A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish.
Proverbs 19:9 The battle had not gone well that day. Many of Israel's fighters had fallen on the field. A young Amalekite watched as the king of Israel struggled to stay on his feet. It was evident from the shafts of the arrows sticking out of his body that he had been hit by the archers and would not survive the day. As the events unfolded before his eyes - he watched as Israel's king then took his own sword and fell upon it - then he watched the king's armor bearer do the same. He was horrified as this took place - knowing that this battle was about to be lost badly. But he also saw an amazing opportunity as his eyes became fixed on the crown that lay only inches from the king's fallen body. He quickly rushed to the king and scooped up the crown - put it in his satchel and fled to the rear of the conflict. As he ran that day visions of grandeur filled his mind. He knew exactly where he was going. He headed for David's camp - for he had heard many speak of David's exploits. "This one will be king some day, mark my words!" Those were the words he had heard from a commander of a hundred who had later defected to David. He smiled a wicked smile as he weaved a web of deceit that would tell the king how he himself had helped the king - and now was bringing his crown to the heir apparent. His plan was completed in his head just about the moment that he reached the outskirts of the camp. He immediately was stopped by a sentry who asked his business. "I have news of the battle for David," was his reply. He did not miss that the sentry noticed the crown just inside his satchel. Seeing that expedited the process whereby he could see the future king. His mind raced with all that would be done for him. He would be rich and influential at last. All it would cost him was one little lie. He related his story to David. Israel had fled in battle, defeated before the Philistines. Then David asked of the welfare of the king. He related his falsehood - making it seem that he was being merciful by killing Saul in battle. Now he had come to bring David the crown. David's response was anything but what he was expecting. He was horrified by the defeat of his nemesis. Wasn't Saul the one who was chasing him around the wilderness? Wasn't Saul the one who supposedly threw a spear at this young man - more than once. The Amalekite's horror was far worse though when he heard David ask why he was not afraid to stretch out his hand against the Lord's annointed? Before he could answer, one of the young men who attended David unsheathed his sword and came toward him. His lie did not yield him riches or position - unless one meant the wealth of pain and the position of a fool as he felt the glinted steel pierce his chest. He was not exalted for his news - but struck down. As his life ebbed from his body he felt the dust from his fall settling around his face. The only reward he had received was that of the death of a fool who thought he could advance himself through lies and deceit. Solomon surely heard this story from his father, David. Punctuated by this very truth he knew that a false witness will be punished. He will be punished when the web of his own deceit is exposed. How often had he seen this before his very eyes as he experienced it himself - and watched others caught by their own web - rather than catching the ones they intended to mislead. The liar will pay the penalty of his lies. And if he persists in them - if he continuously lies to others, as this proverb states, he will perish. The one who remains a liar - whose very life is defined by being a false witness - will spend eternity along with the one whose main descriptor is "the father of lies." Lying will get you somewhere. It will get you destruction and devastation for all eternity with the devil himself - the ultimate false witness - the ultimate liar.
0 Comments
He also who is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys. Proverbs 18:9
Today we are going to be encouraged in our work ethic by God. There is a reason they call it the "protestant work ethic." It is because it came from protestants teaching the Scriptures to their people. Actually it should not be called the protestant work ethic, but rather the "Biblical work ethic." Either way, let's take a look at it today. Solomon warns against a man who is "slack" in his work. The word slack here is the Hebrew word, "rapah" and it means to relax, to cease and desist from doing something. It refers to one who is weak in his will to do something and thus it came to refer to those who were lazy in mind and in body. The warning is against becoming this way in reference to one's work. God wants us to work hard. Some think work is part of the curse, but it is not. God commanded Adam to work the garden before the fall. The difference after the fall was that the garden would now have weeds for the first time. Work would now be far harder than it had ever been before. Now it was labor - it was difficult to do things that would have been far easier before. There was also another problem. After the fall of man into sin, we were also rebellious. We no longer want to do what God wants us to do. Thus we have a double problem of work being harder - and us not wanting to work at all. But Solomon lets us know that the one who is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. We have more at stake here than just the possibility that someone may think we are lazy. The meaning of destroy here is interesting. It means to spoil or ruin something. The idea is that of corrupting something, perverting it - and thus ruining it. When you have people who do not want to work - they are brother to those who ruin things. Let me illustrate with our current state of things in the business world. We have a climate today where people do not want to work hard at what they do. There are more people who think that they deserve a paycheck, just if they show up to work. They deserve a job, they deserve a paycheck, they deserve health care - they deserve everything - but not necessarily for the reason of having worked hard for it. We are overflowing with rights - but "underflowing" with work ethic. That has led to situation where too many don't work hard - or work with excellence in the workplace. It has led to unions demanding more and more pay for less and less work. They demand more rights, more days off, more benefits - but they