 Proverbs 15:25 The LORD will tear down the house of the proud, but He will establish the boundary of the widow.
One of the quickest ways to cause God to act in judgment is to mess with widows. By the way the corollary to this is that messing with orphans is not very smart either. Probably the second quickest way to incur the disciplinary action of God is to be proud and arrogant. Therefore the ones’ warned in this proverb are facing the proverbial “double-whammy” because of their actions. The first thing we see is God’s promise to “tear down” the house of the one who is proud. The Hebrew word for this tearing out is frightening because it has the idea of tearing out or tearing down. God is promising the proud man that He Himself will tear him out of his home – and tear down his entire house. The word house here is more than just someone’s domestic address. It actually means God will destroy an entire family. One’s house meant more than just the physical structure in which one lived. It meant the house, the land, the businesses, the children, and even the future generations of a family. As God has warned before in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” The New Testament says the same thing in James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 – God is opposed to the proud – He arrays Himself as an army ready for battle to fight them. But the reason for this warning has something more to it. Their source of pride seems to be a house built on the backs of widows. This proverb is a single unit – the pride mentioned here is due to the abuse of widows. Widows did not have very many rights in the times of the Bible. Israel stood out among other nations and other religions because of God’s concern for the rights of widows. The right God is protecting is that of their right to the land of their family. We need to remember that Israel was an agrarian nation – a people of the land. The two chief occupations in Israel were those of farmers and shepherds. To either of these groups land was indispensible. Permanent markers measured the land that God had established when Israel was given the land. So important was this gift of the land that God made it clear that the land was His, not theirs. Every 50 years God decreed a Jubilee. At this time every family would return to its land – and the land would return to them. God gave land to them and fully expected His boundaries to be honored – perpetually. Now we come to the second part of this proverb. God will establish the boundary of the widow. Since God set up the original markers by decree – to move them was a grave sin. To move the boundary of a widow was even worse. Some, who were arrogant towards God, would move the boundaries of widow’s land so that they could enlarge their holdings at the expense of a widow who had few if any legal rights. To say that God would be displeased by this is a massive understatement! He would be furious. Destruction would come to the prideful, arrogant person who would do this. God also would fight to establish the actual boundary for the widow. The arrogant man who would do this would forfeit not just his illegal land grab; he would face destruction for his entire family. So what can we learn from this proverb for today? First of all we learn that only a very prideful (and I might add stupid) person messes with widows. But since we don’t have the same problem of moving boundary stones among our crimes today – how do we interpret and apply this to our lives? Second, we need to defend the rights of widows and orphans. This is an absolute for us as Christians. If I may add something here – we also need to fight for single moms. There are women who were faithful to their husbands who were divorced because of infidelity or just because the guy didn’t want to be committed to his wife. We need to stand up and defend their rights. Unfortunately I’ve had to sit in courtrooms where horrific injustice was committed because an ungodly man had an ungodly lawyer who helped him get an ungodly settlement that left his wife high and dry. We need to fight against such injustice. Church discipline is one way to do this – making men take responsibility for their actions. Another way is to learn more about those running for or being appointed to positions as judges. Such actions may cost us in our communities – but the favor of God in these matters is worth it.
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Proverbs 29:16 When the wicked increase, transgression increases; but the righteous will see their fall.
