Straightforward

Greetings everyone. Let’s continue through the book of Proverbs in our Bible Study. Let’s turn to Proverbs Chapter 18 and begin in verse 1.

1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeks and intermeddles with all wisdom.

A better translation would read: A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire. He rages against all wise judgment.

In other words, he does not want to be an example to others. He does not want to listen to others. He does not want any kind of input or guidance. He feels like that he knows better than other people. He feels like that he just knows a little bit more, and he wants to be a lone wolf. He doesn’t want to have to answer to others. He doesn’t want to have to be responsible to others or held accountable, and so he separates himself.

So a man who isolates himself seeks his own desire. He wants his own way. He’s self–willed. He wants to walk to the beat of his own drummer. He doesn’t want to be a team player. He doesn’t want to be a part of the process. He doesn’t want to be a part of the solution. He wants to be on his own. So he separates himself, and he rages against all wise judgment, or he seeks and intermeddles with all wisdom. He does not cooperate. He’s not easily dealt with, easily entreated. He’s got the wrong kind of attitude. He’s got a self–willed, superior, above others, better than others kind of attitude. And so he does not want to be accountable or be a team player or be a part of what others are doing. He wants to set himself apart so he can do his own thing, go his own way and not have to answer to anyone.

This is not something God wants us to be like. He wants us to love our neighbor as ourselves and to have an attitude of unity and peace and to get along and to cooperate, and to achieve things and help others as we achieve those things. Not just be so selfish and so turned in that we separate ourselves from everybody and everything else so we can just be a hermit, or so we can just look after us and focus on us and not care anything about anyone else. That’s not the attitude that a Christian ought to have. We can’t even set a good example if we do that way, and God says we are to let our light shine and set an example for others so that they will see our good works and glorify the great God in heaven.

2 A fool has no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

Or express itself. We hear a lot and read a lot in the book of Proverbs about a fool, and we are warned about allowing ourselves to develop the attitude of a fool and to become foolish. I hope we are learning from what God is telling us in the book of Proverbs—the admonitions repeatedly about fools and against fools and warnings of the outcome of foolish actions, and warnings about where the attitude of a fool will lead us. And here is an example:

2 A fool has no delight in understanding,—

That’s not what really interests him or captures their imagination. That’s not what they want to do to have understanding. A fool just likes foolishness, stupidity, emptiness, shallowness, silliness, goofiness, unprofitable ideas. He wants to always be babbling and talking and spewing and spouting and expressing himself. That’s what verse 2 is talking about, and we don’t want to be like that.

3 When the wicked comes, then comes also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.

Or with dishonor reproach. So once again, wickedness, the fruits that are born from wickedness are rotten. They are wormy. They are not good in any respect. Nothing good flows from wickedness. Only evil flows from wickedness, and in this case, it’s called contempt and ignominy and reproach.

And of course, you’ve known wicked people, we all have. And there are some very high profile wicked people, and if you really think about the fruits and the results and the legacy that you find in their lives, then you know verse 3 is true. There is contemptuousness and there is ignominy and there is reproach. There is not peace and happiness and joy and pleasantness and wonderful results at all.

So just as we do not want to be taken in by Satan the devil and his ways—and he’s the personification of wickedness—we do not want to be taken in by his society, his world, his twisted values, and the people that go for that who are wicked, and therefore we have some of that kind of wickedness rub off on us. We want to avoid that.

4 The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

In order to really understand the Bible, of course, there are several keys we have to follow. One of the most important ones is: We must take what we read and put it in context. So when it says here in verse 4

4 The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters,—

That doesn’t mean the words of every man’s mouth are as deep waters. But what verse 4 is talking about, when you take it in context, is a wise man.

4 —and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

So we’re talking about wisdom here. So the real meaning of verse 4 is:

4 The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters—

when they are coming from a wise man.

4 —and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

And it’s a wonderful thing. And I’m not talking about the wisdom of this world and these so–called gurus and these so–called experts that have all of this incredible knowledge that is not based on God’s word, but is based on their empty–headedness.

We’re talking about someone who wants to obey God, someone who wants to live God’s way, someone who is a well–educated or a thoughtful individual, but who ties it all in with God’s word. That’s when the words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters.

You’ve heard the old saying, “Still waters run deep.” A man or a woman doesn’t have to just babble and talk and rattle and chatter on in order to be wise. Actually you’ll read in the Bible in more places than one that a really wise person is more balanced than that, and they tend to be on the quiet side sometime. And then when it’s a good time for them to speak up, then they’ll speak up.

