Differing weights and differing measures, Both of them are abominable to the LORD. Proverbs 20:10
How do we wisely judge things in our lives? That is what today's proverb answers for us. This may seem strange to some who view all judging as wrong. Their favorite verse in the Scriptures is, "Judge not, lest you be judged." While they hold fast to this verse with all that is in them - they miss others like, "Judge all things, hold fast to that which is good." There is a balanced view of judging in the Scriptures - as well as different concepts as we judge things. But the one thing that holds consistent in all passages about judging is the statement that is made in the book of Proverbs here in chapter 20. To understand this proverb, we will have to take a moment and understand how the marketplace worked in the average city and town in Israel. They did not have packaged items like we do today. They put their wares out in a booth or a place in the market - and sold their items directly to the people. This involved a set of scales. The average scale would consist of two baskets set on a balance bar. The way the system worked was that the seller would place weights in one basket, while putting produce in the other. The weights would be marked according to their measurements (we would use pounds or grams) and then they would charge a price per pound of food that the person put into the other basket. The problem spoken of here is when the seller would have weights that were not accurate on purpose. He would use one set of weights with some customers - but would pull out a different set to cheat other customers when he could. These would be lighter in weight - while he would continue to charge the same amount as if they were accurate. Thus the buyer would get less food for more money. If an official came by the booth, he would quickly stash the innacurate, cheating weights, and would pull out the accurate ones for a few customers. When the heat was off from the officials, he would return to cheating those who came to his booth. There is a cheating in business where we use differing weights and measures. God says that such actions are an abomination to Him. He hates this kind (and actually any kind) of lying. But there are more places where we are guilty of using different weights and measures. One is in the kind of judging that God despises. We judge ourselves by one standard, and yet judge our neighbor's actions by a higher one. Jesus referred to this in the gospels when he spoke of the person who would look for a speck in his brother's eye, while ignoring the huge wooden beam in his own. This is when we tolerate sin in our own lives just fine - but the fine we use with others is a fine toothed comb. This is using different weights and measures. God considers such things an abomination to Him - and He hates when we do this! David fell into this trap with the prophet Nathan while in the midst of his sin with Bathsheba. When hearing of the man who took his neighbor's little lamb for a feast - instead of using sheep and lambs from his own flock - David responded in incensed anger - saying that the man should die who has done this. Little did he know that Nathan's next words would be, "You are the man!" David's different weights and measures involved his own sin with Bathsheba, which he had ignored - and yet with an imaginary man who had done less with a lamb, David demanded justice and judgment. God is a just and righteous God. He judges ALL things with perfect judgment. He does not have multiple standards which He uses in multiple situations. He always judges justly. To use separate ways of judging is an abomination to Him. And if we are quick to want to point out some supposed injustice in God - say - that Jesus did not have the adulterous woman stoned for her sin - we need to stop and put our hand over our mouth. All sin was justly judged and paid in full by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. When it came to the one situation we would think would illicit God lessening a punishment and a demand, it would have been when His perfect, spotless Son became sin. But God did not lessen the punishment - and did not pervert justice. He poured out the fullness of His wrath and punishment upon His Son. He was judged to the uttermost when He became sin - crying out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me!" Yet He knew why that had to happen. That cry was not misunderstanding . . . it was pure pain and agony. Jesus was being judged for sin. So, before we decide God is unjust, we should take a trip to the cross. It was there where God could forever be not only just, but for all time the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ. Wisdom rejects multiple standards when it comes to sin. We judge with a righteous judgment - for that is how God judged and judges even today. But even as we reject the varying weights and measures of situational ethics - and multiple ways of looking at truth - we need to also embrace perfect justice and righteousness. That took place on the cross so that God could be both just and merciful. Just to His Son, and because of His blood shed at the cross, merciful to us.
