Grievous punishment is for him who forsakes the way; He who hates reproof will die. Proverbs 15:10
What happens when we depart from God's ways? According to this passage in Proverbs there is a very serious consequence for us when we do this. Even worse is what awaits us if we go even further than this and reject God's reproof after we've left his ways. What is at stake here? Well, what drives this particular proverb is the idea of "forsaking the way." "The way," refers to God's way - the way of his commandments. Several times the phrase, "the way of the Lord" is used to refer to this. If you want to understand it better you can turn to the 119th Psalm which calls it by various names like, "the way of righteousness," "the way of Your testimonies," "the way of Your precepts," "the way of Your statutes," as well as what we've already said as the way of God's commandments. This way is the commands and the things God calls us to be and to do in His Word. When we "forsake" this way, we are doing the following. We no longer listen carefully to God's Word - we don't pay heed to it or obey it. But the core idea here is no longer listening or paying attention to someone. That Someone here is God. In case you do not know what this means - it means as you listen - you do so in order to respond and obey God. What happens when we forsake God's way? The Word here says that we face "grevious punishment." The word translated for this is the Hebrew word "ra" - and it simply means, bad things! When you no longer walk with God, listen to Him, or obey Him - bad things are going to eventually happen in your life. This is the case no matter whether you are His or not. If you take a close look at the progress (or regress) of the world around you, you can see that ignoring and forsaking God's ways has never led to a world of peace and blessing. By its very nature this world works best when God's ways and paths are followed. When they are ignored - or worse - shunned, things go bad. This is a fait accompli - an established fact! Now a second warning is also issued at this point - and I think it is a reminder that God's rebuke and reproof are proofs of His love - not hate. When we forsake God's way, we will face bad things, but when we go further and ignore His loving reproof of those ways and continue in rebellion - we are headed toward death. It is God's great mercy and love that arrests us in our rebellion with disciplinary action. He allows difficulties and problems to come to us to turn us from the insanity of abandoning His ways. But when we are too stubborn to listen - we are moving toward death itself. What is terrifying is the warning in 1 John that there is a sin leading unto death - a point at which a disciplinary measure from God involves having a person die. Wisdom tells us to respond to His discipline and His reproof quickly - so that we will not have to go that far. One last comment on this passage. These two truths are just that - truth. But they had their most astounding fulfillment in the cross of Jesus Christ. It was there that we saw the most grievous punishment imaginable. It had nothing to do with the Roman scourage or the nails in the hands of our Savior. It had little or nothing to do with the agony of the cross physically as Jesus gapsed for air as His torn and bruised body slowly died on the cross. But it had everything to do with why Jesus sweat blood the night before in the garden. It had everything to do with the agony of the wrath and judgment of God upon sin. Calling it a grevious punishment seems too small in light of what it truly cost Christ to pay for our sin before His holy Father. That is why we should never take sin in our lives lightly. Yes, our sin was paid in full by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross - but we should always view that truth with both trembling and a sense of honor to God for what He did for us. Otherwise we will take sin too lightly - and risk thinking that forsaking His way really is not that bad - and it really won't cost us much. There is foolish talk that reaches to the heavens themselves - and the kind of talk that will give rise to actions that will in the end yield that grevious punishment and stinging rebuke.
