Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Pr 10.1 and following. Indeed, from this chapter, Proverbs is presented as a series of successive sentences inspired by Wisdom. It is not always easy to grasp the order or to identify the main thoughts. The first serves as a general introduction: “A wise son rejoices his father.” It is completed by Pr 23:24-25: “The father of the righteous will have much joy…” (Pr 15.20; Pr 17:21-25; Pr 29.3). Let us think of our parents’ satisfaction when we show these characters of righteousness and wisdom according to God. But let’s rise at the same time higher to admire the Son whose excellent wisdom made the continual joys of his Father. Not only in past eternity, but also on His way on earth (Pr 4:1-6; Mt 3:13-17; Mt 17.1-8).
The following verses show us in detail how a wise son honors and rejoices his father: Practical righteousness in activity (verses 4:5), in walking (verse 9), in words (verses 11, 13, 14), this is what Jesus manifested, and what infinitely rejoiced the Father’s heart (John 8:28-30). It is in particular by his language that a righteous man is recognized (Mt 26:69-75). Are we paying enough attention to that? Absence of rude words, inappropriate or foolish words (Eph 4:29-30; Eph 5:3-5). If we are used to saying everything that crosses our minds, it is to us that verses 19 and 20 are addressed. But “the language of the just is chosen money.” It filters out impurities and only lets through what has value. The believer’s heart contains two sources that flow through the same exit from our lips (Jac 3:1-12): The fountain of life (verse 11; John 4:13-14), able to graze many (verse 21). And the impure source of our flesh that deafens all evil thoughts (Matthew 15:10-20; Pr 12.18). The teaching of Wisdom will teach us to speak as if to be silent (read the prayer in Ps 141:1-4).
The fate of the righteous and that of the ungodly are compared in verses 24 to 30. The wicked man has a fear (verse 24); it is not that of the Lord, but a vague and superstitious terror, with death in the background for which he is not prepared (Job 15:20-26). How different is the Christian’s share! For the present life, God grants him his righteous desires (verse 24). And as for the future, his heart is rejoiced by a blessed expectation (verse 28). For awise son rejoices his father, but a foolish son (foolish) is the sorrow of his mother. This verse is initial and serves as an introduction, not only to this chapter, but to all subsequent chapters. We find there the characters of the son, placed under the teaching of the parents who communicate to him the fruit of their experience. The son is always considered to be in a known relationship with Jehovah, and the wicked man can never claim that relationship. The son can be wise or foolish (Hebrew: Kesil) (or foolish, even though this term “foolish” (Kesil) is usually applied to those who are entirely alien to any relationship with Jehovah, hence our “foolish” translation when it comes to that relationship). Our relationship with God as a son, or our relationship with our parents who represent God in His government, do not deliver us from the traps of the world or the characters of the flesh in our own hearts. Now these characters are natural, constant and invariable in all those who are not sons of wisdom, for all are in the flesh, while for the son the flesh in him can be tamed or silenced by instruction and discipline.
There may be, depending on the character shown by the son, joy or sorrow in the relationship with his parents and the sorrow is all the more profound as the solicitude and love (represented here by the mother) have been quicker to manifest themselves. What insensitivity the heart of the son has, when he grieves love. The lips of the righteous feed many, but the fools will die for lack of meaning (v. 21). The words of the righteous are food for many. So it was with Christ, and every believer can follow in His footsteps. It is not only that these words have an intrinsic life as in v. 20, but they bring or maintain life in many. Fools are the only ones who don’t take advantage of it, who don’t want it, who reject this food. So death is their definite part. Jehovah’s blessing is what enriches, and He adds no pain to it (v. 22).
The preceding verses have spoken to us of riches, of money chosen, of food brought by the lips of the righteous, but we must not forget that all these blessings come directly from the Lord and that the instruments he uses are not the source. These blessings are gratuitous, and the Lord has not ruled upon any penalty or condition for acquiring them. It is like a joke for the fool to commit a crime, but wisdom is for the intelligent man (v. 23). To commit an evil deed is for the foolish, for the ignorant who attributes no value to the knowledge of God’s thoughts, a transient and inconsequential thing, like a joke: putting wisdom into action does not cost the intelligent man any more. What the wicked man fears happens to him, but god grants the desire of the righteous (v. 24). The villain is always haunted by the fear of some misfortune. Hence the superstitions of which the world is filled. The misfortune he fears affects him. When the righteous have a desire, it is in accordance with God’s will and thoughts; otherwise they would not be righteous. The wicked fears evil and it happens to him; the righteous desire the good and it is granted to him.
As the whirlwind passes, so the villain is no more; but the just is a foundation forever (v. 25). To conclude the order of thought presented in the preceding verses, this verse compares the end of the wicked with the eternal duration of the righteous. The first passes like in a whirlwind. “How destroyed they are in a moment!” said the Psalmist. “The heavens will pass with a whistling sound of storm” and how will the wicked subsist in the midst of the universal conflagration? The just, on the other hand, is an established foundation forever. Isn’t this true of Christ? He is the stone of the angle, and like living stones we are built forever on Him. What vinegar is to the teeth, and the smoke to the eyes, such is the sloth for those who send it. This verse takes up the subject of laziness already mentioned at the beginning of this chapter (vs. 4-5), but does not seem to be related to the verses that immediately precede it. He tells us of an activity for which man is destined. He has a mission, a job to do in this world. Everyone must do it, some to send the workers and the latter to do the work. If they carry out their task lazy, the whole work is compromised. What, then, is the energy of those who run it used? What a shame for them! What annoyance, what irritation the laziness of one of the parts produces, compromising all the results of the work! Don’t we have an example of this in the case of the servant to whom a talent had been entrusted (Matt 25:24-30)?