are not producing more and more products. The result of this is that our products cost more and more - and we are less and less competitive with other countries whose labor costs much less. The union only cares about getting more from the company - and not about whether the company can compete. The end of all this is plants closing and companies going out of business - because work ethic is pitiful, but demands are high. I know that there are other factors as well such as businesses not making wise decisions and greed - but then again what is this but executives being slack in their work as well. The proverb tells us that the one slack in his work is a brother to one who destroys. There are growing numbers of those who are slack in their work in our workforce - and shock of shocks - our businesses and industries are being destroyed. I've talked with godly men who own businesses and their statement to me is that their greatest problem is finding people who will actually work. What is saddest to hear is that they feel this way even about the Christians that they hire. This is not universal - but it is at what I believe epidemic levels in our society. No small wonder then that we are also at historic levels of unemployment - or at least levels that are rivaling our worst economic situations of the past. God desires for us to work hard. For those of us who know Jesus Christ we have a wonderful opportunity before us. Since the world is losing its work ethic, we will stick out and look much different than the world if we work hard. Thus we have an opportunity to be a strong witness in our actions, which will lead to an opportunity for us to share our commitment to Christ. It will give us opportunity to share why we still have a strong work ethic. It is because we know Jesus Christ. May we be known no longer as ones who are brothers to him who destroys. Instead may we be known as the brothers who build up - and bless. A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding Than a hundred blows into a fool. Proverbs 17:10
God gave me a wonderful man who has a heart after Him to be my mentor. His name is John Dale Rector. John Dale spent 3 years of his life teaching and training me in the things of the Lord. He taught by precept and by example. He also had his hands full as I was a proverbial bull in a china shop with my zeal that lacked wisdom. Thus John Dale had to spend more than his fair share of time rebuking me for my excesses. Thus he taught me a very important verse of Scripture and had me memorize it early in my walk with the Lord. The verse says, "Let a righteous man strike me, it is a kindness." That particular verse has a lot to do with what today's proverb has to teach us. I am an advocate for both verbal and corporal punishment. There is a time for rendering blows to fools. One of those times in during childhood where the responsibility of the parent is to train up a child in the way he should go. It is a time where through loving discipline (which includes spanking) a parent seeks to teach a child what he should and should not do. The parent is not trying to dominate the child or to crush his spirit. The parent IS seeking to help a child grasp what is acceptable and unacceptable to God and to society. But the end of that corporal punishment is to train a child to be a young man or woman who knows two things. First he or she knows how to accept rebuke from the Spirit of God. This happens as he or she is walking through life and about to make un ungodly or unwise decision. The Spirit of God then rises up within to remind of Scripture, to offer correction and guidance with the Word. Some times the Spirit just activates our conscience and we are smitten with a bad sense or feeling - or we just know that what we are about to do, or have done, is wrong. What we desire to do with our children (and in training disciples in the church) is to have them be responsive to that rebuke - to that warning from within. The second way that a parent and discipler wants to train up their charge is to have them be responsive to people who come to them with a word of rebuke. It would be wonderful if everyone who offered such rebuke were being constructive with it - but we all know that is a perfect world and not the real one. The truth is that even non-constructive criticism can be beneficial to us. Therefore we want to be open to all rebuke. The wise thing is to receive the rebuke and be thankful for it. Then take it to the Lord and ask Him to confirm what is in agreement with what He is doing through the Word of God. Then take what God affirms and use it to grow into all the fullness of Jesus Christ in our character and actions. This is how to allow rebuke to go deep within us - rather than just bounce off of us as we reject it outright. The Scripture tells us that in order for this to happen, we have to be one who has "understanding." This is the ability to discern and perceive truth from error - right from wrong - God from the flesh and the world - the work of the Holy Spirit from the work of the devil. We discern an pay attention to what God saying to us. Because of this we truly understand the will of God - and grow wiser because we have learned to see things from His perspective. The proverb tells us that this ability to receive rebuke and understanding from goes deeper into us than a hundred blows into a fool. An interesting thing is that God instructed not to give corporal punishment beyond 39 blows at any time. There is the penalty of imprisonment and even the death penalty that is applied by the state to crimes against society. But God knows that a hundred blows as opposed to 39 would not bring wisdom and understanding into a fool. There is a point where no amount of corporal punishment is effective. The fool rejects all of it - verbal rebuke as well as any kind of physical punishment. Thus we know that all that is left to us is intercessory prayer that God will ultimately break the fool and open his heart to begin to understand. When I read this proverb, I am thankful to those whom God uses to offer rebuke into my life. Let me be perfectly honest that often it is hard to receive the rebuke - and yes, it hurts. But those who wound us can be healers. Remember that when a surgeon does his work he has to injure us before he can take out the cancer that will kill us. We consider the incision made by his knife a good thing - because it is ultimately working healing