Tag: Truth

Correction

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Proverbs 15:10, 12 Correction is grievous unto him that forsakes the way: and he that hates reproof shall die. A scorner loves not one that reproves him: neither will he go unto the wise. 

‘Correction is grievous unto him that forsakes the way.’ Correction is painful to the backslider.

‘A scorner loves not one that reproves him.’ Three examples of hating reproof: Ahab (2Chr. 18:7; Pro. 17:4); the Jews (Amos 5:10), and the Pharisees (Luke 7:30).

No man needs chastening by intense pain unless he is a rebel against God, as stated in Job 33:14. In that case, God allows satan to afflict him in a final effort to bring him back to Himself. God does not permit any such affliction as described in Job 33:19-22 unless it is necessary after rejection, as in Job 33:14-18, the only exception being this rare case of Job. The fact is that no other person, as far as we know, has been tried in the way Job was – as an example for others – and even this was not a chastening of God but all pain and consequences came from satan (Job 1:9-19: 2:7). We were given the book of Job that we might learn from his experience. However, his life story should not be used as an excuse for unbelief. Job did not have the Bible and its faith-building promises as we have today, so we are without excuse. Christians are to resist the devil in his attacks, and he will flee from them (Jas. 4:7; 1Pet. 5:8-9). One can be quickly freed from the adversities Job endured by appropriating the benefits now revealed in both Testaments (Ps. 34:9-10; 37:1-8; 84:11; 91:1-12; 103:1-4; Mat. 7:7-11; 8:17; 17:20; 21:22; Mark 9:23; 11:22-24; Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-8; 24:49; John 10:10; 14:12-15; 15:7, 16; 16:23-26; Acts 1:4-8; 2:38-39; 5:32; 1Cor. 12:1-11; 2Cor. 1:20; Eph. 6:10-18; Heb. 2:1-4; 11:6; Jas. 5:14-16; 1Jn. 3:21-22; 5:13-14).

Sacrifice

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Proverbs 15:8-9 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loves him that follows after righteousness. 

‘The sacrifice of the wicked.’ Three examples of wicked sacrificing: Cain (Gen. 4:5); Saul (1Sam. 15:1-35); and the Jews (Isa. 1:11-15; 66:3)

Psalms 40:6 states that God didn’t desire sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings and sin offerings, did He not require and Hebrews 10:6 states that He had no pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. Obedience to His Word (Jas. 1:22-26) is required of anyone claiming to be a Christian (follower of Christ – 1Pet. 2:21-23). 

‘The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loves him that follows after righteousness.’ God hates the way of the wicked, but He loves that of the godly.

Revenues

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Proverbs 15:6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble. 

‘Revenues’ [Hebrew: tebuw’ah] increase (15:6; 8:19; 16:8; Isa. 23:3; Jer. 12:13). The gain of the wicked is through crime and trouble. Psalms 94:11 states that the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain (1Cor. 3:20). Quoted from. The wise of the world are always full of schemes and plans for earthly gain, all empty and futile. Religion cannot be used for personal gain (Mark 7:11-12), but false preachers will always propagate those parts of religion from which they receive the most personal gain and honour (Matt. 23:16-22).

The Christian must not gain the world at the expense of his soul (Matt. 16:26). He must serve readily, not for personal gain (Tit. 1:7; 1Pet. 5:2) and not use wrong methods to raise money to increase his income (1Tim. 3:3, 8; Tit. 1:7). Put your life into service for God whether or not you receive personal gain and applause (Rom. 12:11).

A Fool

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Proverbs 15:5 A fool despises his father’s instruction: but he that regards reproof is prudent. 

