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Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD
will be exalted. The proverb for today is one that I know quite well. It is one of the sins that is a very real stumbling block for me. Fearing man is something I've done too often in my life - and just as this proverb says, it is always a baited snare or trap that I trigger in the process. It is not hard to remember one of the very first principles of wisdom, which is that fearing God is how wisdom begins. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:8) With that as our backdrop, let's take a look for a few moments at the opposite, the fear of man - and the problems and traps that come with it. The first thing we need to take note of here is that the word fear here is different than the one used in Proverbs 1:8. Proverbs 1:8 uses the Hebrew word "yirah" which is a positive word for fear because of its use in connection with fearing God. The word speaks of fearing to displease God and has with it the connotation of respecting and honoring Him. This fear acknowledges God's good intentions in His commandments and therefore motivates us to delight in them and in so doing Him. This fear is identified with wisdom, knowledge, discretion, and understanding and helps the one who has it to judge things properly and most of all restrains us from sin and rebellion against God. The word for fear in today's proverb is the Hebrew word "haradah," which speaks of a trembling, quaking, or shaking with fear. The word was used to speak of a physical shaking of Israel's enemies when God began to fight for them. It is not a good fear - but rather a shaking and trembling that come before someone flees or surrender's to another. The context in which this fear happens is men. Proverbs warns against trembling and shaking in fear of mere men this way. Scripture tells us that we are not to fear the ones who can kill the body, yet do nothing to our souls. The One we are to fear is the One who when our bodies are dead can take our soul and cast it into hell. That rules out ALL men. Yet we fear and tremble before men. What does this tell us? I will equate the things we are "falling for" as the bait of a trap. That is what the word "snare" here means in the Hebrew. It referred to the trap and the snare that caught animals - but the reference was to the bait that was in the trap more than the trap itself. The trap would never be effective unless the animal was deceived by the bait. So what "bait" are we being deceived by in stepping into the trap of the fear of man? First, we take the bait that our life consists of our possessions. We fear man because we think that man can take away our stuff. We think that ultimately our stuff defines us. That was the case with the rich farmer - who thought his life consisted of his possessions. He did all he could to protect his bumper crop so that he could retire securely. The problem for him was that he would die that very night - and all his stuff was gone anyway. All he was left with was how he had prepared for his meeting with God - for which he was eternally unprepared. You are not defined by your stuff - but when men make you think they can control your stuff (or your ability to earn so you can buy stuff) you will be tempted to fear them instead of God. When you do that, you've taken the bait - and stepped into a snare. Second, we take the bait that men control our lives rather than the sovereignty of God. Some fear man because they think men control their destiny. Here is where I was guilty of the fear of man. I thought men controlled whether I was pastor or not - and feared their power. The fact is that God is ALWAYS ultimately in control of our lives - and to fear men is to put yourself into a very dangerous position. You begin to listen to men more than God. You can wind up lifting the thoughts of man above the Word of God. These are the traps you fall into when you take the bait that men control your destiny rather than God. I will only go into a third bait that we often take when we fear men instead of God. That is that how men think of us is what is important. That is a lie - and one that controls the behavior of billions. Fashions and all aspects of culture function off of this lie. Immorality becomes acceptable because we fear what men will "think" of us if we hold to a biblical morality and standard. Our culture has embraced almost every and any kind of sin because they value what men think above what God thinks. We call sexual immorality - both heterosexual and homosexual - normal because we've valued what men think above what God says. We've embraced materialism, racism, as well as perverting sexual roles of men and women because we exalt current culture above God's eternal Word. We are told that the cure to the fear of man is to trust in the Lord. That one, we are counseled, will be exalted. We trust the Lord when we read Scripture and value what God says, even if it has violent collisions with our current cultural norms. We trust the Lord when we realize that God moves the hearts of kings (and everyone else for that matter) wherever He wants them to go. We trust the Lord when we are willing to leave everything for the sake of God's will - knowing that the eternal eclipses the physical and temporal in life. Trusting the Lord is simply valuing God's view of things above that of anyone else's. That, by the way, is also the definition of wisdom - seeing things the way that God sees. That view of things will bless us - and - protect us from buying the lie of the bait that blinds us to the trap in which it is sent.