into our lives. Remember that the next time you receive some verbal surgery through a brother or sister in Christ who loves you. Those words will bring blessing into your life if you receive them and allow God to work through them. If it is hard to remember that - just remember this instead. I'd rather have some verbal surgery - than a hundred blows on my back! POSTSCRIPT: Recently, individuals have quoted articles from this section and stated that we teach child abuse at Calvary Chapel Jonesboro. To this I feel the need to respond. First, biblically, we are told that if we have a problem with our brother to go to our brother - not the internet - and confront our brother. To date, these individuals have yet to contact me to discuss these things. That should say volumes in itself. Second, we do not teach child abuse at our fellowship. This blog is an endeavor to teach what is in the Bible for the edification and upbuilding of God's people. Anyone who has been to our fellowship knows that in our classrooms we administer NO physical discipline. We correct with words and with "time outs" and eventually with a report to parents. From our nursery throughout every age group our people are instructed NEVER to administer physical discipline. We believe this right alone belongs to a parent. Even then we teach the following about any application of physical discipline. Discipline is about the heart of a child. Physical or corporal punishment is ONLY to be administered in a spirit of love for the child. Teaching and loving verbal correction is key - as is prayer for the child's eventual salvation in Jesus Christ. Any physical punishment administered due to anger or rage is out of line and wrong. The parent is to discipline the child with appropriate discipline - not abuse. In the end the child should be taught - and in every circumstance hugged, loved, and prayed with after any physical punishment to assure them of our love. The idea of a "beating" is completely out of step with what the Scriptures are teaching. Instead the idea of loving discipline is intended. A divine decision is in the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment. Proverbs 16:10
Here is a verse that was greatly misused by kings and rulers throughout the middle or dark ages. They would slightly misquote this passage and state that they had what is called, "the divine right of kings." This they then used to rule over people in a way that was totally contrary to what Scripture stated. Let's look at this issue - but also look at a balanced view of rulers and how God uses them in a nation to accomplish His purposes. The misquote here was due to how the King James version rendered this verse. The KJV reads, "A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; his mouth transgresseth not in judgment." This was taken as meaning that the king cannot make an error in judgment - and that since a divine decision was in his mouth - he could not make mistakes. This bad doctrinal view was then used to state that no matter how wicked or ungodly a king was - his was a divine rite from God. The king was not to be questioned in any decision he made therefore, because it was God's decision when he said it. One can see how this bad exigesis led to horrific abuses by leaders. One can also see why so much resentment brewed toward the Roman Catholic Church because they supported this view. Part of their reasoning behind this was because if the king's decisions were divine, then that gave them the right to say that the church then would have to approve every king - and could depose them if excommunicated. Oh the power that was enjoyed unscripturally by so many who purported to be God's messenger. It was not until the reformation that this began to be corrected - and the divine rite of kings was reigned in by the proper understanding of this verse - as well as the whole counsel of the Word of God. In order to understand this verse, we first need to grasp that Solomon is writing to kings here. The Word of God clearly states that no authority exists except that which is from God. Yet, this does not guarantee that all rulers will be godly or Christian. If that were the case we would have to wonder why God couldn't even get that to happen in Israel and Judah. God is not interested in an earthly kingdom (Jesus said as much in the gospels) but in saving a people for Himself - and for His coming kingdom in heaven. Thus the natural flow of sin and rebellion will even affect the social institutions of this world and the governments that rule over the affairs of men. When Israel rejected God from being king over them - and cried out for a king, "like all the other nations," God warned them what this would bring. He warned them of the excesses and the danger of having one "man" over them. As a man, this king was just as affected by sin as anyone else. This is why God also instructed the king to write out a copy of the Law by hand - so that he would be reminded to obey the Lord and do according to everything that was written in God's Law. We read about all this in 1 Samuel 8 and Deuteronomy 17. The reason this is important for us to understand is that God knew they would ask for a king - and therefore he gave command before it ever happened how the king was to live - what was allowed and what was forbidden. When you read through Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, you see clearly where the kings veered off God's course and subsequently turned evil. At this point the king was still in authority - but his actions were clearly outside of God's will. Thus for someone to quote this proverb and say that a king could never err in judgment or in what he says is patently outside the scope of Scripture. What is actually said here is that a divine decision is in the lips of the king and that he SHOULD NOT ERR in judgment. Solomon knew that great power came with the title of king. That power had tremendous consequences for individuals - but much more than that - for the future of an entire nation. He may have remembered the case of the two harlots who came before him. They argued over which of their babies had died, and which was alive. God gave Solomon great wisdom as he commanded that the living baby should be cut in half and a half given to each women. One agreed, while the other who was the real mother, had compassion on her child and said to give it to the other woman rather than killing it. Solomon, filled