‘Fool’ [Hebrew: ’eviyl] The ways of a fool: He is jealous and envious (1Sam. 26:21). He is insensible to danger (2Sam 3:33). He denies God (Ps. 14:1; 53:1). He is ignorant of the future (Ps. 49:10). He is ignorant of God (Ps. 92:6). He is a whoremonger (7:22). He rejects God’s commandments (10:8). He chatters empty talk (10:8, 10). He utters slander (10:18). He is a mischief maker (10:23). He is conceited (12:15). He proclaims foolishness (12:23). He parades his own folly (13:16). He is quick-tempered (14:17). He rages and lives in sin (14:16). He pours out foolishness (15:2). He despises his parents (15:5). He is incapable of decent speech (17:7). He does not profit by reproof (17:10). He is insensible (17:12). He is not interested in wisdom (17:16). He is a shame to parents (17:21). He is always dissatisfied (17:24). He is contentious (18:6). He has no delight in knowledge (18:2). He is perverse in speech (19:1). He cannot appreciate luxury and honour (19:10; 26:1, 26:8). He is a meddler (20:3). He despises wisdom (23:9). He is incapable of wisdom (24:7). He gives foolish answers (26:4-5). He is not dependable (26:6). He is hopeless (26:12). He is inseparable from folly (26:11; 27:22). He trusts in himself (28:26). He utters all he knows (29:11). He is unbearable (30:21-22). He walks in darkness (Eccl. 2:14). He destroys self (Eccl. 4:5; 10:12). He is light and frivolous (Eccl. 7:6). He acknowledges he is a fool (Eccl. 10:3). He is full of empty words (Eccl. 10:14). He has no foresight (Matt. 7:26; 25:2-8). He is covetous (Luke 12:20-21). He constantly debates non-essentials (2Tim. 2:23). He is ignorant (1Pet. 2:15).

In Every Place

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Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. 

‘The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.’ Man’s heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9). God alone knows the heart because He searches it and tries the reins (kidneys) to distribute rewards according to the ways and doings of each man. God sees through our choices, attitudes and doings what the intents of our hearts are, and He will reward us accordingly.

Three examples of God seeing evil: Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1-24); Achan and his sin (Jos. 7:1-26), and Belshazzar (Dan. 5:1-31).

Three examples of God seeing good: are Abraham (Gen. 22:1-24), Joseph (Gen. 39:1-23), and Jesus Christ (Acts 10:38).

The Tongue

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Proverbs 15:2, 4, 7 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish does not so. 

‘The tongue of the wise uses knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness.’ A wise man uses knowledge rightly, but a fool has no true sense of its proper use.

‘A wholesome tongue.’ A gentle tongue speaks truth and life, but a piercing tongue kills the soul.

‘Tree of life’ [Hebrew: ‛ets; chayiy], tree of lives, because it produces constant and eternal life (15:4; 3:18; 11:30; 13:12; Gen. 2:9; 3:24; Rev. 2:7; 22:2, 14). In these passages, a literal tree of life is meant.

Sixteen sources of Life: The tree of Life (15:4; 3:18; 11:30; 13:12; Gen. 2:9; 3:24; Rev. 2:7; 22:2, 14). The path of life (Ps. 16:11; Pro. 5:6). The fountain of life (Ps. 36:9; Pro. 13:14; 14:27; Rev. 7:17). The well of life (10:11; John 4:14). The way of life (10:17; 15:24). The wellspring of life (16:22). The bread of life (John 6:35). The ways of life (Acts 2:28). The Prince of Life (Acts 3:15). The Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2; Rev. 11:1-19). The savour of life (2Cor. 2:16). The Word of Life (Php. 2:16; 1Jn. 1:1-10). The promise of life (2Tim. 1:1). The hope of life (Tit. 3:7). The grace of life (1Pet. 3:7). The water of life (Rev. 22:1; 17).

Four figurative Trees of Life: Wisdom and understanding (3:18), the fruit of the righteous (11:30), hope and desire fulfilled (13:12), and a wholesome tongue (15:4).

‘The lips of the wise.’ It is in the heart of the wise to spread knowledge, but not so with fools.

Turns Away Wrath

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Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. 

‘A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.’ Gentleness will disarm the most furious, but angry words will produce wrath.

The Holy Spirit can be recognized in one’s life by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Gal. 5:22-23). It will lead to freedom from faultfinding, surmising, whispering, and slander; and freedom from all the works of the flesh listed in Mark 7:19-21; Romans 1:24-32; 1Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:19-21 and Colossians 3:5-10. A Christ-like spirit of love, patience, and faith in God. Soberness and keenness of spirit vision. Deep humility of heart and meekness of spirit, with lion-like courage against sin, sickness, poverty, disease, discouragement, failure, and everything else causing defeat in the Christian life. Absolute clearness of the mental faculties and intelligent action in carrying out Biblical instructions concerning known duty and personal life as a Christian.