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Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin"? Proverbs 20:9
Wisdom manifests itself by realizing that man is sinful. That premise is rejected in most of today's society - especially among the elites who rule over the educational establishment and the world of counseling and psychiatry. The fact that they reject that man is by nature a sinner and is selfish and self-centered - dooms much of their efforts to educate and to help people deal with problems in their lives. Now that is a very bold statement - but also very true. One of the problems with modern Christianity is that we no longer feel the need in our postmodern society to have our worldview based upon the clear teaching of the Scriptures. One of the places that this is seen the clearest is in the area of the sinfulness of man and the ramifications of it in government, in education, in counseling, and in how we deal with people in our world. The proverb here asks the simple question, "Who can say, 'I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?'" There are several assertions that are made here. First is that of the ability to cleanse ourselves from our sin. "I have cleansed my heart." This is the belief that by our own works we can change our own hearts. Unless we begin with the sinful, selfish natural tendencies of mankind, we will think that by our education and by our laws and codes we can change a man's heart. Such an assertion is the height of foolishness and pride. We cannot cleanse our own hearts from our sinfulness. But an educational system based upon humanistic assertions will think that we can change our hearts by being better educated. But honestly, that only produces smarter sinners. The issues of the human heart will only be solved by the gospel of Jesus Christ whereby a heart can be redeemed and men can be regenerated. The second question is whether a man can say he is pure from his sin. Religions around the globe seek to do this through a myriad of different plans. Some want to try to mortify their own evil desires - while others try to abolish the concept of evil and sin altogether. Purifying ourselves assumes impurity though - and thus religious efforts to do this may involve confession and absolution of some kind. Roman Catholicism tries to answer this question through their system of confession and penance, which involves first admitting your sin to a confessor/priest. After your confession they grant forgiveness. The final step is that the priest commands penance in the form of some kind of repeated religious activity, like saying a religious phrase such as the Hail Mary or Rosary. Some times there is also the request to do a good work of some kind, which with the confession earns forgiveness. In the end, whether it is through this system - or through a Hindu or Islamic system of obtaining forgiveness - it all boils down to a works mentality. We can earn our forgiveness through doing something for God. Biblical Christianity paints a much different picture of the process of forgiveness. The Law was give to restrict sin - but more importantly to show us how impossible it is to obey it - because we are rebellious sinners. The very fact that we cannot be made righteous or pure by the Law - sends us running into the arms of Christ. We learn that it is only through what He did in his death, burial, and resurrection that we can be made pure in God's sight. He paid the price for our sin - and now offers to us His own righteousness - so that we can stand before God. Therefore the answer to these two questions here in Proverbs is given by the gospel. First of all - none of us can say that we have cleansed our own hearts. The only cleansing that will matter is the one given when we receive it by faith. That cleansing comes when we look to Jesus Christ - and admit that only He can purify our hearts and change them to be godly. The second question is answered as well by the gospel. No one can say, "I am pure from my sin," without that purity coming as a gift from God as He makes us righteous with the righteousness and purity of His Son. Wisdom rejects a man-centered, works-centered salvation. Only a fool would think that man can solve his own problems with God - without a direct intervention by God Himself. Any education or counseling or governmental system that is based upon that wrong assertion will fail and be crushed under the weight of man's sinfulness. Without checks and balances designed to expose and correct the selfish and self-centered tendencies of the human heart, sin will run rampant in a society that hides its eyes and pretends that sin does not exist. In such a world sin will be redefined again and again to cover-up the real problem - which is a wicked and sinful heart in men. In answer to the question posed by the writer of Proverbs, "No one can say that he has cleansed his own heart, or say that he is pure from his sin." That only happens by the grace and mercy of God as He works in us by the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Jesus said Himself, "No one comes to the Father, except through Me." A king who sits on the throne of justice disperses all evil with his eyes. Proverbs 20:8
