The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot. Proverbs 10:7
What kind of memories come to mind when you hear the following names. Take a moment and remember Billy Graham. Now take a moment and remember Adolf Hitler. That brief exercise has just proven the proverb that we will examine today. Proverbs tells us that the memory of the righteous is blessed. God is not saying that the righteous will have a great memory - but rather when people remember the righteous they will do so with a smile on their face and good things in their heart. Godly people not only die well - they also are remembered well. Billy Graham is nearing the day when he will go to be with the Lord. I can promise you that on the day our brother goes to be with Jesus, the memory of who he is and what he has done in the Lord will be a blessing to millions. I remember a scene from the movie, "Chariots of Fire." It was at the very close of the movie. Two men are remembered for the lives that they lived. The first was Harold Abrahams, a sprinter who won a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics. He was a determined man who lived for that medal. When he died some rememebered him as a great sprinter - but Abrahams was not known for his graciousness or great soul. The second man was Eric Liddell, a scotsman, who won gold in the 400, a race many thought he would compete in poorly. Liddell was supposed to be in the 100, but chose not to compete as it would make him do so on a Sunday, something that was against his own religious convictions. After the Olympics Liddell went to China as a missionary where he was dearly loved by the Chinese during his ministry there. The movie spoke of the day Liddell died with these words, "All Scotland mourned." When that godly man went to be with the Lord - all of Scotland mourned his death - and remembered his life with great joy. The memory of the righteous is blessed! That is the case with men like Liddell - but it is also the case with much lesser known men. Being a pastor, I've watched it again and again at funerals. My third funeral, after I did two for lost people, was for a precious 90+ year old woman who loved the Lord with all her heart. She never raced in the Olympics or went to China as a missionary. She just lived in a small Arkansas community and loved Jesus and those around her all her life. When she died it was such a precious thing to hear from all those who knew her. They spoke glowingly of her commitment to Christ and the way that she lived for God's glory as she gave herself to those around her. Indeed her memory was blessed that day - and many afterward. But let us turn to Mr. Hitler. Just that name causes people to cringe. Over the years - the rot of that name continues to cast a putrid shadow over history. Adolf Hitler's name will rot throughout all time. He was a wicked man who lived for his own power and conquest. After World War II we learned of his horrific efforts to exterminate an entire race of people. There are few if any who have any kind thoughts toward this man - and those who do usually share his twisted philosophy of a master race. His name will live in infamy and shame for what he did. So, what kind of memory will you create when your days are done? Will you live for righteousness and godliness? Will you live for Christ and His kingdom with a selfless, self-emptying passion that drives you to bless all those around you? Or will you give yourself to more selfish and self-centered pursuits. Will you embrace wickedness instead of righteousness. What you choose in life will determine how you will be remembered in death. Choose life - choose godliness - choose the path of the righteous that is like the light of dawn, shining brighter till the noon day. If you do this you will leave a memory that will delight the hearts of those who think of you and your works - even long after you have left this life for life eternal.