There is a principle at work here - and one that has been seen again and again in the world. The more the wicked increase in a society, the more that the society will turn toward wickedness. This is not a recent phenomenon - it has been happening ever since the fall of man. In fact, one of the most powerful examples of it was not long after man fell into sin. We read in Genesis chapter 6 of this kind of situation. "Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose." The progression here is fascinating to see. First the wicked began to multiply. You might wonder why I think the wicked multiplied - and not the godly. The reason for this is because man is sinful - and will always orient himself toward his sin and ungodliness unless God intervenes by His grace to change things. The next step was that the wicked began to modify - and they modified God's intention for marriage. They married at will - based on something other than God's plan. This led to the wicked multiplying even more. The god-desired role of the family was perverted and rather than pass on godliness - men began to pass on and even grow in his wickedness. We read in verse 5 of that same chapter of Genesis, "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Two more things began to happen. The wicked began to magnify their wickedness. God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth. The original intent for creation was to magnify the Creator, God. Now it was filled with men who magnified the creation, man. The second thing that happened was the Wicked began to meditate on their wickedness. Every intent of the thoughts of their heart became evil continually. God's desire was for men to meditate on Him and His Word - instead; they meditated on their godless desires - which led to even worse conditions. The wicked then turned to mayhem and murder in their wickedness. God said the following to Noah about this in verse 13 of chapter 6 of Genesis. “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth." James warns us in chapter 4 of his letter that the cause of our fighting is our lusts that wage war within us. This leads us to even kill so that we can fulfill our lusts that rage for more within us. The sad ending of all this is that the choices of the wicked led to the condemnation of the wicked. God destroyed that generation. As we turn our attention back to our proverb - we see just what Solomon is communicating to his sons - and to all who would read these words. When the wicked increase, transgression among men increases as well. But in the end the righteous will see their fall. Wickedness cannot reign long in a land - it consumes it to a point of catastrophe. It did so in Noah's day - and we read that as it was in the days of Noah, so also it shall be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. The ungodly will always be ungodly - and the wicked will seek to multiply their wickedness. But what is there for us to learn from this - just don't be wicked? No, there is a message for us today - one that will magnify the grace of God in the gospel. How can we keep the wicked from increasing? Every time a child is born - another ungodly heart enters the human race. We are fallen - and we multiply into more fallen men and women over time. The answer lies in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the ONLY way that we can stem the tide of the wicked multiplying on the earth. We must multiply! We must be about sharing Jesus Christ with all who are around us. We must take the one thing that can take a wicked heart and transform it into a godly one. That one thing is the gospel of Jesus Christ! Jesus sent us into the world to make disciples of all the nations. As the early church took that mandate seriously they multiplied disciples - leading them to Christ - baptizing them as they identified with Christ - teaching them to obey all Jesus commands - and then doing it in each and every generation until the end of the age. This, and only this, can stand against the wicked and their wickedness multiplying in a society! May God give us grace to accept no substitutes in this matter - no political or social or military option, which in the end will only fail. May we see that the glorious mandate to minister the gospel - and make disciples IS God's only answer for our world! A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth And does not know that want will come upon him. Proverbs 28:22
Greed and a heart that chases after wealth and riches - is a terrible condition to see in a man. The Bible describes such a conditioin as having an "evil eye." This phrase is actually a Hebraism which meant to be greedy about money - and very stingy about giving any of it to anyone other than himself. When a man lives this way, he has an evil eye. Another way of stating this is found in this same Hebraism in the New Testament. In Luke we see Jesus say this about a person's eye. "The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. "Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. (Luke 11:34-35) The "bad eye" mentioned here is said to be full of darkness. This is a similar Hebraism that speaks of the evil or the bad eye. What is interesting is that both of these passages refer to someone who is very greedy with their money. Whether in the Old Testament or the New, this condition is considered a bad one to have. Here is the problem - when money fills our eye - little else does. Therefore we don't have our eyes on the Lord - and neither can we see past money to recognize the needs of others that should move us to compassion and a giving heart. The