So once you are spending time with someone, and you start talking and they start talking, and you see them in action, you can begin to realize, this person has some depth, this person has some substance, or this person is shallow and this person really has no substance at all. And a lot of that can be determined by what they say because out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Isn’t it a wonderful thing, however, to have a friend, or to have a conversation, or to have some time with an individual who does have some depth, who does have some good, solid common sense, who does have some wisdom, who is an individual who walks with God and therefore the words of his mouth are as deep waters—pure, clean, deep waters, clear waters, waters that run deep. And notice this:

4 —the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

You know what that means? That’s talking about a wellspring that not only has outstanding water, but it has an inexhaustible supply of water. It never runs low or runs out. And someone who is close to God, someone who is a man of wisdom or a woman of wisdom, they’re not always pontificating and uttering incredible platitudes, but what they’re saying and what they’re doing sets a tremendous example, lays down a wonderful pattern, and you’ll see wisdom throughout the way they live and the way they are. And so that’s what it means here when it says:

4 —the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

You’ve seen a beautiful brook that flows and it’s clear and it’s clean and it babbles and gurgles and it’s a beautiful sight and a beautiful sound. That’s what He’s describing here when He talks about an individual who is a Christian that tries to live life God’s way and walks with Him. That’s what He’s saying their attitudes and their words and their actions will be, and that’s what all of us should strive to be like.

5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

Or a better translation is: To show partiality to the wicked. Of course, it’s not good to show partiality to anyone, but in this case, we’re reading about something that applies to our judicial system today. It’s not good to show partiality to the wicked in order to overthrow the righteous in judgment. And if you’re well–informed, I don’t have to tell you that the judicial system of every country on the face of this earth is corrupt and rotten and is going to have to be replaced by true justice in the Kingdom of God.

Bribes, money under the table, connections, political maneuverings, all kinds of shenanigans going on in the back room, this is all a part of our “justice system” today. And God hates that. And He says, that’s a wrong way to conduct ourselves, and in our own personal lives, we can make sure that we avoid that approach of showing partiality and not really practicing justice, but practicing political expediency. We must not do that in our lives and in our families and in our responsibilities, and we can pray fervently that God’s Kingdom will come to this earth soon so that that will not be anywhere on this earth. You can’t find it anywhere. The practice will be replaced by true justice and good judgment.

6 A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for strokes.

Or for blows. A fool just loves to have contention, just loves to have violence. They will pick a fight, or they will instigate a fight, or they will turn people against one another so that those people fight. They’ll stand off and enjoy the misery and the pain and the suffering and the agony and the violence. Why? Well, because they are a fool, and they can do this just with their words. They can do this just by saying things at the wrong time and the wrong way, and it’s like striking a match and lighting a bale of hay. That’s what words can do and especially the lips of a fool, and they love to create tension and contention. That’s something we need to avoid. There, is a warning for all of us.

Verse 7, continuing to talk about a fool’s mouth:

7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

Sooner or later, we have to pay for what we say, or be rewarded for what we say. And so as we are careful about the attitude we have, as we are careful about how we think, making sure that we’re growing more and more like Jesus Christ in our thoughts and in our attitude, that’s what starts coming out of our mouth. We start speaking good things, peaceful things, pure things, profitable things, enjoyable things, happy things, worthwhile words, and that leads to success not only for us but for others.

But when it comes to a fool, he doesn’t think like that. He doesn’t have that attitude. So the words that come out of his mouth, which reflect what’s actually in his heart and mind will eventually, if not sooner, lead to his own destruction and his lips will create a trap, a pit, a snare for his life.

In other words, he’s going to shoot himself in the foot and he’s going to do himself in. He’s going to fall of his own weight, and quite often, it will get back to not just what he does, but quite often, it’ll be even more so what he keeps blabbing and saying and spreading around.

So words are very, very crucial, very, very important. They can be wonderful and produce tremendous good for everyone or they can be extremely destructive and even bring down governments, even bring down nations. There’s that much power.

Notice what it says here in verse 8:

8 The words of a talebearer—

or gossip or slanderer

8 —are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

You know, you would think that to get a wound, somebody would have to have a club or somebody would have to punch somebody or kick somebody or shoot somebody. And of course, that is a way to get a wound, but that’s not the only way to be wounded. Words can wound individuals. Words can cause great pain. Words can enter into the innermost part of an individual’s heart and they can inflict tremendous suffering. But they also can inflict tremendous suffering on the ones who carelessly spouted out those words.

You know, when you’re thinking about something, if you haven’t said it, you still have ownership of those thoughts. But once you’ve turned those thoughts into words and you’ve said them, now they’re out for public consumption and it’s very hard to get the horse back in the barn. It’s very hard to recall those words. It’s very hard to say, “Forget I said that, pretend you didn’t hear me say that. Let’s just say I didn’t say that.” The point is, you did say it, I did say it, we did say it, and it’s very hard to undo the damage that words like that can do. So let’s carefully weigh our words and remember what it says here:

8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds—

Another translation says tiny morsels. In other words, just like little dainty tidbits or dainty treats of food to the hearer of the one who loves gossip and who loves slander. But they do create and quite often cause pain and suffering and wounds, and they do go down into the innermost part of a person’s life quite often and can cause trouble for the rest of that person’s life, or for the rest of the one who spouted out those words life as well.

