Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 31:3-9 ESV

3 Do not give your strength to women,
your ways to those who destroy kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings to drink wine,
or for rulers to take strong drink,
5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress;
7 let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
8 Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Libertinism - loose in morals; debauchery; lewdness

Intervene – 5. Law: To become a party to an action or other legal procedure for the protection of an alleged interest therein; said of a third person not originally a party thereto

Websters New Collegiate Dictionary, 1949

The person addressed in Proverbs 31:3-9 is one who has an office of authority, but there is no reason it can’t be extended to any person who has a responsibility for others. The one addressed is warned away from libertinism and called to intervene when necessary.

In verses 3-7 there is a warning against conduct that is destructive of the respect that is needed to fulfill any place of responsibility. When the leader is not respected, his judgment is not trusted.

Alcohol as a means of stimulant for daily life is a danger that a leader must realize. As respect is lost when the leader becomes a servant to his lust, so judgment is impaired when he becomes a slave of alcohol or drugs.

Good counsel is plain in warning of the danger of libertinism.

The strong in society, if they have a desire for a just society, must be willing to intervene:

A. Verse 8 – On the behalf of those who are limited by provincialism and ignorance. They are sometimes described as the working poor. They are described here as mute who are without rights because they can be passed by. They are by the strong and wealthy considered to be without value.

B. Verse 9 – The Bible is consistent from the very earliest of time in stating plainly God’s concern for the poor. The Israelite was to remember the poor when he reaped at harvest time. He was neither to reap the corners of his field nor glean his trees. This was to be left for the poor and needy.

Both James and John make it plain in their letters that the believer is one who does not overlook the needs of the poor. It is a failure in Biblical understanding to attempt to think the poor in Scripture are those who are spiritually poor.

Just as the wicked man never truly has concern for the poor, the upright man is willing to intervene on the behalf of the weak.

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 28:1, 4, 12, 15, 28 ESV

1 The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.

4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them

12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.

15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

28 When the wicked rise, people hide themselves,
but when they perish, the righteous increase.

Wicked: morally wrong, an actively bad person, condemned, guilty, ungodly - Stong’s Exhaustive Concordance

In chapter 28, the writer gives us five views of the wicked person. Each one fits the definition above.

Proverbs 28:1 – The conscience of the wicked is active. He is self condemned and he always faces unwanted detection with its accompanying punishment.

.Proverbs 28:4 – The activity of the wicked is antithetical to the Law and he is recognized for his deeds. His praise and companions will come from those like him.

Proverbs 28:12 – The triumph of the wicked is at the expense of the righteousness. The triumph of the righteous in the same token will be to God’s glory and the wicked’s loss.

Proverbs 28:15 – The success of the wicked bodes ill for the poor. The poor are the weak. The wicked take advantage of those who are easiest to overcome. The illustrations of this in our time are too numerous to need stating.

Proverbs 28:28 – The success and the failure of the wicked will directly affect the righteous. This world is one of integration. There are no communes to separate and live apart from the world. Therefore the wheat and the tares grow together.

How can this somewhat comprehensive view of the wicked be applied?

1. The wise person knows to never trust the wicked.

2. No matter what his protestations may be, the wicked man never has the best interest of the poor at heart.

3. The opposition of the righteous toward the conduct of the wicked is a Divine requirement.

And as sure as there is a woe to the wicked it will be well for the righteous.

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 27 ESV

Following are some random thoughts from Proverbs 27.

Proverbs 27:1 – There are four lessons here.

A. The similarity of James 4:13-17 justifies understanding and interpreting James as wisdom literature.

B. The believer never has the privilege of certainty about the future.

C. Because the present is what the believer has, the present is his primary responsibility.

D. There is no excuse for procrastination.

1 Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.

Proverbs 27:5-6 – Because this is an “as-so” truth, you are to understand, as a friend’s rebuke is desirable so love must be as open as the affection of an enemy falsely expressed.

5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Proverbs 27:8 – A young bird leaving its nest loses the support that is represented there. So a young man leaving his home leaves the support that has been so important and faces danger of which he is ignorant.

8 Like a bird that strays from its nest
is a man who strays from his home.

Proverbs 27:10 – There are three truths in this verse:

A. The longer the history of friendship the less excuse there is for betraying it.

B. In the time of immediate need a distant brother is not helpful.

C. A friend who is nearby is that which you must depend on in immediate need.

10 Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend,
and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity.
Better is a neighbor who is near
than a brother who is far away.