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Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the glory of sons is their fathers. Proverbs 17:6
Here is a verse that we as fathers and grandfathers need to read and have as our goal as parents. It speaks of how grandchildren and children should feel about one another. We are currently suffering from a lack of "fatherhood" in our nation. Fathers are abdicating their responsiblities and leaving children to be reared solely by their mothers (with some children even being rejected by their mothers and being left to a grandmother, relative, or the state system. With all due respect to the moms, grandmothers, and those in the foster care system who are doing their best - dads cannot be replaced. Grandchildren are the crown of old men. We see this in one way when we run into the grandfather who has a wallet full of pictures and a heart filled with pride over his precious grandson or granddaughter. He could tell stories for an hour or more about this precious one who is so dear to his heart. But there is a greater thing we also need to see. Children's children are the product of a job well done by a parent. It is one thing to see our children follow the Lord - and it is a joy to see. But a greater joy even than this is when our children also learn from our example to rear their children in the Lord as well. When we see multiple generations blessed by the work of the Lord in their hearts, we experience the crown - the vicotry that God desires for us in our families. A grandfather who is spiritually minded delights to watch his own children teach his grandchildren to walk with God. One of the things that God desired in His people, was that fathers would take seriously their spiritual responsibility of rearing their children in His ways. This was seen when "many generations" were blessed. This only happens when we see the second part of this proverb embraced. We read, "The glory of children are their fathers." This does not happen automatically. It requires a father who looks at his responsibility to lead his family - and who seeks to fulfill that responsiblity - not for just a day, or a week, or even a year. He seeks to live out God's best for a lifetime. I've watched men do this and it is a joy to watch how their children view them. One man I know personally is his daughter's hero. I watch his 3 daughters as they are around him. Many men would give all that they have to see that look in their daughter's eyes. To these girls, their father is their glory. I also know a man whose son looks at him in the same way. This young man truly has a worthy hero - and the hero is not some athlete or movie star whose life does not deserve emulation. His hero is his dad. Let me say that these looks do not come cheap. These two men have given their lives to love the Lord first - their wives second - and their children third. They have their priorities straight - and they live by them. They don't have a ton of hobbies - and are not men who live for themselves and what they want. They sacrifice and live to please God and to love others. They lay down their lives on behalf of their wives and children. This is a daily act on their part that may seem costly to some men - but these two dads would say that it was a mere pittance compared to what they've received through the love of their families. We have a picture of how things should be. Grandchildren should be the crown of the old men who have them. Children should glory in their fathers. That is the norm in the kingdom of God. The question we should then ask as fathers is very simple. "Are we living in such a way that they have someone in whom to glory?" Our ultimate example in all this is God. He gave and gave - and lives to bless His children - even when they are not exactly worthy of blessing. May we make it our lifelong ambition to be "like Him." Be like the ultimate Father - and give ourselves for our bride and children. When we do so, we will find that there are blessings - marvelous blessings for a job well done in this area. The thoughts of the righteous are just, But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. Proverbs 12:5
Why is it far more wise to deal with a righteous man than with someone whom the Bible would refer to as wicked? That is what is set before us today in Proverbs. The first thing we see here is that the very thoughts of the righteous are described for us. The word "thought" here is the Hebrew "machashabah" and it means a thought, a purpose, a device, or an intention. The word means the actions and deeds that spring from the thoughts that fill someone's mind. These thoughts that lead to actions are described as "just." These thoughts are governed by the justice and the right-ness of God. The righteous man has as his guide and as his governing principles the Word of God. As the Spirit of God uses the Word to guide him - the righteous man wants to do what is just in God's sight - and thus is most likely to do that which is truly just and right in any situation. That is why you definitely want to do business and to be in the counsel of a righteous man. He is not governed by his lusts and by wicked desires. Things like dishonesty and stealing are just wrong to him. Therefore you can trust him to do what is right at all times and in all situations. One of the psalms describes this man as one who will swear to his own hurt - and not change. This means that