Proverbs 29

Proverbs 29:1-27

He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,

will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

• ​"Stiffening of the neck."  You can picture it.  "How dare you correct (reprove) me!"  The neck and jaw stiffen, the brows furrow.  Pitiful when I do this.
• If we don't surround ourselves with brothers and sisters who have the green light to point out where we are straying from the path, how are we to progress forward toward Christlikeness?
• I have accountability partners who have this green light to "call me out".  How about you?  
• It may be a hit to your ego when it happens, but that's the point.  The alternative is spiraling down a hole where you'll be "broken beyond healing".

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,

but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

• ​Feel yourself groaning lately?  The only ones who aren't groaning are those who don't know truth.  They've bought into the lies.  Sad.
• When those in leadership are righteous and obeying and leading by God's way, there is joy.  The people are better for it.
• But when those with their own agendas and own ideas rule, ignoring God along the way, the people suffer.  The nation suffers. 

He who loves wisdom makes his father glad,

but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

• ​ Someone who loves wisdom, lives by wisdom.  He also hungers for more and more wisdom, continually improving.  This makes a father glad.  It also makes our Father glad.
• "Prostitutes" is just a metaphor.  However, it can be a metaphor for prostitutes, I suppose ;) .  However, it's referring to anything that tempts you and subsequently takes away your "wealth", whether that be financial or spiritual wealth, or your good reputation, or something else.  Think:  a companion of casinos, or a companion of thieves, or a companion of liars.  Hanging around with something that tempts you is a recipe to sin.  
• Lesson:  Stay away from that which may tempt you.

By justice a king builds up the land,

but he who exacts gifts tears it down.

• ​When leadership provides a foundation of justice, there is confidence in that leadership creating a firm foundation to create, improve, and excel.
• But a leader who is all about himself, or all about power and prestige shakes confidence.  And without confidence, the people are hesitant to put in effort to create, improve, or excel.  If they do, will it all be for nothing?  Will it all be taken away?  Might as well not even try.

A man who flatters his neighbor

spreads a net for his feet.

• ​We define the word "flatter" today in a different way than its original meaning.  Here is the definition:  to praise or compliment insincerely, effusively, or excessively.
• Flatter does not just mean to compliment.  It has an evil, ulterior motive attached to it.  
• Many people use flattery with those who they believe can "do something" for them.  I've known people like this.  And it's worked for a while, but they are ultimately discovered ... either by man or by God.  Either way, they will pay.
  

An evil man is ensnared in his transgression,

but a righteous man sings and rejoices.

• ​Someone who sins without repentance (without intent to stop) is a slave to that sin.  They are ensnared, caught, trapped, a prisoner.
• But a man who lives his life trying his utmost to obey God, although he does stumble and make mistakes periodically, lives without worry.  
• Those who place their lives in the hands of Jesus should not worry about anything.  They can sing and rejoice.  They need only obey what God says, and know that it's how to achieve the good life.

A righteous man knows the rights of the poor;

a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.

• ​Our Founding Fathers knew this and wrote it in our Constitution:  All men [rich or poor] are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.  That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
• Thomas Jefferson also said, "Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others.  I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual."
• The point is, it is not by the law that the poor have equal rights and must be treated well, and helped to improve their situation.  It is the knowledge that God - their and our Creator - have endowed us with certain rights.  These are not rights given be a government or a given leader, but by God and God alone.

Scoffers set a city aflame,

but the wise turn away wrath.

• ​Common English translation: Men of pride are the cause of violent acts in a town, but by wise men wrath is turned away.
• The Message paraphrase:  A gang of cynics can upset a whole city; a group of sages can calm everyone down.
• I think of Ferguson.  Justified or not (answer: not to that level of reaction), the scoffers and mockers did not improve matters.  They exacerbated the problem.  Those with righteousness and peace in their hearts said, "violence is not an answer to any problem".  The answer was acknowledgement of feelings, focus on fact, and addressing the core issues.  This is wisdom in action.

If a wise man has an argument with a fool,

the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.

• ​It's not worth your breath to argue with a fool.  Plant the seeds of wisdom from God, then back away.  Debating will go nowhere and will not result in a changed mind.
• Imagine a conversation with Bill Maher.  Now stop imagining that before you get angry. ;)

Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless

and seek the life of the upright.

• ​They hated Jesus.  Let me be clear:  They did not just disagree with Jesus and leave it at that.  They HATED him.  So much so that they wanted him dead.
• And those who try to be blameless are also hated.  Paul, John, Peter ... Bonhoeffer, the Pope, Luther, Mother Theresa ...
• Instead of seeing them as a model and a light to this world, evil (bloodthirsty) men will disdain them.

A fool gives full vent to his spirit,

but a wise man quietly holds it back.

• ​Ever see someone completely lose it?  It's a ridiculous site.  Obviously no self-control, self-righteous, silly.  
• It's so easy to lose your temper.  In fact, it feels good, doesn't it?  It's a fundamental fleshly desire to let loose your wrath.  It's something we feel entitled to.
• But a man wise in God's kind of wisdom knows this is not right.  We must show self-control, restraint.  
• The wisdom comes in knowing that losing your crackers results in nothing good ... only in bad for you, for others, for the situation you're in.

