Sunday Service 11-15-20 - Proverbs 13:1-6 - To Speak Or Not To Speak (Diligently)

Proverbs 13 Sermon A (1-11) - Ethics of Speech and Wealth. 1A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. 2 From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. 3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. 4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. 5 The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame (stench) and disgrace. 6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but sin overthrows the wicked. V1: Again, it begins with hearing, listening, learning with diligence. (Salvation comes by hearing. How is the Word to be read and heard to become effectual means of salvation? With diligence, preparation, and prayer.) And, what we're probably talking about here is a rebuke, a correction. Not words of affirmation here or encouragements, but a reprimand. How do you take that? Being a righteous person does not mean you are never reprimanded. It's about how you take reprimands. You welcome correction, you consider it from any source, you take it seriously, you don't jump to defensiveness. You take it to heart humbly and learn. The scoffer is the one who says, "You can't tell me anything. I already know it all." 2 From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. 3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. V2-3: 2: A: Transition from listening to speaking, learning to teaching. I think here, we can take points from both the instructed and the instructor - Instruct well, teach well, parent well and you will be rewarded - you will be well-satisfied with the best this world and this age has to offer (good children!!! There is nothing more pleasing or pleasurable to your soul.) And, from the one who speaks valuable wisdom is this - Doing this provides me with great benefit. My good word to you is for you too to speak a good word. You never learn as much as when you teach. When you can explain it to others, you really understand it. And, you find yourself believing more strongly, being more convinced and convicted. Gal 6:6 - Let the one who receives instruction in the word share all good things with his instructor. B: The fruit vs the appetite/desire ... one person is giving/producing, the other is taking/consuming. Could also be the "throat/breath/soul/life/personality" is for violence, so double entendre meaning could be that he will get what he deserves, reap what he sows. A-B: The good speaker has no appetite for violence, only wants well-being of others. The wicked have no desire/appetite to take good or give good words. 3: A: Stakes are raised - from getting good benefit to preserving life, good or bad or so so life to life at all/death. B: In B, it goes from violence to utter destruction, ruin, terror. Pointlessly/worthlessly/annoyingly talkative. More specifically ego-speech that only wants to speak not to listen, only likes the sound of his/her own voice ... Perhaps even more specifically speech that promotes/themes violence ... Also has a sense of unrestrained by commitment (like an unchaste woman/harlot). A-B: Caution/Careless. Keep this in mind with the online life and words that you type/post. Together: Balance the value of good speech with talking too much. This takes super-wisdom - to not hesitate to speak and say what needs to be said, yet to not speak when it doesn't add value. Being righteous and guarding your way involves speaking good words, guarding yourself from bad words, in fact HATING false words ... this is being diligent in your words and it leads to your own satisfaction (more than security). It takes hating falsehood to avoid lying because it will tempt you so much and will get you started with a small insignificant stretch that then becomes more and more comfortable. Words are more powerful than we think - they create and destroy. 4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. V4: The heart of the first subunit. (Anticipates 2nd subunit) Apply yourself to speech with diligence as much as you do anything else in life. Sluggard does neither - Doesn't speak what is good nor guard his mouth from speaking in vain. (3rd commandment, 4th commandment, 5th commandment, 6th commandment, 7th, 9th commandment) Sluggard related to bad speech - wicked's appetite-driven-speech does violence to the community and to himself, the sluggard's appetite-driven-speech drains the community. Hurt vs Non-contributor. Everything you crave/covet ... 10th Commandment - you want what your neighbor has rather than working for it yourself. You don't want what's his, you want what God has for you through your own industry that he has given you and called you to. And, your words are a major part of that industry. Coveting: Sluggard would be wise without study, rich without work. Diligence leads to abundant satisfaction, everything you crave will be satisfied ... and beyond - "What no eye has seen..." This assumes everything is in God's hands, that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, not to mention you and Himself, to be able to satisfy all that he created you to desire and all the energy He powerfully works within you. (My struggle with speaking about politics.) This is Paul's thoughts on the matter and application to his own life: Col 1 - 24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you as well. 5 The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame (stench) and disgrace. 