Bible Lessons

From: Messages of God's Love: 1932

Proverbs 29

A SOLEMN warning stands at the head of our chapter. "Often reproved," but the reproof unheeded; then sudden destruction—overtaken by the judgment of God, and that "without remedy." The word translated "suddenly" in this verse has the sense of "any instant." He has no "lease on life" and God may call him at any moment. Has there not been long patience? Yes, the Epistle to the Romans (chapter 2: verses 3-5) speaks of man's despising the riches of God's goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, and his having become hardened, impenitent. God has but one way to offer poor rebellious man, and that is, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." After death the judgment is the fearful prospect of the despiser of God's grace.

Verse 5. The natural man likes to be flattered; flattery is a very successful weapon in the hands of the worldly, to get what they want. But when we turn to the Scriptures we find that no flattery deceived the Lord, as He passed on His way from Bethlehem's manger to Calvary's cross. See Him in Matthew 22:15-22,¹⁵Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. ¹⁶And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. ¹⁷Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? ¹⁸But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? ¹⁹Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. ²⁰And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? ²¹They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. ²²When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way. (Matthew 22:15‑22) Mark 12:13-17,¹³And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. ¹⁴And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? ¹⁵Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. ¹⁶And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's. ¹⁷And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him. (Mark 12:13‑17) and in Luke 11:27, 28,²⁷And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. ²⁸But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. (Luke 11:27‑28)

In verse 6, the righteous person is pr served from the snare; the cause of t poor has a place in his life, (verse 7); t wise turn away anger which might ha destroyed a city (verse 8). After this fashion our God has plainly set out in His; Word the holy and separate walk becom ing His people.

Verse 13. The poor and the deceitful (it is really the oppressor here, or as in the margin, the usurer) meet together before God; He gives light to both. Thus is the power of God manifested in changing lives, so that the poor man will have sufficient, and the oppressor (such no more) still has enough for himself. This is according to the Word (2 Cor. 8:14, 15¹⁴But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: ¹⁵As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack. (2 Corinthians 8:14‑15)).

Verses 15 and 17 are contrary to modern thought, but this only shows that the thoughts of the moderns are wrong. We are born with an evil nature, and a firm hand to guide the young into right paths is necessary. We who are older bless God for the rod and reproof of our parents that kept us out of much that would have brought sorrow and shame to them, and worse things to us.

Wickedness now abounds, but the wicked will fall, and the righteous will see it (verse 16). In the day when Satan introduced sin into the world, he learned that the woman's Seed would crush his head. Now nothing delays the full display of that action but the ingathering of a few more precious souls who must be saved. Soon the Lord shall descend from heaven, and we who believe in Him shall rise to meet Him, to go with Him to the heavenly home long prepared for us; presently thereafter the judgments will begin which are portrayed in the Revelation, culminating in the judgment of the great white throne (Revelation 20:11¹¹And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (Revelation 20:11)).