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Apr
07

A Look at Proverbs 10.30

By | Proverbs

Pr 10:30
30 The righteous will never be shaken,
But the wicked will not dwell in the land.

The Parts:

Parallelism Examined

30a

30b

righteous

wicked

will {forever} never
be shaken

(will be shaken)

(and will dwell in the land)

will not dwell in the land

shaken – Isaiah makes jest of idols that fall, Isa40.20; 41.7. Speaks of great insecurity. When negated (as here) and used with God it speaks of great certainty! Regarding the “righteous” not shaken, cf: Ps61.1-2; 112.6; 15.5; 16.8; 21.7; Isa54.10; Pr15.29; 11.19; 10.25; 12.3; 2.21-22.

{forever} – typically not translated in English versions to avoid redundancy, but it is part of the Hebrew text to emphatically to stress the “righteous” forever-never being shaken.

dwell – tabernacle, not “sojourn,” but be at home

land – this is a major concept in understanding the Old Testament. God redeemed His people so He could dwell among them! The “land” was His gift to them, and the place of His blessing, provision, protection, fruitfulness, and most of all, His Person! To “not dwell” in the land is the exact opposite of no blessing, provision, protection, fruitfulness, and most of all, His Person (cf: Ex29.46)!

righteous – already mentioned in Pr10.3, 6, 7, 11, 16, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28! A righteous person is one who conforms their life to a standard. It is not simply a state or condition, but is a word of relationship with another person where claims are to be met. Cf: Mic6.6-8; Ps15.1-5. Note carefully the relationship in Mal3.18 –

18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

References to consider:

Ps61.1-2
1 Hear my cry, O God;
Give heed to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Pr10.25
25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

Pr12.3
3 A man will not be established by wickedness,
But the root of the righteous will not be moved.

Mic6.6–8
6 With what shall I come to the Lord
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
7 Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?

So, why should there be, why is there . . . conformity to God’s standard? Because He gave, by His grace, the place of blessing, provision, protection, fruitfulness, and most of all, His Person! We are never driven to God; we are drawn to God by His grace!

Ps37.23–26
23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
24 When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his descendants begging bread.
26 All day long he is gracious and lends,
And his descendants are a blessing.

Sharpening for my life today:

A good place to start would be describing where you see “confidence” in life. Take some moments here and don’t be afraid to take a look at your thoughts!

This gem of wisdom turns us clearly to the core of confidence. In a “God-ward” way, it’s His gracious Work, Word, Promises, and Provision! In a “man-ward” way, it’s my conformity, yieldedness, integrity, and obedience to Him because of my love of Him!

Reread the marks of a “righteous” person and spend some time talking with the Lord about your spiritual journey, seeing where He has grown you and you’ve walked in His blessings, and, where you need to grow to partake of even more of His great, gracious provisions for you.

Mar
31

A Look at Proverbs 10.29

By | Proverbs

Pr 10:29
29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright,
But ruin to the workers of iniquity.

The Parts

Parallelism Examined

29a

29b

the way of the Lord

(the way of the __________)
{Which is anything other than the Lord!}

stronghold

ruin

to the upright

to the workers of iniquity

stronghold – safety, protection, fortress. The verb related to this noun carries the idea of taking shelter quickly, Ex9.19 (safety); Jer4.6; 6.1. In word-pictures we would see mountains, a harbor, a temple.

upright – ethically sound, with integrity. The related verb speaks of being “complete.” Pictures an “entire” (day), “healthy” (vine), “soundness” (of flesh). It’s used of sacrifices, to be complete, healthy, sound.

ruin – cf: Pr10.14. Basic idea is to be broken.

workers – often used of moral activity, i.e., someone foreign to God’s things, plan, land, people, kingdom.

References to consider:

Pr 21:15
15 The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous,
But is terror to the workers of iniquity.
cf: Ps52.7; 28.8; Isa25.4; 27.5

Ps 27:1
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?

Job 1:1; 9:20
1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
20 “Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
(This is not perfectionism or self-righteousness! Job never claimed sinlessness. He was whole-hearted in his commitment and life to the Lord.)

