Saturday, May 3, 2014

SIH’s Think On These Things: Proverbs 28:12-14


He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)

Our Relationship To The Law Of God: Results Wrought By The Keeping God’s Law: Proverbs 28:12-14


12) When righteous [men] do rejoice, [there is] great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.
13) He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall have mercy.
14) Happy [is] the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.


In this chapter, Solomon directs our attention to having the proper relationship to the moral laws of the Lord (this would include the 10 commandments and the other manifold laws of God that are based upon His person and His character.  As such, these laws are in effect for all time periods and peoples...

EXPOSITION:
In this devotion, we will be taught on the results that keeping God’s law will have in our lives…

12) When righteous [men] do rejoice, [there is] great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.
Lawfulness leads to blessings and honor to the Lord.
1.  When those who are forgiven and keep God’s laws are blessed, and therefore jump for joy, there is a great praising of God for all His goodness and graciousness
2.  When those who are unlawful are prosperous and exalted, the Godly man attempts to escape the unlawful’s attention.

When the Lord blesses those who are faithful to Him it results honor and glory to Him and great joy on behalf of His saints.  However, when the wicked are favored over the righteous, the righteous man does not publically praise the wicked for their prosperity.

And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;  Saying, Blessed [be] the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.  (Luke 19:37-38)


13) He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall have mercy
To confess and repent of known sin will receive the mercy of the Lord…
1.  The person that hides his rebellious breaking of God’s laws will not benefit from the concealment of his sins.
2.  but the person that admits his sins and lets loose of them will have his punishment removed from him.

Whether lost or saved, sin hinders our relationship to the Lord.  Two of the key elements to having an unhindered relationship with the Lord is:
A. confesseth - the recognition, and admittance of our sin
B. forsaketh – turning from those sins to the Lord and seeking to live their lives pleasing to Him.

When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.  For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.  I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.   (Psalms 32:3-5)


14) Happy [is] the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
Desires that uphold the laws of God leads to great blessings
1.  A man that reverences the Lord and His commands is joyful due to the Lord’s blessings.
2.  The man whose desires are in stiff opposition to the will of God will find himself cast down into harm and sorrow.
The Lord will bless those who desire to please Him with their whole heart, while the man that firmly opposes the desires of God will find himself sadden and experiencing great defeat.

Thus saith the LORD, The heaven [is] my throne, and the earth [is] my footstool: where [is] the house that ye build unto me? and where [is] the place of my rest?  For all those [things] hath mine hand made, and all those [things] have been, saith the LORD: but to this [man] will I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.   (Isaiah 66:1-2)

SUMMARY:

When we seek to please the Lord with our lives, we will find ourselves graciously given: benefits from the Lord, fellowship with the Lord, and the experience of great joy originating from these blessings.

May we all possess Godly wisdom and live our lives for Him.

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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