Proverbs Pt. 52 A Life Marked by Humility and Submission to God

We have a group of texts in this post that present various contrasts that we can learn from.

Proverbs 12:9  He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread. 

Here is a man who is looked down upon by other people. They mock or scorn him and he is lightly esteemed by most. Yet, he has a servant which implies that even though the man is looked down on by many people, he has worked hard enough to need a servant to help in his labors and to assist him in managing his goods. 

This disrespected man is better off than the self conceited man who brags about himself and takes advantage of people all the time. The man who brags and boasts constantly does not have a good work ethic and fails to provide for his own basic needs of food, clothing & shelter. You see the irony of a man telling others how great he is and the listeners hearing him boast while knowing that he lacks the essentials of life. It completely undercuts his boasting. 

Proverbs 12:10  A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. 

Here is a man who lives right before God. He is a "just" man who does what is good and honorable because he learned and applied the wisdom from God in his own life. He is a man of integrity and honesty who works hard and always does a good job in all his undertakings. 

He worked in the agribusiness of that day and had many "beasts" which refers to animals like oxen, cattle and other livestock. Some are used for plowing, some for milking and some for meat. This man knows the state of his livestock. He knows when his sheep are ill or have an injury and he cares for them as an owner should. He makes sure that they are fed, that the stables are cleaned out and that they have clean water to drink. He does not overwork his "beasts." 

In contrast, we also see the wicked man mentioned. The evil man does not regard the life of his livestock. He does not care if they are ill or injured. He is not worried about their well being. He does not go out of his way to find clean water or good pasture for them. Instead, the manner in which a wicked man cares for his livestock is called cruel. The very best effort (tender mercies) that the wicked man puts forth in caring for his animals is deplorable. He will drive them too hard when plowing the fields. He will push them until they collapse and use a whip on their backs if they do not perform to his satisfaction. Then, when the animals can no longer do an adequate job he casts them aside like a piece of useless junk.

Proverbs 12:11  He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding. 

Contrasting work ethics are brought back into view. The righteous man knows the Lord and he understands that God created him to work in order to provide for his family. He rises early and begins tilling the land, preparing it for sowing seed, planting trees and cultivating vineyards. He finds satisfaction in doing his work and he enjoys the fruit of his labors. He has meat, milk and bread. 

The wicked man is often lazy and self centered. He actively minds the affairs of others and spends his time with foolish people who have no wisdom or understanding of God. What they talk about and what they do is of little value. He cannot wait to run after people who don't have good judgment and go about doing destructive things to good people.

Proverbs 12:12  The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit. 

The heart of the righteous man (or woman) is rooted and grounded in the truth of God. He follows heavenly wisdom instead of vain worldly things. He is a blessing to others instead of being selfish and self-centered. He is a fruitful man who not only provides for his own needs, but is generous and helpful toward others. He not only works for physical necessities but he also shares the wisdom of God with others. 

The wicked man lusts after the "net" of evil men. This idea goes back to Proverbs 1:10-14 and the idea of forming a gang to kill, steal and destroy innocent people. Wicked men all share the spoils from their illegal actions. However, God will judge them for their sins.

Proverbs 12:13  The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble. 

Solomon used repetition effectively throughout the book of Proverbs. In this text, he reminds his readers and us that two vastly different outcomes await for us when we die. The believer who trusts God with his or her life will emerge from trials and troubles. We are currently reading through the book of Job and the entire book illustrates this truth. Bad things do happen to God fearing people but God can and does use all things for our good. He will deliver the sheep of His pasture and we will come through troubles and trials to be blessed by having a closer relationship with God.

The wicked will be caught in all his transgressions whether words or actions. He will not escape the holy fire of God's judgment. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

James 4:6-10  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9) Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 

Wisdom from God is embedded throughout the Bible. The apostle James gave us wise counsel that seems very appropriate in light of what we learned today. 

If we are despised or looked down upon let us remain humble before the Lord of glory. We should not fear what man may say about us or what man shall do to us. We are "in Christ" as born again believers. Therefore, we are assured victory over life's circumstances and over death.

The righteous ones are delivered from trouble. As James put it, we receive sustaining grace during those times. God is always against the proud and rebellious person but He will give grace to us when we humble ourselves before Him. 

The righteous man submits to God whereas the evil man follows the devil. The righteous man wants nothing more than to be closer to Jehovah whereas the evil man runs away in haste because he wants nothing to do with Holy God.

In our lesson today, the righteous man cares for his beasts. He works hard and is diligent. At his core the righteous man is firmly rooted in the things of God and will not be turned away from following His Wisdom. He is a humble man, loving God with confidence knowing that when trouble finds him God will deliver him. 

Are we trusting Jesus Christ for salvation?

Are we consistently confessing our sins to Him and receiving cleansing and forgiveness? 

Are we learning by observing the arduously hard life and terrible fate of the wicked man?

Have we learned to not fear what men may do to us or what they may say about us because our hope is in God?

I suspect that these are areas each one of us needs to seek ongoing submission to the Lord. May Christ form us into useful instruments to do His kingdom work while we await His return.

Bob