Wednesday
Evening Bible Study
September 8, 2004
Proverbs 21
:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as
the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
Lesson
God is in control.
Nebuchadnezzar, the ruthless pagan ruler of Babylon
conquered the world. He probably thought he was just adding to his collection
of countries when he rolled over the little nation of Judah
and conquered it, yet he only did it with God’s permission. In fact he was
actually fulfilling God’s role for him, a “servant” of God, bringing God’s
judgment on the tiny but rebellious people of Judah.
(Jer 27:6 KJV) And now have I given all
these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the
beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.
Another pagan ruler, Cyrus of Persia, conquered the Babylonian empire. Yet
it was prophesied hundreds of years earlier, even naming him by name:
(Isa 44:28 KJV) That
saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even
saying to Jerusalem,
Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
(Isa 45:1 KJV) Thus
saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to
subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before
him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
One of the first things he did was to make a decree to set
the Jews free from Babylon.
Caesar Augustus, an ungodly man, sat on his throne in Rome
and made a decree that all the world should be taxed.
Yet it was the thing that caused a young couple to have to make their way
to Bethlehem, and they ended up
giving birth in Bethlehem. And the baby born their fulfilled an ancient prophecy given 500
years before:
(Micah 5:2 KJV) But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he
come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been
from of old, from everlasting.
We tend to think that only a godly, Christian man is someone that God can
use.
Please don’t misunderstand me, I’m not suggesting that you go out and vote
for ungodly people in the next election.
Yet even the most pagan, ungodly men can be used by God to bring about His
purposes.
:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes:
but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
(Pr 21:2 The Message) {2} We justify our actions by appearances; God examines our motives.
(Prov 21:2 NLT) People may think they are
doing what is right, but the LORD examines the heart.
It’s not just what I think about myself that counts.
Sometimes you’ll hear someone talk about their ungodly lifestyle. They’ll
sometimes even talk about how they don’t feel guilty at all for the things they
do.
I watched an interview with a TV actress who has told the world that she’s
a lesbian. She talked about how good it felt to “come out of the closet”.
It’s what God thinks that counts. If the Bible says that my behavior is
wrong, then it’s wrong.
:3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable
to the LORD than sacrifice.
Saul had been sent on a mission by God. He was supposed to fight against
the ungodly, wicked Amalekites and wipe them out.
Yet Saul didn’t do all he was commanded to do
(1 Sam 15:20-21 KJV) And
Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone
the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag
the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. {21} But the
people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should
have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
Saul thought that partial obedience was better than nothing. And after all
he at least brought a sacrifice …
(1 Sam 15:22-23 KJV) And
Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to hearken than the fat of rams. {23} For
rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and
idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also
rejected thee from being king.
justice – ts@daqah – justice, righteousness; to have a just cause, be in the right
judgment – mishpat – judgment, justice, ordinance; act of deciding a case
(Pr 21:3 The Message) {3} Clean living
before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more to God than religious performance.
:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the
plowing of the wicked, is sin.
There’s a word here in the Hebrew that could be pronounced two different
ways. If it’s pronounced nir,
it means untilled or fallow ground. If it’s pronounced ner, then it means “lamp”. That’s
why there are two different sets of translations:
(Prov 21:4 NKJV) A haughty look, a proud
heart, And the plowing of the wicked are sin.
The idea is that God not only hates pride, but every work that a wicked
person sets out to do.
(Prov 21:4 NIV) Haughty eyes and a proud
heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin!
The idea would be that the thing that delights a wicked person (like pride)
are a sin before God.
:6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a
vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
(Prov 21:6 ICB) Wealth that comes from
telling lies vanishes like a mist and leads to death.
Misrepresenting your product. Lying
to make a deal.
Those are not going to bring you lasting wealth.
:7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them;
because they refuse to do judgment.
(Prov 21:7 NLT) Because the wicked refuse
to do what is just, their violence boomerangs and destroys them.
:8 The way of man is froward and strange: but as
for the pure, his work is right.
strange – vazar – guilty, burdened with guilt, strange
(Prov 21:8 NKJV) The way of a guilty man
is perverse; But as for the pure, his work is right.
:9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the
housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.
brawling – madown – strife, contention
(Prov 21:9 NLT) It is better to live
alone in the corner of an attic than with a contentious wife in a lovely home.
Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. He probably
knew a little about the subject.
It’s not just about having a wife that’s contentious, it works both
ways. Sometimes it’s the husband that
complains and criticizes all the time:
Illustration
An efficiency expert concluded his lecture with a note of caution. “You don’t
want to try these techniques at home.” “Why not?” asked somebody from the
audience. “I watched my wife’s routine at breakfast for years,” the expert
explained. “She made lots of trips between the refrigerator, stove, table and cabinets,
often carrying a single item at a time. One day I told her, ‘Hon, why don’t you
try carrying several things at once?’” “Did it save time?” the guy in the
audience asked. “Actually, yes,” replied the expert. “It used to take her 20
minutes to make breakfast. Now I do it in seven.”
