Category: Dishonor

How Important are You? Proverbs 12:9

10/17/2017

Proverbs 12:9 Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant than he who honors himself and lacks bread.

Two people are portrayed for us in this proverb. We are told it is better to be one than the other. The areas where they are being compared for our benefit could be described as pride and provision.

The first of our examples is a person who is lightly esteemed. The word used here means a person who is of little account to the world around him. He is socially unimportant, and in some instances even somewhat despised by public opinion. Basically, this person is relatively unimportant and unknown on the social ladder. But, we do learn that even though he is a social nobody, he does have enough in life to have a servant who attends to him and helps him in the daily burdens of life.

Our second person is one to whom honor and esteem mean everything. We do not know much about him in this regard except for the fact that he does find it necessary to honor himself (so that others know he is worthy of honor too). This man’s financial situation is far worse than the first man though. He is not financially secure – he even struggles with daily food. And here is the real kicker – honestly, he is not actually all that important. He is a legend in his own mind – but outside of his own mind – he’s little more than a passing, unheard comment. The honor that he thinks he has is honor he gives himself. What we have here is someone who thinks very highly of himself – but no one else joins him in this estimation. His true value is so low that he cannot even provide daily bread for himself.

We’ve all met someone like this before. In their own mind they are awesome. They are front page news in their own press – but in reality, they are never in the paper. They are so full of themselves that they are unwilling to take “jobs below themselves.” As a result – they don’t even have a job – or food. But give them a few moments to talk of themselves and you would think you are standing in the presence of fame or royalty. God reminds us – even a despised man – a social nobody who has a servant is better than this other guy. So what are we to learn from this proverb? What is the point for each of us?

Pride goes before a fall – and a haughty spirit before stumbling. That is the lesson for us. Don’t waste your life running after fame, importance in the eyes of others, or some kind of social status. That kind of prideful pursuit will result in you being a fool. Work hard and give yourself to the task of providing for yourself and your family. You may never make the social register. You may not receive honors and awards. Others may despise you for your overwhelming life of ordinary-ness. But if we understand the Bible – the ultimate day of honor is not when a group of our peers gather to honor us. It is the day when God will offer the only esteem worthy of receiving. That is the day when men and women will receive the “good and faithful servant” award. On that day we will learn that all the awards and prizes men have given and won, amount to little more than self-imposed esteem that has no value in eternity. They have plenty of prideful esteem they’ve given to themselves – but no bread. But the one who sought first the kingdom of God and His righteousness – the one who took up the cross the world despises, and followed Him – the one who loved God rather than the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life – that one will be blessed. That one will know the only social register that will mean anything in that day - the Lamb’s book of life. Humble yourself and live for this esteem - His esteem. Living for your own esteem or the esteem of others is a dead end – literally.

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"TIMBER!" The Sound of the Prideful Brought Low - Proverbs 29:23

12/12/2012

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Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.

A prideful man will always eventually pay for his arrogance with forced humility. Let me explain what I mean by forced humility. I can speak of this because I am unfortunately somewhat of an expert in this field - and with no sense of pride in bearing that title.

The word "pride" in this proverb is the Hebrew word "ga'awah" and it means to be prideful, arrogance, and oddly enough - enraged. The word is used of a sea that is in the midst of a storm and whose waters are raging or swelling up and down as the storm rages. Pride is seen here as something swelling within our hearts - and it causes us to rage against others who do not seem to recognize that we are as awesome as we think. This word is used to speak of the haughty, prideful attitude of the wicked - just before he is destroyed. Thus it seems to speak of pride at its highest point - enraged at the lack of respect, the lack of honor, and the lack of others serving us. When we embrace this kind of over-inflated view of ourselves, we are about to be brought very low. That is the warning of this proverb.

The idea of being brought low is taken from a Hebrew word that mean to humiliate or to bring down. It speaks of something that is sinking down. The word was used to speak of bringing down trees. The fall of a tree is something powerful and quick. It is a well-known event - as the falling of the tree makes a huge sound in the forest. This word was also used of how influential people would fall before the eyes of people in a society. It described the process of their humiliation as they were brought much lower. The ultimate humiliation is when God has to remind us that we are not nearly what we think we are. In fact - without Him we can do nothing that will be of any eternal value.

