Wisdom of the Careful vs. Folly of the Careless

Heavenly Father, we know from our experience that people flourish under good leaders, but languish under bad ones.

And today, we ask that you will teach us to be a people who are in glad submission to your leadership, to your good management.

That we might live with the fear of the Lord, with carefulness in all the spheres of our lives.

Speak to us as you always do.

We incline our hearts, our ears, toward you now.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Proverbs chapter 14, starting in verse 15, going to Proverbs 15 verse 4.

Proverbs 14 · chapter mention Proverbs 15:4

The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.

A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.

The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends.

Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.

Do they not go astray who devise evil?

Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.

In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the folly of fools brings folly.

A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.

In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life that one may turn away from the snares of death.

In a multitude of people is the glory of a king, but without people a prince is ruined.

Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.

Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.

The wicked is overthrown through his evil doing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.

Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding, but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

A servant who deals wisely has the king's favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The tongue of the wise commands knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

This is God's holy and authoritative word.

There are some things that people only do because they know no one is watching.

And after a dozen or so cases of mail package theft at our condo, our condo association is now talking about installing a security camera in the lobby.

Because we know that if there is a security camera, people know that they will be seen.

People know that they will be caught if they steal, and so they don't.

Similarly, parents who are perhaps berating their kids in public in a harsh way will moderate their tone as soon as they recognize that there are people watching them.

Dog walkers, right, who are not going to bother picking up that poo on the neighbor's lawn.

As soon as they see the eyes peering through the window, will quickly pick up that poo, right?

That's what we call accountability.

When we know that we will be held accountable, we modify our behavior and speech accordingly.

And Proverbs, this passage that we read, 14, 15, 15, 4, teaches that this is a key to wise living, to live under the watchful eyes of God.

And knowing that we are accountable to God for all our actions and speech constrains our behavior and speech, helps us to live wisely.

And the main point is that by living carefully under the watchful eyes of God, the wise find life for themselves and give life to others.

That's what happens when you live under the watchful eyes of God.

In verses 15 to 18 of chapter 14, we see the teachings about personal carefulness, what this looks like in your own life, in your own decisions.

And chapter 14, verses 19 to 24, speak of kind of socioeconomic carefulness, what this looks like,

what being living under the watchful eyes of God as you relate to others in a socioeconomical sense.

And then finally, chapter 14, verse 25 to chapter 15, verse 4, speak of kind of a political legal carefulness,

what that looks like in politics, in the court, when you live under the watchful eyes of God.

So let's first look at personal carefulness in verses 15 to 18 together.

This subunit is bracketed by the contrast of the simple and the prudent.

Verse 15 says,

The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

Similarly, verse 18 says,

So the simple is, the term simple, as we have seen throughout Proverbs, is not a positive designation in the book of Proverbs,

although there is something to be commended for godly simplicity.

This is referring to people who are gullible or naive, people who are thoughtless and careless in their life.

And because of this, the simple are especially vulnerable to being duped by evildoers.

And throughout Proverbs, these simple people are exhorted to heed instruction and learn prudence or shrewdness.

Because if and only when they learn that prudence will they stop being simple.

And this reminds us again that the world is full of competing ideologies and worldviews and even moral principles.

And people are driven by various competing interests and influences.

And for these reasons, it is foolish to believe everything.

Instead, we must give thought to our steps.

When we walk through a bridge that has gaps in it, we give thought to our steps, lest we step into the void and fall.

And likewise, the world is beset with many false steps that can be taken.

And so we must give thought to our steps.

Verse 18 continues that same contrast between the simple and the full.

It says,

This is an ironic statement because usually when we think of inheritance, it's something that is desirable.

Something you look forward to getting.

You inherit something that benefits you.

However, in this verse, it says,

The simple inherit folly.

Before they were only simple, naive, or gullible.

But now they are full-blown fools.

Their careless simplicity is rewarded with folly.

And in contrast, the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

They were already shrewd.

They were already knowledgeable.