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Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself. Proverbs 22:24-25
Having angry friends will eventually train you to be an angry man. That is the gist of today's proverb. The statement, "do not associate" speaks of friendship. It speaks of those with whom we have close relationships. We are to avoid thos who are "given to anger" - meaning those who give themselves over to their anger. They do not control their anger - their anger controls them. If we wonder what a man given to anger looks like, we receive a little better description of him immediately afterward. He is referred to as a "hot-tempered man." The Hebrew here is very descriptive - referring to this man as a "hot-headed" man. The picture is of the angry man who becomes red in the face as he blows his top. We've all seen that before and need no further description to know about what the Bible is speaking. The reason why we are not to have a friend who has serious anger problems is because of the principle of friendship. Here is the old west version of this principle Those we hang with may be the reason we are being hanged. In modern terms this principle is simply this. We will learn the behavior of our friends. The Bible puts it this way, "Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals." (1 Corinthians 15:33) Therefore if we become close friends with a red-faced man - we will eventually be like him. We will learn his ways. The end of this is even more problematic. We will, through this situation, find a snare for ourselves. The snare mentioned here is that we ourselves will become a "red-faced man." The anger that is in our close associate - will begin to manifest itself in our lives. Just a few days ago I was listening to a message by pastor Ken Graves and he made a devastatingly true comment about those who say that they have an "anger problem." Pastor Graves stated, "You don't have an anger problem, you have a self-love problem." That is a crushing thing to grasp when God first reveals it to you. Of course, this is only true because we pamper ourselves and justify our anger. We don't like it when people treat us badly - because we love ourselves so dearly. People should realize that we are worthy of far better treatment. If they just knew how truly awesome we are - like we know ourselves to be awesome - they'd treat us much better. Therefore we are justified in our anger - because a truly awesome person is being wronged! There, dear brothers, is the snare. The snare is not anger itself - but the self-love that perpetuates it. God commands us to be angry - but not sin - and not to let the sun go down on our anger. There are truly righteous reasons to be angry (and none of them involve a love of self). Jesus was angry when He cleansed the temple courts. His anger was a righteous indignation that His Father's glory was being denigrated by making the place of worship and prayer a den of thieves. But other times Jesus was insulted, called terrible names, and even beaten and crucified - and did not react angrily. Maybe we should associate with Him and learn His ways? The Word tells us that if we take His yoke upon us and learn of His ways - we will find peace for our souls. God's promise is that as we behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord - we will be changed into that same image from glory to glory. Our character will truly reflect the glory of Jesus temperment. We will be changed from "red-faced" men to being "glory-faced' men. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27
Ours is a society that craves safety. Some think that carrying a gun at all times or having a top notch security system will provide them safety. But for the man of God these things, although providing some measure of safety are nothing compared to the fear of the Lord. According to today's proverb that is the most effective security system known to mankind. The fear of the Lord is described here as a fountain of life. The Hebrew words used for the phrase, "fountain of life" are "mekor chaiyim." This phrase literally means, "the vein of lives" and referred to the aorta which is the artery which carries the blood from the heart as it seeks to pump it throughout the entire body. Without our aorta we would be dead. I remember a very terrifying moment when my own father was found to have a seven inch long annuerism on his aorta. It was a life threatening condition of the worst kind. If my father's aorta burst - the very fountain of life in him would be cut off - and he would have died within seconds. The medical staff were able to do surgery and repair his aorta. But it was a reminder to me that without the "vein of lives" functioning, we will not live long. I am not saying that without the fear of the Lord we will die in mere seconds, but I am saying that the fear of the Lord is essential to us having the life that God provides. Here in today's proverb we read that the fear of the Lord is what helps us to avoid the snares of death. What are these "snares" that are mentioned here? The Hebrew word for "snares" is very telling. The word is "moqesh" and it refers not so much to the snare itself, but to the bait which is placed in the snare. The word literally means the bait placed within a snare or trap - without which the animal would never come near it. It is the bait that makes the trap effective. The bait tempts the animal to come near even when his own instincts tell him the situation is dangerous. Unable to quell his own lusts for the free food, the animal draws near. The end is a trapped or dead animal. This parallels our problem with sin. Our desires draw us toward things that will eventually damage and destroy us. But we cannot seem to shake the lusts of our flesh, eyes, and prideful love of the world enough to turn away. We are bllind due to our sin. But this is where