We read that the humble spirit will obtain honor. Humble is the word "sapal" which means to be low, meek, and of a contrite spirit. A meek man is not a weak man - contrary to that conception, the word actually means strength under control. God has given to man great strength and the ability to manifest power here on earth. But if that power is out from under God's control - it's effects can be disastrous. A humble man realizes that whatever power and authority he has is a gift from God and is to be used at His sovereign direction. The other telling part of this definition is the word "contrite." That word indicates that someone is broken and is seeking forgiveness. The humble man understands that he is fallen. He is sinful - and he has sinned against God. Knowing this, the humble man recognizes that he is fallible and needs guidance. He is wicked and needs righteous direction. Thus he is contrite over his sins and fallen condition - and turns to God for forgiveness, for grace, and for leadership in what he does. When a man takes that direction in life - he will obtain honor.

Recently I've been reading a biography of George Washington. The one thing above all others that has amazed me about this man is the humility he maintained. The humility that allowed him to listen closely to all his commanders - and even his soldiers was a strength, not a weakness. The way that he carried himself, as a humble servant of his soldiers and of the people of the Colonies, was why he earned the trust of his soldiers in some of the worst moments of the war. It is also what led him to decline the idea of him becoming king - or even gathering to himself too much power by only serving two terms as president. He constantly deferred praise to others and shunned being lifted up and honored. What did our first president receive for such actions? He obtained honor that has lasted for hundreds of years.

The ultimate humility though is reserved for our Lord Jesus Christ. He humbled Himself to come as a man - and be a servant when He was every ounce God of the universe. He humbled Himself even to the point of death on a cross. It is a humility that will never again be matched by anything anyone could ever do. That humility was honored by His Father as Jesus was given the name above every other name. He was honored in being the Savior of all mankind. Oh, that we would learn from His example - and from others who embraced humility and were honored for it in the end. This is the way toward honor - and it always will be till the end of the age.

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The Sluggard's Thoughts: Mindless Muttering of a Mental Midget - Proverbs 26:16

9/27/2012

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The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can give a discreet answer.
Proverbs 26:16

The fourth verse we come to about the sluggard has to do with how his lack of any work ethic eventually affects his reason as well as his ego. He is wise in his own eyes - even though he does not put any work into what he thinks. He is a stranger to hard physical work - but now we learn he is also one to mental work as well. When he looks to someone for wisdom - he looks to himself. This is because of his ego - which is vastly overgrown while having no real reason to be so. He is too lazy to study - yet he thinks he knows far more than those who do. He is wiser than seven men who give a reasoned, well-studied, well-thought out answer. He is a genius in his own estimation - while his supposed genius is honestly ignorance of anything other than what he himself thinks. A legend in his own mind, he mentally gives himself the Nobel prize for everything.

Anyone who has ever done good academic work knows that this is no place for the sluggard. Good quality academic work requires painstaking study and hours of sacrifice both thinking and writing (not to mention re-writing). Someone who has expertice in a subject area has put in years of effort in order to have it. The whole idea of a "masters" degree is that someone has "mastered" a subject area. The seminary I attended required that we read a 300-500 page text for each course taken. But, this was not all we were required to do. We also were required to do extensive reading while preparing papers as well as do 1500 pages of outside reading on the subject. Even after all this effort, we were just barely beyond ignorant in the subjects we studied. Most areas of theology had literally thousands of texts written on it -some had hundreds of thousands.

The mental sluggard stands against seven men who work hard at honing their minds - and mocks all of them. He will take what little learning he has and string it together so as to think he is a mental heavyweight - when he doesn't even tip the scales of learning at a single pound. He spouts his opinion and then closes his mind to anything other than his highly self-valued moronity. He has no need to listen to others since his own ultimate genius has been voiced. Thus the mental sluggard continues his self-imposed banishment to ignorance in a miniature land of his own making.

A wise man knows that he does not yet know as he should know. He is teachable above all things - and is willing to spend more time gathering information than spouting it to others. He who holds his tongue and opens his mind is wise! He may not agree with what is said to him - yet he takes all things in an effort to become wiser still. He does not see himself as wise in his own eyes. He sees God as ultimately wise - and is actively looking for those who will speak according to God's wisdom. If you are a mental sluggard beware of lacking the wisdom of seeing yourself as not yet wise. Few things can dwarf your intellect and your spiritual acumen like being wise in your own eyes. It is proof that your field of spiritual and mental vision is extremely narrow.

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We Need to Quit Assaulting Our Parents - Really! Proverbs 19:26

5/24/2012

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He who assaults his father and drives his mother away Is a shameful and disgraceful son.
Proverbs 19:26

Here we have a proverb that is very strong in what it says. We have a son who is assaulting his dad - and driving his mother away from him. This is very strong language - so strong that many of us could not imagine a young man doing something like this. Yet this proverb is given as a warning to both the son who would act this way - and the parents who would rear such a child who chooses such things.

