Proverbs 11:1-4 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 11:1-4, which read,  

v.1 - A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is His delight.

A new chapter today to gain some more wisdom from God's Word given to us by Solomon to his sons.  We get the picture in this verse of a scale.  Remember those scales that you had to add weight to on the side to figure out the poundage or a scale that was like a teeter totter that you tried to even out?  There were probably numerous ways to manipulate the weights to make it seem like you were getting more than you really were.  The picture of the dishonest butcher at the meat market putting his thumb on the scale to drive up the weight so what you really receive less that what it says is also another picture to describe what is going on here.  A dishonestly at the scale or a dishonestly with the standards is an abomination to the Lord but a holding to the standard or respecting what is just is a delight to the Lord.

God is either disgusted by the action or He is pleased by it.  What do we do with His standards?  Do we respect them as we use them in real life or do we skimp on them and make it seem to paint a different picture?  One is a false life and one is a just life.

v.2 - When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom.

Pride is an arrogance and humility is a modesty.  The arrogant person brings upon him or herself dishonor or disgrace, a lack of God's grace.  The humble person receives from the Lord wisdom which is the act of being wise in any circumstance and especially in times of pressure.  What are we allowing to grow in our lives, pride or humility?  Pride makes it look like that person is powerful but it is just the opposite in God's eyes.  Humility makes it look like that person is weak but it is just the opposite in God's eyes.  Remember the wisdom that we seek is not our own but God's and therefore we value His rending judgment on how we are to be over our own or the thoughts of others.

v.3 - The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

Integrity + upright = guide.  Crookedness + treacherous = destroy.  

I put this in the form of a couple of math problems this morning that show the outcome each path taken.  To be complete in what is right will result in more leadings from God.  To be twisting or perverting to make deceitful will result in a violent ruin.  Solomon is giving his sons and God is giving us the formula for the result that we seek.  If I live my life focused on being matured in Christ's standards then I will receive more guidance from Him.  If I live my life focused on changing God's standards to try to deceive Him and others then I will receive what I deserve but probably also something that I thought I would escape from.  We are either hoping God doesn't notice but that act means you have lowered the sovereignty of God, His all knowingness or you are hoping God will change the rules for you but that act means you have reduced God's righteousness to judge justly.  Either way you are reducing God and when you reduce God you elevate someone or something else which is violation of commandments 1 and 2 of the 10 commandments. 

"You shall have no other gods before Me and you shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

These are the words of God recorded in Exodus 20:3-6 and you see how serious this matter is to God.

v.4 - Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

When the time comes your money or wealth will not protect you.  When the time comes you better be relying on something that is not your own but given to you by the only One who is righteous who came to deliver you from the wrath of God.  Riches or righteousness, two "r" words connected to another "r" sounding word in the silent "w" of the word wrath.  

Riches could be described as the easy way taken in life and righteousness could be described the just way taken in life.  Profit could be described as gain or avail so the easy way of life doesn't avail in the day of wrath or the day you pass over to face the outpouring of God.  The just life based on His righteousness delivers or rescues you, snatches you away from, a horrible death because you were on the wrong side of God.  

How are you living your life?  Are you distorting the scales?  Are you putting on a show?  Are you twisting His rules?  Are you relying on the wrong "r," riches over His righteousness?  Keep your scale true to His weights and measures; keep your attitude based on His humility to leave heaven to come to earth to save you; keep your walk in His footprints; and keep your focus on the "r" of His righteousness given to you for deliverance from the day of the wrath and experience the day of the Lord.  Let's pray.

"Lord, the focus of this chapter seems to be a comparison between the righteous and the wicked.  There seems to be no middle ground here.  Help us to see that there is none.  We are either following after You or we are veering off course and going in another direction.  Help us to see where that veering is going and come back on submitted knees to You and Your ways.  Amen."

Pastor Adam