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"Under three things the earth quakes, And under four, it cannot bear up: Under a slave when he becomes king, And a fool when he is satisfied with food, Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband, And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress." (Proverbs 30:21-23)
There are things that make society shake. This may seem a little shocking to us, because as Americans we are taught to cheer for the little guy. But this is not about the little guy - it is about situations that should not happen - and when they do - the earth shakes under it and can bearly bear up under it. There is such a thing as decorum - and the proper way things should be done. In each of these situations something improper happens. That is why the earth quakes in each of these situations. The Bible is not putting the little man down in saying these things. Instead, what is happening is that when one of these four people gains access to these situations, the earth itself and society upon it, feels opressed - and often is because when it does happen, too often it is also ushered into a kind of "payback" situation as well. One thing we can learn from this is the whole concept of winning or ascending to a position with grace and with class. Too often when one does rise up - they do so with an attitude that they are going to make all those pay who oppressed them. Let's look at these four and see what we learn from them. The first situation is when a slave becomes king. The problem here is that Proverbs 19:10 speaks of this - and that this slave is probably considered a fool. It is not fitting for a fool to rule over princes. There are several situations where this might happen - but most of those would be ruled out by the fact that representative democracy did not exist when this was written. The only way a slave would become king in this time period would be by either murder or insurrection. Slaves did NOT become kings. But this slave did - and when he did there was treachery afoot. The problem with this is that when people overthrow governments - and especially when slaves and servants do so - the result is often a major disruption of society. The one in power due to deception and treachery will only rule according to the same standards by which he or she ascended to the throne. The end of this scenario is oppression and domination of the public. It is a sad thing to watch someone in power abuse that power to remain there. When I think of all the governments that have begun with a slave or common man rising to power through military power and intrigue, none of the nation states over which they rule are blessed. It is not that I support the oppression of any people by monarchy either, but too often when the slave comes to the throne - his attitudes and actions do far more to oppress the poeple than liberate them. The second situation is when a fool is satisfied with food. The fool here is the one who does not have any intention to work or to doing any kind of gainful employment. He is lazy and undisciplined - ungodly and unconcerned with adding anything to society. Thus, when he is fed, he simply continues to be a drain on society - and spreads his laziness. Anyone who has watched a welfare state in action knows that the world trembles and quakes under such a situation. I have no qualms with society taking care of the truly needy and those who cannot work, but that is not what is said here. What is happening is that a fool is being underwritten in his foolishness. He is fed, fat, and happy - and intends on staying that way without the thought of any kind of labor. In fact, what happens historically is that the fool becomes discontent with his provisions by the government - and complains for more. While he continues doing little of nothing - he causes great damage to society because of his drain upon it. Ben Franklin commented on the English system of welfare and was horrified by how it caused many in England to become lazy, undisciplined, and ungodly. The Bible clearly states that the workers appetite works for him - and that a principle is that if a man will not work - we should not let that man eat. Let him become hungry and he will get up and begin doing something to provide food for himself. Sadly, we see that attitude as cruel - when it actually is best for the person and for society as well. The third situation under which the earth quakes is when an unloved woman gets a husband. Now here is one that seems out of place. Wouldn't it be a great thing for this unloved woman to get a husband? What is being said here? The word for "unloved" here is a little too tame. The Hebrew word is "sane" and it means to hate. The King James does a better job of translating this word when it says "odious." That word fits better. Several other ways this is translated is as repugnant, hateful, bitter or hated woman. This gives us a much better picture of the woman who is getting married here. This lady is NOT going to make a good wife. In fact, Proverbs has much to say about her - and none of it is good. When you meet a man married to such a woman - or experience her children and friends - you come to understand why Proverbs says the earth cannot bear up under this. She is skilled at making those who love her as miserable as they can be. Such a woman does not need a husband - she needs a moral and social makeover! The last is when the mistress takes the place of her master's wife. Here we have an example in Scripture, when Abaham mistakenly followed the bad advice of Sarah in taking her maidservant, Hagar as a wife. This was to have her bear children to fulfill God's promise - but this was not how the Lord intended to fulfill His promise. This situation brings jealousy to its most ugly manifestations. If this was the way it was between Sarah and Hagar - imagine the carnage when the situation is a man who begins committing adultery with his maidservant and allows her to supplant her mistress. Unfortunately we see this again and again in our society - maybe not with slave girls, because we've moved past slavery. Our problem is with secretaries and with woman who work in our offices and plant floors. A woman works her way into a man's heart (by the way, with very little protest from the whore-mongering man) at work and then becomes his mistress or wife by supplanting his current wife. The world quakes when this happens - and often the earthquake continues for years as the children are broken to pieces by the divorce and subsequent marriages that result. Well . . . what seemed to be out of place at the start of this passage seems to be perfectly in order. God desires for us to avoid the social earthquakes that come with sinful social situations. He knows that the fall of man brought with it much social baggage. By following the wise and sage counsel of our God we can avoid picking up bags that we were never meant to carry - and in so doing - keep our lives much more harmonious as a result.