Sharpening for my life today:

As with the previous Proverb, our stronghold rests exclusively on the Lord’s justice and nature! This Proverb hits at the very heart of our security! That security is in integrity with the Lord and a whole-hearted life with Him.

It is worth the time to define: “The way of the Lord” . . .

And, it’s worth the time to define what is not: “The way of the Lord” . . .

Here’s a good opportunity to take some time and get a fresh look at the Lord of these Proverbs. The following article will get you well started.

The Doctrine of God in the Proverbs
His names. The name Yahweh is used of God in Proverbs eighty-seven times, ??l?hîm occurs only seven times (Pr2:5, 17; 3:4; 14:31; 25:2; 30:5, 9) and ??l??h occurs once (Pr30:5). God is also called the Holy One (Pr9:10; 30:3), the Righteous One (Pr21:12), the Defender (Pr23:11), and the Maker (Pr14:31; 17:5; 22:2).

His attributes. The attributes of God presented in the book of Proverbs include his holiness (“the Holy One,” Pr9:10; 30:3), omnipresence (Pr5:21; 15:3), omnipotence (as the Creator of the universe [Pr3:19–20; 8:22–31; 30:4] and of man’s ears and eyes [Pr20:12; 29:13], and the Maker of the poor [Pr14:31; 17:5; 22:2] and the rich [Pr22:2]), and omniscience (in examining and knowing death [Pr15:11], man’s conduct [Pr5:21; 21:2], man’s motives [Pr16:2], and heart [Pr17:3; 20:27; 24:12] and in seeing good and evil [Pr15:3], and those who gloat over others’ misfortunes [Pr4:16–17]).

God also possesses sovereignty, working everything for His purposes (Pr16:4; 19:21), even determining man’s decisions (Pr16:33) and course of action (v. 9), directing the hearts (or interests and decisions) of kings (Pr21:1), and superseding every plan of mankind (Pr19:21; 21:30). God has wisdom (Pr3:19–20) and justice. In His justice (Pr29:26) He is the Righteous One (Pr21:12) who thwarts and punishes the wicked (Pr3:33; 10:3; 11:8; 21:12; 22:12), the crafty (Pr12:2), and the proud (Pr15:25), and He upholds the poor and afflicted (Pr22:22–23; 23:10–11). His justice is equitable for He repays man in accord with his conduct (Pr20:22; 24:12), and rewards the righteous (Pr19:17; 25:22).

In His justice God hates perversity (Pr3:32; 11:20), pride (Pr6:17; 16:5), lying (Pr6:17–19; 12:22), violence (“hands that shed innocent blood,” Pr6:17), wicked scheming and actions (v. 18), dissension (v. 19), dishonesty (Pr11:1; 20:10, 23), hypocrisy (“the sacrifice of the wicked,” Pr15:8; 21:27; the prayers of the lawless, Pr28:9), and injustice (Pr17:15).

God’s personality is evident in that He loves and disciplines (Pr3:12), hates (Pr6:16–19), delights (in honest business dealings, Pr11:1; in the conduct of the blameless, v. 20 [cf. Pr16:7a]; in people who are truthful, Pr12:22; and in the prayers and righteous conduct of the godly, Pr15:8–9).

His actions. The preceding paragraphs show that God’s attributes reveal a number of His actions. These include creating, seeing, examining, purposing, influencing, directing, punishing, defending, rewarding, hating, loving, and delighting. Other actions include giving wisdom (Pr1:7; 2:6), giving grace to the humble (Pr3:34), protecting the righteous (Pr2:7-8; 3:26; 10:29; 14:26; 15:25; 18:10; 19:23; 29:25; 30:5), providing for the righteous (Pr10:3), delivering the righteous (Pr20:22), blessing the righteous (Pr3:33; 10:22; 12:2), giving life (Pr10:27), giving men prudent wives (Pr18:22; 19:14), directing those who trust Him (Pr3:5–6), giving people words to say (Pr16:1), guiding man’s ways (“steps,” v. 9; Pr20:24) and decisions (Pr16:33), and hearing the prayers of the righteous (Pr15:29).

Roy B. Zuck, A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, electronic ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991), 238–239.
Sep
14

A Look at Proverbs 10.16

By | Proverbs

Prov 10.16
16 The wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.