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Differing weights and differing measures, Both of them are abominable to the LORD. Proverbs 20:10
How do we wisely judge things in our lives? That is what today's proverb answers for us. This may seem strange to some who view all judging as wrong. Their favorite verse in the Scriptures is, "Judge not, lest you be judged." While they hold fast to this verse with all that is in them - they miss others like, "Judge all things, hold fast to that which is good." There is a balanced view of judging in the Scriptures - as well as different concepts as we judge things. But the one thing that holds consistent in all passages about judging is the statement that is made in the book of Proverbs here in chapter 20. To understand this proverb, we will have to take a moment and understand how the marketplace worked in the average city and town in Israel. They did not have packaged items like we do today. They put their wares out in a booth or a place in the market - and sold their items directly to the people. This involved a set of scales. The average scale would consist of two baskets set on a balance bar. The way the system worked was that the seller would place weights in one basket, while putting produce in the other. The weights would be marked according to their measurements (we would use pounds or grams) and then they would charge a price per pound of food that the person put into the other basket. The problem spoken of here is when the seller would have weights that were not accurate on purpose. He would use one set of weights with some customers - but would pull out a different set to cheat other customers when he could. These would be lighter in weight - while he would continue to charge the same amount as if they were accurate. Thus the buyer would get less food for more money. If an official came by the booth, he would quickly stash the innacurate, cheating weights, and would pull out the accurate ones for a few customers. When the heat was off from the officials, he would return to cheating those who came to his booth. There is a cheating in business where we use differing weights and measures. God says that such actions are an abomination to Him. He hates this kind (and actually any kind) of lying. But there are more places where we are guilty of using different weights and measures. One is in the kind of judging that God despises. We judge ourselves by one standard, and yet judge our neighbor's actions by a higher one. Jesus referred to this in the gospels when he spoke of the person who would look for a speck in his brother's eye, while ignoring the huge wooden beam in his own. This is when we tolerate sin in our own lives just fine - but the fine we use with others is a fine toothed comb. This is using different weights and measures. God considers such things an abomination to Him - and He hates when we do this! David fell into this trap with the prophet Nathan while in the midst of his sin with Bathsheba. When hearing of the man who took his neighbor's little lamb for a feast - instead of using sheep and lambs from his own flock - David responded in incensed anger - saying that the man should die who has done this. Little did he know that Nathan's next words would be, "You are the man!" David's different weights and measures involved his own sin with Bathsheba, which he had ignored - and yet with an imaginary man who had done less with a lamb, David demanded justice and judgment. God is a just and righteous God. He judges ALL things with perfect judgment. He does not have multiple standards which He uses in multiple situations. He always judges justly. To use separate ways of judging is an abomination to Him. And if we are quick to want to point out some supposed injustice in God - say - that Jesus did not have the adulterous woman stoned for her sin - we need to stop and put our hand over our mouth. All sin was justly judged and paid in full by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. When it came to the one situation we would think would illicit God lessening a punishment and a demand, it would have been when His perfect, spotless Son became sin. But God did not lessen the punishment - and did not pervert justice. He poured out the fullness of His wrath and punishment upon His Son. He was judged to the uttermost when He became sin - crying out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me!" Yet He knew why that had to happen. That cry was not misunderstanding . . . it was pure pain and agony. Jesus was being judged for sin. So, before we decide God is unjust, we should take a trip to the cross. It was there where God could forever be not only just, but for all time the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ. Wisdom rejects multiple standards when it comes to sin. We judge with a righteous judgment - for that is how God judged and judges even today. But even as we reject the varying weights and measures of situational ethics - and multiple ways of looking at truth - we need to also embrace perfect justice and righteousness. That took place on the cross so that God could be both just and merciful. Just to His Son, and because of His blood shed at the cross, merciful to us. And strangers will be filled with your strength And your hard-earned goods will go to the house of an alien; Proverbs 5:10