with the wisdom of God, knew that the compassion of the one woman showed that it was her child. He then gave the command to give it to her - for it was her child. Everyone was amazed at this decision and knew God's wisdom was in him. In many ways this strengthened his power and authority among the people. They knew God was with him - and that he ruled with great caution to make the right decisions. But Solomon also knew of his sins - how his heart was drawn away by foreign women. God commanded that His people not do this - because these women would turn them away from God to their false gods. Solomon ignored this command and did his own thing. He erred in judgment. The end of this was the eventual destruction of Israel. The more they turned from God the greater the judgment fell upon the nation. Truly as king he should not have erred in judgment. Every leader on this earth should have this verse etched into his psyche. We have those today who say that there should be a separation of church and state. I agree with them if they mean that Congress should not establish a national denomination - or a national church run according to the dictates of the government. But what they have done is enforce the establishment clause of the first ammendment, but have completely ignored the fact that there is also a protection clause. They are never to prohibit the free exercise of religion - and our founders meant the Christian religion in particular. They said that a man was not fit to run for office if he was not a Christian. Our founders said that this nation was predicated on our ability to obey the 10 commandments. They knew that if God's Law reigned in our hearts (realizing it needed to rein in our hearts) that a plethora of human laws would not be necessary. We've rejected such things - and as a result - our leaders have rejected God's ways and Word. It really should be no great shock to us that the nation has and is declining. The worst aspect of this is that our president and Congress no longer look to God's Word for leadership. They think that they know what to do from their own thoughts and ways. This can lead no where except to disaster in the end. Our President and Congress need to recapture what is said in this proverb. They have great power - and God tells His people to honor the power of their governing officials. But that power is not absolute. They are under the same Word of God as we are. They should not err in judgment as they rule over the people. When they do, they need to realize that their power is NOT absolute. God, who said we should obey them, is also the One who said that He raises up kings and overthrows them as well. In his divine providence He has seen nations rise up - and others destroyed and humbled. In the end we all will answer to Him. For some He may not do it as quickly as they want, but the fact remains that He ultimately rules over all the affairs of men. If only our current rulers would recognize this - our nation would turn around to a place of blessing under their leadership. But as long as they think they cannot err in their own judgment - we are probably not going anywhere good in our future as a nation. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. Proverbs 15:8
Here we once again have the upright and the wicked contrasted with one another. The scope of this comparison and contrast is in the realm of their religious activities. Thus the focus of the wisdom that God wants to offer to us today is in relation to how we approach Him. Let's take a look and see what we can learn. First thing we read about is the sacrifice of the wicked. There are a couple of things we need to see to understand wisdom in approaching God. First, we see that this man is wicked. Now before you begin to think that I believe we can approach God without sin and wickedness being and issue, know that I believe that man is ruined due to sin. When we approach God to be saved - one of the things we have to know is that we are wicked. We have sinned against God. His commandments should make that clear to us. And it is not just "little slips" of which we are guilty - the 10 commandments alone will convict us of things like adultery, blasphemy, murder, and perjury. That is why we need a Savior! But the wicked in this passage is a wicked man who does not intend to turn from his wickedness. His sacrifice is an abomination to God because it is offered without repentance and a desire to change. It is offered as a religious plattitude - and something to placate God - to have God be satisfied with his little pittance of religion. God considers such religious obligations (without true repentance) to be an abomination. That is why we read in Isaiah chapter one God saying, "What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. "When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? "Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies. I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. "I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. (Isaiah 1:11-14, NASB) If you think that you are tired of dead religious activities, think about how God feels about them. Israel had become a group of people all about their religious observances - and nothing about God. Isaiah later tells them that God wants repentance and a desire to live godly. The sacrifice of the wicked is hated by God because it assumes that our sin means very little. Considering that sin required the death on the cross of the Son of God - the shedding of His blood - the crushing of His body - God does not like it at all when we think lightly about our sin. When we get so religious that we feel that our religious practices done without any heart or repentance whatsoever are sufficient to placate the wrath of God - God is angry. He sees such things as an absolute abomination to Him. Wisdom therefore is seeing the emptiness of mere religious observance. As God taught Samuel, we are not to look at the outward appearance of things. Man judges like that, but God judges by what is in the heart. There is another who approaches God in this proverb. He is the upright man - and he offers the prayer of the upright to God. The Lord God delights in such prayers. But what is the prayer of the upright? In order to understand this we might want to look at a New Testament passage. In the gospels Jesus relayed a story of a Pharisee and a Publican. The Pharisee was of the spirit of the first part of this