Psalm 150 (continued, part 2)
Knowing God's Word (vv. 1–9). Some children don't like to hear Dad say, "Now, back when I was a boy …" but they might learn a lot if they paid attention and listened. He learned wisdom from his father, and now he's passing it on to the next generation. This is the primary way God has ordained for His truth to be preserved and invested from generation to generation (Deut. 6:3–9; Eph. 6:1–4; 2 Tim. 1:3–5; 2:2; 3:14–17). Children who have godly parents and grandparents ought to give thanks to the Lord for their rich
When you surrender yourself to God, every part of your body belongs to Him and will be protected by Him. He will help you keep your eyes from wandering (v. 21), your neck from turning your face away from
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Obeying God's will (vv. 20–27). This is a wonderful paragraph to us as a personal spiritual inventory to see if we're really living in obedience to the Lord. Let's ask ourselves:
heritage, instead of scoffing at that heritage and abandoning it for the way of the world.
"Get wisdom" (Prov. 4:5) suggests "buy wisdom" because the Hebrew word carries the idea of a commercial transaction. There's a price to pay if you want to know God's truth and obey it. "Buy the truth, and sell it not" (23:23). Parents and grandparents can teach us, but only we can receive the Word into our hearts, cherish it, and pay the price to obey it.
"What comes into my ears?" (v. 20). Whatever enters my ears will ultimately influence my mind, my heart, and my decisions, so I'd better be careful what I listen to. Paul warns us to beware of "obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking" (Eph. 5:4 niv), and Psalm 1:1 tells us to avoid ungodly counsel. When people speak, we must be able to identify God's voice (John 10:3–5, 16) and obey what He says.
The father tells his sons to treat wisdom the way they would treat their mother, sister, or wife: love her, honor her, embrace her, exalt her! The bumper sticker that asks, "Have you hugged your children today?" ought to be balanced with, "Have you hugged wisdom today?" In Proverbs, Wisdom is personified as a beautiful woman who invites us to her lavish banquet, while Folly is the adulteress or prostitute who tempts us to poverty and death. The one you love is the one who will control your life. Embrace Wisdom and you will have security (4:6), honor (v. 8), and beauty (v. 9).
"What is within my heart?" (v. 23). Whatever the heart loves, the ears will hear and the eyes will see. When our children were small, no matter where we were driving, they could usually find the ice cream shops and the toy stores; I must confess that I managed to locate the bookstores! "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (v. 23 niv). If we pollute that wellspring, the infection will spread; before long, hidden appetites will become open sins and public shame.
Trusting God's providence (vv. 10–19). When you receive God's truth into your heart, God renews your mind (Rom. 12:2) and enables you to think wisely. This helps you make right decisions and experience the guidance of God day by day. God in His loving providence directs us and prepares the path for us. Augustine said, "Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His providence." But King David said it better long before Augustine: "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Ps. 16:11 nkjv).l
The Bible warns us to avoid a double heart (Ps. 12:2), a hard heart (Prov. 28:14), a proud heart (21:4), an unbelieving heart (Heb. 3:12), a cold heart (Matt. 24:12), and an unclean heart (Ps. 51:10). "Search me, O God, and know my heart" (139:23).
"What is upon my lips?" (v. 24). Whatever is in the heart will ultimately come out of the mouth (Matt. 12:33–34). God's children must be careful to have "sound speech that cannot be condemned" (Titus 2:8), speech that's gracious and "seasoned with salt" (Col. 4:6 nkjv). The ancient Romans, listening to one of their orators, would look at each other, smile, and say, "Cum grano salis"—"Take it with a grain of salt." But Christians are supposed to put the salt into their speech and keep their words pure and honest.
If you are willing to do God's will, you will have God's guidance (John 7:17), but if you treat God's will like a buffet lunch, choosing only what pleases you, He will never direct you. As I've said before, the will of God isn't for the curious; it's for the serious. As we look back on more than forty years of marriage and ministry, my wife and I can testify to God's providential leading in our lives in ways that we never suspected He would use.
As we shall see in a later chapter, Proverbs has a great deal to say about human speech; in fact, the word mouth is used over fifty times and the word lips over forty times in the Authorized Version. Among other things, Solomon warns us about perverse lips (Prov. 4:24), lying lips (12:22), flattering lips (20:19), deceptive lips (24:28), and undisciplined lips (10:19). "He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin" (13:3 niv).
But God's children can't expect God's leading if they shuttle back and forth between the path of wisdom and the path of the wicked (Prov. 4:14–17). Stay as far away from that path as you can! Don't enter it! Avoid it! Don't go near it! Go as far from it as you can! Certainly we must witness to unsaved people whom the Lord brings to us, but we must never adopt their lifestyle or imitate their ways. God doesn't guide His children when they're walking in darkness. When you're living in the will of God, the path gets brighter and brighter, not darker and darker (1 John 1:5–10).
"What is before my eyes?" (v. 25). Outlook determines outcome. Abraham was the friend of God because he walked by faith and "looked for a city … whose builder and maker is God" (Heb. 11:10). Lot became a friend of the world because he walked by sight and moved toward the wicked city of Sodom (Gen. 13:10, 12). Everybody has some vision before them that helps to determine their values, actions, and plans. We would all be wise to imitate David who said, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes" (Ps. 101:3), and the writer of Psalm 119 who prayed, "Turn my eyes away from worthless things" (v. 37 niv). If you are "looking unto Jesus" (Heb. 12:2) as you walk the path of life, then keep that posture of faith. If you look
The danger is that we let the lessons of wisdom slip through our fingers and we lose them. "Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go" (Prov. 4:13). Hold on to wisdom the way a child holds a parent's hand and trusts Mother or Father to guide and protect. God is able to keep us from stumbling (Jude 24) if we'll keep ourselves in His wisdom.
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including government officials, Hollywood stars, sports heroes, and (alas!) preachers, but that doesn't make it right. Sexual sin is one of the main themes of numerous movies, TV programs, novels, and short stories; yet popularity is no test of right and wrong. Many things that the law says are legal, the Bible says are evil, and there won't be a jury sitting at the White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11–15; 21:27; 22:15).
back (Luke 9:62) or around (Matt. 14:30), you may go on a detour.
"What is beyond my path?" (vv. 26–27). The Hebrew word translated "ponder" means "to weigh" or "to make level." It is related to a word that means "scales" (16:11). In his final speech before he drank the hemlock, Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living"; Paul wrote, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves" (2 Cor. 13:5 nkjv). The Lord is weighing our ways (Prov. 5:21) and our hearts (21:2), as well as our actions (1 Sam. 2:3), and we had better do the same. Life is too short and too precious to be wasted on the temporary and the trivial.
Why worry about sexual sins? These three chapters of Proverbs give us three reasons why we should worry if we break God's laws of purity: because sexual sin is eventually disappointing (Prov. 5), gradually destructive (ch. 6), and ultimately deadly (ch. 7). That's why God says, "You shall not commit adultery."
