Proverbs Nineteen

Narrator: Chris Genthree

Proverbs 19

THE first three proverbs are intimately connected, and we therefore consider them together.

1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity,
Than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, is not good;
And he that hasteth with his feet sinneth [or, maketh false steps].

3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way:
And his heart fretteth against Jehovah.

It is the contrast between the path of truth and the way of self-will and ignorance. Far better is it to be poor and unknown, and yet walk before God in uprightness and integrity of heart, than to be loud in speech but given to folly and perverseness.

Ignorance is not to be admired. The worldly axiom, “Where ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise,” is false and foolish. To be bereft of knowledge is undesirable. Mere zeal will not suffice to keep one right. One may be in earnest, but earnestly wrong, as was Saul of Tarsus before his conversion (Acts 26:9⁹I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. (Acts 26:9)). He who runs on without learning the will of God, adds sin to sin. His foolishness leads him astray, and his deceitful heart is irritated against the Lord. He is bent on his own way, and can brook no correction. Compare Jonah when acting in self-will (Jonah 1:3; 4:8, 9³But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. (Jonah 1:3)
⁸And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. ⁹And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. (Jonah 4:8‑9)).

4 Wealth maketh many friends;
But the poor is separated from his neighbor.

The well-to-do will always have many to claim friendship with him; while the indigent will often find his poverty a means of separating his neighbors from him; for, though a glamor may be thrown about it by the easily-satisfied optimist, this is a cold, feeling-less world after all.

But there is a legitimate sense in which friends may be made by means of wealth. Our Lord has bidden His disciples “make to yourselves friends by the mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” Riches, if used for the alleviation of misery and in reference to the coming age, may be the means of much blessing. When at last the one who has so used them passes away, he will find a host of friends, who have been the objects of his Christlike benefactions on earth, waiting to welcome him into the everlasting home of the redeemed. Notice verses 6, 7, and 17. The just man will not regard the rich more than the poor. See Job 34:19¹⁹How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands. (Job 34:19), and James 2:1-9¹My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. ²For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; ³And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: ⁴Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? ⁵Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? ⁶But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? ⁷Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? ⁸If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: ⁹But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. (James 2:1‑9).

5 A false witness shall not be acquitted;
And he that breatheth out lies shall not escape.

The judgment of God is according to truth. He will see that every transgression and disobedience shall receive a just recompence of reward. A lie may seem to triumph for the time being, but the truth shall be eventually supreme. See the witnesses against Naboth (1 Kings 21:8-13⁸So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. ⁹And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: ¹⁰And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. ¹¹And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. ¹²They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. ¹³And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. (1 Kings 21:8‑13)). Note verse 9.

6 Many will entreat the favor of a prince:
And every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him:
How much more do his friends go far from him?
He pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.

See note on verse 4, above. There are always multitudes to wait upon a noble, and to play the part of friends to one who can be their benefactor. How different the spirit of Him who was charged with receiving sinners, and eating with them; who sought not the smiles of the great, nor feared their frowns! By His Spirit He has bidden those who would follow in His steps to be characterized by “minding not high things, but going along with the lowly” (Rom. 12:16¹⁶Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. (Romans 12:16)).

It is like the world to prefer the rich and great to the destitute and outwardly ignoble; but let the Christian remember that his Lord appeared on earth as one of the poor whom His brethren despised, and whose friends went far from Him, though He pursued them with tender entreaties. Surely those who are now, by grace, linked up with Him in blessing must ever cherish a loving concern for the needy.

8 He that getteth heart loveth his own soul:
He that keepeth understanding shall find good.

The A. V. reads “wisdom” where we have used the literal rendering, “heart.” The word so used is a Hebraism, standing for sound judgment, or common sense. See Proverbs 15:21²¹Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly. (Proverbs 15:21).

To follow after moral probity, and to cleave to understanding, bring true peace and lasting happiness. See Timotheus (2 Tim. 3:14, 15¹⁴But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; ¹⁵And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14‑15)).