proverb. His was the prayer of the wicked. He stood before God and prayed to himself. Actually, he was praying to his god - because as a thoroughly wicked man who thought only of himself and loved himself dearly - he was his own god. As he prayed to himself, he mentioned all the great things he had done - religious things. He thanked God in the midst of his long list of righteous acts that he was nothing like the Publican who was near him. He spoke with great disdain of him - and how his own works made him so much better than the poor man who was bowed before God next to him. We learn from Jesus that this Pharisee went home unrighteous - unjustified. He was lost and His prayer was an abomination to God. The Publican had a far different prayer. He had the prayer of the upright. He bowed before God, not even desiring to lift his head. As he tried to formulate words - he could only do so as he beat his own chest. He cried out for God to have mercy upon him - a sinner. Jesus instructs us that this man is the one who had the prayer of the upright in his mouth and heart. Jews in that day would have been horrified by this description. They would cry foul at the thought of a publican being called upright . . . ever. The Pharisee was the religious man of the hour! He was the equivalent to an evangelist or a pastor in our day. The publican . . . well the publican was nothing more than scum - a traitor - a turncoat and a thief! Surely Jesus was mistaken. But it was the Jews who were so mistaken. God is not calling this person upright who is praying. He is calling the prayer of this person upright. It was not the person who prayed being called upright because something in him made the prayer upright. It was the nature of the prayer that made the person upright. There was a brokenness about this prayer - a turning from sin - a coming to God empty and hopeless in self. He was not playing religion. He was crying out to God for help and for hope. He was not faking a prayer as he complimented himself on how many good things he had done. He was praying that someone would make him good! The Lord hates mere religion. If our hearts are not engaged in our singing and praying, and preaching - He wants no part of it. The Lord delights in the prayer of the man who desires to be upright. He desires this upright standing due to what God does in answer to his cry. He knows he cannot be upright except for God's wonderful mercy and grace. The Lord is always listening for that kind of prayer, that kind of call. When He hears it He answers - and He delights in doing so every time. That is why the truly wise will be careful that their religious observances are always done with a heart to know and to love God. They know that anything short of this will receive God's disdain. The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.
Proverbs 14:10 There are times when a person knows both a bitterness and a joy of soul that cannot be shared among humans. It is not that people do not try to empathize and sympathize with us, they do. It is just that certain experiences and certain things go so deep within us that the only One who can comfort and the only One who can understand is God Himself. The heart knows its own bitterness. There is a pain that we can feel both in our physical realm - but much more - in the spiritual realm that is very deep. It is so deep that we need more than human comfort to deal with it. There are times when we face serious issues (often life threatening issues) that although we are possibly surrounded by human comforters, we need a superhuman comforter. It is in those moments when only God can offer us the comfort that we desperately need. The main reason we know this is because of how God used David to write songs about these moments. Too often we forget that the recording studio that God used to record those songs were times of great suffering, sorrow, and trial. In those moments David expresses a depth of bitterness and sorrow that few have ever touched. He says things to God that make us step back and gasp when we read them. Truly he is in a "bitterness" of soul in the midst of such suffering and trial. And Job reminds us that when a man is suffering his words are like the wind. David is bitter of soul at times in the Psalms, but it is also in those times that he cries out to God with a passion that we may not know either. Remember this, it is those who go the deepest in suffering, sorrow, and struggle - who also know the deepest levels of passion for God. David cries out to God with a bitterness of heart that can only be healed by God Himself. Actually, it is a blessing when God takes us to such depths because often it takes that kind of situation to make us wholly dependent upon Him. We see that, indeed as Jesus has told us in John 15, "without Me you can do nothing." In that moment of complete helplessness we cry out to Him as we've never done before, and we find that He is also, indeed, able to deliver to the uttermost! Thus we come to the second half of this proverb. A stranger does not share its joy. David not only speaks of the bitterness of heart that comes with excruciating trials, he also speaks of the joy of God's deliverance from those trials. After coming through some fairly deep trials and sorrows I've begun to touch the hem of the garment of such joy. Just as I cannot grasp the cries of David in his deepest pain, there is also a tinge of realization as I read the Psalms that I'm not sure I am getting the fullness of His joy either. A stranger to God's deliverance will never share the joy of knowing that God is the One who not only walked in the midst of our firey furnace, but He is the One who kept our clothes from being burned - or even smelling like smoke. Oh, the joy of those who know His working. Oh the joy of those who know when He Who took them into the depths is also the One Who will bring them out again. Oh the joys of the ones who know that He will wound us, but He will also heal us. Oh the delight of soul that comes to the one who knows a depth of pain and bitterness of heart that goes beyond human comfort - but who also knows the only One Who can reach beyond human comprehension - beyond human ability - beyond mere human comfort - and can touch our deepest and most bitter wounds and heal them. May God bring wisdom to you this day, dear saint of God, and may He be your Deliverer and Comforter in your every distress! The light of the righteous rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked goes out. Proverbs 13:9
