Sunday School 5-21-06 Proverbs 11(1-14)
Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
Honesty
The people of Solomon’s day transacted business by weighing out gold and silver to buy merchandise. Those who wanted to cheat their neighbor would fix the scales so that they paid less than the agreed price. It was a scheme which often worked to fool their business partners, but never fooled God. We should be very forthright and honest when dealing with our community. The Christian should be a person who is known as an honest man. If you lie, cheat, and steal from your neighbor, he will probably not be interested in your invitation to attend church. Your testimony will be compromised and you will be exactly where the Devil wants you; ineffective for God. I think we also should remember another verse concerning this matter. Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” The cheater may think he has escaped justice, but “vengeance I mine saith the Lord.”
11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.
Pride
Pride is a sin which does not get it’s proper respect. They don’t arrest you for pride. They don’t put yu name in the paper for pride, but God hates it! Yes, I said that correctly; God hates pride. Let me verify my statement: Proverbs 6:16-19 “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” We think pride is a minor character flaw, but God considers it one of the seven worst sins among mankind. Have you considered why? The answer is because pride will keep you from coming to the Lord. No man comes to the Lord for salvation unless he first realizes he is lost. One who is so proud to think he doesn’t need God, will never turn to God for help. The scriptures teach us “Godly sorrow worketh repentance,” but pride prevents godly sorrow. If we have a tendency to be proud; we need to repent and refocus right now. An honest look at yourself will reduce pride and induce humility. When it comes right down to it, we are not much without God. We are full of sin and pretty well useless. You don’t need false humility, just honesty to remove that pride from your life.
11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
Integrity
I have heard integrity defined as what you do when no one is looking. I like that! Integrity is lacking among some folks in our society today. I have heard some ball players recently say it ain’t cheating if you don’t get caught. I hate to inform them of this, but it is cheating whether you get caught or not. The same holds true in our spiritual life. We must develop character and integrity which will guide us in our decisions when no one is watching. Always remember one thing; when we think no one is watching, God is watching!
11:4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.
Riches
There’s nothing wrong with being rich; I wish we had about 200 more rich folks in our church. For that matter, I wish we had about 200 more poor folks in our church. God is not a respecter of persons and neither should we be. The Bible doesn’t condemn riches as long as they are put in the proper perspective. A rich man should be a humble man who attributes his success to God. He should be a giving man who shares his blessing with others. He should put God first. He should understand the true value of spiritual things. If he does that; riches will be a blessing, not a curse. This verse is not condemning riches, but is only pointing out that they will not save a person in the Day of Judgment.
11:5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
Righteous and perfect
Let me define these two words in a Biblical manner. Righteousness means doing and living right. We know what right is. Sometimes we try to convolute the issue, but deep down we know what is right and wrong. Perfect in a Biblical sense means fully developed or mature. We will never be perfect as far as being above sin as long as we are in this body, but we can be mature as a man or woman of God. When we develop our righteousness and maturity, it will guide us in our day to day life. A good man will act in a certain manner. He will be fair and tender. He will be honest and truthful.
11:6 The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
Naughtiness
The word means evil desires which lead to destruction. Satan uses our own fleshly desires to tempt us. We must allow the inner, Godly man which is saved and renewed by God to overpower that outward, fleshly man in order to overcome these temptations. By the way, we all have these desires. They are not the same for everybody, but everybody has them. We all must fight this battle. With the help of Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can be more than conquerors.
11:7 When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.
Atheist
I feel sorry for atheists. The word translated “expectation” here means the basis for hope. Think about what this verse says. When the wicked man dies, he can expect nothing but eternal damnation. Hell is terrible and it is eternal. There is no deliverance from the pain and degradation: ever! There is no hope of escape. Ther is no expectation of mercy. Don’t take the chance of going there. Give your heart to Jesus today!
11:8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
The promise of deliverance
God never promised His children they would not suffer persecution or tribulation; as a matter of fact, He promised us exactly the opposite. But He did promise that with every temptation He would make a way of escape. (1st Corinthians 10:13) He also promised that greater is He that is with us than he that is in the world. (1st John 4:4) Some problems God removes from our way. Others He helps us go through. He will always deliver us someway, maybe through death, but he will honor His word and provide deliverance!
11:9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.
