From this chapter on, we'll be studying the book of The entire book of Proverbs is a guide to attaining wis-
Proverbs
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
Proverbs 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
Proverbs 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
Proverbs 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