Yet they're crowned with further knowledge because of their discernment.

Because they have been knowledgeable and careful.

And these two verses, a bracket, verses 16 to 17 in the middle,

which together expound on the folly of the simple.

Verse 16 says,

One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil.

But a fool is reckless and careless.

So the phrase,

One who is wise is cautious.

So if you're looking at the English Standard Version,

there's probably a footnote right next to that phrase.

If you follow that phrase down,

it tells you that it could be translated,

One who is wise fears.

That's what it literally says.

One who is wise fears.

And some of the translators took that to mean,

meaning you're fearful or cautious of other things.

But I think that actually means something a little more literal.

I think that's an example of ellipsis,

where one or two words,

one or more words are omitted from a sentence and assumed.

So you're supposed to supply that to get a complete meaning.

I think that means this verse is saying,

One who is wise fears the Lord.

I think that's the assumption.

One who is wise fears the Lord.

That's exactly how the NIV, for example, translates it.

And this is all the more likely,

because there are other verses in Proverbs that say exactly that.

Proverbs chapter 3 verse 7 says,

Proverbs 3:7

Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 16 verse 6 says,

Proverbs 16:6

By the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.

So the wise then, if that's the right interpretation,

the wise are not cautious,

merely in that they fear the things that might go wrong

and therefore act carefully.

That's not what being wise looks like in a biblical sense.

They are cautious primarily because they fear the Lord.

That's the fear that constrains them,

the fear of the Lord,

because they know that they are accountable to God.

And that's why they turn away from evil.

Not because they fear the circumstances

or are anxious for what might happen,

but because they fear the Lord.

In contrast, the fool is reckless and careless.

The word reckless literally means to overstep or transgress something.

And the word careless literally means to trip and fall.

So this is a very vivid image here.

The fool has no fear of God.

He's complacent.

He's secure in himself.

And so he confidently oversteps God-given boundaries.

And as they do that,

in ignoring the no trespassing sign,

he transgresses things.

He falls.

He trips and falls headlong into trouble.

And then verse 17 continues

to fill out that picture of the simple person.

A man of quick temper acts foolishly,

and a man of evil devices is hated.

Now this verse combines two various kind of aspects of fools,

yet denounces them all the same

in the same category of foolishness.

So first, it talks about a man of quick temper.

A man of quick temper acts foolishly.

This person has a short temper, a short fuse.

He is unrestrained and explodes onto others.

And in doing so,

they do incalculable damage to others and themselves.

Jewish rabbis often use the image of a kettle,

a boiling kettle,

to explain the way anger inflicts damage to oneself.

They said,

when the kettle boils over,

it overflows its own size.

So likewise,

a man of quick temper acts

not only maliciously toward others,

but also foolishly because he hurts himself in the end.

And the short tempered person is one type of fool.

The second type of foolishness is seen here

is a man of evil devices.

It's a contrast really from the short tempered person

because a man of evil devices is self-restrained.

He keeps a tight rein on his temper.

But for the purpose of doing evil,

for the purpose of manipulating others,

for the purpose of getting his way,

he is the cold-blooded killer.

And he is a schemer.

He is cunning.

And that's to be contrasted with the wise who is shrewd and prudent.

Being shrewd and being a schemer are not the same.

Both the short tempered person and the schemer,

though they behave very differently,

Bible says they're both foolish

because neither of them lives carefully under the watchful eyes of God.

So that's what personal carefulness looks like.

Let's look at then verses 19 to 24,

which focus specifically on what the life under God's watchful eyes look like

socially and economically,

socioeconomic carefulness.

It might seem for a little while

like the man of evil devices

who take advantage of others

and will rise through the ranks in society.

And that does happen as Proverbs itself admits.

But verse 19 says,

So this is speaking of ultimate divine justice.

The evil men who seek to make others bow down to them

will end up bowing down before the good.

The wicked who sought to rule over others and judge others

will themselves be instead ruled and judged at the gates of the righteous.

