Straightforward

Greetings everyone. Let’s begin the Bible Study today in Proverbs 15:1. Proverbs 15:1 says:

1 A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Once again, here is a principle to live life by. If someone gets mad at you and you get mad back, it’s just going to stir up tremendous trouble. If someone yells at you in anger and you yell back in anger, it’s going to escalate into an out of control situation quite often. But a very effective thing, a kind and loving thing and a Christian thing to do is very clearly laid out here in Proverbs 15:1.

1 A soft answer turns away wrath:—

When someone gets mad and someone is getting angry and someone is threatening and someone is raising their voice and you answer back with a soft clear, sometimes even firm answer but the volume is turned down and the steadiness comes through, the wrath on the part of the other person will start to diminish. Now, of course, a crazy person or a criminal or something like that, I mean, those are people we just need to get away from. But in normal interaction among human beings whether at home or in the neighborhood or on a job or even in the car, a soft answer turns away wrath. You don’t return heat for heat; you return softness for heat when it comes to emotion. This would take care of road rage, for instance. This would take care of many things, such as fights and even violence and even death. This would also promote peace because when a soft answer is given and wrath is turned away, heads clear, good discussion can ensue and you can begin working out of the problem. But the last part of the verse is what all too many people do.

1 —grievous words stir up anger.

Harsh words, you see. In other words, someone gets harsh with someone else and then they get harsh back, and it then just spins out of control. Grievous or harsh words stir up anger. They make the wrath even worse. Let’s take to heart this proverb and this admonition.

2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools pour out foolishness.

You know, a wise person can have a tremendous amount of understanding, a tremendous amount of knowledge, but they handle it wisely. They don’t just babble and they don’t draw attention to themselves. They don’t just spew out stuff and try to promote themselves or pump themselves up or walk around with an arrogant strut. They’re humble, they’re meek. They use their knowledge wisely. They know when to speak up and when to be quiet. They know when to listen and when to talk.

2 —but the mouth of fools pour out foolishness.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. They dominate the conversation. They dominate the situation and they just go on and on and on with stuff that doesn’t even make sense. Quite often it’s inconsistent. Quite often it’s contradictory. Quite often it’s to draw attention to themselves. It has no depth. No usefulness. We don’t want to be like that.

3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

There’s this great being, God, in the third heaven, on His throne with Jesus Christ, another great being beside Him. They created everything and they’re in charge of everything. They’re in one place at one time. They have definite form, definite shape, and yet they’re so powerful and they’re so unlimited that they know what’s going on everywhere all the time. They know our thoughts. They know our actions.

People get so cut off from God and have no thought or concept of God because they don’ try to have a good concept or any concept at all of God. But they think they can get by with things. They think that nobody knows and even God doesn’t know. And yet God knows everything that is known everywhere in the whole universe. That’s what verse 3 is saying.

3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,

He has eyesight, if you please. He has awareness. He has knowledge of everything that’s going on everywhere.

3 —beholding the evil and the good.

Can you imagine what He sees and hears in a day’s time on this globe where over 7 billion people live? When you add up what He sees and hears everyday, you can see why He’s going to intervene and stop this madness and replace it with joy and happiness in the Kingdom of God.

4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life:

A tongue that is pure, a tongue that is a kind, positive way of talking. You’ve been around people that are kind, that are positive, that care. They are concerned and courteous and respectful toward others. It’s just a wholesome thing. It’s like a healing experience. It’s really encouraging. It settles a person down. It reorients us. It helps us put things in perspective. That’s what a wholesome individual who speaks in wholesome, positive ways—that’s the impact they can have on others.