Here is one of a number of proverbs that we have to understand with the Hebrew mindset in order to get what it is saying. It is imperative to grasp what the words light and lamp mean to get what is being said here. But before you get discouraged and decide to read a different proverb, this one can be understood through a song I learned as a child. The song is sung after sticking your index finger up into the air. If you haven't figured out what song I am referring to, it is the song, "This Little Light of Mine." The light of the righteous rejoices. To a Hebrew light referred to the posterity and prosperity of one's life. These things also were what pointed to the favor of God upon them - by which they enjoyed their prosperity of soul - and by which God guaranteed them a posterity (memory and children) that would be blessed. The righteous man has a light that rejoices. It is a light that shines on and on into the future. This man's life shines brightly with the favor of God. That favor is granted to him because of God's grace - and because he continues in it to choose righteousness rather than sin and godlessness. One older Hebrew writer compared the flickering, dancing light of the candle to this passage. The light of a candle dances as it lights a room - flickering and jumping to offer its illumination to all those around. So also the righteous man joyously walks through life regardless of his circumstances. He shows such a wonderful prosperity of life - and rejoices in all that God does in his life - whether it is what the world would call good or bad circumstances. Paul describes it this way in Romans. God works all things together for good to those who love Him and who live according to His purposes. He rejoices because God has predestined this man to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ! No matter what happens he knows that this process will continue till He sees His Lord. That is the joy and the delight that exists in any disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. The wicked though do not know such prosperity. Proverbs tells us that their lamp goes out. What is interesting to note here is that for the Hebrew a lamp meant more a testimony of their life than anything else. We read of the lamps of the seven churches - and the Lord speaking of their lampstand being removed. Here the wicked are shown to have the most ignoble of ends. They face their lamp going out. They may shine for a while on earth - but in the end there is no light whatsoever. Whereas godly men and women leave a light for years and generations afterward - all the wicked leave us is the legacy of their darkness. Think of the wicked leaders like Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin. Think of their legacy. They ruled for years - but died horrific deaths. Now their very names reek of darkness and evil. This is what awaits those who live for wickedness. One of the most terrifying thoughts is that they will be cast into a lake of fire that will burn for all eternity. But even though it will burn like fire - it is described as outer and utter darkness. The smoke of their torment will go up forever - and yet no light whatsoever will be manifest. Truly their lamp goes out - not just for a moment or a season - forever. Wisdom embraces a life of righteousness and light. Wisdom realizes that such a life, even with its difficult moments far outshines the momentary brightness of the wicked in this world. For us the Scripture holds true. The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter till the full day. That, dear saints of God is our future! A man will be praised according to his insight, But one of perverse mind will be despised. Proverbs 12:8
Good godly Biblical-sense beats out common-sense every day. But what is interesting is that often common-sense, which we too often take for granted, comes from Biblical-sense. We read here that a man will be praised according to his insight. This word "insight" is a great Bible word. The word means to be intelligent and have good sense. But this is an intelligence that means more than just a mere book knowledge on a certain subject. It means an insight and understanding that is the gift of God. We obtain it as we seek God and seek to know God through the way He has revealed Himself through His Word - the Bible. This is why I stated at the beginning of today's post that common-sense actually arises out of Biblical-sense. Since studying Proverbs in depth I've noticed that the counsel that I offer to others has been radically affected. Rather than offer my own fallible insights and thoughts - I quote from Proverbs and Scripture as a source of counsel. By the way, this means it is no longer my counsel - but God's Word. A second "by the way" is in order too. A good counsellor is not always one with a degree or a certificate - but one with a good working knowledge of God's Word and how it speaks to every issue of life. Sorry for the digression, I'll get back to the point. People want that kind of counsel - and they say to me that I have great insight into their problems and situations. When this is said, I laugh and let them know that without the Scriptures I'm as dumb as a stump. Any profit they receive is because of God's grace and the way that "Biblical-sense" has affected my "common-sense." When a man is praised becuase of his insight - it is often due to the fact that He is studying and seeking to apply Scripture to life. My favorite people are my brothers and sisters who are in their 70's and 80's who have studied and sought to live out God's Word their entire adult lives. They are a treasure chest of wisdom and instruction, rebuke and correction, counsel and encouragement, knowledge and discernment. But there is another person out their offering their opinion and counsel. It is the one of "perverse mind." The word "perverse" here means to bend or to twist. It speaks of those who distort things and make them perverse and crooked. This one will be despised according to Proverbs. When we see where their counsel leads us we will hate their advice. The problem is that too often those of "perverse mind" are exalted in our culture. They are the ones who make movies and television shows that exalt sexual impurity. They tell us that a sexually immoral lifestyle is the bomb! We need to try it out and embrace the sexual