The Parts

Parallelism Examined

16a

16b

wages

income

of the righteous

of the wicked

life

punishment

wicked – someone contrary to God’s character, ways, Word. This person would not hesitate to violate another person for selfish gain, e.g., financial, verbal integrity, false witness, social, personal.

righteous – (write your definition of “righteous” as you study this Proverb)

income – can mean product, result, fruit

wages – work, recompense, rewards, often used of that which comes from God, what you have coming!

References to consider:

Prov 21.10
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

Prov 29.7
7 The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor,
The wicked does not understand such concern.

Prov 12.26
26 The righteous is a guide to his neighbor,
But the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Prov 17.15
15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

Prov 17.2
2 A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.

Prov 24.20
20 For there will be no future for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Righteous

Prov 21.3
3 To do righteousness and justice Is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice.

Prov 15.29
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Prov 11.19
19 He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life,
And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

Prov 10.25
25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

Prov 12.3
3 A man will not be established by wickedness,
But the root of the righteous will not be moved.

Income

Prov 8.19
19 “My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,
And my yield better than choicest silver.

Wages

Isa 40.10
10 Behold, the Lord God will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him.

Prov 11.18
18 The wicked earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.

Isa 65.7
7 Both their own iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together,” says the Lord. “Because they have burned incense on the mountains And scorned Me on the hills, Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.”

Psalm 109.20
20 Let this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, And of those who speak evil against my soul.

Sharpening for my life today:

Considering the previous Proverb along with this one, while wealth can be a platform of ministry and a sense of provision and security, it is not the currency of life! Life comes by righteousness!

This gem of Proverbs lays out the currency of life! Real life comes from a moral choice, not physical, financial, technical, medical, political, military, etc.! Remember, even poverty can keep you from real life!

There is no doubt “what you sow, you reap”! So, we should be asking, “What is the return on the investments I’m making for life”?

Prov 30.7-9
7 Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: 8 Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, 9 That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.

Jul
29

A Look at Proverbs 10.9

By | Proverbs

Prov 10.9
9 He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

One of the common statements of today is “What you see is what you get.” Well, this isn’t an accurate statement and even less accurate in the spiritual realm! It would be far more accurate to say “What you see is not what you get”!

One of our struggles is how do you “walk” in integrity when it seems like all those around you get away with everything? The answer comes from a biblical understanding of “security.” Real “security,” biblical “security,” is tied to something greater than the here and now. It’s tied to God’s plan and indeed, tied to God Himself! Our Proverb is a great “gem” in the Bible for this truth.

 

Parallelism Examined

9a

9b

he who walks in integrity

he who perverts his ways

walks securely

his ways will be found out

integrity – from a root meaning complete, thus whole, healthy, soundness (of sacrifices w/o blemish, Lev 21.21-22 ultimately picturing Christ, Heb 9.14; 1 Pet 1.19). cf. Gen 19.1; Ps 101.2b. E.g., speech which is with integrity is always true, completely true.

perverts – twists, crooked, cf. Prov 28.18; 19.1; 11.20; 22.5. So “why” would you “pervert” something? You hope to gain or avoid something, meaning you are dissatisfied with what God has provided! To “pervert” is to reject the hand of God, even God’s equitable discipline and instruction.

security – well-being and security which comes from having someone or something in which is confidence. Does “security” mean you never encounter harm? No! With the longer focus on life of the wise, there is still “security” even in a place of harm.

security in pagan thinking – this is typically when someone thinks they have some degree of control over life.

security in biblical thinking – realizes you are without resources to control life and yet you have life itself in a relationship with God! It is His faithfulness, loyal love, truth, trustworthiness which sustains you!

found out – known for what / who they are!

References to consider

Prov 19.1
1 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

Prov 11.20
20 The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the blameless in their walk are His delight.

Prov 22.5
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards himself will be far from them.

Prov 11.3
3 The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

Psalm 32.10
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.

Psalm 84.9-12
9 Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm56.3-4
3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.
4 In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?

Sharpening for my life today

As mentioned, what you see is not what you get!

With “integrity,” what you see is only a tiny portion of what you get (when you’re rewarded by your Father in heaven)! cf. Prov 4.18

The rule of farming again appears, what you sow, you reap.