A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight. Proverbs 11:1
Here is a proverb that has ramifications both in the practical world of everyday business as well as for living with other people. In the business world this has to do with weighing things properly. A false balance would be used in the market to weigh various food items - but would be set so that it would overweigh everything. Thus the crooked businessman would make people pay more for less. This is nothing more than cheating in a business. Unfortunately this happens more often than we would like for it to happen. But Yahweh wanted to let Israel know that when this was the case - He considers it an abomination. We don't use the word abomination much in our society - but it means to be highly offensive. When God considers things to be an abomination - He also judges these things and brings His wrath upon those who practice such abominations. When God calls something an abomination - our best wisdom is to steer very clear of such things - because these things will get you judged quickly - and the discipline will come hard. Isn't it interesting to see that God is interested in the business world and the practices within it. Religion only affects a man when he is in the context of church - or some other accepted religious setting. But Yahweh is saying here that He is not just a "religious" figure. He is deeply interested in all that happens - even in the world of business - even to the point of someone tipping a scale slightly in their favor. He abhors such things. If we want God's blessing in our lives - that will include setting our business practices according to the principles found in His Word. The "just weight" delights the Lord! He is pleased when a businessman chooses to act in his business according to what God sets as acceptible standards. His standard is honesty. He desires that we be honest and truthful in our business dealings. He wants us to practice godly buisness practices. When we do - He tells us that such things delight Him. And what God delights in . . . God blesses. The old addage, "Honesty is the best policy" definitely carries weight in the eyes of God. He will bless us if we will deal honestly and forthrightly with our business associates and with our customers. Here is a proverb that will help you in your everyday life. This proverb also has something to say to us spiritually in regard to our lives as well. A false balance tries to weigh something falsely. This is often the case with the lost man too. He wants to be weighed according to the world's standards. He looks at other men and wants to be weighed as to what is right in their eyes. Such a false balance is despised by the Lord. The truth is that we are all judged by God's Law - by His standard. If we do not measure up to what He calls us to be - and to do - we just don't measure up. Too many men think they are fine because they are not as bad as other men. They compare themselves among themselves - but in doing so they deceive themselves. The false balance here is the lies of false religion and a man-oriented, works-oriented gospel. God hates this because His standard never changes. It has always been perfection in keeping His law. If we do not measure up to that standard, we lose. From time to time you might want to check your balances and scales in life. You do this to make sure that God is the One who is setting the standards in your life. When you don't do this - you have that fallen tendency to fix your scales in a way that is abominable to God. May God give us grace to view His Word as the arbiter of all weights and standards - both in the business world - and in how we stand before Him.
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Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice? On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand; Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out . . . Proverbs 8:1-3
Here is a comforting passage dealing with wisdom and where it is available. Proverbs eight personifies wisdom as if wisdom was calling out to men. The fact is that Wisdom is personified - because Jesus Christ is to us . . . Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30). This passage does not speak of Jesus as wisdom, though, because wisdom is spoken of as a woman. Thus, what we have here is God offering to us the person of wisdom - a wise woman who is calling to us to come and receive her insight - her understanding into the heart of God. She is calling to us to show us how to walk in this world according to God's wisdom and understanding. The first thing we see here is that wisdom calls to men. God does not hide His wisdom from us - He makes it available to us every day. The idea of wisdom calling is that wisdom is summoning us - inviting us to be educated and taught. Wisdom joins her voice with that of understanding - who is also lifting her voice above the din of the crowd to be heard by the naive of the world. They want us to know the heart of God - to know how God views things and sees the world around us. They want us to grasp how to make decisions in light of God's Word - to discern where God wants us to go - to discern what God wants us to do and what to say. Here is the comforting fact . . . when God wants to reveal to us His wisdom and understanding it is