revolution. What they don't tell us in their movie portrayals is the truth about sexually transmitted diseases, the truth about broken relationships and broken marriages. They speak of the pleasure without the payment - the joy without the judgment. When we finally learn where their perverse counsel has led us - we despise them for it and feel like we've been burned (because we have!). Don't seek out the counsel of the "perverse of mind." Be careful of the way you allow the culture and the world to color your thinking. We don't say it often enough in the church today, but the culture in which we live is a perverse and godless one. When we allow the print media and what is sent out over the airwaves to instruct us (and realize that they usually instruct us through what they call "entertainment") we are being taught by the perverse in mind and heart. Find those who have insight! Search out and locate those who have "Biblical-sense." Their counsel may hurt a little at first (especially if you've spent too much time among the perverse of mind) but in the end you will praise them for their insight and counsel. Don't be surprised though if they blush and defer all praise to the One Who gave us the revelation of Himself in the Bible. In the end, He is actually the One Who has all the wisdom and great insight. But that is because He is God! With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered. Proverbs 11:9
When words fly like daggers through the air you can be assured that you are dealing with a godless man. Ours is a day where it seems that the discourse in society is filled with such things. When you consider things like the news, politics, and the current climate for salcious gossip - it is a wonder that anyone in the public eye can survive it all. Many do not survive it - at least not without serious scars and damage to their character. Of course some, by their actions, deserve the things that are said about them, but others are lampooned and skewered mercilessly without cause. What we read here in today's proverb is that this kind of thing is not new to our particular time - but that there is a way that the righteous can be delivered from such things. The godless man is the one who destroys his neighbor with his mouth. The term godless here refers to a man who is impious, filthy, and godless. The root of this word speaks of how he turns away and wants nothing to do with God. As a result we see in Scripture where one who is like this is morally unclean (Job 13:16) and whose character lacks any of the positive aspects of godliness. Consider the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This man has NONE of these qualities. We also read in Scripture that because of this he often clashes and is in conflict with the righteous. And of course from what we read here, he is cruel to others. This godless man seeks to destroy his neighbor with his mouth. This destruction can be through perverting someone, corrupting them - but the eventual goal is to spoil or ruin or destroy them. I hesitate to use politics as an example, except for the fact that we have watched our political discourse turn so bitterly vicious over the past 10-15 years. I know that some would assert that the political discourse has always been this way. You can read some pretty horrible things that were said about our political leaders in any generation - but - the way in which the two parties want to destroy each other has reached fever pitch in the last couple of decades. The way we speak of our President - whether he is a Republican or Democrat has really reached the level of gutter speech. I was able to vote for the first time in the Reagan election. Since that time I've watch EVERY president treated with greater disdain and with more incidiary rhetoric in the media since then. The goal is no longer to point out bad policy and direction for the country in what is said. The goal now seems to be to utterly destroy the person - and to do so with a scorched earth strategy. We seem oblivious to the fact that regardless of which side of the aisle this person sits - they are still our neighbor. The greater problem that exists here is that what we see carried out in the public eye - is guaranteed to trickle down to the streets of our cities and the homes in which we live. When we tolerate and even participate in the open destruction of our leaders - we will not escape the climate of destructive speech that it creates in our entire society. We should learn from Paul the apostle that we are not to speak evil of a ruler of your people (Acts 23:5). In that situation Paul was being treated wrongly in a trial by none other than the chief priest of Israel. Yet Paul rebuked himself when he responded with words that were not only critical of his actions, but filled with too much vitriol for biblical standards. He caught himself, prompted by the Spirit and the Word, and pulled himself back from the brink of being one who sought to destroy with his mouth. Some might assert that we need to fight fire with fire. When we do this - we only assure that everything will be burnt down in the end. Contrary to the spirit of this world, we fight fire with the gospel. We read here that the rightous will be delivered through knowledge. I believe this deliverance is two-fold. First, we will be delivered from the godless who want to destroy us with their words. Several times in the New Testament we are urged to let our behavior be such that when the wicked seek to destroy us with accusations and lies - our actions and lifestyle will be such that it will answer their lies. The way we live consistently will be a rebuke to them. We will not have to answer or come back with our own attacks, because those around us will laugh them to scorn. They know us - and they will reject such attacks. That deliverance comes through "knowledge." Knowledge here is the word "daath" which means not just a head-knowledge, but one that results in discernment, insight, and wisdom. We get such knowledge from God's Word - and from a life spent seeking Him and walking with Him. The second way I believe we will be delivered is that we will not be led into "the fight." When someone tries to destroy you with their mouth - the natural thing to experience is a strong desire to launch a counter attack. They throw stones - we throw knives. They shoot bullets - we drop bombs. You can imagine where this all leads. The righteous is delivered in part