PROVERBS 282007 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Proverbs 28

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2007. This evening we're looking at Proverbs chapter 28. As we continue on the book of Proverbs, these are the Proverbs of Solomon that were compiled by the men of Hezekiah.

who wanted to gather together the things that Solomon said and the wisdom that he brought forth. And so as we've been studying through the book of Proverbs, this chapter will be much the same as we've seen before. Each line, each verse, a different subject. And so some of them we will dwell upon for a moment and others we will just touch upon lightly. And I would encourage you as we go through these that you would

meditate on the ones that God brings to your attention. And there will be specific ones that God, I'm sure, will prick your heart upon or cause you to be a little bit inquisitive about. And so I would encourage you to meditate on those, write those down, and allow God to speak to you further as you look into His Word in the coming days.

But we start in verse 1 of Proverbs chapter 28. It says, "...the wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion."

The wicked flee when no one pursues. And it's a funny picture here. They're running away, but there's no one chasing them. There's no one pursuing after them. And this is what happens when you are not right with God. When you're wicked instead of righteous, it really messes with you.

Some of you, you've heard me share many times about some of the incidents that happened back in the days when I was living in rebellion. And I was driving around on a suspended license with multiple warrants for failures to appear. No insurance, outdated registration, a whole slew of things against me. And so as I'm driving around in this situation, I...

oftentimes would flee when no one was pursuing. You know, if I felt the hint of a police officer, I would do my best to flee. I'd turn off the main road, pull into a jack-in-the-box somewhere just to kind of get off the street and not draw attention to myself. I would always be looking, and some of you can relate to this,

You know, you recognize the particular headlights, you know, of the Caprice Classic. You know the headlights of that vehicle. I know, oh man, there's trouble there. That could be a cop. Or you're looking in your rearview mirror constantly.

at the roof of the cars, the hood of the cars, and you recognize kind of the curvature. And if there's any type, you know, sometimes those little roof racks and things just really throw you off because it's like, I think I see something on the roof. I better get off the road. And so I would flee when no one was pursuing because I wasn't right. I was...

in rebellion in many ways. And so I was not wanting to be caught. And the same thing is true when you're not right with God. The wicked flee, even when no one pursues with the guilty conscience, knowing that they're not right when no one pursues, they still are a flea. But there's still a flea. Yeah, that too. You still flee.

When you're right with God, you can stand any attack. The righteous are as bold as a lion because you know that you have right standing with God. You know that you are in the middle of his will, that you're right where he wants you to be, that he's got your back. And so whatever happens, he's in control. And so you're bold as a lion because you know that you're where God wants you to be. And so this evening, I want to encourage you to get right with God. You know, sometimes...

People don't come to church because the wicked flee when no one pursues. Because their heart's not right. And perhaps they've been involved in some things and maybe you've experienced this. And, you know, you feel that if you go...

Knowing what you've done this past week, that the people that greet you, they can see right into you. You know, they know exactly. Oh, man, if I come face to face with Pastor Cisco, he's going to call me out and he's going to, you know, call me a sinner and rebuke me in front of everybody. And and so the the the wicked flee, even though.

That's not what we're here to do, and we can't read your mind and heart. The Lord knows your heart, and he desires you to come and to be drawn closer to him. But oftentimes we flee, even though no one pursues.

Again, I want to encourage you to get right with God. Then you don't have to worry about showing up and being here and hearing from his word and fellowshipping with your brothers and sisters. Then you don't have to worry about avoiding your boss or perhaps the police or whoever else you may feel is pursuing you. Get right with God. Allow him to challenge and correct your heart that you'd be able to be bold as a lion. Verse 2.

Because of the transgression of the land, many are its princes. But by a man of understanding and knowledge, rights will be prolonged. The point here is not that there will be lots of people in authority, but that the people in authority will not last very long. What Solomon is saying here is when a land persists in sin,

It continues to spiral downward. It becomes more and more corrupt, and its leaders are only in power for a short time. They have short terms of office. You can see the examples of this in the book of 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles in the nations of Israel and Judah. As they are getting ready for and spiraling downward towards God,

The ultimate destruction of Jerusalem and the nations of being led into captivity by Babylon and Assyria.

Towards the end of their kingdoms, about a little bit before they're about to be conquered, they have a rapid succession of kings, a rapid succession of authority after authority. There would occasionally be a good king that would come along and his reign would last longer. But these other guys who were not walking with God, who were not right with God, we find that their reigns did not last very long.

