"The Lord hates . . . a heart that devises wicked plans" (6:16,18).
The word pictures and wise sayings of Solomon repeatedly remind us that God hates a heart that is used for violence instead of love. With stark images of destruction, the book of Proverbs reminds us that the heavens despise an imagination that is excited by the passions of pride, dishonesty, and violence.
God made our hearts for Himself. Our reason for existence is to fear, to love, to honor, and to enjoy Him forever. Our mission in life is to discover from the depths of our hearts the richness of His love for us and for others.
The book of Proverbs shows us the importance of the condition of our heart:
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life (4:23).
Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord, but the blameless in their ways are His delight (11:20).
A man will be commended according to his wisdom, but he who is of a perverse heart will be despised (12:8).
Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy (12:20).
A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones (14:30).
The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness (15:14).
A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones (17:22).
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day (23:17).
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways (23:26).
He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered (28:25).
The word pictures and wise sayings of Solomon make it clear that the imagination of our heart determines whether we will be creatively good or creatively evil. We will dream about good or we will dream about evil. Our imagination will be stirred up by the hope of heaven or by a momentary promise of blind desire.
SEEING GOD
* God wants us to be more concerned about what is in us than what is around us.
* God promises to sovereignly lead us through the circumstances of life as we give Him the ways and loves of our heart.
* God's emphasis on the condition of our hearts is seen clearly in the attitudes and teachings of the Lord Jesus.
SEEING OURSELVES
* Our greatest needs are not needs of family, workplace, or checkbook - our greatest needs are the needs of our own heart.
* Because our tendency is to use our imagination for evil rather than for good, we would be lost without Christ's payment for our sin and His Spirit to create within us a clean heart.
FEET OF CAUTION
"The Lord hates . . . feet that are swift in running to evil" (6:16,18).
The proverbs of Solomon emphasize that God hates feet that run recklessly into the trap of trouble and misery. By contrast, God values self-control and caution. In all relationships and areas of life, He values feet that sense danger and stay clear of trouble. He warns of feet that walk in the path of wickedness and edge curiously and dangerously close to temptation.
The Lord made feet to enable us to walk throughout all the earth in His service, not to carry us into trouble and misery. He made feet to enable us to run from temptation, not to chase after evil.
Solomon's collection of word pictures and wise sayings are meant to make young people street-wise and head-smart in dealing with the dangers of home, wealth, debt, business, alcohol, and sexual desire.
Urging caution and thoughtfulness, Solomon wrote:
Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil (4:14).
Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established (4:26).
A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated (14:17).
He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly (14:29).
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and a good report makes the bones healthy (15:30).
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city (16:32).
He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him (18:13).
It is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, and he sins who hastens with his feet (19:2).
It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, and afterward to reconsider his vows (20:25).
By wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety (24:6).
Do not go hastily to court; for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor has put you to shame? (25:8).
A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back (29:11).
Cautious feet don't just happen; they are the result of the other factors of wisdom that we have already considered. Cautious feet are the result of humble eyes that do not assume they see all there is to see. They are the result of truthful tongues that are not ready to cover up and deny foolish gambles. Cautious feet are the result of honest hands committed to honest work rather than to foolish or illegal risks. They are the result of good hearts that are looking not for a way to take chances with evil, but for ways to do good. Caution is natural to a wise person and unnatural to the foolish.
SEEING GOD
* From His perspective, God can see far better than we can that without caution in the river of life we will quickly find ourselves over our head in trouble and swept along by the rapids of temptation.
* God wants us to develop a spirit of caution and self-discipline in everything we do.
* God's ability to see dangers we are apt to miss is seen in Christ's warnings about the Pharisees who were some of the most religious and reputable people of His day.
SEEING OURSELVES
* We are more inclined to follow our heart and our desires than to think about where those unexamined and untested desires are taking us.
* Because of our rashness, we often sin.
* We continually need Christ not only for forgiveness but for His Spirit of insight and direction.
ADVOCATES FOR JUSTICE AND MERCY
"The Lord hates . . . a false witness who speaks lies" (6:16,19).
The word pictures and wise sayings of Solomon honor a helping attitude. This is the opposite of the false witness that God hates (6:19). Proverbs warns that God is against those who withhold justice and mercy. But He is for those who give words of encouragement and a helping hand to those in need. Many of the proverbs picture kindness and mercy as basic values of God.
Whether Proverbs is speaking of humility or pride, truth or lies, honest work or fraud, caution or rashness, the underlying concern is always to encourage us to be messengers of help rather than harm:
Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart (3:3).
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it," when you have it with you (3:27-28).
Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight (11:1).
He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit (12:17).
A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies (14:25).
He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who honors Him has mercy on the needy (14:31).
In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity; and by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil (16:6).
Better is a little with righteousness, than vast revenues without justice (16:8).
It is a joy for the just to do justice, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity (21:15).
He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty (22:16).
Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand all (28:5).
Many seek the ruler's favor, but justice for man comes from the Lord (29:26).
An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, and he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked (29:27).
God's approach to justice and mercy is far reaching. It extends to the way we look at a derelict, to the way we treat our enemy, to the way we treat our dog. Mercy is the natural expression of a heart overflowing with the forgiveness, patience, and kindness of God. Mercy is the fitting response of a heart overwhelmed with the mercy it has received.
SEEING GOD
* Since God loves truth and mercy, He wants His people to be a source of honest help to everyone their lives touch.
* God takes personally any insult or harm done to a person of poverty or weakness.
* God experienced the pain of a perverted justice in a special way when His Son endured the lies of false witnesses who accused Him of sin.
SEEING OURSELVES
* When we show an honest concern for the needs and interests of others, we are mirroring the truth of God's interest in them.
* Because of our sinful nature, we are inclined to talk about others in a way that makes us look better than we are.
* When we are unkind, we can expect God's dislike of unkindness to affect us.
* If it were not for Christ's willingness to be both just and merciful to us, we would all die in our sins.
CULTIVATORS OF PEACEFUL RELATIONSHIPS
"The Lord hates . . . one who sows discord among brethren" (6:16,19).
The wise sayings and word pictures of Solomon show us that God values peaceful relationships. He hates those who sow discord among brothers. He warns those who start a fight by gossip, anger, or meanness. He warns about the inflammatory results of meddling in other people's business, mocking their accomplishments, publishing their failures, or proudly announcing one's own achievements.
This is not to say that God values peace at any cost. The book of Proverbs shows that there is a time for conflict. Parents are told not to withhold correction from children for fear of the child's loud cries of protest. A wise person is told to confront a fool without being dragged down to the fool's level. And the Lord's people are encouraged to be advocates of truth and justice, both of which have a way of making enemies along the way.
Wisdom, however, doesn't go looking for a fight to break the boredom or prove a point. Wisdom studies the use of gentle answers, well-chosen words, and quick exits when they are appropriate.
Throughout Proverbs, God helps us to take another look at what we are fighting about and why:
Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm (3:30).
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins (10:12).
He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart (11:29).
When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him (16:7).
A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends (16:28).
He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends (17:9).
The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts (17:14).
He who loves transgression loves strife, and he who exalts his gate seeks destruction (17:19).
Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; yes, strife and reproach will cease (22:10).
He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a dog by the ears (26:17).
Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife (26:20-21).
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful (27:6).
As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend (27:17).
He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered (28:25).
An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression (29:22).
Proverbs shows us that peaceful relationships begin in the heart. A heart that is full of fearful anger will lash out defensively when threatened. A person who feels deprived of love is apt to react with envy and jealousy in the presence of others. Someone who is proud will disregard the interests and feelings of others. Someone who is bored may start a fight, while someone who craves attention and approval might pass along news of someone else's failure.
There is an honest longing for love and affirmation in the heart of everyone. God placed that desire for acceptance and accomplishment there. But God also made us so that we could find fulfillment and peace of mind only by filling ourselves with the goodness and kindness of God.
It is therefore not enough to know that we should not argue and complain and fight our way through life. It's more important that we let such proverbial knowledge drive us to the unseen motives and beliefs that lie beneath all disputes. We must allow the issues that are dividing us to help us to think through our own motives and what we really believe about God.
Do we believe that God can meet our deepest needs? Do we believe that He cares about us and our circumstances? Can we trust Him for the provisions of life? Or do we need to turn against one another to get what we want out of life?
SEEING GOD
* God's love for peace reflects the mutual love, respect, and cooperation that are shared in His own triune Godhead.
* God is a God of relationships, and because of that, all wisdom is ultimately relational.
* God's love for peace is never at the expense of His love for truth and justice.
* God's example and standard for peace-making is seen in the example of Christ, who went to war with evil and evil men to draw people to God and to one another.
SEEING OURSELVES
* Our natural tendencies toward pride, lying, self-protection, rewards without work, selfish hearts, and rashness incline us to divide more than to unite.
* Because real peace comes from God, we cannot be a source of peace unless we are first at peace with Him.
* We would be lost without Christ's willingness to die for our sins of conflict so He could offer us peace with His Father.
WHEN THE PROVERBS DON'T WORK
Every so often a letter comes to Radio Bible Class that says something like this: "I can't understand what happened. Proverbs says that if you 'train up a child in the way he should go,' he will stay true to the Lord. We did that. While we weren't perfect parents, we took seriously God's command to 'train up a child' in the way of God. But it didn't work. Our son is not living for the Lord. He doesn't go to church, he married outside of our faith, he has a problem with alcohol, and he can't hold down a steady job. I'm frightened and confused. If I can't trust the promises of God in Proverbs, what can I trust?"
What can we say to this brokenhearted and disillusioned parent? Proverbs does seem to offer promises, not only to parents but to children and individuals of every age. For example:
My son . . . let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you (3:1-2).
