He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
The Intervention of The Lord: Man’s Walk On
Earth (1): Proverbs 16:8-9
8) Better [is] a little with
righteousness than great revenues without right.
9) A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
EXPOSITION:
In
verses 8-9, we find Solomon explaining that the Lord actively intervenes in the
walk of the righteous on earth. His
teachings on this subject will be finished in verses 31-33 of this same
chapter.
8) Better [is] a little with
righteousness than great revenues without right.
Here,
we find a basic principle concerning the earthly walk of the saints of God… Righteousness
of a Christian’s thoughts, desires, motives and actions far outweigh any of the
riches that this fallen world has to offer.
Keep
in mind that righteousness has two aspects to it…
1. It describes a CONDITION where man is “right”
in the sight of the Lord. This means
that the saint is at peace and accepted by God based upon the shed blood of
Christ on the cross. He is no longer facing eternal separation from the Lord in
the Lake of Fire, but, now, is adopted into God’s family and promised to live in
the eternal presence of God.
2. It describes a WAY OF LIVING, where the saint
lives a life that is “right” in the sight of God. It is a life that is pleasing
to God through the gracious intervention and enabling of the Lord.
In
the context of our study this morning, Solomon is using the term “righteousness”
to describe a person’s way of living.
Solomon
is telling us that, when a man lives a life that pleases the Lord, many times,
he must sacrifice the riches that this world has to offer. This type of life is more desirable and more
beneficial than a life that is lived in disobedience to God, motivated by a selfish
desire to accumulate the riches of this world.
“But godliness with
contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing
into [this] world, [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and
raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and [into]
many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” (1 Timothy 6:6-9)
“A little that a righteous
man hath [is] better than the riches of many wicked.” (Psalms 37:16)
9) A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
1. A man’s desires are the driving force behind
his goals and plans for life:
For
the saint, he desires to live a righteous life that is pleasing to His
Lord. He realizes that a righteous life
will bring honor to His Lord, blessings to those around him, and eternal
rewards to himself.
“By him therefore let us
offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our]
lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to
communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Hebrews 13:15-16)
For
the wicked, his desires are to accumulate the riches, pleasures, and fame of
this world. He is spiritually blind to
the eternity that awaits him. He lives
according to the philiosphy that says “eat, drink, and be merry” not
considering his eternal end.
“And he spake a parable
unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within
himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my
fruits? And he said, This will I
do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all
my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul,
Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink,
[and] be merry. But God said unto him, [Thou]
fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those
things be, which thou hast provided? So [is] he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God.” (Luke 12:16-21)
2. Although man makes many plans based upon the
desires within him, the Lord is the One that confirms and brings about his
accomplishments in life.
“O LORD, I know that the
way of man [is] not in himself: [it is] not in man that walketh to direct his
steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23)
The
Lord is the One in control of man’s life and the circumstances that affect it.
“Remember the former things
of old: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else; [I am] God, and [there is]
none like me, Declaring the end from the
beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying,
My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird
from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I
have spoken [it], I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed [it], I will
also do it.” (Isaiah 46:9-11)
SUMMARY:
It is through the
intervention of the Lord into the lives of His people that they are given the
ability and desire to live Godly, righteous lives. Although man may plan to attain many goals in
his life, the Lord is the One that controls and brings to pass that which we
accomplish.
May we all recognize, and
appreciate the ever existing intervention of the Lord in our lives, accompanying,
enabling and gracing us to accomplish that which He desires.
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
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