And so we learn something about authority here. Even if the people are corrupt and the land is full of transgression, a good leader can bring people back to what is right. Look again what verse 2 says, because of the transgression of the land, many are its princes, but a man of good understanding and knowledge, or by a man of good understanding and knowledge, right will be prolonged. So

So it's by the good leader, by the man who has understanding and knowledge, that right will be prolonged, that they will be spared a little bit longer, that God will be patient yet longer with them. But when the land is full of transgression, the princes are many. They will come and go quickly. They'll be fighting and bickering and there will be assassinations and so on and so forth. And it will destroy the kingdom.

Now, of course, as we look at these types of things throughout the book of Proverbs, I always remind you it's talking about the king and rulers. But it also applies to those who have authority in the workplace, in the family, within the church, wherever your authority may extend to.

The Bible would say to you, Solomon would say to you, use your authority to do what's right and to teach people what is right. Don't follow the practices of transgression because otherwise your term will not last long. You won't have your authority for very long. Verse three, a poor man who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain which leaves no food. This is an interesting verse. A poor man who oppresses the poor is

It's like a driving rain which leaves no food. Now, it's interesting to me that there's two different words used for poor in this verse. The first one, when it says a poor man, it's the idea of someone who's lacking, of someone who's hungry, hungry.

And the man that's used there is not just man in general, but it's specifically the strong man or the warrior. And so you're talking about a person who is strong, who has authority, who has power, who is a great warrior, but who is lacking, who is hungry, who happens to be poor at the moment. And he says the poor man or the hungry warrior is.

who oppresses the poor. This word poor is the one who is low or weak or thin. It's the one who does not have much strength. And so Solomon is saying, look, the hungry warrior, the one who has might and power, who oppresses the weak, is like a driving rain which leaves no food. Now, rain is good for the crops. It's necessary in order to water the fields and

But this kind of rain that is being described here is the rain that washes out everything. It floods through, washes away the seed, washes away all that could have grown. And so it leaves nothing behind. Everything that could have been is destroyed and gone. When a strong man's hunger drives him to oppress the poor and the weak, it wipes out everything Solomon's saying. Everyone lacks as a result.

Now, just as rain is good, strong man, that's good. It's good to have strength and power and authority. Those are from God. But to misuse it, which is what this is talking about, is very destructive. And it will leave everyone lacking. Verse 4. Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them.

Where do you stand with the wicked? Do you praise them or do you contend with them? I think for myself personally, this verse is somewhat challenging. And I think it's something that we ought to consider. Because it does not say that they praise the wickedness, but they praise the wicked. For those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them.

The question is, do we praise those who are involved in wickedness? That's the wicked, those who practice wickedness, those who are involved in wickedness. Do we praise those people? Now, oftentimes we try to separate a person's personal life from their achievements.

You know, we'll look at someone that perhaps we admire or look up to or like to talk about, and we don't praise them necessarily for their sexual immorality, but we praise them for their ability to play a sport. We don't praise them for their violence and drunkenness, but perhaps for their business accomplishments. We don't praise them for their covetousness, but, you know, for the great music that they produce.

And so we try to separate. Well, yes, they they they live in rebellion to God and they disagree with God and they promote things that are not of God. But, you know, they're really good at this area or this particular thing. And so we try to separate.

Their personal life, their relationship with God from their achievements. But the truth is we cannot separate those things. We can't separate their personal life from their career and their achievements. And the fact that we can praise them indicates that we have forsaken the law.

Now, maybe not to the degree that we're violating the law as much as we can. And you would say, well, I'm not forsaking the law. I just like this person. I just really think they're great or whatever. But but here's what Solomon is saying. Not necessarily forsaken the law to the farthest degree that is possible, but it indicates that our hearts are.

That our hearts aren't holding to the law. The law isn't important to us, as important to us as it should be, because we're able to kind of overlook the forsaking of the law and others, the wickedness in others, and praise them and boast of them. When I can praise or exalt someone who is wicked, it means that the law does not have the place in my heart that it needs to have.

Now, does that mean that we cannot watch a game that's played by wicked men or women? Does it does it mean that we cannot work with people who are against God? Of course not. First Corinthians chapter five, Paul writing to the Corinthians said, hey, I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with the sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or idolaters. Since then, you would need to go out of the world.

