WWUTT 1634 Without Vision the People Perish (Proverbs 29:1-27)

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The wicked cannot control themselves. They follow their own nature, their own impulses, thinking of no one but themselves.

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But the righteous entrust themselves to God and consider others' needs ahead of their own, when we understand the text.

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This is When We Understand The Text, teaching through a New Testament book on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, an

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Old Testament book on Thursday, and a Q &A on Friday. With our Old Testament study today, here's

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Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. So we have been doing a study of Proverbs on Thursday, and we've got three chapters left, 29 through 31.

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That's 91 verses, 91 verses left in our study of the book of Proverbs.

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Today, we're in chapter 29. If you wanna open up your Bible and join with me there, this is out of the

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Legacy Standard Bible. And to save time, to be sure that we're gonna get through these last three chapters, probably won't be in three weeks, it might be more like four, but to just be sure that we're gonna get through it in time, instead of going through that huge swath of text like I usually do at the very beginning, let's go through this a proverb at a time, all right?

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So starting here in Proverbs 29, beginning in verse one, this is out of the Legacy Standard Bible.

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A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

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This reference to an animal that hardens his neck. Surely you've seen where God has called

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Israel a stiff -necked people. This was a term for an animal that would not submit to the yoke.

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So it was an animal that could not be broken in. You could not use that ox to pull a plow.

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He was not trainable, not correctable in other words. So this being applied to a person who will not receive correction, a man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

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In other words, he's gonna go to his own destruction and there's nothing that anybody could have done to turn him from that course.

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And over and over again through Proverbs, we've seen that the wise receive correction, but the foolish will not be reproved.

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They're gonna continue in their own way instead of in God's way. So be a wise person who's willing to receive correction that you may walk in the way of righteousness.

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Verse two, when the righteous increase, the people are glad, but when a wicked man rules, people groan.

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Because what's gonna happen with that righteous man who receives increase? He's gonna share it with others.

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This is a man who recognizes all that he has ultimately doesn't belong to him. It belongs to God.

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And it is by the blessing of God that this has been given to him. And so he's gonna be generous with it.

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But the wicked man does not share with others.

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And so the people groan. They don't benefit from those who are wicked.

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We have the greatest treasure that we could ever receive. And that is Jesus Christ, the gospel of Christ.

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And so we must be generous with this message of the gospel. We must go out and tell the world that it is only by faith in Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven and you have everlasting life with God.

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And if we don't share that message with others, then the people will perish.

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There's a very real practical application of this verse. And that, you know, exactly as I explained it to you.

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But then there's also this application that extends to understanding we have the greatest treasure and that is

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Christ. We must be willing to share the message of Christ with the world. It is only by faith in the gospel that they can be saved.

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Verse three, a man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but he who befriends harlots destroys his wealth.

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Because what does he do with his wealth? With harlots, with prostitutes? He spends his money on them.

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A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad. He's going to receive the inheritance that he gets from his father and he will invest it wisely.

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All throughout the book of Proverbs, we've seen wisdom being passed from the father to his son. So let us take this wisdom from God and act wisely according to it.

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Verse four, by justice, the king causes the land to stand, but a man of bribes tears it down.

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If a king is devoted to justice, then his land will prosper.

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The people will rejoice in that king who punishes the wicked and celebrates or promotes the righteous.

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His land will thrive. Everybody benefits when the ruler does as God has appointed these rulers to do.

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That's what we read about rulers doing. In 1 Peter 2, in Romans 13, they are to punish those who are evil and they are to celebrate those who do right, who do righteously in the land.

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But the one who takes a bribe, the one who just benefits himself, he's not ruling in the interest of his people.

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He just uses any and all opportunity to benefit himself. Well, his land is going to fall apart.

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The people will come to ruin. Verse five, a man who flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his steps.

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And we've seen that elsewhere here in Proverbs, something to that extent said just that way.

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When I first became a pastor, was Proverbs like this were very serving to me in wisdom.

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When I was an associate pastor for a couple of years, I've always served in some capacity in the church, even if I wasn't getting paid.

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But it was in 2010 when I was ordained as a pastor and I was working as an associate pastor, that became my first full -time job in the church.