even when he sees later that he has made a business decision that is not in his best interests - he will be true to his word - even when that means being hurt by it. The counsels of the wicked on the other hand - are deceitful. You do not want to do business with a man the Bible describes as wicked - because of the issue of character. The counsels here are the advice and the counsel that this wicked man follows. They are consistent with his character, which by the way is seriously lacking. His counsels are deceitful. He may promise something, but in the end he will not deliver on it. He is out for his own good and does not even blink at lying to someone if he can gain from it. He is not trustworthy - and therefore any commitment and any decision he makes is not worth the paper it is printed upon. This is why you want to know the character of those with whom you do business. This is important because a man's word should be his bond - but often it is not. Let me close this particular proverb with a cry for godly Christian businessmen to rise up and make themselves known in our society. As a pastor, I deal with brothers who are businessmen. One thing that I have heard that grieves me deeply is how they talk of other Christian businessmen - and of born again Christians in general. They have made statements that they really don't like to deal with those who readily identify themselves as Christians. The reason they say this is because of the number of times they have been burned by so-called brothers in business deals. What a horrific commentary this is on the church! God's people SHOULD BE the best people to deal with in business matters. They should be the most honest - the most godly - the most righteous and trustworthy. What I hear though is that they are not. In fact what I hear consistently is that the one person you don't want to do business with is a Christian. I say this not to denigrate the church - but to chastise myself and all true born again Christians for not being the witness that they should be when it comes to how we do business. God calls us to be a witness for Him - not just in words - but in all that we do. It is the counsels of the wicked that are to be deceitful. The thoughts and ways of the righteous - they are to be just. May God gives us grace to reclaim the culture in the days ahead so that the name of Christ no longer has to bear the disgrace of ungodly believers. A righteous man hates falsehood, But a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully. Proverbs 13:5
Here is a great commentary on how a righteous man will live his life. It is also a good reminder for us who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus as to what we should hate and what we should avoid in life. The righteous man hates falsehood. There it is as simply as we can possibly understand it. Want to live a righteous life? Then learn to hate what is false! But the natural question arises, "But what is false?" This is where things get interesting for us in our post-modern society. Our world tells us that truth is in the eye of the beholder. A little more simply put - truth is whatever is true to you. You can follow this particular definition of truth right into the swamps of moral decay and confusion. This ultimately leads you to believe that truth is whatever YOU want it to be - until you are arrested or shot! For this proverb to have any meaning at all, there has to be truth - ultimate truth. Once again, fortunately for those who turn to the revelation of God - there is absolute truth. The Word of God is truth. We can turn to it to get out of our moral morrass of our culture and onto solid ground once again. This may not be easy because moral truth requires moral choices - and the ability to designate things as moral or immoral. (I can hear the cries of judgmentlism and unfairness even as I write this.) God determines truth in His Word and calls us to a moral standard equal to that which He reveals. If we have problems with this - take it up with Him - or rebel against Him (which is usually the action of choice in our world today) Try a moral overthrow, but it will only lead to your life being crushed upon the rocks of God's moral laws. This means that the righteous man lives according to God's standards of right and wrong. Contrary to popular opinion (popular among fallen men - God hasn't changed His mind on these issues - and never will) - God's moral views are not hard to grasp. He gave us 10 commandments and a large amount of other material that will help us form a moral worldview that is fairly easy to grasp. The righteous man therefore considers this to be truth - and lives by it. The problem for the righteous man is that in this fallen world people will militate against God's moral law. We have a world that embraces sexual immorality - both heterosexual and homosexual - that embraces abortion and moral ineptitude. We have a world that considers ethics to be completely situational in orientation. We have a world that says we must morph to our times and to the moral climate in which we live. God says differently. The righteous man hates the lies that distort God's clear moral teachings and ethical standards. He will hate them and stand with the truth of God no matter the cost. The wicked man, though, stinks - and stinks in a shameful manner. That is what the Hebrew says very descriptively here. The shameful man acts disgustingly. The phrase here