This young man "assualts" his father. The Heberw word here is "sadad" and it means to destroy and ravage, to oppress and assualt, to spoil and lay waste or devastate. I find it interesting that the NASB chose the word assault because it speaks more of the physical idea expressed in this word -rather than how other translastions use the words, "do violence" or "wasteth." Regardless, there is a violent reaction in this son toward his father. He does not like him -and the biblical concept of honoring him is completely absent in his attitude and actions. Mattoon uses this definition in his commentary on this passage, "The word "wasteth" is from the Hebrew word shadad {shaw-dad'}. This word means "to deal violently with, devastate, ruin, destroy, spoil, assault, or utterly ruin." (Treasures from Proverbs, Vol. 1, Mattoon). Mattoon gives the idea that there is not just violence here - but a lifestyle that devastates and ruins a father. There are many sons whose lifestyles ruin their parents. Some do it through drugs, while others have run ins with the law that bankrupts their parents. Others live ungodly and immoral lives that ruin the family name. Whatever it is - the son who does this is a shameful and disgraceful young man.

Not only does this young man act ungodly toward his father - he also "drives his mother away" too. He lives in a way that is so ungodly that it literally drives his mother away from him. He chases her away - making her want to run from her own child. This is such a shameful and disgraceful lifestyle because the statement is true that mothers will stick with you longer than anyone else. Your mother's love is pretty much the last thing you can lose in life. If you run her off - you've pretty much gone as low as you can go.

There is also another way that this passage can be understood - and it has to do with the wicked doctrine of Dr. Freud and his disgusting psychological babble that has done much to destroy our families. Dr. Freud has gotten the reputation of blaming everything in our lives on our parents. Thus we have a couple of generations which he has spoiled with his ignorant philosophy of blaming everything on mom and dad. We even have Christian counsellors who instruct their clients that they should have a hatred for their parents who have messed them up in their lives. What is the fruit of such counselling? It is a generation more spoiled than any we can remember in the history of our nation. We have a generation of children who have no honor or respect for their parents. The fruit of that is that we are now rearing generation after generation in this self-destructive pattern. It leads only to more and more shamfeul and disgraceful sons and daughters.

God intends for us to honor father and mother. It is not a suggestion, it is a command. The generation that ignores this command will not do well. The promise of God is that when we honor our parents it will go well with us and that we will live long in the land God gives us. I know this proverb looks like it speaks only to physical violence (which if you watch the news is far more prevelent than one would want) but there is a verbal violence toward parents today that needs to be abandoned. I am not saying that our parents were perfect - but most of us should wake up to how good we had it with loving ones. Maybe we can look at the dearth of this promise in the last several generations - (i.e. things are NOT going well - we are NOT living long in this land) and stop the madness of being so disrespectful and dismissive of our parents. Then maybe we can stop the next generation from being even more shameful and disgraceful as the one before us today.

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Wickedness to Contempt to Scorn - Proverbs 18:3

5/14/2012

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When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes, And with dishonor comes scorn.
Proverbs 18:3

The wicked man mentioned here is one who is guilty of doing a wrong - thus a criminal or a transgressor. This is a man who has sinned against others in what he has done. We are told in this proverb that when this kind of man comes - contempt also comes. The contempt mentoined here is an attitude of disrespect and scron towards him. Thus when the wicked man comes around there is also disrespect and scorn. There is something about someone who breaks the law - who disregards what is right - that brings about a response of scorn and disgust. Look at the recent events surrounding Tiger Woods. He was viewed as a man of great integrity and honor until it became known that he was having multiple affairs. Suddenly all the respect turned to scorn. This is how a wicked man - a law breaker is received.

The rest of the proverb tells us that with dishonor comes scorn. Dishonor here refers to something disgraceful and full of shame. When this kind of thing comes, then scorn comes as well. This word means a reproach, a taunting - usually hurled at an enemy or someone who is ungodly. The wicked may be able to hide many of their actions for a time - but eventually things will come to light. When they do - then comes the contempt, the shame, the disgrace, and the scorn and reproach. It is better to walk with the Lord and keep to His paths and ways - than to face the reward of the wicked - contempt and scorn.

