“A fool and mischief.
Proverbs 10:23-32
Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible. Prov.10:23
“The term ‘living wisely’ is relative. Some may think they are living wisely, even though we might disagree.” That’s true, so to be clear, the wisdom Solomon refers to here is wisdom from above. His point is that there are some who enjoy doing things that are contrary to the will of God (those things outlined in His Word). Solomon calls the man that enjoys doing wrong a “fool.” On the other hand, there are some who enjoy living their lives by God’s wisdom (outlined in His Word). Solomon calls the man that takes pleasure in God’s wisdom “sensible.” To further drive this home, let’s look at this verse from the New International Version. The NIV says: “A foolish person finds pleasure in doing evil things. But a man who has understanding takes delight in wisdom.”
This verse reminds me of something Paul said in the New Testament in his first letter to the church at Corinth. He said: “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things” (1st Cor 13:11). Most (if not all) of all us took pleasure in foolish things at some point in our lives. We did things that were wrong and thought they were cute, funny, or fun. We took pleasure in senseless things. Looking back it all seems so foolish, but at the time, it was enjoyable.
Paul admits that he too partook of childish and foolish things, but when he grew up, he had to leave those childish ways behind. It means that the Father expects you to grow up . He expects you to leave childish ways behind. The King James Version of this text says, “It is as sport to a fool to do mischief.” As you grow in Christ sin should no longer be a laughing matter. Later in Proverbs Solomon said, “Fools don’t care if they are wrong, but God is pleased when people do right” (14:9). Don’t be a fool. You should care when you are wrong and be determined to do all you can (with God’s help) to do right!
As you grow in Christ your desire to want to do God’s will should grow as well. There was a situation in the New Testament where Jesus sent His disciples out to get something to eat. While they were gone He ministered to a woman at a well. When they came back they offered Him some food. He told them, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.” He went on to say, “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent Me, and from finishing His work” (John 4:32,34). They were offering him natural food, but Jesus had just received a type of nourishment that natural food can never provide. He was satisfied in knowing that He had just ministered to a woman that was hurting. His words had just changed her life forever!
When you grow up in Christ you get a sense of satisfaction from doing His will. You no longer take pleasure in the foolish things you once did, but you rather focus your time, talents, and treasure on things of eternal significance.
The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted. Prov. 10:24
Fear is opposite to faith. Faith is an expression of your confidence in God and in His Word. Faith is based upon the hope that we have in God. When we find Bible Promises that line up with what we are believing God for, it adds substance to our hope (Heb 11:1). This Godly hope enables us to walk in an unrelenting confidence. Fear, on the other hand, is also a form of confidence, but it is a confidence in the negative. When you fear you are actually anticipating the negative to happen. Your confidence is not in God, but rather in what the enemy can/will do in your life. Fear opens the door to defeat; it welcomes it with open arms.
In Paul’s letter to the church at Rome he talked about an overwhelming and overcoming hope. In the 5th chapter he said, “Now this hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (5:5). We see here that part of the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to give us a hope that does not disappoint.
In the 15th chapter of the same letter Paul said, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (15:13). In this verse Paul calls God the “God of Hope,” and I love that. Furthermore, he tells us that the Holy Spirit can cause us to abound in hope and give us all joy and peace as we trust in Him! That means we can have the excitement that comes from joy and the serenity that comes from peace, while we live every day in complete and total trust, confidence and faith.
It means that you have a decision to make. The wicked don’t have a choice. They really don’t have an answer for fear. Fear – especially now – can grip their hearts and their minds and before they know it, their fears will be fulfilled. Without God, the wicked really don’t have another way and they quickly find themselves in the realm of the hopeless. However, for those of us who are believers, we should never be hopeless, because with God we are never helpless. There is a hope available to us that never disappoints. There is a hope that comes from God that never fails. Hold on to God’s hope today. With His hope in your heart you will be able to maintain joy and peace, no matter what happens in your life and our text for today says, “The hopes of the godly will be granted!”
We all face storms in life. It is unreasonable to think that we are going to live our lives without challenges, especially as a believer. Paul said, “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2nd Tim 3:12). Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Mat 16:33). It is true, we can’t get around it, in this world we will have trouble, challenges and opposition, but the good news is that as believers we can face every challenge with the expectation to come out on top! Jesus overcame the world so that we can do the same. I often say,
So the issue is not whether or not we will face storms, but rather how we will deal with them. Solomon makes it clear that the wicked are annihilated by the storms, whereas the righteous stand firm forever, having a sure foundation. Jesus taught something similar in the New Testament when He said, “So then, everyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like a wise man. He builds his house on the rock. The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. But it does not fall. It is built on the rock. But everyone who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man. He builds his house on sand. The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. And it falls with a loud crash” (Mat 7:24-27).
The wise man, Jesus says, built his house upon a rock. The foolish man built his house upon the sand. In Jesus’ lesson, what made the wise man wise? What man the foolish man foolish? The answer is: whether or not they put into practice what He taught. Both the wise man and the foolish man heard what Jesus was saying. They both received His teaching, but only one turned from information to application. By choosing to apply God’s Word, by choosing to be a doer and not just a hearer (James 1:23), we can become the wise man in Jesus’ story; we can become the righteous in Solomon’s proverb.
Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes. Prov. 10:26
Who is a sluggard? Let The Oxford English Dictionary give the sense of this word.
Sluggard.: One who is naturally or habitually slow, lazy, or idle; one who is disinclined for work or exertion; a slothful or indolent person.
A sluggard is a slow and lazy person. Instead of being energetic, fast, and diligent, they dawdle through life in first or second gear without a godly sense of urgency. Paul knew the Cretians were this way, so he told Titus to rebuke the “slow bellies” (Titus 1:12-13).
Sluggards do not have a sense of urgency (Pr 6:6); they love to sleep (Pr 6:9-11); sluggards want more without the effort to get it (Pr 13:4); they are defeated by minor hindrances (Pr 20:4); and the sluggard always has reasons to excuse himself (Pr 26:16).
In Matthew chapter 25 is a story about a master (a business man) who gave three of his servants (his employees) sums of money to ‘work’ while he was gone. Jesus said, “To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey” (v.15). Notice that he did not give them what they could not handle. He gave them their sums “according” to the their ability. It would be unrighteous to expect someone to do what you know they are incapable of performing, so this employer assigned tasks in accordance with the ability of his employees. He wanted to set them up for success.
The one that received five talents doubled the money, the one who received two doubled the money as well, but the one who received one did nothing with it. He buried it. He basically sat on it. He was unproductive. Verse 19 says, “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.” Notice that the employer gave them ample time to complete their tasks. He was not unreasonable at all. He simply expected them to do, what he had adequately equipped them to do. When the man with five talents and the one with two both told their employer that they doubled the money, the employer was obviously happy. He said, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (v.23). He basically promoted them.
However, the third employee did not get the same promotion. The employer was very upset and called this man wicked and lazy. He told him that the least he could have done was to put the money in the bank, so that it could collect interest. By burying it in the ground he did not even do that. The employer then took the money from the lazy employee and gave it to the one who had 10 talents of money. God is pleased with duplication/multiplication, but not stagnation/ conservation. The man with one talent did not lose it, but he did not do anything with it either!
As a believer you are called to make a positive impact – to add value – everywhere you go, but you cannot do that if you are lazy.
If you respect the LORD, you will live longer; if you keep doing wrong, your life will be cut short. Prov. 10:27
The Bible has a great deal to say about God’s desire for us to live long and prosperous lives. The Father desires that we maximize our purpose and potential in the earth. He has plans for us (Jer 29:11) and He will do all that He can to help us to fulfill those plans. But since He has made us free morale agents, we have a role to play. He wants to operate in our lives, but we must cooperate with Him. If we do not, we hinder Him from giving us His best and we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Back in chapter 3 (of Proverbs), God through Solomon said, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity” (verses 1,2). That is about as plain as it can be. The Father’s teaching, when properly applied, will add length and quality to our lives – period! He went on to say, “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold… Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor” (verses 13,14, and 16). Long life is in the hand of Lady Wisdom.
When we receive, believe, and apply her teaching, we will enjoy the benefits of living long and strong! In chapter 9 he said, “Respect and obey the Lord This is the beginning of wisdom. To have understanding, you must know the Holy God. "I am Wisdom. If you follow me, you will live a long time” (verses 10,11). What’s the insinuation? If you follow Godly wisdom – God’s way of doing things – you will live a long time. But what if you don’t? Then you obviously will not and it won’t be God’s fault. And finally, let’s look at the 91st Psalm. The last few verses say, “The Lord says, I will rescue those who love Me. I will protect those who trust in My name. When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them My salvation” (Psalm 91:14-16). A long life is a reward for them that trust in the Father; who live their lives by His instruction. Isn’t this what you want?
On the other hand, the Lord through Solomon, says that our life will be cut short if we keep doing wrong. If we ignore God’s commands, if we forsake His wisdom, we are only being a detriment to ourselves. Solomon’s Father (David) said, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. But you, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you” (Psalm 55:22,23).
I hope the message is clear. It means that the Father desires for you to live long and strong! However, you have a say in the matter. He has given you His instruction and if you apply it, you will enjoy the benefits of it. But if you don’t, if you ignore Him, if you choose to reject His wisdom, then you will have to deal with the consequences.
Those who do right can expect joy. But the hopes of sinners are bound to fail. Prov.10:28
One of the greatest reasons why we, as believers, can maintain our hope is because it is fueled by joy! Solomon tells us that we can expect joy. We can operate in eternal joy, whereas the best the world has to offer is happiness.
Happiness is contingent upon circumstances. If our circumstances are good, we can be happy. If our circumstances are bad, we can be sad.
That being the case, we can see how fragile and fickle happiness – or the pursuit of it – can be. Joy, on the other hand, is not happiness. Joy is a state of being. In Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia he told us that joy is fruit of the Spirit (5:22). The Holy Spirit Himself, God’s presence in us, enables us to operate in His supernatural joy. This joy includes the blissful benefits of happiness, but it is not limited to circumstances. Therefore, we (as believers) can be joyful, even when my circumstances don’t allow us to be happy.