4 — but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Or a better translation, breaks the spirit. See, what we say has impact on others, and that’s a good thing if we have a wholesome tongue. But it’s a bad thing if we’re mean, hateful, if we don’t care for other people, if we’re disrespectful, if we’re sarcastic and cynical, and if we have filthy ideas and filthy talk, we just cut and hack and slash. We can actually diminish the other individual to the point to where their spirit is broken. You’ve seen people get mad and yell and cuss and belittle and put down other people. They just wither and break their spirit. I’ve seen parents break the spirit of their children. That’s never right. We should never break the spirit of our children and we should never break the spirit of anybody. We should guide and direct and instruct our children, and we should strengthen and encourage other people. And a wholesome tongue does that. But a perverse tongue does the opposite. I’ve seen supervisors do that to employees. It’s not right. It’s not good. And you should never allow anybody to do that to you. That doesn’t mean you fight back. That means that you handle the matter wisely as a Christian. And it also sometimes means that you have to go from this individual because you perceive in them an attitude of a fool.

5 A fool despises his father's instruction: but he that regards reproof is prudent.

We see over and over again in this book of Proverbs that we’re to honor our father and our mother. There’s also an extension to verse 5. It has to do with anyone in authority. And above all, it has to do with our Father in heaven. We should regard the instruction of our elders. We should regard the instruction of those that are in charge unless they’re telling us to do something or advocating action in a way that is against God’s word.

5 —he that regards reproof is prudent.

He that listens to instruction, he that pays attention to direction when it’s good and right even though it might hurt a bit, even though it might be something that we don’t want to do. It’s the right thing to do. We regard it, we hear it, we listen to it, we respond to it. Good things are going to happen when we do that.

6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure:—

Now, some of that treasure could be physical blessings. It doesn’t mean it has to be like Fort Knox big gold bars in there or diamonds or rubies, but there could be some very wonderful blessings that God has given—and there will be in the house of the righteous. But most of all, the treasure is spiritual things, like wisdom and knowledge and understanding, like forgiveness and peace and happiness and joy, like comprehension of the purpose in life, like a close relationship with God. In the house of the righteous will be much treasure like that.

6 —but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.

Not only will they not have the spiritual treasure, but if they have a lot of the other treasure, like jewels and like money and like things and stuff and possessions, they don’t make that individual happy. And along with that treasure comes trouble. People show up from out of nowhere wanting some of that money. There are people who will try to break in and steal the treasures of the wicked. I mean, God does not protect the wicked and He does not bless the wicked. And even though they might have vast wealth and they might have vast holdings and they might have a lot of land. Along with all of that comes a tremendous amount of headache and trouble because they’re winging it on their own and they’re not obeying God, and therefore they don’t have His protection. And therefore there’s always trouble involving people wanting part of that land, part of that money, part of that treasure, demanding this, demanding that, and even stealing and possibly even threatening their lives or the lives of their family by kidnapping, etc., and then trying to hold them for ransom. Best to try to do the right thing and enjoy what God gives us and enjoy the spiritual treasure, instead of being a wicked person and having all the trouble that goes along with whatever revenues might come our way.

7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish does not so.

What’s inside comes out. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. As a man thinks, so is he. You give enough time to a relationship with anyone or a friendship with anyone and you will find out what’s inside of them. Because what is inside of an individual comes out. Sometimes it comes out right away, sometimes it takes a while, and so if there are good things that are in our heart, in our mind, and we have character that is developing more and more like the character of God, the knowledge that comes from that will be wonderful and it will flow out.

7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge:—

They spread it. Just like healing waters flowing out on a desert. But the heart of the foolish doesn’t do that. Why? Because what’s inside them is not good. It’s empty, it’s like a bag of wind, it’s selfish, it’s ridiculous, it’s off the wall. It’s something that is ungodly. And that’s what they spread around. What’s inside is what comes out, and if it’s good then it comes out good. If it’s foolish, that’s what ends up coming out.

8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord:—

You’ve known people who want to have it both ways. They want to have their cake and eat it to. They want to go ahead and go their own way, walk to the beat of their own drummer and do that which is right in their own sight. And oh, by the way, to appease God, they’re going to give Him money or they’re going to do some prayers or they’re going to do some good works in the community. And so that way then they look good and they feel good doing some kind of good work or giving some kind of money, a check of some sort, or appearing to be such a noble individual, when inside they’re actually are wicked, and in actual fact in their lives, they’re living in a wicked way. Well, you know what God says? That is an abomination to the Eternal.

