In the light of a king's face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain. Proverbs 16:15
This verse in Proverbs is given as a second statement about rulers - and it comes from a positive point of view. Verse 14 dealt with the fury of a king - while this one deals with his favor. The light of a king's face is life. No one knew this more than Esther, who dared come into the presence of king Ahasuerus without being summoned. She knew that there was a punishment for this kind of action - death. Only if he extended the golden scepter to her would she be delivered from the death penalty for such an offense. To receive such an action was to be allowed to see the king's face. That meant that he was showing her grace and favor. The favor of the king is also compared to a cloud with the spring rain. This was called the "latter" rain - and it was the rain that was absolutely necessary if a good crop was to be expected. Without these latter rains, the crops would be killed by the lack of rain. When these clouds would come up over the land, people would rejoice because they knew that God had blessed them and that they were going to have a crop that would bear abundantly. So also the favor of the king meant that blessing was coming. In the culture at the time the king had absolute power. If he decreed that you were to die - you would die. If you knew his favor - then great blessing would come to you and your family. We sing a song in worship at Calvary that goes this way, "Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, Your my glory, and the lifter of my head." This song deals with something very similar to this verse. The lifting of the head was a symbol that the one who had previously bowed to the king was being allowed to see his face - and thus receive his favor. If you remember in the book of Esther, when the king was furious with Haman, a black bag was put over his head. This symbolized that he would NEVER see the face of the king again. It also meant death. The amazing thing about this whole idea of the light of the king's face is the way that is reflects to us the message of the gospel. There is a King that we all have to approach one day at the end of the age. He is a King Whose holiness prevents us from coming before Him without being judged for our sin. Were we to try to approach Him unworthily, we would be consumed by His wrath and righteous judgment upon sin. But there is also One who has gone before us - Jesus Christ - and who has taken our sin and paid the full penalty for our sin. He has taken the judgment. Not only this, but He has also given us His perfect righteousness - by which we can stand before God accepted and welcomed. Truly Jesus Christ is the light of the King's face to us - and he is the reason God's favor can be granted to us. May God ever remind us of the grace gloriously showered upon us by His gracious act in Christ - and may we rejoice in His favor like the clouds filled with the latter rains. Christ has opened the way and brought us to see the King's face with favor - favor purchased by His death, burial, and resurrection. Glory to God for His grace, favor, and the joy of seeing His face in Christ Jesus.
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A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13
The state of our hearts is vitally important to the way that we live - and whether we will live in joy or sadness. Also, as we will learn from this passage, the state of our countenance is also something about which we should be concerned. To say that we are Christians and know God's joy, yet for this joy never to reach our face (i.e. our countenance) is a bad testimony to those around us - and especially to the lost. This proverb holds a great deal of wisdom for us if we will open it and learn from it. First, we have the joyful heart. This heart is the one filled with joy and as a result is exceedingly glad. This gladness does not come from mere human prosperity - but truly comes from and is maintained by the blessings of the Lord. In the New Testament this joy comes from knowing Christ Jesus and the salvation that He brings to us. It comes from knowing that God loves us and that we are saved from the wrath of God through Him. This is a joy that floods our hearts no matter what our outward circumstances. It is a joy, as Peter expresses it, that causes us to greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. The foundation of this joy - obtaining the outcome of our faith - which is the salvation of our souls (1 Peter 1:8-9). This joyful heart communicates with our countenance - and brings us to have a cheerful face. No matter our circumstances we can stop and remember that our sins are washed away - that we are made righteous in Christ - and that as a result - we are saved. That can bring a cheerful expression to any face. I find it disturbing that some are what I would call, "lemon-sucking Christians." They seldom have a joyful or cheerful expression on their face. They always seem sour about something. It is almost that they are unwilling to be happy and joyful. This is a horrible witness to Christ and to the salvation that He brings. Sure there are things about which I am concerned - even heartbroken. But, in spite of everything that happens and can happen - the one constant is my salvation - that I will not face the wrath of God and I will enjoy fellowship with God here and now - and forever in heaven. Then there is the sad heart. The word used for "sad" here is "assebet" which clearly refers to emotional suffering - and not usually to pain or injury. This is a sadness of heart. It is truly fascinating to look at what brings on "assebet" in someone