Series in Proverbs - Hearts and Minds Teemed with Intentions

 

Wisdom     Folly

Hearts and Minds Teemed with Intentions

Proverbs 10:23-32 (NKJV)

When I think of the depravity of the heart and mind of mankind, I reflect on three verses. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10; Rom. 1:28) And the Holy Spirit spoke truly about the mind in James “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (1:8 KJV)

In this proverb Solomon contrasts and contends with the hearts and minds of mankind. So let’s read the first portion of the text. “Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding. What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. When the tempest passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous is established forever. Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him. The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short. The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers. The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land. The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.” (NKJV)

Solomon views the scales of wisdom and folly, weighs the godly and the depraved. For wickedness and wisdom are weighted on the scales of justice and righteousness, and Solomon likened them to the comparisonsome nature of righteousness and injustice, or wisdom and wickedness. To the foolish double-minded person, wickedness is a sport, a game played in the mind as well as in life. They play by their own rules or the world’s. Whereas the wise listen to the Words of the Lord and are guided in obedience to its instruction leading to pleasure and understanding of God’s way.

Second, the wicked continually are drawn to anxiety and fear as they crane their necks looking for what troubles their minds and souls perceive around them, they are drawn into paranoia and a sin-filled double-mindedness. But the wise mind is focused on the promise and pleasures of God and knows that God is faithful and unchanging to his ways.

Third, the wicked face the whirlwinds of deceit and treachery, and their lives are destroyed for they are built on a faulty foundation of shifting sand in a double-minded lifestyle of iniquitousness. They have succumbed to the dense smoke of fear and wretchedness, and their prosperity is lost in the wantonness of their lifestyle.

Fourth, the wise fear the Lord and it is granted to them understanding, knowledge, and wisdom of their God and the abundant life of hope and righteousness as He leads them throughout their prolonged lives of joy, peace, and gladness in His everpresent. Whereas, the double-minded soul sees the uncertainty of an unstable and wicked world and their future is one of annihilation and perishing to death’s unknown domain.  

Application - The old adage, “if I had a dollar for everytime I … I would be a wealthy person” So many of us could say that about the depraved acts we see or scrutinize in our social and cultural world, and how we compare them to the righteousness and morals of the Word of God. There is a foolish element that jokes with and about wickedness and flaunts it to all who will watch or listen. While those who seek wisdom and the benefits of a life based on God’s Word, find the pleasure of a wise admonishment or exhortation from the understanding of God’s way. And unlike those who reap the whirlwind and their loss is complete, so are those who build on the unstable shifting sands of deceit and self-righteousness and their lives are no more. Whereas the righteous abound because they are founded on the solid foundation of God’s word. “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.” (Matt. 7:24 NLT)

Again the irritation of the smoke of field or forest fires seem to be frequent in our days, and the irritability it has on the eyes and lungs is comparable to the acidity of vinegar as it stings and irritates the gums and teeth. It is symbolic of laziness and those who are dependent on the slothful, for it enrages and aggravates them. 

Next, Solomon continues on the scales of wisdom and folly and establishes the role of the mouth in either iniquity or uprightness. So let’s read the final portion of the text. “The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright, but ruin to the workers of iniquity. The righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not dwell in the land. The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, but the perverted tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverted.”

First, the way of the Lord is wisdom and a stronghold of security and surety. The righteous are not easily shaken by the ill-will of the wickedness of the world, and are never shaken in their trust and faith in Almighty God. Whereas, the workers of iniquity are shaken and what they built their lives upon comes to ruin. 

Lastly, the mouth of the righteous is like a stream that flows within its banks with wise words and a timely response or answer. It is kept in control and brings joy and pleasure to its hearers, and they gain knowledge and understanding of the will and purposes of Almighty God. "A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit"...  "A person finds joy in an apt reply; a word spoken at the right time is like a beautiful apple in a silver bowl" "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body". (Prov. 15:4;15; 16:24)  And the mouth of the foolish is perversity, curses, and ill-will. "The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing"."The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness".(Prov. 12:18;15:2)

The mouth of the foolish is likened to a raging stream, it eats away at its banks, it is treacherous and unpredictable. It is reckless as well as perverse, and violence and death are frequently the matter of discussion, and always the mouth of folly belches out ignorance and unwholesome advice leading those who listen to join in their corruption and debasement in lives of deviancy and immorality. 

In closing this lesson, walking in God's ways, wisdom, and integrity will always lead us beside the still water where the Good Shepherd will provide and protect, pursue and guide us in the straight path of righteousness. And his words will bring healing and peace. 

Application - There is not much to add than what we have already read. As it is for all of Scripture, we must apply it to our lives, only then will the seed of His word bring forth the fruit of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Seek the Lord and He will fill you with His wisdom and understanding of His will and purpose for your lives. Let your lives be weighed on the wisdom side of the scales, not foolish.

As always, I want to conclude by presenting the gospel in the form of the basic principles of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ. For Jesus, God the Son, came into this world to save all who believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you; he is the light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and has given him all authority in heaven and on earth. He will answer you if you truly believe. If you haven't yet asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

First, A: Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a just God, and a change of heart takes place: we change our minds, and God changes our hearts and regenerates us inside and out. Romans 3:10: As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners, so we must be born spiritually to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.) Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death; in other words, our sin means we have been sentenced to death; we have the death penalty hanging over our heads; that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast. Secondly,

B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised him from the dead. This is trusting with all your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is righteous, and with the mouth confession is made and is saved. Third,

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every person who sees lThose who have lived since Adam will kneel andthey confessed with hismouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, Lord of lords, and King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: “As I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess to God.” Don’t wait, do it now. Romans 10:13 - For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” “O God, I am a sinner. I repent of my sin. I want to turn away from it. I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son; I believe that he died on the cross for my sins, that he was buried, and that you raised him from the dead. I have decided to put my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting in his shed blood alone as sufficient to save my soul and take me to heaven. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen.”

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows we and they need it.

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Until next week, In Your Service Mike Davis

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