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Rights, Slights, Fights, and the Wisdom of Choosing Mercy - Proverbs 12:16

11/16/2011

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A fool's anger is known at once, But a prudent man conceals dishonor. Proverbs 12:16

Ours is a society driven by rights and by slights. We are told that we have rights - and as a result of this education we demand them all the time. One of the rights that evidently is near the top of the list is the right never to be offended. That is why we have political correct language that is being ever more strictly enforced in our nation. We cannot say things that will offend anyone else. If the society determines that a certain word or phrase is no longer allowed - that word or phrase is banished from our circles. If someone were so foolish as to speak that word of phrase - he too will be banished - even fired from his job. If he is in the public eye - he will be summarily destroyed and cast upon the trash heap for the foreseeable future - possibly forever. We are the nation with the greatest law protecting free speech (our first ammendment) but also the greatest number of unwritten laws that restrict our speech as well as punish any who dare step over the line.

Our proverb today would help us greatly with our problems societally. We are first warned that only a fool's anger is known at once. The fool has no patience, therefore he is often disgusted and angry with others around him. He takes up the slighest offence - whether overt or covert - and becomes vexed about it immediately. The word for anger here is the Hebrew word "kaas" which means to be provoked to anger. The problem is that this man is easily provoked - and lets his anger blow the moment that he is. As we read here - his anger is know at once. He is unable to control himself - and also unable to let things roll off his back like water off of a duck. Every slight - every potential offence is taken to the deepest part of his being and fully embraced. There is little wonder therefore that he has a tendency to lose it whenever this happens. He is offended - angry - disgusted - and filled with rage toward whoever has knowingly or unknowingly slighted him.

The prudent man is the one who conceals this anger and offence. He is able to ignore the slights and snubs of life. He is able to deal with the insults and general indignities of living in the fallen world. Because he knows the world is fallen - he is aware that things like this are bound to happen. Because he knows he too is fallen - he is aware of the need to be gracious and kind as he carries on life in this world. He has learned to conceal dishonor. The word for dishonor here parallels the Hebrew word for forgiveness. He chooses to forgive and show mercy and grace rather than demand judgment and justice for every slight. He has learned that the merciful are blessed, for they too receive mercy.

Learning to be a prudent and wise man in this way will help you live much longer. The word prudent here is the Hebrew word "arum" which has the idea of being sensible. A sensible man knows that unless he wants his world to be in a continual state of stress, anger, rage, and bitter unforgiveness - he needs to let insults and vexation they can cause roll off of him. By this he keeps his blood pressure down - and his friendships up. If you are prone to become angry and blow off steam in almost every situation beware. You are ruining your own life and living like a fool. Be wise - be understanding - and be aware of the fallen world in which you live. Show mercy and grace - for it will bring you joy even in the midst of a world filled with plenty of ways to become frustrated and angered.

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What is On Display Reveals Who You Are - Proverbs 3:35

8/12/2011

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The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor. Proverbs 3:35

Proverbs is all about the difference between the wise man and the fool. It is one of the major themes throughout this book. Therefore it should not be too suprising to see at the close of chapter three that we have a comparison between the wise and the foolish. The comparison that we see shown to us is what these two are receiving for their choices. The wise man receives honor - while the fool gets dishonor. What is most interesting though is how these two ends are described for us.

The wise man is said to "inherit" honor. The Hebrew word "nahal" which is used here means to take property as a permanent possession. This was the word that was used to describe how Israel was to receive the promised land. The whole idea of inheritance also brings into focus that there is going to have to be a death for us to receive what God gives us. This points us to the sacrifices that were made when the Mosaic covenant was established. There was no covenant without blood - and without death. But for us the death is not ours - but the death of the sacrifice made on our behalf. Throughout the Old Testament that was the death and sacrifice of the animals upon which they had laid their hands and confessed their sin. But this was just a picture of what was to come. It was a picture of Jesus Christ who would take sin upon Himself and pay the full price for it. As a result, we would be able to inherit salvation - and honor from God. Truly, as the passage says, the WISE will inherit this honor. This reminds us that the ultimate wisdom from God, as stated in 1 Corinthians 1:21-24 is Jesus Christ as Him crucified. "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." The wise turn to Jesus - who is the wisdom of God unto us - as well as our righteousness and our redemption.

The fool though is said to "display" dishonor. Here is a wonderful illustration of not just truth - but even of salvation and how we can know that we are saved. The wise inherits honor, but the fool displays his dishonor. Here we have a picture of the fool. Since he has no wisdom by which he can be honored in God's sight - all he has left is to live out his days displaying the dishonorable way that he lives. He shows forth what is in his heart - which is sin and dishonor. He has no work of grace going on inside of him - which is part and parcel of why he lives the way that he does. The lack of grace - the lack of salvation - the lack of wisdom - all will be disaplyed daily in a lifestyle that greives God. Dishonor will be given to God in how he lives because he is lost. So what we see throughout his life is not grace working to show honor - but foolishness and sin revealing dishonor.