Scripturally. This kind of sadness or grief is caused by idolatry (Psalm 16:4), by a fear of spiritual discipline over our sin (Job 9:28), or by those who "wink the eye" in evil plots (Prov. 10:10). Some might refer to this to speak of someone with a broken heart over sin or over the loss of a loved one - but that is not the way that "assebet" is used Scripturally. This is a sadness brought on by disobedience, sinfulness, and a walk contrary to the ways of God. This kind of sadness causes our spirits to be broken. The word "broken" here means that we are stricken, smited, or scourged. We have a bad situation in our lives due to sin - and our spirits are broken due to the consequences of our sin. When you look at this proverb and the meanings of the words used in it, you see that wisdom therefore is to walk with God. When we do joy will come to us - and our countenance, our face will reflect it. But to walk in disobedience and rebellion is to invite a brokenness and sadness into our lives which will fill our hearts with emotional suffering. How many in our world walk in this kind of suffering every day. But, dear saints of God, we can alleviate this suffering by sharing the gospel with them and encouraging them to come to Christ - Who can deliver them from their sin and flood their hearts with His own joy. This Proverb truly helps us to see the difference between the lost and the saved - between those who embrace obedience to God versus those who mock such a lifestyle. The difference is the Source of their joy. The difference between a sad countenance - and a cheerful one - is the gospel and the joy of knowing that we are saved. Even in laughter the heart may be in pain, And the end of joy may be grief.
Proverbs 14:13 To read a face is easy - but to read someone's heart is far more difficult. In today's proverb we learn that lesson. Even when someone is laughing - their heart may still be in pain. Just because someone paints a smile on their face - it does not always serve as a guarantee of what is happening in their hearts. We are also counselled that the end of joy may be grief. This is why we need to not read every person by what they showing on their faces. I remember a brother in Christ who used to ask me how I was doing. One time I answered him that I was doing fine, even thought I was not on the inside. Then he looked at me and said, "Really how are you doing - and this time tell me the truth." It was then that I opened up to him and told him that I was not doing so good. He took the time to really know what was going on in my heart - and then took the time to minister to me. He was such a blessing in this way. Where others would just take things at face value and move on - he really did what to know what is going on in someone's life. It opened up a great deal of ministry for him. There are times when we will have to get past the facade that people put on for us. If we do not, they will not open up and we will not be able to minister to their true situation. So do not be deceived, even by laughter and supposed joy and mirth. These can be real - but they can also be camouflage to keep people at an arm's length - when in reality they truly need someone to push through so that their pain can be addressed by the love of someone who truly cares. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12 Today's proverb is placing before us a truth - that when we hope for something and that hope is indefinitely put off - we can become heart-sick for that thing. When we want something very badly, we begin to set our sights upon it and long for it. If that thing does not come to us - the longing increases to the point where we cannot get it out of our minds. From that point there is an increasing burden upon our hearts for the thing we long for in life. But if what we long for is not within our grasp - and we cannot bring it within our grasp - our hearts will grow sick over it. Soon, we find ourselves in a morose and depressed state over this thing - where it dominates our lives. If there is not a relieiving of that situation - we will lose hope altogether - which is a sad state to be in as we walk through life. I'm sure we've all met someone who has utterly lost hope - embittered against someone, something, even against God - they live a life defined not by what they have - but by the one thing they did not get. They are a bitter, resentful, horrid lot - and very difficult to be around. The opposite of this is also true - that a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. There is something about a desire that is met that thrills and envigorates the soul. We find ourselves overjoyed at the realization of that which we desired - and it only encourages us to desire and work toward other things. Please see and grasp that word, "work" here. Jacob had a desire to marry Rachel - and was willing to work 7 years for that desire to be realized. The Word tells us that the 7 years seemed but days because of his great love for her. Even after his father in law deceived him and gave him Leah first, Jacob still worked another seven years for Rachel. There is something about a desire that can be realized, that will make us work hard for it. There is something about the accomplishment of a task - one that helps us realize a goal - that will help us to work joyfully toward it. That is why it is so wise to live by understanding that comes from knowing and pursuing God's will rather than our own. Romans 12:1-2 urges us to present our very bodies to God as a living sacrifice. We are exhorted to be conformed to God, and not to this world. And in this divine pursuit we are promised that we will find the will of God to be