Hypocrite
The word translated “hypocrite” in the Hebrew means one soiled or polluted. The word in the Greek means an actor in a play. I think both definitions are interesting. A hypocrite is not clean in the sight of the Lord, but is soiled and polluted. The idea of being an actor means you cannot believe what he says. He will pretend to love you to your face, but will be planning on “stabbing you in the back” when possible. There is nothing more blessed than the relationships among true believers in Christ. One hypocrite can spoil a whole barrel of Christians if we are not careful. Think about this verse. A hypocrite can destroy his neighbor. He is more dangerous than a man with a gun. The hypocrite will not murder his neighbor, but he will murder his testimony if he can. What can we do to avoid this damage caused by these phonies? The best thing is to trust your true friends. When someone reports something they have said about you, do not believe it unless you hear it from their own mouth. Give them the benefit of the doubt. This is what is meant by knowledge in our verse. Make sure you know the truth. Do not accept everything at face value. Another safety measure is to know them you associate with. Do not take company with tale bearers and tongue wagers. Your life will be more peaceful if you avoid their traps.
11:10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting. 11:11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
Righteous rulers
God blesses righteous living. If our government was filled with righteous thinking and acting men and women we would live better lives. When the wicked rule our nation the people will moan. Sin brings judgment. Not once in a while, but every time. When a nation enacts immoral laws and lives sinfully, that nation will suffer. I am convinced that America is suffering right now due sinful living. Abortion, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, drugs, abuse of alcohol, and such things have removed His wall of protection from around us. God is a gentleman and when asked to leave us alone, He will leave us to our own resources. People asked me several times “where was God on 9-11?” my response was He was the same place He was on 9-10. We didn’t want Him in the park or in the schools on 9-10 why should we expect His protection on 9-11? If we want to see our nation prosper, we must return to the old paths and repent of our wicked ways!
11:12 He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
Peace
The Christian needs to get along with his neighbors when at all possible. Some neighbors will not let that happen, but we avoid a lot of heartache when we are at peace with those around us. One who hates his neighbors, as the verse says, is void of wisdom. He doesn’t understand the value of a good neighbor. Notice the last part of this verse: “a man of understanding holdeth his peace.” That phrase means he has the ability to shut his big mouth. Most trouble in neighborhoods starts with rumors and gossip. Avoid that activity and you will be ahead of the game.
11:13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
Talebearer
A talebearer is one who tells something with the knowledge, or the intention, of hurting someone. I want you to understand something: the thing may be true, but if the only purpose in telling it is to do damage to a brother or sister, it is still wrong to tell. Some things are better off kept quiet. A wise man or woman knows when to keep a secret. They don’t have to reveal everything they know. Some may say but what if my brother is living in error. The answer to that is to go to him and him alone with the matter. Do not ruin him in others eyes. That is not your job, nor your right!
11:14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
Counsellors
The word translated “counselors” means one that advises, consults, gives purpose, devises, or plans. It is genuinely smart when facing a major decision to get the advice of successful people in your circle of acquaintances. Don’t ask people who have no success; if they knew what to do they would’ve done it themselves! I would recommend, especially for young people, to seek the advice of the wise old heads that have already been down the path you are headed. They can often save you a lot of heartache. God has given them to us as a resource; we should not waste this valuable commodity. There is one thing I want to make clear though; the best counselor you can have is God. Jesus promised to give the Holy Spirit to every believer to guide and direct us in all paths of righteousness. We need to seek His advice first. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide. Remember, the Spirit will never show us anything contrary to the Word of God, but will verify and bring understanding of the Scriptures to us. His word is our road map. His Spirit is our translator of that map. His Word will show us the way and the Spirit will show us the meaning of His Word. When a human being gives you advice which is contrary to the Word of God do not pay any attention to it. Let God be true and every man a liar!
New Living Translation (recommended as a commentary only)
1 The Lord hates cheating, but he delights in honesty.2 Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.3 Good people are guided by their honesty; treacherous people are destroyed by their dishonesty.4 Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living is a safeguard against death.5 The godly are directed by their honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.6 The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them.7 When the wicked die, their hopes all perish, for they rely on their own feeble strength.8 God rescues the godly from danger, but he lets the wicked fall into trouble.9 Evil words destroy one’s friends; wise discernment rescues the godly.10 The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed; they shout for joy when the godless die.11 Upright citizens bless a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.12 It is foolish to belittle a neighbor; a person with good sense remains silent.13 A gossip goes around revealing secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.14 Without wise leadership, a nation falls; with many counselors, there is safety.
`
THANKS FOR STUDYING WITH US THIS WEEK. OUR LESSONS CAN BE FOUND EACH WEEK ON OUR WEBSITE WWW.ADDISONCHURCH.COM. BE SURE TO SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK WHEN YOU VISIT. WE ALSO WILL EMAIL THE LESSON DIRECTLY TO YOU BY REQUEST AT ADDISONFWBCHURCH@BLUESTARR.NET. YOU WILL NEVER BE ASKED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS, NOR WILL YOUR INFORMATION BE GIVEN OR SOLD TO ANY OUTSIDE SOURCE. SEE YOU SOON!!!!
PASTOR RICK BARCUS
