PROVERBS 28
Poor dealing with the poor verse 1- 5
The WICKED flee when no man pursues
BUT the RIGHTEOUS are bold as a lion
For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof
BUT by a man of understanding and knowledge
the state thereof shall be prolonged
A poor man that oppresses the poor IS like a
sweeping rain which leaves no food
They that forsake the law praise the WICKED
BUT such as keep the law contend with them
EVIL men understand not judgment
BUT they that seek the LORD understand all things
Wrong company kept verse 6- 17
Better is the poor that walks in his UPRIGHTNESS
THAN he that is PERVERSE in his ways
though he be rich
Whoso keeps the law is a wise son
BUT he that is a companion of riotous men
shames his father
He that by usury and unjust gain increases his substance
he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor
He that turns away his ear from hearing the law
EVEN his prayer shall be abomination
Whoso causes the RIGHTEOUS to go astray in an EVIL way
he shall fall himself into his own pit
BUT the UPRIGHT shall have
good things in possession
The rich man is wise in his own conceit
BUT the poor that hath understanding searches HIM out
When RIGHTEOUS men do rejoice – there is great glory
BUT when the WICKED rise – a man is hidden
He that covers his sins shall not prosper
BUT whoso confesses and forsakes them
shall have mercy
Happy is the man that fears always
BUT he that hardens his heart shall fall into mischief
As a roaring lion – AND as a ranging bears
SO is a WICKED ruler over the poor people
The prince that wants understanding is also a great oppressor
BUT he that hates covetousness shall prolong his days
A man that does violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit
let no man stay him
Good company kept verse 18- 28
Whoso walks UPRIGHTLY shall be saved
BUT he that is PERVERSE in his ways shall fall at once
He that tills his land shall have plenty of bread
BUT he that follows after VAIN persons shall have
poverty enough
A FAITHFUL man shall abound with blessings
BUT he that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent
To have respect of persons is not good
FOR for a piece of bread that man will transgress
He that haste to be rich hath an EVIL eye
AND considers not that poverty shall come upon him
He that rebukes a man afterward shall find more favor
THAN he that FLATTERS with the tongue
Whoso robs his father or his mother – and says
It is no transgression
the same is the companion of a DESTROYER .
He that is of a PROUD heart stirs up strife
BUT he that puts his TRUST in the LORD shall be made fat
He that trusts in his own heart is a FOOL
BUT whoso walks wisely – he shall be delivered
He that gives unto the poor shall not lack
BUT he that hides his eyes shall have many a curse
When the WICKED rise – men hide themselves
BUT when they perish – the RIGHTEOUS increase
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 The wicked flee when no man pursues: but the righteous are bold as a lion. (6662 “righteous” [tsaddiyq] means just, right, correct, one who has a just cause, innocent, in the right, or upright)
DEVOTION: The LORD gives us courage to face any danger that our enemy the devil sends our way. Sometimes the devil uses people to get on our nerves to cause us problems but we have to turn them over to the LORD to let HIM deal with them.
There is a difference between those who are wicked and those that are righteous in their relationship with other people. The righteous look for good in others while the wicked think everyone is as wicked as they are.
It is important for the righteous to make sure that they treat the wicked properly at all times with a goal of reaching them for the LORD. Too often they are not willing to be friends with us because they know that if they become a follower of the LORD they will have to change and that is not something they want to do.
The Holy Spirit is working on each person to give them an opportunity to become a believer but most reject HIS actions toward them. They want nothing to do with the LORD and say so but still think they are better than believers.
Our prayers have to be for those we love to become a follower of Jesus Christ but if they reject HIM it is their choice and they will have to answer for their actions. We have to answer for our actions as well.
Everyone has a choice and what they chose will give them their destination for eternity.