If we weren't to keep company with, if we weren't to be around those who are wicked, Paul says, look, we would have to leave the world. That's not the point. And that's not the point of what Paul is saying there in 1 Corinthians 5. But the point is that we need to guard our hearts so that we don't begin to praise and admire a person even though they are in rebellion to God.

Because then if we're able to do that, it means that our hearts have come to a place where we're comfortable praising the wicked, overlooking the wickedness. And in our hearts, we're forsaking the law of God. Verse five, evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand all. Evil men, Solomon says, they don't understand justice.

Evil men cannot understand justice because they don't have right relationship with God. They do not understand that God is right and all his ways are just. They don't understand his righteousness and so they cannot understand justice. But those who seek the Lord understand all because understanding comes from God. We learned that back in Proverbs chapter 2 verse 6 says,

Where it says, for the Lord gives wisdom. From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. If you need wisdom, if you need knowledge, if you need understanding, it comes from the mouth of the Lord. It comes from his word. It comes from obedience to him. So those who seek the Lord understand all. They have understanding. They have understanding for everything that they need, for all that God lays before them.

But evil men do not understand justice. Verse 6. Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich. Let me read that to you again. Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich. This is a verse that I would often share with the loan officers of the mortgage company I used to work for.

Remember, guys, it's better to be honest and have integrity than make the few extra bucks you

through deceptive or perverse means. Now, in this chapter here, in chapter 28, there's a few verses related to this that I'll be highlighting as we go, dealing with the issue of how we make money, how we gain wealth or increase in wealth. Now, as we're dealing with this, I want you to know that God is not against people being rich, having wealth,

But he is particular about how that is obtained. Abraham was a rich man, very rich man, blessed by God.

There's many other examples as well. Even if you look at Job and how the Lord blessed him before all of the great calamities came and then double after those things. He was a very wealthy man, but there's specific ways that God has authorized for increasing of wealth. And when it's done his way, he blesses it, he honors it, he supports you in it. But if you're trying to increase your wealth using the ways that God has not authorized, watch out.

Because he's only allowed it, only authorized it in specific ways and specific methods. And we'll see that a few times throughout this chapter. Now, just like anything else in this area as well, we have our justifications here.

For the reasons that we go outside of God, God's ways and in seeking to acquire wealth or be, you know, just a little bit ahead or a little bit better off. We think, you know, hey, when I'm better off, then I'll I'll be able to help the poor more. Or don't you understand, you know, God, I'll be able to to tithe more if I make more money or I get this deal or, you know, I'll be able to support the missionaries more.

Hey, when I win the lottery, I'll build a new sanctuary for the church. You know, it's I have these justifications for what I'm going to do when I attain these things. And those things may be true, but it doesn't mean that you can disregard God's principles in order to get there. Here in verse six, we find the principle of God that integrity is more important than riches. God would rather have you be honest than

And poor than crooked and rich. He doesn't need your money. He doesn't need you to get rich so you can really help him out because he's in a jam. He wants you to be honest. He wants you to have integrity. That's more important to him than riches or anything else. And so if you're using crooked methods, if you're manipulating or using manipulating tactics or deceitful practices, you're not walking in God's ways.

Remember, integrity is more important to God than riches. Verse 7. Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.

Here Solomon says, hey, if you keep the law, you're wise, you're discerning, and you bring joy to your parents, but you shame your family, you bring shame to your family if you keep company with those who live to indulge themselves, if you keep company with the glutton. I'm amazed at how many times in Proverbs we have seen the warnings against being friends or being companions with those who live...

In rebellion to God. The glutton, the angry, the drunkard, the immoral. Over and over throughout the book of Proverbs we have warnings to stay away from them. To cut off relationship and ties with them. To not be close to them in that way. Proverbs 12.26 tells us that the righteous should choose his friends carefully. For the way of the wicked leads them astray.

The reason why God says, hey, don't be a companion of fools. Don't be a companion of the gluttons. Don't be a companion of the adulterous or the angry. It's because if you don't choose your friends carefully, their ways will lead you astray.

It's often been said, you know, show me a man's friends and I'll show you the man. We become like those that we hang around with. So choose your friends carefully. Put yourself in the midst of those that walk with God, that you want to be like in their relationship with the Lord and their service to the Lord. Those are the people that you want to be around. Verse 8.

