17 He is in the way of life that keepeth
instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth. 18 He that hideth hatred with
lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. 19 In the multitude of
words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. 20 The
tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little
worth. 21 The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of
wisdom. 22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow
with it. 23 It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding
hath wisdom. 24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire
of the righteous shall be granted. 25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the
wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation. 26 As vinegar
to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send
him. 27 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall
be shortened. 28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the
expectation of the wicked shall perish. 29 The way of the LORD is strength to
the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. 30 The
righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
31 The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be
cut out. 32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of
the wicked speaketh frowardness. (Prov
10:17-32)
The self-opinionated fool is incorrigible in his
ignorance. His pride, based on only ignorance and a foolish and unmerited
regard for his own lack of understand, blocks any process of enlightenment from
entering his tiny brain. This is very relevant to the man who cannot hear God
speak for the treasured regard for his own free will. He cannot accept the will
of God as superior to his own foolish desires. If a man or woman will listen to
instruction of Wisdom, Holy Scripture, and the Holy Spirit, he or she will be
attuned to that eternity made available only through the Author of Life. He is
in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof
erreth.
No ruse of the tongue will go unexposed and
unpunished at God's own time. So any who slanders another or who conceals
hatred by a hypocritical pretense of friendship will bear a heavy retribution
in the day when all secrets are revealed before the throne of God. Oftentimes,
the just punishment occurs in this lifetime as well as in the Judgment. He that
hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin:
but he that refraineth his lips is wise. Those hose lips are loose are very apt
to speak from an empty heart that is fraught with sin. It is always more wise
to hear the full matter rather than eagerly speaking out in ignorance.
"The wise old owl sat high in the Oak. The more he saw, the less he spoke.
The less he spoke, the more he heard. Why aren't we all like that old bird?"
(Mr. B. L. Hale, my beloved high school French teacher who never suffered a
loss of words). All that you say will be held against you in a Court of
Judgment! The slanderer is a fool as well as a sinner because he has no limits
in victimizing everyone with whom he has odds. Soon, no man will go near him.
The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the
heart of the wicked is little worth. Why is this so? In the early days of the
last century, the US Dollar carried this inscription: "Redeemable in real
money (silver) at the nearest Federal Reserve Bank." A one dollar paper
note could be exchanged for the face value's worth of silver. The US dollar, in
those days, was as good as its word, but what of today. Does its value not
float and decline in value according to the number of such notes printed by the
Feds without an ounce of silver to back it? My father used to tell me that he
would much prefer the handshake of an honest gentleman to the iron-clad
contract of a thief. Whatever an honest man tells you is just as good as the
silver on deposit in his heart. But the wicked speak from hearts devoid of any
precious metal to back it up. Those hearts are filled with dross and filth.
The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools
die for want of wisdom. We see righteousness and wickedness, wisdom and
foolishness, compared in the same sense of oneness. Righteousness or wickedness
are not an act, but a disposition in manner and habit. An able man of
righteousness does not feel the need to boast of his resources. He is most often
far less rhetorical than his opposite - the fool. Fools boast of their prowess
in battle, of their false wealth and means, and a hundred other deceptions; but
when the time comes for payday, they come empty-handed to the table and,
usually, quite hungry. It is the fool that fails to save for the future, fails
to learn wisdom so that his words will have meaning, and fails to labor so that
he is independent in his living that is always seeking his welfare from those
righteous people who have saved, labored, and learned to live by God's order.
The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he
addeth no sorrow with it. There are certainly hardships that befall us all,
however, the Lord will bless the righteous and will ease the burden that he
bears and not add sorrow to sorrow. Laziness is a form of wickedness. The lazy
man will confront the same hardships as the wise man; however, he is unable to
overcome them since his hedonistic lifestyle has left many additional stones of
sorrow that are uncovered by a single hardship. The wicked has paved his road
with thin plaster whose facade is supported by sharp stones and thorns. The
storms of life wash away the plaster and the stony way is left to him.
It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a
man of understanding hath wisdom. Every year, there is a humorous letter that
is published entitled, The Darwin Report. It list the most foolish and insane
acts for the past year of the 'self-evolved' (my term) man; incidents such as:
"Is this gun loaded? Let me press it against my ear, pull the trigger, and
find out." You get the message. The more insane the act, the greater pride
taken in doing it by the fools of the world. To a man of understanding, the
chamber of the gun might be checked to see if it is loaded; or he may fire the
gun into the empty space beyond. To the fool, the empty space is between his
ears.