Here is an interesting and prophetic verse that deals with the aftermath of someone who pursues the immoral woman or adulteress. After stating that following this woman will guarantee that your latter years will be given to the cruel one - we read one of the ways that he will begin to wreak havoc in the adulterer's life. Strangers will be filled with your strength. This is an interesting verse because it has to do with the cost of adultery. We need to remember that under Old Testament law an adulterer would be put to death if caught having adultery. So this speaks of a more merciful sentence - possibly a financial one. But as the adulterer toils away to pay the cost of his sexual escapades, he sees that the promise of pleasure has turned into a cost that was far more than he thought it would be. Even if he is not given the death sentence, he is forced to pay and pay dearly. The second thing that happens is that your hard-earned goods will go to the house of an alien. Once again this pictures punishment financially for having sex with another man's wife. The adulterer works hard - but he does not receive any of the benefit of his labor. Instead, he has to face the fact that all his hard work is worthless - because it is going to someone else. Today, we do not have adultery laws that promise death to the one caught in adultery. But these verses are still true today. Now we have something called alimony and child support. The man who commits adultery will have to deal with the fact that his former wife may divorce him. Since sexual infidelity is the reason for it - often the courts will make the man pay for his misconduct - literally pay. They will set child support and alimony for his actions to destroy his marriage. Now, when he works hard to bring home a paycheck - he does not see it coming to him - to make him wealthier. Instead he watches as it is given to others - not himself. Many divorced men lose up to 50% of their income when this happens. Wisdom allows us to see the long term liabilities of sexual immorality and adultery. Some only hear the siren song of the adulteress - and are deaf to the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks where they soon will be destroyed. Wisdom opens our eyes to what this is going to cost us - and that price is steep indeed. Some still plunge on into the abyss and pay for it later. But my hope is that many will read these words and see that nothing good can come of an adulterous relationship. And hopefully seeing these things will wisen them up to make a good decision when they are faced with sexual temptations. Hopefully they will see the destruction down the road and avoid that exit altogether. He who increases his wealth by interest and usury gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor. Proverbs 28:8 Is God against all l ending that is done establishing a level of interest that is charged for the use of the money? Some would look at today's proverb and say yes. But before we decide to level wholesale accusations against the banking industry, let's take a closer look at what God is saying in this proverb. God says that those who increase their wealth by interest and usury - will only gather it for the one who will be gracious to the poor. What are the principles here - and how do we deal with the wisdom of this in today's world? First of all, God told Israel that they could not charge interest to their brethren (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:36-37; Deut. 23:19). They could, however, charge interest to a foreigner (Deut. 23:20). The question that we need to ask is whether this was in regard to the poor among the people - or in all matters of commerce. The passages mentioned here refer to the poor. The Bible speaks very strongly to the fact that we need to be gracious to the poor. What God is prohibiting is the use of interest to keep the poor mired in their poverty. This was expressly forbidden. The people of Israel were to be kind to one another - especially the poor among them. Thus, what we have here is the prohibition of interest put on the poor in Israel. If this were not the case, then we would ahve a huge problem in the New Testament in the parable of the talents. This is a story where God is represented as One who gives 10, 5, and 1 talent of money to three different servants. When the third tells him he hid his talent in the ground and is giving it back. The owner calls him a wicked slave - and says that he should have at least taken his money and given it to the bankers so that he woul have received his money back with interest. So what we see is that in regard to commerce interest can be charged for money lent for the purpose of doing business. But even in this regard God is definitely opposed to excessive interest being charged. This does not bode well for our friends at the credit card companies who charge 18-20% or those who give cash advances on people's paychecks at rates sometimes above 50% or more. God's promise to those who do this is simple. God will eventually take their profits and redirect them to the poor - or at least to one who will lend to them in the way God desires. Know this before you decide to try to get rich with disreputable people. God sees all things - including every business that is getting rich on ungodly principles. Among these are those who get rich on the backs of the poor and disadvantaged. God will even things out one day - and often is doing it without us even realizing it. It is better to make a little less - or none at all - if our other option is to become rich in an ungodly fashion. This is especially true for those who want to bilk the poor out of their money by burying them in debt. Beware - because while burying them under a load of debt - you are burying yourself under a load of judgment. A king who sits on the throne of justice disperses all evil with his eyes. Proverbs 20:8