evil eye is hastening after wealth. The word for "hasten" here is "bahal" and it means to be in a hurry for fear or dismay that one won't get what they are chasing. The unwise man is chasing wealth. He is not just after money - he wants a lot of money. He won't be satisfied until he has a little more - and that condition will be terminal. This man is igorant of something that is happening to him even as he pursues his money. Slowly but surely want is coming upon him. It may not be a want of cash - it may be a want that grows as he ignores family, friends, and God in his endless pursuit of just a little more. The writer, Charles Dickens gave us the unforgettable Ebenezeer Scrooge in his book entitled, "A Christmas Carol." Scrooge was a man who had enormous amounts of wealth in reference to his bank account. Unfortunately for him such a boon in his bank led to utter bankruptcy everywhere else. The visits from the three spirits who came to show him his poverty woke him up to the fact that while he hastened after wealth - want had come upon him. It was a want that could not be satisfied with money alone. That fortunate night cured Scrooge of his evil eye - yet his name lives forever in our minds as a term that speaks of a miserly, miserable heart that loves little other than its money. May God help us to embrace wisdom as a result of today's proverb. Wisdom is to have what Jesus called a "clear eye" that is "filled with light." That light will be the Word of God that will instruct us in true riches. Those may include physical wealth - but will never be limited to it along. The true riches must always include a tender heart that yields an open hand that does not hold tightly to financial wealth. It sees such blessings as God-given, and therefore to be God-directed to those who need it most. When we live this way it is not want that is coming to us, but blessing. The blessing of having our treasure in heaven and our true riches found in a relationship with God's Son, Jesus Christ. A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him. Proverbs 28:17
This proverb is stated in the context of God's wisdom about leaders and kings. Therefore most likely it refers to those leaders who have gained and maintained their power through the shedding of much human blood. The key to seeing this is the admonition that such a man is not to be "supported." The idea behind this admonition is that one would throw their support behind such a man as their leader, which in their day would mean the king. Ahab was a man who had shed much human blood. His power was maintained through intimidation and violent suppression of anyone who opposed him. He even allowed his wife, Jezebel, to act on his behalf to kill a man simply because he wanted his vegetable garden. When this happened, God sent Elijah to him because God had had enough of Ahab's wickedness and bloodshed. The Lord had Elijah tell both Ahab and Jezebel that they were going to come to violent deaths themselves. This is why we do not want to support violent men. The frightening aspect of God's judgment upon this wicked couple is that not only did they die - but their entire group of advisors were killed as well. Another king who shed much innocent human blood was king Manasseh. His 40 year reign was marked by more bloodshed than anyone before him. Toward the end of his reign God sent a conquering nation against him and had him watch as his army was destroyed and he was taken into captivity. It was in a dungeon that he realized that Jehovah was God. He turned to God in repentance and brokenness - and God in his marvelous mercy forgave and redeemed this wicked king. God's favor came to him as he was returned to Judah as king. It was after this time that he removed all the wicked false gods from the land and returned to seek The Lord with all his heart. When I review this I wonder, how could God support Manasseh after all the blood he spilled? The answer to such a question is found hundreds of years later in what Jesus Christ did by going to the cross. The fact of the matter is that Manasseh did not get away with anything. His sins (and ours as well) fell upon Jesus at the cross. They were paid in full in His death and resurrection. The only reason God supported Manasseh after he repented was because the penalty for his sin fell on God's Son instead. Thus what we have in Manasseh is an example of God's mercy and grace in the extreme. There was another man laden with innocent blood who stands as the New Testament extreme of God's grace in Jesus Christ. His name is Saul - who later was renamed Paul. The apostle whom God used to write the majority of the New Testament - was another who deserved no support because he was laden with the guilt of human blood. Yet God showed him mercy. Why would God show such grace to two of the most notorious men in the Bible laden with human blood. Paul answers that question in 1 Timothy 1:16 when he said, "Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life." God gave grace to these two men - one in the Old Testament and another in the New - as an example of his pefect patience and His incredible mercy and grace. If God can show grace to these men - we should take great comfort knowing that He can save us too! So what do we learn from today's proverb? We learn that a man laden with the blood of men should not be our leader. We should beware when a man wants to rise to power on the blood of others. But we should also remember two, laden with human blood, who teach us of the depths of God's mercy and grace. We should remember that such amazing love is available to all who respond to the gospel of God's grace in Jesus Christ in repentance and faith. There is hope for all - even those laden with the blood of the human race. Hallelujah! He who digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him. Proverbs 26:27
