MAN’S DILEMMA: HOW TO WALK THROUGH LIFE

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PROVERBS 14:1-18
Lesson #22
MAN’S DILEMMA: HOW TO WALK THROUGH LIFE

• Memory Verse: Pro 14:12
• To this point in the book of Proverbs, we have seen many messages directed from a father to a son at various stages of time in a son’s life in an attempt to teach him how to walk through life. We have not seen much about messages that specifically relate to women.
  • We can say that in truth the messages for a father to a son refer to mankind in general, including daughters in Christ.
  • However, there are some specific proverbs that deal especially with the role of women. We see one of those proverbs here in chapter 14.
• Proverbs 14:1-18
  • “Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” (1)
    • Key words: wise (believer in Christ); foolish (no God for me).
    • The believing woman in Jesus Christ that follows God’s plan for living like an expert will know how to build up her home, how to encourage those in her family.
    • She will know that she is responsible before God for the atmosphere in her home. The woman is the heart of the home and is responsible for:
      • An atmosphere of love, acceptance, and forgiveness.
      • An atmosphere where everyone in the home can learn to express who they are in Christ.
        • The development of Christian character.
        • The development of personal gifts and talents.
      • An atmosphere where children can learn about Christ and what it means to serve God.
    • In contrast, the atmosphere of the home where a mother has no relationship to God, that atmosphere will always reflect the aspects of the flesh nature:
      • Anger, jealousy, strife, bitterness, selfishness, unforgiveness, etc.
      • Read Gal 5:19-23
    • Scripture gives us a number of women that exemplify both aspects of this proverb.
      • Sarah and Jochabed, the mother of Moses, are examples of the wise woman.
      • Jezebel, the evil wife of King Ahab, and Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah, are the examples of the foolish woman. (2Chr 2:2-3)
  • “He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.” (2)
    • Key words: uprightness (just); fear of the Lord (awesome reverence); perverse (corrupt/disobedient); despiseth (contempt).
    • The man or woman that walks by faith with Jesus Christ has that awesome respect and reverence for God in which his life is built on the moral content of the Word of God.
      • The believer in Christ is supposed to walk as Jesus walked, in obedience to God, the Father.
      • Read 1Joh 2:6
    • The man or woman that is disobedient to God will have no respect for the things of God. His lifestyle will exhibit his contempt for God’s truth and God’s ways.
      • He may or may not say that he hates God or has contempt for God, but his lifestyle will always demonstrate that he does not think the spiritual aspects of life are important.
      • He will have a low opinion of attending church, reading the Bible, praying, and serving God.
  • ^“ In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.” (3)
    • Key words: foolish (no God for me); pride (conceit); wise (skillful living); preserve (defend).
    • The prime example of a foolish man with a mouth of pride is Goliath.
      • Read 1Sam 17:43-44 (1Sam 2:3)
      • Goliath boasted that he was the champion of the Philistines, mocking God.
      • Arrogance and pride attempt to force your opinion on others as though it is truth when it is not.
    • The prime example of the wise man is David.
      • Read 1Sam 17:45
      • Trust in the power and presence of God was on his lips, and God helped him gain the victory. (Mat 12:37)
  • “Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.” (4) “A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.” (5)
    • Key words: crib (stable).
    • Background:
      • In scripture certain animals are used as examples of lessons for us.
        • For example, the lamb is used to demonstrate humility to the point of sacrificial death. It gives us the illustration of the sacrificial death of Jesus for the sins of man.
        • The ox was also used as a sacrifice that pointed to Christ in the Old Testament as well as a very useful beast of burden because of his brute-force strength.
      • In this proverb the choice is to have a clean stable by throwing out the ox or to put up with a dirty stable and have the power of the ox at your disposal.
    • How does this apply to the church today?
      • In many Christian churches today a new generation of leaders and preachers has thrown out the gospel of Christ’s death for the forgiveness of sin to preach what they believe is a cleaner, more acceptable doctrine of the goodness of man.
      • A gospel without the blood of Christ and the sinfulness of man is no gospel at all.
        • Read Rom 1:16
        • Salvation is increased by the “strength of the ox (Jesus Christ)” as a sacrifice for sin.