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Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27:1
Just about everyone thinks they have plenty of time left in life. The only ones who don't think this way are those with a terminal disease in its latter stages. And, to be honest, they are the ones who are living like we all should live - taking advantage of every moment that they have - because they know it may be the last one they have to live. Boasting about tomorrow is the problem in this passage. It is the attitude that says, "I not only have tomorrow - I can make of tomorrow anything I want of it!" Pride is the reason we would boast of tomorrow. We do it because we think "we" determine our future and that "we" can make it what "we" want. When this attitude prevails in our lives it also carries with it that the only reason to live is for this world and what it can bring. James speaks of this attitude when he writes, "Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that. But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil." (James 4) This is all about whether we rule our lives - or if God rules them. And the fact is that God not only rules our lives - but that He is sovereign over all creation. We don't know what a day may bring forth. Here is the second reason why this attitude of boasting in a day is prideful. When we do we are acting as if we are omniscient and omnipotent. We think we have the power to make whatever we want to happen - when the truth is that we cannot make anything happen that is outside of God's ultimate purpose and plan. We also think we know tomorrow when the fact is that we don't even know what the next 10 minutes hold. As James said, our attitude needs to be, "If the Lord wills, we will do this or that." Anything other than this is sin. Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not alight. Proverbs 26:2
Curses . . . here's a Proverb that is vastly overused by those who would like to build an entire doctrine of curses. This Proverb is not teaching some sort of voodoo where we can go around cursing others - neither does it allow for a doctrine where what we say can curse someone else and make what we say happen. Granted words have power - but not to the point of exerting some kind of strange, dark magic over those to whom we speak. This Proverb is stating something to the contrary. It speaks of the curse that is without cause. So the first thing to examine is a curse that is with cause. What is that all about? God speaks curses in Deuteronomy 28 for those who do not obey the commandments that He gives. He also promises blessings for obedience. The interesting thing though is that curses throughout the Biblical text refer primarily and almost exclusively to disobedience to God's Word. It is foreign to the Bible to have the kind of curse that exists within black magic or Voodoo. This is something we don't need to encourage - and yet some in churches jump at this whole area and want to make every word spoken against someone a curse with real spiritual power. The only way a curse can have power over someone is if they let it by believing it and paving the way for the demonic world to oblige the poor sap and work double time to create situations in which the person can give the curse more power over them. Believe me, I know how this works. I'm a Cubs fan and the Chicago area baseball world has given power to a goat for over 50 years. They've even brought in goats to try to break the curse. But the problem is that they give the curse power by believing it year after year - when their problem is that they have a lousy baseball team. The curse here is compared to a sparrow's flitting and a swallow's flying habits. These two birds are notorious for not staying put anywhere for any length of time. The Proverb is trying to teach us that just like these birds - so a curse without cause does not remain. Here is a very simple rendering of this truth. Curses remain because we continue to disobey God's commandments and live in rebellion to Him. God, who is sovereign over all the universe, will see to it that we do not enter into a blessed state while walking in rebellion and disobedience. So . . . if you do not rebel against His Word, but submit to Him and obey His commandments - then no curse will "alight" or remain. Remember, that this verse is stuck between two others commenting on the fool. Therefore I think it is not going too far to say - only a fool would remain in his rebellion and experience the curse that God places on that kind of lifestyle. As for the rest of the words that are spoken to us - about us - maybe even over us by those intending demonicly-instigated problems? Well, those words are like flitting sparrows and flying swallows. They fly overhead - but do not receive permission to land on us - unless the providence and sovereign hand of God allows. Oh, and by the way, God's intent for His obedient people is blessing - not cursing! Like a city that is broken into and without walls Is a man who has no control over his spirit. Proverbs 25:28