If a ruler listens to falsehood,

all his officials will be wicked.

• ​If a given leader is known to listen to, and maybe even be fooled by lies and deceit, his entourage will start taking advantage of that.
• If he starts listening to evil gossip and taking it seriously, all the workers will become infected the same way.

The poor man and the oppressor meet together;

the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.

• ​This is both a statement of truth and a promise, I believe.
• First, all men whether poor or oppressor, have in common the light (truth, knowledge, wisdom) available to them.  They can see, if only they'll open their eyes.
• Two, they were created equal, and they will see things the same way one day.  God will make sure of this.

If a king faithfully judges the poor,

his throne will be established forever.

• ​If the King treats and judges (and judges for) the poor honestly and fairly, he will be loved and will reign on the throne for as long as he wishes.

The rod and reproof give wisdom,

but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

• ​Spare the rod, spoil the child.  Discipline IS love.  A parent who does not discipline is sentencing their child to a horrible life.  There is nothing quite so unloving as to avoid disciplining a child.  
• Every criminal, every drug addict, every liar, every thief can trace something back to their childhood.  And more often than not, it has to do with discipline - or lack thereof.  

When the wicked increase, transgression increases,

but the righteous will look upon their downfall.

• ​God promises that, while the wicked types may "win" sometimes in the short term, they will not in the end.  
• We are living in a time where the wicked is increasing, but this isn't new.  Transgressions ARE increasing ... abortion, redefining marriage, sexual immorality, etc.

Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;

he will give delight to your heart.

• ​Yep.  Just like we need God's direction and correction to become who we're created to be, our children do too.
• Discipline - as mentioned above - is love.

Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,

but blessed is he who keeps the law.

• ​People stumble over the fact that they don't completely understand what God is up to.  They have to understand the why of everything, or they just give up, or use it as an excuse to throw out the baby with what seems to be bath water.
• But those who simply trust in Him, obey Him, knowing that His commands are for good ... that He is good ... they will be blessed.

By mere words a servant is not disciplined,

for though he understands, he will not respond.

• ​Words mean little if there is no follow up.  
• I'm thinking of our children and raising them up.  Similar to "Spare the rod, spoil the child", this is intended to tell us that words not followed by action will result in intellectual understanding, but not a changed heart.
• This also parallels James' "Faith - without works - is dead" commentary.  You can't just say you are a Christian.  Your statement will be contradicted by the fruit you produce.  Because if the branches are leafless and without fruit, we know that the roots are dead.

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

• ​Self-control.  That's what it comes down to.  James talks about the tongue, like a small spark, able to start a forest fire.  We can't seem to control it completely.  We need Jesus to control it for us.
• We must never be hasty - in words or in action.  Someone who can't do that is no better off than a fool - he IS a fool.

Whoever pampers his servant from childhood

will in the end find him his heir.

• ​This basically means that when someone treats someone working for him like a son, eventually that person will love and respect him as a son might love his father.  He then works for him, not from mechanical obedience because he "must", but in a true desire to please him.  
• God does the same with us.  We are heirs - co-heirs with Jesus - sons and daughters of God.  We are no longer just servants (although we are), but also His friends.

A man of wrath stirs up strife,

and one given to anger causes much transgression.

• ​Pretty straightforward - a man who can not control his anger, or uses his anger to gain his own way, causes nothing but trouble.  God is NOT pleased.
• And with anger comes sin.  The sin of wrath/anger begets (leads to) more sin.  Nothing good will come from it, that's for certain.

One's pride will bring him low,

but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

• ​The meek shall inherit the earth.  
• Pride comes before a fall.
• He became sin who knew no sin.
• Humility is key to Christlikeness.  If we are to move toward him, we must drop our pride, humble ourselves, and trust Him.
• He must become greater.  We must become less.

The partner of a thief hates his own life;

he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.

• ​If you befriend an outlaw, you become an enemy to yourself.  It's as though you don't care about your life, your soul.
• You hear the victims crying out, but you won't testify?  Horrible.

The fear of man lays a snare,

but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

• ​I have struggled with this ever since I've become a Christian.  Fear of man that is sometimes greater than fear of God.  Fear = caring what they think.
• How often do you worry about what others think of you more than what God thinks?  For me, less and less, but still far too often.

Many seek the face of a ruler,

but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.

• ​We shouldn't be seeking justice from our rulers - they are fallible.
• Where we should seek it is from God.  
• Why do we spend so much effort asking our leaders to do what is just, and so little time asking God to make it so?

An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,

but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

• ​We can't stand an unjust man.  They stick out like a soar thumb to those who know the difference, and they make our blood boil.
• But those who are righteous, following God's ways not man's, annoy and irritate the worldly.
• We see this clearly in politics.  I've seen it, for instance, on Facebook with the announcement by Ted Cruz that he's running for President.  All of my Progressive friends have nothing but ridicule for him, mostly because he is Christian, conservative, and believes in an objective moral compass (God).  
• This is a crazy upside down world we live in.

God bless,

Greg