Proverbs 27:22 – Folly is not cured by suffering. It is internal and only can be cured by a heart change. II Cor. 5:21.

22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
along with crushed grain,
yet his folly will not depart from him.

Proverbs 27:23-24 – There is no certainty in last years harvest nor in a present position. Profit comes with wisdom and normal labor applied to the resources at hand.

23 Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,
24 for riches do not last forever;
and does a crown endure to all generations?

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 26:2 ESV

2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
a curse that is causeless does not alight.

This is the faith of God’s people and has been throughout the ages. It is the belief that underlies every text of Scripture which speaks of the judgment of God. The best theology, reformed theology, recognizes this truth in every major premise. All orthodox philosophy has its foundation here. Sociology that has any truth in it teaches this. And the Law of God in every application looks to this principle. Abraham states, “Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just.” Genesis 18:25. John, commanding honesty and repentance, gives as a cause, “he is faithful and just.” I John 1:9

The judgment of Pagans who have no gospel light is answered here. Tidal waves, earthquakes, rapine behavior of armies, all human-caused, and natural disaster find the same certainty. “The curse causeless does not come.”

The discipline of the believer lies under this fact. God will deal with each and every child in justice. The grace of Christ, present discipline, and our future resurrection are certain because the curse has come and there is no double jeopardy.

The cross with Christ suspended for our observation is the result of the well earned curse meeting with the covenant of Grace. Both are triumphant. The “ curse causeless has not come” and the glorious grace of God have their eternal witness.

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 25:8-10 ESV

8 do not hastily bring into court,
for what will you do in the end,
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
and do not reveal another’s secret,
10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
and your ill repute have no end..

There is the often told illustration of the three blind men who go to learn about an elephant. The only way they can do this is to feel the elephant. One feels his side and says “The elephant is like a house.” The second man grabs the elephant’s tail and he says, “No, the elephant is like a rope.” The third puts his hands around the elephant’s trunk and he says “You are both wrong – an elephant is like a tree.”

Even so, the Scripture before us warns of drawing a “hasty” conclusion. As all is not gold that glitters, so all is not as it appears to be when it is observed.

This truth can be illustrated in this way. A man sees one of his neighbors load another neighbor’s cow in his trailer, take it to market, sell it, and get the check. The conclusion is evident. His neighbor has stolen a cow and so he reports this. What he does not know is that his neighbors have agreed on this act. What the man witnessed is wrongly understood. What are the results?

• First he is put to shame by his hasty false report.
• Secondly he has seriously failed in his responsibility to talk to his neighbor first.
• Thirdly he has brought for the long term “ill repute” or the reputation of being a busybody and a slanderer upon himself. And he has qualified himself as being an undesirable neighbor.

Application:

A. There must be discipline against drawing hasty conclusions.

B. Your neighbor should be consulted before you accuse him of bad behavior.

C. Caution is to be used in anything spoken. Our reputation is at least partly determined by what we say.

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 24:17-20 ESV

¹⁷ Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
¹⁸ lest the LORD see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from him.

¹⁹ Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
and be not envious of the wicked,
²⁰ for the evil man has no future;
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

In these verses there are two extremes presented. Both are dispositions the believer must confess.

At one extreme is God’s refusal to let us take pleasure in His punishment of others. As we never have permission to exercise personal vengeance so this goes a step further. We are not to see His punishment as a personal favor over which we can rejoice.

This does not mean we cannot see the ill desserts of someone and expect justice will reveal this. This does not mean that we cannot rejoice in the justice. By the information available Bin Laden has had justice served upon him. But this is no cause to desire pictures of him to be shown in such a way that is like him being drug through the streets while his enemies rejoice.

Proverbs 24:18: This strange verse is explained as well as possible by Matthew Henry, “it will displease Him; as it will displease a prudent father to see one child triumph in the correction of another, which he ought to tremble at, and take warning by, not knowing how soon it may be his own case, he having so often deserved it….so the righteousness of God was never intended to gratify the wrath of man.”

Proverbs 24:19-20 are the other extreme from rejoicing over judgment. Here the problem of theodicy, the fretting or envy of the welfare of the wicked, is the subject. The Psalmist in Psalm 73 writes extensively about this and the conclusion is the same. The wicked lives with no future but judgment, and dies with no hope of a future.