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And for two years, I did that. When the senior pastor left, I moved into the senior pastor position. And I had all kinds of people coming up to me saying, you're so much better than the guy who was before you, the guy that just left.

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I really didn't appreciate those comments. And I'm thankful for Proverbs like this that kept me sober -minded in those moments.

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Because if you're willing to say that to me, you're willing to say that, I mean,

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I'm not the best pastor. Somebody else is going to come along that's better than me. And if you're willing to flatter me with those words, you're going to flatter him with those words.

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And so that wasn't very reassuring to hear people say you're so much better than the other guy.

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They're spreading a net for my feet. It would be either they want me to do something for them, like they want me to benefit them somehow.

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And that kind of goes back to the previous proverb. A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad. He who befriends harlots destroys his wealth.

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By justice, the king causes the land to stand, but a man of bribes tears it down. We're seeing the contrast between the person who considers others versus the person who is just working for himself.

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He's trying to better himself. He uses every opportunity for his own benefit. A man who flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his steps.

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He flatters his neighbor because he wants his neighbor to do something for him. That's flattery, right?

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Either I just want everybody to like me. It's all selfish. It is self -focused.

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It's all inward. It's not how does this benefit other people? I was very grateful to God for giving me that wisdom in those moments that I would not get too puffed up, too full of myself, because then a net spread under my feet for me to fall.

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Either I am becoming enslaved to those people who now expect something from me, or I get too full of myself and end up falling into a snare of Satan.

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That's what could happen there if we are listening to that kind of flattery. Verse six, by transgression, an evil man is ensnared.

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We have another snare coming into these Proverbs here. By transgression, an evil man is ensnared, but the righteous sings with joy and is glad.

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Sin leads to a snare, a snare of the devil. First Timothy chapter three talks about that.

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Second Timothy chapter two, but the righteous sings with joy and we are glad.

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Kind of have the image of a bird here. So a person who is in sin comes into a snare, a trap, something that would catch a bird, but the righteous sings with joy and is glad.

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He's not in a trap. He's singing with the birds. So continue in righteousness that you not fall into sin and then into despair, having to face the consequences of those sinful actions.

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Always seek to do the will of God in everything. And we know what God's will is when we read his word.

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Verse seven, the righteous knows the cause of the poor. The wicked does not understand that knowledge.

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We're seeing this theme in these Proverbs here of considering other's needs ahead of our own.

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The wicked don't think of other's needs ahead of their own. Verse eight, scoffers set a city aflame, but wise men turn away anger.

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Scoffers here in this case, in this context, are gonna be those who are stirring up strife, turn a city to flame.

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Boy, we've seen that in the news cycle the last couple of years, haven't we? Riots in different cities, people who are up in arms, angry, taking it out on other people's stuff and property and literally setting cities aflame.

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But the wise men turn away anger, like their own anger. They know that it is not wise, it is not good for themselves or for other people to respond in anger in this way.

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The burning of cities that we've seen going on through a lot of the rioting and looting that is happening, it doesn't even benefit the people who are doing it.

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They're foolish to the nth degree. They're not benefiting others and they don't benefit themselves.

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It only destroys everybody when people freely vent their anger in this way.

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Verse nine, when a wise man is brought into judgment with a man who is an ignorant fool, the ignorant fool both rages and laughs and there is no rest.

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There's another way to say this proverb. This might help you understand it a little bit better.

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Here's a country version of this proverb, okay? Never wrestle with a pig because you both get dirty and the pig likes it.

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There you go, there's the country version of that proverb. You know, a wicked man just doesn't care about justice.

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He doesn't care about who's right and who's wrong or right and wrong. He doesn't care about being corrected so that he may know that he is wrong and therefore choose the right way.

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So you're gonna argue with an ignorant fool and not get anywhere with him. He just rages and laughs.

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He thinks it's great that all this commotion and strifes that we're seeing kind of the scoffing theme that's continuing down here, whereas the wise person has just ended up wasting his time.

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Jesus said in Matthew 7, 6, do not give to dogs what is sacred or cast your pearls before swine because then they'll just trample them underfoot and then turn and attack you.

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Verse 10, men of bloodshed hate the blameless but the upright seek the wellbeing of his soul.

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Continuing with this generosity, looking out the interest of others. Men of bloodshed hate the blameless.