literally means that he creates a bad, stinky odor! We use the phrase, "That really stinks!" to refer to something we don't like. But for the wicked man - his lifestyle stinks to God - and frankly - to anyone who desires to please God. His lifestyle reeks of selfishness and godlessness. It reeks of self-interest and self-centeredness. The words used here spoke of roten food and the horrific odor that they gave off to others. An ungodly lifestyle stinks with this odor - but it is spiritual in nature. The wicked man embraces death in his actions. Man is dead spiritually until he comes to Christ. The wicked revel in that death - and smell like it as well. The wicked man also acts shamefully. The word use here is "chapher" which means to be ashamed and disgraced. It speaks of one who is humiliated and embarassed. The key to graspoing this word is that it refers to how a person reacts in the presence of God. In the end - we won't be judged by a jury of our peers - for they might approve of how we've lived our lives. We will face judgment at the thron of God. He is the One who will determine our future. If you can imagine the sense of infinite shame that the wicked will know at the throne of God - then you are beginning to get the picture of what we speak of here. The wicked man gives no thought whatsoever to the fact that all of his actions will be judged by a holy God. He just plows on in his wicked course until he is interrupted by his death. Suddenly, all at once, he finds himself before a holy God whose law he has broken. Things that he considered just fine become the source of unb ounded shame and disgrace to him. He is overwhelmed by his guilt, humiliation and horror over what he thought was just fine. Suddenly what was acceptable to him is so no longer. He hangs his head in shame - but it is too late for that shame to do him any good whatever. The righteous man hates lies - because it is lies that deceive men into living their lives without any thought to the judgment of God. But the righteous man knows of this judgment. If he is wise the righteous man knows that his only righteousness comes through the gift of God's grace in Jesus Christ. He receives the righteousness of Christ by faith - and now lives to honor and glorify God. That is why he also turns away from what God describes to him as sintky and shameful conduct. He does not measure all things by himself and his desires - but rather by what God reveals to him to be morally true and right. The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger, But He will reject the craving of the wicked. Proverbs 10:3
There are two level's of meaning to this particular proverb. They are both a blessing to those who read it, understand it, and who look to the Lord for their subsistence. Jehovah will not allow the soul of the righteous to hunger. That is what this passage says. It refers on the surface level to the simple fact that God is going to provide basics for believers. David said, "I was young, and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." What a comfort to us this should be. God promises to make provision for us. Often our problem is that we want way more than provision. God promises food and raiment (clothing) and with these we should be content. Yet in our culture we have come to call too many things "necessities." In fact there are entire theological systems based upon us getting whatever we claim from God - no matter how blatent the greed becomes. Hopefully we see through the ruse of selfish and fleshly greed and rejoice when we are able to eat and clothe ourselves each day. But there is more to this proverb - a deeper level. God will not allow the SOUL of the righteous to hunger. If we desire the Lord - if we hunger for God - our soul will be satisfied! Blessed are the hungry, for they shall be filled! Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled! God promises to us a fullness that can never be defined by food and drink alone. It is the fullness of the Spirit. It is a fullness that describes how God Himself comes to fill us to the deepest levels of our hearts and souls with Himself. This, even more than just a promise of food, should fill our hearts with joy unspeakable, and full of glory! There is a comparison here though. We read that the craving of the wicked will be thrust away. The craving of the wicked is the desires and lusts that they have without limits and without bounds. The wicked will always seek to push the limits of what is allowed. They will always seek to push the laws of the land to where they can pursue greater and greater godlessness. Because it is the desire of the wicked - these desires and wants are ungodly ones - desires that are clearly outside of the scope of God's will and desires. The Lord promises to thrust away these things. When I read this I think of that horrific final day when God's judgments on all things, all choices, all lifestyles is made clear. In that all important day those who lived for wickedness will hear those eternally aweful words, depart from me, you wicked, into everlasting fire - I never knew you! In that moment every desire of the wicked - every lifestyle that is outside God's purposes will be thrust away. There is one thing though that I think we need to grasp to see this proverb clearly. We usually see words like "wicked" and think of only the most heinous of sinners. The wicked are those outside of God's grace and salvation in