Proverbs Pt. 22 The Ungovernable Spirit of a Froward Man.

 God has granted us another beautiful day that is crisp, full of sunshine and blue skies, and we are rejoicing in His handiwork.

King Solomon further exposed the ways of wicked people so that his children would have wisdom and discernment to turn away from their influence and shun their companionship. 

Proverbs 6:12-15  A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. 13) He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; 14) Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. 15) Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. 

Who is the "naughty" person? The word "naughty in our language usually refers to children who misbehave. However, the original meaning of this word was someone who was vicious in moral character or wicked. It refers to a man who is corrupt, perverse and worthless with regard to morality. The "naughty" person is good for nothing and is headed for ruin and destruction. 

God has a purpose in guiding Solomon to place the "naughty" person at the beginning of a paragraph that will lead us to the list of seven things that God hates. This is intentional so that we might pause to reflect and examine our own lives and ask the Spirit of God to show us any place where we are not pleasing or honoring God. 

The "wicked" man is an idolater whose life is filled with iniquity, trouble and sorrow. Both of these people are to be avoided and should be pitied for being enslaved to sin and degradation.  

A naughty person is reprobate in character. 

2 Timothy 3:8  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

Titus 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate

The New Testament word that comes close to what it means to be naughty is the word "reprobate". A reprobate person resists the truth of God and has a corrupt mind. Such people do abominable acts and disobey God's holy standard. 

Traits of the "naughty" or "wicked" person.

First, a naughty man is marked by having a froward mouth  and character. 

70% of all references to a froward person are found in the book of Proverbs. A froward mouth is one that cannot be governed because that person has a spirit that refuses to yield or comply with God's holy standard. 

Psalm 101:4  A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.

This text is a sobering reminder that those who have an ungovernable mouth that spews out rebellion and vile speech, cannot know God. Only the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can break down the froward spirit so that such a person can turn in repentant faith to Christ and be born again. 

If you observe the culture around us you can quickly discern that there are a lot of people with froward mouths spewing out hateful and demeaning rhetoric. Sometimes it seems like it is non stop. Rather than becoming upset with them, we must pray that God will intervene in their lives to such a degree that they will bow the knee to Christ and be saved. 

James 3:5-8  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6) And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7) For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8) But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 

James teaches truth about the tongue and shows us why it is so "froward." It is a small part of our body but the ungoverned tongue spews out venomous and hateful words in far greater proportion to its small size. The tongue breathes out fiery words of hate and iniquitous speech. Though the tongue is small it can defile the whole body. Why? Because vile speech demolishes the moral character and undermines a "naughty" man's standing in society.

No man can tame the tongue and the froward mouth is full of poisonous words that inflict deadly wounds on other innocent people. The froward mouth of a "naughty" person is evil and unruly at its core. 

Second, a naughty man is marked by being a deceiver.  

Psalm 35:19  Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause. 

The Psalmist warned against those who pretend to be righteous but use body language to communicate evil plans to someone else. They are hateful people who send signals to another evil doer to commit some sin, by using their eyes and winking. 

We learned in Proverbs 1:10-14  that this person is always planning evil deeds against innocent victims. They contemplate ways to murder someone and think about stealing property that belongs to someone else. 

This person pretends to be sincere but use non verbal body language to communicate the execution of their evil plans to coconspirators. Not only do they communicate their intentions to other evil doers with their eyes, they also use certain finger gestures and foot movements to signal what should be carried out.

Proverbs 3:29  Devise not evil against thy neighbor, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

The wisdom of God warns against hatching evil schemes to perpetrate a criminal act. The eyes of Jehovah see all our actions so the forward, naughty man may think he is getting away with crime but he will ultimately be judged by Holy God for his sins.   

Third, the forward, naughty man is marked by malice and discord. 

Proverbs 6:14  Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

This man has a corrupt, evil heart that refuses to be governed by any authority. The froward heart dominates his life such that he is not happy unless he has devised some devious, malicious plot. The word "mischief" refers to actions that are evil, hurtful, malignant, vicious, and injurious to others. His heart is continually dwelling upon evil inventions filled with malicious intent. This naughty, froward man shoots out a steady stream of strife that foments contention among other people.   

God will judge the naughty, froward man. 

Proverbs 6:15  Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

Sudden destruction is promised as the final end of the naughty, froward man. They will be broken and cast into eternal darkness to experience misery and torment in the everlasting fires of Hell.  Judgment will be swift, complete and there will be no appealing the perfect judgment of God. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

We learned about the "naughty" man today and that this is a seriously bad moral condition for anyone to be found in. We noted the character traits of the naughty man was dominated by a froward heart. We learned what the word "froward" means and saw the sobering realities of depraved people who live enslaved to a froward heart. 

We see that the same traits are evident in our culture. Hateful, malicious speech, despicable criminal acts against innocent people and a general attitude of malevolence against other people is very noticeable today. They lack the fear of the LORD and refuse to obey authorities. They are ungoverned and ungovernable in every sense. 

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10  Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7) And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8)  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9) Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10)  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. 

People who were naughty and had froward hearts lived during the time when Paul was an apostle. Such evil doers trouble the saints in New Testament churches. Do not miss the description of Jesus Christ coming to the earth as the Judge! He will bring His mighty angels and a flaming fire of judgment. 

Who will be the object of Divine Judgment? All who do not know God and who refuse to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

What will the punishment be that they receive? Everlasting destruction and eternal separation from God. 

What must we do? 

Pray for the souls of all who are salves to sin, who have froward hearts, who act and speak with malicious intentions. 

Pray for our rulers that they have wisdom for responding to the crime and mayhem created by the "naughty" person. 

Share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them because that is the only thing that will change them. They do not know God but one day they will stand before the God that they currently rebel against. 

Live for Christ no matter the cost because we seek His honor and glory first and foremost. 

I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will do an amazing work as His word goes forth, that He will save people from their sins and impart new life into their souls. I pray that we will be humble servants of the most high God, seeking to fulfill the Great Commission given us by Christ (Matthew 28:16-20).

May the Lord have His way in our hearts today and may we honor Him in responding to His Word.

Bob