    • Jesus Christ is the faithful and true witness in Pro 14:5. (Rev 3:14)
      • He said He came to save those that were lost.
      • Read Luk 19:10.
  • “A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.” (6) “Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.” (7)
    • Key words: scorner (arrogant hater); wisdom (skillful living); knowledge (power to know truth); understandeth (discernment of good from evil); foolish (no God for me); perceives (to know).
    • The person that hates God will look for wisdom on how to live his life from any and all other sources but God. He will never find truth because he is not humble.
      • The first part of this proverb reminds me of a Philosophy class I had in the university. The class was totally directed to proving that God did not exist and that the truth of the Word of God is foolishness.
      • The purpose of that class was to prove that man cannot trust any philosophy, religion, or wisdom because truth is unknowable.
    • However, the humble believer in Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit living in him. The Holy Spirit knows what truth is and gives to the believer the power to know that truth. Therefore, the proverb says that it is “easy unto him that understandeth” because the Holy Spirit is our teacher. (1Joh 2:27) This believer has a humble, teachable spirit.
    • Therefore the counsel to the true believer in Christ in verse 7 is to abandon a close relationship with the foolish man who says there is no God for him.
      • You will not receive any truth from someone that does not have a personal relationship with God.
      • In fact you will become like the people with whom you associate continually.
  • ^“ The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.” (8) “Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.” (9)
    • Key words: wisdom (skillful living); prudent (cautious); understand (discernment of good from evil); folly (a wrong walk); fools (no God for me); righteous (pure life).
    • The cautious believer in Jesus Christ will observe how he is living because he knows the difference between good and evil. He will be on guard against the deceit of the enemy.
    • Therefore, he will live a righteous, pure life always repenting of sin when the Holy Spirit convicts him of sin. His faith and obedience to God and His word gives him favor with God. (Heb 11:6 Jam 5:16)
    • The unbeliever that says there is no God for him will constantly walk the wrong way. He will not discern between good and evil because for him, nothing is sinful that he desires to do. I mentioned Jezebel previously but she is also an example of a person that “makes a mock at sin”. (1Kin 21:25)
  • ^“ The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.”(10) ^”Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.” (13)
    • Key words: heart (soul/inner man); stranger (prostitute/false religion).
    • These two proverbs seem related so I have placed them together even though they are out of sequence.
    • There are joys and sorrows in life that we bury in the inner man. No one else can really understand them. When you try to share them, they do not produce the joy or sorrow that you experienced.
      • However, as believers in Christ, we are supposed to help other believers bear the joys and sorrows of life. (Gal 6:2 Rom 12:15)
      • This is only possible with believers in Christ because the same Holy Spirit lives in believers.
      • The “stranger” in verse 10 is the person caught up in false religion.
    • Therefore, in verse 13 we can see that only the believer in Jesus Christ that has an inner joy and peace in his relationship with God can truly experience happiness even in the midst of sorrowful circumstances. Pro 14:13 is the non-believer without an eternal hope and joy.
  • “The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.” (11)
    • Key words: wicked (lawless evil); upright (just).
    • Notice the parallel:
      • House/tabernacle (tent)
      • Wicked/upright
      • Overthrown/flourish
    • This verse tells us the contrast between walking through life the wrong way as opposed to walking through life justified by the blood of Jesus Christ in obedience to God.
      • The unbeliever builds big houses thinking his worldly wealth will last forever.
      • The believer knows this world is not his home, like Abraham lived in tents looking for an eternal home built by God.
  • ^“ There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (12)
    • Human nature is fallible and easily deceived. Eve in the Garden of Eden is the example.
    • For this reason we cannot trust our own understanding, but we need to trust the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the right way to live. The right way to live skillfully will always be in Jesus Christ, the personification of wisdom in the book of Proverbs.
  • “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.” (14)
    • The “backslider” is the person that knows the truth of God but chooses to walk the other way.
    • The New Testament calls the backslider a “carnal Christian”. He has received Jesus Christ in his heart but chooses to live like a non-believer. (Rom 8:6 1Cor 3:3)
      • His flesh nature rules his life, instead of the Holy Spirit inside of him. (Rom 8:8-14)
      • The carnal believer quenches the Holy Spirit. (1The 5:19)
    • The “good man” is the believer in Jesus Christ that is following Christ in obedience. He will be satisfied with his life because he is living for the Lord.
