Proverbs 17:9-17

Introduction

In this week’s chapter in the book of Proverbs we are going to be looking at a section of Scripture that has a lot to do with interpersonal relationships and interactions, especially dealing with trouble and conflict. These proverbs will instruct us on how to deal with wrongs committed, the danger of interacting with an unwavering fool, and the beauty of having true friendship/brotherhood in times of struggle. We will see today that having real relationships are often difficult, but they are also one of the ways God shows us His mercy in our days of adversity.

Love in a Time of Conflict v.9-10, 14

-covering a transgression loving?

-now, let us be clear what is being said her or at least to start clear what is not being said

-this is not hinting at what we would call a “cover up”

-God is not telling us that we should lie or mislead in order to protect someone who has sinned no matter how great or small

What does Solomon mean here?

-there are 2 biblical ideas that could be rightly understood from this phrase, perhaps both

The first is described in 1 Peter 4:8

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

-one way that we love is by overlooking when someone sins against us

-if we tried to call to account every single wrongdoing in every single personal relationship we would do nothing else

-this does not mean that we are never to call someone to account for sin, in fact v.10 says the opposite but there are many times when God’s grace toward us can move us to practice the grace of passing over that sin toward us

- if God will allow us to maintain right relationship toward someone else without developing bitterness we can cover over a transgression in this way

The second way this idea can be understood would have to do with an offense that has been repented of.

-in that vein, we must understand that biblical forgiveness is the promise to not stir up again

- when we have truly forgiven “as we have been forgiven in Christ Jesus” we are promising to forgive as He has forgiven

Psalm 103:12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

-when we forgive we are making a promise to not bring the transgression up to the offender, to not bring it up to other people,and to not even bring it up to ourselves

-if we do we flee to the truth of our forgiveness in Christ

The flip side of covering over is the repetition of the matter

-if the transgression is not put to death by forgiveness the relationship will be slowly put to death by unforgiveness

-if we do not walk in the forgiveness we claim to have granted in the power of God’s grace we are painting a counterfeit picture of the Gospel

There are times when rebuke is necessary and appropriate

-right response to godly rebuke is also a mark of a strong believer

-what makes the difference in response to rebuke?

Ezekiel 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

-the heart makes the difference

-”a needle pierces deeper into flesh, than a sword into stone”:-Bridges

-if we view ourselves as beyond rebuke we will never have right relationship with each other.

Right relationships will contain large amounts of “covering” and “rebuke”

v.14 tells us when we should take care of strife in our relationships

-as soon as possible

-stop it as soon as you can because once water starts to flow it can be hard to stop

Matthew 5 relays to us this same principle, even to the point that if we cannot “cover the transgression” we must even abandon worship to handle the issue

The Dangers of the Fool v.11-13

-there are times in life when we come up against a true fool

-who is the fool?

-The psalmist says it is the one who says in his heart there is no God

-the fool is not viewed in Scripture as simply being ignorant or silly, he is viewed as willfully evil

-we are all willfully evil apart from Christ, fools apart from His Spirit revealed wisdom

-the evil man/fool is typified by rebellion

-he has no regard for any authority in God or man

“rebellion is not the only sin but the grand outbreaking of a stubborn will…it may be hidden under a peaceful and amiable cover… let Satan bring the occasion of temptation and when all before appeared love and unity hateful and hating one another will be the dark features of this prospect”

-just as the rebel breaks out against God so God will break out against the rebel

-it would be better for you to be between a mama bear and her cubs than to be in the company of an unrepentant fool in the midst of his folly

***You ever joke about someone doing something ridiculous and act like you are gonna move before lightning hits them. This is the type of picture painted of standing amidst the fool in his folly***

v.13,15 Share with us the height of foolishness

-the inverting of truth and lies

-when this happens God describes it as an abomination and speaks of the generational consequences

-are we not seeing this today?

Romans 1:24-25 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

-God gave the up!!! That is terrifying and it comes with long term consequences.

The Fool Summarized v.16

-The price of wisdom is clear

-the fear of the Lord is the begining of wisdom

-the fool cannot get there, refuses and rebels

-his heart is not in it and he will reject until the time that he is humbled before God in repentance

Right Relationship Summarized v.17

-a true and biblical friend loves unconditionally

-sometimes love can be tough

-a true brother born for adversity

-both to walk with us in adversity and to be used to correct us when we are the cause of adversity

-real loving right relationship only comes between two people in right relationship with God

Conclusion: do you want to turn away fro foolishness, get in right relationship with God

Do you want to walk in right relationship with others? Get in right relationship with God and help thers to walk in right relationship with God

-brothers and sisters walking together in continual repentance and forgiveness is one of the clearest pictures of the Goospel available to the watching world

-the unrepentant fool is the clear picture of the consequences of rejecting God’s wisdom

What picture are you painting?