THE ASPECTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF GENESIS

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PROVERBS 16:1-16
Lesson #26
THE ASPECTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF GENESIS

• Memory Verse: Pro 21:1
• One of the things the book of Proverbs does is that it gives us short, pithy sentences that come from deep experiences of life with God over many years. Even the New Testament tells us to learn from the older generations that have gained wisdom over many years of time. (1Tim 5:1-2)
• “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.” (1)
  • Key words: heart (soul/inner man).
  • God’s purpose for leaving the believer on earth the moment he receives Christ as his Savior is to prepare his inner man. How does God do that?
    • The Holy Spirit inside of the believer changes his character to make him more like Christ.
    • Read Rom 6:4
  • For what is God preparing man?
    • Read Rom 8:17
    • God is preparing the believer to reign with Christ during the millennial kingdom that will occur after the second coming of Christ.
  • As the Holy Spirit changes the believer in the inner man, his conversation will change also. (Luk 12:11-12)
    • Remember we learned from Proverbs that what is in the heart comes out through the mouth. Therefore as the inner man changes, so will the words from his mouth.
    • James 3:8 tells us that the tongue is the last thing surrendered to the Lord and that no man can tame his own tongue in his own strength.
• ^“All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.” (2)
  • Every human thinks that he lives a good life. Because he approves of his own life, surely God will also approve of him.
  • Read Isa 64:6
  • While man may approve of his own lifestyle, it is more important what God thinks because it is the Almighty Creator that makes the rules for eternity. He is the one who will judge man in the end.
    • We must compare our lives to the standard in the Word of God.
    • Man’s efforts come short of God’s standards. (1Joh 1:6)
  • The only holiness or cleanness acceptable to God is found in Jesus Christ. That is why we need a savior.(1Joh 1:7)
• ^“ Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” (3)
  • When a person commits his life to the Lord, it means that his works are now God’s works.
    • The word “commit” means = to roll on to.
    • That means you roll everything in your life onto the Lord.
  • Read Eph 2:10
  • God has specific works that He has ordained that each believer should do in his life.
    • God’s works are ordained by God, initiated by Jesus Christ, and enabled by the Holy Spirit.
    • Why are these works better than man’s works?
      • Man’s works glorify man.
      • God’s works glorify God.
  • How does the believer establish his thoughts?
    • The believer is building his life on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
    • That means the believer is cooperating with the Holy Spirit as He is changing character and guiding decisions.
• “The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.” (4)
  • Key words: wicked (lawless evil).
  • The book of Proverbs already told us that the Creator made everything for Himself. God made everything good. (Rev 4:11)
    • That means that all was made to glorify the Almighty God that demonstrates truth and love in all He created. Everything God created was perfect.
    • But there is the last part of this verse! Then from where came lawless evil? And what is the day of evil?
      • Read Isa 14:12-16
      • Read Eze 28:13-19
        • God created angels and man with free will. That was God’s gift of love.
        • The angel, Lucifer, used his free will to rebel against God and brought evil into God’s perfect creation.
      • Then Adam and Eve perpetuated that rebellion when they used their free will to disobey God’s command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Rom 5:12)
        • Lawless evil came upon all mankind because all humans are born with the flesh nature prone to rebellion against God.
        • Because God did not make man evil, man’s choice toward evil has its consequences.

God is a just God which means that He must punish evil and reward good.

The day of evil refers to God’s permission to allow evil to run rampant. That will occur during the tribulation period of 7 years when the Antichrist reigns.

Then God will judge that evil and destroy it at the second coming of Christ.

