A fool's lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for blows.  A fool's mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul. Proverbs 18:6-7

Our mouth can be a source of blessing or our downfall.  For the fool the latter is more the case.  His mouth is a means of trouble, strife, and eventually ruin.  Let's try to learn from him today and avoid the things that happens when a fool is speaking.

First we learn that a fool's lips bring strife.  The idea here is that when a fool opens his lips to speak - along with his speaking comes strife.  Evidently the fool is itching for a fight because that is what takes place after he speaks.  His mouth calls for blows.  The fool is the one who always has to have the last word - and that word is usually highly offensive to those who hear it.  You watch the fool escalate his statements from offensive to provocative.  He provokes those around him to the point where their anger is boiling over.  He enrages people with the way he speaks - and the end of it all is blows - a fist fight.  Rather than walk away from a growing tension, the fool throws gasoline on the fire and stokes it in every way he can.  He does not have the ability to let an insult go - and just walk away.  He has to one up the person who insulted him by offering an even greater insult.  Actually, the fool usually is the one who starts all this - almost as if he or she is wanting the fight. 

At the core of all this is pride.  The fool is filled with it.  As I said earlier he can never let something go.  Anything said requires his provocative response.  He loves contention and controversy.  He loves quarrelling and disputes.  He thrives on hostilities and his words invite them constantly.  A wise man knows how to calm people with his responses.  The fool only inflames them.  No wonder that in the end we watch him punching and being punched as the fight erupts.

The next verse continues this thought.  The fool's mouth is his ruin - and his lips are continually snaring his soul.  The word ruin is the Hebrew word "mehittah" which means destruction, ruin, and terror.  The root word for "mehittah" is "hatat" which means to be broken or afraid.  The fool thinks he is bringing himself honor or at least respect when he won't take anything from anyone else.  He thinks he is standing up for himself and that all others will know he is not someone with whom you want to tangle.  But the opposite is true.  His mouth is not bringing him respect, it is bringing him ruin.  His mouth is a continuous source of terror for his life.  He is constantly in danger because of his big mouth.  He keeps opening it and getting himself in trouble.  He says that he wants to stay out of trouble - at least that is what he tells the officer each new time he is arrested - at least that is what he says when he stands before the judge again and again - but his mouth is a snare for him.  He speaks out for himself and in doing so sets another trap directly in front of himself to step into.  We would consider a man the ultimate fool if he set a bear trap and then stepped into it - but that is what the fool does with his mouth all the time. 

Let me offer an example from real life.  We read of sports figures who are constantly getting in trouble.  It seems that they go from one altercation to another - in and out of a courtroom as if they were walking through a revolving door.  Why does this happen?  A lot of it happens because they have the mouth of a fool - and they use it in the company of other fools.  Where do they go regularly?  They go to bars and clubs.  What happens to them - they run into other fools whose minds are dulled by alcohol.  When they do some fool (either one at the bar or they themselves) opens their mouth in typical drunken arrogant fashion.  Feeling "dissed" they then "bow-up" in pride and let their foolish mouth run free.  Of course when you get two drunken fools like this together the escalation is not only going to happen - it is going to happen quickly.  More foolish words are exchanged as they trash talk one another and, you got it, a fight breaks out betwen them.  In recent years we've added to the fist fights - fools who carry guns with them into bars and other places - and someone becomes angry enough to shoot someone else.  Then we get the court case where any normal person would be send away for their crime - but in the case of the rich, spoiled athlete - some deal is cut to let him continue to entertain us with his physical prowess.  We never think about the damage done to our children who unfortunately are taught to idolize these fools - and who follow in their footsteps. 

Our mouths are incredibly powerful things.  James says that our tongue's can set the course of our lives on fire - and that they can be set on fire by hell itself.  That is why we need to learn things like humility, patience, and restraint.  It is also why we need to be wise and to avoid the company of fools whose mouths continually snare their souls.  Let your mouth be filled with the Word of God - with gracious and kind words - and with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Let your mouth become the instrument that brings you blessing - not the tool which the devil, working unhindered through your flesh, uses to bring you to ruin.

Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, Much less are lying lips to a prince. Proverbs 17:7

Here is a proverb we all wish our elected officials would read each time we have an election.  How interesting an election it would be to watch all our our candidates speak the truth.  It would be viewed as a joke to speak of those seeking election as truthful men.  One joke I've heard asks, "How do you know when a politician is lying?"  The answer is, "When his lips are moving."  That give us all that we need to know that this proverb would be such a blessing if it were heeded by those who seek elective office.