So even though this might not be immediately true in your experience,

it will ultimately true in God's perfect timing

is what this proverb reminds us.

A morally upside down universe that we live in at times

will be made right, right side up again.

But in the meanwhile,

sometimes the wicked do prosper.

They do gain prominence by their prosperity.

And so verse 20 says this,

This is a very realistic observation

about human nature and relationships.

The poor in view here are not those who are impoverished

due to God's judgment for their wickedness.

And as I've said several times throughout our series in Proverbs,

the word poverty is used consistently in a negative way

as God's judgment on the wicked.

However, the word poor is used consistently in a positive way

to refer to those who are poor

because of circumstances outside of their control,

because of injustice.

And on those people, God shows special care and compassion.

And so that's the poor that is in view here.

So even though they are not morally reprehensible,

it says the poor is disliked even by his neighbor.

This neighbor, this person who lives nearby,

who should, of all people, like the poor man,

should be able to relate to this poor man,

should be able to care for this poor man

because he is his neighbor.

Even he despises the poor man.

And the implication is that the poor person

is disliked by his neighbor because he is poor.

Lack of money leads to lack of friends.

In contrast, the rich has many friends.

We use the term gold digger, right,

to describe friends like this.

When a woman marries a rich man

for no other reason than his wealth,

when a man befriends another

in order to benefit from his wealth and privilege,

we call them gold diggers.

Their so-called relationships are not relational,

but transactional.

It's about the money in the end.

And because of people like this,

the rich,

even when they are morally reprehensible,

has many friends.

This is a descriptive,

not a prescriptive proverb.

It's describing what's the reality,

what happens.

It's not telling us to snub the poor

and cozy up to the rich.

Lest we misunderstand it that way,

Solomon adds a qualifying proverb in verse 21.

Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,

but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.

This proverb is structured as an incomplete parallel.

So the first half speaks of despising one's neighbor,

but the second half speaks of being generous to the poor.

So it's not exactly the parallel.

It's what they call incomplete parallelism.

And when you come across that kind of parallel structure,

we have to use the content of each half

to kind of balance and fill out the picture of the other.

And because scripture often uses that method

to say a lot more poetically

than what's actually written on the page.

So if we use each half to fill in the details of the other half,

verse 21 says,

Whoever despises his neighbor because he is poor is a sinner.

But blessed is he who is generous to the poor

because he is his neighbor.

That's how you fill out that parallel structure.

So if we despise a neighbor because he is poor,

we sin because we are not loving our neighbor as ourselves,

as scripture commands.

Our poor neighbor might not be able to return any of our favors.

He may not benefit us in any tangible way.

He may have no clout in society

and therefore may be the object of people's scorn.

And because they are powerless,

they may have no recourse

and they may not be able to retaliate

when we take advantage of him.

And yet we must not take advantage of him.

We must not despise our neighbor.

Further theological rationale for this is given later in verse 31.

But for now, scripture calls us to be generous to the poor

by the simple reason that he is our neighbor.

God has placed us near them to see their plight and suffering.

God has placed us near them and provided for us

so that we might supply their need.

And that poor person doesn't need to be

especially deserving of our generosity.

He doesn't have to have a squeaky clean background.

He doesn't have to be well-dressed and well-spoken.

That he is our neighbor is enough

according to this proverb.

Verses 22 to 24 add further motivation

to be generous toward our poor neighbor.

Verse 22 says,

Do they not go astray who devise evil?

Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.

The word devise is repeated twice in this verse

to emphasize the importance of intentionality,

of deliberation, planning.

The word devise is sometimes translated in grave or forge

and it refers to kind of the work of artisans and craftsmen.

And so it's very much a word that implies care

and careful planning.

There are of course some evil and some good

that people do without deliberate planning.

But there are some evil deeds and some good deeds

that only happen after premeditation

that require careful planning.

So it's telling us we have to make concrete plans

for doing good.

Those who despise the poor are devising evil.