What place does a ruler or leader have in making sure that the country he rules is not overrun by evil? In recent years we have had fools who have tried to tell us that leaders don't need to have character. We should only be concerned with their political decisions. To expect actual moral character from them is too much. Their personal lives are their own business. If they decide to commit adultery on their wives , t hat is their own business. Nothing could be further from the truth! The king, ruler, president, or any other person who has a high position of power and influence, needs to be a man of godliness and godly character. Here we read that he needs to be a man who sits "on the throne of justice." The word for justice here is very instructive. It means judgment, condemnation, cause or plea - and it refers to the legal realm. The king needs to sit on a throne that grasps and understands justice. He needs to make judgments so that justice will prevail in the land. Some say this refers simply to the legal seat he takes in a courtroom. They say it has little to do with what kind of judgment he has - rather that he just make decisions while seated there. But if that were the case - why does the second half of this proverb speak of how this action leads to evil being dispersed by this man's eyes? That contradicts itself. The king - at least the ones that God commended - were godly men who sat on a throne that stood for the justice of God. This was an interesting view of justice because it held both to a strong standard of what is right and wrong, but it also exhibited mercy to those who sought it. God's call for righteousness was absolute - and it was and is based on absolute truth. This has not changed - and will not change. But God also states that mercy triumphs over judgment. Those who see God as being too judgmental should consider seriously how God dealt with the ultimate judgment - by having His perfect justice satisfied by judging His own Son, Who paid the ultimate price for sin. God told the king to write out a copy of the Law for himself so that he would not forget to judge righteously. The king was instructed by his mother in Proverbs 31 that it is not for him to drink and get drunk because his judgment would be clouded - and he would not stand up for the rights of the poor and innocent. God warns His kings that they should not err in judgment - but that their judgment should be righteous judgment. To have a godly leader who understands and who seeks to administer righteous, biblically-based judgment is a blessing that unfortunately is rare in our day Honestly. it is rare in history. When the king sits on a throne of justice - he will "disperse all evil with his eyes." The word used here for disperse is wonderful. It is the Hebrew word for sifting. It spoke of how one would sift wheat by separating the good wheat from the chaff. As one would sift like this - they would keep what is good, while breaking off the worthless chaff so that it could be discarded. The king was to have discernment and see what God considers good and wise - as well as what God identifies as useless and worthless. In the end, the sifting allows him to get rid of evil. This, the proverb tells us, he does with his eyes. When a king has evil pass before his eyes and he does not judge it or deal with it - wickedness will abound in his nation. But when a king makes it clear that he disapproves evil, there will be great blessing in the nation. Too often a bribe closes the eyes of the king. An official who is important and who has influence will cause him to blind his own eyes - or cast them down instead of staring wickedness in the face and condemning it. The godly king knows that if he does not deal with ALL EVIL alike - disapproving it and looking with disdain upon it - evil will grow and bring great problems to his kingdom. One of the things eventually destroys nations is a lack of these kind of leaders in the government. We have these odd things called "ethics panels" in our government. They were originally put into place to bring a proper disapproval to those who act outside godly, law-abiding ethics. But now they are used to wink at fellow party-members who disregard the law - and to crucify those of opposite parties who don't. There is no righteous standard any longer - just a flaunting of the law - and a vigilante status toward destroying opponents who make their mistakes while out of power. Both parties do it - and it is an affront to the laws of our land. What we truly need are men and women of integrity who will once again sit in the seat of justice in our land . We need those who will look evil in the eye and make sure that evil will not find a place in our nation. The first ones they should look in the eye every day is the one looking back at them in the mirror. They need to see justice and righteousness prevail in their own hearts and lives. Then they will be able to disperse and sift out evil in our land. May two things happen so this will be the case. First may we demand such things of our own hearts and minds. Then second, may we demand such leaders once again from both parties. Whatever we do we must do quickly - before justice in our land is just an afterthought. A righteous man who walks in his integrity— How blessed are his sons after him. Proverbs 20:7