We would not expect excellent speech out of a fool.  The very character and nature of the fool lets us know that we should not be expecting the most wise of statements from him.  When I listen to most comediens, I'm not expecting much more than foolishness.  I don't listen to them expecting to hear stirring oratory - or amazing statements that I will never forget.  The fact that this person is a fool pretty much means that expecting anything but foolish and ignorant talk will only lead to disappointment.

The second half of this proverb though helps us to see what God wants in our leaders.  Lying lips are not fitting for a prince.  Those who lead us ARE to have character and integrity.  Too often we've listened to the lies that godless politicians tell us when they say that we should not expect them to lead by example.  We are told that they don't have to have character - they don't have to speak the truth.  They don't need to be faithful to their wives. They don't need to have any integrity.  Yet the facts of Scripture tell us that it is not fitting for princes to lie.  It is not a good thing to have leaders who have no integrity.  We should expect them to speak the truth.  Think with me for a moment and realize that we have a serious problem in our government today.  We have leaders who are expected to lie to us.  We shouldn't put up with this - but should demand that we have people of character and integrity in Washington.  Imagine with me what it would be like to have truth spoken in our capitol.  Imagine laws based on something other than people trying to be elected again - laws based on what is best and what is ultimately needed and true.  This is why we should remove liars from our government and replace them with men and women of integrity.  We need to see restored once again the idea that it is NOT FITTING for our leaders - our princes to lie! 

Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice. Proverbs 16:8

One of the things that personally grieves me as a pastor and as a believer is the focus of the health, wealth, and prosperity movement.  Their focus is too often on how God wants us to be rich and wealthy - and too little on how God wants to make us holy and His above all things.  This particular proverb let us know that a little with righteousness is something to be desired.

It is better to have just a little if we have God's righteousness.  This statement is not glorifying being poor.  It is saying that if the choice is between having a little and God's ways - or having a lot and injustice and ungodliness - the choice for little is far better.  The "little" mentioned here is just that - a small amount.  But the righteousness speaks of doing righteous acts and deeds.  It refers to the possibility that doing the right thing might even cost us.  But if it does - it is better to embrace God's ways and doing right than to have the wealth and prosperity that might come if we set God's ways aside. 

To have great income, yet to have injustice, is a mistake of monumental proportions.  There are too many who sell their souls to make a buck.  There are even more who do this if a large amount of money is involved.  But there is no amount of money on earth that merits selling your integrity and your godliness.  Some would not even think of selling themselves if it is a little money - but would seriously consider it if the amount would make them rich.  But think of this before you consider doing this.  A prostitute is a prostitute whether she sells herself for a little or for a million dollars.  The fact that she would sell her purity and be a prostitute is the key fact - all else is just a matter of setting the price.  When we sell our integrity for any amount, we simply prove that we are not people of integrity and honor.  After that fact has been established everything afterward is simply negotiating the price. 

Hold fast to the Lord - and to your integrity as a believer.  There is nothing worth selling out that one wonderful thing.  Realize that there is no asking price for who you truly are.  To do so would be to infinitely cheapen something that cannot be regained once you give it up for something.  Therefore - even if you have to be poor as a result - keep your integrity and a righteous direction in life.  There is a wealth that consists of integrity and honor that no amount of moeny on earth will ever restore or merit.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge, But the hearts of fools are not so. Proverbs 15:7

In life there are those we meet that just spread knowledge that is helpful to our souls.  What a wonderful thing it is to meet such a men or woman.  They are like an oasis in the midst of our wicked and perverse generation.  It is a delight to talk to them - but even more of a delight to listen to what they share.  This is the kind of person Proverbs speaks of today.  Let's look more at what this today as we examine Proverbs 15:7.

The lips put forth words that reveal what is in the heart.  Here we see clearly that the wise have knowledge stored up in their hearts while the fool is devoid of it.  The word for "spread" is very descriptive.  It is an agricultural word that speaks of how a farmer goes into the field and scatters and disperses seed by casting it out on the ground.  The wise man is taking every opportunity to cast out the seed so that it can bear a harvest later.  Thus the wise man takes the opportunity to put out God's Word for a harvest that will come later in life. 

The wise man spreads knowledge.  He spreads learning but his learning is not just head knowledge or uselessh information.  He is spreading the kind of knowledge that leads to discernment, insight, and notion.  Let's look at these three words for a moment to gain insight on what the wise man is spreading.  When we have discernment we are learning to distinguish between two things that differ.  We need to know the difference between good and evil, God's will and the world's mindset, the flesh and the Holy Spirit's work in our lives.  The wise see things from God's perspective thus they can help us to learn the subtle and not so subtle differences between what is of God and what is not of God.  They also help us gain insight.  This word means exactly what it says, in-sight.  It is seeing into things and realizing there is usually more to things that just their outward appearance.  God says that man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart.  Therefore if we are going to see things as He does, we will need to see into the heart of a situation.  The last word is notion.  There's a word that we don't use much any more.  Webster defines notion as an conception or impression of something.  A notion can also be that conception or impression carried out to a theory or belief about a person, thing, etc.  When we speak of the notions we receive from the knowledge of the wise man - these are not just the notions of an average person - but they are notions, beliefs, theories, conceptions and impressions gained from Scripture and from the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  To have a notion based on these things is to gain a way of looking at life - a theolry about people - about the world around you - but one gained from a biblical worldview. 