6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but sin overthrows the wicked. 5-6: Again, progressing the thought/point ... The person who speaks good valuable words, guards himself from destructive speech, and applies diligence to his speech and life is now defined/described as a "righteous person". Notice both righteous and wicked have appetites - but they have different commitments and different ways to 5: A: It takes hating falsehood to avoid lying because it will tempt you so much and will get you started with a small insignificant stretch that then becomes more and more comfortable. This righteous hatred falsehood is a God-produced, God-inspired trait; it corresponds to faithfulness - a fruit of the Spirit. This is being like God who, Himself, because he loves and values people and his creation HATES lies that hurt and destroy the community. This points to the cosmic battle between the God and his people and Satan and the world. Satan is the father of lies - this is how he operates as the enemy, by lying. So, the person who loves God will hate along with him what is false. Think about politics and politicians and what a difference it would make if this were true ... if a leader hated lies more than he loved approval and votes. If a leader said, I will not lie to you even if it makes me look bad, even if you don't like it, I will tell you the truth. And, if I can't tell you, I will say that rather than lie to you. B: Wickedness and lies are exposed eventually, maybe not all at once, but it begins to be seen until the end result is utter disgrace. 6: Personification! Christ/Satan. Righteousness guards the blameless way (or the path of the blameless) Wickedness overthrows/overturns the sinful (way). This is a metaphor but also literally true. True in that righteous people protect other righteous people. And, sinners destroy other sinners. 5-6: The righteous indignation toward falsehood protects you from becoming a stinking disgrace. Sum: Together - Being righteous and guarding your way involves speaking good words, guarding yourself from bad words, in fact HATING false words ... this is being diligent in your words and it keeps you from disgrace, violence, destruction and leads to your own security and satisfaction (more than security). Words are more powerful than we think - they create and destroy. NT/Christ Connection/Application: Col 1 - 24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. 6: Personified righteousness is Christ, the righteous, Christ - our righteousness. He guards us. Also, remember that blameless for us does not mean perfect or infallible, rather it means one who is correctable and repentant - one you would point to as a good example of someone walking the right path. Christ hears father perfectly and is perfectly disciplined. (V1) Christ's Words are the food for us. Christ Himself is food for us. He desires our well-being and salvation. (V2) Christ's perfect Words could have preserved his life, but he allowed himself to be overtaken by the treacherous/wicked who desired violence. He takes on our ruin for us. And YET, his life is preserved by God in the end - resurrection! (V3) Christ is satisfied and satisfies. (V4) (Heb 12) Christ rebuked falsehood. Christ IS the truth and the way and the life. Christ takes our shame/disgrace. (V5) Christ guards us by being our righteousness. Christ brings us into this righteousness through the power of the Word (the Gospel) and Spirit in our lives. In the end, His Kingdom stands and the wicked are no more. (V6) Think of the Words of Christ - How he spoke and gave the most valuable gift of teaching that has totally changed the ethics and practices of the world ... and reoriented our lives. How he didn't speak - to the Pharisees (could've said many things - what they did that day - He said, "Don't cast your pearls before swine."), in His trial, before Pilate, on the cross. How He does this now, intercession to God, speaking to our hearts through the Holy Spirit and Word, sharing the Gospel through us. Speak, Don't Speak. Be diligent! Be guided by the HS. Share your faith in Christ. 7 One pretends to be rich, (makes himself rich) yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, (makes himself poor) yet has great wealth. 8 The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat. 9 The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out. 10 By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom. 11 Wealth gained hastily (by fraud) will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. Ch 13 theme: through morally good teaching/behavior, one will enjoy/eat what is materially good ... Explicitly stated in verse 2 V 1 Intro: V 2-6 (Speech and Ethics) V4 (middle) about wealth, connects first section with second section. V 7 (Janus) V 7-11 (Wealth and Ethics) V12-19 (longings satisfied, realized desires) V 20 (Janus) V 20-25 (final/eternal destiny) V 25 restates the theme of "realized desires" from third section making it clear that the righteous realize their desires in the end.