10 Delight
is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes. 11 The
discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a
transgression. 12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his
favour is as dew upon the grass. 13 A foolish son is the calamity of his
father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. 14 House
and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.
15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer
hunger. 16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he
that despiseth his ways shall die.
17 He that hath pity upon the poor
lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. 18 Chasten
thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. 19 A
man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou
must do it again. 20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou
mayest be wise in thy latter end. (Prov
19:10-20)
There are some things in life that are simply not natural. It is not natural
that a fool would enjoy a pleasant and delightful life unless his mind is so
far shot that he cannot recognize his surroundings. Neither is it proper for a
person of low station to bear rule over one of greater talents and abilities.
This is brought out in the Old Testament parable of the trees. (Judges 9:7-21) 10 Delight
is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.
This verse is closely related to the next concerning anger and discretion.
11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his
glory to pass over a transgression. A wise man does have discretion
to look beyond the trifling causes of momentary disappointment. There are
always rumors and gossip that follow a very good man, but no one even considers
the ways of the derelict worth mentioning. Because a wise man has understanding,
he can forego anger over matters that may enrage a man of lesser virtue.
Please remember how God has "passed over" our sins. If we are
tempted to grow angry at the failure in others, remember all of our own
failures which God has already passed over. This is not intended to discount
the legitimate place of righteous anger. Henry Ward Beecher had this to say
about anger: "A man that does not know how to be angry does not know
how to be good. A man that does not know how to be shaken to his heart's core
with indignation over things evil is either a fungus or a wicked man."
Several years ago, five male police officers in a small town in Ohio filmed
their strip-searching of a female captive who had called them over an
altercation. Instead of dealing with the disturbance, the police arrested the
woman. This film was passed about among their friends. There is no
red-blooded American man that would not have been furious at such perversion of
the law. But, yet, some (even Christian ministers) saw nothing so unusual about
the episode. Those that do not see the abject wickedness of that act have
no respect from me as gentlemen or as Christians.
12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour
is as dew upon the grass. The reason that the anger of a king is so
fearful is that a king does not easily anger. When he does, it is for a serious
breach of propriety. There is an awful condemnation of the Lord against those
who reject Him. "Many will say to me in
that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have
cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will
I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
(Matt 7:22-23) Christ in His judgment is as a roaring lion; but in His mercy
and favor as a Lamb. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
sin of the world." (John 1:29) The favor of God is not always
overt, but may work unseen and in the shadows to bless us just as the dew
distills quietly upon the blades of grass.
13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the
contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. 14 House
and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.
The second verse follows directly on the heels of the previous. Both
the foolish son and the contentious wife are a continual annoyance - perhaps
Chinese water torture comes close. The father can leave house and treasure to
even a foolish son, but a prudent and wise wife only comes by grant of
God.
15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall
suffer hunger. People who oversleep are never very alert for the
remainder of the day. Laziness feeds on itself. If you find yourself getting
drowsy while driving, the answer is never to seek a more comfortable position,
but to get out and walk or exercise. The lazy person goes about in a daze all
day long because he despises even the exertion of walking.
16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he
that despiseth his ways shall die. Obedience to God is the most
healthful manner of living. God is our Maker and He knows what is best for us.
Of course, every coin has two sides. Those who hate the Commandments of God
will receive a hard wage for their recalcitrance. "For the
wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and
that which he hath given will he pay him again. What a profoundly
true and beautiful proverb! God's Investment Bank is the most secure of all,
and He pays dividends that exceed the principle. Since Christ has told us that
we shall have the poor with us always (in spite of government socialization),
we have tremendous investment opportunities around us. A man who gives his last
dollar to a starving child will not go hungry. "Cast thy bread upon
the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to
seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the
earth." (Eccl 11:1-2)
18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul
spare for his crying. Proper care of a tree while it is a sapling
will cause the tree to grow straighter when it is mature. The same with
children. A baby begins to learn discipline the moment it is laid in the
cradle. If it screams inordinately, and the mother always runs to pick it up,
it will learn that it will get what it wants if it goes through life whining
and complaining. Children must be discip0lined early and swiftly after each
episode of disobedience. Solomon stresses this principle throughout his
writings. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is
old, he will not depart from it. " (Prov 22:6) This doesn't mean
that the child will never again go in a way that he should not, but "when
he is old" he will then stay on the compass heading of magnetic
north.
19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou
deliver him, yet thou must do it again. A man given to inordinate
anger cannot be controlled or depended upon for he cannot even control himself
when he is enraged. He is as a bull in a china cabinet thrusting out without
discretion. Such a man must be allowed to run his course and be punished. To
intercede for him will only suffice until the next moment of rage.
20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be
wise in thy latter end. We have schools and colleges to prepare our
youth for mature success. If the education is good, the student will become a
success. But the purpose of education is not to teach the student WHAT to
think, but HOW! Our schools today are little less than indoctrination
centers for socialism and humanism. They are in opposition to Godly morals and
FOR every vile and perverse notion. If we do not reclaim our schools from the
social engineers, the America we remember will be lost in another generation.