The proverb finishes with the fact that the heart of a fool is not like the wise man.  He does not offer knowledge to others.  He does not spread seed that will sprout and bring a godly harvest of righteousness and peace.  His seed is filled with his own foolish notions, theories, and conceptions of life.  Since these are governed by his own sinful nature - and by the world around him (remember and think a fallen world that rejects God's revelation and authority) they are useless.  These things will bring about a harvest of foolishness and harm. 

How wonderful it is when we can surround ourselves with wise men and women.  How marvelous it is that in our society and with our electronic capabilities we can expose ourselves to great men and women of God - actually hearing them speak - hearing them spread the seed of God's wisdom and Word to us.  The truly wise person will seek to be in the range of their voices.

The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools is deceit. Proverbs 14:8

Are you more concerned about your own actions or the actions of others?  Today's proverb offers us some pretty heady stuff about the way a wise man thinks about things in life.  There is great wisdom for us today if we will open ourselves to what God has to say to us.

Here we read that the sensible man has wisdom.  To be sensible is to be shrewd and prudent.   So a prudent man has wisdom to offer to us today.  That wisdom is this, to understand one's own way.  It is wise to be able to understand ourselves.  This word, "understand" means to discern and perceive.  The one who understands himself pays attention to what he himself does.  He watches himself far more than he does others.  This is not a selfish thing - but rather a desire to grasp why one does the things they do.  This man takes a close look at where his actions and attitudes lead him.  He looks at his own way - but only so that he can understand where he has gotten himself.  He then uses this information for the purpose of change and growth.  He studies himself to gain wisdom on how an attitude change - a change in actions - a change in how he speaks - can help him to be a better person.  In the context of the Bible - he also does this so he can walk with God more closely and honor Him better in all that he does.  He examines himself, considers himself, and after doing this he considers what is right - what is his duty and his responsibility - and then he goes about doing it regardless of what others say or do.

This wise man wants to know his own way because he fully grasps that he is the only one he can change.  He is not quick to blame others and fault others for his problems.  He takes responsibility for himself.  This is one of the best ways to improve your mental health.  If you are forever blaming everyone else for your problems, you will rarely change - and - you will be filled with bitterness and unforgiveness.  You will view yourself as a perennial victim of others.  The sum total of who you are will only be what others have done to you.  You will think that your own actions don't matter - or have real consequences because you see all your problems as someone else's fault.  Oh, and by the way, you will also be a fool who lacks any real wisdom.

The foolishness of fools is deceit.  This is the second half of this proverb.  The fool is focused on deceit.  Simply put, the fool lies.  He lies to others.  He does not want to understand his own way - because he is too busy making up what he would like his own way to be.  He seeks to manipulate others - not himself.  He uses lies and deceit to dupe others into believing he really is not responsible for his own actions.  When caught in a lie - he will use another lie to get out of his difficult circumstances.  Most of all, he lies to himself.  Every bad thing that happens is someone else's fault.  Every problem is due to someone else.  His shortcomings are the fault of others who did not do enough to equip and train him properly.  He will never change because he honestly does not see the need for it in his own conduct.  If others had only done their part, his actions or words or laziness or inactivity would not have mattered.  In the end, though, people grow tired of his blame game.  Figuring he is either not worth dealing with - or - incapable of being honest with himself - they turn away from him. 

Two men are pictured here.  One sees no fault in himself and turns to deceit to deal with his problems.  The other man is prudent - he turns to look closely at himself.  As he looks he seeks to understand how his own actions, attitudes, and words affect what happens to him.  One man will fail while the other succeeds.  One man will forever be blaming others while the other will receive encouragement to change.  One will walk the way of fools while the other will live a life of godly wisdom.

When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of strong men perishes. Proverbs 11:7

The true test of a man and his choices is how he dies.  More accurately it is what happens to him after he dies.  That is what this proverb addresses today.

When a wicked man dies - everything dies with him.  He has no expectations beyond this world.  During his life he lived for the things of this world - and now that he is dead - he has to face the fact that he lost everything at the moment he died.  You leave it ALL behind.  The wicked man's expectation was centered in this world.  He bet his entire life that this was all that there is - that there is no afterlife.  He figured that all he did will speak for him on that day. 