the fear of the Lord becomes a life-giving fountain to us. The fear of the Lord is the respect and honor that we have of Him and of His Word. It is the willingness to respond to the Holy Spirit when He warns us about something we are about to do. We listen and obey when we fear the Lord - but we ignore Him when we have no repect or honor toward the God who made us. For those who do this, there is only death in the end. They may have an initial experience of pleasure in their sinful choice - but be warned that they will stand in the judgment for their actions. Any sinful action will be eternally regretted on that day. But know also that sinful choices, although their poison may not be felt immediately - also have consequences here and now as well. Today's society, and unfortunately many in the church, think that the fear of the Lord is a thing of the past. They ignorantly say that we are a people of grace in the New Testament. The Old Testament idea of fearing God is out of step with who we are supposed to be. What I find interesting is that the book of Acts tells us that the church benefited greatly from the fear of the Lord. In Acts 9:31 we read the following, "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. " The fear of God is a New Testament truth that will bless God's church. In fact the fear of the Lord is linked here with the "comfort of the Holy Spirit." It was the combination of these two that worked together by God's grace to cause the church to increase. But there is one more thing that will bless us as we look at the proverb for today. The fear of the Lord is said to be a "fountain of life." There is another parallel that is such a blessing to see here. In John chapter 7 Jesus spoke of the way that the Holy Spirit would come to those who believed in Him. He used the picture of fountains of living water that would flow from the innermost being of those who experienced the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is what we have learned today in Proverbs. It is another way that the Holy Spirit is linked directly to the fear of the Lord. We need to realize that one of the ways that the Holy Spirit works in our lives is to bring us the fear of the Lord. We have a respect for God - a desire to honor Him and not to displease Him. This makes us very receptive to His Word which tells us what He wants us to know. Both are the same fountain. As we fear God the Holy Spirit works in us to teach us God's Word - and then to urge us to listen and respond to what God has said. All this comes together to turn us from the snare - from the bait of Satan which seeks to lure us into His traps and his snares of death. May God give us grace to fear Him - to experience the Holy Spirit's teaching and warning - and to avoid sin as a result. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from the snares of death.
Proverbs 13:14 Here God tells us that the law or teaching of the wise - the one who sees things as God sees them - is a fountain of life. As usual - we are being taught to have a very teachable spirit - and this is especially the case when we are hearing truths from someone who is wise and godly. Our ability to pay attention in these moments will make the difference in a large number of situations. The phrase "fountain of life" should catch our eyes because it is a term that is very rarely used in Scripture, yet when used it refers to some very important truths. The first time it is used is in Psalm 36:9 as a reference to God Himself. With God Himself is the fountain of life. We are told that it is in His light that we see light. If we don't take advantage of listening to God - we won't even have the light we need to see things properly. The other four times when this exact phrase it used is in the Proverbs. We read in Proverbs 10:11 the the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, so once again we are encouraged to listen closely when a godly or righteous man is speaking. Next in Proverbs 14:27 we learn that the fear ofthe Lord is a fountain of life. When we fear God - showing respect to Him and to His Word, we are given the wisdom necessary to "avoid the snares of death." Lastly in Proverbs 16:22 that understanding is a fountain of life - keeping us from the discipline of fools. These passages along with the promise here that the teaching of the wise (which is that fountain manifest again) will turn us aside from the snares of death. We see a pattern here that should catch our attention. The "fountain of life" is when God Himself is giving wisdom - and that comes through His Word, through godly men and women who speak it, and through gaining understanding when we hear what they have to teach us. Oh the problems and difficulties that we could avoid in life if we would only listen - and learn from this fountain - hearing what God has to say - and the understanding and cautions that He wants to offer to us. Our problem is that much like the people in Jeremiah's day, we abandon the fountain of living waters - to dig our own cisterns instead. We consider so many other sources more informative and worthy of our time rather than the Word of God. We do not realize the value of godly counsel and teaching until it is too late and we've landed ourselves in the discipline of fools. That is why it is wise to cultivate a desire for and an ear to hear what God is saying to us - no matter what the source at the time. Listening will provide blessing - and in some cases the difference between walking unhindered in our lives, as opposed to finding that our path has led us to fall into a pit. Such "snares of death" can be avoided if we will only listen and learn that the bait in the snare is a lie. It won't bring satisfaction. It will only be a lure to bring us down and yield death and destruction in our lives. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from the snares of death.