They have already made up their mind

that the poor neighbor is not worth their time

and money and effort.

They are devising evil.

On the other hand,

those who are generous with the poor neighbor devise good.

They have made plans to befriend the poor neighbor.

They have made plans

and they have resolved to supply their need.

They have made plans to do so.

They have brainstormed ways

to most constructively and lovingly provide for their needs.

Being generous to the poor neighbor

requires planning and work.

But it's still worthwhile

because those who devise evil

will stray from the blessed path of God.

But those who devise good

will stay on God's path

and therefore meet steadfast love and faithfulness.

Those are two attributes

that throughout scripture

are most often attributed to God.

In Exodus 34 verses 5 to 7

Exodus 34:5–7

when God reveals himself to Moses

and God's Moses in Israel

he says that he is abounding

in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Steadfast love, loving kindness.

It's referring to God,

the unmarried, its favor

and the unchanging commitment

that God shows toward his chosen people.

The word faithfulness

refers to God's reliability,

the firmness of his character

that he never changes.

He's always true to himself.

And so then both words,

steadfast love and faithfulness

highlight God's unchanging loyalty

toward his people.

And so then those who kindly meet

the needs of the poor

on his path of life

will be met by the steadfast love

and faithfulness of God

on that same path.

And in verses 23-24

Solomon elaborates on this

on the importance of making concrete plans

and following through.

It says in verses 23-24

So toiling is hard

but there is in the end profit, right?

The wise who do honest hard work

will be crowned with wealth

in the end

in the normal working of things.

In contrast,

those who engage in mere talk

and spew out folly

will end up in poverty.

So he's using an economic

Solomon is using an economic proverb here

to tell us to put our money

where our mouth is.

It's a rebuke to people

who are all talk and no action.

Merely saying that

you intend to do good

to your poor neighbor

isn't enough.

You must devise good,

make concrete plans

and take action

in being generous to the poor.

In the same way

that hard work

is met with profit

so likewise

being generous to the poor

will be met

with steadfast love

and faithfulness

of the Lord.

And verse 24

matches verse 18

and together bracket

this subunit.

Verse 18

said,

The simple inherit folly

but the prudent

are crowned with knowledge.

Verse 24

is that the crown

of the wise

is their wealth

but the folly of fools

brings folly.

That's what it looks like

to have socioeconomic carefulness

living under the watchful eyes

of God.

And then starting

in verse 25

and going through

chapter 15

verse 4

Solomon expounds

on what godly carefulness

looks like

in the political

and legal realms.

And he says

in verse 25

A truthful witness

saves lies

but one who breathes

out lies

is deceitful.

In the court of law

truth telling

is a matter

of life and death.

A witness

who tells the truth

can ensure

that the innocent person

is not condemned

and that the guilty

person is condemned

only

and that the guilty

person is condemned.

But if one lies

it is deceitful

and it is treacherous

because instead of

saving lives

you can in fact

destroy lives.

It's not a trivial matter

to lie in court

because it's not

an abstract decision

rather it's

a decision

that has consequences

in the real lives

and livelihoods

of people.

And so

then even when

it is to their

disadvantage

to tell the truth

even when it makes

that person look bad

the witness

a good witness

a true witness

is to speak

truthfully.

Even when the witness

knows that he is

more credible

than the person

on trial

by the virtue

of their social standing

or people's biases

the truthful witness

will courageously

and conscientiously

tell the truth

because they live

carefully under

the watchful eyes

of God

and in doing so

they save lives.

And so then

the way we act

and speak in life

is not a drill

is what Proverbs

is telling us

it's a matter

of life and death

which this passage

keeps on emphasizing.

So verses 26 to 27

continue that thought

in the fear of the Lord

one has strong confidence

and his children

will have a refuge.

The fear of the Lord

is a fountain of life

that one may turn away

from the snares of death.

