1 Be
not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. 2 For
their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. 3 Through
wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: 4 And
by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant
riches. 5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth
strength. 6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude
of counsellors there is safety. 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth
not his mouth in the gate. 8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a
mischievous person. 9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner
is an abomination to men. 10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy
strength is small. 11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto
death, and those that are ready to be slain; 12 If thou sayest, Behold, we
knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that
keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man
according to his works? 13 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and
the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: 14 So shall the knowledge of
wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward,
and thy expectation shall not be cut off. 15 Lay not wait, O wicked man,
against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: 16 For
a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall
into mischief. (Prov 24:1-16)
“Do not talk with other boys who use profanity or vulgarity at school, OK?” I
heard these words from my mother perhaps three to five mornings a week before
hustling off to elementary school. With her first words of “Do not talk….” I
could finish her sentence for her. Why do you suppose our mothers warned us
often of things NOT to do? Perhaps it was for the purpose of burning the advice
into our minds and consciences so that we could NEVER forget her loving advice.
Do you suppose God, a loving Father, is any different? These verses today are
simply re-wordings of many familiar warnings already repeated often in God’s
Word. I have written before of an occasion in the ministry of the Rev. Charles
Spurgeon, and I will repeat it here again for its absolute application to the
issue at hand. After service one Lord’s Day, Mr. Spurgeon was standing at the
door of the sanctuary greeting the congregants as they left. One of them said
to Mr. Spurgeon, “Rev. Spurgeon, are you aware that you have preached the same
sermon four Sundays in a row?” “Yes, of course, I am aware of that fact,”
responded Spurgeon, “and when you take heed to the words of the sermon to do
them, I shall move on to the next!” Repetition aids recall….remember?
The opening two verses of this Proverb are a continuation of the last chapter
in which Solomon is castigating the debauchery of the wicked. “1 Be
not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. 2 For
their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.”
The repetition has the same effect as my mother’s early warnings. God gives us
ample reason to avoid the wicked. Instead of studying righteousness and peace,
they study war and mischief. Rather than builders, they are demolishers of
goodness. If we sleep with the swine, we shall also stink as the swine and
become like them. The wicked place licentiousness in the place of the liberty
which they promise. A poverty of virtue will always end in a poverty of life.
In verse 3 and 4, we are reminded of that Spiritual Temple, or edifice, that is
made without hands, i.e. WISDOM. 3 "Through wisdom is
an house builded; and by understanding it is established: 4 And by
knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches."
God grants wisdom through a number of means: His natural creation, the Law, His
Word, and Prayer, among others. He gives to all who seek; however, that wisdom
must be applied through understanding for it to be efficacious. Wisdom leads to
understanding, and understanding to knowledge without end. The most important
knowledge of all is the knowledge of the Lord, and that knowledge will fill
every chamber of God's Temple which temple we are. A man, full of knowledge and
wisdom, is a man rich indeed.
It is a fundamental fact that nothing can happen without MIND. God is the great
Architect and Builder of the Universe. Without the MIND of God, there would be
NOTHING! 5 "A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge
increaseth strength." So it is true that the greatest minds of
man will accomplish the greatest good if those MINDS and Hearts are devoted to
God. Practically all of the major sciences were the result of great Christian
minds. It is the mind that tells every part of the body to perform - even the involuntary
functions such as heartbeat and breathing. A despondent or distressed mind will
eventually result in maladies of the body. The man who is wise will seek out
the best treasure which is knowledge. He will grow in wisdom and knowledge. 6 "For
by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there
is safety. 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his
mouth in the gate. 8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a
mischievous person." When nations mobilize for war, all of the
armaments have already been prepared due to a prior planning and consideration
of the impending conflict. A nation that gives no thought to being prepared for
war, in time of peace, shall lose the peace and gain the war. All important
decisions should be taken with deliberation of many expert counselors. No man
decides to have brain surgery with consulting a brain surgeon. The fool knows
EVERYTHING until he is called on the carpet and demanded of his knowledge. He
is closed lipped when drawn before the examiners. Bad things often happen as a
result of foolish care, but the evil person is the intentional agent of evil.
What, pray tell, is the nature of evil actions and thoughts? 9 "The
thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men."
The real nature of foolishness is sin. Foolish thoughts reveal a cavalier view
of sin and a complacency to allow it for light or transient reasons. Any man
who does not consider and know the Law of God to be of the ultimate importance is
a fool! Not only does the fool consider the Word of God of little import, but
he considers offensive behavior toward others to be of no account.
The Christian is not immune from trial and trouble. As a matter of fact, such
things are often sent by God to strengthen us. The green soldier may not
negotiate the obstacle course very proficiently without failing time and time
again. But perseverance grows his muscles and his coordination until he is
able. Failure in business, art, or sports strengthens us. 10 "If
thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small."
Who has fallen on the ice more - the amateur skater, or the Olympic champion?
The thing that makes the champion is not to be defeated by failure. Try, try
again until success is gained. The same is true of the life of the Christian.
We should not deliberately sin, but we do often sin unawares until we remember.
We strengthen our resolve through the benefits of the Holy Ghost to avoid that
particular sin, and all others. By and by we are sanctified and made holy
in the ways of God.
11" If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto
death, and those that are ready to be slain; 12 If thou sayest,
Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and
he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every
man according to his works?" Remember the depository of all
thought is the MIND. Whatever is created in the physical world was first
created in the MIND. You may lie to yourself in claiming that you did not know
the seriousness of the hunger your neighbor was experiencing until he perished;
but you cannot lie to God. He know the contents of the mind and the promptings
of the heart. He will NOT be deceived. For every starving child without the
means of survival, there is an adult somewhere that has all the means necessary
to relieve the child - and does not! We will answer not only for the sins of
commission of the General Confession, but those of omission as well.
13 "My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the
honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: 14 So shall the knowledge
of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a
reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off." If we have
never tasted of honey, we may not crave it; but once tasted, there is no better
desert. It is healthful to the stomach as well as the mind. Knowledge of wisdom
shares the same gratification to the soul. Once we taste of the beauty and
benefits of wisdom and knowledge, we can settle for nothing in its stead. We
CRAVE to have it, and we shall find it at all cost. First of all, spiritual
knowledge is wholesome for the soul. Secondly, it is delectable to heart. and
thirdly, it is satisfying in ways that nothing else is.
Herein lies comfort for the righteous and warning to the wicked: 15 "Lay
not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his
resting place: 16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up
again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief." It is wrong
enough to disturb a man in the field of labor, but that often is less egregious
than disturbing a man who has gone to his place of rest. One may be
coincidental, the other deliberate. An honest man may fail at business or at
labor, but, being honest, he will make up the difference and start anew. But
neither God or man has patience for the willfully wicked. When he falls, it is
unlikely that there will be a mad rush to pick him up. We fall many times, and sometimes
with willful intent; but Jesus Christ will always receive us when we repent of
our sin.