Proverbs 13:14 Here God tells us that the law or teaching of the wise - the one who sees things as God sees them - is a fountain of life. As usual - we are being taught to have a very teachable spirit - and this is especially the case when we are hearing truths from someone who is wise and godly. Our ability to pay attention in these moments will make the difference in a large number of situations. The phrase "fountain of life" should catch our eyes because it is a term that is very rarely used in Scripture, yet when used it refers to some very important truths. The first time it is used is in Psalm 36:9 as a reference to God Himself. With God Himself is the fountain of life. We are told that it is in His light that we see light. If we don't take advantage of listening to God - we won't even have the light we need to see things properly. The other four times when this exact phrase it used is in the Proverbs. We read in Proverbs 10:11 the the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, so once again we are encouraged to listen closely when a godly or righteous man is speaking. Next in Proverbs 14:27 we learn that the fear ofthe Lord is a fountain of life. When we fear God - showing respect to Him and to His Word, we are given the wisdom necessary to "avoid the snares of death." Lastly in Proverbs 16:22 that understanding is a fountain of life - keeping us from the discipline of fools. These passages along with the promise here that the teaching of the wise (which is that fountain manifest again) will turn us aside from the snares of death. We see a pattern here that should catch our attention. The "fountain of life" is when God Himself is giving wisdom - and that comes through His Word, through godly men and women who speak it, and through gaining understanding when we hear what they have to teach us. Oh the problems and difficulties that we could avoid in life if we would only listen - and learn from this fountain - hearing what God has to say - and the understanding and cautions that He wants to offer to us. Our problem is that much like the people in Jeremiah's day, we abandon the fountain of living waters - to dig our own cisterns instead. We consider so many other sources more informative and worthy of our time rather than the Word of God. We do not realize the value of godly counsel and teaching until it is too late and we've landed ourselves in the discipline of fools. That is why it is wise to cultivate a desire for and an ear to hear what God is saying to us - no matter what the source at the time. Listening will provide blessing - and in some cases the difference between walking unhindered in our lives, as opposed to finding that our path has led us to fall into a pit. Such "snares of death" can be avoided if we will only listen and learn that the bait in the snare is a lie. It won't bring satisfaction. It will only be a lure to bring us down and yield death and destruction in our lives. An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will escape from trouble. Proverbs 12:13
Be careful what you say . . . you may being laying a trap for yourself with your words. That is the truth that today's proverb is trying to get us to understand. The Hebrew phrase used here paints an interesting picture for us. The original Hebrew reads, "In the transgression of the lips is an evil snare." What is even more fascinating about this phrase is that the snare is actually a baited trap. Of course we know that a trap is baited so that the animal that we desire to capture is lured to it. The animal is captured when it focuses on the bait rather than the surroundings of that bait. Some animals can even sense the danger of the trap, but ignore it because they become so fixated on the bait in it. What captures this fool is the fact that he does not watch what he is saying. The transgression of his lips is his unwillingness to submit how he speaks to God and God's law. The word here meant a rebellious act - here meaning the rebellious speech of this man's mouth. His rebellion is against God and against God's warnings to be careful what he says. This man ignores God's cautions to those who say too much - and who see no need to put a guard over their mouths. The bait in their trap is actually their desire to have no one or no law govern what they can say. The undeniable truth of life is that we can say whatever we want, whenever we want, to whomever we want . . . once. The ability to repeat those words - or to be able to speak effectively again may be severely damaged by that absolute freedom to say what you want. Some may read this and protest that our founders fought for the freedom of speech. I would agree with you wholeheartedly on that matter. But our founders also knew that a wise man thinks before he speaks. He thinks because although he has freedom to speak - it is wisdom that governs us in such a way that we can speak again and again without reprecussion. We are told in the second half of this proverb that the righteous will escape from touble. This word "trouble" means something that causes distress and anguish. It refers to