Proverbs 10:26-32

Proverbs 10 26-32

v.26 Smoke in the eyes and vinegar in the mouth are both irritating things. They are not desirable and invoke a sudden response in the person they come into contact with. The

If you are idle in Christ’s work, you are active in the devil’s work. Charles Spurgeon

invokes this type of response in the one who is depending on him/her (“them that send him”). Laziness is a character trait of those who are not dependable. They often put off their priorities for a later time. In the end they realize they did not accomplish what they were supposed to. Such people seldom progress in their occupation. They irritate their boss and co-workers. This verse is important for believers. In the work of the Lord, we should be dependable and diligent. We should prioritize and seldom, if ever, procrastinate.

v.27 The fear of the Lord is equated with salvation. The principle is a general one. Those who do not fear God will not live as long as those who do. The wages of sin is death. The more sinful a person is the more likely they are to die sooner. Many sinful activities are hazardous physically (Stealing, sexual immorality, gang activity, drugs, alcohol, etc.). These things could result in death through capital punishment, disease, overdose, etc.

This does not mean that all sinful people die young, and all godly people live long, however. The day of our death is in the hands of God (Heb. 9:27). In His grace He often allows the ungodly to live long for them to have time to repent (2 Peter 3:9).

The principle to glean is that sin will hasten us toward physical death.

v.28 The righteous person is the believer. The believers hope will lead him into gladness. In other words, what he desires (24) he will possess. The believer desires to be free from this world of sin and present with his Savior. His hope is not in vain. All his/her dreams wait in heaven.

The unbeliever (wicked) has hope (expectations) of his own. Those desires center around self and sin. Everyone wants to live forever. Everyone simply does not want to live free from sin. The wicked love sin and self so much that they would rather die than be separated from it. In the end they will find that all of their desires perish as well. In hell they will not be able to enjoy their sin anymore. All hope will be cut off from them.

v.29 “Way” literally means “a path or road”. The word “stronghold” describes a fortress. The righteous experience the protection of God because they are on the narrow road. Their position provides them with safety. That road will lead them into the presence of God. The KJV says “destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity” “shall be” is in italics showing that it was added by translators. If we are not careful it can keep us from understanding the intent of this verse. The point of this verse is to show that the “way of the Lord” contributes to the destruction of the wicked.

This is so because they must forsake the way of the Lord for the life of iniquity.

Christ is the way to heaven. To choose a life of sin one must at the same time reject Him. To reject Him leads to eternal damnation. The fact that the narrow road exists is terrible news for those who refuse to forsake the broad road. Christ will personally judge these people because they refused to place their faith in Him (John 5:22-23).

v.30 The Jewish nation equated inhabiting the land with God’s favor. The Promised Land was given to them and taken from the pagan nations. The principle set forth in this verse is to show us that the righteous enjoy security while the wicked do not. To be removed from the earth is synonymous with death and judgment. Jesus said the meek will inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5). The righteous will enjoy eternity with Christ while the wicked will be separated from Him for eternity.

v.31 Once again the righteous and wicked are contrasted by the words they speak. The righteous man speaks with wisdom and the perverse man speaks foolishness. The wicked man will have his tongue cut out! This is a figurative way of describing Divine judgment. God will judge those who speak perversely. Our words reveal the state of our hearts. God will make it impossible on the Day of Judgment for the perverse person to use his tongue to lead others astray.

v.32 The righteous man knows how to speak because he has been given a new heart. His nature dictates his language. The unredeemed person speaks what comes naturally to him. He opens his mouth and perverse words come out. We need the new birth to change our speech because man cannot tame the tongue (James 3:8). We must recognize that our speech is one of the most important factors in determining if we are truly saved or not. The natural man will speak evil things (Romans 2:13-14).

Thoughts to Consider

1. Undependable people bother others and hurt themselves.

2. In heaven you get what God wants in hell you get what you want.

3. The cross is both a curse and a blessing; a stumbling block and a stepping stone.

4. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking your heart is pure if your speech is evil.