This is not a proverb that explains why bad things happen to Wylie Coyote - even though at first glance it might. It is actually about those who plan to do evil to others. Those who set traps to catch others and have bad things happen to them are warned in this proverb that what they do will eventually happen to them. Let's take a look at what this means - and also see an example or two. Those who dig a pit do so to catch someone in it. In biblical times people would dig pits and cover them for the purpose of catching more than just animals who would fall into them. These pits would be dug and covered with camouflage as well as wetted down on the sides so that whoever was caught in them would not have opportunity to escape. Those who caught the person would then either take them captive as a slave - or kill the one who fell into the pit. The reason a stone would be rolled is to be put on a steep hill so that it could then be rolled down to kill or badly injure someone who was coming through the valley. This was a tactic of thieves who wanted to steal what travellers would have as they went through valleys and along roads that were next to hilly or mountainous areas. The idea with a pit or with a stone was to injure or kill someone for evil purposes. God warns that those who do such things will fall into a pit themselves. God also warns that the stone that is rolled with come back on them. This is not a reference to an actual pit or an actual stone rolling on them - but was a warning that God was going to hold them responsible for their wicked actions. A good example of this would be the story of Joseph and his brothers. The brothers threw Joseph into a pit with the original intention of killing him because of their jealous hatred of him. Joseph and his stinking varicolored coat reminded them every day that their father loved him more than them - so why not teach the little runt a lesson. Of course killing your brother is a little intense. In the end they decided just to sell him into lifelong slavery (their sibling rivalry was way more intense that what I remember with my brothers). They covered their tracks by dipping the hated coat in blood and telling their father that a wild animal killed Joseph. But the pit they dug - and the rock they rolled was going to come back on them one day. The first "pit-experience" was when their father almost died from grief. Then there was the famine that came and caused them to have to go to Egypt where they had to ask for food from . . . wait for it . . . their snotty little brother who was now the second ruler of Egypt. What was very good for them was that their brother had far more mercy on them in their pit that they had on him when he was in theirs. They had rolled their stone on him - but he refused to roll his on them. He chose forgiveness rather than revenge. The varied pits that you can fall into are as numerous as the ones you dig for others. It is amazing as I grow older to see all the various pits that people have fallen into after they've dug ones for someone else. It is a fact of life that what goes around comes around. That is the simple, one-sentence way to define this particular proverb. I just hope that we all remember that the next time we grab our shovels and start digging for someone else. Like a roaring lion and a rushing bear Is a wicked ruler over a poor people. Proverbs 28:15
Oppression of the poor by a wicked ruler - that sounds like a modern day headline in one of our newpapers - or in a report that we would read online. Unfortunately oppression has been going on every since the fall of man - and the beginning of politics. When the sinfulness of man combined with the treachery of politics - it was not going to be long before men learned how to oppress the poor and helpless for their own benefit. We read in today's proverb that a wicked ruler over a poor people is like a roaring lion or a rushing bear. A roaring lion scares the other animals in the forest. The lion roars to establish his territory and his authority. Thus when a wicked ruler acts like a roaring lion - he is establishing that he has the power and authority over the poor ones he is oppressing. We've seen it again and again in history. The powerful oppress and dominate the poor - even resorting to attacking them with the army to establish their power. They will use the secret police to kidnap them and torture them to silence anyone's opposition and threat to their power. It is a sad thing to see - but unfortunately it will continue until the day that Jesus Christ comes to establish a kingdom based upon justice and righteousness. Those who dare to stand against such a wicked ruler will find themselves quickly attacked and often silenced for good. They may be thrown into prison - or summarily executed for their boldness to oppose the ruler - or threaten their absolute stranglehold on power. However it is done, the poor quickly learn to hide any desire for freedom and justice, because these things can cost them their lives. This is why it is so vital for those who have the freedom to choose their leaders, to choose wise and godly ones. To do otherwise will cost us far more than just a wrongly cast vote - it could cost us our freedoms - and in some severe cases - even our lives. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of evil devices is hated.