What place does a ruler or leader have in making sure that the country he rules is not overrun by evil? In recent years we have had fools who have tried to tell us that leaders don't need to have character. We should only be concerned with their political decisions. To expect actual moral character from them is too much. Their personal lives are their own business. If they decide to commit adultery on their wives , t hat is their own business. Nothing could be further from the truth! The king, ruler, president, or any other person who has a high position of power and influence, needs to be a man of godliness and godly character. Here we read that he needs to be a man who sits "on the throne of justice." The word for justice here is very instructive. It means judgment, condemnation, cause or plea - and it refers to the legal realm. The king needs to sit on a throne that grasps and understands justice. He needs to make judgments so that justice will prevail in the land. Some say this refers simply to the legal seat he takes in a courtroom. They say it has little to do with what kind of judgment he has - rather that he just make decisions while seated there. But if that were the case - why does the second half of this proverb speak of how this action leads to evil being dispersed by this man's eyes? That contradicts itself. The king - at least the ones that God commended - were godly men who sat on a throne that stood for the justice of God. This was an interesting view of justice because it held both to a strong standard of what is right and wrong, but it also exhibited mercy to those who sought it. God's call for righteousness was absolute - and it was and is based on absolute truth. This has not changed - and will not change. But God also states that mercy triumphs over judgment. Those who see God as being too judgmental should consider seriously how God dealt with the ultimate judgment - by having His perfect justice satisfied by judging His own Son, Who paid the ultimate price for sin. God told the king to write out a copy of the Law for himself so that he would not forget to judge righteously. The king was instructed by his mother in Proverbs 31 that it is not for him to drink and get drunk because his judgment would be clouded - and he would not stand up for the rights of the poor and innocent. God warns His kings that they should not err in judgment - but that their judgment should be righteous judgment. To have a godly leader who understands and who seeks to administer righteous, biblically-based judgment is a blessing that unfortunately is rare in our day Honestly. it is rare in history. When the king sits on a throne of justice - he will "disperse all evil with his eyes." The word used here for disperse is wonderful. It is the Hebrew word for sifting. It spoke of how one would sift wheat by separating the good wheat from the chaff. As one would sift like this - they would keep what is good, while breaking off the worthless chaff so that it could be discarded. The king was to have discernment and see what God considers good and wise - as well as what God identifies as useless and worthless. In the end, the sifting allows him to get rid of evil. This, the proverb tells us, he does with his eyes. When a king has evil pass before his eyes and he does not judge it or deal with it - wickedness will abound in his nation. But when a king makes it clear that he disapproves evil, there will be great blessing in the nation. Too often a bribe closes the eyes of the king. An official who is important and who has influence will cause him to blind his own eyes - or cast them down instead of staring wickedness in the face and condemning it. The godly king knows that if he does not deal with ALL EVIL alike - disapproving it and looking with disdain upon it - evil will grow and bring great problems to his kingdom. One of the things eventually destroys nations is a lack of these kind of leaders in the government. We have these odd things called "ethics panels" in our government. They were originally put into place to bring a proper disapproval to those who act outside godly, law-abiding ethics. But now they are used to wink at fellow party-members who disregard the law - and to crucify those of opposite parties who don't. There is no righteous standard any longer - just a flaunting of the law - and a vigilante status toward destroying opponents who make their mistakes while out of power. Both parties do it - and it is an affront to the laws of our land. What we truly need are men and women of integrity who will once again sit in the seat of justice in our land . We need those who will look evil in the eye and make sure that evil will not find a place in our nation. The first ones they should look in the eye every day is the one looking back at them in the mirror. They need to see justice and righteousness prevail in their own hearts and lives. Then they will be able to disperse and sift out evil in our land. May two things happen so this will be the case. First may we demand such things of our own hearts and minds. Then second, may we demand such leaders once again from both parties. Whatever we do we must do quickly - before justice in our land is just an afterthought. Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. Proverbs 2:9
