Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Pr 21.1 and following. Indeed, manypeople think they have left God by offering Him from time to time the “sacrifice” of some good works. They claim to redeem themselves from a life of sin by observing certain religious forms. Fatal illusion! Only one thing is pleasing to Jehovah: the habitual practice of what is just and right (verse 3), but it is within the reach only of the righteous, that is, of the one whom God has made such by justifying it. Until his conversion, every man is characterized by his wicked heart. His intimate desires are turned to evil; he is his own center and has neither real love for neighbor (verse 10) nor true pity for the unfortunate (verse 13). These feelings can sometimes be counterfeited by carnal kindness, or confused with a certain natural sensitivity (an unbeliever may have a “good heart” or be signaled by his righteousness: verse 2). In fact, true good has its source only in God and has had its perfect fulfillment only in Christ. Verse 12 brings us back to Him. He was the Righteous par excellence (Job 34:17) and as such He alone has the right to judge (John 5:26-30). He carefully considers the house of the wicked, and if He truly sees no repentance in it, He will turn it down in misfortune (verse 12, Ps 37:34-36).
The heart of a king, in the hand of the Lord, is streams of water; he inclines him to whatever pleases him (v. 1): This passage completes the series of sentences that concern the king in the previous chapter. It seems to apply more directly to Solomon. He speaks of a king whose heart is in the hand of Jehovah who directs him at will to carry the blessing wherever that hand inclines him. God entrusted power to the king. What use will he make of it if this power is not combined with dependence? Every blessing comes from this attitude. This does not exclude the thought that the worst king may become, against his will, a source of refreshment for his people, God bowing his heart as he pleases.
Every way of man is straight in his eyes, but the Lord weighs hearts (v. 2; Pr 16:2): God is not influenced by what man thinks of himself, for man always makes a favorable judgment on his own ways; He who weighs hearts knows much better than man the secret motives that make him act. Practicing what is right and just is something more pleasing to Jehovah than a sacrifice (v. 3): We find in other passages than obedience (1 Sam. 15:22), righteousness, goodness, humility (Micah 6:8), a broken spirit (Ps. 51:19), that is, the state of the heart, are worth more in God’s eyes than sacrifices. Here it is righteousness and justice in walking, a characteristic subject of Proverbs.
The elevation of the eyes, and a swollen heart, the lamp of the wicked, is sin (v. 4): Pride and the desire to rise, such is the lamp that directs the way of the wicked. This is called sin. Sin, seen at its origin, is precisely with independence the desire to rise; it is, like Adam, to be esteemed “as an object to be delighted to be equal to God” (Phil. 2:6). The thoughts of a diligent man lead only to abundance; but every dizzy person runs only to scarcity (v. 5): If the previous verses have spoken to us of dependence, practical justice and humility, here we find diligence which, led by reflection, leads to abundance. It is temporally and morally the opposite of laziness, of which these chapters have amply maintained us; but here it is contrasted with the dizziness that can have an air of diligence, but lacks reflection and only results in lacking everything. Apply this truth to spiritual circumstances and activity in service, you will come to the same conclusion.
Acquiring treasures by a false language is a fleeting vanity of those who seek death (v. 6): Sinful men think they arrive at this abundance (v. 5) by lying. They do not suspect that in seeking to acquire treasures by this means, they seek death, a pledge of their falsehood, so that all their coveted or acquired wealth will ultimately be only a breath, a vapor that passes. The devastation of the wicked carries them away, for they refuse to practice what is right (v. 7): Every violent way will disappear with the wicked who practice it; only the right way remains and the judgment does not reach. The way of a guilty man is hijacked, but the work of the pure one is right (v. 8): The heart of man manifests itself in his ways. Always the culprit has a tortuous path; always there will be righteousness in the activity of one who is pure of heart. Let us note, by the way, that the Word always presents purity to us as the result of purification. Better to live on the corner of a roof, than a quarrelsome woman and a house in common (vs. 9, 19; Pr 19:13; Pr 27:15). The question of his associations is of great importance to the son of Wisdom. It is better to remain solitary, in a meeting place that does not belong to you, than to contract a union, offering material advantages, with a woman who seeks quarrels and thus destroys the peace of the house. Believers will never find peace in the benefits that the world offers them through marriage.
