He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
The Effects Of Foolishness: The Need For
Chastening (2): Proverbs 29:19-21
19) A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand
he will not answer.
20) Seest thou a man [that is]
hasty in his words? [there is] more
hope of a fool than of him.
21) He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have
him become [his] son at the length.
In
this chapter, Solomon examines the effects of foolishness on the lives of the
foolish and those who are around them….
EXPOSITION:
In
this devotion, we will look at one of the great effects of foolishness… the
need for chastening…
19) A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand
he will not answer.
1. One who serves out of obligation will not be
reformed through speech alone.
2. Even though he discerns the need for change,
he will not respond.
When
a person serves out of obligation, not willfully, he will not give his
best. He will do the minimum necessary
to fulfill his obligation. When given
words of correction, he will not follow them.
He will only respond to an heightened level of correction
(discipline/punishment) when he is motivated by the threat of pain or
suffering.
This
applies to the Christian in his service to the Lord as well. If we serve the Lord only because we believe
we are obligated to do so, we will never give our best. However, when we serve Him motivated by a
loving appreciation of all He has done for us, we will give our best to please
Him and do as He desires. How do we
develop this love and appreciation for the Lord? By learning all He has done for us from His
Word and asking the HS to apply these truths to our hearts and minds.
20) Seest thou a man [that is]
hasty in his words? [there is] more
hope of a fool than of him.
1. We are to recognize the man that quickly
speaks (without consideration of the effects of his words)
2. A fool has more expectation of a good end
than him.
To
speak without consideration of the results of our words shows several things
about us:
1. selfishness
2. pride
3. lack of love for others
4. no discernment of the power of words
The
list goes on and on. This type of
individual is very difficult to reach with the truths of the Lord due to his
excessive pride and selfishness. He does
not care what anyone says or thinks, nor is he willing to submit to the
Lordship of Christ. From a human
standpoint this type of people are next to impossible to reach for Christ. However, it must be kept in mind that the
Lord is able to break the hardest of hearts through the ministry of the Holy
Spirit. Therefore, we are to by faith,
take the Word to everyone, even those who are the most selfish and stubborn knowing
that the Lord can intervene and bring them to salvation.
It
is actually easier to reach one who does not apply the Word to their life (a
fool) but they have a “softer spirit” willing to listen to our testimony and
consider our words.
21) He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have
him become [his] son at the length.
1. A person that raises a servant with leniency
allowing them to escape deserved correction and punishment and allow him to
share in their possessions and lifestyle will be raising a servant who will
later
2. Expect to be treated as a son instead of a
servant.
When
we allow others to escape punishment from wrongdoing, it will lead them to
expect to be “let off the hook” whenever they disobey. They will come to expect lenient behavior and
to be placed in an honored position that they do not deserve. This is a very important principle that needs
to be emphasized. When we allow
wrongdoing to go unpunished, it will lead to an expectation of leniency and
entitlement.
Not
only will this ruin the attitude of the lawless one, but it also ruins those
who observe what is taking place. They
will now feel that, out of fairness to them, they are owed this leniency when
they commit lawless acts as well. How
often this happens in families and workplaces.
When a sibling goes unpunished every child in the family feels entitled
to commit the same lawless act without retribution. Likewise, co-workers who see the laxness
shown toward undisciplined workers will assume that same laxness will be shown
to them also.
SUMMARY:
In
this text, we find some principles to be applied by those in authority
(parents, governments, employers etc) to discipline the lawless who are under
their authority:
1. When a person serves out of obligation, not
willfully, he will not give his best. He will only respond to an heightened
level of correction (discipline/punishment) when he is motivated by the threat
of pain or other type of loss.
2.
We are to recognize the man that quickly speaks (without consideration of the
effects of his words) has little reasons for hope. It is easier to reach one who has a “softer
spirit” willing to listen to our words of correction.
3.
When we allow wrongdoing to go unpunished, it will lead to an expectation of
leniency and entitlement. Not only will
this ruin the attitude of the lawless one, but it also ruins those who observe
what is taking place. They will now feel
that, out of fairness to them, they are owed this leniency when they commit
lawless acts as well.
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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