Proverbs 13:6-9

Proverbs 13:6a Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way:

I. The Keeper of the Way

Explanation

righteousness= a judge that makes the right decision

Righteousness is the KEY to this verse!

keepeth=to guard, to preserve

righteousness keeps who? him that is upright in the way.

upright=complete, full

Where will it keep him? in the way!

Application

So righteousness (making the right decisions) will keep (guard) those that are upright in the way

The upright man is righteous....righteousness keeps him....in the way…which brings righteousness

What is going to keep you on the right path? Righteousness. It is they key.

Make right decision.

How can we be righteous? How can we be clean before God?

Turn to Psalm 119

Obeying God’s Word

Psalm 119:9 KJV - 9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Seeking God with your whole heart

Psalm 119:10 KJV - 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

Filling your heart with God’s Word

Psalm 119:11 KJV - 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Righteousness will keep you in the way!

Ill: bowling with kids…they put the bumpers up .... so the ball doesn’t roll into the gutter.

It keeps the bowling ball in the way.

Righteousness will keep you in the way!

II. The Terrorist of the Way

Proverbs 13:6b but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.

Sin will overthrow you.

Wickedness will throw you out of the way

Illustration

At college, we would do mattress surfing, you would run down the hallway of the dorm, the goal was to get to the end and dive headfirst onto like 4 mattresses at the end of the hallway and see who could make it the farthest…sounds easy right? The problem is that the hallway was lined with guys on each side with their pillows....and these guys had one purpose to stop you from getting to the mattresses…it was a true gauntlet....there was some guys that would just get clobbered.

Tie-in: Your life is like that hallway....and when you allow wickedness in your life it’s liking lining the hallway with big brutes that will do everything they can to stop you. And eventually that wickedness will overthrow you!

There are many people that used to go to this very church, names I could tell you and many of you would know who they are, some of whom worked on bus routes, and in junior church, and played the piano, and went to jr. camp, and teen rallies, and sang special songs, and were good Christians that seemed to have a love for the Lord.

What happened to them?

They were overthrown.

What was it that caused them to be overthrown from the way? Wickedness.

“wickedness overthroweth the sinner.”

You may be a solid Christian today and you are in the way! But beware....Satan will try to line your life with wickedness and eventually it will overthrow you out of the way!

2 Peter 2:20, 22 KJV - 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. ... 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

III. The Reality of Riches

Money isn’t that important! (vs. 7-8)

Proverbs 13:7a There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing:

This verse is written like a riddle!

Here is a person who has made himself rich

He has everything you can think of… the mansions, the jets, the gold jewelry, the fancy clothes, the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, everything this world has to offer....what does the Bible say about that? -”He has nothing.”

Riches really don’t have the value that we think they do.

Proverbs 13:7b there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.

This man or woman’s life focus is NOT on riches!

In fact he is poor!

He doesn’t have any riches

But somehow he has “great riches!”

Application

Our life’s focus should not be on riches.

You could be the richest person in this town and still have nothing!

The value of riches is 0!

Money is just a tool that God says we should steward.

Money should just be a tool that you use to accomplish your goal.

And if you are walking with God, your goal is going to be to love God and serve God

What has true value?

Proverbs 13:8a The ransom of a man's life are his riches:

This proverb uses an unexpected twist to uncover a hidden advantage of poverty. A rich person can "ransom" themselves.

This might mean to buy themselves out of trouble, but in this context, it means a more literal ransom.

This is the fee demanded by someone to return a captured or kidnapped person, or to free a slave.

The rich person is subject to ransom demands because of their wealth. Material wealth does, in fact, come with downsides. That includes the risk of being robbed or kidnapped or murdered for one's money. Further, a rich man may wonder whether his "friends" are truly friends or simply pretending to be his friends to get something from him.

Wealth at best is only temporal, whereas

"1 Timothy 6:6-7 KJV - 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."

Hebrews 13:5 KJV - 5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Proverbs 13:8b but the poor heareth not rebuke.

No one will make such threats against a poor person because they have no riches to give.

Threats to wealth, property, or money are powerless against someone who has none of those things.

“More money, more problems”

IV. Walking in the Light

Proverbs 13:9 KJV - 9 The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

The righteous walk in light, the wicked walk in darkness

Isaiah 2:5b come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

We should walk in the light of the Lord

John 8:12 KJV - 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

To “walk” is, in short, to live one’s life.

One’s lifestyle or way of life can be considered a “walk.” The word also indicates progress. Walking is related to growth; it is taking steps toward maturity.

“Light” in the Bible can be a metaphor for life, happiness, righteousness, or understanding.

James 1:17 KJV - 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

He is the opposite of evil. Putting it all together, “walking in the light” means “growing in holiness and maturing in the faith as we follow Jesus.” The apostle John repeatedly used the “light” metaphor in relation to the Messiah. For example, he writes that Jesus is “the true light that gives light to every man” (John 1:9).

John 1:9 KJV - 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

1 John 1:5-7 KJV - 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Our Christian duty is to live in the light God gives: “but now are ye light inthe Lord: walk as children of light:” (Ephesians 5:8).

When we walk in the light, we cannot walk in darkness. Sin is left in the shadows as we let our light “shine before men” (Matthew 5:16).

“Walking in the light” means we consider Jesus as “the light” in this world, and we “walk” in that light by following His precepts, living in His power, and growing in His grace.