How do you know when you are doing the right thing or going in the right direction in life? Here is a question that everyone would love to be able to answer. The fact is that God says that we can know this. The way that we know it though is definitely outside of the mainstream of ideas that exist today. Let's take a look today at how we can know whether we are on course or not. Solomon tells us here that there is a time when we will be able to discern some very important things. The first in his fourfold list is righteousness. Before we jump into those four things, we should see that discernment is involved. The word discern means that we are able to look at things and distinguish between them. We see differences between two or more things - and use that knowledge to understand them from God's vantage point. Here is our first very important lesson - things differ - and you can tell the difference. Most would agree with you on this truth - until you begin stating what you can distinguish between. The last thing we should address before we go into our list is that Solomon is stating what he does in verse 9 as a conclusion to all he has said before. What is it that allows us to have this discernment? It is the Word of God. All through this chapter he is calling for us to receive the Word, store up the Word in our hearts, cry out for God's work in teaching it to us, and to seek for the Word as one would buried treasure. The discernment of which we speak here is a discernment that comes only because of the way the Word works in our hearts. As I said earlier, the first in his fourold list if righteousness. We will be able to discern when something is right or not. Now is the moment when the postmodern among us throw up their red flags. They assert someone might know right and wrong for themselves - but consider it the height of arrogance to think or state that anyone might be able to discern right and wrong for everyone. But that is exactly what Proverbs asserts here - and more by the time we finish with the four things Solomon says can be discerned. The second in our list of four is justice. Our society cries out for justice - but unfortunately the justice they want ignores the Word of God. It ignores what God calls just in many cases - and completely ignores the problem of how we can be just before Him. Whereas the world cries for social justice - God offers absolute justice. These are not always opposed to one another - but - God ultimately wants us to be able to stand before Him just and righteous - and that requires the person and the work of Jesus Christ to happen. The third thing we will be able to discern is equity. Here, my friends is a loaded word. "Meysar" is the word the Hebrews used to describe equity. It means rightness, correctness, and fairness. The word meant something smooth and level. Communism is man's way of trying to make everything equitable. Pure communism takes from everyone and then redistributes it so everyone gets an equal share. It does not take into account work ethic or whether someone has truly earned their share with hard work. And since pure communism would require pure hearts to work - we see that in practical communism - the ruling class takes and redistributes so everyone is equally as poor - while they live in the lap of luxury and take care of those who most honor and support their rule. When God speaks of equity He is speaking of how a state should judge fairly and honorably. He is speaking of how His promises are available to all. To "discern" equity we need to see things as God does - for fairness and correctness begins with what is fair and right in God's eyes. When we bring God into this equation - we have serious trouble for mankind. Man is sinful and rebellious - and what is fair for him is God's wrath and judgment. What we should find amazing about God's equity is that He chose to pay the price of equity for us - and instead of giving us what is fair, He gave us grace instead. Finally, through the Word, we can discern every good course. We will know the right ways to walk - and God will indicate to us wrongs ones as well. This right and wrong will correspond to what He says in His Word. Thus we have the ultimate aggravation to the modernist. We assert that through God's Word we have an "absolute standard" upon which all things in life is to be measured. If actions and choices and lifestyles do not measure up to what God calls good, right, just, and equitable - they are wrong. And thus begins the clash of worldviews. True Judaism and Christianity will always find themselves at odds with the rest of the worldviews that come from men. They end up at odds because they have the audacity of claiming that God's Word is a revelation of THE truth. For those who reject this claim - the world is a mish-mash of conflicting morals and ideas. We all get along by ultimately stating that both everything is right, as well as everything is wrong. It might be right for us while at the same time being wrong for others. The resulting public moral quicksand creates a world in which all things are to be tolerated except the arrogance of Judaism and Christianity who assert that their worldview is absolute. That view - that view that states that there is absolute truth and it is found in God's Word - is the one that absolutely cannot be tolerated. Too bad though - because it is the only worldview that creates the stability of actually knowing whether the path you are taking will ultimately lead to blessing or destruction. Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.
