Walking in the Fear of the Lord Proverbs 14:2-14:27

Review Prov 1:7 –Before people will be willing to learn God’s wisdom and apply it, they must fear the Lord Understand the consequences of sin Understand the reality of eternal torment –If you understand and fear, then you’d have to be a fool to not accept God’s wisdom and warnings From that general truth, we move to more specifics about the two responses to God

Prov 14:2 One who is living uprightly (doing what is right in God’s sight) fears the Lord –He understands the consequences of failing to do what is right Only someone who is perverse (crooked, bent) despises “Him” or “him” –“Him” – God. Knowing what God has planned for sinners, it takes a distorted mind to be willing to risk ignoring God’s wisdom –‘him” – The upright man. Looking down on someone because they have chosen to follow God and avoid God’s wrath takes a distorted mind

Prov 14:3 The fool, who refuses God’s wisdom, is suffering from pride –Too proud to admit God knows what is best –The more such a fool talks, the more evident the pride becomes He uses his words as a weapon (rod) against God and others Not realizing he is actually damaging himself by condemning himself to eternal torment The wise will be sharing the wisdom of God –He will not be speaking things that are not right –He is preparing himself for eternal life

Prov 14:4-5 A simple understanding of the proverb –It’s easy to keep anything clean when nothing is getting done The counterpoint –If you want to get something done, you’ll have to put up with a bit of a mess A deeper understanding –It’s easy to claim purity when you don’t have any burdens e.g., atheists who claim they are “good people” –True goodness and purity requires strength The burden to “not lie”, for example

Prov 14:6-8 Scoffers (those who refuse God’s wisdom) seek wisdom –So many turn away from God, yet still look for a purpose or philosophy to guide them –Leave such people as soon as you realize they are not speaking God’s words They are only deceiving you, he doesn’t know where he is going A wise man knows where he is going –He has knowledge from God of the way –And finding that knowledge is easy God has supplied it (Bible), no need to search human philosophy

Prov 14:9 Fools don’t believe in sin –Or make fun of those who speak of sin Trying to sway people away from God’s wisdom by ridiculing that wisdom The righteous are not swayed –The insults and attacks of the wicked actually cause joy (Acts 5:40-41) –And the steadfastness of the righteousness is bringing them the favor of God

Prov 14:10-11 Verse 10, taken alone, could mean –No one can truly know or completely share in another’s sorrow or joy But we are told to make an effort to do that (Rom 12:15) Verse 10 taken with verse 11, could mean –You can’t make another partake of your trouble (if you are wicked) or share in your joy (if you are righteous) That is, sinners will pay for their own sins, and the righteous will be rewarded (Ezk 18:20)

Prov 14:12-14 If man picks his own path, he will pick a way that seems fun and easy (laughter / mirth) –The end of the easy way is death, sorrow, grief Mt 7:13-14 –The same is true for one who started on the path of righteousness and backslid He has now filled himself with his own way By contrast, a good person seeks only what God approves of, no matter the consequences –The path won’t be easy; tears not laughter –But it is a path approved by God

Prov 14:15-19 Only a naïve person would try to follow every possible path placed before him –The wise will consider the path and his goal If the path is evil, the wise will not follow it –By contrast a fool sees the path doesn’t go where he wants, he gets mad and follows it anyway, confident he can still make his goal And if you act in anger, you are foolish and will be disliked –So naiveté leads to foolishness –And prudence (wisdom) leads to knowledge So the wicked sink lower, and the good rise higher in the sight of God

Prov 14:20-22 An example of the sinking of the evil –An evil man sees a poor man and hates the poor Such despising is SIN (v21) –An evil man sees a rich man and wants to be his friend This too is sin (James 2:1-13) An example of walking in the fear of the Lord –A good man sees the poor and is merciful He will be rewarded by God

Prov 14:23 Similar to v5 A simple understanding –Work is good and should be done well Talk without action gets one nowhere A deeper understanding –In the context of walking in the fear of the Lord –It will take work to walk this path, but there is a reward that makes it worthwhile Mt 11:28-30 –Just talking about the path of righteousness won’t get you any closer to heaven It must be put into practice

Prov 14:24 Some think this says that the wise will be rich –But says “the crown of the wise is their riches” Not that riches will be their crown Go back to v18 –The wise are crowned with knowledge –That crown is their riches –Therefore, knowledge is the riches of the wise –And foolishness is what fools receive for their folly

Prov 14:25 A return to v5 This is part of the labor that profits (v23) –This is part of the crown of the wise (v24) –Similar to Prov 12:17 By his words, one walking in the fear of the Lord saves not only himself, but others also –Where all the wicked does is spread lies that save no one

Prov 14:26-27 If you walk in the fear of the Lord (v2) –You will have true confidence Not the deceitful self-confidence of the fool (v16) –A confidence that can be passed on to your children That inheritance the good leave (Prov 13:22) –You will know the way to eternal life And you will know how to avoid the snares, traps, temptations which lead to death

Conclusion Will you choose to walk in the fear of the Lord? –No one can make you walk that path –It will not be an easy path –There will be hard work and effort to stay on the path But knowledge of how to walk that path is easy to come by, just open God’s word and study it The choice is yours to make