1 The king's heart is in the hand
of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the
hearts. 3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than
sacrifice. 4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the
wicked, is sin. 5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness;
but of every one that is hasty only to want.
6 The getting of treasures
by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do
judgment. 8 The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure,
his work is right. 9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop,
than with a brawling woman in a wide house. 10 The soul of the wicked
desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes. (Proverbs 21:1-10)
The 'rivers of water' referred to in verse 1 are those brooks and streams that
the gardener devises so that every plant and vine receives the water of
life." 1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the
rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." The
waters of a stream always seek the lowest bed into which to flow. Water,
especially the Water of Life, flows always from a higher to a lower place -
from the highest Throne in Heaven to the lowest creature in the dust of the
earth. The streams of the king are winding and searching - seeking out the
heart of the despondent as well as of the joyful. No matter the earthly
majesty of the king, his heart is in the hand of the Lord to winnow and route
according to His Will as the Gardener. King Cyrus was a mighty king of
the Persians, but God named him 200 years before he was born and called him out
to be his anointed in rebuilding the Temple at Jerusalem." That
saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even
saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation
shall be laid." (Isaiah 44:28) Unwittingly, the king's heart
responds to the tether in the Hand of the Lord to perform His will.
Even a desperate criminal justifies his atrocious crimes in his own heart. You
will find few criminals behind bars that have not been unfairly tried and
convicted - they all aver their innocence. "2 Every way of a
man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts."
Did not Cain do the same when the blood of Abel cried unto the Lord from the
dust of the earth? A child, even, will always have an excuse for his
disobedience; or may even deny the theft while cookie crumbs around his lips
reveal his secret. The Lord does not judge our hearts by our pleasing
appearance in dress or adornment - He looks upon, and inside, the heart.
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to
give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
(Jer 17:9-10)
How great an emphasis we hear from the pulpits of America on so-called
"sacrificial giving!" If the redeeming Blood of the Lamb is forgotten
in the sermon, you can be sure that the offering plate will not be. What can a
man give the King of the Universe whose hands formed him? Of course, God
desires that we are generous to good works, but what is generosity if it is
accompanied by injustice. What is any sacrifice without love, or any justice
apart from mercy. Justice without mercy will gain a ready admittance of all of
us to the domain of Hell. "3 To do justice and judgment is
more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." What of the
adulterers and drunkards that faithfully give their tithes into the church
every Sunday? What does it profit them if they have not the knowledge of the
Lord or share the mercy that has been showered upon them? '"For
I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt
offerings." (Hosea 6:6) Certainly, however, the Lord will favor
those who give out of a heart of mercy and justice.
Next comes a verse whose meaning so many fail to grasp - especially those who
seek to gain heaven by their good works: "4 An high look,
and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin." In
what deed or accomplishment can any man take pride? Where did he acquire the
body in which his soul must dwell, or the strength to move and think? Is not
God the First Cause, and the Constant Cause? Whatever good results from our
labors and planning can only be attributable to God who has endowed us with
such marvelous faculties of mind and body. So, if we are very adept at sports,
at public speaking, at law, medicine, the arts, or whatever other endeavor the
Lord has allowed us to accomplish, let us not take pride in the accomplishment
of our arms of flesh, for it is the Lord's doing. He has endowed us with many
talents. Though He expects us to invest and capitalize upon those talents, yet
it is His principle that earns the increase. Whatever seemingly good we
accomplish, if we do not give the honor and glory to God in the doing of them,
it is truly sin. A heart that is not redeemed of God can do nothing that is
good - even the plowing of a field. Are good works evil? Not at all! But those
good works can only have their origin in the heart of God because only God is
righteous.
"5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness;
but of every one that is hasty only to want." To none of
life's mighty challenges there are no quick solutions. To the wise, diligence
is the watchword: diligent in study, diligence in obedience, diligence in love
and service, and diligence in all that our hands find to do. "I
have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to
remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit
made diligent search. " (Psalms 77:5-6) The thing most diligently
safeguarded should be the one possession of greatest value - a man's soul.