Proverbs 31:8-9 Today there is a form of theology that emphasizes social justice as its core value. This is somewhat confusing to those who desire to walk with God on the basis of grace because it tends to make concern for the physical poor and needy the primary cause of Christianity. As a guy who is quickly approaching the age of 50 I can tell you what the "social justice" movement is going to end up becoming. It will eventually follow in the footsteps of the social gospel of the 60's and 70's - and every other time when the emphasis of those teaching the Scriptures moved away from the gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching that man needs salvation from his sins. I say this with a little hitch in my heart - because if we had just followed the teaching of the Word of God in the first place - we would not have needed an "emphasis" on social justice. Solomon's mom tells us straight up that the godly king - and for that matter any other godly man regardless of authority and position - stands up for those who cannot defend themselves against the powerful. Unfortunately the church from time to time forgets that when the gospel was clarified in the book of Acts the leaders also asked that as we preach the gospel we would remember the poor. There it is - not a social justice emphasis - or a gospel of social works that needs to be taught as a substitute for the real one - but a gospel that teaches salvation by grace from our sins against God and His law. As we go about preaching that gospel - we should also remember the poor - and minister to them accordingly. But at no time do the leaders in Acts condone a gospel that replaces the true one with mere gracious acts to raise the social level of a man without dealing with his fallen spiritual condition. To lifte a man socially without dealing with his core corruption of sin is to prepare a man for hell by making him enjoy earth better before he goes there. We are commanded to open our mouths for the mute. The word here refers to the physical condition of being unable to speak - but the idea is metaphorical. There are those who need an advocate. They are mute not because of a physical disability, but due to a social one. The unborn cannot speak for themselves - thus we must speak for them. If they could speak they would fill the world with their screams and cries of pain and anguish as they are slaughtered by the millions within their mother's womb. They cannot speak - therefore we MUST! In the 60's and 70's the plight of the black man in America was thrust before the church. Shamefully, we did not speak up for their rights - and by our silence (and too often unbiblical teaching supporting racism) we all but lost the black community to a political gospel. When we refuse to speak out for the mute and for the rights of the unfortunate - we are setting up disaster for ourselves in future generations. As much as I love our nation - we made a tremendous mistake in our founding in not abolishing the practice of slavery. We had an opportunity but did not do the right thing. That set up the disaster of the 1860's when our nation fought a bloody war over that issue. I know as a historian that many will complain that the war was fought over states rights, and in one way I would agree with them. But anyone wanting to be historically and morally honest knows that the rights that the state wanted were the rights to continue an odious practice of slavery that had horrific effects on the black man in America. We are to open our mouths and judge righteously. We cannot allow social mores to guide us - we must be guided by God's righteousness. That is why the plight of the homosexual is not the same as the plight of the black man and racism. Homosexuality is a choice - a moral choice. It is called sin in both the Old and New Testaments. It is not the unforgiveable sin, but it is one that Christ died to set us free from nevertheless. Therefore whereas we can speak against those who target homosexuals for violence and hatred, we cannot say that this should be accepted as a normal lifestyle and also should be taught to our children as an acceptable ssexual choice. We are to defend the rights of those afflicted and needy. In Jewish culture of that day this meant speaking out for the poor. It meant standing up for widows and orphans who had no voice in the gate or in a judicial setting. Money was not to speak in the place of justice, righteousness was. When we allow our judicial system to fundamentally treat the rich different than the poor - we must speak out against that kind of abuse. God expects it - no - God commands it. Maybe if the church in generations past HAD spoken up for the poor, the needy, and the afflicted - we would not have to see emphases that detract from the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although we can do little more than humbly apologize for those past oversights - we can offer hope to those who were affected by speaking out against present day abuses. When it comes to the issues of our day we need to ask the question, "Are you speaking out - or have you suddenly lost your voice?" All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone. Proverbs 19:7