If we're walking in the way of wisdom, God promises to protect our path, direct our path, and perfect our path.
1. Sexual Sin Is Eventually Disappointing (Prov. 5) When married people honor and respect sex as God instructs them in His Word, they can experience increasing enjoyment and enrichment in their intimacy. But when people break the rules, the result is just the opposite. They experience disappointment and disillusionment and have to search for larger "doses" of sexual adventure in order to attain the imaginary pleasure level they're seeking.
All folly can offer us is danger, detours, and disappointments, ultimately leading to death.
It shouldn't be too difficult to make the right choice!
Notes 1 This has been my life verse since 1948 when I entered seminary to prepare for ministry, and I can bear witness that it has never failed me. When you walk on God's path, you delight in God's presence and enjoy God's pleasures. You have life, joy, and pleasure—and it gets better and better as life progresses!
God created sex not only for reproduction but also for enjoyment, and He didn't put the "marriage wall" around sex to rob us of pleasure but to increase pleasure and protect it. In this chapter, Solomon explains the disappointments that come when people violate God's loving laws of sexual purity.
CHAPTER FOUR Proverbs 5–7 THE PATH OF FOLLY AND DEATH Y
Their experience goes from sweetness to bitterness (vv. 1–6). We've met "the strange woman" before (2:16; niv, "adulteress") and she'll be mentioned again (5:20; 6:24; 7:5; 20:16; 22:14; 23:27; 27:13). The word translated "strange" basically means "not related to." The "strange woman" is one to whom the man is not related by marriage, and therefore any sexual liaison with her is evil. The beginning of this sinful alliance may be exciting and sweet, because the kisses and words from her lips drip like honey (7:13–20), but in the end, the "sweetness" turns to bitterness, and the honey becomes poison (5:4).
ou shall not commit adultery."
The Lord God spoke those words at Mount Sinai, and we call what He said the seventh commandment (Ex. 20:14). It declares that sexual intimacy outside the bonds of marriage is wrong, even if "between consenting adults."1 This law specifically mentions adultery, but the commandment includes the sexual sins prohibited elsewhere in Scripture (Lev. 18; Rom. 1:18–32; 1 Cor. 6:9–20; Eph. 5:1–14). God invented sex and has every right to tell us how to use it properly.
The book of Proverbs emphasizes the importance of looking ahead to see where your actions will lead you (see 5:11; 14:12–14; 16:25; 19:20; 20:21; 23:17–18, 32; 24:14, 20; 25:8). The wise person checks on the destination before buying a ticket (4:26), but modern society thinks that people can violate God's laws and escape the consequences. They're sure that whatever has happened to others will never happen to them. Sad to say, their ignorance and insolence can never neutralize the tragic aftermath that comes when people break the laws of God. "Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" (Deut. 32:29).
However, on hearing the seventh commandment, many people in contemporary society smile nonchalantly and ask, "What's wrong with premarital or extramarital sex, or any other kind, for that matter?" After all, they argue, many people indulge in these things and seem to get away with it. Furthermore, these activities are more acceptable today than they were in Solomon's day; why make a big issue out of it? "Life is a game in which the rules are constantly changing," says a contemporary writer; "nothing spoils a game more than those who take it seriously."2 So, the verdict's in: sex is fun, so don't take it too seriously.
Their experience goes from gain to loss (vv. 7–14). Temptation always includes hopeful promises; otherwise, people would never take the devil's bait. For a time, it seems like these promises have been fulfilled,
It's true that some well-known people have indulged in sexual escapades and even bragged about it,
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and satisfaction; they won't look around for "the greener grass."
and sinners bask in the sunshine of pleasant experiences and false assurances. This is what family counselor J. Allan Petersen calls "the myth of the greener grass."3 People who commit sexual sins think their problems are solved ("She understands me so much better than my wife does!") and that life will get better and better. But disobedience to God's laws always brings sad consequences, and sinners eventually pay dearly for their brief moments of pleasure.
Their experience goes from freedom to bondage (vv. 21–23). Freedom of choice is one of the privileges God has given us, but He instructs us and urges us to use that freedom wisely. The laws of God are guideposts to lead us on the path of life, and He watches the decisions we make and the roads we take. "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (15:3).
When you read verses 9–14, you hear the words of a suffering sinner lamenting the high cost of disobeying God's laws, because the most expensive thing in the world is sin. He discovers that the woman's husband is a cruel man who demands that he pay for what he's done, so the adulterer ends up giving his strength to others and toiling away to pay his debt. Instead of luxury, the sinner has misery; instead of riches, poverty; instead of success, ruin; and instead of a good reputation, the name of an adulterer. He looks back and wishes he had listened to his parents and his spiritual instructors, but his wishes can't change his wretched situation. Yes, God in His grace will forgive his sins if he repents, but God in His government sees to it that he reaps what he sows.
As long as we use our freedom wisely, we will mature in Christian character, and God can trust us with more freedom. But if we abuse our freedom and deliberately disobey His Word, our freedom will gradually become bondage, the kind of bondage that can't easily be broken. "The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast" (5:22 niv). Those words could have been used as an epitaph for Samson (Judg. 13—16).
It's impossible to sin without being bound. One of the deceitful things about sin is that it promises freedom but only brings slavery. "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin" (John 8:34 nkjv). "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" (Rom. 6:16 nkjv)
Their experience goes from purity to pollution (vv. 15–20). Solomon compares enjoying married love to drinking pure water from a fresh well, but committing sexual sin is like drinking polluted water from the gutter or sewer. Sex within marriage is a beautiful river that brings life and refreshment, but sex outside marriage is a sewer that defiles everything it touches. To commit sexual sin is to pour this beautiful river into the streets and the public squares. What waste! If you "drink deep" of the wrong kind of love (7:18 niv) it will destroy you.
The cords of sin get stronger the more we sin, yet sin deceives us into thinking we're free and can quit sinning whenever we please. As the invisible chains of habit are forged, we discover to our horror that we don't have the strength to break them. Millions of people in our world today are in one kind of bondage or another and are seeking for deliverance, but the only One who can set them free is Jesus Christ. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36 nkjv).
The commitment of marriage is like the banks of the river that keep the river from becoming a swamp. God's holy law confines the waters within the banks, and this produces power and depth. Extramarital and premarital affairs don't satisfy because they're shallow, and it doesn't take much to stir up shallow water. A man and woman pledged to each other in marriage can experience the growing satisfaction that comes with love, commitment, depth, and purity.
No wonder the father warns his children to stay away from the adulteress. "Remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house" (Prov. 5:8 nkjv). "Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death" (7:27).
2. Sexual Sin Is Gradually Destructive (Prov. 6) Chapter 6 deals with three enemies that can destroy a person financially, physically, morally, or spiritually: unwise financial commitments (vv. 1–5), laziness (vv. 6–11), and lust (vv. 20–35). It is not unusual for one person to be guilty of all three, because laziness and lust often go together; people who can easily be pressured into putting up security for somebody can be pressured into doing other foolish things, including committing adultery. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:21).
