Proverbs 28

Hey, welcome back to A Message for the Messenger! I’m going to be starting in verse 4 today:

4: “Those who forsake instructions praise the wicked, but those who heed it resist them.” If you resist wise instruction, you’re encouraging wicked behavior. But if you accept correction and apply it, then you resist the wicked behavior and build a stronger resistance against wickedness.

5: “Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.” This is because God lays out right and wrong, so that we can understand. Matthew Henry states: “If a man seeks the Lord…it is a good means of understanding more.”

Look at 6: “Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse.” A poor man whose walk with Christ is better because the rich have power.What I’m saying is if a rich person has power, they have control over people. If their ways are perverse, than they don’t use that power well. Their deeds are evil. They do nothing to glorify God. Take Hitler. He did all the above. But the poor man who glorifies God is a greater blessing to the world.

Just a quick note on 10: “Whoever leads the upright along an evil path will fall into their own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.” Matthew Henry says: “The success of ungodly men is their own misery.”

Here’s 12: “When the righteous triumph, there is a great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.”

The righteous are known for their God-honoring decisions and actions. They become famous for their high moral standards (i.e. George Washington, Billy Graham, etc.). But when the wicked rise to power, they make such bad choices that people do literally hide from the destruction and overwhelming sorrows.

Look at 13: “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses them and renounces them finds mercy.” Look at what Matthew Henry says: “It is folly to indulge sin, and excuse it. He who covers his sin, shall not have any true peace. He who humbly confesses his sins, with true repentance and faith, shall find mercy from God. The Son of God is our great atonement. Under a deep sense of our guilt and danger, we may claim salvation from that mercy which reigns through unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.”

14: “Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.” fear auses a sense of respect. I do believe, though, that this fear is more of awe, which causes you to fear Him out of awe, which gives you that respect. But if you harden your heart towards Him you will be punished severely.

Head over to 17: “Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder will seek refuge in the grave, let no one hold them back.” If you commit murder, you will be plagued by the guilt it brings. You will be in misery, and your friends will be miserable because of your misery. You’ll be wanting death. No one will want to stop your from desiring death, because your misery makes them miserable, too.

19: “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.” Work comes before play. After you do your work on the “farm”, you can relax for a season and the crops you grew will be your reward. However, if you relax and put off your work until the end, then you don’t have any means of food or money.

Look at 23: “Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor rather than one who has a tlattering tongue.” If you correct a person respectfully, they will be more open to you, rather than you encouraging them in the wrong path and them failing.

Here’s 26, the last one I’m doing : “Those who trust in themeslves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.” Here’s Matthew Henry’s awesome commentary: “A fool trusts to his own strength, merit, and righteousness. And trusts to his own heart, which is not only deceitful above all things, but which has often deceived him.”

I hope y’all have a great rest of the week, and I hope this encouraged you in some way!

Ryan

Mark 16:15