What do people see in us? What are we revealing or displaying to the world around us. If we were burnt in a fire - we would display the effects of the fire in our bodies for the rest of our lives. If we worked out 3 hours a day - there would be a display in our muscles of the fact that we have done this. What we see in the physical is also true in the spiritual realm as well. When we live by God's wisdom - or better said IF we live by God's wisdom - it WILL be seen in our lives. We will display an honorable life. If we are NOT displaying an honorable life, we should not lie and tell people we are living by His wisdom. IF we are being a fool - and living by the principles of the world - we will display dishonor in our lifestyle. If we are living in a way that dishonors the Lord - it is proof that we are living by foolish principles.

There are many who ask the question, "How can I know that I am saved?" They may ask, "How can I know that I am doing God's will?" They want some kind of definitive thing that they can do once and say they know that they are saved. Yet God's Word tells us in a myriad of ways that the proof is in the lifestyle. This does not mean that we are saved by works - because God's Word is clear that it is only by grace we are saved. But . . . if there are no works - no change - no godliness - no living for God's glory and honor . . . we can honestly say that there is probably no salvation. If there is a continued lifestyle that displays dishonor to God - and dishonor towards His Word - dishonor when it comes to a righteous life - then we can know that we are living as a fool - and honestly - we don't know God through the grace He has given us in Jesus Christ.

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The Fruit of a Wicked Life - Contempt and Scorn . . . Proverbs 18:3

3/18/2010

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When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes, And with dishonor comes scorn. Proverbs 18:3

The wicked man mentioned here is one who is guilty of doing a wrong - thus a criminal or a transgressor. This is a man who has sinned against others in what he has done. We are told in this proverb that when this kind of man comes - contempt also comes. The contempt mentioned here is an attitude of disrespect and scorn towards him. Thus when the wicked man comes around there is also disrespect and scorn. There is something about someone who breaks the law - who disregards what is right - that brings about a response of scorn and disgust. Look at the recent events surrounding Tiger Woods. He was viewed as a man of great integrity and honor until it became known that he was having multiple affairs. Suddenly all the respect turned to scorn. This is how a wicked man - a law breaker is received.

The rest of the proverb tells us that with dishonor comes scorn. Dishonor here refers to something disgraceful and full of shame. When this kind of thing comes, then scorn comes as well. This word means a reproach, a taunting - usually hurled at an enemy or someone who is ungodly. The wicked may be able to hide many of their actions for a time - but eventually things will come to light. When they do - then comes the contempt, the shame, the disgrace, and the scorn and reproach. It is better to walk with the Lord and keep to His paths and ways - than to face the reward of the wicked - contempt and scorn.

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Pride, Presumption, and Shame . . . Proverbs 11:2

2/11/2010

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When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

Prideful attitudes and actions are something to be avoided at all costs. The Bible actually has a lot to say about pride - and very little of it if any is good. Here the kind of pride we are warned against is actually presumption. It is when we presume upon the Lord thinking that we know exactly what needs to be done or said - when the fact is that we don't have a clue what God's will is. We are warned here that when this kind of presumptuous pride comes then shame and disgrace come with it.

When we decide that we know better than God - or - when we just are too busy doing what we want - and forget or choose not to ask Him - we are about to face some serious shame and disgrace. God is not a fan of those who presume to know His will and don't ask Him. Take the history of Joshua and Gibeonites in Joshua 6. The men came to Joshua hiding who they were with deception. Their clothes were worn out and their provisions were hard and crusty - as if they had been on a long journey. Israel decided to believe their eyes and make a decision without asking the Lord. The end was a disaster. They actually made a covenant with one of the nations of Canaan. Here is presumptuous pride ending in a shameful and disgraceful situation.

The best thing for us is to humble ourselves and admit that without the wisdom of God, we won't be able to make good godly decisions. To do otherwise is to be prideful - and be set up to make very bad decisions.

The Word tells us that with the humble there is wisdom. The humble are those who act with meekness. They are not arrogant or boastful - they embrace the truth of God concerning their own fallen nature - and choose to turn to Him for direction and leadership in what they do. The humble man is filled with wisdom - he sees things from God's perspective because he seeks the Lord who can direct him. There is not presumption here - but rather a seeking, humble, and obedient heart. This wise man wants to know God's take on what he thinks he may do. As a result there is not shame and disgrace - but honor and grace poured out so that this man is truly blessed.