If we understand this, their brief period of prosperity should never cause envy. The place of understanding is identified in Psalm 73:17 NKJ

¹⁷ Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.

Application:

1. The present condition of the wicked - whether ill or good - is not our concern.

2. Our present concern must be directed to personal holiness and service. These are sufficient to consume all of our time.

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 23:29-35 ESV

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who tarry long over wine;
those who go to try mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup
and goes down smoothly.
32 In the end it bites like a serpent
and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart utter perverse things.
34You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
like one who lies on the top of a mast.
35 "They struck me," you will say, "but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I must have another drink."

Drunk: Intoxicated with strong drink (alcohol)

Inebriation: To make drunk with liquor

Intoxication: State of being intoxicated or drunk

Alcoholic: A person addicted to excessive use of alcoholic liquors.

Dipsomania: A morbid and uncontrollable craving for alcohol

The writers of Scripture have only one term for the excessive use of alcohol – drunk. It is never considered a disease. It is always written about and described as sin. The habitual drunk, a dipsomaniac, is one who has continued in his sin long enough to become the slave of alcohol.

In the same way the habitual liar, the habitual thief, the whoremonger, the effeminate, and the serial murderer is not sick, but sinful. The present social definitions fail to realize the power of sin, the weakness of the flesh, and the overwhelming authority of Satan over the lost of the world.

The writer of Proverbs in 23:29-35 describes drunkenness in its cause and effect. Verses 29-30 draw your attention to the drunkard with a description of both his internal and external condition. First, in verse 29 he is one with overwhelming inner turmoil. In verse 30, his external condition is that of unnecessary and unexplainable physical distress.

Secondly, in verses 30-31 the writer answers the previous question. His answer is those who over indulge in alcoholic drink. This is the drunkard. In verse 31, while describing the drunkard he states the simple solution. Do Not Go There. To what extent one has to go to stay away from alcohol is not the subject here. But it is certain you cannot keep it in the cabinet and refrigerator and stay away from it.

Thirdly, in verses 32-33 he briefly lists the effects of over-indulgence. It is a poison without remedy. It is the author of delusion. It makes the subject of its influence profane.

Finally in verse 32 he gives the cause. The drunk has no consciousness of danger or responsibility. And his desire which should be a disciplined servant has become his master.

Two applications that can be made:

1. There is no sin of the flesh or mind that cannot become your master.

2. Faith in Jesus Christ is liberating. II Cor. 5:21 and Romans 6:1-14 plainly give in slave to sine the promise of relief. The single condition is “in Christ”. Read I Cor. 6:9-11, “But such were some of you.”

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 20:20 ESV

²⁰ If one curses his father or his mother,
his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

The parent-child relationship is one of repeated concern in Proverbs. It is one of the Ten Commandments and it is graphically illustrated in the Law. (Deuteronomy 21:18-21) It is reviewed in the New Testament and noted to be the only commandment with a promise.

Proverbs 20:20 speaks of an act of such a heinous nature it is only exceeded in wickedness by the murder of ones parents. Striking either parent is in the same category as the murder mentioned.

The result of the deed is an end without hope. The “utter darkness” spoken of here is to describe the worst end to be visited upon someone. It is to be in absolute separation from man and God. As God is light, to be in “utter darkness” is to be without the presence of God. The darkness experienced by Egypt in the ninth plague illustrates this but does not reach to the punishment promised in our study.

What does this mean for parents? However lenient parents may be toward their children, they must draw the line on the manner in which their children address them. They must demand respect from their children. And under no condition should a child- no matter how young - be allowed to strike his parents.

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 19:1 New King James

¹ Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

The writer of Proverbs again emphasizes the importance and the power of that which is spoken. Chapter 19:1, in a literal translation, reads “Good, better or best is one in poverty who is upright in conduct and speech than anyone whether rich or poor who declares lies with his lips and is a fool because of his speech.”

A person who speaks a threat against the President is subject to arrest and prosecution. It seems as if the writer of Proverbs would agree with this. Crooked speech may not precede bad conduct, but most often the person with crooked speech will have bad conduct.

As in Psalm 1:1 the Biblical estimation of the upright, (whether in speech or conduct), is that this is the best for that person no matter what his material condition might be.

“Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;”

Wealth is not always good while upright conduct or wisdom can always be commended.