The fact is that the moment the wicked man dies - things will never get any better than the moment before his death.  Any good perishes the moment he perishes.  All that he can look forward to from that moment on is the wrath of God.  Jesus spoke to the rich man who was in torment in flame after death.  He reminded him that he received his good things in this life.  He rejected God - rejected serving God - and rejected living for God rather than for his own selfish agenda.  He bet that God did not exist - that heaven was just a state of mind - that judgment day was just a device used by Christian preaches to get people to walk down the aisle at church.  He was radically wrong!  God is real - and He is holy and just.  The strong man and the complete weakling are identical before the throne of God.  The strong man does not want to humble himself before the Lord.  But no matter what he does - his hope and his expectation perish before the Lord. 

There are times when we can learn from the wicked.  The first two funerals I ever did were for two people who were lost.  As I worked through the service - I felt completely helpless and unable to offer a lot of hope for those who had died.  This was because the hope and expectation of the wicked perish when they do.  When death made its play for them they lost everything.  The lesson I learned from them was to be prepared for the ultimate loss of all earthly things.  Death will rob a wicked man of everything he owns and everything he has hoped for in life.  I learned that I need to live for things that last beyond the grave.  I need to live for the spiritual reality that will continue throughout eternity.  I need to be prepared to die - and to have an expectation that goes beyond my trip to the funeral hope and graveyard.  Jesus promises life eternal - a reward that goes beyond the grave.  The wise man . . . places his hope and expectation in Jesus Christ.

The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot. Proverbs 10:7

What kind of memories come to mind when you hear the following names.  Take a moment and remember Billy Graham.  Now take a moment and remember Adolf Hitler.  That brief exercise has just proven the proverb that we will examine today.

Proverbs tells us that the memory of the righteous is blessed.  God is not saying that the righteous will have a great memory - but rather when people remember the righteous they will do so with a smile on their face and good things in their heart.  Godly people not only die well - they also are remembered well.  Billy Graham is nearing the day when he will go to be with the Lord.  I can promise you that on the day our brother goes to be with Jesus, the memory of who he is and what he has done in the Lord will be a blessing to millions.  I remember a scene from the movie, "Chariots of Fire."  It was at the very close of the movie.  Two men are remembered for the lives that they lived.  The first was Harold Abrahams, a sprinter who won a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics.  He was a determined man who lived for that medal.  When he died some rememebered him as a great sprinter - but Abrahams was not known for his graciousness or great soul.  The second man was Eric Liddell, a scotsman, who won gold in the 400, a race many thought he would compete in poorly.  Liddell was supposed to be in the 100, but chose not to compete as it would make him do so on a Sunday, something that was against his own religious convictions.  After the Olympics Liddell went to China as a missionary where he was dearly loved by the Chinese during his ministry there.  The movie spoke of the day Liddell died with these words, "All Scotland mourned."  When that godly man went to be with the Lord - all of Scotland mourned his death - and remembered his life with great joy.  The memory of the righteous is blessed!  That is the case with men like Liddell - but it is also the case with much lesser known men.  Being a pastor, I've watched it again and again at funerals. 

My third funeral, after I did two for lost people, was for a precious 90+ year old woman who loved the Lord with all her heart.  She never raced in the Olympics or went to China as a missionary.  She just lived in a small Arkansas community and loved Jesus and those around her all her life.  When she died it was such a precious thing to hear from all those who knew her.  They spoke glowingly of her commitment to Christ and the way that she lived for God's glory as she gave herself to those around her.  Indeed her memory was blessed that day - and many afterward.

But let us turn to Mr. Hitler.  Just that name causes people to cringe.  Over the years - the rot of that name continues to cast a putrid shadow over history.  Adolf Hitler's name will rot throughout all time.  He was a wicked man who lived for his own power and conquest.  After World War II we learned of his horrific efforts to exterminate an entire race of people.  There are few if any who have any kind thoughts toward this man - and those who do usually share his twisted philosophy of a master race.  His name will live in infamy and shame for what he did. 

So, what kind of memory will you create when your days are done?  Will you live for righteousness and godliness?  Will you live for Christ and His kingdom with a selfless, self-emptying passion that drives you to bless all those around you?  Or will you give yourself to more selfish and self-centered pursuits.  Will you embrace wickedness instead of righteousness.  What you choose in life will determine how you will be remembered in death.  Choose life - choose godliness - choose the path of the righteous that is like the light of dawn, shining brighter till the noon day.  If you do this you will leave a memory that will delight the hearts of those who think of you and your works - even long after you have left this life for life eternal.