Christ. The "wicked" might look to us like the model citizen, the good ole boy, the nice girl, the sweet couple. Yet, if they reject their sinfulness in God's sight and the only remedy which is Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected from the dead - they are indeed wicked. Even their 'nice' lifestyles and 'decent-looking' lives will be thrust away. When our desires run contrary to those of the Lord - we place ourselves firmly in the place and the choices of the wicked. Their lives may look full and meaningful from the outside - but inwardly they are empty. Their desires will be thrust away. Yet the righteous - their soul will be satisfied as with fatness. They have Christ Jesus as an everlasting portion. Their hungers and desires in Him will be fulfilled! "Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things. Proverbs 8:6
Why should we listen to the voice of wisdom when the Holy Spirit speaks to us? It is because unlike anything else in this world - when He speaks wisdom to us - it is a noble and a right thing we will hear - and hopefully receive. Our society is devolving every day. This is true because of the 2nd law of thermodynamics. But it is also true morally. Due to the fall and our propensity to sin - we gravitate to things that are not noble or right. Consider for a few moments the direction of the movie and television industries. When these mediums came out - the programming was primarily good and wholesome. But as time progressed writers and directors wanted to "push the envelope." what is interesting is that by pushing the envelope, they did not mean challenging people with godly morals and values. They meant that they were wanting to use foul language. What began as one curse word at the end of "Gone With the Wind" became movies so filled with profanity that we had to devise a rating system to protect our children from it. When started as moving a married couple into the same bed in the early sixties - has run headlong into every kind of heterosexual and homosexual immorality with a thirst for more. What started as allowing a little violence has descended into the most gruesome and disgusting ways of using special effects to depict the bloodiest butchery. We don't gravitate toward what is noble and good. Sure, we have the occasional movie where we see nobility and goodness - but they are definitely the exception and not the rule. When the Holy Spirit speaks God's wisdom to us - we will hear Him speak noble things. The word noble (nagiyd) means just what it says - nobility, a ruler, a prince or a king. It refers to the most noble of statements. We are not going to hear gutter language from the Holy Spirit - we will hear the most noble of statements. These will be things that will call us higher into the very nobility of God's character and ways. The Holy Spirit will lead us into noble action that will glorify God and do what is best for His creation. This is especially true for what we will do for each other. The other thing we will hear when God speaks His wisdom to us is "right things." It is interesting that the passage says that He will "reveal" right things to us. The "right" way is not natural to us. There are those who in their ignorance tell people to just follow their hearts. The problem with this counsel is that our hearts are deceitful and desperately sick. They are given to doing that which does not please God - or doing the supposed right thing with the wrong set of motives. We need God's wisdom - which will reveal to us the "right things" that we should do. We need revelation in order to get wisdom. We won't get it searching within our own hearts. But if we will listen to the Lord. If we will go to God's Word and read and study it with the help of God's Spirit - we will know the right thing to do. Oh, one other wonderful thing about this is that we will also be able to DO the right thing too. When God wants to give you wisdom - Listen! It is the best way to fill your mind and heart with noble thoughts - and with right actions. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble. Proverbs 4:18-19
Solomon is summing up his argument to his son on why he should walk in the way of the godly rather than the ungodly. He has spoken of the way of wisdom as well as the path of the wicked. Now in these two verses he sums up his statements with one of the most memorable statements in all of Proverbs. He begins with the path of the righteous. A "path" here is a byway or highway. It is the kind of path a person walk on and usually refers to the way a person walks throughout their life. It is referred to as the "path of the righteous" - meaning the path of those who walk in what is right. If you are wondering Who's view of right this is - it refers to what is right in the sight of God. This path is described for us next. It is like the light of dawn that shines in increasing brightness until the full day. This description is of how the sun rises with its initial beams of light at dawn. As the sun rises in the sky, the light given to us increases ever brighter, illumining all that is in the world, until it reaches its zenith at noon. This description is given to us to describe the path and way of those who walk in what God states is right. Their path is full of light and they see clearly where to walk. In fact as time goes on their path only grows more illumined and easy to walk upon. By this I do not mean that the Christian life