But there's something else involved here. Solomon admonishes the husband to be "ravished" with his wife's love (5:19–20); the word translated "ravished" also means "intoxicated" or "infatuated."4 The adulterer watches the river turn into a sewer, but the faithful husband sees the water become wine! I think it's significant that Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding feast, as though He were giving us an object lesson concerning the growing delights of marriage (John 2:1–11).
When a husband and wife are faithful to the Lord and to each other, and when they obey Scriptures like 1 Corinthians 7:1–5 and Ephesians 5:22–33, neither of them will look for satisfaction anywhere else. If they love each other and seek to please each other and the Lord, their relationship will be one of deepening joy
We will consider Proverbs 6:1–11 in our study of wealth and work. Verses 12–19 will be included in chapter 5, in our study of "the wicked people" mentioned in the book of Proverbs. In verses 20–35,
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sinful ways: "Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods" (1 Cor. 6:13 nkjv). But Paul made it clear that the believer's body belongs to God and that the presence of a desire isn't the same as the privilege to satisfy that desire (vv. 12–20).
Solomon deals with adultery and points out what people will lose who commit this heinous sin.
They lose the Word of God (vv. 20–24). In chapters 5—7, each of the warnings against adultery is prefaced by an admonition to pay attention to the Word of God (5:1–2; 6:20–24; 7:1–5). It is by our trusting and obeying His truth that God keeps us from believing the enemy's lies. Certainly children have the obligation to honor their father and mother (6:20; see 1:8), and God's children have the responsibility and privilege of bringing glory to their Father's name. "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Heb. 13:4 nkjv).
Solomon used a similar approach in Proverbs 6:30–31. Certainly hunger is a strong force in human life, and the only way to satisfy hunger is to eat, but if you steal the bread that you eat, you're breaking the law. You'll end up paying more for that bread than if you'd gone out and bought a loaf at the bakery. As you sit in jail or stand in court, the enjoyment you had from that bread will soon be forgotten.
Adultery is stealing. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality … and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter" (1 Thess. 4:3, 6 nasb). When adultery enters a marriage, everybody loses.
The Word should be bound to the heart (Ps. 119:11), because the heart is "the wellspring of life" (Prov. 4:23 niv).5 God's truth should also control the neck, because a man might be tempted to turn his head and look at a beautiful woman for the purpose of lusting (Matt. 5:27–30). He may not be able to avoid seeing the woman the first time, but it's looking the second time that gets him into trouble.
They lose their good sense (v. 32). King David was a brilliant strategist on the battlefield and a wise ruler on the throne, but he lost his common sense when he gazed at his neighbor's wife and lusted for her (2 Sam. 12). He was sure he could get away with his sin, but common sense would have told him he was wrong. Every stratagem David used to implicate Bathsheba's husband failed, so he ended up having the man killed. Surely David knew that we reap what we sow, and reap he did, right in the harvest field of his own family.
The Word of God in the mind and heart is like a guide who leads us on the safe path and protects us from attacks. It's also like a friend who talks to us and counsels us along the way (Prov. 6:22). We walk in the light because the Word is a lamp (v. 23; Ps. 119:105, 130). If we listen to God's voice in His Word, we won't fall for the enemy's flattery (Prov. 6:24).
Read 1 John 1:5–10 and note that "walking in the light" assures us of hearing the Word of God, while "walking in darkness" causes us to lose His Word. If we disobey Him, we don't do the truth (Prov. 6:6), we don't have the truth (v. 8), and His Word is not in us (v. 10). There is a gradual erosion of the spiritual life, from light to darkness, and with this erosion comes a deterioration of Christian character.
They lose their peace (vv. 33–35). The angry husband will use every means possible to avenge himself, for a loving husband would rather that his neighbor steal his money than steal his wife. "For love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame" (Song 8:6 niv). The offender will have no peace, and no amount of money he offers the husband will be accepted. The adulterer loses his reputation in the community and might actually suffer physical punishment. Of course, he and the woman were supposed to be stoned to death (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22), but we're not sure this penalty was always exacted.
They lose wealth (vv. 25–26). This parallels 5:7–14, and see 29:3. To be "brought to a piece of bread" means to be degraded to the lowest level of poverty (see Luke 15:13–16, 30). If the adultery results in scandal, a lawsuit, and a divorce, the price will not be cheap; in this day of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, the adulterer is taking chances with his health and his life.
In today's society, if a person has enough money and "clout," he or she might be able to survive an adulterous scandal, but life is still never quite the same. Whether in this life or the next, sinners can be sure that their sins will find them out. Indulging in sexual sin is always a losing proposition.
They lose enjoyment (vv. 27–31). Fire is a good thing if it's confined and controlled. It can keep us warm, cook our food, drive our turbines, and manufacture our electricity. Sex is a good gift from God, but like fire, if it gets out of control, it becomes destructive. What begins as a "warm" experience soon becomes a burning experience, like holding a torch in your lap or walking on burning coals.
3. Sexual Sin Is Ultimately Deadly (Prov. 7) For the third time, Solomon calls the young person back to the Word of God (vv. 1–5), because keeping God's commandments is a matter of life or death. The adulteress lives on a dead-end street: "Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death" (v. 27).
"But sex is a normal desire, given to us by God," some people argue. "Therefore, we have every right to use it, even if we're not married. It's like eating: If you're hungry, God gave you food to eat; if you're lonely, God gave you sex to enjoy." Some of the people in the Corinthian church used this argument to defend their
The familiar phrase "apple of your eye" (v. 2) refers to the pupil of the eye, which the ancients thought was a sphere like an apple. We protect our eyes because
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out about it (except that somebody's watching, 7:6) and that her husband won't be home for many days. They have plenty of time to enjoy themselves.
they're valuable to us, and so should we honor and protect God's Word by obeying it. Sexual sin often begins with undisciplined eyes and hands (Matt. 5:27–30), but the heart of the problem is … the heart (Prov. 7:2–3). If we love God's wisdom as we love those in our family, we wouldn't want to visit the house of the harlot.
He tempts the Lord (vv. 21–27). When we pray, "Lead us not into temptation" (Matt. 6:13), we know that God doesn't tempt us (James 1:13–16); yet we may tempt ourselves, tempt others, and even tempt God (Ex. 17:1–7; Num. 14:22; Deut. 6:16; Ps. 78:18, 56; 1 Cor. 10:9). We tempt God when we deliberately disobey Him and put ourselves into situations so difficult that only God can deliver us. It's as though we "dare Him" to do something.
This chapter vividly describes a naive young man who falls into the trap of the adulteress. Note the steps that lead to his destruction.
