INTEGRITY
PROVERBS 11: 3
A person of integrity has the blessing of the Lord. To have integrity is to be consistently and predictably honest in your dealings and relationships. It is a noble thing to be known as a person of integrity. It means being willing to do what is right-even if it costs you. It means doing what is right-even if no one sees your actions.
There was a time when maintaining one’s integrity was as important as breathing. However, the word integrity has almost vanished from the vocabulary of modern Americans. Its meaning is a mystery to most people. In a day when morals are crumbling around us, the call to Christians to live with integrity is a critical and challenging one. It requires the willingness to stand alone. Yet no one ever stands alone who stands for God. God stands with him. God sees integrity and blesses it.
We have already touch on integrity earlier in our study of Proverbs (2:7; 2:21; 3:3-4; 4:25-27). Integrity is a key term in Job [Job 1:1, 8; 2:3; 12:4]. Will he keep it and why will he keep his integrity are the question Job asks and answers. The Hebrew term sometimes translated integrity means "completeness, whole, sound, without spot-blemish, unimpaired, upright, innocent, full or unreserved submission, entirely in accord with truth and fact, without deceit, guile or duplicity." You’ll notice as we progress through our study that the word for integrity will also be translated blameless and upright. Let us open our heart and learn that the true way is always the best way (CIM).
The first theme verse is Proverbs10:9. A person of integrity walk before or lives for the Lord, not men. "He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out."
An honest person is secure (a similar thought in 3:23; 18:10; 28:18) in his walk (his conduct) but a person whose paths are crooked (lit. "twisted"), whose conduct is wicked, eventually will be discovered for what he truly is. In contrast a person of integrity will find that the Omnipotent guards his way.
Proverbs 11:3 refer to the value of righteousness in guiding and protecting from disaster. "The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them."
Integrity (translated "blameless" in Job 1:1, 8; 2:3; 12:4; Prov. 11:20 etc.) refers to moral wholeness, being without moral blemish. When integrity is a way of life, it guides like a shepherd. Duplicity is the contrasting characteristic which brings destruction. [The noun selep is used only here and in 15:4 ("deceitful"); the related verb slap means "to pervert, subvert, or overturn." It is rendered "overthrows" in 13:6 and "frustrates" in 22:12.] [Walvoord, John; Zuck, Roy. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983, S. 928]
Proverbs 11:5 teaches that integrity keeps us on the straight path. "The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, but the wicked will fall by his own wickedness" (NASB).
Righteous living results in a straight way (3:5-6), a life with fewer obstacles and troubles (11:8), but wickedness leads to a person’s downfall.
Proverbs 11:20 contrasts how God looks at the life of the blameless and the perverse. "The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, but the blameless (Ps 119:1) in their walk are His delight" (NASB).
The Lord detests perverse (‘iqq, means crooked or distorted; 2:15) attitudes and actions. On the other hand the Lord takes delight in those who are morally whole (blameless; translated integrity in 11:3) and are truthful (12:22).
Proverbs 13:6 indicates righteous living guards those with integrity. "Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, but wickedness subverts the sinner" (NASB).
Again righteous, wise living guards or protects a person (13:3; 2:11; 4:6; 12:21). Wicked, unwise living offers no protection to the sinner. He is easily overthrown.
Proverbs 15:21 probes where we find our gaiety. "Folly is joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight [in integrity]"(NASB).
An wise understanding person walks in integrity or straight by understanding God’s Word. May our joy be in God’s wisdom and not our own folly.
Proverbs 19:1 challenges our idea of success. "Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool."
The verse simply states the wretchedness of the person whose habits of speaking ("lips") are "perverse" (twisted or crooked). "Better" off and of more good to society is the one who is "poor" and yet makes a practice ("walks") of "integrity" (wholeness, completeness) in deed and word. Impure, meanly intended, slanderous speech is a hallmark of a "fool"—a far worse lot than poverty.