"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling
and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so
an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting
kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:10-11)
How many projects have you had to scrap and begin anew because you failed to
first read the instructions? God has given us an excellent Operator's Manual
for our lives - the Holy Bible. Read it!
"6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity
tossed to and fro of them that seek death." This truth applies to
nations as well as persons. The world economies of today, and especially that
of the United States, are drifting inexorably toward an unnatural Keynesian
economy in which labor is not the measure of income. Personal finances, or national
ones, cannot be sustained by lies and subterfuge. During World War I, the
German treasury was low in gold. Her budget unbalanced. Inflation went sky
high. In 1919, the German mark was worth 25 US cents. Within four years, it
declined in value until 4 TRILLION marks were needed to equal $1.00 in buying
power. The value of every pension was wiped out. All security was gone. Then
the people were ready to listen to anyone who could voice out their bitterness.
Enter Adolf Hitler.
"Someday, the Antichrist will exploit the world's shaky economic
conditions and turn all social and economic turmoil to his political advantage."
Resource Bi-Monthly.
"7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because
they refuse to do judgment." To what is referred here as
'judgment?' It is the Justice of the Law of God - right and just actions. The
wicked who live by robbing are actually living off their own perishable blood.
Wolves steal and kill livestock and even babies. The Eskimos have a cruel and
ingenious solution to that evil creature. Knowing that the wolf loves blood,
the Eskimo buries a sharp knife - blade facing upward - in the snow and ice. He
sprinkles just enough blood around the knife that the wolf will be attracted by
the scent. When the wolf sees the blood, he begins to lick at it. As he licks,
he is gradually exposing the sharp edge of the blade. The blade cuts his
freezing tongue, but the wolf cannot feel it - he only tastes the fresh blood.
He will continue to lick the sharp blade until he bleeds to death. So with all
who make their living on robbery and lies.
"8 The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the
pure, his work is right." Aren't the 'pure' also men and
women? Not exactly. Man, in his natural disposition, is stubborn and contrary
to all righteousness. It is not the natural state God intended but has become
the new natural for man since Adam's sin. What of the man or woman of pure
heart - how is it that their work is right? It is because, for the Christian,
it is not the works of righteousness of their own persons that they perform,
but it is Christ working in them. All of the good and loving acts of the
Christian must be attributed to God and not man. All of our shortcomings and
failures we can take credit for. In whose Name do you declare your works
of righteousness? If not that of Christ, it is not righteousness. Thus we have
an eternal Sabbath. Christ is our new Sabbath for we rest our labors in
Him and He performs the works.
"9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than
with a brawling woman in a wide house." This verse brings a
happy and humorous memory. Once in the bush country of Kenya, I was visiting a
lonely mountain church along with our National Secretary. At the beginning of
the welcoming service, we were seated at the front of the church - I was on the
left, and the Secretary on the right side of the chancel. Children came forward
with a little skit. They danced around in a circle to recorded music. When the
music stopped, one of the children would step out, introduce themselves, and
quote (in perfect English) a Bible verse from the King James Bible. After two
or three such verses, a precious little girl stepped out of the circle with her
Bible verse which was the one under consideration. On the final phrase
regarding a "brawling woman", the little girl pointed directly to our
Secretary who was aghast. This drew a great deal of laughter and we continued
with the ceremony. Truly it is better to conduct private prayers than to attend
the House of God that has been taken over by contentious and froward men.
Whether church, society, or politics, it is better to remain apart from the
stubborn and callous designs of men and walk with God.
"10 The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour
findeth no favour in his eyes." I believe this verse reduces
our souls to the lowest common denominator. The key word here on the worth of
the soul is not what it DOES, but what it DESIRES. It is a natural desire of
the wicked to thirst for evil. The wicked find no good quality in any
person. When that 'free will' desire is surrendered and replaced by God's Will,
then its object also changes to a desire for righteousness. How many good and
devout Christians possess a Holy indignation at the sins of the present
generation? I believe ALL who truly trust in God.