good, acceptable, and perfect. There is wisdom indeed! The desire fulfilled here is a reference to God's will being the source and the center of our desires. We do not allow the world to lead us by the nose through its lusts. That, too often, will lead to heart sickness over a hope deferred again and again. What is astounding is the heart sickness is over that which is outside God's will for us. When we make the mistake of being conformed to this world, our desires are conformed to its lusts as well. Then we find ourselves in opposition to God's will and longing for things God does not desire to give to us. Just like with the Israelites, He may give them to us - but send a leanness to our souls in the process. This means that God will usually say, "No!" to those desires. If we continue to want them, we will find that our "ungodly hope" will be deferred again and again. God's deferral is for our own good - but that is not the way that we will see it. We will continue to writhe in anguish in the grasp of God's controlling and sovereign hand - finding ourselves miserable in the will of God. Our heart sickness will eventually turn us against Him - making us think He is withholding from us that which is good or best. This, dear saints, is the same lie that was told to Eve in the garden. God knows that in the day you eat of this forbidden fruit your eyes will be opened. He is trying to keep you from being just like Him. Just like Eve, we will too often believe the lie - and allow our heart sickness to lead to a soul sickness - and death. We do not want the false fruit of the tree of our own and this world's evil desires. What we should want is the fruit of the tree of life. Interesting isn't it, how this passage points us to that fateful decision that was made in the garden. That decision deferred the hope of life for generations - and unleashed on the earth sin, suffering, and death that would reign over men until the second Adam, Jesus Christ, made His appearance and destroyed the lie. Oh, saints of God, do not give your life to worldly and fleshly hopes that will only take you toward heart sickness. Embrace God's ways and paths. Surrender to His will and His Spirit's guiding. In that you will find a tree of life that will yield not just an earthly satisfaction now - but an eternal one that will last forevermore. The wicked man desires the booty of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields fruit. Proverbs 12:12
Two ways of living and two ways of getting gain are presented to us in this verse. One chooses to profit from the misery of others - from catching and snaring them. The other profits because the very root of how he lives his life is productive and bears fruit. Let's take a look at these two "ways of living" and see that by embracing one we will gain much wisdom. First we are introducted to the wicked man. He seeks to profit from his evil devices. He always has a con going - always has a plan or a scheme whereby he will get the money he wants. It is interesting the word that is used here for "booty" or "spoil." it is the Hebrew word "matsod" and it refers to a hunting implement - most often a net or a snare. Thus, the wicked man is said to desire the net or snare of evil men. He delights in and takes pleasure in what an evil man gains from an ensnared person. The wicked man sets the snare - he baits the net and waits for the unwitting fool to step into it. Once caught - that person becomes the gain for the wicked. He has nothing profitable himself to offer - just a life filled with another wicked plan or another snare laid out for the unsuspecting one who steps into it. The righteous to the contrary, leads a life that is profitable in itself. He has a root that bears fruit of its own. He sees no need of setting traps for others - wanting to take what is not his own for his profit. He is engaged in some godly trade that meets the needs of others - rather than wicked pursuits where he is only seeking to exploit the weaknesses of others for the purpose of fleecing them. His desire is to bless and build up - and from such endeavors to produce fruit. These two men have very different pursuits, concerns, and ends from what they seek in life. The wicked man is pursuing profiting from other's misfortunes - while the righteous man wants to bless them. The wicked man is concerned that he may be caught and exposed as he sets traps and snares. He has to use camouflage to hide the true intentions of his plans from those who see him. He is also cautious because the majority of the time his path is contrary to the laws of men. If caught he will be punished - something he definitely seeks to avoid. The righteous man does not have to worry about what he is doing. His concern is to bless others in the end. He therefore is concerned about the needs of others - what it is they truly need or want. He then gives himself to meeting those needs - and profiting from it thereby. If, in the end, they want something harmful to themselves, he will not exploit their flesh. That would not be producing fruit, but pain, suffering, and in the end, ungodliness (which will never truly bless anyone). His concern therefore is matching the will of God with the way that he plants and cultivates things in his life. This will always produce fruit that will last more than just a moment - it is the kind of fruit that lasts for eternity. The end of these two men is much different too. The wicked man is cursed by those he has trapped and netted. They hate him for what he has done. There is also no long term blessing for this man because the things he does are conrary to God's will. In the end, God will curse him and bring punishment upon him. The righteous man, though, is blessed now and for eternity. Though his work may be harder and not as instantly productive - it will last. Men will bless him and love him for what he does, and when it comes to eternity - he will receive blessing not just from men, but most importantly - from God. Two men, two very different paths, and two eternally different ends. That is what we see in this passage. God will bless the root of the righteous by having it bear the good fruit that is seeks. But the wicked man whose life is snares and traps - will be watching behind him all throughout life - and will be paying for his wickedness because his root is dried up and dead. Just as his root - so will be his fruit. He who despises his neighbor lacks sense, But a man of understanding keeps silent. Proverbs 11:12