9 A false witness shall not be acquitted;
And he that breatheth out lies shall perish.

The passage is not exactly a repetition of verse 5. There, we are reminded that the liar shall not escape. Here, we are told what his doom shall be. He shall perish. He shall be destroyed. That is, his hopes shall he cut off, and he shall go out into the darkness; broken beneath the judgment of God, to endure the unspeakable woes of the liar’s eternity (Rev. 21:8⁸But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)).

10 Luxury is not seemly for a fool;
Much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

Both are out of place. The servant ruling over princes, and the fool nursed in the lap of luxury, bespeak conditions that are opposed to what is right and orderly. Circumstances may arise in which a prince is helpless, and obliged to rely upon the judgment of one of lesser place; but the wise servant will use his powers with discretion, and keep the subject-place, though all be under his hand, See Joseph (Gen. 47:14-20¹⁴And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. ¹⁵And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth. ¹⁶And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. ¹⁷And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year. ¹⁸When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands: ¹⁹Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. ²⁰And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's. (Genesis 47:14‑20)).

11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger;
And it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

See note on Proverbs 14:29²⁹He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. (Proverbs 14:29). An uncontrolled temper, manifested in hasty anger unjudged, bespeaks a man who has never learned, in the school of God, the great lesson of self-government. It is the pompous, conceited pedant who cannot overlook an injury done to him, but must vent his wrath upon the offender whenever an occasion presents itself. A man of sound judgment and discretion has learned to pass lightly over offenses and seeming insults which would goad the one who is bereft of wisdom to intense indignation. In this, whatever his failings otherwise, even Esau approves himself when he greets his brother Jacob (concerning whose transgression there could be no question) with such grace and magnanimity (Gen. 33:4-9⁴And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. ⁵And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant. ⁶Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. ⁷And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. ⁸And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. ⁹And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. (Genesis 33:4‑9)).

12 The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion;
But his favor is as dew upon the grass.

Because “in the word of a king there is power,” his wrath is to be dreaded, and his gracious favor eagerly sought. How much more fully may the words be applied to the coming King, the Lion of the tribe of Judah! When the great day of His wrath has come, how wretched will be the estate of all who know not His grace, which to the repentant soul is indeed like dew upon the grass! Both aspects are illustrated in Pharaoh’s dealing with his chief butler and his chief baker (Gen. 40).

13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father:
And the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

The first line connects with Proverbs 17:25²⁵A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him. (Proverbs 17:25). How unhappy the home where both a foolish son and a contentious wife are found! They are very likely to be together; for where the wife disputes her husband’s authority, and takes sides with the children, in opposition to his proper discipline, the effect upon them will be anything but good.

It is a very common thing to see parents disputing and wrangling before their household, with the baneful result that the sons and daughters learn to despise the father’s authority and to defy the mother’s correction, when she does attempt it; thus growing up in a lawless, insubject spirit, bent upon having their own way and persisting in their refusal to submit to proper discipline. Christian parents may well ponder the instructions given to each in Ephesians 5, Colossians 3, and 1 Peter 3. The contentious wife has her unhappy illustration in Michal, the daughter of Saul (2 Sam. 6:16-23¹⁶And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. ¹⁷And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. ¹⁹And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house. ²⁰Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself! ²¹And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord. ²²And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honor. ²³Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death. (2 Samuel 6:16‑23), and 1 Chron. 15:29²⁹And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart. (1 Chronicles 15:29)).