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They just wanna shed blood. They're not looking at blameless people going, oh, look, that person's innocent so I'm not gonna make a victim out of it.

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No, they just leave bodies in their wake but the upright seek the wellbeing of his soul.

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We are looking for ways that we can help others and build them up and in such a way, it even benefits us.

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The motivation is not self -benefit but we are benefited when we benefit others.

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When we talk about the church sanctifying one another together in places like Ephesians chapter, at the end of chapter one, in Ephesians chapter four, so the body of Christ building itself up in love.

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We are looking out for the interests of others but that also benefits us. If the whole church is being built up in love, if we're all maturing together and holding fast to the head who is

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Christ, that benefits everybody, even you who is helping to sanctify others.

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Verse 11, a fool lets out all of his spirit but a wise man holds it back.

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This kind of goes back to scoffers set the city aflame, right? So when you feel wronged, when you wanna rant, when you need to vent some anger or whatever, the fool lets out his spirit, he just lets it all out but a wise man holds it back.

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Don't vent your frustrations, actually not even healthy for you, but that's not the point so I'm not gonna continue with that.

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Yeah, seriously, I mean, there's been studies that have been done, a person who vents or punches a pillow or screams into a pillow or something, they actually have more health problems than a person who doesn't contain, it's not that they contain it or bottle it all up, they're just wise about it, they know how to control themselves, they're self -controlled instead of just flying off the handle whenever they feel like it.

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A fool lets out his spirit, the wise man holds it back. Verse 12, if a ruler pays attention to a lying word, all of his ministers become wicked.

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So the way that a ruler behaves, other people are watching his behavior and are gonna act the same way.

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So consider the effect that you have on people that are around you, watch the way that you act because there are other people that are picking that up, especially for us who are parents, the ways that you are acting, your children are watching that and they're gonna imitate that behavior.

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Verse 13, the poor man and the oppressor meet together in this, Yahweh gives light to the eyes of both.

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You know, whether a person is a victim or a person is an oppressor, they both need the gospel and God saves them both.

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There are plenty of people out there who have been oppressed and they will still go to hell without the gospel just because they have been a victim, that does not mean that they automatically go to heaven.

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They need the gospel too. The oppressor likewise, God will open his eyes that he may see his sin and turn to Christ and repent and they both remember from where they have come.

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The oppressor remembers that he was an oppressor and God has shown grace to him. The poor man remembers that he was poor and God has shown grace to him so that we may be rich with blessing in Christ in whom we put our faith.

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Yahweh gives light to the eyes of both. Verse 14, if a king judges the poor with truth, his throne will be established forever.

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This goes back to the king who loves justice, all of the people prosper, everybody benefits, even the king, even the king benefits in this.

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Verse 15, the rod and reproof give wisdom but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

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This goes back to what we've read before in the Proverbs, if you spare the rod, you spoil the child, right?

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The foolishness is bound up in the heart of the child but the rod of correction drives it far from him. If you love a person, you will reprove them and correct them that they may walk in the right way.

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If you don't reprove them, then they become shameful in their behavior. Verse 16, when the wicked increase, transgression increases but the righteous will see their fall.

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Seeing the fall of the wicked, the wicked will eventually come to ruin, the righteous will prosper,

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God will uphold them and we will receive everlasting life with Christ, we who wear his righteousness.

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Though the wicked may increase in the land, we may see wicked doing well and prospering even in our present day, even all around us, you can turn on the news and you can watch the wicked prospering but they will ultimately fall in the day of judgment and the righteous will see that happen as we are given the everlasting kingdom.

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Verse 17, discipline your son and he will give you rest and he will give delight to your soul.

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Pretty self -explanatory, we've talked about that. Be diligent to discipline your children. If you love your children, you will discipline them that they will walk in the right way.

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Verse 18, well, here's a popular proverb, where there is no vision, the people are out of control but how blessed is he who keeps the law.

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How do you usually hear that proverb? Where there is no vision, the people perish, right?

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And you'll just hear the proverb used that way, where there's no vision, the people perish. And that proverb will be used to say that pastors need to invest in vision casting.

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Our vision for this church is this, if I don't have a vision for the church, then we're going to perish but that's not what the proverb is saying.