a situation of extreme discomfort and affliction. When we say something truly stupid, we can find ourselves quickly in a situation where we are uncomfortable. We all remember the times when a public figure said something they wished they had never said. You could almost hear a collective gasp from those around as the statement was made. The firestorm that ensued for the one who said it was predictable. Some of these public statements resulted in someone losing their job before it was all over. Did they have the freedom to speak - yes. Did their misuse of that freedom cost them dearly - absolutely. The wise man will escape from these afflictions because of the wisdom with which he chooses his words. He will know that there are times when he needs to speak - and other times when it would be wise for him to be quiet. Because he has chosen to surrender his right to say anything he wants to the Lordship of Jesus Christ - he is resuced from many situations where his freedom of speech would create great difficulty for him. Wisdom means knowing when to speak, how to speak, and often when to hold your peace. 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. My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. Proverbs 1:10
Here we are given an inside seat to a spectacle that takes place every day. This event is when a fool or group of fools approach a person to entice him to join with them in their ungodly schemes. This is something we need to see because as Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes, there really is nothing new under the son. Men have tried to get others to join with their gang to do mischief for numerous generations. The lies are pretty much unchanged - and yet they are good to know ahead of time so that we are not taken in by the offers of fools whose only true promise is to get us into serious trouble before everything is over. How young people need to read these words and profit from rejecting them ahead of time. Here a father speaks to his son to warn him against such foolish company - and against their foolish offers to "cut him in on the action." His first instructive comment is to refer to those who do such things as "sinners." What is instructive about this word is the comment made by Zhodiates that this word is used, "to describe those who, by their actions, are under the wrath and judgment of God and face ultimate destruction." In Psalm 104:35 we are told that these folks will be consumed from the earth - and in Isaiah 1:28 that they will be crushed and will come to their end by the hand of God. The father warns that these people will come to "entice" them. They will come with words to try to allure, persuade, and deceive. They want to convince this young man to join with them as they plan to do their evil deeds. This may sound all melodramatic to some who read this - but that is only because the world has done a good job of mocking this kind of talk. They do so by overdramatizing the father or the spiritual guide - making him sound stupid when he warns of such things. Their effectiveness has only dulled the minds of our children to those who truly will come to them with such wicked counsel. In the end they only make it easier for the criminal and harder for the parent or mentor. This father is doing a good thing in warning his son about this kind of interview. His advice to his son is not to consent. In the end the boy is going to have to make a decision on his own. Eventually every child will leave the home and will face temptation to do evil. If we do not instruct them - they will face this without godly counsel on their side. This father does an admirable job of letting his son hear the enticing words ahead of time. But the father does so with additional commentary explaining to his son just where such counsel will lead. Hey dad, let me ask you a question. Are you preparing your son to face these things? Are you taking the time to let him hear the kind of things he is going to be told - and then put them into the context of where they will take him? There is a kind of Christian parenting that is going on today that does not think kids should be exposed to anything that is remotely wrong. I agree with this when it comes to exposing them to such things and encouraging them to do them. But what this godly father is doing is exposing his son to the reality of what wicked men will say to him one day. He is letting his son know the arguments - the offers - the lies that will be told to him. Then he is taking those statements and dismantling them before his son. He does so by showing his son where such lies will lead him. The warning his boy receives is a wise one - and one that we would do well to teach to our own children as well. When we think that placing them into a world without any form of tempation of proposed evil will protect them - we may be deceiving ourselves. One day they won't be with us - and an evil man will approach with his slick lies. What will they do then? Will they know how to stand and resist the lies? Maybe . . . maybe not. The only way we can prepare them for such a day is to teach them by exposing them to what will be said - as well as the sure judgment and destruction that comes with the lifestyle that will result. A man who flatters his neighbor Is spreading a net for his steps. Proverbs 29:5