He tempts himself (vv. 6–9). You get the impression that this young man is either terribly dumb or very proud, convinced that he can play with sin and get away with it. But he's only tempting himself and heading for trouble. To begin with, he's out at night ("walking in darkness," see 2:13; John 3:19–21; 1 John 1:5–7), and he's deliberately walking near the place of temptation and danger. He didn't heed the wise counsel of the Lord: "Remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house" (5:8 nkjv). God's Word wasn't controlling his feet (3:26; 4:27).
The youth made a sudden decision to follow the woman, and when he did, he began to act like an animal. He was no longer a young man, made in the image of God, but an ox going to the slaughter or a bird walking into the trap. Human beings are the only creatures in God's creation who can choose what kind of creatures they want to be. God wants us to be sheep (Ps. 23:1; John 10; 1 Peter 2:25), but there are other options, such as horses or mules (Ps. 32:9), or even hogs and dogs (2 Peter 2:22). When we live outside the will of God, we lose our privileges as human beings made in His divine image.
During more than forty years of ministry, I've listened to many sad stories from people who have indulged in sexual sin and suffered greatly; in almost every instance, the people deliberately put themselves into the place of temptation and danger. Unlike Job, they didn't make "a covenant with [their] eyes not to look lustfully at a girl" (Job 31:1 niv), nor did they follow the example of Joseph and flee from temptation (Gen. 39:7ff.; 2 Tim. 2:22). We can't help being tempted, but we can certainly help tempting ourselves.
By going to her house, her table, and her bed, the young man willfully disobeyed God's law, but the Lord didn't intervene. He allowed the youth to indulge in his sensual appetites and suffer the consequences. God could have stopped him, but He didn't, because the Word says, "You shall not tempt [put to the test] the Lord your God" (Matt. 4:7; Deut. 6:16). If instead of tempting the Lord, the youth had looked up to the Lord and remembered His Word (Prov. 7:24), looked within and kept his heart focused on God's truth (v. 25), and looked ahead to see the terrible consequences of his sin (vv. 26–27), he would have turned around and fled from the harlot's clutches.
He is tempted by the woman (vv. 10–20). Like the deadly spider in the web, the woman was watching at the window, ready to pounce on her prey. She was a man's wife, but when he was out of town, she dressed like a prostitute so she could attract the men who were searching for her services (Gen. 38:14–15; Ezek. 16:16). While her husband was away, she saw no reason why she shouldn't make some money and enjoy herself at the same time. She'd been in the streets, looking for victims (Prov. 7:11–12), but now one was coming right to her door!
Society today not only smiles at sexual sin, it actually approves it and encourages it. Perversions the very mention of which would have shocked people fifty years ago are openly discussed today and are even made the subject of novels, movies, and TV dramas. What Paul saw in his day and described in Romans 1:18–32 is now apparent in our own day, but people resent it if you call these practices "sin." After all, "Everybody's doing it."
She caught him (Gen. 39:12), kissed him (Prov. 5:3), and convinced him that it was an opportune time for him to visit her. Before leaving town, her husband had gone with her to the temple where he'd sacrificed a peace offering (Lev. 7:11–21), and she had some of the meat at home. She would prepare him a feast that he would never forget. "This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, 'I have done no wickedness'" (Prov. 30:20 nkjv). She appeals to the young man's male ego as she flatters him and makes him think he's very special to her. What she's offering to him she would never offer to anyone else! She appeals to his imagination as she describes her beautiful bed and the expensive spices that perfume it. She assures him that nobody will find
But the gospel is still "the power of God unto salvation" (Rom. 1:16), and Christ can still change people's lives (1 Cor. 6:9–11). It isn't enough for Christians to protest the evil; we must also practice the good (Matt. 5:13–16) and proclaim the good news that sinners can become new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
If the world had more light, there would be less darkness.
If the world had more salt, there would be less decay. If the world heard more truth, there would be less deception.
We have a job to do!
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Notes 1 I realize that modern psychology considers to be "sexual" many if not most of our human responses to one another; for, after all, we are sexual beings and not robots. However, the phrase "sexual intimacy outside the bonds of marriage" refers specifically to intercourse and forms of sexual relationship that substitute for intercourse. Our Lord spoke of "fornications" (plural) in Matthew 15:19; the edict of the Jerusalem conference mentioned "fornication," which certainly included the sexual sins condemned by the law of Moses (Acts 15:20; Lev. 18). It appears that in some contexts the words adultery and fornication are inclusive of various forms of sexual sins. 2 Quentin Crisp wrote this in Manners from Heaven, chapter 7. 3 The Myth of the Greener Grass, by J. Allan Petersen (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1983), is one of the best books from a biblical point of view on understanding and preventing extramarital affairs and healing marriages that have been violated by them. As every pastor knows, more of this kind of sin goes on in local churches than we dare openly admit. 4 The basic meaning of the Hebrew word is "to go astray, to err" and can describe the results of drinking too much alcohol (20:1; Isa. 28:7). It's translated "go astray" in Proverbs 5:23 (kjv); in verses 19–20, it means "to be ravished, intoxicated." 5 The command to bind God's Word to various parts of the body was taken literally by the Pharisees (3:3; 6:21; 7:3; Deut. 6:8–9); this was the origin of the "phylactery" (Matt. 23:5), a small leather case containing four portions of the Old Testament (Ex. 13:1–10; 11–16; Deut. 6:4–9; 11:13–21) written on parchment. When attending public prayers, the orthodox Jew tied one phylactery to his forehead and the other to his left arm. They also put a phylactery at the door of their house. "Phylactery" is a word that comes from the Greek and means "to watch over, to safeguard." It was their belief that wearing God's Word like an amulet would protect them from evil.
you will need for any given day. In fact, some verses are repeated so that we'll be sure to get the message.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7), so keep your heart reverent before Him, and be willing to obey what He says to you.
CHAPTER FIVE (The Wise and the Wicked) PEOPLE, WISE AND OTHERWISE— PART I I
f you carefully watch the crowds in a shopping mall, you'll discover that there are all kinds of people in this world; no doubt the crowds are coming to the same conclusion as they look at you. Playwright George Bernard Shaw said, "If the other planets are inhabited, they're using the earth for their insane asylum." No wonder Charles M. Schulz had his comic strip character Linus exclaim, "I love mankind. It's people I can't stand!"
The book of Proverbs is basically about different kinds of people, what they believe and do, and how they interact with one another. People create circumstances that are good and bad, and you and I have to deal with people and circumstances as we go through life. Solomon's aim in writing this book is to help us become skillful in relating to both people and circumstances so that we can make a success out of life to the glory of God.
During our survey of Proverbs 1—9, we casually met five different kinds of people: the wise, the wicked, the fool, the simple, and the scorner. Now it's time to get better acquainted with these people and learn what it really means to be wise.