One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion gathers it for him who will pity the poor. Here again, we have God addressing the issue of increasing wealth and riches. He says, if you do not do it God's way, then you're just increasing wealth for someone else who will show pity to the poor. And so the principle of God we learn here is that pity is more important than possessions.

Pity is more important than possessions. God says, look, if you're increasing your possessions by usury and extortion, you're just gathering those things to be used by someone else who will have compassion for the poor, for those who are in need. Usury and extortion, both words refer to the same type of thing. It's charging extreme amounts of interest or using a person's predicament to obtain something.

More than his rights and fair, like Jacob did to Esau, trading him the bowl of soup for his birthright, taking advantage of the predicament, the hunger, the situation he was in to gain something far more valuable, taking advantage of a person who is in need and charging huge amounts of interest, like the places that give you a cash advance for 300% interest. What a deal. It's forbidden by the Lord. It's an abomination to him.

No, God says pity is more important than possessions. Don't use usury. Don't use extortion. Don't take advantage of people in their situation to amass wealth or possessions to yourself. Verse 9. One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer, is an abomination. If you turn your ear away from hearing the word of God,

God says, your prayer is an abomination. Abomination means disgusting. It's disgusting to the Lord if you pray, but you've turned your ear from hearing the word of God. Because if you're not willing to hear what God says in his word, then you should not expect him to listen to

To your prayers. God has revealed to us his will himself. He presents himself in relationship to him through his word. And if you disregard that, if you turn your ear away from that, don't expect him to hear your prayers. Don't expect him to listen to

To your pleas and your cries. You might be telling God how wonderful he is. You might be praising him. You might be asking him what his will is and for a decision. But if you're not taking heed to his word, it's an abomination to him. It's disgusting to him. If you do not listen to his word, if you will not receive from his word. David in Psalm 66 verse 18 recognized, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.

To regard iniquity is to hold on, to not relinquish. I want to hold on to this sin. And David says, look, if I'm holding on to sin in my life, if I'm holding on to sin in my heart, I've turned my ear from the law because I know it's sin and yet I persist to hold on to it. And so the Lord will not hear my cry. He will not hear my prayer because the prayer of those who have turned their ear from hearing the law is an abomination to the Lord. Verse 10 says,

Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he himself will fall into his own pit. But the blameless will inherit good. Here he says, anyone who causes others to walk away from the Lord or to be involved in sinful activity, they will have a high price to pay. They will fall into their own pit, their own trap. They will be destroyed by their own tactics and methods.

Now there's many today who are trying to deceive people and cause them to walk away from a relationship with God. God says, I'm going to deal with them. They're going to fall into their own pit. Jesus in Matthew 18, if you remember, he dealt specifically with the children, the innocent. He said, look, if anyone causes one of these to be led astray, it would be better if they had a millstone tied around their neck and be cast into the deepest sea.

He takes it very seriously. Those who are out to deceive and lead astray.

You may have heard about it. You may have not. There's a new documentary coming out on the Discovery Channel next week claiming that they've found the tomb and the bones of Jesus, and therefore the Bible's accounts must not be true. And so this documentary will be coming out, I think, on Saturday. Now, if you look at it, it's all nonsense. It's just like what we're talking about here, another attempt to lead people away from Christ.

God hates those things and they can try all they want. They've been trying to destroy the word of God for thousands of years. It will still stand and they will fall into the pit that they have dug for themselves. Regarding that specific thing, the documentary, there's some pamphlets on the back table discussing some of those claims. If you'd like more information, you can check that out. Verse 11.

The rich man is wise in his own eyes, but the poor who has understanding searches him out. The rich man is wise in his own eyes. Now, this is why Jesus said it's harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

Because the rich man is wise in his own eyes. The rich man says, look, I know what I need and I know what it takes. I know where I stand. I know everything that I need to know. The rich man is wise in his own eyes.

He says, I am living right. I'm doing it right. That's why I got to where I got. And if you purchase my method for $39.95, you can get there too. The rich man is wise in his own eyes. He looks to himself, his wisdom, his strength, his resources. It's very dangerous to be wise in your own eyes. In fact, Proverbs 12.15 says, the way of a fool is right in his own eyes.

The rich who is wise in his own eyes is really a fool. He's not wise. Proverbs 12, 15 says, He who heeds counsel is wise. We need, and we'll see this later on as we look at the end of this chapter, we need something outside of ourselves to have wisdom. We are in a dangerous position if we're wise in our own eyes. If we think we're right, especially if we're right and everybody else is wrong,

We need to evaluate where we are. Jesus said, look, it's harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle because the rich man will not acknowledge that he needs a savior. He will not acknowledge that he needs Jesus Christ.