What is it that will bless our sons while we are live - and more importantly after we die? Some thing that leaving them a huge inheritance of money, stock, and real estate would be the best thing. Actually, Proverbs says that an inheritance quickly gained will be lost in the end. So what is it that will bless our sons now and far into the future? Solomon tells us that the best thing we can do for our sons is to be a righteous man who walks in integrity. The first thing we see here is that this father is a "righteous man." This means that he does what is right in the sight of the Lord. He lives in a way that honors and glorifies God. It also means that this father has looked to Jesus Christ for salvation - since that is the only way we can truly be a righteous man - by grace through faith. But this father also is one who lives in integrity. The word integrity here is the Hebrew word, "tamam" which means to walk in a completeness and moral innocence. This man walks through life in complete obedience to God as well as complete submission to what God's Word instructs him to do. He also walks in a moral innocence that comes from desiring holiness and spiritual maturity in his life. The last way that this word is used is to speak of someone who walks in simplicity. When I read this I am reminded of Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians that he was jealous for them with a godly jealousy. He desired for them to walk, "in simplicity and devotion to Jesus." This would wonderfully describe the kind of integrity that the righteous father would want his children (especially his sons) to see in his life - an integrity of devotion to Jesus Christ - simple devotion to Him. When a father walks in this way - how blessed are his sons after him. They may not have riches. They may not have huge estates and vacation homes. They may not have all the things that this world says a man shoul have to be successful. But what they do have is something very rare. Possibly more rare that diamonds and rubies. They will have a godly upbringing and a godly example from their father. This will bless them long after the toys and trinkets of this life are gone. They will be blessed in having the kind of rearing that will help them through the minefields of the world system. These minefields include the devil's traps in the areas of sexual immorality, impurity, evil desires, and greed. It will help them navigate through the shoals and hidden reefs of youth and the dangerous coastal rocky shorelines of mid-life crisis. They will have watched a godly father navigate these dangers successfully - thus leaving them a legacy of godliness. They will have mapped out for their sons the course that will lead them safely to the harbors of heaven. They will know to close their ears to the siren songs of their flesh and the world - and to sail with their eyes fixed on the Word of God. They will run their race with their eyes fixed on Jesus - and on the example their fathers were of a life centered in Him. You can spend your life working to leave your sons a fortune. You can make sure that they are set for life when you die - at least in financial realms. The problem with such an inheritance is that without a godly compass these things can actually be more of a danger than a help. A son needs the blessing of a godly man who walks in his integrity. We say often that the things of God are more often caught than taught. How true this is in regard to teaching our sons how to walk with God. I do not discount teaching because it is absolutely necessary. But without a corresponding walk in integrity before the eyes of our boys, they may not get all they need to succeed at life. And regardless of how they fare in the business world - in the end they will need life, life eternal more than anything else. May we be wise fathers who not only teach them the things of God - but also walk in out as they look to see if we are only offering them precepts - rather than living principles. Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, But who can find a trustworthy man?
Proverbs 20:6 I love it when one of the proverbs has a perfect biblical example in the New Testament. This is the case with today's proverb. It speaks of those who declare their own loyalty - but then asks the question of whether anyone can even find a trustworthy and faithful man. The situation we learn of in the New Testament is the history of Peter - who declared that though all the other disciples would abandon Jesus - he would not! Peter made this statement during the Last Supper - and it was followed by strong declarations made aby all the rest of the disciples. But what we saw at the crucifixion was a very different situation. Peter followed Jesus at a distance and eventually denied he even knew Jesus. The others did not even make it that far - abandoning Christ in the garden when the mob came to arrest Him. So much for the prideful declarations of those who proclaim their own loyalty. There is something fundamentally wrong with a man who trumpets his own loyalty. Filled with pride - he makes boasts of how loyal and trustworthy and faithful he is. Such declarations really should be made by those whom he serves. They are the ones who have evidence of his loyalty - and they should be the ones who speak of that loyalty. Yet this passage states that this guy is blowing his own horn. Be careful then with those who boast of how faithful and true they are. And . . . if you are one who has done this in the past, take the advice of another proverb and, "Let another praise you, and not your own lips." The question that is asked in the second part of this proverb is also interesting. "Who can find a trustworthy man?" Let us take a look at that for a few moments. There are trustworthy men found in the history of the Bible. Solomon knew of one because of his own mother. She was married to a man named Uriah. Now he was a trustworthy man. He was faithful to God and to David. When David brought him home under the guise of asking about the battle - he would not go to his home and sleep with his wife. That was what David desired so that he could cover his own adultery with Bathsheba. But Uriah was a trustworthy man. He said he would sleep in the open like his fellow soldiers - and not go to his home and to his wife. His faithfulness eventually cost him his life. David, who was not being a trustworthy man, had Uriah killed by taking him too close to the wall - where the archers would be able to kill him. The history of the world is more a history of men being unfaithful. When Solomon asks if anyone can find a trustworthy man - he is asking a very poignent question. There are actually no trustworthy men on the face of the earth - except one. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All have turned aside and become worthless. There is a sin nature that is in every man and woman alive that will assure us that they are not an absolute trustworthy person. There has only been one trustworthy man - the man Christ Jesus. God testified to that at His baptism where He declared, "This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased." Near the end of his time on earth - God allowed James, John, and Peter to see Jesus' inner nature at the Mount of Transfiguration - where the absolute purity and trustworthiness of Jesus was allowed to shine forth. And His resurrection from the dead was absolute proof that He was the only trustworthy man ever. Solomon's question is a good one. There is only One Who is trustworthy. That man is Jesus Christ - the God-man. He was trustworthy and faithful in all God's commandments. That is why He was able to go to the cross and die for all our sins and rebellion. It is also why God can now declare us righteous. It was because of the One Man Who was a trustworthy man. Although it was said in a different context - Pilate was right when he declared, "Behold the Man!" Even Pilate could not find any fault in Jesus. And the only sentence Christ was declared guilty of - was the fact that He said that He was the Christ. The Pharisees and Saducees on the council declared Him a blasphemer - but God declared Him the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead! Cling to that faithful and trustworthy Man. A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out. Proverbs 20:5
Like deep, still waters, so the hearts of men can deeply conceal their plans. The word "plan" here is key to understanding this particular proverb. What this word means will govern what we need to learn. The word is "esah" and it means advice or a plan. What helps us most in understanding this word is the comments of Zhodiates who says the following about this word. "It sometimes suggests the idea of a plot." The plots and plans of wicked men are hidden deep in still waters deep within their hearts. Isaiah speaks of these kinds of hidden plans and plots when he says, "Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, 'Who sees us?' or 'Who knows us?'" (Isaiah 29:15). Thus we come to understand that this proverb is warning us of the ungodly plots of the wicked. We are told that these plans exist hidden deep within the hearts of the wicked - but a man of understanding will draw them out. This ability belongs only to the "man of understanding." He is the one who possesses the ability to distinguish between the good and bad, true and false, and the forthright and the one whose motives are deeply hidden. This man of understanding has the capacity to look through outward actions and words, and see the hidden places of the human heart. This one does not accept everything at face value alone. He not only estimates their words, but the deep underlying motives and aims that are behind them. It is such wisdom that allows the man of understanding to discern hidden motives or hidden agendas. This is the way that he draws out the hidden plans and plots of the wicked. In the New Testament this Spirit-given ability is called the gift of discernment - or discernment of spirits. It is a wonderful gift God has given to some to see below the surface. They are able to see into the heart by God's grace. What they see allows them to read below those deep waters - and see the real reason something is being said or done. Normally, without the Spirit of God, someone could easily pull the wool over our eyes and deceive us. A plan might be laid that we think is gracious, but actually has harm in store for us. That is when the ability to draw out the plans and plots of men is such a blessing. The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, So he begs during the harvest and has nothing. Proverbs 20:4
Planning and preparation for the future provision is something that God encourages. Here we read about the sluggard and lazy man again. We read about how he does not want to work when he should be working. In the autumn a good farmer should be plowing so that he is ready to put in a crop. The sluggard does not want to plow - because he cannot see past the nose on his face when it comes to the future. Instead the sluggard has many more important things he thinks he needs to be doing. Most likely these things are play rather than work. So he applies himself to his own lazy pursuits and pays for it dearly in the end. We read that when the harvest comes, the sluggard is begging for food. He has nothing because he has done nothing. While those who have planned and worked hard reap the fruits of their labor, the sluggard is looking at the big pile of nothing his laziness has provided for him. He is out begging - and playing the poor, pitiful me card. I'm about to say something that needs to be said in our society. There are two kinds of needy people in the world today. There are the truly needy who have fallen on hard times. They are willing to work and desire to do the right thing - but for reasons beyond their control either health or other factors have put them in need. These people deserve our help and support through their difficult times. We want to offer them a hand up - because that is what they truly want - a hand up - as they regain their