Self-control is a fierce fruit - yet one that is absolutely essential for the man who desires to be godly. The one who lacks it is definitely in danger. Without it our defenses our down and the likelihood of having our base desires control our lives is high indeed. The wall of a city was essential to it defenses. The wall was a barrier that allowed a city to withstand a far greater opponent with only a few warriors. But when the wall was breached, the cities defenses would themselves be breached. Once this happened, it was not difficult to conquer the city itself. The first picture painted for us by the Lord is that of a city that is broken into. The picture is of a city whose walls have been breached - and a break through of the enemy is happening. This is a dangerous moment because once the enemy is aware of such a breach, all of its might will be concentrated on that point to exploit it in the greatest measure. What begins as a small breach, if not dealt with quickly and decisively, will become a huge gaping hole through which the enemy will pour in a matter of days and hours. This picture is compared to a man who has no control of his spirit. A man's spirit here is his inner fortitude. This is limited in the fallen condition of man, yet is greatly strengthened in salvation and in a continuing relationship with the Holy Spirit. A man who has no control over his spirit is unable to deal with his flesh. His selfish ego is ungoverned and unfortunately tells him what he shall do. The list of sins in Galatians 5:17-21 are a good list of what will come forth from this man. To say that this is not a pretty sight is an understatement. More and more the devil, the world, and his own godless ego will dominate his life. What is sad is that this situation grows over time. It may start as just a small fault early in life - yet when not dealt with decisively and completely it will develop into quite the breach in his defenses. A little temper while young can become a horrendous temper when older. A little deceit and lying can grow into a way of deceit as an adult. Oh, how we need to heed the Scriptures that sin must be dealt with viciously - with every effort and amount of strength needing to be focused on killing the flesh and its desires. As Paul said, "If we by the Spirit put to death the desires of the flesh, we will live." The word used here as "control" is the Hebrew "matsar" which means restraint and control. There are those today who say that we should not seek control or restraint - but allow the Lord to give us victory. Yet the Word says again and again it is both that need to happen. We need to fight passionately against the flesh - while looking to the Lord as the source and strength for the victory. Looking alone will not do - just as striving alone will not either. The second picture is much more grave - for it is the picture of our lives when a lack of self-control is fully matured in our hearts. The city without walls is a sitting duck, just waiting for the first enemy to come and wreak havoc upon it. Here is the man who has cultivated quite the harvest of self-indulgence. His city is without walls at all. Thus when the enemy attacks - there are no defenses. What a foolish strategy this is - yet that is what too many rely upon in life. They think that there is no battle - no fight - no enemy. All will be well - and all willl go perfectly. This is nothing more than an exercise in self-deception, and it is one that will cost the person who holds is everything. We need to take Paul's attitude when it comes to how we fight against sin in our lives. "Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:26-27) We do need to take this attitude toward our bodies and our spirit. If there is no control of our spirit - where whatever influence that comes upon us rules - we are doomed. Instead, we need to work daily to build high walls of the Word and godly living that will help us to repel the enemy when he comes. When we do this, we will find the blessing of a spirit that is cooperative with the Holy Spirit and a life that embraces the godliness laid out for us in the Scriptures. By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4
There are things written by authors concerning how to built a godly home - volume after volume - and yet none of them can come close to giving the kind of counsel we find in these two simple verses in Proverbs. Four simple lines written here that let us know how we can have a home filled with all that is pleasant and all that will let the world know that we are truly rich. The very first princple must never be missed. A godly home will never exist without a proper view of its plans and materials. It is by wisdom that a house is built. Wisdom is our familiar word, "chokmah" in the Hebrew. I love this statement about wisdom made by Keil and Delitzsch in their volume on Proverbs. "It is wisdom, that which originates from God, which is rooted in fellowship with Him, by which every household, be it great or small, prospers and attains to a successful and flourishing state." Wisdom is seeing things as God sees them. Wisdom views all of life - all its decisions as decisions to be made in agreement with His will and His Word. Oh, how blessed is the house that lives this way! But life requires more than just seeing things as God sees them. This home, built upon God's wisdom, is established as this view of life is translated into daily decisions, for it is by understanding that this home so built is established. Understanding takes the wisdom of God and moves it into our decision making processes. We take the Word - and use it to discern and understand the situations we face every day. It is the prism through which we experience life - which takes our problems and decisions and bends them toward the will of God as a prism takes light and bends it into all its array of colors. Thus understanding bends all our decisions toward God so that we see them for what they are - and helps us make decisions in accordance with all that will please and honor Him. It is one thing to fill yourself with the Word of God - but quite another to