So the fear of the Lord

that's another way

to put living carefully

under the watchful eyes

of God

one personally

gains a strong confidence

he finds life

for himself

secures a safety

for himself

but not only that

he says he will provide

refuge for his children

living carefully

under watchful eyes

of God

has generational consequences

and then

on top of that

in general

he says

the fear of the Lord

is a fountain of life

it provides life

not only to oneself

to others

like a fountain

that bubbles forth

with water

life-giving water

it nourishes others

with life-giving wisdom

and then

in an interesting turn

verse 28

Solomon addresses

rulers

specifically

and in doing so

leaders generally

of the particular

responsibility

that rests on them

to be this

life-giving fountain

for others

and verse 28

says

in a multitude

of people

is the glory

of a king

but without people

a prince

is ruined

so by definition

a king

is someone

who rules

over others

since without people

he would have no kingdom

and he would be ruined

he would not be a king

and in order to ensure

that he has a multitude

of people

he must become

a fountain of life

by living carefully

under the watchful eyes

of God

now this truth

is confirmed

by verse 29

it says

whoever is slow to anger

has great understanding

but he who has

a hasty temper

exalts folly

the word great

in great understanding

and the word multitude

in multitude of people

they are

the translations

of the same Hebrew word

and so it connects

those two verses

28 and 29

so if you were to

play on that more

obviously

it says

in the numerousness

or in the greatness

of people

is the glory

of a king

and whoever

is slow to anger

has great understanding

so the implication

is this

do you want to

gather people

around you

instead of scattering them

do you want to be

a great leader

do you want to

rule over a great people

will then gain

great understanding

which is found

in living carefully

under the watchful eyes

of God

Greek philosopher

Aristotle once said

he who has never

learned to obey

cannot be

a good commander

there are people

who want to lead

want to teach

want to exercise

authority

and rule over others

but who have not

learned humility

who are incapable

of submitting to

and following others

because they think

too highly of themselves

they are always

dissatisfied

under other people's

authority

because they always

believe they could

do better

they squirm

impatiently

when others

are teaching

but beam excitedly

when they themselves

are teaching

such people

cannot lead

because they will

lead selfishly

and for vain glory

rather than

the good of the people

that are under their charge

such people

can't lead

because they are

incapable of listening

and therefore

will not heed

wise counsel

from others

they will not

benefit from

perspectives

that differ

from their own

because they think

too highly

of their own

opinions

and this principle

is especially

important

when it comes

to following

and submitting

to God

only those

who display

great understanding

of the fear

of the Lord

only those

who live

under the

watchful eyes

of God

are fit

to rule

over a multitude

of people

a great people

a good ruler

understands

that he is

first and foremost

under authority

accountable to God

and under his authority

and this great understanding

is what makes

a person

more patient

it says in verse 29

whoever is slow

to anger

has great understanding

but he who has

a hasty temper

exalts folly

when we live

carefully

under the watchful

eyes of God

we recognize

that there is

someone in charge

above us

and because of that

we don't need

to panic

and act hastily

we have self-control

because we know

that God

really is

in control

so the expression

slow to anger

outside of Proverbs

exclusively

is used to describe

God

God is slow to anger

so being slow to anger

is not a natural

characteristic

of simple humans

rather it is

a divine

attribute

and we are

to imitate this

so then

when someone

displeases us

or offends us

we don't need

to make that

displeasure known

immediately

and impulsively

because

as it describes

there a hasty temper

exalts folly

hasty temper

is literally

shortened breath

it's a vivid

description of

how people behave

when they are

agitated and angry

just short breaths