CHALLENGE: Work with the LORD to reach those who don’t know HIM as their Savior but remember that if they reject HIM they will spend eternity in hell because it is their choice.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
:3 “A poor man who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain which leaves no food.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Poor – 7326 רוּשׁ [ruwsh /roosh/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 2138; GK 8133; 24 occurrences; AV translates as “poor” 19 times, “poor man” three times, “lack” once, and “needy” once. 1 to be poor, be in want, lack. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to be poor. 1A2 to be in want or hunger. 1A3 poor man (subst). 1B (Hithpolel) one impoverishing himself (participle). James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995).
DEVOTION: Leadership is likened to many different examples and illustrations. In this verse the idea of a poor man is a poor leader. The NIV translates it this way and helps us to see that a leader who demonstrates poor skills does enormous damage like a driving rain upon a crop in the field. It is so important that we pray for our leaders in positions of authority as their decisions and actions will impact everyone under them. Our political, military, spiritual and home leaders need to be uplifted daily so that their decisions may nurture not destroy.
CHALLENGE: Take a moment to pray for the leaders that are directly over you. Ask the Lord to give them a gentle spirit not an oppressive one as they lead today. (Dr. Brian Miller)
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: 13 He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy. (3680 “covers” [kacah] means hide, or conceal.
DEVOTION: One of the problems we have as human beings is that we don’t want to admit anything is our false. We continue to be selfish and lazy even after we become followers of the LORD.
Our responsibility to the LORD is to admit that we are sinners. HE has provided a way to escape from eternal punishment though HIS Son Jesus Christ. If we can admit to HIM that we are sinners and accept HIS provision of salvation we can live a life different from most of the world. HE brings us into HIS family. HE promises to provide for us. HE promises to never leave us or forsake us. However, HE also knows that we will not live a sinless life after we have made a commitment to follow HIM.
God doesn’t want us to think we can hide our sins from HIM. HE is omniscient. HE knows everything. David tried to hide his sin with Bathsheba and the LORD sent Nathan to confront him. What was David to do? He was to confess his sin and ask the LORD’S forgiveness to restore his fellowship with the LORD.
What are we to do with sin? Not cover it over in our own eyes because the LORD knows what we have done. We are to confess our sin to HIM. The Bible states that HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Once we have confessed our sin we have the responsibility to run away from that sin. We are to forsake that sin. Can we repeat that sin? YES!! But our goal should be to forsake it. God knows our intentions. HE knows our thoughts.
If HE sees that we genuinely want to forsake sin HE will show us mercy. HE loves those who are part of HIS family. All those who become followers of Christ are part of HIS family. HE will still chasten us if we sin. HE will still purge us to make us more like HIS Son but all this is to help us mature in our faith.
CHALLENGE: Keep short accounts with God. We are commanded to examine ourselves to see how we are doing. Examine yourself regularly.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 25 He that is of a proud heart stirs up strife: but he that puts his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. (1878 “fat” [dashen] means have an abundance, have more than enough or become prosperous.
DEVOTION: In the book of Proverbs, we are warned about being proud. This is pride in the wrong things. This is a false pride. People with this kind of pride cause problems. This person’s problem is that he is greedy. He wants as much money as he can get by any means. He causes quarrels between people, so that, he can gain wealth for himself. Money is his god. He will do anything for money. He looks at his bank account with pride. He doesn’t give to the poor but likes to take advantage of them. He doesn’t pay his employees well. This type of individual causes constant turmoil around those he is with.
The second individual is one who TRUSTS in the LORD for his wealth. He is one who worships the LORD alone. He uses his money to help the poor. He gives to the church. He doesn’t cause strife with those around him.
The problem is that we have many of the first individuals in our churches. They think that they are protecting the LORD’S money by keeping it in the bank for a rainy day that never comes. Because it is in the bank it is not helping those who need it. It is not helping the church reach out and touch the lives of those in the community.
We need the church to be filled with individuals that are good with the LORD’S money but use it for the outreach in their world for Christ. The LORD will prosper the individual or church who honors HIM with their money. The LORD will prosper a church that honors the LORD with their outreach into their Jerusalem, Judah, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world.