is always an easy one, because that is not true. For the believer who draws near to God there are times of opposition from the world as well as the fight with indwelling sin. There is also the battle with the devil and the forces of darkness. The Christian life is not one that is always easy - but this passage speaks of how clearly we know how to walk upon it. For the one who seeks the Lord and knows Him better and better; for the one who desires God's wisdom and walks in it; for this one the path of life grows brighter and brighter as God's illumination through His Spirit and through Scripture continues to grow daily. As I think about this text I remember how some issues for me were dimmer in the past. There were things I didn't understand at first, but which God has illumined for me now. There are aspects of character and godliness which I see clearly now. There are areas that were dark and murkey - areas where I didn't yet realize that my actions were sinful. The light of God's Word and wisdom continues to illumine my darkness - and as He illumines He convicts and delivers as well. The path to Him grows brighter every day. More obstacles are being removed and every weight is falling to the wayside as I learn to run for Him with total abandonment and joy. Choices that I did not make too confidently before are now easy ones because I see things so much more clearly in the light of His Word. God now turns to the way of the wicked - after speaking of how the path of the righteous is shining ever brighter. The way of the wicked knows no such light. Their way is like darkness. What a word is used to speak of this darkness. It is the Hebrew word "apelah" and it means darkness, gloominess. It is the intense blackness that exists in the middle of a moonless, starless night. The word is used to describe the darkness of the naive who stumble and grope through this world. It is used in Exodus 10:22 to speak of the plague of darkness that came upon Egypt. It is a darkness that goes beyone the absence of light - a darkness that can be felt. Metaphorically, it is used in Isaiah 8:22 and Jeremiah 23:12 to speak of the trouble and misfortune that comes upon the wicked in the day of God's wrath and anger against sin. This same word is used to describe the darkness of the day of the Lord in both Joel 2:2 and Zephaniah 1:15 when God speaks of the day of "darkness and gloom" that will come upon the ungodly. This word indicates gloom, despair, distress, and anguish. This is the way of the wicked - they may look happy on the outside, but inside they are not at peace. There is gloom in their future - distress and despair await them. They walk in darkness and don't know the light of the glory of the face of Christ. The study of the words "light" and "darkness" and how they are used in describing the darkness are very illuminating for us. 19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." John 3:19-21 Here Jesus makes it clear that He has come as Light into this world. He is the One who illumines us - but men love darkness rather than light. They do this because their deeds are evil. They don't want the light because it will expose them as evil - as disobedient and rebellious. So, they come to hate the light, fearing the exposure of their hearts and deeds. Proverbs 2:13 tells us of the wicked - that they leave the paths of the Lord and turn to ways of darkness. The ungodly love the darkness - and will not come to the light. There is a secretive aspect to the darkness - one that keeps men in bondage. This passage in Proverbs also informs us that as a result of walking in the darkness - they stumble - they fall - the wind up with problems. The word stumble here indicates more than just tripping up on something. It means they stagger, they totter and fall. This is a stumbling from weakness. It is the stumbling of those overthrown by lifestyle choices that bring them low. Yet the wicked just don't get it. They don't know over what they are tripping, because they reject God's Word as a source of truth. Thus they trip, they fall, and they curse the darkness - not realizing that their steps would be sure if they just stepped into the light Why would anyone want to walk in the darkness of the wicked? No one would if they truly knew that they were walking in darkness. Unfortunately they do not understand. When you consider this - and watch day by day those who wallk about in darkness - it should make you eternally grateful for the grace of God that has brought you into the light. A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully, And will share in the inheritance among brothers. Proverbs 17:2