Fair weather friends . . . what are they. The phrase comes from the idea of those who will be with you while the weather is good, meaning that everything is good in your life and you have no problems. But let a storm come into your life - and they abandon you in the midst of it. They are fair weather friends who only want friends who have no problems or needs. That is what our passage in Proverbs addresses today. The brothers of a poor man hate him. The word poor here means to be a person who has very few resources and no standing or influence in society. When a man is poor - and has nothing of this world's goods or things to offer - he is not embraced by very many. Here we read that even his brothers want nothing to do with him. They don't want a "nobody" as their brother or their friend. Those who think this way miss the reality that the poor are rich in faith - a fact they would not have overlooked if they know the Scriptures. The poor and those lacking in power and influence have not fared well over the ages. They are overlooked and under appreciated. Not only does the poor man's brothers hate him - but his friends abandon him. These are the fair weather friends mentioned at the opening of this post. Friends are not to be chosen on the basis of how much money and influence they bring to the table. Unfortunately, that is how men think in the world - and honestly - more than occasionally in the church. The mindset of, "What can you do for me," permeates the choice of friends. A lack of value on things like wisdom and godliness - only add to this bad habit. Though the poor man puruses these fair weather friends with words, they are gone. The idea here is that they just disappear. It is not magic at work - it is just greed and human stupidity. This is truly the saddest when a person plunges into poverty due to problems, sickness, or injury. It is amazing how a series of problems when they come separate your true friends from those who only want something from you. The poor are also abandoned in places of power and influence. This is especially true in the courtroom. Being poor does not exempt you from obeying the laws of our land - but often it means you do not have the kind of representation that money can buy. As a result, the poor often feel jilted by our system of justice because of how the rich can use their money to obtain a better result. There is one place though where the poor can receive justice - they can receive compassion and mercy. That is at the throne of Almighty God. The Bible instructs us that God is not a respecter of persons. It does not matter what you have or don't have. God's justice is blind to those things - and is focused on the truth. He warned His judges not to take bribes from the rich to pervert justice. He also said that He gives grace to the poor - and that the poor and the rich are alike to Him. When the world turns its back on the poor - the Lord will not abandon him. If ever there were a case where money could buy influence it would have been with the rich man and Lazarus. But the lesson we learn from that story is that God metes out justice and mercy with exacting perfection. The rich man was held accountable for his riches and lack of mercy - while the poor man was shown mercy, having faced great difficulties in life. Both will be held to a judgment based on their sins and whether they have been justified by faith - looking to the Messiah as the One who has paid for their sins and given them a standing of righteousness before God. Though a poor man may not have a friend or a brother who will stand with him in this life, if he knows the Lord Jesus Christ . . . he has a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the LORD understand all things. Proverbs 28:5
Why should we never trust an evil man to administer justice? It is because a wicked man is morally confused. His mind is not filled with what is just - but rather with what his own flesh desires. He is not led by the Spirit of God, Who takes the Word of God and instructs us in what is right and true. He is led by the spirit of this world, which, when it does not get what it wants, it kills and steals and decides rules do not apply. To grasp what this proverb is saying we must once again delve into the whole concept of evil. The philosophies of today do not recognize evil - or call it what it is. They state that man is basically good and if left to himself, without negative influences, would self-evolve into everything that is right and good and perfect. The evil man does not acknowledge God or that God's Word is right and true in all things. Thus he is blind when it comes to true justice. The word "justice" here also needs to be discussed for a moment or two. This word is "mishpat" in the Hebrew - and it actually means "judgment." The judgment spoken of here is that of God. Israel was expected to uphold true justice. God warned her leaders that they should decide with justice between two brothers in conflict. God declared what is right - and men were to take what is true and right and use it for judgment and the administration of true justice. The place we find this "right" and "truth" upon which justice can be understood and practiced is God's Word. It is written down - and it is absolute truth. All other truths in the world must conform to it - or be found wanting - and be untrue. Oh, how the world hates this kind of talk. "Mollify your statements man," they say with teeth clenched. But the fact is always the same that the Bible IS truth. If you want justice - you will have to judge according to what God has to say on the issue. Nothing else will do - and nothing else ultimately matters. The fact that evil men reject God's Word and choose instead to decide things by what they think, is the very reason they do not understand justice. The second half of this