The eye that mocks a father And scorns a mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it. Proverbs 30:17
This proverb is one of those that seems a little harsh when you first read it - especially if you've ever been disrespectful to your parents. Your average kid might say, "You mean to say that if I scorn my parents, I'm doomed to have scavenger birds peck my eye out and eat it?" Since we know that not every rebellious child and teenager has had his eyes destroyed by a flock of ravens and eagles - we know that this passage has more to teach us than just a scary warning that probably would not work on kids anyway. But just what is this proverb trying to show us? The key comes in understanding why a bird - especially a scavenger would have any interest in an animal's eyes. You see both of the birds mentioned in this passage are scavengers. That means that they both eat dead things. But one practice that ravens have as they approach carrion is that they need to be sure it is dead. That can mean the difference in having a meal and being one to the raven. Therefore when a raven suspects an animal to be dead - he goes straight for the eye. The raven lands near the animal and sees if the animal makes any movements. Then when the raven detects that things are clear for the most part - he subjects the animal to the ultimate test as to whether it is alive or dead. He pecks at the animal's eye. If an animal does not move to protect the eye, it is dead. As the raven picks out the eye of the animal - it assures him that the animal is dead. Often early in the meal that follows, a larger predator - which is where the young eagle comes in - will arrive and take over the meal from the raven, who wisely knows when he is outmatched. Now, let's take what we've learned from nature - and apply it to what is said in this passage. When a young person feels his oats enough to begin mocking his own father and mother it is a very dangerous sign. The reference to the raven and the young eagle is not a direct threat - but rather a reminder. He is spiritually dead. This is not so much a threat of future aviary retribution - but of the spiritual reality of where this young man or woman is. God promises us that the one who honors his mother and father will live long on the earth. Great blessing is in store for the child who learns about respect, honor, and submission in subjection to his parents. These are vital lessons to learn if he or she is going to be successful in life - and after life is over. These come through properly relating to one's parents. If we don't learn them in the home - we will face learning them out in the world where the cost to learn them is far higher than it is with mom and dad. One last thing that we need to note here is that we are not talking about open rebellion here - but the "eye" that mocks father and mother. This is as much a look as it is an action. I remember my mother telling me not to look at her in that tone of voice. It was a little bit of a joke - but not really. She knew, and so did my father, when my eyes were revealing what was really going on in my heart. The eyes are the window to the soul - and reveal much of what is truly going on in our hearts. Thus we need to be careful to not only watch our words concerning our parents, but also the way our eyes function as well. Quite often we might be obeying in our outward members - but our eyes reveal another story altogether. Remember then, that when the scavengers come looking for the dead - they come looking for those who are dead in their eyes. When a wise man seeks to determine whether someone is spiritually alive or dead - he can learn much in how a person treats their parents.
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If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause; Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit; We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil; Throw in your lot with us, We shall all have one purse," Proverbs 1:11-14
Here is the call of the sinners who want to entice the godly son to come with them. Solomon has told his son do not consent to go with these young men. Let's take a closer look at their enticements today and hopefully learn wisdom from seeing why doing what they say is not wise. First we see that they want to lay in wait for some pour soul from whom they want to take their life and possessions. They evidently have marked someone and have plans to rob them and either kill them or harm them pretty significantly. A couple of things we should note from this. First of all that these people are not the kind of crowd you want to frequent if you are seeking to set your ways rightly in God's sight. There are some folks who spend a good portion of their lives looking for trouble. Here they want to ambush some poor schlub who has no idea what is about to happen to him. Second, they want to attack the "innocent." This is never a good idea if we read what God thinks about harming innocent people. These evil men want to swallow people up - like death itself. This is not too difficult to see since these people seem to be motivated by death and hell itself. This reveals a condition in their hearts that is truly evil. It is as if they embrace death itself. This speaks to much of our entertainment industry today. There is a whole genre of films today that glory in violence and destruction. It really should not shock us that the same kind of violence also is permeating our society as well. For years I've believed that the company we keep in the movie industry also has a great deal of influence in our thinking. Will we rise up and kill someone because we watched a movie - probably not. But the problem becomes that we are more and more desensitized to violence and evil behavior. Either way, it is not wise to keep the company of the wicked - or the films that they make. Just as a principle for future use - Jesus is