it's a hasty temper

that's what that

refers to

and it says

in contrast to that

in verse 30

it says

a tranquil heart

gives life to the flesh

but envy makes

the bones rot

once again

this is not just

this is a matter

of life and death

living carefully

under the watchful

eyes of God

and a tranquil heart

is a heart

that is satisfied

in God

a heart that

is entrusted

to God

and because of that

it's a heart

that is at rest

and that kind of heart

gives life

to one's own flesh

but in contrast

envy makes the bones

rot

a heart that is

dissatisfied

with God

and the lot

that God has given

because of that

discontentment

complains

and envies

and distrusts God

and because of that

is beset with anxiety

and this makes

one's own body

weak

to disintegrate

and this

living carefully

under watchful eyes

of God

affects the way

a person deals

with the poor

as well

we saw this early

in verse 21

that we were commanded

to be generous

to the poor

but verse 31

now gives us

further theological

rationale

for that command

it says

whoever oppresses

a poor man

insults his maker

but he who is

generous to the needy

honors him

so when you

oppress a poor man

this is saying

you insult

the God

who created him

it's a powerful

teaching

in 2016

there was a

you guys know

Dutch master

Rembrandt

one of his

paintings

entitled now

The Unconscious

Patient

was discovered

in a basement

in New Jersey

when adult children

were clearing out

their family home

after their parents

death

they discovered

a Rembrandt painting

in a basement

the oil painting

however was discolored

it was flaking

and it looked

totally unremarkable

after years

of disintegration

in a damp

basement

and in spite

of all of that

an art collector

purchased it

for 1.1 million

dollars at an auction

and went through

the painstaking process

of restoring it

to its original beauty

and now

it's in its

rightful place

touring the world's

most famous

art museums

and why is that

when professionals

lay their eyes

on that painting

it didn't matter

to them

that it was rotting

that it didn't matter

to them

that it was discolored

it didn't matter

to them

that it was flaking

it didn't matter

to them

that it looked

worthless

because they knew

whose work

it was

no matter

what condition

you find it

and if you find

a Rembrandt

it's worth millions

likewise

if you meet

a human being

created in

the image

of God

doesn't matter

how old

or frail

that person is

it doesn't matter

how poor

or pitiable

that person is

it doesn't matter

how disenfranchised

and powerless

that person is

it doesn't matter

what that person's

racial or cultural

background is

it doesn't matter

whether this person

is male

or female

it doesn't matter

how battered

this person is

how oppressed

this person is

how sick

or disfigured

this person is

this person

is priceless

because

they are created

in the image

of God

they are

the signature

masterpiece

of the greatest

master

craftsman

that's the reason

for this reason

he was generous

to the poor

generous to the needy

honors

God himself

and those

who honor God

will ultimately

be rewarded

verse 32

says

the wicked

is overthrown

through his

evil doing

but the righteous

finds refuge

in his death

verse 26

and 32

both speak

of the refuge

to describe

the heritage

of the wise

living under

the watchful

eyes of God

is not

an onerous

burden

rather

it is like

a refuge

something that

secures us

protects us

helps us

in the end

it will lead

to eternal

refuge

even beyond

death

that's what

verse 32

suggests

the wicked

is overthrown

through his

evil doing

through his

own evil doing

but the righteous

finds refuge

in his

death

even in his

death

the righteous

will find

a refuge

in verses

26 to 32

if you scan

it again

Solomon

spoke of

how the ruler

should live

righteously

carefully

under the

watchful eyes

of God

and then

starting in

verse 33

he focuses

on how

the subjects

of that ruler

should live

with care

of their own

and he begins

by enjoining

wisdom to

all of us

in verse 33

it says

wisdom rests

in the heart

of a man

of understanding

but it makes

itself known

even in the

midst of fools

this is an

invitation to

learn wisdom

first and

foremost

wisdom resides

in the heart

of a man

of understanding

so a man