INTERLUDE
1. The Wise The entire book of Proverbs is a guide to attaining wisdom, but here and there Solomon points out several important characteristics of the wise man and woman. Of course, the first step toward wisdom is saving faith in Jesus Christ. Wise people are "wise unto salvation" (2 Tim. 3:15) before they gain wisdom about anything else, because Jesus Christ is the Wisdom of God (Col. 2:3; 1 Cor. 1:30). Educated and trained people who ignore or reject Christ can succeed in making a good living, but without Him they can never succeed in making a good life—one that glorifies God. The wisest thing a person can do is to trust Christ and live in obedience to Him.
From this chapter on, we'll be studying the book of Proverbs topically, bringing together texts that deal with the same subjects and showing how they relate to each other and to your personal Christian life today. In a sense, we'll be studying what the Bible teaches about practical Christian living, using the book of Proverbs as our point of reference.
No classification of texts is inspired or final, and many verses could be put into several different categories. The psalmist was right when he said, "To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless" (Ps. 119:96 niv). Since I won't be quoting every relevant verse, be sure to look up and read the references that I give. It's important that you ponder these Scriptures if you want to get the full benefit of your study.
Let's consider some of the important characteristics of wise people.
Wise people listen to wise instruction, especially the Word of God. "A wise man1 will hear, and will increase learning" (1:5). Wise people pay attention to spoken instruction as well as to the written Word of God (22:17–21). Jesus warns us to take heed what we
The easiest way to study Proverbs is by topics, but the best way to read Proverbs is chapter by chapter, just the way it's written. Why? Because each chapter presents a variety of truths, and you never know which one
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many people the Lord has brought into my life to help me better understand the wisdom and ways of the Lord. "A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray" (12:26 niv).
hear (Mark 4:24) and how we hear (Luke 8:18). "Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge" (Prov. 19:27 niv). "Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding" (23:23 nkjv). It costs to acquire wisdom, but it's worth it!
One of the best ways to "walk with the wise" is to read church history and Christian biography. I have hundreds of volumes of biography and autobiography in my library, some of which I have read many times, and these books have greatly enriched my life. I didn't have the privilege of knowing personally J. Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, St. Augustine, Dwight L. Moody, Billy Sunday, G. Campbell Morgan, Fanny Crosby, or Robert Murray M'Cheyne, but by reading their biographies and autobiographies, sermons and letters, I've benefited from their walk with the Lord.
This means that we must diligently spend time reading and studying the Word of God, appropriating its truths into our hearts, and obeying what God commands (2:1–9). It isn't enough to own a study Bible and read books about the Bible, helpful as they are. It's one thing to know about the Bible and quite something else to hear God speak through His Word and teach us His wisdom so that we become more like Jesus Christ. During my many years of ministry, I've met a few people whose knowledge of Scripture was phenomenal, but who failed to manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23). "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up" (1 Cor. 8:1 niv).
Wise people preserve what they've gained and they use it. "Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction" (10:14 nkjv). If wisdom is stored in the heart, then we'll say the right thing at the right time, and people will be helped. But fools lose whatever wisdom they may have picked up, and their words only bring destruction.
But there's a negative side to this as well: Wise people don't waste their time listening to foolishness and lies. Wise people are careful about what they read, what they hear and see, and what they talk about in daily conversation. They're diligent to keep trash out of their minds and hearts, because "garbage in" ultimately means "garbage out" (see Prov. 4:23). For this reason, they carefully control the radio and television, and they are selective in their reading.
A parallel text is 12:27: "The lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions" (niv). The Scottish preacher George Morrison has a powerful sermon on this text titled "Wasted Gains."2 (The very title is a sermon!) What a tragedy it is when people waste their gains by failing to use their education, the sermons and Bible lessons they've heard, or the books they've read. Truly wise people treasure the knowledge and skills they've worked hard to acquire and use this treasure to the glory of God.
Those who are wise profit from rebuke (9:8–9; 10:17; 17:10) and from advice (13:10; 12:15; 19:20). They don't think so highly of themselves that they can't learn from others (3:7; 26:12). If we're "wise in our own eyes," we certainly won't be wise in God's eyes!
I recall hearing some of my student friends say at seminary graduation, "Thank the Lord, no more Greek and Hebrew!" They had spent several years learning to use the Bible languages, and now they were selling their valuable language tools and thereby wasting their gains.
Wise people fear the Lord. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (1:7). "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil" (3:7). We've already learned that "fearing the Lord" means respecting Him so that we obey His will and seek to honor His name. Fearing the Lord is the opposite of tempting the Lord by deliberately disobeying Him and then daring Him to intervene. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12). "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling" (Ps. 2:11).
Over the years, I have made good use of wide-margin Bibles in which I've written the things God's taught me and that I've learned from others. Many times while preparing a sermon or writing a book, I have turned to these notes and "invested" my gains. When I read a good book, I underline important sentences, write notes in the margins, and compile my own index of ideas at the back of the book. My copier gets plenty of use because I copy material from books and put it into file folders for future use. This way I'm not wasting my gains.
The fear of the Lord is "a fountain of life" (Prov. 14:27) and leads to life (19:23). It gives security (14:26), hope (23:17–18), and the promise of long life (10:27). When you fear the Lord, you keep your priorities straight. "Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble" (15:16 nkjv). You also steer clear of evil (8:13; 16:6; see also 14:2).
Wise people flee from sin. "A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident" (14:16 nkjv). If we fear the Lord, we will hate evil (8:13; see Ps. 97:10; Rom. 12:9). The self-confident person isn't wise. Joshua was self-confident and lost a battle (Josh. 7); Samson was self-confident and became a prisoner (Judg. 16:20ff.); Peter was self-confident and betrayed the Lord three times (Luke 22:33–34). "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall"(1 Cor. 10:12 nkjv).
Wise people associate with wise people. "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed" (13:20 nkjv). As we read and study Scripture, we associate with the wise men and women of Bible history and learn from them. By spending time with godly friends, we can learn wisdom and grow in our knowledge of Christ. As I look back over my Christian pilgrimage, I thank God for the
Wise people don't take unnecessary chances and
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to wage war (24:5–6). The way of wisdom is the way of true life.
experiment to see how close they can get to the precipice without falling off. When Joseph was confronted with evil, he fled (Gen. 39:7ff.). I heard about a handsome assistant pastor who was being pursued by several young ladies in the church, and the senior minister warned him to be careful.
2. The Wicked The wicked and their wickedness are mentioned at least one hundred times in Proverbs, usually in contrast to the good and the righteous. Proverbs 6:12–19 is somewhat of a summary statement that describes the evil person and the hateful3 sins that he commits.
"Oh, there's safety in numbers," the young man replied rather flippantly, defending himself. To which the senior minister wisely replied, "Yes, there's safety in numbers; but sometimes there's more safety in exodus." Paul would have agreed with the older pastor, for he wrote to Timothy, "Flee youthful lusts" (2 Tim. 2:22).
The wicked are "naughty," that is, worth nothing (naught), without profit. It's the Hebrew word belial (beli, without; yaal, profit), used to describe worthless people (Deut. 13:13; Judg. 19:22; 1 Sam. 25:25; 1 Kings 21:10, 13). Sin is not only destructive, it's also unproductive.