not in a convent or a monestary - not in a closed room filled with dusty religious books. Where are wisdom and understanding calling out to us? On top of the heights beside the way is the first location. Wisdom is calling to us as we are walking along the way - even in remote locations God wants us to know His wisdom. This location is further described as being where the "paths meet." Here is the place of decision in life. When the paths come together and you need to make a decision - there is wisdom and understanding calling out to you wanting to be revealed to you so that you can make a godly decision. What is interesting here is that the Word tells us that wisdom takes her stand at the place of decision. How often have you faced a decision - you were at a crossroads - and you just wished that you knew what God thought about it? What we learn from this verse of Scripture is that God is there - that His wisdom is there calling to us, wanting us to know the heart of God and the direction He wants us to take. Why would wisdom "take her stand" at the place of decision? Because she is not the only one awaiting the moment when we are about to make a decision. The world would love to help us make our decisions - as would our flesh and the devil. Things would be much easier if the world was not in a fallen condition. We would not have an opponent in the devil who desires for us to follow his will ratrher than God's will. We would not have a world system dominated by the devil that sends us messages contrary to God's will. We would not have a fallen nature that thinks contrary to God's ways - and is unwilling to submit itself to God. Yes, things would be much easier if man had not fallen. But . . . man did choose to rebel against God - and therefore we need for wisdom to take her stand at points of decision in our lives. The last place that is mentioned in this message to us about wisdom's call is the gate of the city. Why is that singled out for us? It is because the gates of the city were the place where the elders and leaders would meet to make decisions. It is equivilent to the political arena today. The elders, the wise men of the city met there to make decisions that would affect the entire city. As they sat there discussing the issues of the city and the situations where wisdom was needed - they would be entrusted to make the kind of decisions that would work for the best interests of everyone who lived there. What a blessed place our world becomes when our leaders are filled with the wisdom and understanding of God. We saw what happened when our forefathers put our government together with careful thought and consideration for future generations. They made decisions to pit the three branches of government against one another so that one branch would not try to consolidate power to itself. The reason they did this is because they recognized the fallen nature of man - and how when invested with too much power - men are corrupted. They sought to put a governmental system in place that would represent society and protect it at the same time. Just as a nation and city is blessed when wisdom speaks at the gate - society is cursed when wisdom is ignored there. Unfortunately, we have a system that is broken - not because the system itself is flawed - but because the men and women working within it are more interested in their own future than that of succeeding generations of Americans. They make decisions that promise whatever the people want - whether what they want is good for them or not. They craft laws designed to get themselves re-elected - and honestly don't care whether the laws will bring blessing to future generations. What we need is to see our elected officials once again far more concerned about he good of the people more than they are concerned about their continued place of power among them. Until we do - we won't see the kind of wisdom in the gate that will last for generations. Wisdom and understanding are standing at the place of personal and societal decision. May God give us ears to hear and a heart turned to what God desires to reveal to us. Wisdom is calling - I guess the question is, "Are we listening?" 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. Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly. Proverbs 17:12
Here I am standing at a crossroads. If I go down one path I'll meet a mother bear robbed of her cubs. To say she is angry about this is the understatement of the century. She is not subject to reason - but pretty much wants to tear apart anyone of anything that she even considers standing between her and recovering those cubs she so prizes. That particular path has to be one of the most dangerous known to mankind. Only a person with a death-wish would ever remotely want anything to do with that path. Yet as I stand contemplating which to take, I'm seriously considering that path, because to be perfectly honest - the other one is even more dangerous. What in the world could be on that path?! Look down that ominously dangerous path - through the fog as the eerie music plays in the background. What do you see - a werewolf - a vampire - a hideous monster - a rabid, ravenous beast? Well, not exactly . . . what you do see is . . . wait for it . . . some fool acting according to his or her foolish thoughts - let's call those