What is our attitude toward our personal money? What is our attitude toward the money we give to the LORD? What is the church’s attitude regarding their money? Are we givers or takers? The LORD can give us wisdom in this regard.
CHALLENGE: The LORD wants us to be givers. Our responsibility is to be good stewards of the LORD’S money not hoarders. Our treasure should be in heaven.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Prayer shall be an abomination verse 9
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 5, 25
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Man verse 1, 2, 20, 23
Princes verse 2, 16
Poor man verse 3, 6, 11, 15
Evil men verse 5
Wise son verse 7
Father verse 7, 24
Rich man verse 11
Wicked ruler verse 15
Mother verse 24
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Wicked verse 1, 4, 12, 15, 28
Transgression verse 2, 24
Forsake the law verse 4
Praise the wicked verse 4
Evil verse 5, 10, 22
Understand not judgment verse 5
Perverse verse 6, 18
Riotous verse 7
Usury verse 8
Unjust gain verse 8
Won’t hear the law verse 9
Prayer an abomination verse 9
Cause righteous to go astray verse 10
Conceit verse 11
Covers sin verse 13
Hardened heart verse 14
Mischief verse 14
Covetousness verse 16
Violence verse 17
Perverse verse 18
Follow vain person verse 19
Make haste to be rich verse 20, 22
Respect of persons verse 21
Transgress verse 21, 24
Flattery verse 23
Rob father or mother verse 24
Destroyer verse 24
Proud verse 25
Strife verse 25
Trust in his own heart verse 26
Fool verse 26
Not help poor verse 27
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Righteous verse 1, 10, 12, 28
Bold verse 1
Man of understanding verse 2, 5, 11
Man of knowledge verse 2
Keep the law verse 4, 7
Seek the LORD verse 5
Upright verse 6, 10, 18
Wise verse 7, 26
Pity the poor verse 8, 27
Prayer verse 9
Rejoice verse 12
Confesses sin verse 13
Forsakes sin verse 13
Mercy verse 13
Happy verse 14
Fear of the LORD verse 14
Hate covetousness verse 16
Prolong days verse 16
Walks uprightly verse 18
Deliverance verse 18, 26
Work ethic verse 19
Faithful verse 20
Blessing to others verse 20
Innocent verse 20
Rebuke others verse 23
Trust in the LORD verse 25
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
14 One’s prospects in this life depend on reverential fear. The verse contrasts the one who “always fears” (mep̱aḥēḏ tamîḏ) with the one who hardens his heart. The first is blessed, and the second falls into trouble. The verse gives no object for “fear”: various translations have assumed that it would be the Lord (so NIV), especially in the Book of Proverbs. But yirʾāh (“fear”) is not used here. It may be that the verse means fear of sin. In other words, the one who is always apprehensive about sin and its results will be more successful at avoiding it and finding God’s blessing. Or perhaps the blessing is the avoidance of sin, for ʾašrê ʾāḏām (cf. Ps 1:1, ʾašrê hāʾîš, “Blessed is the man”) would describe the heavenly bliss of the one who is right with God. (Ross, A. P. (1991). Proverbs. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 1106). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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28:14. The words the Lord are added in the NIV as they are not in the Hebrew. The word fears translates pāḥaḏ, “to be afraid,” as in 1:33; 3:24–25. In 1:7; 3:7 the word for “fear” is yārē’, “to reverence.” Probably, then, 28:14 is referring to the fear or dread of the consequences of sin (cf. v. 13). A person who has that kind of dread will be happy (blessed; cf. Ps. 1:1) and will not harden his heart and fall into trouble (cf. Prov. 29:1). (Walvoord, J. F., & Zuck, R. B., Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 966). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Ver. 14. Happy is the man that feareth alway, &c.] Not men, but the Lord; there is a fear and reverence due to men, according to the stations in which they are; but a slavish fear of man, and which deters from the worship of God and obedience to him, is criminal, and brings a snare; and a man, under the influence of it, cannot be happy: nor is a servile fear of God intended, a fear of wrath and damnation, or a distrust of his grace, a continual calling in question his love, and an awful apprehension of his displeasure and vengeance; for in such fear is torment, and with it a man can never be happy; but it is a reverence and godly fear, a filial one, a fear of God and his goodness, which he puts into the hearts of his people; a fear, indeed, of offending him, of sinning against him, by which a man departs from evil, and forsakes it, as