then take that Word and apply it to all of life - especially how you bring up your family. But what a blessing to know that when you do, your home will be well-built and established so that it can stand strong for years. Kind of like what Jesus said in Matthew 7 - that the wise man builds his house on a life that hears and heeds the Word of God - as a wise builder founds his house upon a rock instead of upon sand. This building process even continues to the point of interior decorating. We are told by the Lord not just how to build the house - but how to fill all the rooms to capacity with abundant wealth. The various rooms of this house are filled with precious things by knowledge. This word is closely associated with wisdom - and means a technical or specific ability to do something - here it means taking the Word of God and usin it to walk through life. It means to wield wisdom with great skill and ability. The man who has this kind of specific skill with wisdom knows how to take God's Word and apply it in every situation that comes up in life. A beautiful picture emerges as we look at this word and how God applies it here. God speaks of how various rooms are filled with items specific to the room. Is this not how homes are decorated? We would never think of putting a sofa in our kitchen - or a toilet in the living room. A stove fits perfectly with a kitchen, yet would look absolutely ridiculous if put as a bedside table in our bedroom. So also is wisdom put into place by one who knows how to use it. This man fills up his home with the perfect match of furniture and decorations - room by room. He knows how to speak to any and every situation with just the right statement. Proverbs tells us that like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances. To decorate our lives in just the right way requires a skill with wisdom and the Word. Like a master decorator - the wise man puts the perfect touch on every opportunity with his family and friends with words of wisdom and understanding. Each room is filled with "precious and pleasant riches." The word "precious" is the Hebrew "yaqar" which means something valuable and rare. It is used throughout the Old Testament to describe costly and expensive stones that were used as foundation stones or jewels. We would expect nothing less since wisdom itself is described as being more precious than jewels and as that which cannot be bested by gold and silver. Imagine walking into a home where each room greets you with an array of jewelry perfectly placed to accent the room so that it glimmers with a sense of perfection. That describes the way the wise man accessorises all of life with the perfect word spoken to every aspect of living. Yet, what is even more marvelous is the next word used here. He not only fills each room with precious things - but also with that which is described as pleasant as well. The Hebew word here is "naem" and it means that which is pleasant, sweet, comfortable, delightful, and beautiful. The wisdom and knowledge with which this man builts and decorates his home and life is not only profitable, but it spoken in such a way that it is delightful as well. Wisdom presents the truth so that it is pleasant to those who receive it. It would be foolishness to think that every wise saying will be pleasant at all times, for our fallen mentality must be addressed and our waywardness must be corrected. But too often we think that such things must always carry with them a bitter taste and sharp character. Oh, what a wise man it is who can take even the most difficult of truths or deep corrections and state them in such a way to soften the blow - while still addressing the core corruption involved. If you know such a man or woman - hold fast to them - and thank God for a rarity that is greater than a 25 carat diamond. When I read this short exposition, I realize it is a rare thing to see such a man in this world. One would almost come to a sense of despair to locate such a man on this planet. Thank God that such a man rises above all others with our Lord Jesus Christ. This is not so much a life to be attained, but one that is bestowed upon us as we daily search the Scriptures and look to our Lord. We do have the pleasure of knowing such a One as this - yet it is only as we fellowxship morning by morning with Him in the Word at the foot of the throne of God. Yet God, in His mercy, encourages such a meeting. We can meet with Christ and partake of His wisdom and understanding - finding that even today, as when He was twelve - that His answers and wisdom astounds us. May we grasp that when building and decorating our homes and families - that a master builder is available to come alongside us and give us the skill of a Bezalel and Uriah as our lives are constructed for His glory. Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways. For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well. Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men. Proverbs 23:26-28
