Series ion Proverbs - The Scales of Wisdom and Folly Part 2

 

The Scales of Wisdom and Folly Part 2

Righteousness    Wickedness

Proverbs 11:1-8 

I’m not sure that Solomon would have had a scale in his justice chamber, but he used the concept of scales to accentuate the contrasting concepts of wisdom/folly, righteousness/wickedness, honest/dishonest, humility /pride, and godliness/treasureous. 

Again Solomon is stressing the contrast between good and evil. So let’s read the first portion of the text. “The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights. Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.” 

The overreaching theme of this proverb is God’s detesting of what is evil. He weighs out His judgment between the portions of dishonesty and honesty. For in the market place of humanity, honesty was a scarcity, for the people had succumbed to the opposing weights of profit and greed. “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.”Prov. 13:11 ”But no, the people are like crafty merchants selling from dishonest scales— they love to cheat.” Hos. 12:7) 

Solomon saw the sordid production of human trade as well, the degenerated treatment that God forbid the Israelites to do. For they were to remember the slavery treatment their forefathers went through and treat those who were alien and slaves with a different scale than the world. “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.””Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.” (Lev. 19:33-34; Deut. 24:17-18)

Solomon’s plan was to please God in the appropriation of true justice in all forms whether in marketing or jurisdiction in humanity. God delights in honesty and integrity. 

Second, God deals with the sin of pride which He detested from its inception in creation. The opposite side of this scale is humility. Solomon had seen the  ignominious disgrace pride brought into any inaction of justice and the difficulty of eradicating it from society. And he saw the godly value of honesty and the wisdom that employed it. Solomon knew that the guidance of any godly person was honesty, and it built up instead of destroying and tearing down the foundational structure of godliness and wisdom in society. 

Application - In our world today, everyone wants the least cost, but many times there is a hidden cost attached. My dad told me to be wary of someone selling you something really cheap, it was usually Hot! (stolen or fake) And to pay a fair price for a quality product was to be admired. But in the world of marketing and trade, dishonesty is almost expected, and the art of bargaining envelops the deal. And then greed settles the matter with the rule of supply and demand. 

I don’t like to have yard sales because of the dickering. I have put down a reasonable price and expect that to be paid. Whereas, many live by the culture of haggling and it is expected as part of the sale. I believe that honesty is the best policy popularized by Ben Franklin in all arenas of life. For your integrity and moral principles are viewed by all those around you. It really is your witness, and many have tainted that witness by dubious and wavering acts of falseness.

Again the Word of God tells us to live in honesty for it guides us and reflects on us as God’s children.

 

Next, Solomon’s scales take on an eternal seal of judgment. So let’s read the final portion of the text.

“Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death. The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin. The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them. When the wicked die, their hopes die with them, for they rely on their own feeble strength. The godly are rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead.”

Solomon may not have written much on eschatology, but His mind understood the finality of death and the eternal destiny it brought to those who walked in righteousness and those who walked in the way of wickedness. “For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.” (Prov. 23:18 NKJV) 

Also greed was a sin God detested and it consumed those who had succumbed to its iron grip. Solomon being one of the richest persons in the known world would have felt the stranglehold and dominion that greed had on the heart, mind, and soul. As well as the hoarding of wealth which misdirected the life away from the godliness God expected and desired in the lives of His children. He wrote of this later in his life in the book of Ecclesiastes. “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep. I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners…” (Ecc. 5:10-13) Solomon may have seen many die and leave their wealth to those who squandered it or lost it. “or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit.” (Ecc. 5:14)

Wealth will not influence death or God, and many die in trying to protect it. But if you are known for honesty, generosity, and integrity it can enhance right living and prolong life. Solomon’s father David may have written this psalm on wealth, “It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever…He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor. The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!” (Psalms 112:5,6,9-10 ESV)

And Solomon may have reflected back on his father’s instruction and psalms. 

For surely Solomon saw the fall of the wicked and their immense desire for wealth. It seems that these treacherous morals had brought down many kings and leaders, as well as the business entrepreneurs who clung to wealth and its ambitions. “The ambition of treacherous people traps them. When the wicked die, their hopes die with them, for they rely on their own feeble strength.” And as Solomon stated “The godliness of good people rescues them; the godly are rescued from trouble”

Application - I remember the old adage, "There is no trailer hitched to the hearse.” And the words of Jesus in a parable on a rich man who kept all his wealth for his pride and privilege. “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions…’But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.’” (Luke 12:15 NIV)

Greed and wealth are an ugly partnership. For God sees it and its end and doesn’t end well. God gives us wealth to help and to provide for His purpose. Example: Joseph in Egypt. God gives us  wealth, mankind takes it and uses it for themselves. It is here that the hereafter comes in, for greed is another sin that God detests. 

Again honesty is God’s standard in all areas of life, and he directs those who are entrusted with wealth to assist others, helping and rescuing the needy. Yes, there are truly needy, and there are those who feel entitled, those enabled through programs in life, but giving shouldn’t be halted because of greed in all its forms.

Here again godliness and honesty counter selfish ambition and the treacherous traps that selfish ambition rely on their own strength and abilities, and the mindset of a manipulated mind focused on personal gain and pleasure. It is God who rescues us from the world as the apostle John wrote, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17 ESV)

This leads us to our eternal destiny and the traps and landmines of greed and selfish ambition. God’s Word tells us that the godly hope in the righteousness of Christ and they are rescued and the wicked fall die and fall into eternal torment without hope. God is giving us His plan and its reward and its judgment. So to quote Peter, “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, you should think about the kind of life you are living. It should be holy and God-like.” (2 Pet. 3:11 NLV)

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.

If you would like other lessons, please visithttp://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In Your Service Mike Davis

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