Wise people discipline their speech. "A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction" (Prov. 16:23 niv). "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise" (10:19 nkjv). Proverbs has so much to say about the dynamics and dangers of human speech that we'll devote an entire chapter to this topic. Suffice it to say now that the wise person realizes the power of the tongue and keeps it under God's control. "The fruit of the Spirit is … self-control" (Gal. 5:22–23; see James 3). The speech of wise people will instruct and inspire, and you're nourished as you listen; the talk of fools only tears down and leaves you empty and discouraged (note Eph. 5:1–7).
Every part of the wicked person's anatomy is devoted to evil and his "body language" communicates evil (see Rom. 3:10–18). His mouth is perverse ("froward," kjv) a word that means "crooked, twisted." He can't be trusted. When he wants to signal his confederates that it's time to do evil, he winks his eye, shuffles his feet, and motions with his fingers; they get the message. The cause of all this evil is the perversity of his inner person, for it is out of the heart that evil comes (Mark 7:14–23; Jer. 17:9). He's skillful at plotting evil and the result is dissension. He's a troublemaker who sows discord, but judgment is certain and will come when he least expects it. How much better it is when the whole body is yielded to God (Rom. 12:12) and controlled by His Word (Prov. 4:20–27)! You see these sinful characteristics manifested in the specific sins described in Proverbs 6:16–19, sins that God hates.
Wise people are diligent in their work. "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son" (Prov. 10:4 niv). Diligence and laziness are key topics in Proverbs, and we'll study them later in greater detail. Solomon makes it clear that God has nothing good to say about careless, lazy people. Wise people are working people, people who make the most of their opportunities and who carry their share of the load. My friend Dr. Bob Cook used to say that hard work is a thrill and a joy when you're doing the will of God; Scottish novelist George MacDonald said, "It's our best work that He wants, not the dregs of our exhaustion."
First on the list is pride, because pride is usually the basic motivation for all other sins. It was pride that turned Lucifer into Satan (Isa. 14:12–14) and that led Eve to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:1–6; note "you shall be as God"). "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate" (Prov. 8:13).
Wise people seek to influence others to trust the Lord. "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise" (11:30 nkjv). The word translated "wins" means "to capture," as a hunter captures his prey. Wise people seek to capture the ignorant and disobedient by sharing God's wisdom with them. Jesus told His fishermen disciples that they would be "catching men" instead of catching fish (Luke 5:10). Wisdom leads to righteousness, and righteousness produces fruit ("a tree of life"), and this fruit "entices" those who are hungry for what is real and eternal. By both their lives and their words, wise people seek to lead others to the Lord.
God also hates a lying tongue, for God is a God of truth (Deut. 32:4; John 14:6; 1 John 5:6), and His law says, "Thou shalt not bear false witness" (Ex. 20:16). God sees a lie, not as an act of speech but as a deadly force that goes to work in society and divides and destroys. When we lie, we open the door for Satan to work, for he is a liar (John 8:44); when we speak truth, we give opportunity for the Spirit to work (Eph. 4:14–25). There is a place reserved in hell for liars (Rev. 21:8, 27; see 2 Thess. 2:10). The third sin God hates is murder, "hands that shed innocent blood." His commandment is, "Thou shalt not kill [murder]" (Ex. 20:13). God permits the government to exercise capital punishment and strengthen justice in the land (Gen. 9:5–6; Rom. 13:1–7), but the shedding of innocent blood pollutes the land (Num. 35:30–34). Murderers have their part in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8; 22:15).
As we continue our study of Proverbs, we'll discover other personal characteristics of those who are wise; I trust we'll seek to imitate them. After all, God promises that the wise will inherit glory (3:35), bring joy to others (10:1; 15:20), bring help from God (12:18), never be in want (21:10), and have strength
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churches I pastored, we had such a man. When the Lord finally removed him, the new atmosphere in the fellowship was exhilarating. Official meetings that used to consume hours were considerably shortened, and there was a new freedom in discussion and decision.
A heart that devises wicked schemes (niv) is hateful to God because it's a misuse of the great gift of imagination that He has given us. (See Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Jer. 23:17; Rom. 1:21.) The imagination is the "womb" out of which either evil or good is born. People who can plan evil things that hurt others can also plan good things that will help others. The imagination needs to be cleansed and kept pure before God so He can use it in His service. Only God can change the sinful heart (Jer. 31:33–34; Heb. 10:14–18; Ps. 51:10), and God's people must take care to guard their hearts against evil (Prov. 4:23).
It is enlightening to contrast this description of the wicked person with Christ's description of the godly person in Matthew 5:1–16. Jesus begins with humility, "the poor in spirit" (Matt. 5:3), while Solomon starts with "a proud look" (Prov. 6:17). "When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom" (11:2). The seventh characteristic of the wicked is sowing discord among brethren, while the seventh beatitude is "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matt. 5:9).
Sinners have feet that are swift in running to mischief [evil] because they want to fulfill their schemes quickly and enjoy their pleasures immediately. God's people should have cleansed feet (John 13:1–17; 1 John 1:9), beautiful feet (Rom. 10:14–15), prepared feet (Eph. 6:15), and obedient feet (Gen. 13:17; Josh. 1:3; 3:15). If we do, we'll bring blessing. But the wicked use their feet to get involved in sin: meddling as busybodies (2 Thess. 3:11; 1 Tim. 5:13), tempting others into sin (Prov. 5:5; 7:11), and breaking God's laws (1:10–16). If the saints were "on their feet" and as eager to obey the Lord as sinners are to disobey, the lost world would soon be evangelized!
There is a wisdom from above that brings peace and purity to God's people, and there is a wisdom from beneath that brings strife and shame (James 3:13–18). There is a wisdom of this world that destroys the church and a wisdom from God that builds the church (1 Cor. 3:16–23).
"To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20 nkjv).
Notes 1 Let me remind you that the book of Proverbs has a definite masculine focus because in the ancient Jewish society daughters usually weren't educated for the affairs of life. Most of them were kept secluded and prepared for marriage and motherhood. For the most part, when you read "man" in Proverbs, interpret it generically and read "person," whether male or female. Proverbs isn't a sexist book, but it was written in the context of a strongly male-oriented society. 2 George Morrison, Sunrise: Addresses from a City Pulpit (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1903), 169–77. Kregel Publications has embarked on the project of reprinting all of George Morrison's books, and I recommend them to you. He was a peerless preacher. 3 Some contemporary theology so emphasizes God's love that it loses sight of the fact that God also hates. God has no pleasure in sin (Ps. 5:4). Sin grieves the Father (Gen. 6:6), the Son (Mark 3:5), and the Spirit (Eph. 4:30). Love and hatred can exist in the same heart (see Ps. 97:10; Amos 5:14–15; Ps. 45:7; Rom. 12:9). If God's people loved holiness more, they would hate sin more. God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), but He is also light (1 John 1:5) and a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29).