8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: —

You can’t bribe Him. You can’t play games with Him. You can’t negotiate and bargain with Him. You can’t say, “Well, God I’ll give you this if you’ll overlook that.” That kind of thinking and action and pattern of life is an abomination to the Eternal. He doesn’t need any of that. He doesn’t need anything from anybody.

Notice verse 8.

8 —but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

Even the wicked when they pray, they don’t get through to God. You can’t mix wickedness and prayer. Wickedness cuts us off from God.

8 —but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

When we try to do the right thing, when we have the right attitude, when we repent of our mistakes, when we know that of ourselves we can’t do nothing and we get on our knees and we pray to the Eternal in heaven, He hears those prayers. And you know what? Those kind of prayers are His delight. It’s not just a matter that He hears them. He delights in hearing those prayers.

Can you imagine? We can actually get on our knees and pray to God and He will hear us and He will be eager to hear us. And our prayers will be a delight to Him. It doesn’t have to be some kind of prayer that you get out of a book. It doesn’t have to be some kind of rote prayer where you just say the same thing, same thing, same thing over and over and over again. That’s not what God wants to hear.

The kind of prayer that is a delight to Him is when we kneel down and we talk to Him with respect as we would talk to our Father. We know that our Father in heaven loves us. We know that we can tell Him everything. We know that He is intensely interested in us. And so we get down on our knees and we simply start talking to our Father in heaven about anything and everything in a respectful way, in a way that is acceptable to Him. And when we do that, knowing that He hears us and do that in faith, that kind of prayer is His delight.

It’s like a child coming to a father and talking to a father in a respectful way and telling his father or her father everything that’s on their mind. A loving father finds that a delightful experience. Well, our loving Father in heaven finds that kind of discussion, in prayer on our knees, respecting Him as we do it, a delightful thing. Let’s take advantage of that. Let’s make sure that we do that on a regular basis.

9 The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Eternal: but He loves him that follows after righteousness.

You can’t sugar coat and dress up the way of the wicked and make it acceptable. You can put on a nice suit, you can get in a nice car, you can have a nice smile, and you can look like you’re doing nice things. But if your heart is evil and if your actions are evil and your motives are wrong, the bottom line is this, it is an abomination unto the Eternal.

And you know, one of the strongest words you’ll find anywhere in the Bible is the word abomination. I mean, when God says it’s an abomination to Him, that means He despises it. It stinks, it’s repulsive, it’s repugnant to Him. And that’s what He says the way of the wicked is. And you see that everywhere in our society because this is Satan’s world. That’s what has to be changed. And when Jesus Christ comes back to this earth and establishes the Kingdom of God, the society will change totally. And then instead of the way of the wicked holding sway, righteousness will be the order of the day.

9 —he loves him that follows after righteousness.

The motive is right, the attitude is right, the actions are right, the intent is right. The whole thing is wonderful because it’s based on love and care and concern and peace and respect. God loves that. He loves him that follows after righteousness. He loves him that has the passion for living life the right way.

10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsakes the way: and he that hates reproof shall die.

People don’t want to be corrected because they’ll end up feeling guilty or they’ll be told they can’t do what they want to do even though it’s wrong, and so it’s grievous. When someone walks away from God, they don’t seek correction. When someone walks away from what the Bible says or never comes to it in the first place, the last thing they want to hear is to be instructed or corrected, and therefore then, they’re going to keep on going in their own way.

