10 When it goeth well with the
righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is
overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. 12 He that is void of wisdom
despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace. 13 A
talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth
the matter. 14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude
of counsellors there is safety. 15 He that is surety for a stranger shall
smart for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure. 16 A gracious
woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches. 17 The
merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own
flesh. 18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth
righteousness shall be a sure reward. 19 As righteousness tendeth to life:
so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death. 20 They that are of
a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their
way are his delight. 21 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be
unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. (Prov
11:10-21)
When one considers the absolute lack of any hint of contradiction, but rather a
total consistency and coherence pervading all Scripture (from beginning to
end), one must admit that this Book is not at all human, but Divine. Written
over a period of more than 1400 years, and by more than 40 different scribes
scattered over that time, it is amazing to observe that the story line is so
amazingly perfect and continuous. The first five books of the Bible (the
Pentateuch) were written by the hand of Moses, and the books of poetry,
prophecy, Gospels, historical books, and epistles were all written by men whose
lives occupied a small slice of those hundreds of years of its compilation.
Though the hand of a scribe was the instrument whereby these books were reduced
to manuscript pages, it was the Mind of God, the Holy Ghost, that guided those
hands to write. We see evidence of the unchanging nature of God and His
inspiration being presented in the Proverbs in the form of sound and wise logic
- reason and truth are never in conflict.
10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and
when the wicked perish, there is shouting. These individual
proverbs are for our general understanding and not given as principles of
living that have no exception. Certainly, when justice and morality are the
rule of law, as it once was in America, the people have cause to rejoice. There
is no question of the righteous cause prevailing in a court of law under such
circumstances. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice:
but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. (Proverbs 29:2) It
is a true principle to be believed that when the wicked are in authority, even
those who may otherwise have been upright are often corrupted in order to gain
privilege. A just measure and balance is always to the greatest benefit of the
greater number of people. A false balance only leads to the prosperity of a
corrupt minority. Under such conditions, the class of the needy and those in
penury grows to be the largest class of citizens while the corrupt and
unscrupulous become the privileged few.
Even the secular commentator recognizes the principle of verse 10:
The law is the organization of the natural right of lawful defense. It is
the substitution of a common force for individual forces. And this common force
is to do only what the individual forces have a natural and lawful right to do:
to protect persons, liberties, and properties; to maintain the right of each,
and to cause justice to reign over us all.
If a nation were founded on this basis, it seems to me that order would prevail
among the people, in thought as well as in deed. It seems to me that such a
nation would have the most simple, easy to accept, economical, limited,
nonoppressive, just, and enduring government imaginable — whatever its
political form might be.
Under such an administration, everyone would understand that he possessed all
the privileges as well as all the responsibilities of his existence. No one
would have any argument with government, provided that his person was
respected, his labor was free, and the fruits of his labor were protected
against all unjust attack. When successful, we would not have to thank the
state for our success. And, conversely, when unsuccessful, we would no more
think of blaming the state for our misfortune than would the farmers blame the
state because of hail or frost. The state would be felt only by the invaluable
blessings of safety provided by this concept of government.
It can be further stated that, thanks
to the non-intervention of the state in private affairs, our wants and their
satisfactions would develop themselves in a logical manner. We would not see
poor families seeking literary instruction before they have bread. We would not
see cities populated at the expense of rural districts, nor rural districts at
the expense of cities. We would not see the great displacements of capital,
labor, and population that are caused by legislative decisions.
The sources of our existence are made uncertain and precarious by these
state-created displacements. And, furthermore, these acts burden the government
with increased responsibilities. (Fredric Bastiat, French
Parliamentarian and Economist, 1848)
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is
overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. Consider the material
blessings brought to civilization by the advent of the Christian religion.
While it is the common tradition in moslem countries today to make slaves of
orphans if the family is unable to care for them, the Church was first to
establish orphanages and hospitals and remains the greatest sponsor of these
institutions in poor nations. The Christian religion, unlike Islam, has always
been a proponent of an educated populace since knowledge and wisdom are an arm
of the Christian faith. Under the dark religions of Islam and other lesser
gods, ignorance is the best ally of the Imam and Mullah. One of the great
failures (among thousands) of Islam is its failure of justice. Hate and avarice
lead the adherents of Islam to falsely accuse Christians and other religious
minorities in their midst in order to gain access to their property, or due to
personal jealousies. There was no such reprisal of Islamic peoples in the
United States by Christians following the senseless murder of thousands during
the Twin Towers bombing.
12 He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man
of understanding holdeth his peace. This verse comports nicely with
the previous. The strong arm of false religions is false understanding and mob
mentality. Those who are not wise despise their neighbors because they have
acquired a pleasant living from the application of wisdom as a rule of life.