Why should a man ask for the hearts of his children - especially the hearts of his sons? That is a good question because in our day we are told that our children need to think for themselves - which is true. The problem comes when that statement is made meaning that they should throw off the beliefs and morals of their parents and adopt the foolish morals of society itself. That is not wisdom but the height of foolishness. From what is said here by the Lord in verses 26-28 we will see why this is such a bad thing for the sons of a society to do. The plea of the father is simple - he wants to have his son's heart. He asks for it very plainly - and restates his request so that we understand that for which he asks. He wants his son to delight in his ways. The request is that his son sets or places his heart in the hands of his father. The restatement of that request lets us see that the father desires for his son to adopt and take up his ways. But this is not a request for the son to grudgingly take up his father's ways - but rather that the son would "delight" in them. "Ratsah" is delight and it means to accept something favorably - to be pleased with it. The father desires for his son to enjoy and favor the ways that he teaches him. This is nothing more than passing to our son the same way we live - to pass our morals and our beliefs to them. And we will see in the very next verse why this is important. Whose job is it to pass to the next generation the things of God and the ways of the Lord? It is the job of the father to do this - and if the father does not take this task seriously - the problems of this passage will riase their ugly head in any society. When a son does not delight in the godly ways of a godly father, what results is that the desires of his lower nature take over and head in a hell-ward direction. One of the first things that will show itself is the lusts of his flesh. Granted this is a two way street - for the one he is warned of is the harlot - the immoral woman. The truth is that without the influence of godly fathers, the daughters also turn away from the things of the Lord - and find that their fallen nature takes over in their choices as well. The son is warned that the harlot is a deep pit. In Proverbs 22:14 this deep pit is identified as the mouth and voice of the harlot and the prostitute. She lures one in with her words and with her enticing promises of sex that is beyond that which marital life can offer. The fool is the one who listens to her - draws near - and then falls into this deep pit. And for what reason is a deep pit dug other than to lure the unsuspecting animal near for the capture and the kill. The end of the matter is death and destruction. One finds himself lying broken in the bottom of the pit with no way out. so also is the adulterous one - who begins thinking only of pleasure and ends knowing nothing but guilt and destruction. The "adulterous" woman here is actually the "strange" or "foreign" woman. God warned against these women because of how they would tempt His people to leave Him and worship their foreign gods instead. Interesting is the fact that the vast majority of this alien worship involved sexual immorality and the abandonment of the marriage vow and the defilement of the marriage bed. This foreign or strange woman is described as a "narrow well." The word here for well is "beer" and it can mean either a well of refreshing water - or a narrow pit that only offers entrapment and misery. What I find fascinating about the use of this word is that God encourages us elsewhere in Proverbs to "drink water from your own well," in reference to the sexual relationship in marriage. But when we abandon our "own well," and go out into the streets seeking illicit sexual affairs - we move from our own well to a narrow pit that holds no water - but rather holds us in our sin and disgrace as the illicit sexual activity destroys our families and our marriages. While the foreign woman promises incredible sexual ecstacies to the fool she seeks to entice, the truth is that she is lurking like a predator, ready to pounce upon her unsuspecting prey. Just like the male black widow spider is lured to mate with the female - not realizing that she will destroy and consume him when the act is done - so the fool strolls into the den of the whore not fully seeing that this is not a pleasure den, but a robber's lure. Still, he comes, thinking that this is all about pleasure, when he is about to experience the trigger of the trap that will enslave him. He is about to have stolen from him all that he will truly treasure. This robber is waiting to add to her own lair of prey. She desires to increase the "faithless among men." This faithlessness is called "treachery" in the Old Testament. There is a word we don't seem to use as much any longer. This word means to act as a traitor and to betray someone. Here it refers to those who are married and their treachery toward their wives and toward the Lord before Whom they entered into their marriage vows. How many marriages have been destroyed simply because a man did not remember his vows before God - instead choosing to listen to the lies of his own flesh and the tantalizing lies of a strange woman. Oh, fathers, how we need to do two very valuable things in life. First, how we need to treasure our wives. We need first to SHOW the way to our sons by how we treat our wives and cling to them. You cannot have instruction without example - and in this situation how the world needs the example of godly fathers cherishing their wives in front of their children. Second, we need to have a generation of fathers who desperately want their son's hearts. We need to call to them to cherish the father-son relationship as a place where they can receive wisdom and instruction and warning. We need to love them and delight in them so that they continue to give their hearts to us. Then, when we have that marvelous gift of their hearts, we need to use that trust to teach them the things of the Lord - urging them to a lifestyle and to choices that will bless them for generations. Among these teachings is desperately needed a call to watch their own hearts - covet the strength of their own marriages - and to protect the purity of their marriage covenants before God. A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:1