When I was a kid growing up I heard a phrase that honestly did not make sense to me. The phrase was this, "Flattery will get you no where." When I heard this I was confused. When I heard someone flattering me, all I heard was someone giving me a compliment. Can receiving a compliment be all that bad? Honestly, the things that were said felt pretty good. So what exactly was I missing here? That sense of confusion was compounded when I first read this verse that says that when a man is flattering his neighbor - he is actually spreading a net for his steps. This makes flattery sound like something sinister. Whatever is being said is being used to set a trap. You don't "spreak out a net for someone's steps" for the purpose of blessing them. This was what was done to catch and capture an animal. Here the trap is words - and the prey . . . the prey is me! Most of confusion over flattery can be solved by understanding what flattery actually is. When that question is answered everything else falls into place. The word "flattery" here means to be smooth and slippery. The idea behind this word is that of being faithless, to flatter, or to be smooth. Flattery therefore is smooth and slippery speech - but speech that is meant to lull someone into a false sense of security. The compliment is not genuine. It is meant to disarm someone so that they don't see the trap. The words are subterfuge - like leaves and brush hiding the trap from view. Just as the animal sees the leaves and brush and thinks this is just a normal trail - so the compliment is there to have the one who hears it think all it well. Unfortunately, the animal doesn't see the trap until it is too late - until he is caught. Neither does the unwise one whose pride and ego receive the praise without question - and unwittingly step into the trap! Just about everywhere this word is used in the OT it is used negatively. Flattery is a compliment with an agenda. When someone is flattering you, their kind words do not have a kind or gracious intent behind them. They are smooth and slippery words outwardly - but the agenda behind them is not good. Your compliment is a set-up. There is something behind the glowing compliments - and that is what the person is after. They use the words and your good reaction to them to gain access to you and to your favor. This is the net for your steps. It is laid out for you to step into and be caught. Then the true intent behind their gracious and glowing comments is exposed. A wise man will learn to be gracious about compliments, but never let them be that which causes him to drop his guard. This is even more true when it comes to women who offer him compliments. If the compliment is from your wife, that is fine - but if it is from another woman - be very careful. You can be gracious and thank her for it - but never let it be used to trap you. If you remember a previous Proverb in the early chapters of this book, the immoral woman uses flattery to capture men. That is why you need to be unshakable in your commitment to God and your commitment to your bride. Compliments and flattery can be dangerous things when they are in the hands of those who are using them to disarm us to their real intent. That is why we need to always deflect praise and compliments to God. Were it not for Him and His grace, nothing really could be said of us. Thus we make it a habit to deflect priase unto Him. That is the safest thing to do - and the one way you can be wary of the net that often comes with flattery. Like I said at the beginning, our attitude needs to be, "Flattery will get you no where!" Proverbs 23:6-8 (NASB)
6 Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Or desire his delicacies; 7 For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, "Eat and drink!" But his heart is not with you. 8 You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten, And waste your compliments. Proverbs lays out for us here three verses that warn us of selfish and greedy men. The term used to describe this men is a man of an 'evil eye.' This term is a Hebraism that refers to a man whose eye is set in a way that he is covetous and very selfish when it comes to his money. This guy has evidently made a promise of a sumptuous meal. To break bread with someone in this day was to offer them a meal. And from what we read here - this man is putting quite a the spread before us. It does not only involve putting food before us - but delicacies. Delicacies here is the Hebrew word "mat'am" and it means a very tasty, delicious food. It indicates soemthing like gourmet food or special tidbits and delicacies that were usually only served to the wealthy and influential person. This meal is provided to catch our eye - but dull our sensest. This is not just a Big Mac at Mickie-D's. This would be an entire meal at a fancy restaurant - including a top shelf dessert as well. Why