thoughts, his folly. Really? You'd rather face a bear robbed of her cubs than that fool acting according to his own folly-filled thoughts? The answer to that question is a resounding YES. Proverbs warns us that the fool is considerably more dangerous. WOW! Maybe we should investigate just what this means. First of all the danger is not just from any fool - a specific one is mentioned. The fool while in his folly is the dangerous one. So don't panic if you simply run into a fool - the really dangerous fools are those who are active in their folly. But what does a fool in his folly look like? Proverbs 10:8 says a fool babbles - just keeps talking about things that are of no consequence. They would rather talk than receive any kind of direction or command. Meet one of these and you are in danger. By the way - this babbling fool is also mentioned in verse 10 of this same chapter. In Proverbs 18:2 we see him again wanting to tell everybody what is on his mind instead of listening to others. This talking/babbling thing is dangerous. Evidently listening to words that are foolish can be a cause of deep trouble. Because there is so much said about the fool I'll try to expedite this overview of the fool. He spreads slander, loves doing wickedness, and is arrogant and careless. He rejects his father's discipline, doesn't respond to correction, and does not stay away from strife. His speech is perverse and his eyes are on the ends of the earth rather than on payin attention to his immediate surroundings. He always loses his temper and trusts his own heart when making decisions - because he considers himself wise in his own eyes. Run into someone like this - and you are taking your wisdom and discernment into your own hands. Better to depart from this man and find far better company. Spend some time with him and your own views will be warped before long. Spend a lot of time with him and he will corrupt your character and lead you down a path of destruction from which it will be hard to return. Believe the Word for it tells you that his map is defective and he is unable to read it anyway. Examine what has happened to those who met up with him - destruction - devastation - being misled. Spend enough time examining all the disaster that comes from meeting up with him in his folly - and having that folly become your wisdom - and soon that path with the crazed mother bear is looking better all the time. Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:26-27
Wondering in advance is one of the practices of those who are wise. It helps us to consider what is ahead of us when we make certain decisions. As we see the future laid out before us - and we see the consequences of our actions, both good and bad, suddenly choices that we have to make are much easier to make. Watch means to weight out or to ponder. The idea here is that someone is pondering evil and then choosing to avoid it. It means to seriously think about the path your feet are going to take - and choose to take them in a direction pleasing to the Lord. Sometimes we don't think enough about the path of our feet. We just act and go along with our lives. We don't take the time to think about where we're going - what we're doing - and where it is going to lead when things reach a conclusion. We are told that if we will do this we will have all our ways established. Ways is "derek" which again is the Hebrew word that refers to our lifestyle - the way we're going in life. To have that way or that lifestyle established means to have it firm and fixed. It means our lifestyle is one that is upright and good. We will have a life that matters and just as important - one that will be steadfast in what pleases and honors the Lord. There is also a sense in which we are being told our lives will last - whereas the worldling and the wicked man will only be temporary. When we look at the way of our feet, we need to know not to turn to the right or the left. This is assuming that our feet are on God's paths and ways and not our own. When we turn to the right or the left, we are choosing to depart from God's paths and walk in our own, the world's ways, or those of the devil. Which ever of these three are true, we will find ourselves in a way that is wrong - and ultimately a way that will hurt and cost us. The only turn we should make in life is one away from evil. The word "turn" here is a Hebrew word that means to go away from something, to desert it, to quit, to keep far away. When we see evil we need to remove ourselves from it - depart - honesly - RUN! To hang around evil is to court its greater influence in our lives. When we see evil we should hide ourselves from it. The longer we remain in the presence of evil, the more likely we are to participate in it. Thus the wise man runs from evil. Think about where you're going. It is important to do this - to consider our lives and examine them from time to time. It is too easy to begin to wander from the ways of God - too easy to take a path that leads us away from the Lord. That is why this Proverb helps us so much - it encourages us to think through where our journey reaches its destination. We think about the end of things. When we do this - we will see the wisdom of turning away from evil and keeping clear of the wicked one and his ways. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