The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor does not find favor in his eyes (v. 10): Here we return to what is in the depths of the heart. If man is wicked – and, as we have noticed before, the world is made up of two classes of people, the wicked and the righteous – how would his heart desire good? How would he like his neighbor? The parable of the Good Samaritan answers him. When one punishes the mocker, the simple becomes wise; and when the wise is taught he receives knowledge.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
Continuation of the proverbs on the moral life:
- Divine hand, on men, to bless them
2 Ch 30:12 In Judah too the hand of God unfolded to give them the same heart and to have them carry out the command of the king and the chiefs, according to the word of Jehovah. Ps 37:24 If he falls, he is not defeated, for the Lord takes his hand. Ps 104:28 You give it to them, and they collect it; You open your hand, and they satiate themselves with goods. John 10:28 I give them eternal life; and they will never perish, and no one will delight them from my hand.
- Sovereignty of God, general references
Ps 29:10 The Lord was on His throne during the flood; The Lord on His throne reigns eternally. Mt 6:13 do not induce us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For it is to you that the reign, power and glory belong in all the centuries. Amen! Acts 17:24 The God who made the world and all that is in it, being the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in man-made temples; Rom 9:19 You will say to me: Why does he blame again? For who is it that resists his will?
- Unfair gain
Pr 16:8 Better with justice than great incomes with injustice. Jer 22:13 Woe to him who builds his house by injustice, and his rooms by iniquity; Who makes his neighbor work without paying him, without giving him his salary; Ez 22:13 Behold, I clap my hands because of the greed you have had, and the blood that has been shed in your midst. John 5:4 Behold, the wages of the workers who have harvested your fields, and of whom you have frustrated them, cry out, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
- Condemned hardness of heart
Ps 95:8 Do not harden your heart, as in Meriba, as in the day of Massa, in the wilderness, Pr 28:14 Blessed is the man who is continually in fear! But he who hardens his heart falls into misfortune. Rom 2:5 But, by your hardening and by your unrepentant heart, you amasse a treasure trove of wrath for the day of wrath and the manifestation of God’s righteous judgment, Hb 3:13 But exhort one another every day, as long as one can say: Today! that none of you may harden by the seduction of sin.
From all the above, we note that there is no wisdom, and there is no intelligence, and there is no counsel, in the presence of the Lord. This maxim is the total ruin of all man’s claims to wisdom and all that depends on it. “It is written, ‘I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I shall nullify the intelligence of the intelligent’ (1 Cor. 1:19). Wisdom, strength, counsel, intelligence are with Jehovah alone (Job 12:13). The cross, folly for the wise and intelligent of the world, is the wisdom of God and the power of God. The children of wisdom themselves possess it only because they have been born by it, but, as this whole book demonstrates, they can only realize it by being constantly under its teaching. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is to Jehovah (v. 31; Ps 33:17). It is neither the advice nor the prudence of man that delivers. The force regulated by man’s foresight can be prepared in advance. Nothing is left to chance, the battle being planned. What good will all this be to deliver man, if God does not intervene? In chapter 10 begin the details that indicate to the one who listens to it, how one can avoid the traps where the simple could fall, the procedure to be followed in many circumstances, and the consequences of the actions of men; in a word, what in detail characterizes wisdom, what can be prudence for man and divine discretion for the children of God, and also, the fruit of God’s government, whatever appearances may be for a time. It is worth noting that this is neither redemption nor propitiation in this book; but that he proposes a walk in accordance with the wisdom of God’s government. There is a lot of follow-up in this chapter. These verses tell us about the state of the heart and its results, for good or ill, in the ways of man; then present to us the contrast between the just and the wicked and God’s ways toward the latter. But also rather the contrast between wisdom with the virtues that flow from it, and the plans of the wicked. What is most striking is the way in which thoughts are linked. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to react to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “Continuation of proverbs on the moral life (Pr 22).
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.