Proverbs 30:10-14 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 30:10-14, which read,

v.10 - Do not slander a slave to his master, or he will curse you and you will be found guilty.

To slander is to speak falsely of another to inflict harm.  This person is speaking about someone who is probably in a lower social class to himself and bringing this issue up with the master who is responsible for the slave.  This person is probably thinking that the master who might be of the same social class will go along with this slanderous talk because of who it is coming from rather than the truth of its content.  The proverb is that truth wins in the end.

The person who is telling lies will be caught and the immediate action will be a curse from those directly affected by their actions.  The slave, who is beneath this person socially, is going to have something to say about this evil action.  The proverb writer is setting us up for 4 "there is a kind" phrases that we do not want to be.  He starts off with this one that basically says, "Don't think that you can get away with doing something ungodly to someone you think is beneath you or that it is okay."

v.11 - There is a kind of man who curses his father and does not bless his mother.

This verse and phrase can be translated "There is a generation" implying that there will be a time when this action is common place.  Here are some other verses that state this same action.  Proverbs 20:20 says,

"Whoever curses his father or mother--his lamp will go out in deep darkness."

Exodus 21:17 says,

"Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death."

2 Timothy 3:1-2 says,

"But know this:  Hard times will come in the last days.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,..."

Does that sound a lot like what we have been studying in the book of Proverbs?  Paul goes on to explain to Timothy this generation where wrong actions are common place and one of them is how we treat our parents.  This is a serious offense and a sign of the times.

v.12 - There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes, yet is not washed from his filthiness.

There is a generation who will call themselves good or basically good and not see the sin that condemns them to hell.  Who decides what is good?  It is whatever you think or whatever you feel at the time.  It is all dependent on you.  To go back into Proverbs, Proverbs 16:2 says,

"All a person's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs motives."

Proverbs 20:9 says,

"Who can say, 'I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin'?"

The answer to the rhetorical question is that no one can say that because no one is able to forgive sin but God alone.  Lastly let's look at some strong preaching of Jesus to the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:23-26 which says,

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy, and faithfulness.  These things should have been done without neglecting the others.  Blind guides!  You strain out a gnat, but gulp down a camel!  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee!  First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside of it may also become clean."

Strong words from Jesus to our actions of thinking we can make ourselves righteous.  This is another sign of the times when this is common place or common thought that I can make myself good. 

v.13 - There is a kind--oh how lofty are his eyes!  And his eyelids are raised in arrogance.

There is a generation that is very prideful.  There is a generation that is continually patting itself on its back.  There is a generation that is always evaluating how much better they are than others.  Proverbs 21:4 said it this way,

"The lamp that guides the wicked--haughty eyes and an arrogant heart--is sin."

Remember what got Satan tossed out of heaven.  Pride in self is a sin and there is a generation that is well versed in this action that goes directly against the greatest commandments spoken by Jesus.  We are to love God and to love others.  We are not to be "me-centered" but "others-centered" and starting with God.  The passage in 2 Timothy 3 called these "lovers of self."  This is another sign of the times.

v.14 - There is a kind of man whose teeth are like swords and his jaw teeth like knives, to devour the afflicted from the earth and the needy from among men.

There is a generation who use words to injury others in a vicious way.  Words are used to halt the care needed to the afflicted and needy.  We have seen before what God thinks of those who take advantage of others and especially the poor.  We sure talk a lot today that hurts others more than we stop talking and start doing to help others.  The attack of the words is another sign of the times.

So look at this list from the book of Proverbs:  think you can get away with it, no respect of parents, thinking we are basically good and therefore can be good enough to merit whatever comes next, patting ourselves on the back because we are so good, and using our words to make the afflicted more afflicted and the poor more poor.  Lord help us we pray because it seems these are the times.

"Lord, the many warnings you give us.  Even though we may see the signs given here of a generation that does opposite of what you say, may be we counter-cultural to glorify You with our words, respect, humility, and treatment of the poor and afflicted.  May we not neglect Your clear commands.  Amen."

Pastor Adam