footing. They do not want a hand out - because their desire in the end is to be working and being self-sufficient once again. The second kind of needy person is the sluggard. He is the one who is needy because of his own lack of character and neglect. He does not work hard - he doesn't want to work at all. He is lazy and preoccupied with his leisure and desire for others to provide for him. To help this man is to hurt him in the end. What this man needs is to experience hunger and true desperation. He will cry out that others who are diligent and hard working have an unfair advantage. He will cry out that they get all the breaks - while he gets nothing. He will cry out that what government should do is tax and take from the diligent and give to those less fortunate. The problem is his "less-fortunate-ness" is his own doing - or lack of doing as this verse points out. To reward him with provision is to simply encourage him to continue in his laziness. What the sluggard needs is not a hand out - but a hand upside his head. He needs a serious reality check - and some hard knocks that will shake him out of his lethargy. Scripture never begrudges providing for the truly poor and needy. But the same Bible that speaks of giving to the poor - also warns us that some of the poor are that way by slothful choice. These are the ones who need more than just some help financially - they need a serious fundamental moral change when it comes to their work ethic. When we offer them THAT help - we are truly helping them where their need is greatest. Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, But any fool will quarrel. Proverbs 20:3
Fighting, arguing, quarreling are addressed in this proverb for today. There are many who think that quarreling is fine - even a sign that a person will stick up for themselves. But according to this proverb - any fool will quarrel. The truly wise man is the one who keeps away from strife. He is the man who knows how to walk away from a fight. He knows when to keep his mouth shut - knowing that saying things at the wrong time can cause a situation to escalate quickly. There are probably men and women who wind up in jail every weekend because they do not know how to walk away from a conflict. They wade into it - either speaking strife-causing statements or going further by swinging fists at someone else. This is a sure sign you are dealing with a fool. The fool thinks that he has to answer everything - he has to put down anyone who threatens him. Thus he is constantly arguing and fighting with others. This gains him great honor - the best seat in the jail cell or the most honored picture among the mug shots. The honorable thing to do is to seek to keep away from strife. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that the peacemakers were the ones blessed - not those who can argue the best. It is not those who encourage and enter into strife that will bring peace - it is those who do their best to keep away from strife that fulfill this role. The truly wise man is the one who does not need to quarrel. He speaks the truth in love - he speaks it forcefully - but when things degenerate into strife and quarreling - he extricates himself from such a discussion quickly. Quarreling has the idea of two people fighting over something to make it so. The believer does not have to enter into a quarrel because there is no need to quarrel over his point. When the believer speaks the truth - the Scriptures - he is standing on very firm - very solid ground. He has no need to quarrel over the matter. When the Word of God speaks something, it is the truth. One can argue against it - but all such arguing is pointless. God has spoken and thus the truth has been given. Those who want to quarrel over such matters actually weaken the biblical argument (if that were possible). Their quarreling only demonstrates that they think they have to win in the realm of human wisdom. The godly man - the wise man speaks God's Word and allows the authority of God Himself to bring it to bear on a man's heart. Thus the wise man can step away from a quarrel after speaking the truth. It is an honor for him to do so - and it shows he truly seeks to honor the Word of God. The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life. Proverbs 20:2
It is not very wise to make a king angry - unless it is a command from God that you speak in this way. Proverbs was written in the time when kings ruled over the land and their word was law. In some kingdoms a king could put anyone he wanted to death for any reason that he desired. This is why we are being advised not to provoke a king to anger. When I read about the "terror of a king" I think of the book of Esther and the fabled anger of king Ahasuerus. This kind was known for his anger. When he became angry the phrase "heads will roll" was more than just a phrase. He became angry with his wife and deposed her from the throne. So there was no one out of his reach. In this situation it was extremely unwise to make this man angry. That was why Esther was hesitant to come before him without being asked to appear. His anger was so dangerous that a law was put into place that anyone who did this would be put to death unless the king extended his golden scepter to that person. It wouldn't take long to realize that nobody wanted to bother the king - and those who did - might not live very long to tell of it. Yet God needed Esther to come and plead for her people. She risked the anger of her king and was delivered by the Lord because of it. Not as much could be said for Haman - whose plot, once revealed made the king leave a banquet in anger. When he returned, Haman was