Proverbs 14:17 One of the most often repeated mistakes in life is reacting in anger quickly and because we do, making very foolish choices. That is what today's proverb warns against. We are told that a quick-tempered man acts foolishly. This quick-temper means to have a temper that is hasty in what it says and does. It is a man filled with impatience and has what a Hebrew would refer to as a "short spirit." The idea behind this concept is a man who is not truly in control of his spirit. When something happens that irritates him - he reacts quickly. He is weak in his moral disposition - and therefore will be prone to outbursts of anger and temper. The real problem this poses is that the man who is so "quick-tempered" is unable to make wise decisions. Wise decisions are made because we can step back from things and see them from God's perspective. The quick-tempered man cannot do this. He reacts quickly to problems and irritations in life. The quick knee-jerk reactions he makes gets him into a world of hurt. A fool does not think through what he is about to say or do. A wise man considers his words and steps and often resists saying or doing things that wisdom counsels against doing and saying. The second half of this proverb says that a man of evil devices is hated. The words "evil devices" is the Hebrew word, "mezimmah" which means a plan or thought. This term is used to describes the evil plans, schemes, and plots of humanity that are contrary to the will and Word of God. How is this related to the first half of this proverb? The plans and schemes that arise out of anger and rage are more than you can ever imagine. So often a person who has committed a murder or some other heinous crime did so because he or she was acting in anger. Someone has deeply offended them - or hurt them deeply - and instead of acting with wisdom and tempering their reaction - they want to act. Some grab a gun and shoot someone, killing them in the heat of their passionate outrage. Others blow their stack and then simmer in their anger until it moves them to hatch a horrible plot that they will wind up regretting for the rest of their lives. Just as the proverb says, the one who acts on this evil plot or scheme is hated. It does not matter what originally motivated them to these actions, others hate the outcome of their hatred, anger, and evil devices. We are reminded in this proverb that patience IS a virtue! We are to be slow to anger - and rich in mercy - just like our God and Father. These things will keep us from reacting in our anger and doing something truly foolish. To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things; From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil; Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways; Proverbs 2:12-15
Why is wisdom needed? Well for many in the modern mindset, maybe it isn't. They contend that the basic nature of man is good. Yet the very reason for wisdom is the fact that evil exists. But we are not being told about evil in theory - we are being told here that evil men exist. The battle with evil in theory is one only in our minds - but a battle with evil that actually involves evil men - that is another story altogether. The first thing we learn is that there is a "way of evil" that exists in our world. We are facing those who have developed lifestyles that embrace evil. The facts are in - and those facts clearly deliniate for us that man is fallen. The facts also indicate that being fallen, man has developed a whole way of life that is contrary to the will of God. If we are not careful and wise - we will find ourselves following that path - that way of evil. According to Solomon, we need to be delivered from the way of evil. Maybe this is why we hear John telling us, "Do not love the world or the things of the world, if anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him." The way we are drawn into this way of evil is by men who speak perverse things. This perverse speech involves saying things that distort and deviate from what God has said and what God wants. It is deceptive, corrupt speaking that either denies the Word or twists it until it suits our fallen appetites. That's why we need wisdom and discretion - the ability to distinguish between things godly and ungodly. We need to know when an "evil man" is trying to decieve us and lead us astray. The evil man leave the paths of uprightness to walk in their darkness. Here it is again - the fact that there is an entire walk and path that is ungodly. But we also learn that there is a corresponding walk that is upright and godly. The evil man leaves God's ways and chooses those that are dark instead. We learn again from John that the ungodly hate the light and does not come to the light. That is the way of the evil man. That is also why we need wisdom and understanding - to remind us that fellowship with the evil man means fellowship with darkness. It seems that God is trying to get us to see that there is a light/darkness - good/evil - godly/ungodly situation in life. The evil man leave the paths of uprightness to walk in their darkness. Here it is again - the fact that there is an entire walk and path that is ungodly. But we also learn that there is a corresponding walk that is upright and godly. The evil man leaves God's ways and chooses those that are dark instead. We learn again from John that the ungodly hate the light and does not come to the light. That is the way of the evil man. That is also why we need wisdom and understanding - to remind us that fellowship with the evil man means fellowship with darkness. It seems that God is trying to get us to see that there is a light/darkness - good/evil - godly/ungodly situation in life. Worldly wisdom equates the best of thinking and acting to mankind. That is why they are shocked with evil rears its head. They want to think the best of man - when the truth is man IS capable of the worst attrocities. Proverbs tells us that there are those men who "delight in doing evil and rejoice in perversity." We almost shrink from these statements - yet that is what is said here. If there has been a "fall" of mankind into sin that has corrupted them utterly - then it really isn't that much of a stretch that man rejoices in evil and perversity. To fallen man - evil is good and good is evil. Isn't that what we see today? In our world evil is called good and good evil. They consider the things of God strange and His commandments as burdensome. They see freedom as bondage and their current state of bondage as freedom. Delight in doing evil then becomes the norm - and it should not be all that strange to see them devoting entire programs on television and articles in writing to rejoice in how they pervert the straight paths of God. Look at the sexual revolution of the 60's as an example. The morals of the past were thrown off (possibly the biggest lie of that period was to deny that such things had always been happening - just that they were done far more secretly). But I think that the shock was not that morals were cast aside, but that now those actin immorally were rejoicing openly in their perversity. The movement was not just a desire to set aside what is right - it was a rejoicing in what heretofore was considered evil. What is even more amazing to me is that several generations of this behavior has led to soceity adopting such actions as normal - and now even certain segments of soceity say we should rejoice in evil. NOW we get why we need to cry out to God for wisdom, discretion, and knowledge to escape such a fate. The final statement about the way of evil is that their direction in life becomes like their heart. Their paths (again the word for lifestyle) are crooked. Crooked is the Hebrew word 'iqqesh'. It means something that is morally, religiously, and socially perverted. This perversity comes from the source of an evil, deceitful, perverse heart. No longer are certain actions perverted - but the whole direction and path of their life runs counter to the truth of God. Their lifestyle is finally described as being devious. This is the last straw. It describes a person who has followed their perverse and wicked ways to the point where they now despise and reject God's ways. They find them abhorant. What is worse is that they are utterly blind to their condition. What we have described for us is the natural degradation of fallen men. They may begin with the remnants of God's image within them - but as they continue in their perversity they soon scald their conscience and harden it to the point where they no longer feel any shame in their sin. By the way, this is exactly what is taught to us in Romans chapter one. We learn that man begins with denying God and being ungrateful, but ends with those who cheer on the wickedness of man - preferring their own perversity to anything God has to offer. In light of such an ignoble end - we see why Solomon impresses on his son the importance of crying out to God for wisdom and understanding. There is too much at stake here to live and let live. The fall of man guarantees that what starts as a mere snowflake will become a massive ball of snow that destroys all in its path. May such a vision of the destrutive power of our core perverseness motivate us to a passionate cry for God's wisdom and a desperate search for His ways and paths. The wicked man desires the booty of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields fruit. Proverbs 12:12
Two ways of living and two ways of getting gain are presented to us in this verse. One chooses to profit from the misery of others - from catching and snaring them. The other profits because the very root of how he lives his life is productive and bears fruit. Let's take a look at these two "ways of living" and see that by embracing one we will gain much wisdom. First we are introducted to the wicked man. He seeks to profit from his evil devices. He always has a con going - always has a plan or a scheme whereby he will get the money he wants. It is interesting the word that is used here for "booty" or "spoil." it is the Hebrew word "matsod" and it refers to a hunting implement - most often a net or a snare. Thus, the wicked man is said to desire the net or snare of evil men. He delights in and takes pleasure in what an evil man gains from an ensnared person. The wicked man sets the snare - he baits the net and waits for the unwitting fool to step into it. Once caught - that person becomes the gain for the wicked. He has nothing profitable himself to offer - just a life filled with another wicked plan or another snare laid out for the unsuspecting one who steps into it. The righteous to the contrary, leads a life that is profitable in itself. He has a root that bears fruit of its own. He sees no need of setting traps for others - wanting to take what is not his own for his profit. He is engaged in some godly trade that meets the needs of others - rather than wicked pursuits where he is only seeking to exploit the weaknesses of others for the purpose of fleecing them. His desire is to bless and build up - and from such endeavors to produce fruit. These two men have very different pursuits, concerns, and ends from what they seek in life. The wicked man is pursuing profiting from other's misfortunes - while the righteous man wants to bless them. The wicked man is concerned