God has called His people to be witnesses to the truth (Acts 1:8), but the wicked person is a false witness who speaks lies. Bearing false witness is a violation of the ninth commandment (Ex. 20:16). Without truth, things start to fall apart; when people "lie officially," the foundations of society begin to crumble. Whether it's a statement from a government official, a clause in a contract, a deposition in court, or a promise at the marriage altar, truth cannot be violated without society ultimately suffering. The British poet John Dryden wrote, "Truth is the foundation of all knowledge and the cement of all societies."
The last of the seven sins that God hates is sowing discord among brethren. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity" (Ps. 133:1). The wicked person destroys that unity by sowing "seeds" that produce a bitter and divisive harvest. Some of these seeds are: pride (Prov. 13:10; see 3 John 9–10), gossip (Prov. 16:28; 17:9; 18:8; 26:20), anger and hatred (10:12; 15:18; 29:22), a quarrelsome spirit (17:14, 19; 25:8; 26:21), and foolish questions (1 Tim. 6:3–5; 2 Tim. 2:14, 23).
The truly godly person sows seeds of unity and peace, not seeds of division (James 3:17–18). Discord and division in the church are terrible sins because they are contrary to the spiritual unity that Jesus prayed for (John 17:21) and that the Spirit was given to produce in the body (Eph. 4:1–6). How can lost sinners ever believe that God loves them when God's children don't even love one another?
CHAPTER SIX (The Simple, Scorner, and Fool) PEOPLE, WISE AND OTHERWISE— PART II W
hile much more could be said about both the wise and the wicked, we need to move on and get better acquainted with "the terrible trio"— the simple, the scorners, and the fools. You will meet
All it takes is one stubborn troublemaker to wreck the unity in a family, a Bible study group, or a church. "Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended" (Prov. 22:10 niv). In one of the
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crowned with knowledge" (14:18). Sometimes the simple will learn when they see others punished for their sins (19:25; 21:11). The wise person learns from instruction, but the simpleton has to see a living example before he or she will learn. Wise people see danger coming and avoid it, but the simple ones walk right into it (22:3; 27:12). Some people have to learn the hard way.
these three frequently as you read the book of Proverbs.
You'll recall that in her first invitation, Wisdom called to all three of them (Prov. 1:22), but in her second invitation, she called only to the simple and the fools (8:5). The scorner wasn't even interested in listening; he had dropped out of the picture. Then, in her third invitation, Wisdom called only to the simple (9:4), because the fools had turned away and joined the scorners. It's a dangerous thing to reject God's invitation to walk the path of wisdom and of life. You may never get another opportunity.
All of us are ignorant in many things, but simpletons are ignorant of their ignorance and are unwilling to learn. They follow the philosophy, "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise."3 But when there's a Bible to read, a life to build, and an eternity to prepare for, it is folly to be ignorant.
1. The Simple The simple are the naive people who believe everything, because they don't have convictions about anything. What they think is sophisticated "tolerance" is only spiritual ignorance, because they lack the ability to discriminate between truth and error. "A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps" (14:15 niv). Charles R. Bridges writes, "To believe every word of God is faith. To believe every word of man is credulity."1
2. The Scorner Scorners think they know everything, and anybody who tries to teach them is only wasting time. "Proud and haughty scorner [scoffer] is his name" (21:24). Scorners can't find wisdom even if they seek for it (14:6), because learning God's truth demands a humble mind and an obedient will. What scorners lack in knowledge they make up for in arrogance. Instead of sensibly discussing a matter with those who could teach them, they only sneer at truth and deny it. My Hebrew lexicons describe them as "frivolous and impudent." Having no intellectual or spiritual ammunition, the scorner depends on ridicule and contempt to fight his enemies.
We're living at a time when people who have convictions are considered bigots if not ignoramuses. It's popular and politically correct to be open-minded and uncritical of what other people think or believe. Except when it comes to cashing a check when they're broke, getting a prescription filled when they're sick, or asking directions when they're lost, most people don't believe in absolutes. They insist that there's no such thing as objective truth. According to them, whatever "feels good" down inside is truth for you; nobody has the right to criticize you for what you believe. Apply that philosophy to money, medicine, mechanics, or maps and see how successful you will be!
Scorners show how ignorant they are by the way they respond to advice and reproof. "He who reproves a scoffer gets shame for himself…. Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you" (9:7–8 nkjv). "A wise son heeds his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke" (13:1 nkjv). "A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, nor will he go to the wise" (15:12 nkjv). When you try to teach a scorner, you're just casting pearls before swine. The scorner knows everything! The tragedy is that scorners cause all kinds of trouble wherever they go. Whether in the neighborhood, on the job, or in the church, the scorner is toxic and spreads infection. "Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease" (22:10). Scorners can even create problems for a whole city. "Mockers [scorners] stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger" (29:8 niv). The Hebrew verb translated "stir up" conveys the image of somebody stirring up a fire or blowing on a flame to make it burn more vigorously. By their contemptible words and attitudes, they add fuel to a fire that ought to be allowed to die out.
In his comments on Groundhog's Day, Brooks Atkinson writes: "People everywhere enjoy believing things they know are not true. It spares them the ordeal of thinking for themselves and taking responsibility for what they know."2 The old saying, "What you don't know won't hurt you," is false, as any physician or auto mechanic can tell you. What you don't know could kill you! "For the turning away [waywardness] of the simple shall slay them" (1:32).
The simple are simple because they reject the truth of God's Word that gives "prudence [common sense] to the simple" (v. 4 niv). The tragedy is that simple people actually love their simplicity (v. 22) and have no desire to change. Because they don't take a stand for anything, they fall for everything; this saves them the trouble of thinking, studying, praying, and asking God for wisdom. Instead of working hard to dig into the mines of God's wisdom (2:1–9), the simple prefer to take it easy and pick up whatever cheap trinkets they can find on the surface.
The pages of both religious and political history are stained by the records of the deeds of proud mockers who wouldn't listen to wise counsel but impulsively rushed into matters too high for them (Ps. 131). Their tongues were "set on fire of hell" (James 3:6); they defiled and damaged families, churches, cities, and entire nations. Churches can be quickly divided and
It was a simple young man who listened to the prostitute and ended up an animal led to the slaughter (7:7ff.). "The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are
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destroyed by arrogant people who laugh at biblical truth and seek to have their own way. All spiritual leaders need to read and heed Acts 20:28–31 and James 3:13–18. Scoffers are "an abomination to men" (Prov. 24:9) and to God. In fact, the Lord "scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble" (3:34 nkjv). This verse is quoted both by James (4:6) and Peter (1 Peter 5:5). "Judgments are prepared for scoffers" (Prov. 19:29), and because scorners mock God, God mocks the scorners. Consider what the Lord did to the builders at Babel (Gen. 11), to Pharaoh at the Red Sea (Ex. 14), to Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon (Dan. 4), to Herod Agrippa in Judea (Acts 12:20–25), and a host of others who defied His will.
have a tendency to speak before they know what they're saying or what's being discussed (18:13). "Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him" (29:20 nkjv). "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise" (12:15 nkjv). You can't warn fools or tell them anything they need to know because they already know everything!
