Proverbs 24

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29th, 2003
PROVERBS 24

V. 1-2, 8-9, 19-22
Do not envy the wicked
Illustration: Sabres game last night- 2 guys sitting next to me in the 3rd to last row ended up being 4th row from the front. I have to admit I was a bit envious. They were stealing, they were cheating, they were lying, BUT they were watching the game from the 4th row!

We envy that sinners get instant gratification
- They cheat and pass the test
- They lie on their resume and get the job
- They steal and have extra money
- They manipulate people and get their way
- Etc. etc. etc.
- BUT their giving up their future v. 20-22, 23:17-18

V. 3-7, 13-14, 27
Wisdom in building a home, waging a war, building your future
God always forms and fills:
- In the first half of creation he formed the universe, the earth, and the sea
- In the second half of creation he filled the universe with stars and planets, filled the earth with plants and animals, and filled the sea with creatures.
- God also formed man, and His goal has always been to fill man with: Himself
- We should mimic God’s wisdom in this, when we build something in our life it is important to fill it as well. What good is a beautiful home if the people living in it are always fighting, backstabbing, and hating. No, we need to fill a house with love and respect and therefore make it a home.
- We can see this principle in practice in the theological works of Allen Jackson:
- And they made their house from a toolshed
Grandaddy rolled down on two logs
And they builts walls all around it
And they made that house a home
They taught us 'bout good living
They taught is right and wrong
Lord there'll never be another place
In this world I'll call home
- Fools never take the time to form, and they don’t know what it takes to fill and so they are left with nothing to say when it’s crunch time. When the rubber meets the road they are ALWAYS left with nothing to say. 24/7

V. 11-12
Rescue the perishing, abortion
- I tend to think there is probably some specific group of people being “led away to death” or “staggering toward slaughter” that God has convicted us about. For some it’s prison ministry, for some it’s those in poverty, for others it’s children killed in abortion.
- These are realities and we need to be very careful about making the claim that “we knew nothing about this.” There certainly are times when we are ignorant of what’s going on, but I think more often we make a choice not to see. We turn away from it because it’s too big. God sees that and we’ll be accountable for that decision.
- Some people argue that babies killed via abortion don’t fit under this command to rescue those being led away to death. They say this babies are not people and therefore don’t count, but:
o They are conceived by 2 humans, so what else would they be?
o Psalm 139:13 speaks of God knitting us together as a person in the womb
o Genesis 25:22 refers to unborn children using same word for children
o Luke 1:41 refers to unborn baby using same word for baby
o They look like you and me
o If left alone they will come to maturity
o Being tiny, aided, ignorant does not make them less human
- We need to be very serious about our duty to intercede for those in need

V. 10, 15-18
Do not lie in wait against the righteous or gloat against your enemy
- We want to be building the kind of faith that survives and thrives
- If we don’t have the strength to hold up in battle, how much strength do we have?
- It’s foolish to go after a truly righteous person because you can’t win
- But when we see someone fall, do not gloat
- Obadiah

V. 23-26, 28-29
Judging without partiality, being truthful, without revenge in mind
- It’s usually not too hard to tell if someone is a guilty or not guilty (court shows)
- So when justice doesn’t happen, people get mad
- People like straight shooters and thick skinned people with integrity

V. 30-34
The story of the sluggard
- Self explanatory