There is a time when we should keep our mouths shut. We can be sure that when we are tempted to say something negative or hateful about a neighbor, it is one of those times. It is far better to be gracious towards your neighbor and say something later when you see things clearly, then to comment and regret it for a long time to come. Also . . . Scripture teaches us that if we are going to say something negative - we should first be willing to say it to our neighbor . . . face to face. The word "despise" here means to hold someone in contempt. It indicates that a man is despising another - disrespecting them and speaking out of that contempt. We are warned several times in Proverbs to hold our tongues when we are feeling contempt for another person. We are reminded that the fool is the one who speaks out of contempt for others. Therefore the wise man knows how to hold his tongue and be gracious - even toward those for whom we feel contempt. We are told that when we despise our neighbor, we lack sense. The word for 'sense' in this passage is literally, "to have heart." We lack God's heart for others when we respond and think of them only in contemptuous ways. That is something we should consider for a few moments today. How does God respond to those for whom He feels contempt. First of all, we need to remember that the good Samaritan teaches us that our neighbor is not just someone we like. The neighbor in that parable was the Jewish man who was helped by the despised Samaritan. The man set aside racial and social tensions and feelings, and chose to love the man who was in need. In the context of our current proverb, the neighbor is pretty much everyone - even those for whom we would naturally have contempt. To despise them lacks having the heart of God for them. God loves even sinful men. He demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. So, despising our neighbor is foolish - even if we are despising someone we feel is deserving of it. Just remember, we deserved God's judgment and wrath - yet He choose to show mercy while working for our redemption in Christ. Let that be a hindrance to us reacting in our own self-righteous anger and attitude - and an encouragement to react in mercy as our loving Father in heaven does toward us. The concluding statement of this proverb is that a man of understanding keeps silent. The understanding here may be that he looks at things from the view of God's mercy. It also may be that he sees that a brother offended is harder to win than a walled city. It may be that he sees an opportunity for redemption and reconciliation of far greater worth than one used for a vitriolic diatribe at someone he despises in his emotions. And to be honest - he may just see that the drama that will ensue is far better avoided. His time, he wisely thinks, would be better spent praying for this person and keeping the lines of communication open. In the end, his silence is far wiser than another's words of contempt and disrespect. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Proverbs 10:11
God speaks a great deal about "a fountain of life." That is why it is truly amazing to read that God says the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life. Let's take a look at what the Word says about being a fountain of life - and learn to embrace the wisdom of having our mouth be all that this means. In Psalm 36:9 we read that the people of God are given the blessing of drinking the fill of God's presence in His house - and also to drink of the rives of God's delights. These things are said to bring us to know that God is the fountain of life. A second time in Psalm 68:26 God is called the fountain of Israel. Thus we see that "a fountain of life" coming from our mouths is simply that we speak of the Lord and the things of the Lord. This is confirmed further as we learn that Proverbs 13:14 tells us that the teaching of the wise is a fountain of life. As we experience these wonderful words, they teach us to turn aside from the snares of death - the sin that can ensnare us and destroy us if left undealt with in life. Proverbs 14:27 tells us that the fear of the LORD is a fountain of life - again telling us that when we live according to it, we will avoid the snares of death. Proverbs 16:22 reminds us that understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it - keeping us from the discpline of fools. All these various statements tell us something wonderful. To be a fountain of life - a righteous man or woman whose mouth flows forth with the blessing of God, we should strive to have all these things at work in us. That means that we embrace God Himself as the source of all that we offer to others - all that we speak and say. We know that God is also the one who allows us to teach and speak that life to others. But as we do, we also fear God and embrace understanding things as He does - speaking