Honor the Lord with your possessions . . . so your barns will be filled with plenty (3:9-10).
When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him (16:7).
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it (22:6).
But there are exceptions. Think about Christ. No one fulfilled the wisdom of Proverbs more perfectly than He did. Yet He was never rich, and He died a young man. While His ways always pleased the Father in heaven, His enemies were not at peace with Him at the time of His death. And before He came into this world as a child, the Lord was a perfect parent to the children of Israel, only to see them turn against and away from Him (Is. 1:2).
Christ Himself shows us that we must think carefully about the principles and promises of Proverbs.
To answer this problem, we must read the Proverbs as a whole collection. By reading each proverb in the context of other proverbs, we find at least four reasons to think carefully about the principles and promises of Proverbs.
1. Human Freedom. The book of Proverbs, read as a whole, makes it clear that while we can give our children the benefit of good training, we can't make their choices for them. We may urge our son to resist the enticements of sinners (1:10), but he's the one who chooses whether or not he will. He may opt to be a "scoffer" (13:1). He may choose to be a lazy person who "causes shame" to his parents (10:5).
The sound teaching and good example of parents make it likely that a child will take the path of wisdom. But it isn't certain that he will. Some still make the wrong choice and take the path of the foolish.
2. Short-term Losses. A decision that pleases God may be followed by short-term losses. For example, Proverbs points out that giving and taking bribes often furthers earthly success: "A present [bribe] is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; wherever he turns, he prospers" (17:8). But the person who takes a bribe is called a "wicked man" who "pervert[s] the ways of justice" (17:23). Therefore the good choice - not to give or take a bribe - may cause a loss of income or influence. In the long run, however, "Treasures of wickedness [ill-gotten gain] profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death" (10:2).
The person who rejects wrong, even though it would bring wealth and success, may never become rich. But he can find comfort in Proverbs 15:16, "Better a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble." Proverbs, therefore, recognizes that good decisions may be costly. But it also shows us that good choices please God and provide treasures worth far more than earthly success and wealth.
3. God's Providence. The blessings that flow from pleasing God are often earthly, physical, and material. But sometimes, for reasons known only to God, all human plans, efforts, and wisdom are frustrated. As Proverbs says, "There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel - that will stand" (19:21).
God has a perfect plan, and that plan is beyond human control. While the Lord allows for human freedom and assures us that He will bless us if we do His will, He alone determines the form His blessing will take. He may give material poverty for one who pleases Him, yet allow great wealth to a person who has no fear of God. To this possibility, Proverbs says, "Better the poor who walks in his integrity than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich" (28:6).
Faith enables us to trust God, even when His ways do not match our desires or expectations. By faith we are able to let God be God.
4. Eternity. When our sincere efforts to please God do not produce the rewards pictured in Proverbs, we need to look at life from the perspective of eternity. Even though the book of Proverbs does not speak specifically about life after death, it often implies that there is more to life than what we see in the present. When the wicked person dies, he has no expectation or hope (11:7). The righteous one, however, "has a refuge [a hope] in his death" (14:32). The eternal perspective is also present in this passage:
But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble (4:18-19).
We do know that Christ, who fulfilled the wisdom of Proverbs, is rich in eternity. There is no limit to His days or His joy. And ultimately, every one of His enemies will be at peace with Him. Philippians 2:11 says that "every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."
When read as a whole collection in context, the wisdom of Proverbs drives us to the edge of eternity. Proverbs assures people living in a fallen world that while principles of wisdom often have a payoff in this life, they always have a payoff in the presence and unlimited time of God. Material success cannot compare with spiritual success. Neither can the years of time compare with the time of eternity.
Because of the invisible nature of the God behind the proverbs, some will call them a long shot. But for that same reason, you can bet your life on them!
CHOICES
When I was a small boy, I placed my trust in Christ and committed myself to live for Him. This choice set the direction of my life, but it did not eliminate further choices - my wife, my career, my places of service. I am continually choosing in matters that seem less important. This morning I faced a choice between a breakfast buffet - with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes - and a bowl of oatmeal. I made the healthy choice.
At age 72, I can look back and think of contemporaries - friends, relatives, and acquaintances - who made bad choices. Some decided to ignore or reject Jesus Christ. Some chose the path of immoral living. Some chose to smoke and eat too much. Many of them are now dead. Some are living, but they are tortured with regrets. Some dread the future because they have no hope.
True, some people who made and still make good choices are poor and in ill health. But they have inner peace and hope because they chose to receive Jesus Christ as Savior.
Proverbs sets before all its readers the process of choosing between the path of "wisdom" and that of "folly," between faith and unbelief. It warns us that there is a way that seems right, "but its end is the way of death" (16:25). Today, Proverbs gives us reason to choose the One who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). This right choice will help you make good choices the rest of your journey and will lead you to heaven.