The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him:
but the desire of the righteous shall be granted. There is a completely
opposite reward that comes to the wicked as compared to the righteous. The
wicked is full of a dormant fear that arises constantly as a result of the
prospect of his being found out. But the desires of the righteous, being in
perfect congruity with the Will of God, is granted him. Personally, I prefer
the desires of the righteous to the fears of the wicked to be my reward.
As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no
more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation. The tornadic whirlwind
dissolves into thin air and leaves no trace of itself; however, in its wake,
like the wicked, it leaves only death and ruin. The opposing illustration of
the righteous is an everlasting foundation of faith and hope. The righteous are
like the tree planted by the rivers of water - it shall not be moved. This truth
is expressed in the words of a negro spiritual:
Jesus is my Savior,
I shall not be moved;
In His love and
favor, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree
that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be
moved.
In my Christ
abiding, I shall not be moved;
In His love I'm
hiding, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree
that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be
moved.
If I trust Him ever,
I shall not be moved;
He will fail me
never, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree
that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be
moved.
On His word I'm
feeding, I shall not be moved;
He's the One that's
leading, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree
that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be
moved.
Chorus
I shall not be, I
shall not be moved;
I shall not be, I
shall not be moved;
Just like a tree
that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be
moved.
As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the
eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him. Just as vinegar draws up the
lips and smoke the eyes, so are the grimaces and frowns of any who depend upon
the sluggard to fulfill their hopes. The sluggard simply wastes away the
resources that are offered him for his labor. The sluggard is like unto a snail
that neither labors nor enriches the garden. In the light of day, they slink
under stones and moss. In the hours of darkness, they emerge to devour the
product and labors of honest men; but when the sunrise approaches, they again
head for their dark shelters. There are two things that the snail cannot abide
- salt and light. Both will melt the snail. Salt (righteous living) and Light
(the Word of God) will stop the snail in its literal, gossamer tracks. As a
snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth
of a woman, that they may not see the sun. (Psalms 58:8)
The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the
years of the wicked shall be shortened. You will recall that the fear of the
Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. Once begun, the knowledge and
wisdom builds as line upon line and precept upon precept. It adds years and joy
to a natural span of life, but it also adds an eternity to our mortal years
when the shadows of life lengthen. The wicked, on the other hand, lack wisdom
and knowledge. Their sins actually lead them to a shortened lifespan and an
eternal death. The homosexual lobby fails to mention that the average
life-expectancy of a practicing homosexual is only 43 years. Wonder why?
The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but
the expectation of the wicked shall perish. Make no mistake - the wicked know
the reward that awaits them in fear and trembling. For if we sin wilfully after
that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more
sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery
indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. (Heb 10:26-27) The expectation
of the righteous is not only a contemplated gladness, but a real and present
gladness as well.
The way of the LORD is strength to the upright:
but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. "Stand tall,
soldier!" was an often repeated command from the military drill sergeant
to the trainee. You are a soldier and drooping posture is beneath your dignity.
So to the righteous! There is an uprightness of walk which compels obedience to
God, but which can also be a testimony of righteousness to the observers. Men,
unlike animals of lower form, walk upright and straightforward. The more we
become the character of an animal, the less upright and straightforward we
become. Since all that the wicked have ever contributed has been destruction
and ruin, this ruin will be their investment and reward in eternity.
The righteous shall never be removed: but the
wicked shall not inhabit the earth. God is immovable. The righteous, having God
as their Ark and Shelter, shall also be immovable. The righteous have their
heritage in the Lord both on earth and in Heaven. They will hold their places
even when, and if, Hell freezes over. But the wicked have no heritage either on
earth or in Heaven. Sorry, Reuben, but that leaves only one resort - Hell. They
have no names because the only names that matter are recorded in the Lamb's
Book of Life.
The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but
the froward tongue shall be cut out. It would seem to me from this last verse
that the slanderous language will have no organ from which to sputter lies.
There is no greater treasure than to have a friend who will speak to you words
of wisdom and not flattery.
The lips of the righteous know what is
acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness. How do the
righteous know what is acceptable? It is because their hearts and minds are
guided by the Word of God and confirmed to their souls by the Holy Spirit of
God. The wicked have no such reserve of treasure in their hearts. In fact,
their hearts are filled with hate and violence. There is no place found for
virtue in the heart of the wicked. Having chosen to follow their own waning
stars, the wicked are left without a chart or compass upon which to rely. There
is neither a governor for their mouths or for their actions. The virtue of the
righteous lift them to the highest heavens, but the weight and burden of abject
sin draws the wicked downward to the pits of Hell itself. Which nature, friend,
do you prefer?