begging for his life while falling at the couch of Esther. When the king saw this - he saw it as Haman assaulting her - and his fury rose. As the word went forth from his mouth - Haman's head was covered with a black hood - and not much more than moments later he was hanged at the gallows he intended for someone else. Definitely we see here that the anger of the king, when provoked, will cause a man to forfeit his life. There is a principle here that can go beyond just relationships with kings and royalty. It has to do with how we speak and treat our boss in life. The boss-man has the power - and that power can mean you have a job or you don't have one. So speak with respect and with deference to a person in high levels of authority. Their anger is not like a normal person's anger. They have power and authority and when angry can use that authority to punish whoever it ticking them off. So . . . act with resepct and with reverence to those in authority. Show them respect and treat them as the position deserves. To do otherwise might cost you more than you think. Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. Proverbs 20:1
What does the Bible say about alcoholic drinks? That is what we face here in Proverbs 20:1. The first thing we need to do is to define what is referred to as wine and strong drink. There are some who try to make a distinction between these two words saying that wine is not alcoholic, but strong drink is. Problem with that view is that wine is referred to at least 20 times as having intoxicating properties. It is paired with the other word used here 12 times in a negative context - each time indicating that one is likely to be drunk if they drink it to excess. The word for "strong drink" is even more explicit. It means in every situation a very intoxicating substance. It is difficult to try to make a direct correlation between the levels of alcohol in these drinks and those of today. What you can say with confidence is that both wine and strong drink when not controlled properly will cause intoxication - which the Bible strictly prohibits both in the Old and New Testaments. You can also be confident in saying that one would get drunk faster when drinking strong drink rather than wine. About the only comparison you could make this way would be comparing wine to the alcohol levels of win and beer - and strong drink to stronger intoxicants like whiskey, vodka, and other higher proof drinks. Here is what we learn though about both wine and strong drink. Wine is called a "mocker" in this passage. A mocker is one who boasts and scorns. This person is given to deriding others. Their actions lead us utter contempt toward someone. The idea therefore here is that when a person drinks wine to the point of being deceived by it (the NASB calls this decieved state the point of intoxication) he is not wise - he is a fool. Think a moment about this - when someone is intoxicated by wine - he no longer thinks clearly and can say and act in ways that he regrets later. The alcohol deceives his mind - making it stray from wisdom - wander from godliness - and to make major mistakes. Want to avoid being deceived and erring badly from the way of the Lord? Then stay away from wine. That is the implication made by this verse - this wisdom from God. What is strong drink? It is a brawler according to Proverbs 20:1. This word is very illustrative of the drunk. It is "hamah" and means to murmur, growl, roar, or howl. When refering to the drunken fool it means to be a fighter - to be a boisterous, roaring, howling fool. We all know that many who are affected by alcohol wind up becoming more agressive. This is especially true of the "fighting" drunks who go home and beat family members when under the affect of wine and strong drink. Why should we avoid strong drink of every kind? Because the effect of this poison is to deaden our minds to kind and gracious behavior and turn us instead into a brawling, fighting fool. The wise man would avoid these things altogether. The Christian community has those who want to preserve our ability to have a glass of wine or a social drink. They state that they have freedom in Christ to do so. While I cannot categorically say that all alcohol is utterly forbidden by Scripture, I can say that the wise person would stay away from it. I will give a couple of reasons for this. First - to drink is to place yourself in a situation where it is far more possible to sin by becoming drunk. Considering what the law considers drunken driving, the amount which a person can drink before they are considered drunk is minimal. Why put yourself in that kind of jeopardy when there are plenty of beverages that pose no danger whatsoever? Second - outside of a glass of wine with a meal at home - the usual places where drinking takes place also include a hedonistic lifestyle as well. Bars, last time I checked, have not been traditional centers of godliness and holy living. Why endanger your witness and testimony by drinking in these places? Why endanger your heart by placing yourself in such places where far more than drunkenness is the possibility? This verse deals with being intoxicated and therefore deceived by wine and strong drink. If you get the drift of the writer of Proverbs - the wise man would avoid these things altogether. This should even more be the case in our day when the ability to purify water has led to a multitude of drinking options that do not have the danger of alcohol in them. Truly - the wise man - just stays away from this. You would be wise to do the same. |
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!
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