly wise man knows that blessings await those who embrace righteousness - but for those who chose a wicked lifestyle - only wrath awaits them.

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.

On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found, But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.  Wise men store up knowledge, But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.   Proverbs 10:13-14

A godly mouth can be a great blessing to anyone who has one granted to him by the grace of God.  Such a mouth, though given by God, must be disciplined to follow Him only - and not the foolishness of the natural man. 

The wisdom of God is found on a certain kind of man.  He is called a discerning man.  The Hebrew word used here is "bin" and it speaks of someone who through the use of the Scriptures is able to determine the difference between what is of God and what is not.  This discerning heart and mind instructs the lips of the wise man.  We learn later in verse 14 that this man stores up knowledge.  This knowledge is a practical knowing of God and of the world that is around him.  Thus this wise man instructs his mouth with this knowledge.  He learns to know much, but not always speak what he knows.  He has learned that he can NOT say things and be a blessing.  Thus he seeks to quell within himself words and statements that will unnecessaily disburb the peace in relationships.  Many an argument and fight could be prevented if one or the other of the two combatants would have practiced this wisdom.  They would keep their words to themselves - knowing that sharing their "knowledge" would be done more from pride than from love.  We know from the New Testament that knowledge puffs up - but love edifies.  We can share all our knowledge - and by doing so cause a disturbance as others react to our pride.  The wise man stores up knowledge within - and only brings that knowledge out at the direction of the Holy Spirit - Who will direct him to use that knowledge to build up and encourage others. 

We are also told of the fool - and his mouth.  These two verses go together because they speak of the speech of one - and then the consequences of the other.  The next verse reverses this order - trading the wise man for the fool in his speech - and the fool for the wise man in the reward or retribution that results.  The consequences of the fool is a rod for his back.  His words are the source of his punishment - for they evidence his foolishness and lack of regard for what is right.  A proverb from the Talmud expresses this wonderfully when we read there, "that which a wise man gains by a hint, a fool only obtains by a club."  The wise man learns - instructs his mouth and heart with that wisdom - and therefore avoids problems and public discipline.  The fool chooses to let his mouth run - and with that overactive mouth - ruin comes to him. 

Biblically we can remember the difference between Solomon and his son, Rehoboam.  Solomon began his reign seeking God and requesting wisdom from Him.  His son Rehoboam had an opportunity to win over the people - but chose the foolish counsel of his friends.  That led him to speak harsh, unkind, oppressive words to the people.  In the end he lost all but one tribe - which God granted to him because of His promise to David.  But how the foolish mouth granted him much destruction and difficulty.  The wise mouth, though, was blessed in many wonderful ways.  So take the time to listen - and allow God's wisdom to sink deep enough into your heart so that it instructs your mouth on what to say.  Doing this promotes blessing.

Do not rob the poor because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate; for the LORD will plead their case and take the life of those who rob them.  Proverbs 22:22-23 

How does God feel about the poor and the afflicted?  What kind of safeguard does God have against those who would treat these people with disregard?  How does God protect these two groups from being expolited by the unscrupulous actions of others?  That is what today's proverb is about. 

This proverb begins with a warning against robbing the poor or crushing the afflicted at the gate.  The gate was the place where financial transactions took place in Israel.  It was the "Wall Street" of their society.  Because this is where the "movers and shakers" of their culture would meet to transact major business, it was also the place God commanded that the poor and the afflicted be given honest and fair treatment. 

The Lord warns against robbing from them and afflicting them.  The word rob is the Hebrew word "gazal" which means to take something by force or to seize something from another because they cannot resist.  Here God is protecting the poor and afflicted because they would not have the kind of business savvy or representation to protect themselves.  The poor are those who a low or small in matters of importance in society.  The word for poor is used to describe the lame, those who were defeated in a military engagement, or someone who is so weak that they are languishing before others.  They cannot rise up to defend themsleves in the gate.  They can barely care for themselves.  Thus they are easy prey to those who want to abuse and steal. 

The Lord also warns against crushing the affllicted.  The afflicted are those suffering in a state of poverty, oppression, or misery.  They are in serious want - and biblically are those whose only hope is in the deliverance and grace of God.  They are easy pickings for the ungodly and unprincipled.  To crush them is to beat them down and oppress them.  Again, their sad state of affairs makes them unable to stop those who would use their power and position to take advantage of their poverty. 

The warning God gives those with power and authority in the gate is to refrain from treating these people badly.  But if someone at the gate would proceed in acting unjustly, we have a picture that should cause us to shrink back in terror.  God says that He Himself will plead their cause.  The poor and afflicted have no representation - or do they?  God said that He would be their representative.  He would "plead their case.  This word "plead" is a legal term.  It means that God Himself will rise up and argue their lawsuit.  The word is "riyb" and it means to strive and contend in a lawsuit or legal case.

Imagine someone among the poor and afflicted - trying to muster up enough strength to stand in the gate and argue their case.  They have no ability to do this - and some in the crowd would even begin to laugh as they haltingly began their defense.  Yet, as they stood humiliated in that setting suddenly a noise would be heard - a mighty rushing of wind from heaven - and all present would begin to tremble as the mighty presence of God descended into the area of the gate.  The Lord, manifesting Himself as a mighty angel, suddenly appears at the proceeding.  All shrink back from His glory and majesty - as they realize that God Himself has come to argue the cause of the afflicted and needy one.  The prosecutor falls on his face and becomes speechless in the presence of God.  Then God proceeds to take up the case of this one so frail and helpless.  But God not only pleads their case with a passion and wisdom that causes all to fall silent.  He also does something that terrifies everyone in the court-setting of the gate. 