14 House and riches are an inheritance from fathers:
But a prudent wife is from Jehovah.

See Proverbs 18:22²²Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22). One may inherit house and wealth, but none can give a prudent wife but the Lord. It is God who joins together, and therefore forbids man to put asunder. He who said at the beginning, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a help meet for him,” is still concerned about His people’s happiness. Therefore the man of faith can safely trust Him to give a suited life-partner. It is when, unwilling to wait on God, one chooses for himself; relying alone on his poor human judgment, that bitter mistakes are made, which are often irremediable. To marry in Christ is not necessarily to marry in the Lord. Any marriage between Christians would be in Christ. Only when the will is subject, and the mind of God has been learned, will marriage be in the Lord. See Rebekah’s case, and note how markedly Jehovah ordered all (Gen. 24).

15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep;
And an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

See notes on Proverbs 12:24²⁴The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. (Proverbs 12:24), and 13:4. Many of us fail to realize that idleness is sin. Time wasted is time to be accounted for at the judgment-seat of Christ. Needed rest is, of course, very right and proper. Jesus Himself had to say to His disciples, “Come ye yourselves apart, and rest awhile.” But idleness is quite different. Slothfulness is trifling away opportunities that will never return. It is failing to appreciate the value of time. In a natural sense, the sluggard is made to feel the pinch of want; and spiritually, the same is also true. He who, for lack of godly energy, does not bestir himself to procure suited sustenance for his soul, will come to want, and know the pangs of famine. See Paul’s words to both the Ephesian and Colossian saints (Eph. 5:16¹⁶Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:16); Col. 4:5⁵Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. (Colossians 4:5)).

16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul;
But he that despiseth His ways shall die.

This is a truth frequently presented in Scripture. It is, so to speak, a kindness to oneself to obey the commandment of the Lord. The word is a word of life. To forsake it is to die. Therefore he is short-sighted indeed who despises the ways of God and chooses for himself. He is but sealing his own destruction, and bringing down well-merited wrath upon his own head. See Shimei (1 Kings 2:36-46³⁶And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither. ³⁷For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. ³⁸And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. ³⁹And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. ⁴⁰And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath. ⁴¹And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again. ⁴²And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the Lord, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good. ⁴³Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? ⁴⁴The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head; ⁴⁵And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever. ⁴⁶So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. (1 Kings 2:36‑46)).

17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth to Jehovah;
And that which he hath given will He pay him again.

It is truly precious to contemplate Jehovah as the patron of the poor. He has left such in the world to test the hearts of those who are better provided for, and He accepts what is done with compassion, to relieve the needy, as so much done for Himself. Money and goods bestowed with loving pity on those in distress are not gone forever. He takes note of every mite, and makes Himself responsible to see that all shall be repaid; and we may be sure the interest will be greater far than could be realized in any other way. Genuine philanthropy is the result of true love to God. When His love is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit, there will be a corresponding concern for all men. To do good and to communicate is well-pleasing to the Lord, and shall in no wise lose its reward, even though it be the giving of but a cup of cold water in His name. The widow of Zarephath was none the poorer for ministering to Elijah in his distress, but found instead an unfailing cruse of oil and an unending supply of meal (1 Kings 17:10-16¹⁰So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. ¹¹And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. ¹²And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. ¹³And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. ¹⁴For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. ¹⁵And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. ¹⁶And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah. (1 Kings 17:10‑16)).

18 Chasten thy son while there is hope,
But set not thy soul upon slaying him.

Discipline, firm but gracious, should characterize the home. Brutal punishments, even to endangering the life of the one chastised, are very wrong, and opposed to the Spirit of God. Conduct such as this can only harden, in place of recovering, a wayward son. “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath,” is a needed admonition in many families. Unreasonable demands, and punishments all out of proportion to the offense committed, should be sedulously avoided. Many a child who might have been saved by careful, godly training in his earliest years, has been left to grow up in untrammeled freedom until the father, at last, thought he was old enough for chastisement, when he has become the subject of severe treatment that has filled his heart with anger and alienated him for life from his well-meaning but exceedingly unwise parent. “The iron hand in the velvet glove” has long been the symbol of strict discipline administered in grace. To leave a child to himself is to manifest a cruel indifference to the fate of one committed to our care. To be heartless and unnecessarily severe in correcting him is to err on the other side. The happy medium is what the word of God teaches, and brings the desired results. It is well if the child is made to realize that it is his good which is sought, not the venting of an irate father’s spleen, which has caused many a one to lose the respect of an observing youth. See Saul’s unwise treatment of Jonathan, thereby alienating his heart, in place of winning his confidence (1 Sam. 20:30³⁰Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? (1 Samuel 20:30)).