Right choices and right paths - how to we make them and how do we stay on them? People always are interested in a study or a piece of wisdom that will help them know and walk in God's will. What we have before us in Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of the best nuggets of wisdom in the entire Word of God dealing with this subject. It begins with trust. We come to the Lord and trust Him with all our heart. The word trust here is the Hebrew word "batach" and it means to trust or be confident. It speaks of someone with whom you feel safe and secure. When you trust someone in this way you are saying you can rely on them. In certain places this word even means to be bold and extremely confident in someone. Note that the one we trust in this way is the Lord. Here is an interesting yet very telling question, "Do you trust God?" Do you have a great confidence in Him? Is there a sense of great safety and security in placing yourself completely at His disposal - and putting your future absolutely in His hands? Do you approach the Scriptures and the things God says with a confidence so great that you boldly walk in whatever He says? That, dear saint, is trust. In order to trust someone in this way - you have to know them. A very godly man once said, "If you truly know God, you will love Him - and if you truly love Him, you will trust Him - and if you love and trust Him, you will obey Him." Knowing and making right choices and decisions continues with distrust. I know this sounds contradictory, but it is true. The one you need to distrust is yourself. Do not lean on your own understanding. Understanding is an interesting thing to examine in the Scriptures. The word itself means the ability to have insight and discernment into things. It is derived from the base Hebrew word "bin" which means "between." Thus the idea here is to be able to distinguish between things. One example is to discern between good and evil. There is definitely a moral component to this word as it means to see the good and embrace it and shun the evil. When we truly have understanding - we will choose God's way. What is more fascinating is that in Proverbs 9:10 we read, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. So if we want understanding - we need to know God as the Holy One. It is when we see Him and look to Him as the One who gives us true understanding as to what is holy and what is not that we gain understanding and can distinguish between what we should trust (trust Him) and what we should not trust (the working of our own minds). Why should we distrust our own understanding? Scripture gives ample reasoning for this. Ephesians 4:17-19 tells us the following: "So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness." Walking in our own mind's eye is to walk in futility - to walk in a darkened understanding. We are ignorant and hardened in heart to God's ways - which results in giving ourselves over to sensuality and impurity. We are fallen, sinful creatures who have left the way of God. We will walk according to the course of this present world - according to the prince of the power of the air (a designation for Satan) and by the spirit that animates the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). Trust yourself and you are trusting a rebel who does not desire God's ways or paths. That is why we need to distrust our own understanding. Our own understanding will surely lead us astray of God's will. Right choices continue as we acknowledge God in all we do. The word "ways" here refers to our life paths - the very lifestyle choices that we make. This does not refer to isolated choices here and there, but to the entire direction of our lives. In all those life choices we are to acknowledge God. The word for acknowledge is "yada" and it means to know someone. It means not just knowing them as an acquaintence, but knowing them intimately. It is the actual word used for sexual relations between a man and woman. This is considered the height of knowing someone and there is nothing casual about it. So the command here is to know God in all our ways. In all our lifestyle choices we are to know the Lord. This leads to another interesting question for us when it comes to our choices. When we make our life choices - every decision that makes up the direction of our lives - do we know God in the midst of it? Are our decisions made in the context of knowing God? Can we honestly say that our decisions were made as a result of an intimate, close relationship with God? And here may be the ultimate thought . . . Do our decisions help us know Him more intimately - or do they push us away from such an intimate knowing of God? What is the payoff in all this? When we live this way, we have the assurance from God Himself that he will make our paths straight. The path mentioned here is the course of our lives. The word was used to describe the road taken by a traveler - the roads over which the caravans and troops travelled. There is a highway mapped out for our lives when we make our decisions in this way. That way is described as "straight." This is the word "yashar" and it means to be straight - to be smooth and pleasing. The road is a pleasing road because it brings us to our desired destination. There are some who might say, "I know those who chose God's path - and it led to persecution and trouble for them in the name of the Lord. How can you say that He makes our paths pleasing and smooth?" My answer to this person would be to ask if they would consider a road pleasing and smooth if it led to a place where they would be destroyed in the end? Reardless of how marvelous the road and how wonderful the view - they would consider that a cursed road because of where it took them in the end. Yashar does not mean a road pleasing to our flesh, but a straight road. It is a road that is a good road because of where it leads. To walk in God's will - to please Him will bring about a desired end - not a destructive one. The payoff his pleasing God here and now - it is walking in His favor and blessing - it is knowing His presence and peace now and also for all eternity in heaven. Right decisions and right paths - they are what we would all like to make daily. The way to make those right decisions is laid out for us perfectly by the writer of Proverbs. Trust God implicitly and do not trust your own darkened way of thinking and reasoning. Make it your goal in life to know God as intimately and closely as you can in everything you do and say. And as you walk in this way - realize that the destination to which you are being led is the most wonderful, pleasing, and marvelous one possible - even thought the ride there may get a little bumpy every now and then. Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs. Proverbs 19:2
Ever make a hurried decision - one that you did not take the time to think through carefully? Ever start out in a direction - but you did not take the time to seek God - seek counsel from godly men and women? Yep . . . me too . . . and the results were not very pleasant at all. That is exactly what this proverb tells us. It is not good (the word here means agreeable, pleasant, or beautiful) for us to be without knowledge. Making a hasty decision will usually result in a wrong direction - and a painful conclusion to a situation. We take off with great expectations only to arrive with our hopes crushed by the problems we should have seen before we left. The word knowledge is very telling here. It means to know - but has the idea of discernment. This is the wisdom of looking into a decision and seeing ahead what it will lead to in the end. It is knowledge and learning that results in discernment, insight, even notions concerning where we are going. One way this was described was as a kind of foreknowledge. You know that a decision is going to cause problems - thus you avoid it. Kind of like the child knowing that if he smarts off to his mother, good things are not going to happen. Granted, we all don't have the time to submit every decision we make to a biblical think-tank so that we can avoid the bad ones. But . . . we can seek the Lord - spend time daily in His Word - learn His ways and His thoughts from what is written - and decide to follow the instruction and leading of the Holy Spirit in every situation. When we're not sure of a choice - we can talk with a godly man or woman to get advice. Here's a place where texting could be a good thing! It's also a place where young people could choose to value the perspective of someone older and wiser. Our other option is to hurry our footsteps. The word for hurry here means to be pressed and hasty in what we do. Just a personal anecdote here may help. The vast majority of decisions where I was pressured to do something have turned out badly - some very badly. Through too many train-wrecks I've learned that when a salesman tells me - you have to make a decision NOW - the best thing I can do is walk away - pray - and come back another day. It is fascinating how often that very deal - or even a better one was available the NEXT DAY. It is also interesting how often walking away led me to realize I really didn't need what they said I absolutely had to have NOW! Absolutely for NOW . . . I need water, air . . . um . . . that's about all. He who hurries his footsteps - who bows to the pressure to get it now - to do it now - ERRS. Errs is the word "hetah" and it means to miss the mark - to do wrong - to sin. Oh how the hurried step is too often the sinful step. The thoughtful step - is the wise one. I heard a great statement once that has greatly affected me over the years. It goes like this. "When you see a group of sheep being driven from behind - that's the butcher taking them for slaughter. When you see a group of sheep with someone leading them from the front - that's the shepherd leading them to pasture." So, just who is it that is driving you to make that decision now - urging you to just act - don't take time to think - to look at the consequences - to consider the end of the matter? Does he have your best interests in mind? I doubt it. The One who has your best interests in mind is the Shepherd - oh, by the way, He's known as the Good Shepherd. Learn to FOLLOW Him - for His desire is to lead you - not drive you. He'll teach you and show you knowledge that will lead to footsteps that don't err. His direction leads you in the paths of righteousness - to a desired end - to a place where you won't here "Real Dumb." When Jesus leads you, you will hear - WELL DONE! |
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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