Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 20:11

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 20:11

by David Chadwick "Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright." Proverbs 20:11 All throughout Scripture, the importance of children and childlikeness is addressed. Psalm 127:3 says that children are a heritage from the Lord. In Luke 18:16-17, Jesus says to let the little children come to him and to not hinder them. He says that if we do not receive the kingdom of God like a child, we will not enter it. In Proverbs 20:11, God's Word says that "even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright." In other words, there are certain principles in God's economy that even a child can and should understand, one of which is how to have good conduct and act rightly. Jesus does tell us not to judge and disparage people in Matthew 7:1. It is sinful to think of people with disdain and to immediately write them off and send them to hell in our minds. Rather, we are called to love people. Yes, even our enemies. And to bless those who curse us. Yet, at the same time, we are called to rightly inspect and discern the fruit of people. To call things right versus wrong. To examine what they do in order to determine who they really are. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus specifically addressed why this practice is so important when it comes to false teachers. He said that some false prophets "come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." But this practice is not just to be used with false teachers; it's for all people. This is something parents should do as they observe potential peer influences on their kids. And they should teach their children to discern as well. It's something we should do as we choose our friends and close relationships. Our employees. A potential spouse. We all must become master observers of people's actions and conduct and rightly discern if it's pure and upright. Wisdom is known by its acts. By its behavior. By what it does. Both among children and adults. Look at what people do along with what they say. Actions always prove beliefs.

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 20:10

by David Chadwick "Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination of the Lord." Proverbs 20:10 We continue our study through some of our favorite proverbs. I believe that practical wisdom is grossly underrated and undervalued. My hope is that the time we are spending in this book gives you tools for the everyday moments that we encounter. Don't underestimate the importance of stewarding our time in this book, as lengthy as it may seem. The book of Proverbs offers so much practical wisdom for areas like parenting, marriage, relationships, employment, and, as you saw yesterday and will see again today, government. Proverbs 20:10 says, "Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination of the Lord." Here is another purpose of government: specifically to ensure that equal justice happens before the law. In order for justice to take place, weights and measures must be equal and fair for all. This verse condemns dishonesty and rebukes double standards of any kind. It confirms the fact that justice should be blind and impartial. Through the ages, people have made unequal weights and measures to make more money, for personal gain, and to advance their selfish agendas. So often, the rich and powerful ones, with evil in their hearts, are the ones overseeing these weights and measures. Therefore, injustice occurs, and the rich become richer while the poor become poorer. According to today's verse, this type of inequality is an abomination of the Lord. Do you know what the word "abomination" means? It is something that is "intensely detested and loathed." Dear friends, this should break our hearts. If something is detested by the Lord, we should hate it too. Here is the bottom line: God hates the mistreatment of his children. He knows that no society can exist, much less prosper, unless there is justice running through its laws. Jesus loves justice. We, as his people, should as well. And we should desire having a government that loves justice too. Psalm 11:7 says, "For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face." When it comes to unequal weights and unequal measures, this should be our prayer. "Arise, Lord, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice" (Psalm 7:6).

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 20:9

by David Chadwick "Who can say, 'I have made my heart pure; I am clean from sin'?" Proverbs 20:9 A pure heart. Clean hands. A renewed and righteous spirit. These were the cries of King David's heart in Psalm 51:10. Solomon had a similar anguish in Proverbs 20:9 when he said, "Who can say, 'I have made my heart pure; I am clean from sin'?" He knew the value and importance of holiness. But he also knew that apart from God's grace we are inherently filthy. Remember, this is written in the Old Testament. The Messiah had not yet arrived. Solomon and his people were living with an awareness of a holy God but great anticipation for salvation that had not yet come. So they had a deep awareness that the atonement for their sins could only come through the shedding of blood through animal sacrifice. Solomon knew the answer to his own question. No one! No one can say, "I have made my heart pure. No one can say, "I am clean from sin." This proverb paves the way for a Gospel proclamation. This is the simple Gospel. Let's remind ourselves of it today. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." All means all! Or as the psalmist in Psalm 14:1 said, no one is righteous, not even one. The wages of sin is death. We cannot, by our human efforts, be forgiven. There is no way out apart from the free gift of salvation through Jesus (Romans 6:23). These are all clear statements in God's Word. Our hearts can only become pure, and we can only become clean through the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus was beaten, bloodied, and tortured. He was persecuted and killed as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. He took all of our unrighteousness upon himself. The One who was perfectly righteous in every possible way and knew no sin became sin so that in him we might become righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). THIS is the great exchange. Jesus took our sin. We receive his righteousness. We are now forgiven and made pure and clean by the grace and mercy of Jesus. Salvation is a gift from God by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). What a deal! Who wouldn't receive this? For this forgiveness is what gives us the entrance into heaven and a reason to live on this side of eternity. But first we must realize that we are sinners, like Solomon, and need a Savior.