Proverbs has a great deal to say about what is truly valuable. Here we find that our name is worth a great deal. A good name is a sign of a wealthy man. That good name is earned in life by living a godly life - being a man or woman of honor - being true to your word - being a trustworthy person - being someone who excels at what they do - and showing godly character in all situations, especially those that are difficult. There are those who are rich, but who have come to their riches in a way that has cost them their name. They have relied on questionable practices and get quick rich schemes. In the process of gaining a great deal of money, they've abused their name and their reputation. Thus, they may be rich in the things of this world, but their name is basically mud to those who know them. We all know someone who wanted to get to the top and who decided to step on people all the way up there. The restatement of this Proverb is even more telling though. A good name is more to be desired than great wealth - but even better than that is knowing what the Bible calls "favor." This, according to the Lord is better than silver and gold. What does it mean to have "favor?" This word means to have grace or acceptance. The fundamental way this word is used in Scripture is to describe the unmerited favor that God gives us. Here, though, it probably refers to the favor - the approval that we receive because we are a man of character and godliness. Men truly value a man who is like this. The value of such things as a good name and favor because of our character is invaluable. These things come with time because we choose to follow the Lord and live according to His principles and desires. Do not ever underestimate the value of your name and the way that being a good man or woman brings you the favor of others. It is something that no one can estimate with a calculator. The blessing that comes with it will not only last a lifetime - but often will be remembered long after one has left this world. The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue Is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death. Proverbs 21:6
Being a wealthy man is not sin - there are many wealthy men who honor God with their lives and their testimony. The problem often is not wealth itself, but how we deal with wealth - and here - how we get it. We are told by Paul in his letters to Timothy that is it the "love of money" that is the root of evil. How do you go about gaining your treasures? Here the foolish man goes about gaining his by a lying tongue. He uses deceit to gain his wealth. He lies about his abilities - or about his product in some way - or he uses deceit to lure others into a financial trap whereby he profits from their misfortune. But the Lord instructs us in Proverbs that this way of gaining a fotrune is a "double-loser" in the end. Let's see why. First, we read that such a plan is a "fleeting vapor." What a descriptive phrase this is. First we have the idea of something fleeting. This refers to something blown or driving away. Psalm 1:4 tells us that the wicked will be blown away like the chaff of the grain. Again in Job 32:13 God uses this word to speak of how He will rout the evil man - blowing Him away like wind blows the dust of the earth effortlessly. The second word is vapor. This word refers to just what it says - a small whisp of water vapor that would vanish almost as soon as it appears. What is speaks of is more interesting. It speaks of vanity, emptiness, and meaninglessness. It is the favorite word of the book of Ecclesiastes - where it is used thirty-five different times to speak of how life is like a breath. Put together, these two words intensify one another. Thus we see that gaining treasure by lying is like pursuing the most momentary of vapors - one that is even more vain and empty than any you've ever seen. Thus, the first loss is that of a meaningful life here on earth. To chase after wealth by lying and deceit is to make your life worthless. It will have all the value of a breif water blowing away in the wind. Not exactly what most people are searching for in life - is it? The second loss you experience is much scarier than the first. God tells us that living this way is the pursuit of death. Now there is a phrase you don't hear very often. "Hey, Bob, let's go out later today and pursue some death!" The phrase itself simply means that someone is chasing after or hunting something - here - death. So we learn that we are not only hurting ourselves here and now with a meaningless life, but that we are also harming ourselves for the life to come. That person is hunting after their own death. They're pursing dying. What is sad is that all of those who live this way describe their pursuit and use of money as, "really living." The fact though is that their pursuit of false riches - results in a very real death. Reading this encourages us to see the pursuit of the wrong kind of treasure as a dangerous thing. It is something deadly - killing those who engage in it. It also helps us, as Proverbs often does, with a picture of what we're doing. While the world sees such activity as harmless and even adventageous because of the things you can buy and do with it, the Word of God paints a much different picture. Living this way is pictured as chasing our own death and destruction. It is pictured as the most foolish and meaningless of lifestyles. And hopefully, such a picture will turn us from pursuing things that actually make us poor rather than rich. It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself If his conduct is pure and right. Proverbs 20:11