Proverbs 22:23 tells us that God will "take the life of those who rob them."  The phrase "take the life," is literally in the Hebrew "rob the soul."  God promises to rob the soul of those who would rob the poor and afflicted.  Our scene now resumes with God finishing His arguments and brilliantly defending the poor and afflicted in the gate.  Then He turns to the one who so arrogantly thought he could rob the poor and crush the afflicted.  He reaches out a hand toward this one and tears his soul from his body.  Robbed of his very soul, the arrogant one falls lifeless to the ground.  All gasp in horror as they watch this fool careen toward the ground with a thud.  His lifeless, soul-less body now a monument to God's judgment upon those who would abuse the poor.

This is what God promises to those who abuse the poor and afflicted ones.  This is what He says will come to those who live their lives for the sordid gain they can gather from the weakest among us.  Some may read this and mock, saying that they've seen the wealthy and powerful do this many times without retribution from God, but know this - their day is coming.  This proverb is a promise from God - so you can know that one day it is going to happen.  May you be ready by being one who loves and is gracious and compassionate towards the poor.  

It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.  Proverbs 16:19

Humility is something to be embraced by God's people.  It is not usually considered a great thing because often to be humble means that you will not be on the top rung of things.  Here where Solomon tells us it would be better to be humble in spirit with the lowly that truth comes out.  The humble man is the one who is to embrace a low social position.  The humble man does not seek great things for himself.  The sense of this Hebrew word is that one is not only humble, but they are also meek (strength under control) and they are contrite (they know their sin and greive over it.  The humble also associate with a group most people would shun - the lowly.  The lowly are those who are poor, afflicted, and usually crying out for help to the Lord.  These people are often absued by the rich and by oppressive leaders.  When you associate with such people, it means that you most likely will not be among the movers and shakers of society.  Yet it is better to be here among the lowest of the low than to be with those who suffer from pride.  Something that will prove helpful in understanding the second part of this proverb is the reality that the humble are not seeking advancement for themselves.  They serve God and look to Him for their advancement and their victories. 

We are warned that it is better to be with the lowly and to be humble with them - than to divide the spoil with the proud.  The proud (Hebrew word "ge'eh") are not just proud and haughty - they are those whose pride is bringing the Lord Himself to a point of desiring to judge them.  Granted, they are getting the spoil - which meant money and things - but at what cost?  The idea of spoil means that they are fighting or warring against another.  The spoil was what was left over after they had wiped out their enemies.  The proud conquer their opposition, and then rise up and take their stuff afterwards.  Their advancement does not come by trusting the Lord - but by dominating and destroying their competition.  They leave in their wake a large number of people who are either ruined or are so dominated that they surrender what is theirs to their conquerors.  True, they may have a lot of money, a lot of stuff, and victories to their credit - but they also have God as their adversary.  God watches all this and burns with anger - responding to their pride and arrogance by promising a recompense that may not come today - but it is surely coming.  When you consider this, seeing that even though they have victories and spoils, they come at far too high a price, the judgment of God - you also see why it is better to be with the humble and even oppressed than with this crew who are one day going to face the wrath of God.

He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. Proverbs 22:16

How we treat the poor says a great deal about our heart.  There is one thing God is very clear about throughout the Word of God - and that is that He desires for us to care for the poor in our society.  One thing I need to differentiate before I continue is that God also makes a clear distinction between the poor and the lazy.  Too often we view the poor as anyone who does not have enough - whereas God describes them as those who do not have enough, but who are that way not because they refuse to work.  By saying this I am not saying that everyone who is poor is unwilling to work - but I am saying that among those who do not have enough are far too many who are that way because either they won't work - or because their lifestyle choices (i.e. alcohol, drugs, laziness) is what is the cause of their need.  That being said, I want to turn to this proverb and make a few comments.

The one who oppresses the poor to make more for himself is odious to God.  The word "more" here is actually the word for having much.  This person is abusing the poor not because he wants to make a living - but because he wants to be wealthy.  His desire to have much drives him to not see people - all he sees is money.  The word "oppress" has the idea of extorting money from someone.  It also is used to speak of those who cheat their workers out of their wages.  There is an acceptable way to earn a large amount of money in a business, but to do so on the backs of workers who are not paid properly is not the way to do this.  God will not bless such a man. 

The second warning here is for those who give to the rich.  These people shut their hearts to the poor - but instead give to a rich man to curry favor with him.  They do so as little more than a sycophant who is wanting by his gifts to have the rich man give him something in the end.  The Scriptures say that such a practice will only come to poverty in the end.  There may be a temporary return for such a man's wicked investment, but in the end such practices only last as long as the gifts keep coming.  Let someone else offer a larger or more impressive gift and the rich man will turn to him, forgetting the poor schlub who gave him a lesser gift last year. 

Our money belongs to God - and He desires that we use it wisely.  This means that we do business honestly and wisely.  Giving gifts to customers is not ungodly when the gifts are given with a true sense of gratefulness for their patronage.  Being wise with wages so that a business continues to make a profit is not ungodly either.  What the Lord is seeking to get across to us here is that when we do business and make a bigger bottom line our god - we are going to wind up serving money rather than God.  When God blesses our bottom line, He wants us to always remember the poor.  To forget them and see the rich as the only ones who can continue to bless us is to ultimately forget God - Who is the ultimate One to honor and please for future prosperity and blessing.

 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.