preoccupied with life. If someone is preoccupied with death, destruction, the place of the dead, and the pit - probably not someone you need to hang out with in life. Here we see the true reason for their violence - greed. They covet what their victims have - and desire to use it to make themselves wealthy. Their worldly-mindedness shows itself in their desire to have money, to have wealth, to have houses filled with the spoil they gained from the destruction of anyone who had what they wanted. Their greedy appetite will be their eventual undoing. God's Word makes it clear that you shall not steal - and those who choose to do so - will not prosper but will eventually face the jugment of God against their actions. The enticement for the unwise young man is that they will all have one lot - and when the plunder is theirs - one purse. They are putting themselves together for a common cause as well as a common financial stake in all that they were going to do. What is NOT being said here is that they will also wind up sharing a common end. Since they have embraced violence and death - destruction and the pit - it is only fitting that they will also embrace those things as their common end as well. This is not an exciting lifesyle (although it may seem that way here on this earth). It is a destructive one that will end in the destruction of the one who is walking in it. Here we have seen the way of sinners. We have seen the way of those who live for their wealth and schemes to take from others so that they can be rich. We have seen those preoccupied with death and destruction. And hopefully - as we continue in another day to see what Solomon has to say about how unwise it is to live this way - we will see how as they open their heart to pour out death and wickedness, they will find that wickedness is poured to overflowing into their hearts as well. Here is the height of foolishness - may God give us grace that we will not fall into the company or the ways of such fools. May instead He give us a heart of wisdom. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish.
Proverbs 19:9 The battle had not gone well that day. Many of Israel's fighters had fallen on the field. A young Amalekite watched as the king of Israel struggled to stay on his feet. It was evident from the shafts of the arrows sticking out of his body that he had been hit by the archers and would not survive the day. As the events unfolded before his eyes - he watched as Israel's king then took his own sword and fell upon it - then he watched the king's armor bearer do the same. He was horrified as this took place - knowing that this battle was about to be lost badly. But he also saw an amazing opportunity as his eyes became fixed on the crown that lay only inches from the king's fallen body. He quickly rushed to the king and scooped up the crown - put it in his satchel and fled to the rear of the conflict. As he ran that day visions of grandeur filled his mind. He knew exactly where he was going. He headed for David's camp - for he had heard many speak of David's exploits. "This one will be king some day, mark my words!" Those were the words he had heard from a commander of a hundred who had later defected to David. He smiled a wicked smile as he weaved a web of deceit that would tell the king how he himself had helped the king - and now was bringing his crown to the heir apparent. His plan was completed in his head just about the moment that he reached the outskirts of the camp. He immediately was stopped by a sentry who asked his business. "I have news of the battle for David," was his reply. He did not miss that the sentry noticed the crown just inside his satchel. Seeing that expedited the process whereby he could see the future king. His mind raced with all that would be done for him. He would be rich and influential at last. All it would cost him was one little lie. He related his story to David. Israel had fled in battle, defeated before the Philistines. Then David asked of the welfare of the king. He related his falsehood - making it seem that he was being merciful by killing Saul in battle. Now he had come to bring David the crown. David's response was anything but what he was expecting. He was horrified by the defeat of his nemesis. Wasn't Saul the one who was chasing him around the wilderness? Wasn't Saul the one who supposedly threw a spear at this young man - more than once. The Amalekite's horror was far worse though when he heard David ask why he was not afraid to stretch out his hand against the Lord's annointed? Before he could answer, one of the young men who attended David unsheathed his sword and came toward him. His lie did not yield him riches or position - unless one meant the wealth of pain and the position of a fool as he felt the glinted steel pierce his chest. He was not exalted for his news - but struck down. As his life ebbed from his body he felt the dust from his fall settling around his face. The only reward he had received was that of the death of a fool who thought he could advance himself through lies and deceit. Solomon surely heard this story from his father, David. Punctuated by this very truth he knew that a false witness will be punished. He will be punished when the web of his own deceit is exposed. How often had he seen this before his very eyes as he experienced it himself - and watched others caught by their own web - rather than catching the ones they intended to mislead. The liar will pay the penalty of his lies. And if he persists in them - if he continuously lies to others, as this proverb states, he will perish. The one who remains a liar - whose very life is defined by being a false witness - will spend eternity along with the one whose main descriptor is "the father of lies." Lying will get you somewhere. It will get you destruction and devastation for all eternity with the devil himself - the ultimate false witness - the ultimate liar. The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, But the poor hears no rebuke. Proverbs 13:8