How do you judge someone's character - especially that of a child? There are those who say that we should never judge anyone - but that statement is fraught with problems. How do you train up a child to be an asset to society rather than a liability? There must be a way to do this - to make sure that your children grow up and take upon themselves the responsibilities of being a valuable adult. Once again God's wisdom takes center stage on this issue. A child is distinguished by his deeds - by what he does. The idea here is that you can investigate and come to a knowledge of just who a child is by looking at his deeds. There are those who would have us award all children the same - as if giving everyone an equal reward will someone make the world a place without competition. The problem with such a plan - of giving trophies to everyone - of handing out ribbons to all participants - of not choosing a validictorian because of how it will make the other children feel - is that this will bring all to the same low level. It is by his actions and deeds that a child distinguishes himself. Raising a child to be what they should be in God's eyes - means setting the bar at the level that God sets it. It means calling him to excellence. The excellence the world seeks in in skill and ability. It is true that even God's Word speaks of how a man who is excellent in his field will be rewarded. But what we are examining in this proverb is how to raise a man or woman of character. The lad distinguishes himself by his deeds is true - but what kind of deeds? Conduct that is pure and right. Too often we spend our time trying to train a child in a sport or field of endeavor without tending to his moral training. What a child needs is character. He needs to know what is pure and right. There is the first way in which God's wisdom will run into a road block set up by the world. The world says there is no way that we can definitively determine and establish right and wrong. Each man's wisdom is his own thinking. That is how we got to the ignoble ending of the book of Judges. A child needs is to be trained that God's Word is what determines what is pure and right. Then the child needs to be trained in how to walk in this world in a way that pleases and honors the Lord. Oh, what a blessing such a child is to the world around him when he or she is trained in this manner. Oh, what blessings will surround and flow forth from such a child. We would do well not to turn to Dr. Spock when training our children, or for that matter to anyone who contradicts what the wisdom of God says. Instead, we need to train our children in the ways of the Lord and watch as they distinguish themselves from the rest of the world - and become the conduit through which the world around them is blessed! The foolishness of man ruins his way, And his heart rages against the Lord. Proverbs 19:3
Do you find it interesting as I do that people who do not want to honor or follow God, suddenly want to blame Him for things when their lives fall apart? I've run into people who have no use for God until they need someone to blame when problems come into their lives. So, why should I be shocked when God's book or wisdom tells me the very same thing. The foolishness of man is what ruins his way. This word means to be silly and foolish - to be perverse. The fool does not want wisdom or understanding - usually the fool wants a good time - regardless of the cost. The fool wants to do his own thing, and if his own thing is contrary to God's will, that's too bad. The rest of the proverbs tells us about the fool - he is quick-tempered, lacks sense, and deceitful. He is naive and often repeats the same evil again and again, never learning from the experience. You can easily see why the foolishness of the fool leads to the ruin of his way. When you live and make decisions contrary to the Word of God, you will wind up with a mess in your life. It would be one thing for the fool to experience these things and learn from them, but if you remember correctly, the fool does not learn. Here we read that the fool's heart rages aainst Jehovah when these things happen. The word "rage" actually speaks of a storm raging. What happens is that the fool has a storm raging on the inside of him - a storm that exhibits itself as rage to the outside world. In the midst of experiencing the fruit of his way - the consequences of his actions, the fool has a hurricane building on the inside. That raging storm manifests itself outwardly when the fool rages against God. Besides, He is the One Who put such consequences into place. He is the One Who made it where acting a certain way brings a certain result. Or the fool rages against God's Law and commandments. He rages that God has given such things - making them so intractable. It just blows my mind that all this rage explodes against God - and yet they don't acknowledge Him until that moment. One would think it strange to ignore and deny the existance of Someone until the eternal nature of His law manifests itself in the myriad of consequences that are coming upon them. But then again that is the MO of the fool. He lives for his foolishness - never taking thought of God's Law or ways - until those ways come crashing down upon them as the consequences of their actions. |
 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. 
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