proverb states the opposite aspect of this truth. Those who seek the LORD (who seek Jehovah God) understand all things. Those who seek the Lord - and do so in truth - seek Him through His revelation of Himself in the Word of God. This is the ONLY place where you get accurate information about God and Who He is. When we seek Him and know Him through what His Word teaches us about Him - then we not only understand justice - but we understand all things. Both times the word "understand" is used it refers to the ability to discern or to perceive what is right. It means being able to distinguish between two things. You see the world - you see the Word - and you can make a viable decision on what God wants in any situation. Note here that we find that justice is not the only thing you receive when you seek the Lord. The wicked cannot even grasp justice alone - but the man seeking God - gets it all. He understands and can discern all things. There is the glory of knowing and loving the Lord. You don't get just wisdom - or justice - or joy - you get all things. Having Him - you have it all! Paul said in Colossians that in Christ was all the riches of wisdom and understanding. Those who seek Him understand ALL things! Thus the goal of our lives should be to seek and to know Him. We don't study the Bible to become more spiritual - or more wise - or bolder - or anything else. We study and know the Word because when we do - we get everything. God gives it all to us in Christ. Having Him we have everything. Evil men should not be trusted to know and administer justice. The man who can be trusted to make decisions and judgments for an entire society - is the man who desires to know God with all that is in him. Find that man - and you will find the one who understands all things - not just justice - but the meaning of life itself. Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones. Proverbs 2:8
Why is it so disheartening to see a judge or a police officer break the law and be guilty of criminal activity? The reason is that we look to these individuals to be ones who guard justice in our society. When they are guilty of injustice - it shakes our confidence in the system. It also leaves us without a guardian over issues of justice and righteousness. Here we are told something in Proverbs that should bless us greatly. The ultimate guardian of justice is not a man. The ultimate guardian of justice is God Himself. Don't worry too much about the paths or the way of justice - at least to the point of thinking it won't exist any longer. Such thoughts are false. God Himself is the One who guards the paths of justice. He watches over them and will one day bring every injustice to light - and each will receive the due penalty of their error. That should both comfort and terrify us. It should comfort us to know that this world is not spinning out of control. God has been watching over it - and will continue to do so until the end of the age. No one is going to "get away" with anything in the end. God will call all men to stand before Him and give account for the deeds which they have done in their bodies. Each will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Justice will be fine and will be swift in that day and hour. But what about that nefarious enemy of justice - nepotism? We've all watched as a relative or close friend is rescued from justice without any of the consequences of it being experienced. The only ones punished in that scenario are those who had the unfortunate providence of working with the relative or close friend. In the end justice is skewered and cooked on a spit - and all those watching have their faith in a truly just judge or official shaken. There is where we can be assured that God is the true guardian of justice. If there ever was a time when He would have decided to lapse into nepotism, it would have been with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. When He became sin - the entire universe watched with their breath held at what the Father would do. True to His nature and His holiness - and the fact that He is the guardian of justice - God brought justice to bear on His Son, when He became sin for us. Thus, we see that God was just - but because of His actions and the sacrifice of His Son - He was also the justifier of those who believe in Jesus. God also is known as the One who preserves the way of His godly ones. This literally means He is watching, guarding, and protecting the course of their lives. The descriptive language used here with the words "way" and "paths" has the idea of where we are going. It also gives us the picture of a map of our lives laid out before us. That map is known by the Lord - and He is watching over it. When we choose to be one of His godly ones - and concern ourselves with justice as well - He watches over us. That is not a promise we will never have problems - but it is a promise that nothing will happen to us that does not first come through God's purposes and plans for our lives. So don't fret over justice. God, who watches over the paths of justice will deal with all matters on that great and glorious day when all men will have to stand and give an account for their lives and their choices. Know also that as you live a godly life - that He is watching over you as well. Your confidence in such things can be overwhelming - and hopefully your peace will be sufficient in every situation. |
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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