by "killing your opponent with kindness." You do not respond in kind - you respond in kindness! This changes everything. They may continue to attack, and often will(sometimes kindness drives a person who is seeking to destroy you crazy with anger). But as those around us watch the proceedings - they see clearly the one who is acting godly - and the one who is spinning out of control. In the end, we are delivered from our greatest foe - and that is not the one attacking us. We are delivered from ourselves. Something deep within wants to rise up and take control - and by the way - that is our flesh. Instead, we need to have Christ in us respond. He will grant us power to respond with kindness and love - with mercy and forgiveness. Know this - respond like this and two things will happen. First, you will be delivered from your own worst aspects of your flesh. Second, you WILL win in the end. Jesus was led like a lamb to the slaughter - and as a sheep before His shearers is silent - so He did not open His mouth. That response, dear saints, won in the end. It did at the cross - and it will for everyone who embraces Him responding like that in their lives through His Spirit now. Ill-gotten gains do not profit, But righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 10:2
What is true treasure? When I think about this I go back to my childhood memories of the book Treasure Island. My mind thinks of pirates and those who ride the high seas in search of that most illusive of all things - buried treasure. I consider the intrigue and the hidden motives and betrayals that await me as I read of a journey based upon a tattered treasure map. The air is heavy with excitement as the first shovel of dirt and sand is lifted on the very spot where the X is on the map. That excitement reaches fever pitch as the shovel thuds for the very first time on the chest itself. Solomon tells us about a kind of treasure in this proverb. The phrase "ill-gotten gains," is actually the Hebrew phrase, "The treasures of wickedness." So we find that there are treasures that no matter how much they say they are worth - are actually worthless. When we seek our treasures here on earth where moth and rust corrupt and where thieves break in and steal, we are only gathering up the treasures of wickedness. In fact, unless we are locating the X on God's map - the gospel of Jesus Christ - everything we think is true treasure is only a chest filled with filthy rags. Let me explain further. Solomon tells us in the second half of this proverb, "but righteousness delivers from death." What a powerful phrase he has just uttered. What a prophetic phrase it is as well. Any treasure that cannot deliver us from death is not a treasure at all. This is where we begin to see there is only one treasure that we should desire. The Scriptures say some interesting things about this Treasure. Jesus asked the question, 'What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?' (Matthew 16:26) There is an interesting question. What will you give in exchange for your soul? What amount of money or earthly treasure will pay the price for our souls? The psalmist answers that question when he says, 'No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him—For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever.' (Psalm 49:7-8) There is NO price in human terms that will ever be able to buy our souls. The problem is not with a financial price, it is with the currency that must be paid for our souls. Our problem is that the price tag is blood - blood of an holy sacrifice offered to God. The price is the blood of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He paid the final and ONLY acceptable price for our souls. When he gave up His Spirit on the cross His final cry was, "Tetelestai!" That is a financial term meaning, "Paid in full!" The cost for our souls is perfect righteousness. We must be absolutely holy and pure to come into God's presence. Any sin would merit His full wrath being poured out upon us. Coming into His presence without this righteousness would be as foolish as Nadab and Abihu's approach to God in Exodus. Their entrance without righteousness resulted in them being consumed by the fire of God instantly. Considering the fact that God tells us in His Word that all our righteousness is like filthy rags - we quickly see that we are in need of a righteousness that will stand before God. Praise the Lord, God provided that righteousness Himself through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He came and fulfilled the Law. He came and lived a perfect life absolutely keeping all God's commandments and precepts. Then He took our sin upon Himself and paid the horrific penalty of God's wrath. Through His death, burial, and resurrecton God now forgives our sin and gives us the glorious exchange - His righteousness for our sin. By the grace of God we have been justified by God. Justified means, "declared righteous." As a result of being justified/declared righteous we can now stand before God - not in our own righteousness, but clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This is the "righteousness that delivers from death." All the treasures of all the ages piled as high as the heavens amount to nothing before our holy God. Added together they still amount to a sum of the "treasures of wickedness." All the achievements of all the people who have worked to attain them mean nothing in light of our sin. None of these things profit us - or have profited any son of Adam. What we need is the "righteousness that delivers from death." That righteousness was provided by God Himself. It is only attained when we receive it as a gift by the grace of God. It comes only through Jesus Christ. In light of these undisputable Biblical facts there is then only one question to be answered. Are you trusting in the treasures of wickedness to deliver your soul from death - or - are you trusting in Jesus Christ. Only He has the righteousness that delivers from death. |
Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. Thank you for visiting our website! Everything on this site is offered for free. If, however, you would like to make a donation to help pay for its continued presence on the internet, you can do that by clicking here. The only thing we ask is that you give first to the local church you attend. Thank you!
Archives
August 2018
Copyright 2024 Calvary Chapel Jonesboro | all rights reserved |