Wise Up: Proverbs 28
Proverbs 28 (NIV)
1 The wicked flee though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
2 When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.
3 A ruler who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.
4 Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,
but those who heed it resist them.
5 Evildoers do not understand what is right,
but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.
6 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than the rich whose ways are perverse.
7 A discerning son heeds instruction,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
8 Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor
amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.
9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
even their prayers are detestable.
10 Whoever leads the upright along an evil path
will fall into their own trap,
but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.
11 The rich are wise in their own eyes;
one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;
but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.
13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
14 Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.
15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
16 A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.
17 Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
will seek refuge in the grave;
let no one hold them back.
18 The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe,
but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit.
19 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
20 A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
21 To show partiality is not good—
yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.
22 The stingy are eager to get rich
and are unaware that poverty awaits them.
23 Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
rather than one who has a flattering tongue.
24 Whoever robs their father or mother
and says, “It’s not wrong,”
is partner to one who destroys.
25 The greedy stir up conflict,
but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.
26 Those who trust in themselves are fools,
but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.
27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,
but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.
28 When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;
but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.
2 When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.
I’ve noticed many proverbs about rulers and leadership. These verses have much more meaning during an election year as I think about who could be potentially running our country in the near future.
Lord I pray that you will guide our country in choosing our future leaders. Help us to have your eyes to see and your ears to hear what is being said and done around us. Lord, we see what is on the outside while you look at the heart. Please give us your discernment as we move forward.
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Proverbs 28:13
I am reminded here how often I live in opposition to God and contrary to His loving nature. For by nature God is love; not simply loving but the source, the essence, and the embodiment of love. Love motivates all our Lord does but love isn’t just something He does, it’s who He is. That being said, love motivates God’s desire for me to prosper. Not to grant me worldly success but to lead me to a new future of peace, intimacy, and a relationship with Him that is unhindered by sin. So true prosperity requires a right standing with God which is only possible when my sin is dealt with. Dealing with sin requires confession and repentance from which God’s mercy and grace will flow. Sure sin gets in the way of this prosperity but sin can be dealt with. On the other hand, a lack of confession and repentance grinds the process to a halt. An unwillingness to acknowledge sin and confess it to God is a roadblock in whole progression of mercy, grace, and sanctification. When I conceal sin I am rejecting God’s loving mercy. Remaining unrepentant is effectively turning my back to His open arms of love. And continuing in sin is, in essence, shouting “No!” to God’s outpouring of love. Seems like an easy choice but I’m not claiming that it is. I often fail but God never does. When I face my sinfulness and confess it, I always find His mercy, His grace, and the process of transformation continues forward.
Abba Father, open my eyes and show me my sinfulness. Jesus my Savior grant me a humble spirit that seeks your forgiveness and mercy. Holy Spirit transform my heart to turn away from sin and honor you.
Very well said Bill!
–Annette
Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
This verse reminds us that sinners know they are sinning and try to hide it even when no one is aware of it. Righteous people know they are on “high ground” with God’s support so they can speak and act with confidence.
Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
This verse shows us that sinners know they are sinning and try to hide it. Just like verse 1, sinners are always trying to hide or run away from their actions. Conversely, God will show mercy to sinners that acknowledge, confess and renounce their sin.
Proverbs 28:14 Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
This is one more verse in the bible that tell us we need to fear God and his power. I have always struggled with the concept of fearing God and loving Him, but this verse reminds us that if we “harden our heart” towards him we invite “trouble” into our lives
Proverbs 28:23 He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.
We recently have studied that our words or the things we say can hurt people and that we should only say things that build people up. This verse reminds us that we can fall out of favor with God if our flattery isn’t genuine. Verse 23 also tells us that we will gain favor if we “rebuke” our fellow man. On the surface this appears to be in conflict with a recent lesson, however the Bible teaches us how to and that we have a responsibility to “rebuke” our brothers and sisters through and with love. Being a Christian isn’t always easy and especially when the occasion arises that we must “rebuke” a brother or sister. We must always walk a thin line between building people up or hurting them with our words. It is an obligation we have as Christians and through prayer, bible study, practice and listening to the Holy Spirit we can learn to “rebuke” our fellow Christians without hurting them.
I pray that I live a sin free life, that I have a respectful fear of my Lord and I have the skill and courage to use my words with love and “rebuke” my brother or sister when necessary.