:10 The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his
neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.
(Prov 21:10 NLT) Evil people love
to harm others; their neighbors get no mercy from them.
:11 When the scorner is punished, the simple is
made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.
Some people learn by watching others being punished.
Others learn through instruction.
:13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the
poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
You reap what you sow. If you help others, you
will find help.
God cares for the poor, so should we.
(Prov 19:17 NASB) He who is
gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.
:14 A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward
in the bosom strong wrath.
Some of the translations give the idea of a nice thing, a “gift”. Others
will translate some of the words in a negative was as “bribe”.
(Prov 21:14 ICB) A gift given
secretly will calm an angry man. A present given in secrecy will calm even
great anger.
(Prov 21:14 NLT) A secret gift
calms anger; a secret bribe pacifies fury.
We saw that words can affect anger:
(Prov 15:1 NASB) A gentle answer turns
away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Now it seems that a gift might also turn away a person’s anger. Send a box
of chocolates.
:16 The man that wandereth out of the way of
understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.
(Prov 21:16 NLT) The person who
strays from common sense will end up in the company of the dead.
Illustration
Dumb and Dumber With Dynamite
The following is a nomination (with a slight twist) for the 1997 Darwin
Award, made each year to the person who has managed to kill himself/herself
(and therefore prevent the survival of their genes) in the most bizarre way
imaginable. This story was sent over to the Billings Gazette from Dr. Philip Hassrick at the Red Lodge, Montana Clinic. It was obtained
from a radio station program - a true report of a happening in Michigan,
USA.
A guy buys a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee for $30,000, and has $400
monthly payments. He and a friend go duck hunting and of course, all the lakes
are frozen. These two Atomic Brains go to the lake with the guns, the dog, the beer,
and of course, the new vehicle.
They drive out onto the lake ice and get ready. Now, they want to make some
kind of a natural landing area for the ducks, something for the decoys to float
on. In order to make a hole large enough to look like something a wandering
duck would fly down and land on, it is going to take a little more effort than
an ice-hole drill.
Out of the back of the new Cherokee comes a stick of dynamite with a short,
40-second fuse. Now, these two Rocket Scientists do take into consideration that
if they place the stick of dynamite on the ice at a location far from where
they are standing (and the new Grand Cherokee), they take the risk for slipping
on the ice when they run from the burning fuse and possibly go up in smoke with
the resulting blast. So,... they decide to light this
40-second fuse and throw the dynamite.
Remember a couple of paragraphs back when we mentioned the vehicle, the
beer, the guns, and the DOG?! Yes, .... The DOG; a highly trained black Labrador retriever used for
retrieving, especially THINGS THROWN BY THE OWNER. You guessed it; the
dog takes off at a high rate of doggy speed on the ice and captures the stick
of dynamite with the burning 40-second fuse about the time it hits the ice.
The two men yell, scream, wave arms, holler, and wonder what to do now! The
dog, seemingly cheered on, keeps coming, tail a wagging thinking he is doing great!
One of the guys grabs one of the shotguns and shoots the dog. The shot gun is
loaded with “duck” shot, hardly big enough to stop a black lab. The dog stops
for a moment, slightly confused, but continues on... doing what he was taught
to do... retrieving “anything” thrown by his master. Another shot was fired,
and this time the dog, still standing, becomes REALLY confused and, of course,
scared, thinking these two Nobel Prize Winners have gone insane.
The dog takes off to find cover (with the now really short fuse burning on the
stick of dynamite)... and where does a dog find cover on a frozen lake? You
guessed it! UNDER the brand new Cherokee. BOOM!!! Dog
and Cherokee are blown to bits and sink to the bottom of the lake in a very
large hole, leaving the two candidates for co-leaders of the Known Universe
standing there with this “I can’t believe this happened” look on their faces.
The insurance company says that sinking a vehicle in a lake by illegal use
of explosives is not covered in their policy. The owner had yet to make the FIRST
of those $400-plus a month payments.
Use common sense.
For example: Take care of your
health.
:17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man:
he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
“Oil” was olive oil, not crude oil. Olive oil was a luxury.
(Prov 21:17 NLT) Those who love
pleasure become poor; wine and luxury are not the way to riches.
When you want the “good life”, you tend to spend more than you make. Look
at verse 20 …
:18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the
righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.
(Prov 21:18 NLT) Sometimes the
wicked are punished to save the godly, and the treacherous for the upright.
:19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than
with a contentious and an angry woman.
(Prov 21:19 NLT) It is better to
live alone in the desert than with a crabby, complaining wife.
Don’t just think about bad wives. It’s tough to live with anyone who is
contentious and angry.
Sometimes a single person is so afraid that they’re going to miss the boat
when it comes to getting married that they settle for the first person with a
pulse.
It’s better to wait for the right person.