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 18:22 ESV

²² He who finds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the LORD.

This verse, in the way it is translated, is incoherent to the reader. The AV, NKJV, NASB all translate it in the same way. The NIV does slightly better, but still leaves much to be desired.

The commentaries on this verse – Matthew Henry, Charles Bridges and Garrett in the New International Commentary have a correct understanding, but they have brought this in from other statements in Proverbs, Genesis 2, and other places.

A literal translation is, “He has come to him a wife, has come to him a good. And he receives a delight (or desire) from Yahweh.”

Because the action in the primary statement is transitive this can be understood in this way, “He who receives a wife, the one he desires, (interpolated from the parallel), receives that good thing he desires, (again interpolated from the parallel). And he receives his desire from the Lord as a gift (interpolated from the transitive in the primary of the parallel which indicates a gift).

Add to this the verses chapter 12:4 and 19:14 and the meaning is plain.

12:4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones

19:14 House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

As Matthew Henry writes, “A good wife is a great blessing to a man…he has found a good thing , a jewel of great value, a rare jewel; he has found that which will not only contribute in this life, but will forward him in the way to heaven. God is to be acknowledged in it with thankfulness, it is a token of His favor, and a happy pledge of further favors”. It is apparent that Henry is writing as if this good wife is a gift. Though he does not mention it, this would be based on the transitive in 18:22A.

The message is easy to understand. A good wife given to a good man equals a happy marriage and a happy home. Truly this is the grace of God.

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 17:1 ESV

1 Better is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting with strife.

The importance of the home can be overstated. In the hierarchy of government it is behind both the state and the church. That being said, the value of a tranquil home is without a doubt priceless.

The writer of Proverbs, with a vivid contrast, sets this in bold relief. Home life characterized by strife has neither a spiritual or family recommendation. The home with the minimum of the necessities is better than one with strife. The writer is careful not to say it is the best or most desirable. Having ample provisions is not of itself a prelude to sin. The sin comes with strife.

Strife is never desirable. Religious feasting mentioned here cannot excuse it or make it anymore helpful to family affection. Proverbs 10:2 tells why this is so. ² Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
but righteousness delivers from death. Strife is a fruit of hatred. The sin of hatred is the root cause of murder. The participation in strife can be likened to a murder conspiracy. Only evil can result.

Proverbs 15:16-17 gives additional information about this subject. First, whether there is little or much, this without faith and love for God can bring trouble. Second, the content of the meal cannot dress up hatred. The destructive nature of it remains to embitter all that is eaten.

The simple prevention for strife is found in chapter 17:14. The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out. There are two simple lessons here. First strife is easier prevented than repaired. There is always a certain amount of permanent damage. Again, the strife is preventable. “Quit” before it starts. Someone has to say “I won’t go there”. There is no reason that cannot be you.

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 16:27-30 ESV

27 A worthless man plots evil,
and his speech is like a scorching fire.
28 A dishonest man spreads strife,
and a whisperer separates close friends.
29 A man of violence entices his neighbor
and leads him in a way that is not good.
30 Whoever winks his eyes plans dishonest things;
he who purses his lips brings evil to pass.

The believer is prone to think the truly evil person is vicious with an overtly criminal behavior. The writer of Proverbs gives a different picture of those he identifies as wicked.

Proverbs 16:27-30 presents this person who is truly evil as a plotter of destruction at any cost (vs 27). He is internally dishonest with the intent of destroying contentment and goodwill (vs 28). Through subtle temptation he spreads evil behavior (vs 29).

The writer then sums this up by identifying him as a crafty man motivated by dishonesty. He uses speech to his advantage to bring to pass his evil designs (vs 30).

Throughout this context it is plain that the mouth is a tool to accomplish his plans and it discloses his heart condition. The Lord Jesus in Matthew 12:34 states this with absolute clarity, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”

In this Matthew context the whole spectrum of evil is before us - from the insidious evil of backbiting and gossip to the extreme of overt criminal behavior. Matthew 12:33-37.

33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.

34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

37 or by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 13:20 ESV

²⁰ Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

The writer of Proverbs, beginning in chapter one, makes his concern with companionship very plain. In chapter 13:20 this is again stated. There are several lessons to be learned here.

