Proverbs 28:24-28 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 28:24-28, which read,

v.24 - He who robs his father or his mother and says, "It is not a transgression," is the companion of a man who destroys.

Solomon ends out this section or chapter for us with some proverbs that I would call "common sense" couplets.  This first one reminds me of what the Pharisees were doing to their parents in Matthew 15:3-7a.  The Pharisees and scribes had a tradition to not provide for their parents because their resources were "given to God" and therefore not available but really it was just a slush fund for themselves.  Listen to Jesus expose this hypocrisy and compare to this proverb.

He answered them, "Why do you break God's commandment because of your tradition?  For God said:  'Honor your father and your mother;' and 'Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.'  But you say, 'Whoever tells his father or mother, "Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift committed to the temple," he does not have to honor his father.'  In this way, you have nullified the word of God because of your tradition.  Hypocrites!"

They made a transgression into a tradition and then elevated it above what is said in the Scriptures.  A person who does this is the same as those who destroy or are foolish and who are not following after the wisdom of God.

v.25 - An arrogant man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

Solomon brings us back to the sin of pride and what it does.  The arrogant or prideful man brings about strife in the lives of others.  In contrast, the one who trusts or rests in the Lord, the one who is humble before God, will prosper with the blessings of the Lord.  These are different than the rewards of this world which are temporal and self centered.  God's rewards are eternal and come to those who love God and love others which is others centered.  Let us be those who trust or rest which means to have full confidence in our Lord.

v.26 - He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.

Solomon says it another way.  The fool is one who trusts in his own heart and many times only in his heart and no other.  The wise one sets aside his own heart to follow after the heart of God.  God's thoughts and God's ways and God's eyes are focused many times on things that we are not naturally drawn to.  We have to walk, be active, in following after God.  When we don't do this, we revert to our default position of just looking to ourselves.  We are not delivered therefore we are still a prisoner to something.

This reminds me of 2 Corinthians 10:4b and 5, which says,

We demolish arguments and every proud things that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

The wise are active in their walk with the Lord to surrender their hearts and all of its continuous desires to be delivered from Satan's schemes that lead to death and destruction.

v.27 - He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.

Solomon brings up the poor again.  The poor are those that God has put before us to care for.  The poor could be physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually.  Our response as those wise to the Lord is to give to them out of love for God.  This is not always an easy task because many times those who are poor don't know what they need or they ask for things that will not help them out of the hole they are in.  All be it, it doesn't excuse us from providing a wise response to their need even if it is rejected in the end.  

We are in error when we shut our eyes to their need.  We are in error when we say, "Well, they won't accept it anyways so I am not even going to offer it."  How grave is this when what we are talking about is spiritual and we withhold opportunities to share the gospel with them because we deem they are "too poor" to change anyways.  "They will never change," we say and really we are saying that God is not able to change them.  How many come to faith in Christ and wonder why this was not told of them sooner.  Maybe curses are said associated with our names because we shut our eyes to their souls.

v.28 - When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous increase.

Solomon repeats himself from verse 12, which reads,

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.

This time Solomon puts the negative first and follows it by the positive.  The result of those who put tradition over Scripture and make sin somehow holy and those who stand in a prideful position and those who trust in their own hearts and those who shut their eyes to the poor will rise in power in our world.  What kind of leader do we have here?  We have one that we hide from.  We have a leader who makes his own rules.  We have a leader who thinks of himself better than others.  We have a leader who has his guidance coming from within his sinful nature.  We have a leader who is ready to disregard those who can not bring him more power.

The wise leader holds to God's word.  The wise leader trusts in God more than in himself.  The wise leader walks in active obedience to God.  The wise leader sees those God has put around him to serve.  The wise leader is leading and serving when the foolish leader perishes for they will by this proverb.  The end of the one who is not following after God is not heaven.  It is not eternal reward.  It is much less then when they think.  God's end will not be with them in power.  God will right the situation and He will put in place those who are following after Him.  Listen to the description of those who reign with Christ in the Millennium in Revelation 20:4, which reads,

Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge.  I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands.  They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousands years.

Let us pray.

"Lord, may we have some common sense when it comes to Your wisdom.  May we set aside our selfish sinful desires to pick up Your great blessings and rewards for following after You.  May our eyes be open and our hearts zeroed in on what You see and feel.  Help us to see the end that You have created and live toward it rather than thinking we can change it.  Amen."

Pastor Adam