A good way to explain this is to point out something Paul said to the church at Philippi when they were facing tough challenges. Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). Look at what Paul told them to do. He instructed them to rejoice. This word (re-joice) literally means to tap back into your joy. Since Joy is a fruit of the Spirit and the Holy Spirit lives in us, we can always tap into His joy. His joy is available to us every minute of every day. The same is not true with happiness. If something good happens and I get happy about it, but when that happiness wears out that good feeling is over. Happiness is temporary, where joy is an everlasting well. The world can never re-happy, but we can always re-joice!
Your hope – birthed from your relationship with God – should provide the fuel for your fire, the spring in your step, the song in your heart, and the air beneath your wings. You have a hope that sinners wish they had. Paul writing to the church at Rome said, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (5:1,2).
The way of the LORD is a refuge for the blameless, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land. (Prov.10:29,30)
The term “The way of the Lord,” is a reference to God’s way of doing things. This entire series has been about learning to do things God’s way. So many people want to know God’s will for this or for that, but these same people walk around with a Bible in the their hands. God’s Word is God’s will documented in the Bible He has blessed us to have 66 Books full of His wisdom – a roadmap for righteousness. The Father has ensured that we have access to all His commands for a holy life. . But therein lies what Solomon is talking to us about today
Solomon tells us that “The way of the Lord” is literally a refuge for the blameless. Other translations say that it is a stronghold or a strong tower. Think about it. When you know you are living right, when you can stand before God with the confidence of knowing that you are at peace with Him, and when you know He can search your heart and find His Word there, you can enter His presence every day with holy boldness. You know who you are and whose you are!
You have read God’s Word and applied it in your life .. You believe Him to be your rock, your strong tower, your deliverer, your protection, your shield, and a hedge that no enemy can penetrate. With that type of confidence, what do you have to be afraid of? But the good news does not stop there. Not only does the Father promise us outward protection, but He also promises us inner peace. When you walk with God you believe that He will give you a sound mind, a stable psyche, a well of everlasting joy, and a peace that cannot be shaken.
Yes, walking in the way of the Lord is awesome. It is God’s best for our lives. But then Solomon tells us that the same “Way of the Lord” is the ruin of those who do evil. What is a promise to the believer becomes judgment to the unbeliever. For example, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). This is an awesome promise to the believer.
For those of us that receive and believe the Words of Jesus this scripture tells us that: 1) we have eternal life,
2) we will not be condemned, and
3) we have (already) crossed over from death to life.
That is awesome news for those of us who have accepted Jesus, but it is not for those who reject Him. Another good example is John 3:16 (the most famous verse in the Bible). In John 3:16 tells us that whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish, but has everlasting life. That is great news for the believer, but it is a word of judgment for those that refuse to accept Him.
The mouths of those who do right produce wisdom. But tongues that speak twisted words will be cut out. Prov. 10:31,32.
Those who do right know the proper thing to say. But those who do wrong speak only twisted words.
Solomon contrasts the words of the righteous with the words of the wicked. He explains that the righteous – those whose hearts are filled with God’s love and His Word – use their lips to build up and not tear down. They know what to say and when to say it. Their words are used to bless and not curse. However, the tongues of the wicked speak twisted words. They use their lips to stir up strife, to cause division, to defame, slander and curse. Later on in Proverbs Solomon makes this ever so clear when he said, “Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim” (Prov 15:4 MSG). How will you use your mouth today? Will you use it to heal and help or to wound and maim? But remember, you will reap whatever so sow!
This reminds me of something Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Ephesus. He said, “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it” (Eph 4:29 AMP).
In this chapter Paul starts out by teaching on unity in the Body of Christ and he ends it by teaching us how different our lives are supposed to be now, as believers. Paul tells us to no longer live as those that live without God. He explains that unbelievers are darkened in their understanding; they live as those who have hardened hearts. These are people who give themselves over to sensuality and who indulge in impurity. Paul then urges us to “put off” our old selves and our former way of life.
When we are Born-Again in Christ we become new people (spiritually), but we still live in our old body and we still – at that point – have our old mind. So this new man, in an old body, needs a new mind (a new way of seeing things). Paul’s point is that there should be a difference between a believer and a sinner; there should be a distinction between those of us who have been covered by the blood of Jesus and those that have not. Paul then gets into practical differences. He teaches us to stop lying and to speak the truth (in love) to one another. He teaches us that if we do get angry, that we should still not sin and that we should never go to sleep angry because it can give the devil a foothold. Paul says, “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” And then, in the middle of all the teaching on the differences between believers and non-believers, between sinners and saints, Paul gets to the difference that should be obvious in our speech. Our speech, just like everything else Paul lists in this chapter, must be renewed and made to align with the newness of our lives in Christ.
It means that your mind must be renewed concerning your words. As a believer, it’s not OK to go around putting people down on a regular basis. It’s not OK to break someone down without ever building them back up. It’s not OK to focus on abstaining from what people call “major sins,” but neglecting to ever focus on the importance and the impact of your words. Your words can either help or hurt; they can build up or tear down; how do you think God wants you to use your words today?