Illustration
J. Paul Getty, one of the richest men in the world said, “I would give my
entire fortune for one happy marriage.”
:20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the
dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.
(Prov 21:20 ICB) Wise people store
up the best foods and olive oil. But a foolish person eats up everything he
has.
Are you saving or spending?
Illustration
Alf Peddler in Kalamazoo says
“A penny saved is a congressional oversight.”
-- Associated Press 10-30-90
:21 He that followeth after righteousness and
mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
Not just appreciating righteousness and mercy, but following after them.
righteousness – ts@daqah – justice, righteousness; truthfulness; righteousness (as
ethically right)
mercy – checed – goodness, kindness, faithfulness
life – chay – life,
some other interesting ideas in this word:
flowing, fresh (of water); revival, renewal
Do you want these things? Then follow after righteousness and mercy.
(Prov 21:21 NLT) Whoever pursues
godliness and unfailing love will find life, godliness, and honor.
(Prov 21:21 ICB) A person who
tries to live right and be loyal finds life, success and honor.
:22 A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and
casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.
(Prov 21:22 NIV) A wise man
attacks the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they
trust.
(Prov 21:22 ICB) A wise person can
defeat a city full of strong men. He can tear down the defenses they trust.
This is probably talking about strategy in warfare, but it makes me think
of some of the debates that go on among thinkers.
We have a need for wise men in apologetics, men who know how to scale the
city walls of false thinking and tear them down.
:23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth
his soul from troubles.
(Prov 21:23 NLT) If you keep your
mouth shut, you will stay out of trouble.
We can get into a lot of trouble by simply opening our mouth.
Illustration
It was his first day on the job. He was a new clerk in the green goods
department of a super market. A lady came up to him and said she wanted to buy
half of a head of lettuce. He tried to dissuade her from that goal, but she
persisted.
Finally he said, “I’ll have to go back and talk to the manager.”
He went to the rear of the store to talk to the manager, not noticing that
the woman was walking right behind him. When he got into the back of the store,
he said to the manager, “There’s some stupid old bag out there who wants to buy
half a head of lettuce. What should I tell her?”
Seeing the horrified look on the face of the manager, he turned about and,
seeing the woman, added, “And this nice lady wants to buy the other half of the
head of lettuce. Will it be all right?”
Considerably relieved, the manager said, “That would be fine.”
Later in the day, he congratulated the boy on his quick thinking. He then
asked, “Where are you from, son?”
The boy said, “I’m from Toronto, Canada,
the home of beautiful hockey players and ugly women.”
The manager looked at him and said, “My wife is from Toronto.”
The boy said, “Oh, what team did she play for?”
-- Bruce Thielemann,
"Because," Preaching Today, Tape No. 105.
:24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who
dealeth in proud wrath.
Makes me think of some of the political stump speeches
being given lately. Lots of “proud wrath”.
:25-26 The desire of the slothful killeth him; for
his hands refuse to labour.
desire – ta’avah – desire, wish, longings of one’s heart; lust, appetite,
covetousness (bad sense)
(Prov 21:25 NIV) The sluggard's
craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.
(Prov 21:25 ICB) The lazy person's
desire for sleep will kill him because he refuses to work.
:26 He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the
righteous giveth and spareth not.
Continuing from the last verse, the “slothful” man.
The lazy person is caught up in dreaming of the things he craves.
The righteous person is caught up in giving to others.
How can you tell if you’re a “slothful” person?
Are you craving or giving?
:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination:
how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?
(Prov 21:27 NLT) God loathes the
sacrifice of an evil person, especially when it is brought with ulterior
motives.
Don’t do something wicked with the thought in your head that you’ll make up
for it by giving God a gift.
:28 A false witness shall perish: but the man that
heareth speaketh constantly.
A wide variety of different ideas here:
(Prov 21:28 NLT) A false witness
will be cut off, but an attentive witness will be allowed to speak.
(Prov 21:28 NIV) A false witness
will perish, and whoever listens to him will be destroyed forever.
(Prov 21:28 NASB) A false witness
will perish, But the man who listens to the truth will
speak forever.
(Prov 21:28 NKJV) A false witness
shall perish, But the man who hears him will speak
endlessly.
:29 A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for
the upright, he directeth his way.
(Prov 21:29 ICB) A wicked person
is stubborn. But an honest person thinks carefully about what he does.
Are you stubborn when you’re faced with someone who challenges your ideas?
:30 There is no wisdom nor understanding nor
counsel against the LORD.
(Prov 21:30 ICB) There is no
wisdom, understanding or advice that can succeed against the Lord.
If you want your plans to succeed, don’t be found fighting against the
Lord.
:31 The horse is prepared against the day of
battle: but safety is of the LORD.
(Prov 21:31 ICB) You can get the
horses ready for battle. But it is the Lord who gives the victory.
A strong army doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to win.
Our nation needs to be trusting in the Lord, not in our great military
might.