‘Soft answer turns away wrath.’ Five examples of turning away wrath: Aaron (Lev. 10:16-20); Reubenites (Jos. 22:15-34); Gideon (Jdg. 8:1-3; Pro. 15:18); Hannah (1Sam. 1:15-17); and Abigail (1Sam. 25:23).

‘But grievous words stir up anger.’ Five examples of grievous words: The Ephraimites (Jdg. 12:1-4); Men of Israel and Judah (2Sam. 19:41); Saul and Jonathan (1Sam. 20:30-34); Rehoboam (2Chr. 10:13-16); and Eliphaz (Job 22:5).

Righteousness

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Proverbs 14:34-35 Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causes shame. 

‘Righteousness exalts a nation.’ This has been true of Israel at different times (Deut. 4:6; Jos. 1:8; 10:42; 23:14).

‘But sin is a reproach to any people.’ Seven examples of sin being a reproach: Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:1-38); Canaanites (Lev. 18:24-30); Egypt (Ex. 12:12; Ezek. 29:1-15); Amalekites (Ex. 17:16; 1Sam. 15:1-35); Babylon (Isa. 14:4-23; 47:6-15); Tyre (Isa. 23:1-9; Ezek. 28:2-8) and Nineveh (Zeph. 2:13-15).

Genesis 13:13 states that the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. God couldn’t tolerate their sin. He judged these sodomite cities as a lesson to others and condemned those who followed their example, rewarding them with eternal hell (Gen. 18:20; 19:5, 13; Isa. 3:9; Rom. 1:18-32; 2Pet. 2:1-22; Jude 1:7-19).

All the nations of Canaan practised abominable customs (Lev. 18:24, 27-30) and for such sins they were destroyed as predicted, and their land was given to Israel (Lev. 18:24-30).

Egypt’s firstborns of man and beast were slaughtered (Ex. 12:12) because of the gods they served. When any idolatrous nation was destroyed, the blame fell on the gods who either abandoned the nation or were overcome by stronger gods (Isa. 37:6-13). Each of the ten plagues was aimed at the gods of Egypt.

In Exodus 17:16, we see that the LORD had sworn that He would have war with Amalek from generation to generation because they chose to be Israel’s enemies, as was the same for all other nations who made the God of Israel their enemies. 

‘The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causes shame.’ A wise servant will gain the favour of the king [leaders], but a foolish servant will incur his wrath.

Wisdom

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Proverbs 14:33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him that has understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known. 

‘Wisdom rests in the heart of him that has understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.’ A wise man does not display his wisdom, but a fool parades all he knows.

Blessed and happy are they who keep God’s ways, and whoever finds wisdom obtains favour or grace from the Lord (8:32-35). The one who rejects wisdom and sins does so to the damnation of his own soul (8:36). It is therefore not so much sin and satan, but the man himself who is responsible for his rejection or reception of wisdom, which leads to eternal life. If he receives the teaching of God, sin will not have dominion over him, and if he resists satan, the devil will flee from him (Jas. 4:7; Rom. 6:14-23; 8:12-13).

God will bring to nothing the wisdom of the wise and the understanding of the prudent (1Cor. 1:19), and the wisdom of the world will be exposed as foolishness (1Cor. 1:20). God’s least wisdom might be shown to excel man’s greatest (1Cor. 1:25).

Wicked vs Righteous

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Proverbs 14:32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous has hope in his death. 

‘The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous has hope in his death.’ The wicked have no hope in the harvest of their life of wickedness, but the righteous have hope of reaping life eternal (Gal. 6:7-8).

‘Driven away in his wickedness.’ Seven examples of destruction through sin: Dathan (Num. 16:33); Israel (Ex. 32:28; 1Cor. 10:1-11); Balaam (Num. 31:8-10; Rev. 2:14); Canaanites (Deut. 9:5; Jos. 2:9; 5:1); Hophni and Phinehas (1Sam. 4:11); Baal’s prophets (1Kin. 18:40) and Belshazzar (Dan. 5:2-6, 30).

‘The righteous has hope in his death.’ Six examples of righteous hoping in death: Jacob (Gen. 49:18); Joseph (Gen. 50:24-25; Heb. 11:22); David (2Sam. 23:5; Ps. 17:15); Stephen (Acts 7:55-60); Paul (2Tim. 4:6-8) and Peter (2Pet. 1:14-16; 3:13).