The fear of Jehovah adds days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened (v. 27). Until the end of chapter 9, we have seen what the fear of the Lord is, what it consists of (1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10); here we see what it does: “She adds days.” Not to fear the Lord, not to give him in our life the place that is due to him, exposes us to discipline, to punishment, to see our life shortened, our career interrupted before the end; fearing it adds days. This truth is related to God’s government on earth, for our heavenly character introduces us into a completely different sphere than this. The “length of days” is not for the Christian here on earth, but God’s government remains and the fear of God carries this extension for the righteous. On the contrary, the years of the bad guys are shortened. This will be seen vividly in the millennium. This verse brings us back to the opposition between the just and the wicked, a key subject of this chapter. The expectation of the righteous is a joy, but the hope of the wicked will perish (v. 28). What the righteous expect is in contrast to what the wicked fear in v. 24. It is not only that the expectation of the righteous will not be deceived, but it is a current joy, actuality full of happiness for their souls. The wicked hope that good will happen to them once, but they have only the sterile hope that perishes like their years (v. 27) like themselves (v. 25).
The way of Jehovah is the force for man of integrity, but it is the ruin for the workers of iniquity (v. 29). The man of integrity, perfect, who reproduces the character of the Lord, also has before him “the way of the Lord” to walk there. Christ followed this path in perfection. This man’s character and path are both divine, both agree. What is surprising that this is the path of strength as in Psalm 84? But it is also the path to security. But what will the way of Jehovah produce if it encounters the workers of iniquity whose character is entirely opposed to it? From this opposition will result their ruin, for God cannot bear iniquity.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
Collection of various maxims:
- Parental joy (feelings and emotions of parents)
Pr 15:20 A wise son delights his father, and a foolish man despises his mother. Pr 29:3 A man who loves wisdom rejoices his father, but he who frequents prostitutes dissipates his good. Luke 15:23-24 Bring the fat calf, and kill it. Let us eat and rejoice; for my son, here he is, was dead, and he came back to life; he was lost, and he is found. And they began to rejoice.
- Righteousness ordered
Dt 4:24 For Jehovah your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God. Hos 10:12 Sow according to righteousness, reap according to mercy, clear a new field for yourself! It is time to seek the Lord, until He comes, and pours out righteousness for you. Mt 5:20 For, I tell you, if your righteousness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Eph 6:14 Stand firm, therefore: have truth in your loins as a belt; put on the armor of righteousness;
- Fall of the wicked, prophesied
Pr 11:5 The righteousness of man of integrity smoothes his way, but the wicked fall by his wickedness. Ec 10:8 He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who knocks down a wall will be bitten by a serpent. Jer 6:15 They will be confused, for they commit abominations; They do not blush, they do not know shame; That is why they will fall with those who fall, They will be overthrown when I chastise them, says the Lord. Jer 8:4 Tell them: Thus saith the Lord: Do we fall without getting up? Or do we turn away without coming back?
- Mouth of the righteous
Ps 37:30 The mouth of the righteous announces wisdom, and his tongue proclaims righteousness. Pr 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a source of life, but violence covers the mouths of the wicked. Rom 15:6 that all together, with one mouth, you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rev 14:5 and in their mouths there has been no lie, for they are irreprehensible.
From all the above, we note that the righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not inhabit the land (v. 30). V. 25 has already shown the just as “a foundation forever.” How good it is to repeat in the presence of the terrors of imminent ruin (v. 29)! This security is that of the millennium, in contrast to the fate of the wicked who will not be able to dwell in the land of Israel. The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be entrenched (v. 31). This verse relates to v. 21. The righteous (this is the state of the heart) produces (this is activity) through his mouth (the exit door of the heart) wisdom (the expression of all God’s thoughts). But what will remain of the one who expressed perversity? The lips of the righteous know what is pleasant, but the mouth of the wicked is only perverse (v.32). The righteous who has only the Lord in sight and of whom He is the only object, knows, for having savored them himself, what are the discourses pleasing to God and to men, and these discourses always have Christ as their subject. The mouths of the wicked who feed at the source of their hearts can only express perversity. It is remarkable to see how in this chapter everything is linked, not according to the logic of men, but according to the thoughts of God that are revealed to the wise and intelligent. We will be able to see the same fact in the following. The character of the son of wisdom is established in the first place and serves the intelligence of the whole chapter; moreover, it is the main subject of Proverbs. Then this chapter speaks in particular of the righteous opposite to the wicked, of their respective ways, of the state of their hearts which manifests itself especially outside by their words, and then of the end of both of them. On the other hand, we find in this chapter, in general principles, the characteristics of the flesh and those of the life of God, which can be applied both to the believer himself, and to the two families, of the righteous and the wicked, opposed to each other in the world. 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 “Collections of various maxims (Pr 11).
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.