1. There are two paths for a person to travel.

2. Nature places each on one path, the path of folly.

3. There is a choice to be made to travel with the wise.

4. There is a reward for walking with the wise.

5. Wisdom comes with wise companionship because:

A. Of the conversation you share.

B. Of the example you have to instruct you.

6. The companion of fools also has a reward.

7. The reward fools receive is a result of their conversation and effort, Romans 6:23.

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There is a great incentive for the righteous in conduct and conversation. Chapter 13:21B.

“Fools make a mock of sin, but with the upright there is acceptance.” Proverbs 14:9 (Free Translation)

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 11:31 3, 6, 8, 9, 21, 23, 28 ESV

31 If the righteous is repaid on earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner!

A person is identified by his character. An evil person should be recognized as evil, and an upright person as good. This is not always so, but it is in general and it should be without exception.

The Scriptures go a step further than this. They assure the believer that there is recognition and reward for character in this life.

Chapter 11:31 expresses by the “if” not a condition but a certainty. This has the full support of I Peter 4:17-19. But Peter adds to this the certainty of a future judgment.

In the passages noted the benefits of upright conduct in daily living are identified. Chapter 11:3-5 presents three primary benefits an upright person can expect.

A. 11:3 The character of the upright is by virtue of its influence a determinative of the choices made. These choices are beneficial to his spiritual growth and personal relationships.

B. 11:4 Righteousness as a test of character has an effect on the judgment of the person falsely accused if an offence. Ordinarily, and most often, righteousness as a habit of life will provide deliverance at the time of need.

C. 11:15 The righteous person is not devious. His conduct is consistently upright. He is dependable, honest, and diligent in all he undertakes to do.

The conclusion of this chapter which defines and encourages upright conduct in verse 31 assures the reader that this is time bound instructions. The promise of justification at God’s bar of judgment and a future in glory are never to be forgotten. But neither are they to be substituted for the responsibility to walk daily in the path of the just.

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 10:26; 26:6 ESV

10:26

26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
so is the sluggard to those who send him.

26:6

6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

The warning in the words of 10:26 and 26:6 are repeated in substance throughout the Proverbs. One who reads and understands the warning stated here, understands how carefully a messenger must be chosen.

The messenger will determine if and how the message is delivered. A sluggard, in his laziness, will most often fail to fulfill his mission. The dishonest person cannot be depended on to deliver the message he is given. The message he delivers will be self-seeking, self-protecting, and false in its content.

There is nothing extreme in this application. The words of Proverbs seem to be straight forward and plain to the reader. But man is limited in knowledge and insight and will often fail in his choice of messengers.

The “how much more” of Scripture completes the conclusion if man should choose his messenger wisely and if he were able he would never send a lazy, foolish, or false one, how much more is God’s care that His messengers be capable, honest, and faithful.

The application is then apparent. The so-called gospel preachers who are foolish, false, and greedy are not sent by God and therefore neither will nor can do gospel preaching which will result in gospel conversions. Their converts and followers are as false as they are.

The answer to this is most often “but God can take a crooked stick and strike a straight lick. Look at Balaam’s donkey. God used him to bring an honest message”. Both the proverb and the illustration are true - but only within the proper bounds.

We must remember that even in the best of instances, “this message is brought in vessels of clay.” The errors and fallibility of the best of men does not change the judgment on those who are deliberately false.

The Apostle Peter warns (II Peter 2:1-3) of the presence of these false teachers. It is of interest that he describes the teachers, the followers, and the results which are so apparent in the church today. Acts 20:29-30

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 9:1-6 ESV

1 Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
4 "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!"
To him who lacks sense she says,
5 "Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.

The free offer of the gospel is one of the great truths of the Scriptures. Chapter 9:1-6 is an example of this. That which follows is on outline of the context.

I. 9:1-3 The offer of this gospel is sufficient for all needs.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

9:1 Here is true stability, a house with all the support needed.

9:2 Here is an adequate supply for the hunger of the human soul. Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

9:3 The call is freely and clearly given.

II. 9:4-5 The gospel contains the requirements of the Sovereign Lord.

9:4 The necessity of repentance is plain. “Let him turn”

9:5 The requirement of faith is stated clearly. “come eat and drink”.

III. 9:6 The directions for gospel success is contained in it. Col. 3:1-17

9:6A Leave the path of darkness

9:6B Live in the freedom of grace.

9:6C Walk in the path of righteousness. Hebrews 2:3

how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,