19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment:
For if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.

It is useless to shield a man given to uncontrolled anger; for though by the intercessions of his friends he may be again and again delivered from the unhappy consequences which would naturally have followed his ebullitions of temper, he is likely at any time to be as bad as ever, and to draw down righteous retribution on his own head, and involve those who undertake to defend him in common trouble and perhaps ruin. See Proverbs 22:24²⁴Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: (Proverbs 22:24). Such a man is manifestly unbroken, and lacking in the grace of self-judgment. He should be left to himself till he learns by punishment what he would not receive otherwise. Samuel found it hard to bow to this lesson, and only gave Saul up at last when the Lord distinctly called upon him to separate himself from him (1 Sam. 16:1¹And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. (1 Samuel 16:1)).

20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction,
That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

21 There are many devices in a man’s heart;
Nevertheless the counsel of Jehovah, that shall stand.

To despise counsel is to play the part of the fool. He who is wise values instruction, especially when it is of an authoritative character. He knows that whatever man may plan, and however wisely he may scheme, the counsel of the Lord is certain, and shall be duly carried out. God has said, “My counsel shall stand; I will do all My pleasure.” How vain the man who would dare to set himself in opposition to it! Happy is he who, waiting on God for instruction, obeys implicitly His counsel, and therefore works for and with Him. See Joshua’s commission (Josh. 1:5-9⁵There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. ⁶Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. ⁷Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. ⁸This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. ⁹Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:5‑9)).

22 The charm of a man is his kindness:
And a poor man is better than a liar.

A kindly, benevolent spirit appeals to all men, and charms by its unselfishness and thoughtfulness for others. But to promise large things while unable to perform them is reprehensible. It is far better to be poor and frankly admit one’s inability to do what the heart might desire than to promise largely and be at last proven untrustworthy. To be what you are, and not to pretend to be what you are not, is a sound principle, the carrying out of which gains the esteem of any whose good opinion is worth seeking. See Peter and the lame man (Acts 3:6⁶Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. (Acts 3:6)).

23 The fear of Jehovah tendeth to life:
And he that hath it shall rest satisfied;
He shall not be visited with evil.

It is a synoptic statement of the precious truth unfolded in the 91st psalm—the portion of the man who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, abiding under the shadow of the Almighty. Resting in the enjoyment of His omnipotent power and unchanging love, he who fears the Lord has no anxious concern as to his affairs. He can rest satisfied, knowing that he cannot be visited with evil, for all things must work together for the good of one in such a case. What seems to be evil will become but a means of blessing, by causing the heart to cleave more truly to the God of all grace. See Paul’s song of triumph in Romans 8:28-39²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ²⁹For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. ³¹What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? ³²He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? ³³Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. ³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. ³⁷Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ³⁸For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:28‑39).

24 A slothful man burieth his hand in the dish,
And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

Having the very means of sustenance before him, the sluggard is too lethargic to avail himself thereof. The figure used may seem almost absurdly hyperbolic, but it is meant to picture a most extreme case; where, though seated at the table with nourishing food in his hand, the eater is overcome by drowsiness, and prefers to abandon himself to ease and sleep rather than bestir himself to take his meal. The word of God is such a dish; but, alas, many are the sluggards who, with abundant opportunity to feed upon its precious things, are too indifferent to search and find its treasures for themselves. Eglon, king of Moab, appears to have been largely a man of the stamp described (Judges 3:17-25¹⁷And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man. ¹⁸And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present. ¹⁹But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. ²⁰And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlor, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. ²¹And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: ²²And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. ²³Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlor upon him, and locked them. ²⁴When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber. ²⁵And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlor; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth. (Judges 3:17‑25)).