that he may be caught and exposed as he sets traps and snares. He has to use camouflage to hide the true intentions of his plans from those who see him. He is also cautious because the majority of the time his path is contrary to the laws of men. If caught he will be punished - something he definitely seeks to avoid. The righteous man does not have to worry about what he is doing. His concern is to bless others in the end. He therefore is concerned about the needs of others - what it is they truly need or want. He then gives himself to meeting those needs - and profiting from it thereby. If, in the end, they want something harmful to themselves, he will not exploit their flesh. That would not be producing fruit, but pain, suffering, and in the end, ungodliness (which will never truly bless anyone). His concern therefore is matching the will of God with the way that he plants and cultivates things in his life. This will always produce fruit that will last more than just a moment - it is the kind of fruit that lasts for eternity. The end of these two men is much different too. The wicked man is cursed by those he has trapped and netted. They hate him for what he has done. There is also no long term blessing for this man because the things he does are conrary to God's will. In the end, God will curse him and bring punishment upon him. The righteous man, though, is blessed now and for eternity. Though his work may be harder and not as instantly productive - it will last. Men will bless him and love him for what he does, and when it comes to eternity - he will receive blessing not just from men, but most importantly - from God. Two men, two very different paths, and two eternally different ends. That is what we see in this passage. God will bless the root of the righteous by having it bear the good fruit that is seeks. But the wicked man whose life is snares and traps - will be watching behind him all throughout life - and will be paying for his wickedness because his root is dried up and dead. Just as his root - so will be his fruit. Do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
Proverbs 4:14-16 Consider with me for a moment how many films glorify wicked men. There are hundreds of films that take a wicked man and glorify his life by romanicizing the things he did - and not really showing us the heart behind his actions. His riches and power are shown to us - his stuff is paraded before our eyes - but his end is often kept from us. The father in Proverbs wants to warn his son against following the lifestyle that these men lived. He does so by giving us a far more accurate description of how these evil men live and make choices. Good advice is not to ENTER the path of the wicked. If we do not ever start on the path and lifestyle of the wicked - we will not have to worry about being a wicked or evil man. I know that sounds like "University of Duh" information, but how often do we want to just dabble - or walk a few steps in that way and then come back? The path mentioned here is from the Hebrew word "orah" and it describes the path of an individual or the course of their life. This word is used often to describe the characteristics of their lifestyle - whether they are good or evil, righteous or wicked. This means that we are not just looking at the supposed rewards this wicked man receives during his lifetime - but we are gazing deeper into the way that he lives. The second word that is used here to describe the wicked man's choices is again one that speaks of his entire lifestyle. The second word is "derek" which means the way that he walks. This word speaks more to his daily choices - that lead towards a lifestyle. The warning here is not to "proceed" in the same daily choices that evil men make. To "proceed" here means to go straight on, to advance forward. It speaks of following a straight path that involves a way of understanding or the direction that comes from the heart. The father is warning his son that choices lead somewhere - that as a wise man said - thoughts lead to choices - and choices to habits - and habits to a lifestyle - and a lifestyle to a destiny. Don't allow the reasoning that fills the minds of evil men - to fill your mind. The father's counsel is clear in verse 15 - avoid it - don't pass by it - and turn away from it and pass on. Avoid it means to leave it alone and neglect it. Do not pass by it means to set your life in such a way that you do not go in a direction that would come near it. The father knew that these were important things to do, but that there still would be times when his son would come into contact with it. That is why he also added the command to turn from it and pass on. This would cover those times - and remind the son that he should not linger thinking about an evil path - but move quickly from it. Finally, the father reminds his son that evil men love their evil - and want to influence others to walk in the same way they do. He lets his son know that these men lose sleep if they are not able to do their evil. They love not only doing their evil, but helping others stumble in the same way. Romans 1 speaks of the perversion of humanity by sin in these same terms at the end of chapter one when it uses these words. ". . . and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them." (Romans 1:32) These are the ways of wicked and evil men. They have existed in the world ever since the fall - and will continue to exist until Christ comes again. Wise fathers need to warn their sons against such men - and against the paths they take in life. |
 Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. 
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