them as He would speak them to us. (Remember that the earliest definition of wisdom we had was that it was seeing things as God sees them.) As we speak according to the fear of God - speaking with His understanding, His wisdom as we teach others - we will be not just a fountain of life - but a fountain that protects them from death - its snares and its lies. The opposite of the fountain of life is what the mouth of the wicked offers to us. The wicked is speaking - but he is speaking falsehood - and he is not offering to others a fountain of life. What he offers is concealed violence. Since selfishness reigns in his life - he doesn't have a desire for others to be blessed. Deep down he wants what they have - he wants things for himself. There is not a fountain that flows outward - in giving life to others. He has a type of vortex that sucks all things toward himself. And when things begin to move toward taking something from him, no longer making him the center of things - he responds with violence. The example of this is best seen in the example of Saul. When he realized that God was taking the kingdom from him and giving it to another - he became very paranoid . . . and very violent. He watched as God blessed David - and it drove him crazy. He tried to pin David to the wall with a spear - tried to kill him by the hand of the Philistines - tried to kill him in his bed even while David was married to his daughter - and when his son, Jonathan stood up for David, even tried to kill him by throwing a spear at him. What flowed from Saul's heart was violence, even though he tried to conceal it with his mouth. It was eventually revealed that he was filled not with love and live - but with violence and hate. What is coming out of your mouth? Jesus let us know that what comes out of our mouths is what dwells in our hearts. He desires for life to flow out of us - for blessing to be what is spoken as we speak. But that will only happen as we embrace the righteousness that God offers to us in Christ. The way that we receive "the mouth of the righteous" is by embracing the only One Who can make us righteous, Jesus Christ. It is only as His life fills us through the Holy Spirit that we will have that mouth that blesses. May God give us the wisdom to embrace Him - and in so doing - have Him gloriously transform our mouth to speak so as to give life and blessing to all who hear us. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you alone will bear it. Proverbs 9:12
One of the interesting aspects of wisdom is that there are what you could call "selfish" benefits for walking wisely. We all know that selfishness is not wise - so these are not actually benefits for being selfish - but there are some very real blessings for ourselves when we choose to live according to the wisdom of God rather than according to the ways of the world. It probably reads funny to many Christians that if we are wise, we are wise for ourselves. But this is not saying that our fundamental drive is to be selfish and self-centered. That would not fit at all with the previous statement that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. What it is saying is that a lifestyle that makes consistent wise choices is one that will be very beneficial to the one making them. Emphasize the "if" here - because after all that has been said in chapter 9, the "if" is the choice that we have to make. Are we going to be wise? Are we going to choose the way that is in agreement with God's ways? IF we are wise - we will be wise for ourselves - blessing us - blessing our family - blessing our friends - and blessing those around us. There is the truth in a very straight forward way. Make wise choices - it is the best thing you can do for yourself! The second half of this proverb is given as a warning. Scoff at what God says - and you alone will bear the consequences of your actions. In the end - YOU will pay for unwise decisions. We know from many other verses in Proverbs as well as the rest of the entire Bible that unwise choices will affect others. But most of all, they will affect the one making them. The word scoff here is very descriptive. It is the Hebrew word "lits" and it means to deride, to make a mockery. an to scorn. What is being scoffed at is God's wisdom and ways. The one who hears God's wisdom here is laughing at it - mocking it - and deriding it as utterly useless. He is not just refusing it - he is making fun of it. This one will, in the end, bear the consequences of his own actions and attitudes. The term bear here gives a picture of someone who is putting a load on themselves. As they reject God's Word - they are just adding to the burden of their sin - and the burden of their ungodly lifestyle. They alone will have to carry the load they are adding to with their mocking. This is even more telling in light of Jesus' own invitation to come to Him and rest - for He promises to make our load easy and our burden light. Those who resist and mock Him will have as a consequence the increased burden of their sin and rebellion - and they alone will have to carry it. We have a choice every day in Christ. We have a choice to learn from and benefit due to God's wisdom. We can be wise with a wisdom from God - and experience the beneifts of it ourselves. It requires a choice to fear God - distrust self and this world's wisdom. But in the end its blessings far outweigh its liabilities. The other choice is to mock and deride God's wisdom - choosing instead the wisdom of this present world and of our own thinking. The end of that way will be carried by the one who scoffs. Oh, and one other thing to remember. There is a way that seems right unto a man, but that way ends in death. I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me. Proverbs 8:17