9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a waster.

Or destroyer. Now, how could that be? You’ve seen lazy people. You’ve seen people who are irresponsible. People who will not work or if they work, they just are half–hearted in their work. How could you compare someone who is lazy and slothful and an indolent bum to someone who actually destroys?

Well, if you think about it, laziness and indolence and slothfulness does end up destroying homes, does end up destroying fields, does end up destroying equipment, does end up destroying health, does end up destroying families. It just might take a little bit longer for the destruction to take place, but neglect and rot and deterioration sets in, in every area of a slothful person’s life and that will lead to eventual collapse and destruction. Even though the process might take longer, that’s where it’s headed, and that will be the result when a person is lazy, slothful, indolent, and a bum. It’s just the way it’s going to be.

And so if you find yourself on that path of being irresponsible, of being slothful, of being like, you know, a sluggard, the time has come for you to recognize that, to repent of that, to turn that around and step up and to begin to be responsible, be industrious, be diligent, be a hard worker, and then there will not be the end result of destruction. But the end result will be happiness and joy and success. That’s a much better way to go. So I hope we’ll do that.

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run into it, and is safe.

Or is secure, set on high. Now you might say, “Well, you mean just the name of the Eternal is a strong tower?” Yes, that’s right. Because God—the great God, the unlimited God, the all powerful God, the God who can do anything, nothing is too hard for Him—He backs up His names. His names express who He is and what He can do and what He will do and what He has done.

And so, you know, one of the commandments says that we are not to take the name of the Lord our God in vain. We need to be careful to uphold His name, to recognize His name, to stand in awe of Him, and what His names mean. And so, when it says that He is God, that’s what it means. When it says, He is our healer, that’s what it means. When it says, He is our high tower and our refuge, that’s what it means. The names of God express His character, express what He has done, what He is doing and what He will do.

And so when He says, I will protect you, I will look after you, I will watch over you, I will bless you if you obey me, if you follow me, if you draw close to me—we can believe that. And so when we’re in trouble, when we’re in need, when we need help and we remember the Great God and His name and what His name means and the actions that will follow because of His character and His love, it is like a strong tower. It is like running into a refuge. It is like coming into a completely and totally safe place. We are in the hands of God. We have thrown ourselves on His mercy. We have put ourselves under His care, and that’s the greatest protection, the greatest intervention, the greatest power, the greatest help in the whole universe.

And so the name of the Lord, the Lord Himself, what the Lord stands for, is a tremendous blessing that is available to those who serve Him and who yield to Him.

11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as a high wall in his own conceit.

Or esteem. Now, that’s what the rich man thinks. See, a converted Christian—one who looks to God—well, his wealth has to do with spiritual blessings and his protection has to do with what we just said in verse 10, his relationship with God.

But to the rich man, his wealth gives him security. He thinks, “Well, I’ve got walls around my estate. I’ve got bodyguards. I’ve got the latest technology in terms of burglar alarms. We are fortified here, and I’ve got plenty of money to make it even better if I need to. Nobody can breach the wall of my strong fortification. My wealth, my money will keep me safe, keep me secure, will protect me. It’s my strong city. It’s my high wall. It’s my security.”

And we know that wealth is not security and it’s not protection at all. There is no true, final, ultimate, total protection and help and “strong city” and “high wall” so to speak, other than our relationship with God and His mercy, and Jesus Christ and His leadership and protection.

But the rich man tends to look to his riches rather than to God and to Jesus Christ and to His word. And so his riches will let him down. Sooner or later, his wealth will not be there and if it is there, it won’t give him the protection he thinks it does, and it won’t be the high wall he thinks it is.

12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility.

We’ve already read this principle and this verse several times, and it’s a wonderful verse and we ought to pay attention to it and we ought to really inculcate it into our thinking very, very deeply. It’s so true. I hope we’ll pay attention to it because it’s true. I’ve seen it happen.

12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty—

They just feel empowered, emboldened. They get to thinking, “Why, we’re on our way. Get out of our way.” And then from out of nowhere they get ambushed, bushwhacked and overwhelmed and surprised, and sometimes destruction sets in, in spite of them feeling so chipper and so haughty, because they were depending on themselves rather than looking to God. And before honor is humility, which is against human nature, but it’s God’s way. If you’re going to have true honor that is really worthwhile and honor that lasts, there has to be humility before that.

Pride and vanity will cancel out that honor. True humility as an attitude, as a mindset, and as a way of life will set the stage for that honor coming. And it will come, and it will be permanent because it’ll come from God because of the humility of the individual and the humility in their attitude. They put God first. They consider others. They practice humility as a way of life and then comes honor. First humility then honor. Not honor and then humility. We’ve got to get it right. Before honor is humility, that’s what the Bible says.

We’ll stop and pick it up there in verse 13 next time.

This is Charles Bryce with the Enduring Church of God.