The rich man says, no, I have what I need. I'm doing things right. I'm living life right. I don't need to have a relationship with the Lord. I don't need to spend time in the word of God. I don't need to be involved at church. I can just give and that's enough. I'm doing things right. I'm right in my own eyes. Jesus says, that person's a fool. It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for them to enter the kingdom of heaven.

But for the poor, Solomon says, the poor who has understanding, he searches him out because he can evaluate and discern by the word of God the ways and the life of the rich man. I like the way the New International Version puts it. It says that the poor who has understanding sees right through him.

The rich man, he's convinced he's got it right. He's got it going on. He knows what's happening. He knows what he needs. He's in right standing with God. But the poor who has understanding by the word of God looks and says, man, that guy is full of himself. It'll be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for him to enter the kingdom of God. We need a dependence upon God. We need to recognize our need for a savior. Verse 12 says,

When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory. But when the wicked arise, men hide themselves. When the righteous rejoice, that is when they are blessed or when they're lifted up in authority, then there's great glory. It's wonderful news when the righteous are advanced, when the righteous are raised up. But when the wicked arise, it's bad news. Men hide themselves.

When the wicked are raised up, it's a terrible thing. Something to consider as we look at the authorities in our nation, in our workplace. When the righteous are raised up, there's glory, there's beauty, there's blessing. But when the wicked are raised up, it's a terrible thing. Verse 13. He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. He who covers his sin will not prosper. Verse 13.

Anybody sin today by a show of hands? Don't cover your sin. It's okay. We all sin. Every day. It's part of our nature. I heard a pastor share a prayer this last week. The prayer goes something like this. Lord, I've been doing really good today. I haven't sinned. I haven't had any bad thoughts. I didn't have any malicious intentions. I haven't spoken against people. I haven't lusted in my heart.

But Lord, I have to get out of bed now. It's going to be a difficult day. We all sin. We struggle. We have difficulties and problems every day. But where we need to be concerned is what do we do when we sin? That's the issue at stake here. What do we do when we sin? Of course, you're going to sin. But do you cover your sin or do you confess and forsake your sin?

Because if you cover your sin, you will not prosper. But if you confess and forsake your sin, you will have mercy. You cannot cover your sin and be prosperous. Job 31, 33 says, hey, if I have covered my transgressions as Adam by hiding iniquity in my bosom. And then he goes on to say, hey, then let all these things come to me. If I've covered my transgressions and he compares himself to Adam, right?

How did Adam cover his transgression? Well, if you think back to the garden there in Genesis chapter 3, he took the bite of the forbidden fruit and immediately he realizes he's naked. And he begins to cover himself with a horrible covering, fig leaves that would create a lot of scratching and itching. Not only that, he takes it to the next step and he begins to hide because he hears God coming. He hears God's presence coming.

And he hides himself amongst the bushes. But then he covered it even further when God said, What have you done? And what did man say? The woman that you've given to me. By the fig leaves, by hiding, by blaming the wife, instead of confessing and forsaking his sin, he covered, excused, hid, concealed his sin. In 1 John 1, verses 8-10 says,

It says, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. So if you didn't raise your hand, that's for you. Verse 9, if we confess our sins, that's if you did raise your hand, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.

To confess simply means to agree with God regarding our sin. It means to agree with God, Lord, I have sinned. I have broken your commandments. I've broken your law. I have a filthy and deceitful heart. And this is what I've been doing. This is what I've done. We all do it. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. But what do you do with that? What do you do when you sin?

Do you confess it and forsake it? Or do you cover it? If you cover it, you will not prosper. David tried that, if you remember, in his sin against Bathsheba, against Uriah, but ultimately against the Lord. He tried to cover it, masked it, and hid it. In Psalm chapter 32, he records what was taking place within him during that time.

He says,

Because I needed to confess and forsake. Maybe you're feeling that way right now. Maybe you feel tired and weary. Maybe you feel like the drought of summer.

Because you have not confessed and forsaken your sin. David goes on in Psalm 32, 5. He says, I acknowledged my sin to you and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. If you confess, God is faithful and just to forgive you. If you confess, you will find mercy. You will find forgiveness.