You know, how would you like to get in an airplane and have that airplane take off headed for your hometown, but it doesn’t make any course corrections? It just flies in a straight line. There has to be course corrections all along the way. When you get in your car to drive home from work, you’re constantly correcting the direction of that car and the steering wheel in order to get to your destination. Well, the same thing is true in life. For us to get from being born, point A to the ultimate destiny of being in the family of God, point B, there has to be course corrections all along the way in order for us to achieve our destination. And so correction is a blessing. We get in the wrong attitude, we make a wrong decision, we get with the wrong people, we go in the wrong direction, and then we’re corrected when we see that we’re wrong, and we repent and change and get back on track. What a blessing! But someone who has forsaken God and forsaken His way, they don’t hear that correction, they don’t listen to that correction, they don’t want that correction, and here’s the result.

10 —he that hates reproof shall die.

If we don’t seek reproof and if we’re not thankful for reproof and we don’t respond to reproof, it’s going to lead to trouble, pain, sorrow, and death. In fact, it could even lead to the second death if we’re not really, really careful. And so we need to be careful to appreciate and seek and respond to the right kind of correction from the right source.

11 Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?

God knows all about the grave. He knows all about destruction and the results of sin. If He knows all about that, He certainly knows all about what’s in the hearts of every human being. And He does look upon the heart. He said, “David was a man after my own heart.” He wants us to think like He thinks. He wants us to have a heart like He has, which is love and wanting to do the right thing, and the pursuit of excellence and quality and raising the bar and raising the standards, not lowering the standards, and that’s what He wants to see inside of us. Because He knows that out of the heart comes actions. And He knows what’s in the heart of people.

And therefore, let’s make sure that when He looks in our hearts and minds, He sees a right attitude and right motive. Because nothing can be hidden from Him. The grave is not hidden from Him. He knows everybody who’s in the grave everywhere throughout history. Destruction is not hidden from Him, and what’s in the heart of humanity is not hidden from Him as well. He’s in charge. He’s aware. He’s love. He’s mercy. But He knows what’s going on. So let’s make sure we’re clear with Him.

12 A scorner loves not one that reproves him: neither will he go unto the wise.

You know, he just wants to be left alone. He didn’t want to be made to feel guilty. He wants to just not answer to anybody. He’s above direction from anybody. He’s above the law. Other people better obey the law but not him or her. They’re who they are. They’re exceptions to the rule. They don’t have to follow the rule. They’re above the law and they don’t want to be told about the rules and about the law. Well, people like that, they go nowhere fast. They end up self destructing. Neither will he go unto the wise. They don’t want to hear what the wise have to say. They don’t want to hear what the upright have to say. They don’t agree with the wise. They don’t agree with the upright. They don’t want to be made to feel guilty. So they just don’t pay any attention. And they go their way and end up suffering tremendously because they will not be reproved and they will not listen to the wise.

13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

You know, what’s on our face reflects what’s in our mind. And if we are happy and if we are peaceful and if we are full of love, that comes out in our face. But if we are sad, if we’re sorrowful, if we’re discouraged, if we’re depressed, if we’re full of hate or full of envy or carrying grudges, that comes out in our face. We are known by our attitude and by what’s in our hearts, sooner or later, because it always comes out on the outside including the look on our face.

13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

The individual sags, the individual shrinks, the individual just becomes withdrawn because of what’s inside—could be discouragement, could be pain, could be something that just shrivels the spirit up, such as hate or vengeance. And we don’t want to do that and be that way.

14 The heart of him that has understanding seeks knowledge: but the mouth of fools feed on foolishness.

We want to know what is right so that we can do what is right. That’s the heart of him that has understanding.

14 —but the mouth of fools feed on foolishness.

They don’t want to hear the right thing, they don’t want to hear a clean joke, they don’t want to hear a good example that will produce good results. They just love filth, they love dirtiness, they love deceit, they love breaking the rules and hearing about breaking the rules and hearing the results of breaking the rules. And they just feed on that like a school of fish in a feeding frenzy. We don’t want to be around people like that. God calls them fools.

So we’ll stop there in verse 14 and we’ll pick it up in verse 15 the next time we pick up the Bible study through the book of Proverbs.

This is Charles Bryce with the Enduring Church of God.