Treasures Of Wickedness Profit Nothing

Introduction: Making A Name

In the mid-1800s, Texas rancher Samuel Augustus Maverick refused to brand his cattle. When neighboring cowboys came upon a calf without a brand, they called it a “maverick.” The word entered the English language and came to refer to a person who takes an independent stand and refuses to conform.

Other names have become words that describe a person’s character and behavior: Judas and Benedict Arnold both mean “traitor.” An Einstein is a genius, while a Solomon is a wise man.

Few of our names will become part of a language, but they signify who we are and how we have lived—today and for generations to come. Solomon said, “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot. . . . He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known” (Proverbs 10:7,9).

When we think of someone we know and admire, the words we associate with that person’s name are usually the character traits we’d like to have as well. Honesty, generosity, and love often head the list. We see these in our Lord Jesus Christ, who allows us as Christians to bear His name.

Today, the Lord wants to work in us to make our name one that points to Him.

Source: David C. McCasland, ODB.org

Thesis: Treasures Of Wickedness Profit Nothing, But Righteousness Delivers From Death.

I. Wisdom Compared to Folly 1-3

A. The Wisdom/Folly Of A Family Man 1

1 ¶ The Proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

1. Proverbs 10.1 begins the second section of the book of Proberbs.

a. If you have the kind of Bible that is furnished with paragraph markers, you will notice that there are fourteen paragraph markers in the fifteen verses we are going to consider tonight.

b. Normally, that would mean there are fourteen paragraphs and fourteen points to this sermon.

c. Catch your breath!

d. I am just letting you know that we will be looking at short pity, semi-unrelated sentences for quite a while (through chapter 25)

2. Let us look at our family man:

a. He is the son of his father AND mother.

i. Some would say that if our family man turns out well, it is because he had a good father.

ii. Some would say that if our family man turns out poorly, it is because he had a bad mother.

iii. That is NOT the interpretation of verse 1.

b. Rather we should look at Mom and Dad as a unit.

i. A wise son is a joy to both.

ii. A foolish son is a grief to both.

3. Let us move from the family man with this last thought.

a. Good family men come from:

i. Good two parent homes

ii. Good single parent homes

iii. Bad two parent homes.

iv. Bad single parent homes.

b. Bad family men:

i. Good two parent homes

ii. Good single parent homes

iii. Bad two parent homes.

iv. Bad single parent homes.

c. What are you trying to say?

i. Sometimes, whether or not a child grows into a good man or a bad man is in spite of rather than because of his parents.

ii. We all know of siblings who are polar opposites (one good – one bad) but they have the same parents.

B. The Wisdom/Folly Of A Businessman 2

2 ¶ Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death.

1. Over and over in this book and in THE BOOK, God warns against the treasures of the wicked.

a. Solomon warned his children against running to shed innocent blood.

b. Solomon warned his children against throwing their lot in with the wicked.

c. Solomon warned his children against having a heart that devised evil.

2. On the other hand

a. Solomon encouraged his children in the way of righteousness – no death.

b. Solomon encouraged his children in the way of righteousness – much treasure.

c. Solomon encouraged his children in the way of righteousness – no death.

d. Both the wise and the foolish die

i. The foolish leaves his wealth to others.

ii. The wise dispenses and disperses his wealth will yet living.

C. The Wisdom/Folly Of A Spiritual Man 3

3 The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked.

1. When I read this verse, my mind immediately jumped to the Psalms – in particular a Psalm of David.

“I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.”

—Psalms 37:25

2. There is no way for me to prove what I am about to suggest to you.