Fools do a lot of talking, but they never accomplish what they've talked about. "The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall" (10:8; see v. 10). The word translated "prating" means "to babble and talk excessively" and is related to the word "prattle." It's much easier to talk about things than to hear God's Word and obey it.
Lies and slander are what fools specialize in (10:18), and the wise person won't stay around to listen (14:7–8). "The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, but the heart of the fool does not do so" (15:7 nkjv). "Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool" (17:7 nkjv). All of us must be careful what kind of conversation we listen to, because Jesus said, "Take heed what you hear" (Mark 4:24). Furthermore, when fools are speaking, what they say could start a fight! (18:6–7)
3. The Fool The English words fool and folly come from the Latin follis, which means "bellows." It also describes a person's puffed-up cheeks. Follis indicates that a fool is a windbag, somebody full of air but lacking in substance. Fools may look like giants, but when the wind is taken out of them, they shrink dramatically and reveal what they really are—pygmies.
Fools can't control their temper. "A fool's wrath is known at once, but a prudent man covers shame" (12:16 nkjv). "He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly" (14:29 nkjv). "Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive" (17:28 nkjv). "A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back" (29:11 nkjv).
In Proverbs, three different Hebrew words are translated "fool": kesyl, the dull, stupid fool who is stubborn; ewiyl, the corrupt fool who is morally perverted and unreasonable; and nabal, the fool who is like a stubborn animal, the brutish fool. (See 1 Sam. 25.) In this summary of the characteristics of the fool, we'll combine the verses and not distinguish the three different types. After all, fools are fools, no matter what name we give them!
When business is being transacted in the city gate (Ruth 4), fools should keep quiet if they want to appear wise (Prov. 24:7)! It's unfortunate that some people think they must always speak at meetings, even when they have nothing to say.
Fools won't learn from God's Word. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning [controlling principle] of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (1:7). The problem with fools isn't low IQ or deficient education. Their big problem is their heart: They won't acknowledge the Lord and submit to Him. "There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Rom. 3:18).
Don't incur the wrath of a fool unless you want to carry a terrible burden. "A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty, but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both" (27:3). Once a fool is angry with you, he or she will carry on the war to the bitter end and do a great deal of damage. That's why we must exercise discernment when we disagree with fools or try to counsel them. "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes" (26:4–5 niv). Sometimes fools deserve only a deaf ear; other times they must be rebuked and their folly answered from the Word. It takes wisdom to know which response is correct, lest we end up casting pearls before swine.
A fool's own father can't instruct him (Prov. 15:5), and if you try to debate with him, it will only lead to trouble (29:9). Why? Because fools actually enjoy their folly and think they're really living! "Folly is a joy to him who is destitute of discernment" (15:21 nkjv; see 1:22; 12:15; 18:2). Warn them about sin and they laugh at you (14:9).
One reason fools don't learn wisdom is because they can't keep their eyes focused on what's important. "A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth" (17:24 niv). Instead of dealing with reality, the fool lives in a faraway fantasy world. God's Word helps people keep their feet on the ground and make wise decisions in this difficult world in which we live.
Fools are proud and self-confident. "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered" (28:26 nkjv). "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him" (26:12). We hear people saying, "Well, if I know my own heart …" but God warns us that we don't know our own hearts and we can't always trust what our hearts say to us. "The heart is deceitful above
Fools can't control their speech. "The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness" (15:2 nkjv; see 13:16). The fool's speech is proud and know-it-all (14:3), and fools
Proverbs
and make anything useful out of him. Wise parents should discipline foolish children to give them hope (22:15),6 but a foolish adult can be changed only by the grace of God. Unless fools repent and turn to the Lord, they will live as slaves (11:29) and "die without instruction" (5:23).
all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9).
Many people today believe what Emerson wrote: "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string."4 Or they may follow William Ernest Henley's philosophy as expressed in his famous poem, "Invictus": "I am the master of my fate / I am the captain of my soul." These expressions of proud human achievement sound very much like Satan's offer in Eden: "You will be like God" (Gen. 3:5 nkjv), which is the basis of the New Age movement. Whatever exalts man will ultimately fail; whatever glorifies God will last forever.5
Fools don't know how to use wealth properly. "In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has" (21:20 niv). Fools may know the price of everything, but they know the value of nothing; they waste their wealth on things stupid and sinful. "Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice, but a companion of harlots wastes his wealth" (29:3 nkjv). This verse reminds us of our Lord's Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–24). "The crown of the wise is their riches, but the foolishness of fools is [yields] folly" (Prov. 14:24). The wise have something to leave to their children, but fools waste both their wealth and their opportunities to increase it. "Luxury is not fitting for a fool" (19:10).
Because of their proud self-confidence, fools like to meddle, especially when there's something to argue about: "It is an honor for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling" (Prov. 20:3). Anybody can start a quarrel, but it takes a wise person to be able to stop one or, better yet, to avoid one (30:32–33). Fools think that fighting over minor disagreements will bring them honor, but it only makes them greater fools.
Fools can't be trusted with responsibility. "As snow in summer and rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool" (26:1 nkjv). The word honor in the Hebrew (kabod) means "heavy, weighty," and can refer to the glory of God and the special respect given to people. A fool doesn't have what it takes to handle responsibility successfully and win the respect of others. Giving honor to a fool is about as fitting as snow in summer or as helpful as rain during harvest! Both mean disaster.
While waiting for a Sunday morning worship service to begin at a church where I was to be the guest preacher, I sat in an adult Sunday school class that met in the church sanctuary. One man in that class questioned almost everything the teacher said and really made a nuisance of himself quibbling about minor things. He wanted to appear wise, but he only convinced us that he was a fool. As I sat there listening, I thought of 1 Timothy 6:4–5: "He is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings" (nkjv).
In 26:3–12, Solomon elaborates on this theme by presenting a number of vivid pictures of the fool and what happens when you give him a job to do. For one thing, you'll have to treat him like a dumb animal and use a whip to motivate him (v. 3; see Ps. 32:9). Try to give him orders and explain what he's to do and you're in danger of becoming like him (Prov. 26:4–5). Send him on an important mission and you might as well cripple yourself, and be prepared for trouble (v. 6).7 As a lame person's legs are useless to take him anywhere, so a fool can't "get anywhere" with a proverb (v. 7). He not only confuses others, but he harms himself, like a drunk punctured by a thorn (v. 9). Don't ask a fool to teach the Bible, because he won't know what he's talking about and it's painful to listen to him. And don't ask a fool to wage war because he ties the stone in the sling (v. 8)!