Do David's words describe you? You need to be restored in relationship with God. You need to experience again the fullness of his presence, his mercy and grace. Acknowledge your sin to him. Confess it to him and forsake it. That means to repent, to turn away from it and stop living in sin. Stop living in violation of his word. And you will find mercy, grace, forgiveness. You will be renewed.

The summer, the drought will be over. Like Peter said in Acts chapter 3, repent and be converted, not converted, be converted that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. If you need to be refreshed, maybe you need to repent and acknowledge your sin to God. Verse 14, happy is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

Happy is the man who is always reverent or always this word reverent. It is the word of fear. The idea here is that happy is the person who always has the fear of the Lord. You will be happy and blessed if you always fear God, because that is wisdom. To fear God is to receive instructions, to follow his word, to follow his ways, to

But if you harden your hearts, if you will not receive from God, if you will not follow His ways, then, verse 14 says, he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. Disobedience to God is bad for your health. Be reverent. Fear God. Repent. Turn and walk in His ways. Verses 15 and 16. Like a roaring lion and a charging bear is a wicked ruler over poor people.

A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, but he who hates covetousness will prolong his days. Here Solomon's dealing with the issue of authority. Those who have authority are rulers. And he says that a ruler who is wicked over poor people is like a roaring lion and a charging bear. What's a roaring lion and a charging bear like?

I can tell you one thing, I wouldn't want to be near one. I wouldn't want to be standing in their path. It would be scary, it would be vicious, it would be deadly. And that's what a wicked ruler is like. A people that is defenseless, he will devour them. Now I think it's important to bring up in dealing with and covering this idea of wicked rulers and good rulers, righteous rulers,

We are blessed and praise God that he's given us a country where we have some say about who our rulers are. And so I want to encourage you when it comes time to vote for those who will do right. Even if it's not for your own sake, even if you say, well, I don't care. It doesn't really matter to me. Vote anyways for the sake of the poor and the innocent. Because like a roaring lion and charging bear is a wicked ruler over poor people. Vote for the sake of others if you don't care.

For the sake of those who will face the scary, vicious, and deadly ruler that will take advantage of their helplessness. Verse 17. A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit. Let no one help him. A man burdened with bloodshed. This is a murderer.

Someone who has committed a murder says he will flee into a pit. Now, I think of Judas Iscariot when I read this. Remember in Matthew 27, after Judas had betrayed Jesus and the trial takes place and he sees that Jesus is led away to be crucified.

It tells us in Matthew 27, 3, Judas, his betrayer, seeing that he had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. And then in verse 5, he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself. A man burdened with the guilt of murder, with the guilt of bloodshed,

We'll be in a pattern of destruction, a lifestyle of destruction. Solomon says, leave them be. Don't bail them out. Don't help them out. Let them suffer the consequences for the crime that they have committed. Verse 18. Whoever walks blamelessly will be saved, but he who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall. I love that God is so patient with us. See what it says? He who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.

It does not say that he who is perverse in his ways immediately falls. No, he will suddenly fall. That's different than immediately because there's some time that goes on. There's some space of time that happens between his perversity of ways and the fall. It's not immediately, oh, he's perverse, boom, immediately he's wiped out. And that's often what deceives us. But really, what that is, that time, that space is God's patience, waiting time.

For us to turn from our perversity. That we might be saved from the sudden fall. 2 Peter chapter 3 makes it very clear to us. God is not slow in keeping his promises. He will render justice to the situation. And give back to those who have rebelled against him. But he's patient. Not wanting any to perish. But waiting for those who are in rebellion to come to repentance.

A man, a person who is behaving perversely, deceitfully, contrary to God's word, may be successful for a time. You can rip off people and get away with it for a season, for a time. But it will end with a sudden fall. But if you are blameless, Solomon says, not perfect, but blameless, that is, you have right relationship with God. You're dealing with the sin that he reveals to you. You're walking with him. Then you will be saved. But it's one or the other.

Verse 19, he who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough. Here we come back to God's principles for increasing wealth and being blessed. The principle here is God promises plenty to the diligent.

He promises plenty to the diligent. He who works hard, he who tills his land and makes good use of what God has given him, he will have plenty of bread, Solomon says. But he who follows frivolity, which is worthless, vain things, instead of having plenty of bread, he will have plenty of poverty. Which would you prefer? Enough bread or poverty enough?