well as confesses it; but is what arises from a sense of his goodness: and it is well when such a fear of God is always before the eyes and on the hearts of men: in their closets and families, in their trade and commerce, in all companies into which they come, as well as in the house of God and the assembly of his saints, where he is to be feared; as also in prosperity and adversity, even throughout the whole course of life, passing the time of their sojourning here in fear: and such a man is happy; the eye of God is on him, his heart is towards him, and he delights in him; his secret is with him, he sets a guard of angels about him, has laid up goodness for him, and communicates largely to him. But he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief; that hardens his heart from the fear of the Lord; neither confesses his sin, nor forsakes it; bids, as it were, defiance to heaven, strengthens and hardens himself in his wickedness, and by his hard and impenitent heart treasures up to himself wrath against the day of wrath; he falls into evil, as it may be rendered, into the evil of sin yet more and more, which the hardness of his heart brings him into, and so into the evil of punishment here and hereafter. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 520). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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Happy is the man, because he shall thereby avoid that mischief which befalls fearless sinners, which is expressed in the next clause, and procure that eternal salvation which they lose. That feareth, to wit, the offence and judgments of God; who having confessed and forsaken his sins, as was now said, is afraid to return to them again, and careful to avoid them, and all occasions of them. Alway; in all times, companies, and conditions; not only in the time of great trouble, when even hypocrites will in some sort be afraid of sinning, but in times of outward peace and prosperity. That hardeneth his heart; that goeth on obstinately and securely in sinful courses, casting off due reverence to God, and just fear of his threatenings and judgments. (Poole, M. (1853). Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 2, p. 269). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Nearing his death, Joshua charges the Israelites to be faithful to the Lord.
INSIGHT
After a brilliant career as Israel’s leader, Joshua bids them farewell. He urges them not to allow themselves to be corrupted by the gods or people of the nations around them. Then Joshua encourages them that if they are faithful, “all the good things” of the Lord will come upon them (23:15); if they are not faithful, “the Lord will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land” (23:15). (Quiet Walk)
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WHEN WE DON’T UNDERSTAND
All things work together for good to them that love God.
Romans 8:28
Our Lord’s message to us is that we must trust Him absolutely and explicitly, even when we cannot understand. That, in effect, as we have seen, is what He was saying to John in Matthew 11:2-6. “I am doing the things you have heard reported of Me. But then you say, ‘Why aren’t You doing other things?’ But if you really believe that I am the Messiah, the Son of God, cannot you leave it to Me? Even about this question of your being in prison and what your friends are saying about My not being concerned about you—John, if you know that I am who I am, cannot you trust Me there in prison itself?”
Faith means that I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ absolutely. Ah, we all have to learn this lesson. Even Paul had to pass this way. He had a thorn in the flesh, and he could not understand it. It seemed all wrong to him. He wanted to preach the gospel, but the thorn was a hindrance to him. Three times he besought the Lord to remove it, but this was the answer he got: “My grace is sufficient for thee.” “I am not taking out the thorn,” said the Lord in effect, “but I will do something infinitely bigger. I will bless you with the thorn in your side. I assure you that even with the thorn I can do wonders through you.”
“Quite right,” says Paul, “and I see that when I am weak, then I am strong, and I care about nothing except that I be right with You.” The place that God would have us come to is the one in which we can say, “All things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28). “All things”—it doesn’t matter what. “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).
A Thought to Ponder: Faith means that I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ absolutely.