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 20:8

by David Chadwick "A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes." Proverbs 20:8 Today's proverb is all about the importance of strong, godly leadership. We are going to look at what Solomon had to say about his "throne of judgment." Proverbs 20:8 says, "A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes." Let's take a look at the definition of the word "winnow." It means "to remove the unwanted parts of something or to narrow down a large list of options into a smaller, more desirable selection." Agriculturally speaking, "winnowing" is "the process of tossing harvested grain into the air so the wind can blow away the lightweight chaff, leaving only the heavy, valuable grain to fall to the floor." What a powerful picture! Solomon is essentially saying that one of his major responsibilities is to remove evil so that those under his leadership can prosper. This proverb teaches that one of the major purposes of someone in governmental leadership is to eliminate evil and to protect its citizens from any and all forces of darkness. Now take a moment and look at the end of this verse. Solomon says that this king "winnows evil with his eyes!" Somehow a righteous king is able, with a mere gaze, to expose evil and throw it to the ground. A Godly king, filled with the Holy Spirit, can often discern evil by looking at a person or situation. This is why we have a police force. To protect citizens from criminals. This is why we have a military force. To protect a nation from enemy invasions and forces. Much like kings, these are the ones who have been given authority to winnow evil from our midst. Many have joked through the ages that the best and most efficient form of government is a benevolent dictator. I'd add a benevolent, Christian dictator. One who functions by God's Word and makes immediate decisions for the good of the citizens and the nation. A deeper dive on the importance of biblical leadership within government can be found in Romans 13, where Paul dives deeply into God's original design for government. It is to serve its citizens and to protect its citizens–to winnow evil immediately whenever it's seen.

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 19:17

by David Chadwick "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." Proverbs 19:17 Generosity is a mark of a follower of Christ. It shows a surrendered life and a yielded heart. A generous life is the fruit of someone who fully knows how much he or she has been given by Jesus and, in turn, greatly desires to give his or her life away. Proverbs 19:17 says, "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord; and he will repay him for his deed." I love this proverb! God wants his people to be generous to the poor. To "lend" to them like a bank lends to us for different things that we either want or need. This is a profound truth. Too often, we separate caring for the poor from the Gospel of Jesus. This separation is what has led to social justice movements where people care for the poor without preaching the Gospel. But according to God's Word, these two demonstrations are inextricably connected. Effective ministries to the poor must be Gospel-centered and Christ-exalting. Lending to the poor, which is lending to the Lord, brings about a repayment from the Lord. He always brings back a large return to whatever we give away. God is a God of abundance. He has more than enough to meet our every need. He can do exceedingly and abundantly beyond what we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Too often, we put God in a box. Our finite minds try to compute his infinite existence, and, in turn, we can force our carnal, human minds into an understanding of the Lord that is incorrect. His ways and his thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). Now, think again about the bank illustration. When the bank lends to us, it expects a return on investment. Interest rates allow the bank to get more and more money to be able to lend out more and more. When you give and lend to the poor, you should expect God to return a blessing to you. Expect a return on your investment! It's what today's proverb says. God will repay you for your deed when you give to the poor! And your lending will yield a return that is better than any bank in the world. God already owns everything. Everything is his! You're the steward. You manage his assets. And he loves it when his people are generous to the poor.