like King

Solomon

that's the

implication

wisdom stays

there

it makes a

permanent dwelling

there

and so the

implication is

that we should

listen to

such people

listen to

the Proverbs

and that's

not all

wisdom

makes itself

known

even in

the midst

of fools

so wisdom

is not only

for kings

like Solomon

it's for us

all

and we saw

in the

personification

of wisdom

in chapter 1

chapter 8

and chapter 9

that wisdom

is not this

high brow

elitist

that only

caters to

the brightest

and most

prominent

among people

she invites

all comers

she calls

out to the

simple

all who

are willing

to humble

themselves

and learn

can come

and gain

wisdom

and so it

is

it says

even in

the midst

of fools

wisdom's

call can

be heard

and so

then the

invitation

is for us

to heed

her call

leave our

folly behind

and let

wisdom rest

in our

hearts

also

verse 34

continues

that exhortation

righteousness

exalts a

nation

but sin

is a reproach

to any

people

now just

as the

king should

be concerned

with

righteousness

so also

the whole

nation

should be

concerned

with

righteousness

in God's

estimation

and in

his

ultimate

justice

it's not

deft

political

maneuvering

forging

international

alliances

or even

military

prowess

or even

economic

prosperity

that

ensures

a nation's

security

or exalts

a nation

it's not

those things

ultimately

speaking

it is

righteousness

that exalts

a nation

conversely

sin

is a

reproach

to any

people

if you

read the

bible

and if you

study

history

you know

that every

empire

eventually

falls

Daniel

Daniel 2:21

chapter 2

verse 21

says that

God changes

changes

times and

seasons

he

removes

kings

and sets

up

kings

he

gives

wisdom

to the

wise

and

knowledge

to those

who have

understanding

the United

States of

America

too

will fall

and when

it does

whatever

the immediate

causes

might be

the ultimate

cause

will be

moral

degeneration

the ultimate

cause

will be

injustice

and unrighteousness

the ultimate

cause will be

the lack

of humility

before God

so not only

the king

but all the

subjects

must preoccupy

themselves

with doing

justice

loving kindness

and walking

humbly with

their God

as it says

in Micah

Micah 6:8

chapter 6

verse 8

verse 35

says

a servant

who deals

wisely

has the

king's

favor

but his

wrath

falls

on one

who acts

shamefully

the person

who serves

the king

should live

also

carefully

under the

watchful eyes

of God

his service

should be

characterized

by competence

wisdom

and integrity

just as sin

is reproached

to the whole

nation

the servant's

shameful

acts

will incur

the wrath

of his

master

his king

but even

the best

of servants

will incur

the wrath

of the

sovereign

sometimes

and so

chapter 15

verses 1

to 4

teaches

the art

of speaking

carefully

in such

situations

it says

in verse 1

a soft

answer

turns away

wrath

but a

harsh

word

stirs

up

anger

whether

the king's

wrath

is justified

or not

the servant

should not

retaliate

in kind

with a

harsh

word

because

doing so

will only

stir up

the anger

of the king

alternatively

a soft

answer

turns away

wrath

this is

the art

of de-escalation

if you live

or work

with someone

who has a

short temper

getting into

a shouting

match with

them is

not going

to improve

your life

a soft

answer

turns away

wrath

a ticking

bomb

needs to

be diffused

not smashed

it will

lead to

more

destruction

a soft

answer

turns away

wrath

verse 2

continues

the tongue

of the wise

commends

knowledge

but the

mouths of

fools

pour out

folly

the person

who answers

softly

commends

knowledge

or adorns

knowledge

beautifies

knowledge

he makes

the truth

he makes

a wise

decision

attractive

to the

hearer

the wise

person does

not use

his tongue

as a

sledgehammer

to bludgeon

others into

submission

rather

with it

he adorns

knowledge

with it

he beautifies

commends

knowledge

and that's

contrasted

from the

mouths of

fools

that pour

out

folly

there is

no

restraint

whatsoever

like a

breached

dam

fool

opens

his mouth

and pours

out

folly

but the

kind of

restraint

that's

displayed

by the

wise

person

is only

possible

as we've

been seeing

over and

over again

for those

who live

carefully

under the

watchful

eyes of