One of the most disheartening things to me about the beliefs of the agnostic - is that although they believe there might be a God - they do not believe that He can be known. The deist also has a sad belief that although there is a God who is great enough to make this world, all He did was wind it up. They believe that He is letting it wind down - and principles for living in it can be known - but as for any kind of personal apsect to God, it does not exist. How thankful I am that these misrepresentations of God are wholly inadequate in describing Him. He has revealed Himself - can be known - and delights in those who diligently seek for Him. For those who do - He has wonderful promises, not just of information, but a personal contact with Him - and emotional ties that He will initiate as well. God is revealing Himself personified as Wisdom in this entire chapter. After thrilling us with all the things that Wisdom is to us - God makes a wonderful promise. He says that those who love Him - who love His wisdom - He Himself will love as well. What a glorious promise is ours when we love the wisdom of God. We will not only receive that very wisdom - information that will bless us infinitely - but we will receive the love of the One Who holds all that wisdom and makes it known to us. This is no impersonal god whose goal is the communication of ideals and principles for living. This is God, Who in giving us such things, delights that what He is giving us is Himself. His glorious grace is that He gives us Himself. This is so vital for us to grasp in our search for wisdom. Wisdom is seeking not just information for wise choices - but seeking the One who not only gives the information, He gives Himself and all His power so that such principles can be lived out fully. Our desire for wisdom will grant us those very principles - but they come with a Person - God Hismelf who will teach us and change us in the process. Can there be anything more marvelous and wonderful!? The second promise is those who diligently seek Wisdom will find Him. Please do not think that a strange thing to say. Wisdom is a person - the Lord Jesus Christ who is put within us by the power of the Holy Spirit. If you think otherwise, you are not fully grasping the message of the gospel - and of the Scriptures. We read in 1 Corinthians 1:30 that Christ Jesus became to us wisdom from God. Earlier in verse 24 we read that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. That may blow some people's minds. If we are pursuing wisdom - we are pursuing Christ in the end. He is the ultimate wisdom that God had to share with us. Jesus Christ is God incarnate - therefore His entire life was wisdom and understanding to us. What we find in the book of Proverbs in principle and statement - we will find in Him lived out in every day experience. God has called us to a glorious pursuit. That pursuit will always lead us to the person of Christ. It will lead us to knowing and learning and loving Him. The pursuit of wisdom in the end is not a pursuit of something - it is a pursuit of Somone - Jesus Christ. The Love loves those who passionately enter into and continue in that pursuit. What He promises is that when we run that race we can run knowing that His grace and mercy will enable us to win - and the prize that we will is a glorious and fulfilling relationship with His Son - and the life that comes from knowing and following Him. Oh, precious one - make that pursuit the one goal of your life. To keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the adulteress. Proverbs 6:24
Why do we need additional light by which to see in life? Why is it that we need to be reproved and disciplined so that we choose life? The answer to these questions and to the reason the Bible spends so much time warning us about sin, is found in the worldview of the Bible when it comes to the basic nature of man. The Bible teaches that man is fallen and sinful. Our basic nature is to turn from God and His ways. If left to ourselves, we will NOT choose life. If left to ourselves, we will by the very evil in our nature, go in a direction that is contrary to God's way. That is why we need the light of God's Word to light our way. That is why we need reproofs and corrections to move us into the path of God's commandments. Here, after making that clear, the writer of Proverbs then reminds us that one of the ways that we will choose to our detriment, is the way of the evil woman. The word evil here is the Hebrew "ra" which means an active, pernicious evil. This is an evil that cannot rest unless it is acting out evil - and encouraging others to do the same. The woman who is abandoning her vows to her husband - and encouraging other men to do the same - is an evil woman. But unless you are wise, you will not detect her as such. The father who is speaking here warns his son to turn to wisdom and the commandments and reproofs of God, so that he will not be led astray by the smooth tongue of this adulteress. Her smooth tongue is her weapon of choice. She uses it to flatter a man and use his natural tendency toward pride and a bloated ego as a trap. That is why we are warned against her smooth, flattering tongue. And it is also why we need God's commandments to direct us where our egos and our sinful nature will not. Finally, it is why we also need the Word of God to rebuke and reprove us when we begin to make unwise decisions concerning sexuality and the kind of company we keep with the opposite sex. |
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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