The ignorant never have the capacity to recognize that which they do not know.
So they act only on their jealousies of those who have a better status in life.
13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful
spirit concealeth the matter. Discretion is certainly valorous and
is, in fact, the better part thereof. A talebearer does not carry tales to
improve the character of his victim, but to destroy it. When I was a very young
boy, I saw signs remaining from WWII that declared, "Loose Lips Sink
Battleships!" How true. If a formidable battleship can be sunk with
hundreds aboard, imagine the damage that can be done to the innocent
individual. The wicked love sin and, perhaps for this reason, they NEVER forget
a sin committed by a fellow man - even if years or decades past. 4 Behold
also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds,
yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor
listeth. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great
things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6 And the
tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that
it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is
set on fire of hell. (James 3:4-6) Many Godly churches have been
destroyed by a single, wagging tongue.
14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of
counsellors there is safety. In an representative form of
government, it is presumed that those elected represent the Godly will and
intent of the people. When this is not the case, there really does not exist a
multitude of counselors. Counselors are those whose wisdom is applied in
government or in the teaching of religion. Absent this, it is the corrupt wills
of a few that persist.
15 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he
that hateth suretiship is sure. We may be a comfort to those who
mismanage their resources, but we are not wise to assume the debts which they
have foolishly made; else, we endanger the welfare of our own families for whom
we have wisely and carefully prepared in wisdom. Each father is responsible for
his own debts and savings.
16 A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain
riches. Here is another familiar and oft presented principle of
Scripture. The tribute to a gracious woman is very ably provided in the 31st
Proverb. Such a woman, given to the Christian rule of hospitality to all, is
well honored. Those who are weak of mind and wisdom often lose the fruits of
their labors through poor management or lascivious living. The strong man, good
or even evil, holds his wealth in security. There may be no sin in poverty, but
there is certainly little honor to be had therein.
17 The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is
cruel troubleth his own flesh. It is now a settled matter of even
medical science that hate and envy are detrimental to the health and happiness
of man. ". . . . remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)
Giving frees the heart of many burdens and make those that remain seem light.
Please remember, too, that charity means that the giver has been blessed with
the excess of wealth to share.
18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth
righteousness shall be a sure reward. There is no fruit or gain
whatsoever that results from wickedness. Wickedness only moves the wealth from
one legitimate owner to one undeserving hand. But righteousness sows real
fruit-bearing seed which shall bear true fruit.
19 As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil
pursueth it to his own death. A good conscience allows for health
enhancing sleep and rest. The stress of worry that our bad deeds might be
revealed is a constant bother to the well-being of the wicked. But the
righteous can look with appreciation and love to the roses of the garden and
the children in their play. But the greed and tyranny of the wicked becomes
their obsession. They lack sleep due to their laying on their beds trying to
imagine some dishonest means of getting the savings of others. Finally, evil
becomes their eternal bedfellow.
20 They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD:
but such as are upright in their way are his delight. Please
observe that God clearly does not view all, both righteous and wicked, with the
same benign eye. The froward man is a man who despises the simple and natural
pleasures of the righteous. He is simply unable to comprehend the worth of
natural beauty, of great art, or of Godly music. If the band is not sensual, he
sees no point of it. His whole being is against the love of God and for the wiles
of the devil. Just as God has labeled homosexuality an abomination, so does he
lump the froward heart into the same basket. Do not I hate them, O LORD,
that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I
hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies (Ps.
139:21-22). The modern Christian has been indoctrinated to believe that he
should have no enemies. Let me assure you that the enemies of God had better be
our own enemies as well. This principle has not been undone by the Gospel of
Christ.
21 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished:
but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. Regardless the
numerical advantages of the wicked, there is no sanctuary for them from the
hand of judgment. They shall be punished even if they field a mighty army. And
it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in
the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they
arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses (2 Kings
19:35). Please note the destruction wrought by a single Angel. What army can
stand against God? The Angel left only a few alive to bear testimony to others
of the power of God. Perhaps for this reason was Jonah sent to Nineveh to
preach repentance.
America stands on the precarious ruins of ancient Israel today. That nation was
richly blessed of God, had known His close fellowship and blessings, and had
turned away. Their monuments are hidden beneath the sandy plains of the land
they once held dear. It is far worse to have known the Lord and to turn away
than never to have known the Lord at all. There does come a day when God will
consider the iniquity of a nation to be full and complete. At such time, there
will be no turning back from the hard hand of judgment. Therefore to him
that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James
4:17) Has America returned, as the dog to his vomit, and the swine to wallowing
in the mud? We shall very soon know!