When I read this proverb, I think of biblical situations of sons and servants. Sons in the Scriptures have acted shamefully. Consider Absalom who rebelled against his father and acted very shamefully. Absalom led a revolt against his father David - took over the kingdom - and subsequently had sex with 10 of David's concubines on the roof of the palace in the sight of all Israel. His shameful acts eventually led to his death on the battlefield among the trees of the forest. The books of Kings and Chronicles show again and again sons of the kings who acted with great shame and disgrace. Their kingdoms amounted to little as God had to become Israel and Judah's enemy due to their sin and rebellion against Him. Eli's sons in 1 Samuel acted disgustingly and shamefully by sleeping with women at the tent of meeting - and disdaining the sacrifices of God. These actions led to their death - and the devastation of Eli's house forever before God. Just as there are these sons who acted shamefully - there have also been servants who acted with great honor before God. Consider Abraham's servant, Eliezer, who took his son and made sure that he had a wife. This servant trusted in the Lord to provide the right bride for Issac. Elisha was a faithful servant to Elijah, washing his hands and learning from his master until the day that God allowed Elijah's mantle to fall on Elisha. God even gave to the faithful servant of Elijah a double portion of his spirit. There are a multitude of examples of faithful servants - and shameful sons. The servant who acts wisely and respectfully will eventually rule over the shameful son. A truly wise father will not give all to his son if his son is a fool. It is better to transfer wealth and influence to a godly and wise servant - than to a son who will only waste that wealth and destroy any future for a family business. That faithful servant often will share in the inheritance among all the other brothers - not because of a blood relationship - but due to a lifetime of service to the master. This proverb is primarily meant to describe the master/servant/son relationship that was prevalent in middle eastern society at that time, but there is also an important principle here for us today. In this situation the son took advantage of his relationship with the father and dishonored him. He acted shamefully and brought disgrace on his father's name and house. The servant acted wisely and respectfully and was honored for it - even to the point of sharing in the wealth of the father - and the inheritance. Thus we can learn two important lessons. Lesson #1 - Workplace wisdom! We need to learn that when we manifest a servant's heart to our employer - showing both wisdom and respect in the workplace - honor will come our way. How often have you heard of a situation where nepotism placed a son in a position of authority - only to have that son act shamefully and disgracefully on the job. In the end - a wise father will overlook this brat and place a faithful servant in charge in the end. This won't always be the case - especially when the father is negligent and overindulgent of the child. But know this . . . there are men who see the demise of their company when put into the hands of a disgraceful son - and will choose a faithful servant/worker instead. Therefore cultivate a servant's heart toward your master/employer. Honor him and respect him - giving him hard work and wise choices concerning what you do and how you do it. Work hard to make the company and your boss a success. In time you will become invaluable to the company - and possibly may be advanced over a disgraceful son in the end. Lesson #2 - Life! Cultivate a servant's heart in all that you do. In this proverb the man with the true servant's heart is honored. You will never regret developing and manifesting a servant's heart toward others. Even if you are not honored on earth or at your job, God Himself will honor you for living this way. Embrace the role of servant whenever you can. Oh, one last thing to remember as well . . . when God Himself came to this earth to accomplish His greatest work . . . He did not come as boss or as a spoiled brat who got His own way, He came as a servant. In the end - God highly exalted Him for His sacrifice, obedience, and servant's heart! That pretty much lets me know that we can expect the same from God if we embrace that same role all our days for His glory and honor. He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself. Proverbs 9:7
There are certain people who you just cannot correct or reprove. They will not receive it. But there is a category of folks who will not receive it and then will verbally attack instead. That is the person who is described in this verse of Proverbs. The first thing we see here is the action of the one wanting to help. I know that at times when someone offers correction and reproof we might think that they are being annoying or that they're being a nitpicker. Truth is that it is a kind and loving thing to have someone correct you when you are sinning. It is a lack of love or fear that makes us not offer loving correction when it is needed. (Just a word of caution here though - if you seem to always be offering correction - remember this - Paul offered a great deal of praise too. Proverbs tells us that we catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Paul actually started each of his letters with praise for those to whom he was writing. Therefore we need to balance correction with a healthy dose of prasie and encouragement) The one offering correction is offering a form of discipline. We are being disciplined so that we live according to how God wants us to live and how He wants us to react to life itself each day. This word also has an aspect of teaching and warning in it. Often our correction needs a touch of teaching. We may know the way to go - but remember in our society that there are many who have not had great biblical parenting and who really DON'T KNOW the teaching we do. We might want to start with gentle, loving instruction to begin the process of correction. The second word used for this correction is "to reprove." This is a pretty cool word because with it is the idea of arguing to convince