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It's not about vision casting, it's about obeying God's word. Where there is no vision, where there is no understanding of what

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God has said, the people will perish. But how blessed is he who keeps the law.

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We know what God has said and we walk in his ways. As God said through the prophet

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Isaiah, this is the one to whom I will look, he who is humble and contrite in spirit and who trembles at my word.

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That's Isaiah 66 too. So we go on here to verse, where did

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I just end there? That was 18. So remember that one, Proverbs 29, 18, you might underline that and recognize the context lest anybody tried to take it out of context with you.

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Verse 19 is, a slave will not be corrected by words alone for though he understands, there will be no answer.

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Still talking about here, the rod of correction and here that rod of correction even being used upon a slave that he may know the right way that he is to go according to the direction of his master.

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And we are all slaves of Christ. As it says in Hebrews 12, God disciplines those he loves.

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If he did not discipline us, we would be illegitimate sons and daughters of God. We would not be the true children of God.

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So we've seen discipline given to a children. We've seen discipline given to slaves that we may walk in the right way and know how we may please our father or please our master.

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Amen. I know it's controversial to talk about slavery, which is often why the word slave is excluded from the

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Bible but that's what this means. And I am a happy and delighted and thankful slave of Christ.

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Verse 20, do you behold a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

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And we've seen that in this particular chapter, the fool who is hasty, but the wise man who shows restraint.

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Even know when to speak and when to be quiet. Verse 21, he who pampers his slave from childhood will in the end find him to be arrogant.

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Yeah, we're seeing some themes going on here, right? Discipline the slave, tell him exactly what it is that he's supposed to do.

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And when he doesn't do his work, you punish him for it. If you just continue to pamper him, then he doesn't do his work.

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You have a worthless slave and a man who doesn't understand the value of good hard work.

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Verse 22, an angry man stirs up strife and a hot tempered man abounds in transgression.

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As we've seen over the course of this chapter, the scoffers who set a city aflame, but wise men turn away anger.

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Angry men stir up strife, hot tempered men, they abound in transgression. You'll just see that same result from them over and over again.

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Verse 23, a man's lofty pride will bring him low, but a lowly spirit will take hold of glory.

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That man who sets himself high, he will be torn down. But the person who humbles himself before God, we will be glorified on the day of glory.

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Verse 24, he who divides the spoil with a thief hates his own soul.

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He hears the oath, but declares nothing. So he divides the spoil with a thief, a person who's not honest, person who's gonna rob from you and benefit himself.

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You have robbed yourself of your own soul. He hears the oath, but declares nothing.

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In other words, a thief makes an oath, but what good is that? He's already a liar and a thief.

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There's no benefit in that at all. But we have our covenant with Christ who has promised us everlasting life.

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And if we invest our hearts there and we rejoice in the truth, then we have a word, an oath that means everything.

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Verse 25, trembling before man brings a snare, but he who trusts in Yahweh will be set securely on high.

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So who do you fear, God or man? As Spurgeon said, fear God and nothing else.

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You tremble before man, you are willing to do anything that men want you to do so that you gain their favor.

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So that no harm, nothing will come to you. We need to be fearful of Yahweh. Fear God and no one else.

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Verse 26, many seek the face of a ruler, but justice for man comes from Yahweh.

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Our hope cannot be in princes, kings, the rulers of this world. We must trust in God alone.

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Men are sinful, wicked, corruptible. They will let us down. And the kingdoms of this world are coming into judgment.

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Trust in Yahweh whose kingdom endures forever, who is seated on his throne above and no one can unseat him.

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No nation can conquer the nation of the king of kings and the Lord of lords.

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Verse 27, an unjust man is an abomination to the righteous. And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

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Wicked people hate us because we love God and desire to do his ways. The apostle

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John said in 1 John 3, the world hates you, but do not be surprised at this. If we were from the world, they would love us.

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But we're from God, so therefore the world hates us. But continue to trust in Yahweh, because no matter what it is that happens here in this world, we will inherit the kingdom of God that endures forever, that is granted us in Christ Jesus, our

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Lord. Heavenly Father, thank you for these good words and may even the practical wisdom that is spoken to us here apply to our lives that we may walk in a way of righteousness in a way that is pleasing unto the

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Lord and knowing that in Christ we will receive everlasting life. It's in his name that we pray, amen.