would this man do this? What is even more important though is that God warns us to stay away - and not eat it - and not to be drawn in by the delicacies! We are warned against the desires that arise in us as we look at te delicacies set before us. Again, one might ask, "Why?" The answer lies with the character and the motives of the man who is providing the meal. He has a reason for what He is doing. And according to this passage - his motives are evil, selfish, and self-centered. Let's look a little further at all this as we seek to get all we can from this warning - as well as how all this applies to what we can face from men in THIS generation that use the same tactics. God now reveals to us this man's heart. The motives of his heart are hidden from us and the only way we know them is when God reveals them to us. This man thinks within himself differently than he is acting outwardly. His outward words say, "Eat and drink!" There is every indication that he is all about his hospitality. There is a problem though. His words do not match his heart. Who he is in his heart is who he really is and since his heart is not with us, we should question his true motives. Why would someone provide a great spread like this - and not have their heart in it? The answer to this question is that greed and selfishness are what motivate him. Ever been to a "free meal" or a "free weekend" at a time share? Yeah . . . that's what we're talking about here. We are provided what seems like an innocent and wonderful gift. Problem is the entire time we are enjoying it we are being set up for the real purpose. The gift is given to get something from us! Before the night is over - before the weekend is over - there is going to be a presentation. The reason for all the generosity is that you are supposed to buy something - commit to something. I've been to a free weekend at a resort - and the term "high pressure sales" is an understatement of what I eventually faced. When my "free" weekend was over, I honestly wished I had just paid for my so-called free vacation. That was one of the longest three hours of my entire life. When someone's heart is not with you in providing that great meal or that wonderful weekend; when someone's heart is not with you in giving you those "free tickets" or that gift card for a free meal, you need to know that a the heart is not set on giving, but greed. You are being lured into a way for Mr. Generous to make money in the end. We are told that we will vomit up the morsel we thought we enjoyed. There will be a disgust in our hearts when we eat this man's food. That disgust will only be experienced after we find out the real agenda here. He didn't do this for us . . . He did it for himself. Covetousness and profiteering were the real reason this for Mr. Generosity's gift. In the end you feel like a fool for being tricked into doing something you "normally" would not do. You curse your desires that deadened you to the warnings of the Holy Spirit. Remember my time share story? Oh, how embarassingly this ended. I told myself that I would not buy anything! I was going to be strong - and say NO to everything. Then I'd enjoy the rest of my free vacation and go home. Remember the "high-pressure sales pitch?" Well, in the end, we didn't buy a time share. Instead we paid a ridiculous price for a promised "future" vacation - actually three were promised. I'm not stupid enough to fall for just one! Of course the promised triple play did not quite work out like it was mapped out for us. In fact the entire sitaution was a debacle. In the end - I vomited out the vacation we took - and wished I could take back my compliments about what a "great deal" I had just gotten! Remember this . . . when a selfish, greedy man "gives" you something, he has every intention to more than double or triple what he invested. At least that is my story - and my savings (or lack thereof) is sticking to it! In the end - you feel like a fool for complimenting the generosity of your host. You look at what was provided - and you think that it is wonderful. But the cost in the end - oh the cost in the end - makes you feel like a complete idiot for ever accepting his invitation. You kick yourself for ever getting involved. There are plenty of evil-eyed men out there in the world. They have their plans and their purpose for their pseudo-generosity. But remember that we've been warned by a wise God - and a wise man who walked with God - that there are subversive plans in this pseudo-generosity. The plans of these heartless givers are laid out like a trap for the unwary and the unsuspecting to step into. They want to catch your eye with their delicacies - and keep you from seeing the long-term plan in their ruse of free provision. Believe me when I say that their intention is to make far more than they have given. The truly wise man will see this ahead of time - and avoid even a meal provided by one whose eye is evil - and whose plans are selfish and filled with snares. |
 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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