someone. We are wanting to reprove - but often that means convincing someone of the truth of what we are saying - or more importantly the truth of God's Word on the matter. It has the idea also of convicting and judging an action - not in a condemning way - but rather to help soemone make a clarification as to the moral choices that they are making. Too often we see these two words - correction and reproof as negative words. We see them described in too harshly - rather than in the context of teaching, training, and offering the kind of loving instruction people need to grow spiritually. If we began to see these things in the context mentioned here - we might embrace them as a way of living and a way of encouraging one another. Now the problem arises for the one offering correction and reproof. First, they are trying to correct a scoffer. The scoffer is the one who laughs at the things of God. They mock at the commandments and morals that God puts forth. They hate God and think the purity of His ways and teachings is nothing more than unwarranted restrictions on people who are free to do as they want. Therefore they heap dishonor on the one offering the correction. They consider it a disgrace to be spoken to in this way - a sign of their incredible pride and arrogance. The reprover gets it worse - we are told he gets insults. The word here pictures someone being put on display so that they are scorned and mocked. When this happens - the result is that they are dishonored - but more than this, the words are meant to ruin, to shame, and to drop the person in the minds and thoughts of all who hear the insults. All this for trying to offer teaching and instruction from God's Word that will ultimately help this person. Here is the wisdom that you need to receive today. I don't think the Lord is wanting us to read this and decide to remove the whole correction and reproof thing from our lives. There are too many instances when the Lord had His people speak the truth even though it got them insulted for it. When you think of it - that is what happened to Jesus again and again. Yet the Lord did not have Jesus step back from the truth and tone it down when it came to speaking the truth to the world. But . . . we do need to know what we are getting into when we speak the truth. We may be insulted - we may be dishonored. It is not a high and lofty position in men's eyes to be one who speaks the truth of God. Often it is a position of shame and disgrace. You do get insults for yourself - and you are treated with contempt by this world and its inhabitants. So why should we speak the truth? Because God calls us to speak it in love. Because without it this world is doomed beyond imagination. Because when we do so - we become like our Teacher - the Lord Jesus Christ. He unswervingly spoke the truth to the glory of God. It may have cost him in the eyes of men - but it was to the everlasting praise of God and good for mankind that He did. The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: Proverbs 1:1
This first verse of proverbs is there to let us know who wrote this book. It was Solomon, son of David, the king of Israel. There is a reason why God chose this man instead of anyone else to write this book. It is because of an encounter that he had with God at the start of his reign as the king of Israel. In 1 Kings chatper 3 God appeared to Solomon in a dream. During that encounter God told Solomon, "Ask what you wish Me to give you." That is quite a question for a man to be asked. If there was ever a moment when truly the sky was the limit - this was it. What is even more interesting is the way that Solomon answered the question. Rather than asking for power or money or any of the other things that most men would ask - Solomon asked for wisdom with which to rule the people of God. He confessed that he was just a child who was ascending the throne of a great people who could not be numbered or counted. He grasped his need for wisdom and for understanding to discern between good and evil. This is why this book is filled with wisdom beyond any other written today. It is because God, when He heard Solomon's request, was delighted with it. God declared that He had given to Solomon a "wise and discerning heart . . ." so that the following would be true. "There has been no one like you before, nor shall one like you arise after you." This was the way God answered Solomon's prayer request to the Lord. Proverbs is the wisdom of Solomon - but not just the wisdom of a man. The reason this is such an amazing book filled with wisdom that has never been surpassed, is because it is the wisdom of God. God is the One Who gave Solomon the discernment and wisdom so that he could write such a book. So, as you approach this book remember two things. First, remember that the wisdom you are reading is the wisdom of God. This is not what Solomon thinks - or has learned. This is the wisdom of Almighty God that He placed within Solomon's heart. Second, be reminded of Solomon's heart - and also remember the promise from James chapter 1 - if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives generously at all who ask, without finding fault - and it will be given to him. Need wisdom - ask God! He is more than willing to pour wisdom out on those who admit their lack and who turn to Him for it. |
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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