• • • • Read Rom 9:17-23
    • In the end even the evil people in the world will glorify God. (Psa 76:10) That will occur when every knee shall bow before Him whether that person is a believer or not.
• ^“ Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.” (5)
  • Key words: proud (conceit); abomination (hated).
  • Pride was the first sin in the universe with the angel Lucifer. He thought he was superior to God, his creator.
  • One aspect of Satan’s temptation of Adam and Eve appealed to their pride. To eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would make them wise like God. Both Lucifer and Eve, in pride, wanted to be God. (1Joh 2:16)
    • Adam and Eve, hand in hand, joined in their disobedience to God. God punished them when He took them out of the Garden of Eden. Man will never be God. God will always be superior to man and angels.
    • Therefore, even though a majority of mankind will rebel against God, the unbeliever and his evil will eventually be punished.
• ^“ By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.” (6)
  • Key words: truth (moral reality); iniquity (sin); fear of the Lord (awesome reverence).
  • The only way God could get rid of the evil in the world without destroying all that He created was to devise a plan to pay for sin. That plan came into reality because of God’s mercy and God’s truth.
    • God’s plan was to purge the world of sin through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
    • Jesus said, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (Joh 14:6)
  • The only way man will give up his evil lifestyle will be by gaining a fear of the Lord.
    • When a person realizes there is a God who will judge him one day, an awesome reverence for God makes him aware of his need of a savior.
    • That savior is Jesus Christ.
  • Then when a person has received Christ as his personal savior, he has a new life.
    • He must now walk in that new life by purging his life of the old sins that used to be part of his life. (Rom 6:4)
    • It is the awesome reverence for God that motivates him to change his life style.
• “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” (7)
  • Notice the requirement in this verse. Man’s way must please the Lord.
  • Because Satan is the enemy of Jesus Christ and God, the Father, he becomes the enemy of the believer when he gives his heart to the Lord.
    • In God’s sovereignty over the life of a believer, no enemy can encroach on what belongs to God without God’s permission.
    • The book of Job is the example. Satan had to ask God for permission to touch the life of Job. (Job 1)
  • Therefore, while the believer has Satan as an adversary walking about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, he is a toothless lion because of Jesus Christ. (1Pet 5:8)
  • The ultimate time of peace will be the millennial kingdom.
• ^“ Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.” (8)
  • Key words: righteousness (pure life).
  • Whatever God gives in the way of material riches to the believer living a pure life is better than the greatest of worldly riches gotten through dishonesty and deceit.
    • Why is it better?
    • God’s gifts are better because they come with God’s spiritual blessings as well. God’s blessings are eternal but worldly riches are temporal.
• “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” (9)
  • Key words: heart (soul/inner man).
  • Man makes his plans for his life, but for the believer in Jesus Christ, God is directing his steps.
  • God has the ultimate wisdom and knowledge while man is short-sighted. We have a good Biblical example:
    • Read Luk 12:16-23
    • Foolishly man can plan all kinds of things, but God has the final word.
    • Therefore, for the believer in Christ, God’s guiding direction is of utmost importance in his life.
• “A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.” (10)
  • Key words: transgresseth (lawbreaker); judgment (discernment).
  • Generally speaking the king makes the final decisions as the supreme authority over his kingdom.
  • What the king says is law. You cannot question his judgment or discernment because what the king says is the final word.
  • This verse tells us that the King should rule as though he is God’s representative on earth. In that way his declarations are a “divine sentence”.
  • The same verse is true of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the King of kings. What He says will be the way it is.
    • Of course that was not true when Jesus was here the first time. He was the authority but the people did not acknowledge his authority.
    • However, at the second coming when He establishes His kingdom on earth for 1000 years, there will be no one to dispute His word.
• “A just weight and balance are the Lord’s: all the weights of the bag are his work.” (11)
  • Key words: just (righteous).
  • Because God is truth, honesty is rewarded by God.
  • The weight and balance are objects used in commercial business. God established an honest weight for His people. (Lev 19:35-36).
  • Therefore, as a believer in Jesus Christ walking in the righteousness of Christ, the believer will be sure he runs his business honestly as though Christ is in charge.
• ^“ It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.” (12)
  • Key words: abomination (hated); wickedness (lawless evil); righteousness (pure life).
  • Why does God hate it when governmental leaders live evil lives?
    • A leader in government or in the church is to be an example or a model of truth and honesty for the rest of the people.
    • Rom 13:1 tells us that it is God that puts people in authority over us and removes people in authority. Therefore, all leaders will give an account of their leadership to God eventually.
• ^“ Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.” (13)
  • Key words: righteous (pure life).
  • The believer living a pure life in the righteousness of Christ is a delight to governmental leaders. Why?
    • The government does not have to be concerned with people that obey the law.
    • The government does not have to be concerned with people that speak truth and live honest lives.
• “The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.” (14)
  • Key words: wise (skillful living).
  • When a person makes the king angry, he takes his life in his hands because the king can pronounce a death sentence. He has the power of life and death in his hands.
  • A believer living skillfully in Christ would be obedient to the king and not anger him. For that reason Rom 13:1-7 tells us to obey those in authority over us.
• “In the light of the king’s countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.” (15)
  • Key words: latter rain (See your Proverbs dictionary).
  • Obedience and pleasing the king enables you to live a happy life. If the King is Jesus Christ, this speaks of Christ’s Millennial Kingdom for 1000 years on earth when peace and prosperity reign. His kingdom is promised to believers in Jesus Christ. Therefore, they will not only live 1000 years but they will have eternal life in Christ.
  • The phrase “latter rain” is briefly explained in your dictionary.
    • Israel had two rainy seasons, one in the Spring and one in the Fall.
    • The latter rain was the seasonal rain in the Spring of the year.
    • Water is used in scripture as one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit.
      • Therefore, the latter rain came to mean the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on mankind.
      • Read Joel 2:23, 28-32
      • In the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ all people will experience the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on all flesh as promised in the book of Joel.
• ^“ How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!” (16)
  • Key words: wisdom (skillful living); understanding (discernment of good from evil).
  • Proverbs again tells us that living skillfully in Jesus Christ is better than gold and discerning good from evil is better than silver.
• Summary:
  • We discussed how Adam and Eve desired to taste the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden.
  • In this last verse, we see that through Jesus Christ, God gives man the discernment of good from evil that Adam and Eve desired.
  • This is true of everything in life:
    • If we go ahead of God or in disobedience to God to get what we want, it results in sin and punishment.
    • However, if we wait for God’s timing and in God’s way, what we truly desire, God will supply with blessings and love. It is not that we become God, but we share in the blessings equally with Jesus Christ. (Rom 8:17)

Homework
Proverbs 16:17-33

• Application of Pro 16:1-16
  • How should you establish your thoughts? (3)
    • As you cooperate with the Holy Spirit that wants to change your character, you are building your life on the foundation of Christ. Then the Holy Spirit is helping you make wise decisions.
  • Who did God create all things for? (4) Read Col 1:16 and Rev 4:11)
    • God created all things for himself and for the glory of Him.
  • What will cause people to depart from evil? (6)
    • The fear of the Lord will motivate the believer to walk in God’s ways instead of in the sins of the flesh nature.
  • What counsel does Proverbs give to kings? (10, 12-15)
    • Because God puts leaders in authority, the king should be God’s representative on earth, ruling in righteousness and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Preparation for Pro 16:17-33
  • Read Pro 16:17-33
    • What is the highway of the righteous and what does that mean to you? (17)
    • Why is pride the way to the destruction? (18)
    • Use your Proverbs dictionary to explain the meaning of verse 21.
    • Why is understanding a wellspring of life? (22)
    • In what way have you experienced Pro 16:25?
• Memory verse: Pro 16:25