Sunday Service 3-29-20 - Proverbs 11:9-15 - Harm/Harming, Safe/Saving
Proverbs 11 Sermon B (9-15) – HarmHarming – SafeSaving
Theme V9-13: Knowledge (of Godthe Gospel) keeps us from harmharming. In Christ, we become wise to salvation/to save.
9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.
12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense,
but a man of understanding remains silent.
9-12: HelpHarm for neighbor and for entire community. 912 righteouswicked and his neighbor. 1011 righteouswicked and his communitycity.
V9 (set apart to stand out): godless mouth – no truth, only the will-to-power, self-preservation/exaltation
Hope? The knowledge of the righteous.
1. Not Duped.
2. Truth can defeat lies.
3. Knowledge of God
It is knowledge of the Gospel that keeps us from harm and from harming.
10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.
V10-11: Righteous person benefits the whole community, especially in leadership.
Wickedness harms a whole community, especially in leadership.
Still, our the ultimate hope of the righteous is not in their community or earthly endeavors.
12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense,
but a man of understanding remains silent.
WELL-BALANCED: In standing for truth, do not belittle your neighbor; do not become like the godless/senseless.
How hard is it to remain silent?
Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
Displaying God’s own character: Isa 42:14 For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor;
Hab 1:14 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?
Rev 6:10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
2 Pet 3 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets,
but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
SO WELL-BALANCED!
Eph 4:11-15 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,e to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
It is knowledge of the Gospel that keeps us from harm and from harming.
14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
Individual relationships, communities, and now escalating to a national scale. Speech is crucial to a society – make or break.
15 Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm,
but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
Stranger: strange, unauthorized, prohibited, non-Israelite.
Can we help a stranger? (An important distinction to be made)
Prov 3:27-28 – Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
Be reluctant to make deals of this nature; be shrewd, wise.
An “in the world, but not of the world” verse.
Couldn’t this relate to being “unequally yoked”? Ephesians 5:7 “Do not become partners with them.”
Carried forward to Christ and the New Covenant:
9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.
12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense,
but a man of understanding remains silent.
13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets,
but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
15 Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm,
but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
In Christ, we are kept from harmharming. In Christ we are made wise unto salvationsaving.