Solomon says, look, God's principle is this. Be diligent and you'll be blessed and you'll have plenty. You'll have your needs met. Don't chase after what you do not have. Be diligent with what you do have. Work hard and God will meet your needs. Verse 20, a faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

Here the same subject, the principle is that God blesses the faithful. He blesses the faithful. Here the faithful man is contrasted with the one who hastens to be rich.

A faithful man is one who is trustworthy, patient and diligent. You can count on them. And God says that faithfulness is more important than riches. Faithfulness is more important than wealth. Look again at what God is saying. He who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. Meaning it's wrong to hasten after riches.

And I don't care what explanation you have or what approach you take. Get rich schemes and plans, they are not of God. Gambling to get rich is not of God. Playing the lottery to get rich is not of God. He who hastens to get rich will not go unpunished. The method that God wants us to follow is not to rush to become rich, but instead to be faithful, patient, trusting Him, and being diligent in our work, looking to Him to bless as He sees fit.

Verse 21, to show partiality is not good because for a piece of bread, a man will transgress. To show partiality is to play favorites, to look the other way at wrongdoing, to look the other way and not punish those who deserve it. God is warning here. If you play favorites in your decisions and your judgments, that is not good because you will judge wrongly

Just to receive a small benefit unto yourself. Once you start down that path, you're corrupt. And it will affect all the decisions that you make. Verse 22. A man with an evil eye hastens after riches and does not consider the poverty that will come upon him. Again, God is speaking about the way that we increase in wealth or increase in what we have.

Specifically, those who hasten for riches, those who are pursuing riches. Here we learn the principle that God doesn't want you to be chasing riches, pursuing riches. The person who is chasing riches, who's trying to get rich quick, has an evil eye, Solomon says. Their eyes are wicked. Poverty will come upon him.

Because of the law that we see so often, you reap what you sow, Galatians 6, 7, and 8. You cannot disregard God's principles and not be affected by it. Poverty will come upon you because it's not the way that God has chosen to bless and to provide. It's not where he calls you to place your eyes. You're to be looking unto Jesus. But he who hastens after riches has an evil eye.

And you cannot do that and get away with it. You will come to poverty because you reap what you sow. Verse 23. He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward than he who flatters with the tongue. I think it's important that he says afterward. He who rebukes may not find favor right away. You know, if you see a situation, if you bring it up, if you bring some correction or word of instruction...

It may not be well received. It may not make you the most popular person. But here we learn, you will find more favor afterward than he who flatters with the tongue. In other words, it's more important to share what's right, to share correction when it's needed, than to flatter and to cover it up with all kinds of wonderful words. Because in the end, the one who rebukes will find favor. Now that doesn't mean you should go around rebuking and looking for opportunities to rebuke.

But as God shows you and puts it upon your heart, as the need is there, be open to share correction. Proverbs 27.5, open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Proverbs 26.28, a lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it and a flattering mouth works ruin. If you love the people around you, share with them the truth. Open rebuke is better than hidden love.

But if you have a flattering mouth, you're working ruin, causing destruction and saving no one. Verse 24. Whoever robs his father or his mother and said it is no transgression. The same is companion to a destroyer. Whoever robs his father or mother and says it's no big deal. He is companion to destroyer. Now, this was a real issue.

With the Jewish people when Jesus walked the earth. In Matthew 15, he deals with the scribes and Pharisees. And he says, look, how can you say that a person can disregard the command to honor father and mother by saying this special word and then not providing for them and helping them whenever they're in need. And he accused them of having made the command of God of no effect by their silly traditions.

The point is, if you do not honor your father and mother, you are as guilty as a destroyer. If you rob from them or withhold from them the honor that's due, you're as guilty just like a companion of a destroyer. What's a destroyer? Think of it this way. Disobedience to parents, dishonoring them, stealing from them is as bad as terrorism in God's book. One who destroys others.

He doesn't look upon it favorably at all. Verse 25. He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered. Who is it that stirs up strife? He who is of a proud heart. You don't have to raise your hand, but has anyone here ever stirred up strife among others? I think we probably all have from time to time. But I think this is important to consider because of the contrast that Solomon gives.

He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered. Stirring up strife is in contrast to trusting in the Lord. So the idea here is that strife isn't being stirred up just to be malicious or to watch the sparks fly, but it's being stirred up with good intentions, right?