25 Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware:
And reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.

To allow the scorner to go unrebuked would often be to put a snare before the feet of the simple, who might conclude that the gainsaying was irresistible because unanswered. It is therefore right and proper to punish him who opposes the truth by exposing before all the fallacies of his position. If a wise man, it will be no hardship to be reproved; for the truth itself is of greater value in the eyes of him who has understanding than his own dignity. See Paul’s word to Timothy regarding those who are perverted (1 Tim. 5:20²⁰Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. (1 Timothy 5:20)).

26 He that ruineth his father, and chaseth away his mother,
Is a son that causeth shame and bringeth reproach.

See verse 13 above. Bitter indeed are the sorrows brought upon his parents by a rebellious son. Such a one is a very incarnation of selfishness. He will ruin his father, spending all his substance for self-gratification; and will in his stubbornness even drive his mother from him, refusing all correction. Ignominy and obloquy are thereby brought upon their name; but to all this he is supremely indifferent. Determined to be free from all restraint, he recklessly plunges on to his doom. It is a sad, sad picture, often duplicated in this unhappy scene, and is especially characteristic of the last days, in which we now live (2 Tim. 3:2²For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (2 Timothy 3:2)).

27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction
That causeth to err from the words of knowledge.

This is a far-reaching command, of vast importance. It is an evidence of youthful pride for one to suppose he can listen to all kinds of theories, good and evil, but be defiled by none. Spiritual eclecticism may seem to savor of breadth of mind and liberality; but it generally ends in making shipwreck of the faith. You can only recognize and avoid error when the truth of God is known and delighted in. Therefore the need of earnest, diligent study of the Scriptures. When another gives out what is contrary to God’s revealed word, it is time to refuse him and his teaching. You cannot afford to trifle with unholy doctrine.

Remember that what is opposed to the teaching of the unerring word of the Lord is directly from Satan. To dabble with it is to expose yourself to its powerful influence. Therefore refuse to hear it.

One simple question is all that needs to be propounded to any one taking the place of an instructor in divine things, in order to detect the bias of his doctrine. It is this: “What think ye of Christ?” He who is unsound here is wrong throughout. If the true deity, or divinity, of the Lord Jesus be denied; if the atoning efficacy of His blood be explained away; if the sinlessness of His spotless humanity be in any way clouded, the system is wrong at the foundation, and it will prove to be unsound in all else.

“‘What think ye of Christ?’ is the test

To try both your state and your scheme.

You cannot be right in the rest,

Unless you think rightly of Him.”- (J. NEWTON.)

For a Christian to continue to hear, or to support, a man who blasphemes his Lord, is treason of the darkest hue. If any bring not the doctrine of Christ, he is to De refused, and no fellowship shown him, because he abides in the darkness; and “what fellowship hath light with darkness?” See the Spiritualists of Isaiah’s day (Isa. 8:19, 20¹⁹And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? ²⁰To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isaiah 8:19‑20)), and the Judaizers and Gnostics of the apostolic period (Titus 1:10, 11¹⁰For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: ¹¹Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. (Titus 1:10‑11); Col. 2:8⁸Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Colossians 2:8); 2 John 9, 10⁹Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: (2 John 9‑10)). All these classes are to be found in our times, multiplied a thousandfold. “From such turn away.”

28 A witness of Belial scometh judgment:
And the mouth of the lawless devoureth iniquity.

29 Judgments are prepared for scorners,
And stripes for the back of fools.

Belial seems in a veiled way to stand for Satan. It really means that which is worthless, but is generally used as that which is opposed to God. So that a witness of Belial would be one who is ungodly, and who therefore scorns judgment and correction. His mouth devours iniquity. It is his food; he lives upon it.