God

so it

says in

verse 3

the eyes

of the

Lord

are in

every

place

keeping

watch

on the

evil

and the

good

in his

small book

on anger

biblical

counselor

Ed Welch

writes that

sinful

anger

is

essentially

atheistic

we don't

often

realize

this

but when

we get

angry

sinfully

angry

and lash

out at

other

people

we're

angry

at

God

we're

saying

God

you have

no

idea

what

kind

of

injustice

this

person

or this

ruler

or this

nation

is putting

me

through

we're

saying

God

because

you're

not doing

anything

about it

I have

to take

things into

my own

hands

and get

angry

and make

this right

and this

is why

in Exodus

Exodus 16:8

chapter 16

verse 8

when the

people of

Israel

complain

against

Moses

and Aaron

for not

giving them

bread and

meat

in the

wilderness

Moses

responds

this way

the Lord

has heard

your grumbling

that you

grumble

against

him

what are

we

your grumbling

is not

against us

but against

the Lord

this is why

in 1st

Samuel

chapter 8

verse 7

when the

nation

of Israel

asks

Samuel

their leader

for a

king

an alternate

ruler

to rule

over them

like the

other ancient

near eastern

nations

God says

to Samuel

in all

that they

say to

you

they have

not rejected

you

but they

have rejected

me

from being

king

over them

this is why

sinful anger

is always

directed in the

ultimate sense

against God

that's why

it's necessary

for us

to remember

this truth

that the

eyes of

the Lord

are in

every place

keeping watch

on the evil

and the good

the evil

and the good

represents a

complete range

it means that

God's eyes

are everywhere

and he sees

everything

there is no

sin or injustice

that comes

that's committed

against you

that has escaped

God's notice

his justice

might not satisfy

your desire

instantly

but his justice

is real

it is inescapable

and it is

exacting

and it's

for this

reason

that we

can respond

to a

wrathful

person

with a

soft

answer

knowing

that God

is at

the scene

knowing

that God

sees

knowing

that God

is working

out his

plan

patiently

and that

he is

slow to

anger

and so

verse 4

concludes

a gentle

tongue

is a

tree

of life

but

perverseness

in it

breaks

the spirit

in this

fallen

and broken

world

outside

of the

garden

of Eden

a gentle

tongue

is like

the tree

of life

in that

original

paradise

that humanity

has been

cut off

from

it brings

healing

rather than

destruction

it leads

to eternal

life

this passage

has been

speaking

repeatedly

of the

fact that

wisdom

is a

matter

of life

and death

right

chapter 14

verse 27

said the

fear of

the Lord

is a

fountain

of life

verse 30

of chapter

14

said a

tranquil

heart

gives

life

to the

flesh

now

chapter

15

verse 4

says a

gentle

tongue

is a

tree

of

life

now

these

are all

glimpses

that

foreshadow

the ultimate

deliverance

from death

itself

that comes

through

God's

son

Jesus

Christ

because

the reality

is we

have all

been

careless

personally

socioeconomically

politically

legally

we have

all

been

careless

we have

all

at times

spurned

the fear

of God

and lived

for ourselves

we have

all at times

been hasty

and short

tempered

we have

all at times

taken advantage

of others

for our

selfish gain

and yet

even though

we have

been fools

there is a

wise man

who offers

us wisdom

who can

still give

us this

eternal life

because 1st

John chapter 5

John 5:6

verse 6

says this is

he who came

by water

and blood

Jesus Christ

not by the

water only

but by the

water and

the blood

water likely

represents the

life-giving water

of the spirit

that flows

from Jesus

and blood

represents the

sin-cleansing

blood poured

out by Jesus

on the cross

and that's

why throughout

his ministry

he says

in John 4

to the

Samaritan woman

at the well

whoever drinks

of the water

that I will

give him

will never

be thirsty

again

the water

that I will

give him

will become

in him

a spring

of water

walling up

to eternal

life

Jesus

is the

ultimate

sage

the wise

person

who by

living

carefully

under the

watchful eyes

of God

gives

eternal life

to others

and Jesus

imparts

this life-giving

water

first

by living

a life

of perfect

obedience

he never

said a

false word

he always

lived under

the watchful

eyes of God