He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
Our Relationship To The Law Of God: Submission
To The Law: Proverbs 28:25-28
25) He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth
his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.
26) He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh
wisely, he shall be delivered.
27) He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his
eyes shall have many a curse.
28) When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish,
the righteous increase.
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 look at how a humble, submissive spirit before the Lord
is necessary to genuinely keeping the law of God…
25) He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth
his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.
1.
The person that possesses desires that are unlimited by God’s laws, irritate
others leading to unrest and quarreling
2. but the person that is confident in the Lord
will have satisfaction and peace.
Those
who are driven by sinful desires influence others to be resentful and disagreeable. The example they are setting for others is a
covetous example, always being dissatisfied and desiring the possession of
others. This leads to disagreement and
strife between the envied and the envious.
However,
those who are Godly in spirit influence others to be satisfied and at peace. They recognize the many blessings of God,
looking beyond this physical world, to the glorious eternity awaiting
them. It is this attitude that fosters
contentment and harmony among themselves and others.
“Blessed [is] the man that
trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree
planted by the waters, and [that] spreadeth out her roots by the river, and
shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be
careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
26) He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh
wisely, he shall be delivered.
1. The person that is confident in his desires
and his decisions is one who does not apply God’s Word to their lives.
2. The person that applies the Word to his life,
and recognizes his sinful desires and inabilities, will be protected.
When
the Word is applied to our lives, we will see the sinful condition of our
fallen nature and recognize its effect on our desires and decisions of
life. It will cause us to look to the
Lord, in faith, awaiting His guidance and enabling to overcome the sinful
influences of our flesh.
“The heart [is] deceitful
above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the
heart, [I] try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and]
according to the fruit of his doings.”
(Jeremiah
17:9-10)
27) He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his
eyes shall have many a curse.
1. The person that shares with those who are
lacking, will not become destitute
2. The person who turns his eyes from the poor
will receive a statement of coming judgment
For
those who are willing to share their goods to meet the needs of others will not
become poor because of his sharing.
However, those who refuse to aid the needy will stand before the Lord in
judgment. For the saved, it will involve
loss of rewards, for the lost, it will involve eternal punishment.
“A good man sheweth favour,
and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be
moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of
evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart [is]
established, he shall not be afraid, until he see [his desire] upon his
enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath
given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.” (Psalms 112:5-9)
28) When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish,
the righteous increase.
1. When the lawless are promoted, men conceal
themselves from the sight of the wicked
2. When the wicked are brought to ruin, the
lawful men excel
When
the wicked are placed in high positions of authority, their subjects fear them
and attempt to escape their authority because they are mistreated and
abused. When the wicked rule is brought
to an end, the Godly men will exceed and flourish.
“They turn the needy out of
the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together. “ (Job 24:4)
SUMMARY:
Submission to the desires
of the Lord for our lives will reap both temporal and eternal blessings for
each one of us. However, for those who
stubbornly refuse to follow His desires will only reap temporal and eternal
loss. One of the greatest motivations that
will aid us in our desire to continue in the will of the Lord is keeping our
eyes on eternity. For the saved, it will
be a motivation to do His will out of appreciation of all He has done for us in
securing eternity with Him. For the
lost, it is a reminder of their need to turn to Him as Lord and Savior, before
they enter eternity and face His eternal wrath.
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”.
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH
Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH
Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
No comments:
Post a Comment