We see the typical scene in movie after movie. The wealthy man has someone in his family - even himself - taken captive. The FBI is in the home awaiting the fateful phone call. When it comes there comes with it the call for ransom. They knew he was wealthy - and therefore he was their perfect target. Now that they have his life in their hands - he must pay and pay handsomely if he wants to preserve his life or the life of a loved one. Who would have thought that thousands of years ago God gave this wisdom to Solomon to warn the rich that due to the sinful, selfish tendencies of fallen man, they would at times have to realize that their riches would be the ransom for their life? Here we have a proverb that simply states human nature. Very seldom do we read of a poor man who is held ransom for his good name and his hard work ethic. We don't see him held ransom for the simple way that he works and lives and loves his family. There is no demand for the happiness of a poor family who is content with the little they have - because they have each other. Men may covet such things when they realize that money really doesn't make a person happy, but seldom do they think that such basic joys can serve as a ransom for another's life. This is a problem for the rich and not the poor. They have spent a great deal to get what they have. But there are those who would take them captive, even threatening their lives, for the purpose of extracting as much money from them as they can. Sin and rebellion to God make evil men think that they will be happy if they get enough money. They think no matter how they get it - they will have it made once they escape. Fascinating that the movies don't really follow these crooks to their fateful end. They show us the really cool ways they do their crimes - and how clever they are as they get away. They have the closing scene where they toast one another with champagne and talk of what they'll do with their loot. They don't show us men and women who are hunted for life - and who are looking over the shoulder at every turn. But then again, that wouldn't sell in a movie would it? The rich have much - but they also have the struggle to keep what they have. Since their lives are bound up in their bottom line, they spend much of their lives protecting it any way they can. They do all they can do to protect their money - and they also have to spend a pretty penney on security to protect their lives and their families. When you look at all they do - and how they have to deal with fear of losing it all - you have to wonder, is it worthy it? The poor man hears no such rebuke. He does not live in fear of having his family, friends, or himself taken captive for ransom. Now I am not against wealth or riches - because there are many who are very godly to whom God has given riches. There are those who use their riches wisely - and to the glory of God. But then again, we see them making wise choices and seeing wealth through the eyes of God. They may have the money of the rich man - but they most likely have the values of the poor content man at their core. They live for simple things even though they are wealthy. In fact some of the most precious people I've ever known were wealthy - but did not come close to living like it. Just about everyone they knew had no idea how wealthy they were - because they chose a very modest lifestyle. Interestingly, they probably heard no rebuke either - since they did not flaunt their wealth. Makes you think about how you are living. It also makes you think in one more way as well. Even though the rich may have their wealth to pay their ransom here on earth - it will do them no good at the end of the age. Just a closing passage of Scripture that rings in my ears as I think about this proverb. It is from the Psalms . . . Why should I fear in days of adversity, When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me, even those who trust in their wealth and boast in the abundance of their riches? No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him—for the redemption of his soul is costly, and he should cease trying forever—that he should live on eternally, That he should not undergo decay. Psalm 49:5-9 There is NO ransom for a man's soul. There is only ONE acceptable price paid for sin. That price is what Jesus Christ paid with His blood at the cross. The redemption of a man's soul is indeed infinitely costly. Maybe money can buy "everything" here on earth according to sinful men - but the second a man passes from this life, he better not be deceived into thinking that his wealth can be the ransom for his eternal life. Thinking like that can cost you . . . literally everything! Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work? Proverbs 24:11-12
Here is a couple of verses that seem a little dramatic to us at first glance. How often in our society do we see people being taken away to their death and staggering to a slaughter? We need to remember though that the proverbs not only speak of physical realities but spiritual ones as well. So how can we learn from this particular proverb? There is the obvious slaughter to those who know Christ that is coming on the horizon. That event is the judgment seat of Christ - and the day when all men shall give an account of themselves to God. Too many think that on that day God's mercy will prevail and God will allow all men into heaven - or - they just deny God altogether. The problem is that the time of mercy - where God is showing amazing mercy to mankind is NOW - not then. Every day God has indignation with the wicked (Psalm 7:11) - and as a righteous Judge - He is showing unimaginable mercy by not consuming the wicked each and every day that He withholds the just consequences of mankind's sin. So contrary to popular thinking, God is showing mercy NOW - but in the day of judgment that general mercy shall no longer remain. All there will be on that day is grace for those who have run to Christ - and infinite, eternal judgment to those who chose to remain in their rebellion, thinking their own works will bear up in the judgment. There have been other slaughters in history. To the Germans who watched the Jews being carted off to the slaughter houses of the Third Reich, they were responsible to do something. To those who watched the awful specter of ethnic cleansing in country after country in our world, they were responsible to speak out against it and do what they could to stop it. In our own nation there has been a silent slaughter that has been going on since 1973. Abortion has dwarfed the slaughters foisted upon society by the likes of Adolf Hitler, Stalin, Mau, and Pol Pot. Sadly, this slaughter continues at a rate of 4000 a day - all legally - and now even paid for by our government. We've exported our murder of the innocents through the auspices of the United Nations and their wicked population control efforts. So for us to say that such a slaughter is not happening in our enlightened century - is to simply close our eyes to the truth that the wickedness of man has only multiplied to where they have come up with far more efficient ways to slaughter the innocent. God's call to us in the midst of the slaughter of the innocent is to hold them back. You can hear the cry of heaven saying, "Stop this! Hold them back from such a slaughter." Just like the heros of the past who spoke against slavery - and the racism that desires to cleanse the world of others unlike themselves - we need to speak out and act to stop the slaughter. To do otherwise is to be complicit with the murderers themselves. We may not be the actual executioners - but our inactivity and unwillingness to take the cause of the innocent empowers them to continue the slaughter. I find it the most perverse of activities that people camp outside prisons protesting the death sentence on the most vile of criminals - but justify abortion even up to the day of a child's birth. There has never been a more disgusting form of execution than that perpetrated upon the victim of a partial birth abortion. Yet for the most part - our society remains unmoved by this most horrific of injustices. God's Word to those who sit silently by and watch the evils of a slaughter of innocents is terrifying. The Lord speaks first to those who claim ignorance. They say that they did not know this - they knew nothing of a slaughter of this kind. They say this not because of actual ignorance - but as a ruse to cover their culpability. God's answer to them is simple. He who weighs hearts will consider this. God is saying to the multitudes who want to ignore such things that He knows their hearts. He weighs all hearts - and knows exactly what we know and what we do not know. The term weigh here is used of God's process of moral evaluation. The Lord says that a man's ways are all good in his own eyes - but God will weigh his motives and the "end" of his actions. God weighs our hearts by what happens as a result of our actions. Even when we choose to deceive ourselves - God is aware of the truth we refuse to embrace. If this is so in the little perjuries of our souls - is it not even more accurate in the major sins which we wink an approving eye toward by our inaction? God knows it because He keeps our souls - a term that speaks of how God watches over all that we do. There never has nor will there ever be something we've thought or done that He does not know intimately. This is a terrifying thought to those who think God will forget our sin. To help us grasp this even more clearly the writer of proverbs tells us He is the one who will render to every man according to his work. This term render is one that is sobering because it means to turn back or to return to another. In other words, what we have done and what we have allowed - will be done and allowed upon us for all eternity. This is true with the physical injustices that we see in the world - but it also will be true for those who do nothing for those staggering toward judgment without Christ. The ultimate injustice spiritually is when we refuse or cowardly back away from sharing Christ with the multitudes staggering toward the judgment seat without anything to pay for their sins. What an injustice we perpetrate when we enjoy salvation ourselves, but do nothing to stem the fearful judgment that will come upon others. We need to speak - speak for the wicked injustices that are happening in our generation - and speak to those who do not know Christ. I read a statement somehwere that said, "Daddy, what were you doing when they were killing babies?" Each generation that passes is often asked by history what they did to stem the tide of evil in their generation. We look back on Hitler's Germany and wonder why they did not speak out? We look at the horrific murders of the communist regimes of Stalin and Pol Pot and wonder why no one spoke out. And at the judgment seat of Christ the loudest thing we will hear will be the sound of our own silence in sharing the gospel as billions face the ultimate judgment of eternity. In light of such ultimate moments we need to ask ourselves, "Why do we not lift our voices to speak for the ones being led to the slaughter?" When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of strong men perishes. Proverbs 11:7