(From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 51-52, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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He Knows
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. Psalm 139:1
Lea was about to start a job as a nurse in Taiwan. She’d be able to better provide for her family, more than she could in Manila, where job opportunities were limited. On the night before her departure, she gave instructions to her sister, who’d be taking care of her five-year-old daughter. “She’ll take her vitamins if you also give her a spoonful of peanut butter,” Lea explained, “And, remember, she’s shy. She’ll play with her cousins eventually. And she’s afraid of the dark . . .”
While looking out the plane window the next day, Lea prayed: Lord, no one knows my daughter like I do. I can’t be with her, but You can.
We know the people we love, and we notice all the details about them because they’re precious to us. When we can’t be with them due to various circumstances, we’re often anxious that since no one knows them as well as we do they’ll be more vulnerable to harm.
In Psalm 139, David reminds us that God knows us more than anyone does. In the same way, He knows our loved ones intimately (vv. 1–4). He’s their Creator (vv. 13–15), so He understands their needs. He knows what will happen each day of their lives (v. 16), and He’s with them and will never leave them (vv. 5, 7–10).
When you’re anxious for others, entrust them to God for He knows them best and loves them the most. (By Karen Huang, Our Daily Bread)
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The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luke 18:11
Let me touch on an aspect of a false view of the kingdom of God. I refer to those who confuse Christianity with a kind of morality only. There are so many people who think of Christianity as if it were but a collection of vetoes and prohibitions and restraints. That was the trouble there in Rome. You should not eat this, you should not eat that, and all those other observances. And there they were, experts about these particular things. “No,” says the apostle, “Christ did not come from heaven to earth for that reason; that’s not Christianity!”
And we can interpret that at the present time in this way: It is to think that you make yourself a Christian by the way in which you live; that if you do not do certain things you are a Christian, but that if you do them, then you are not. So you do not do these things, and then, of course, you can criticize others; you can feel that you are better than they are, and so you look down upon them.
That was the trouble with the Pharisee we read about in Luke 18: “I thank God I am not like other men. I fast twice in the week; I give a tenth of my goods to the poor. How good I am! Not like this miserable publican, this sinner fellow!” But that is not the kingdom of God; that is the precise opposite. But how common this idea is! How many people think of Christianity today as something that is purely negative, something that always makes demands of you, that tells you that if you are going to be a Christian you have got to stop this, that, and the other. And it goes no further and never tells you what Christianity gives you. So Christianity is confused with morality.
A Thought to Ponder: Christianity is confused with morality. (By Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Hebrews 8
The old covenant, being imperfect, was replaced by the new covenant based on grace.
INSIGHT
All the major features of the old covenant, which existed on a literal, physical level, are found in the new covenant on a spiritual, heavenly level. The old covenant had a physical sanctuary, a human high priest, and used real animals for sacrifices. This covenant was inadequate in that it could only deal with sins temporarily; it could not remove sins permanently (v. 7). In the new covenant there is a spiritual sanctuary, a heavenly High Priest, and a celestial Lamb whose death provides permanent forgiveness of sin for an infinite number of people. It is a ‘better covenant, which was established on better promises.’ (v. 6). (Quiet Walk)
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MYSTICISM
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16
John has gone on repeatedly writing about the love of God, and you notice how he never tires of doing so. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9). “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). Now [verse 16] he repeats it again. This is because he knew that in his own day and age there were all those so-called mystery religions or curious cults that talked about the love of God; and they all tried to teach that you can know the love of God directly. That is always the characteristic of mysticism; what finally condemns mysticism is that it bypasses the Lord Jesus Christ. Anything that bypasses Christ is not Christian. I do not care what it is, however good, however uplifting or noble; it is Christ who is the manifestation of the love of God, says John.
I do not hesitate, therefore, to aver and to add strongly as follows: I must distrust any emotion that I may have within me with respect to God unless it is based solidly upon the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him God manifested His love. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Therefore, I say that I must never attempt by any means or method to get to know God or to try to make myself love God except in and through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I must avoid every other direct approach to God, every direct dealing with God.
A Thought to Ponder: Anything that bypasses Christ is not Christian. (From The Love of God, pp. 145-146, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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