[The power of the comparison expressed in this "better" saying is found in the importance which the teachers attached to prosperity (see ch. 10 for the exhortations to hard work as escape from poverty and ch. 19 for their teaching on the advantages of wealth). They encouraged their students to be generous to the poor (see ch. 11) and to re member God’s concern for the poor as the One who created them (see ch. 16), but they never urged their disciples to admire or emulate the poor. Yet they esteemed poverty as sheer blessing if the alter native was the folly of corrupt speech. In form, 19:1 bears a close resemblance to 28:6, but there the comparison is between the poor wise person and the rich fool.] [Hubbard, David. The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol 15 : Proverbs. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1989, S. 280.]
Proverbs 20:7 refer to the blessed result of a life of integrity. "A righteous man who walks in his integrity— How blessed are his sons after him" (NASB).
Usually a righteous man, a person who consistently behaves right and is blameless (morally whole; 2:7; 10:9), has children who are blessed. His children, seeing his example of integrity, are encouraged to be the same kind of people. Abraham is a prime example (Gen. 17: 1,2,7).
This challenge to integrity should be accepted by every Christian parent so that they might help establish a godly legacy.
Proverbs 28:6 again reveals the paradoxical success of integrity. "Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is crooked [perverse] though he be rich" (NASB).
[This verse is almost identical to 19:1, except that there a fool’s "lips" (words) are perverse, whereas in 28:6 a rich man’s ways are said to be perverse (‘iqq, "twisted"). Perhaps this suggests that a perverse rich man is a fool.] It is better to be poor (r s, "destitute"; 28:3, 27) and honest (blameless, "morally whole"; 2:7, 21; 11:5; 28:10, 18) than to be rich and wicked. The Hebrew is clear enough to make its point effectively: Integrity outshines folly no matter what the economic status of the person may be. [This is the last of the 19 better . . . than proverbs (12:9)]. [Walvoord, & Zuck. P. 965.]
Proverbs 28:10 assures that the person of integrity ultimately prevails. "He who leads the upright astray in an evil way will himself fall into his own pit, But the blameless will inherit good" (NASB).
One who causes the righteous to sin will be trapped by his own devices (1:18; 26:27). In contrast, the blameless (28:6, 18) will be enriched. The wicked who lead others astray are suddenly trapped and die, but the righteous live on and receive their parents’ inheritance. [Mt 6:33; Heb 6:12; 1 Pet 3:9]. See 1 Peter 1:4.
Proverbs 28:18 reveals the deliverance that results from a life of integrity. "He who walks blamelessly will be delivered, but he who is crooked will fall all at once" (NASB).
A blameless life (walk) brings safety and salvation (1:33; 3:23; 18:10; 28:26), but a person whose ways are perverse or hypocritical (from ‘qa, "to twist"; the adjective ‘iqq in v. 6; 2:15) will suddenly fall. [Similar statements are given in 10:9; 28:10.] The crooked may seem to be have earthy advantages such as riches and success yet it is but shadow and vanity. Those who walk with the presence of God, in the light of His Word will at length find sanctification and eternal reward. The walk of conscious integrity will deliver us from the fool’s gold of earth and lead us into the way of God’s mercy and grace.
Proverbs 29:10 contrasts the concern for life of the violent with men of integrity. "Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, but the upright are concerned for his life" (NASB).
Honest people are hated by the aggressive violent, [who would prefer killing the honest so they could not testify against the wicked in court]. Isn’t this what Cain did to his brother Abel (Gen. 4:9)? [Again, integrity is often translated "blameless" (28:6, 10, 18)].
IN CONCLUSION
Aligning our life to God’s Word will result in spiritual growth, more meaningful relationships and fewer long-term problems. It is also how we develop integrity or become blameless before God.
Integrity and sensitivity are indispensable requirements for those who would serve well in positions of leadership. Talent and skill, brilliance and alertness, eloquence and energy are not enough. The problem is not just getting work done but the justice with which we live, work, and build relationships.