  • “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.” (15)
    • Key words: simple (unwise); prudent (cautious).
    • We see here the definition of the “simple” person spoken of in Proverbs.
      • This person does not know the Bible.
      • This person does not know what is true and what is false.
      • This person’s mind is an open door that lets anything enter without discernment.
    • The spiritual believer in Christ is the prudent man. He is told throughout scripture to question and discern truth. (1Joh 4:1 Act 7:10-11)
      • He knows there is a devil that works through deception to cause destruction in people’s lives.
      • He knows that he must discern between good and evil constantly so as to make the right decisions that keep him on the path of God’s will.
  • “A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.” (16)
    • Key words: wise man (believer in Christ); feareth (awesome reverence); fool (no God for me).
    • The believer in Jesus Christ has a basic “fear of the Lord” or an awesome reverence for God because He knows that God is all powerful and holds all manner of life and death in His hands.
      • Because the believer knows that sin brings death, he will avoid choosing sin as a lifestyle. (1Joh 2:1; 1Joh 3:6)
      • Instead, the believer that falls into occasional sin has an advocate with God. If he repents of his sin, God will forgive him. (1Joh 1:9)
    • The non-believer that denies God will argue confidently that there is no God and therefore no judgment to come.
  • “He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.” (17)
    • Key words: foolishly (acts as if there is no God); wicked devices (acts of lawless evil).
    • The contrast is between sudden anger which is called folly and deliberate, pre-meditated malice that produces hatred.
    • The person that lets his anger rule him gives up his power to control himself.
      • He lets the situation control him.
      • He lets others that oppose him have control over him.
      • He permits the devil and his flesh nature to control him.
      • Read Mat 5:22
    • The believer in Christ must let the Holy Spirit control him in order to defeat an angry temper.
    • The unbeliever that commits evil acts devised in his own evil heart does the work of the enemy. He is not a likeable person because everything he does is selfish and serves the sin nature in man.
  • ^“The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.” (18)
    • Key words: simple (unwise); folly (wrong walk); prudent (cautious); knowledge (power to know truth).
    • The Christian believer that is walking like a carnal believer is unwise because his Christian walk is not right with God.
      • He will make wrong decisions in his life and have to bear heavy consequences as a result.
      • The way of the carnal believer is a difficult life and sometimes results in an early death. (Psa 106:15 1Cor 11:27-30; 1Cor 5:1,4-5)
    • The Spiritual Christian will be cautious of his walk with the Lord to be sure that he is walking in the power of the truth of the Word of God.
      • People will compliment him for his wisdom.
      • People will seek him for counsel.
• Application:
  • We find the following concepts emphasized in this portion of Proverbs:
    • Man chooses by his own free will how he will walk through life.
    • Man will answer to God for his choice.
    • The wise person will be careful how he walks because there is a final judgment.
    • The wise believer will learn to discern good from evil so as to walk in the power of truth.
    • The unwise non-believer will have no caution in the choices he makes because he does not believe there is a God that will judge him eventually.

Homework
Proverbs 14:19-35

• Application of Pro 14:1-18
  • How careful are you to discern your walk with the Lord to be sure you are in the will of God and being led by the Holy Spirit?
  • How do you think a wise woman builds her house and a foolish one tears it down? (1)
    • A woman controls the atmosphere in the home.
  • Use your Proverbs dictionary to explain verse 6.
    • The person that hates God will never gain wisdom to live skillfully because wisdom only comes from God. The believer in Christ has the Holy Spirit that teaches him skillful living
  • Why do you think we cannot trust our own thinking? (12)
    • • Human thinking is limited and easily deceived.
  • What causes backsliding? (14)
    • He gives in to the flesh nature and turns his back on God.
  • Explain verse 17.
    • Sudden anger is foolish because it gives up control to others. Pre-meditated evil leads to hatred.
• Preparation for Pro 14:19-35
  • Read Pro 14:19-35
    • When will verse 19 become a reality?
    • How does Jam 2:8 fulfill Pro 14:21
    • Explain verse 23.
    • The crown of the wise is their riches. What are these riches? (24)
    • What truth do you gain from verse 29?
• Memory verse: Pro 14:34