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The High Cost of Offering Loving Reproof and Correction . . . Proverbs 9:7

2/9/2010

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He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself. Proverbs 9:7

There are certain people who you just cannot correct or reprove. They will not receive it. But there is a category of folks who will not receive it and then will verbally attack instead. That is the person who is described in this verse of Proverbs.

The first thing we see here is the action of the one wanting to help. I know that at times when someone offers correction and reproof we might think that they are being annoying or that they're being a nitpicker. Truth is that it is a kind and loving thing to have someone correct you when you are sinning. It is a lack of love or fear that makes us not offer loving correction when it is needed. (Just a word of caution here though - if you seem to always be offering correction - remember this - Paul offered a great deal of praise too. Proverbs tells us that we catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Paul actually started each of his letters with praise for those to whom he was writing. Therefore we need to balance correction with a healthy dose of prasie and encouragement)

The one offering correction is offering a form of discipline. We are being disciplined so that we live according to how God wants us to live and how He wants us to react to life itself each day. This word also has an aspect of teaching and warning in it. Often our correction needs a touch of teaching. We may know the way to go - but remember in our society that there are many who have not had great biblical parenting and who really DON'T KNOW the teaching we do. We might want to start with gentle, loving instruction to begin the process of correction. The second word used for this correction is "to reprove." This is a pretty cool word because with it is the idea of arguing to convince someone. We are wanting to reprove - but often that means convincing someone of the truth of what we are saying - or more importantly the truth of God's Word on the matter. It has the idea also of convicting and judging an action - not in a condemning way - but rather to help soemone make a clarification as to the moral choices that they are making. Too often we see these two words - correction and reproof as negative words. We see them described in too harshly - rather than in the context of teaching, training, and offering the kind of loving instruction people need to grow spiritually. If we began to see these things in the context mentioned here - we might embrace them as a way of living and a way of encouraging one another.

Now the problem arises for the one offering correction and reproof. First, they are trying to correct a scoffer. The scoffer is the one who laughs at the things of God. They mock at the commandments and morals that God puts forth. They hate God and think the purity of His ways and teachings is nothing more than unwarranted restrictions on people who are free to do as they want. Therefore they heap dishonor on the one offering the correction. They consider it a disgrace to be spoken to in this way - a sign of their incredible pride and arrogance. The reprover gets it worse - we are told he gets insults. The word here pictures someone being put on display so that they are scorned and mocked. When this happens - the result is that they are dishonored - but more than this, the words are meant to ruin, to shame, and to drop the person in the minds and thoughts of all who hear the insults. All this for trying to offer teaching and instruction from God's Word that will ultimately help this person.

Here is the wisdom that you need to receive today. I don't think the Lord is wanting us to read this and decide to remove the whole correction and reproof thing from our lives. There are too many instances when the Lord had His people speak the truth even though it got them insulted for it. When you think of it - that is what happened to Jesus again and again. Yet the Lord did not have Jesus step back from the truth and tone it down when it came to speaking the truth to the world. But . . . we do need to know what we are getting into when we speak the truth. We may be insulted - we may be dishonored. It is not a high and lofty position in men's eyes to be one who speaks the truth of God. Often it is a position of shame and disgrace. You do get insults for yourself - and you are treated with contempt by this world and its inhabitants. So why should we speak the truth? Because God calls us to speak it in love. Because without it this world is doomed beyond imagination. Because when we do so - we become like our Teacher - the Lord Jesus Christ. He unswervingly spoke the truth to the glory of God. It may have cost him in the eyes of men - but it was to the everlasting praise of God and good for mankind that He did.

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How Important are You? Proverbs 12:9

"TIMBER!" The Sound of the Prideful Brought Low - Proverbs 29:23

The Sluggard's Thoughts: Mindless Muttering of a Mental Midget - Proverbs 26:16

We Need to Quit Assaulting Our Parents - Really! Proverbs 19:26

Wickedness to Contempt to Scorn - Proverbs 18:3

Rights, Slights, Fights, and the Wisdom of Choosing Mercy - Proverbs 12:16

What is On Display Reveals Who You Are - Proverbs 3:35

The Fruit of a Wicked Life - Contempt and Scorn . . . Proverbs 18:3

Pride, Presumption, and Shame . . . Proverbs 11:2

The High Cost of Offering Loving Reproof and Correction . . . Proverbs 9:7

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