The true test of a man and his choices is how he dies. More accurately it is what happens to him after he dies. That is what this proverb addresses today. When a wicked man dies - everything dies with him. He has no expectations beyond this world. During his life he lived for the things of this world - and now that he is dead - he has to face the fact that he lost everything at the moment he died. You leave it ALL behind. The wicked man's expectation was centered in this world. He bet his entire life that this was all that there is - that there is no afterlife. He figured that all he did will speak for him on that day. The fact is that the moment the wicked man dies - things will never get any better than the moment before his death. Any good perishes the moment he perishes. All that he can look forward to from that moment on is the wrath of God. Jesus spoke to the rich man who was in torment in flame after death. He reminded him that he received his good things in this life. He rejected God - rejected serving God - and rejected living for God rather than for his own selfish agenda. He bet that God did not exist - that heaven was just a state of mind - that judgment day was just a device used by Christian preaches to get people to walk down the aisle at church. He was radically wrong! God is real - and He is holy and just. The strong man and the complete weakling are identical before the throne of God. The strong man does not want to humble himself before the Lord. But no matter what he does - his hope and his expectation perish before the Lord. There are times when we can learn from the wicked. The first two funerals I ever did were for two people who were lost. As I worked through the service - I felt completely helpless and unable to offer a lot of hope for those who had died. This was because the hope and expectation of the wicked perish when they do. When death made its play for them they lost everything. The lesson I learned from them was to be prepared for the ultimate loss of all earthly things. Death will rob a wicked man of everything he owns and everything he has hoped for in life. I learned that I need to live for things that last beyond the grave. I need to live for the spiritual reality that will continue throughout eternity. I need to be prepared to die - and to have an expectation that goes beyond my trip to the funeral hope and graveyard. Jesus promises life eternal - a reward that goes beyond the grave. The wise man . . . places his hope and expectation in Jesus Christ. Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord, How much more the hearts of men! Proverbs 15:11
So, how much do you think God knows about you? How much do you think He knows about every person there is and ever has been? How we answer this question often will betray how we live as well. For the person who thinks of God in very low ways, God does not have a knowledge of everything going on in our world. This is especially true when it comes to themselves. God doesn't know everything about me - every thought and every motive. The result of such thinking is that such a person will sin more frequently and reason within themselves that God doesn't know what is going on in their lives. There is a problem with this thinking though - it is inaccurate. This proverb may seem strange to us at first - but it's purpose is very clear once we grasp what it is saying. Remember the fear of the Lrod is the beginning of wisdom. Thus we need to have adequate reasons to respect, honor, and fear Him. One of those reasons is the fact that everything lies open before Him. Nothing - including the thoughts and intents of our hearts is hidden from His sight. This One Who is Judge - knows every conceivable fact about our lives that can be gathered. Sheol is the place of the dead. That place lies open before the Lord. He knows everyone there - and everything about them. The place of the dead is not a mystery to God. He konws every intimate detail about those there - and about everything they did before they arrived. Even in death His knowledge is absolute. What seems to be the idea here is that no matter who you are - God knows all there is to know about you - even when you are dead. But what about those who reject Him - those who say either He does not exist, or if He does - that they offer Him no information about themselves? Well, that is an interesting question - and one which this passage answers. Abaddon lies open before the Lord. What is Abaddon? This is the place of the wicked dead. It means "destruction" and is the Old Testament equivalent to hell. This lies wide open to God. He knows everyone there - and knows all there is to know about them. Even those who reject Him - are known intimately by Him. There is an interesting statement made by some - that God is not present in hell. That is not Scriptural. He is there - but only in absolute judgment and wrath. Those in hell know God - but they only know Him in His wrath and judgment - and will only experience this for all eternity. He knows all about their rebellion and arrogance - and every last bit of it is reaping eternal destruction and devastation. Now, if Sheol and Abaddon lie open before God - where do you think this places the hearts of men still living today? Since God knows everything there is to know about everyone who has ever died - godly or ungodly - it is not a stretch to realize that every man's heart lies open before Him. What a comfort this is to those who seek Him - yet what a terror to those who think they can reject and shut him out of their lives. Yet that is the very purpose of this passage - this proverb. It is given to bring men to the terrifying realization that the One Who stands as their Judge - is One Who has absolute knowledge about them down the tiniest detail of their lives. To rebel against Him is the height of insanity. All their hearts are open before Him - and they will have to answer for every deed and word - every action and attitude - every mood and mood - every sin - all this will be at His instant disposal. This is meant to humble us - possibly even horrify us if we are living definantly toward Him. May He do His work through it to bring men to the end of themselves and to a point of repentance and faith in His only answer, Jesus Christ. |
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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