The mentality is, look, there's a situation that's going on and I need to fix it. I need to talk about it. I need to let other people know about it. And so I'm there trying to fix the situation, causing strife, causing difficulties, causing people to beat at each other's throats because I think that this situation needs to be fixed. And Solomon says, that's a person who has a proud heart, that you think you're the answer to the problem. You think you need to do it.

But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered. See, it's better to trust in the Lord than to trust in your resolutions and your answers and yourself to fix the situation. If it's not under your authority, if it's not under your control, then it's under God's control. And you need to trust in the Lord and let him take care of those situations. If he wanted you to take care of it, it would be under your authority. It would be under your control. If it's not

then you just trust the Lord. Allow him to take care of the situation. Pray, seek him, and trust him. Verse 26. He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered. This one kind of hurts a little, doesn't it? He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered. The world will teach you that you can trust your heart.

Because they believe that man is basically good. You can trust your feelings and instincts. But the truth is, if you trust your heart, you're a fool. Because Jeremiah 17, 9 tells us, the heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked. That means first and foremost, before anything else, my heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. I cannot trust my heart.

There's a great danger for you, for me, for trusting our own hearts, our own feelings, our own thoughts and emotions and opinions. We need to hold our heart accountable to the word of God. Don't live by what you think best or how you feel like living. Live wisely by receiving instruction from God's word. Remember Proverbs 3, 5 and 6?

Famous verse, popular verse. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding, your own heart, but instead in all of your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your path. In all your ways, whatever you're doing, look to the Lord. Acknowledge him. Compare what you're doing and how you're living by the word of God, not by how you feel or what you think. Someone asks, how do you feel about this? I don't know. What does the word of God say?

Verse 27, he who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses. Here Solomon says, look, if you give to the poor, you will not lack. But if you hide your eyes, you'll have many curses. God has a great, compassionate, merciful heart to those who are in need. And he calls us to have the same.

His promise is that he will be a debtor to no one. He's not going to owe you anything. And so if you will give to the poor, you will not lack because of that gift. If you give to those who are in need, you will not lack because of that gift. He's not going to owe you anything. Proverbs 19, 17 says, he who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord and he will pay back what he has given. Take care of those who

That have need around you. Give as the Lord blesses you and provides for you. Give to those who have need. And you will not lack. God will take care of you. He will pay back what was given. God wants us to have compassion. To care for the poor and those who are in need. If we lend to them, we lend to the Lord. If we give to them, we give to the Lord. If we serve them, we serve the Lord. And God will pay back what was given unto him.

Verse 28, final verse this evening. When the wicked arise, men hide themselves. But when they perish, the righteous increase. Again, when the wicked arise, men hide themselves. We saw that in an earlier verse. It's trouble, it's bad news when the wicked have power and authority. It's destructive. But when they perish, then the righteous increase. Then the righteous are blessed. Then the righteous rejoice.

And it brings us in conclusion this evening at the end of Proverbs 28. I would challenge you and encourage you to reflect, to think back. As God has spoken many things and we've covered many areas and topics, which are you? The wicked or the righteous? You can tell by how you live, by what you do with sin, by your mentality in obtaining wealth, by your attitude in the way that you live.

I would challenge you this evening, if you're not right with God, if your bones wax old, if the hand of the Lord is heavy upon you, repent, come back and receive the times of refreshing from the Lord. If you've been chasing after riches, hastening on those things, seeking after those things, repent, turn back. If God's been speaking to you in a different area perhaps this evening,

Let him have his way. That's wisdom. That's righteousness. That's understanding. Heavenly Father, we come before you this evening, God, as we close this time in your word. And God, how magnificent your word is. Speaking to us even though we've heard these verses and words and thoughts and ideas. But Lord, it's living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword. Piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit. God, we thank you for the power of your word.

For how awesome you are. For your desire to minister to us and speak to us. And so God, right now we take this opportunity to confess to you. To acknowledge to you the sinfulness of our heart. The wickedness within us. Lord, we understand, we believe, we can't trust our hearts. We can't look to ourselves and how we feel. So we look to you. We acknowledge you. And Lord, we ask that by your word...

You would help us to walk according to your ways that you might direct our path. Help us, Lord, to forsake and confess the sin in our hearts. Teach us, Lord, to walk with you, to be righteous and not wicked, to not forsake your law, but to hold fast to it. May we honor it. May we esteem it more than our own hearts, our feelings and emotions and opinions. May we be obedient to you first, that we may be blessed.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.