¹² A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
¹³ He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
¹⁴ Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
¹⁵ Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. -Proverbs 6:12-15, KJV

For anyone who may want to say that the Hebrew scriptures, our Old Testament, is not valid anymore, look at what Paul wrote:

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10

This sounds a lot like what Solomon wrote in today’s passage! Nearly identical, really.

And look at what we have been discussing for the past two weeks. Paul summed it up rather succinctly.

While it is easy to stay relatively negative – that our world is full of “naughty … wicked … froward” people – and that we may be guilty of such things ourselves, Paul continues with this:

¹¹ And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Thanks be to God that, though we live in a fallen world and are ourselves messed up, Jesus has made a way and cleaned us of our sin, has given us the promise of the inheritance He shares with His own, adopted through His blood.

Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. – Proverbs 11:21

I don’t know if saying “I love this verse” is the right and proper thing, but it does cause me to smile. Reading it brings a sense of comfort, sort of like God whispering in my ear, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle this.”

Mankind hasn’t really changed since the days when they decided to build a tower to the heavens and make a name for themselves (Gen. 11:4). They believe that if they can just come together, hand in hand, they can do anything. It doesn’t hurt to make a music video, either – just ask Michael Jackson.

Unfortunately, even though we humans do good things when we are unified, we tend to think the collective power of organized masses can overturn the laws of God.

Our modern versions of the tower of Babel take the shape of poll numbers, protests, million-man marches, voting majorities, screaming at the sky, and tens of thousands of pink ______ hats. They look like celebrity award shows, hashtags, and fabricated crises. All are meant to unify. All are meant to push an agenda.

Much of the time the agenda is to silence the voice of God, overturn His law, or throw Him out completely.

Yet, even though a recent survey stated that a majority of Americans (61%) are linked hand-in-hand in support of abortion, God says the wicked will not go unpunished.

When I was a kid we used to play a game called “Red Rover.” The idea was to line up in a line and hold hands, then send a kid from an opposing team into the line in order to break through. We would all line up and then call out to the opposing team to send a kid of our choosing, and if the kid didn’t break through, he was ours. We’d say, “Red rover, red rover, send Bobby (the weak kid) on over.”

No one ever yelled out, “Red rover, red rover, send Goliath on over!”

But the wicked are hand-in-hand, screaming at the sky, saying with a loud voice, “Red rover, red rover, send YHWH… the Great I Am… the Lion of the tribe of Judah… Elohim… Mighty God on over!”

“Though hand join in hand,” the wicked line of rebellion will not hold.

And I can’t help but grin.

Below is a cute video depicting how Red Rover works.

When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth. – Proverbs 11:7 KJV

This is a fascinating verse to contemplate, so please take a moment to think about these words with me.

Other Translations

If you don’t already know, I love the King James Version of the Bible, but I am not a King James Only-ist by any stretch of the imagination. However, there are times when I wish modern translators could have left well enough alone.

For example, below are four different versions of Proverbs 11:7, each from a very popular translation.

NLT – When the wicked die, their hopes die with them, for they rely on their own feeble strength.

NIV – Hopes placed in mortals die with them; all the promise of their power comes to nothing.

ESV – When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.

CSB – When the wicked person dies, his expectation comes to nothing, and hope placed in wealth vanishes.

If you will indulge me for a moment, let’s look at the differences.

The NLT (New Living Translation) changes the word translated “expectation” in the KJV to the plural word “hopes.” Then, somehow “feeble strength” gets thrown in.

The NIV (New Internation Version) translators somehow determined that the “expectation,” or “hope,” is actually in the (wicked) mortal who dies.

The ESV (English Standard Version) seems to imply that the “hope” is not necessarily in the wicked, but they continue in the same idea that when the wicked die there is lost investment.

The CSB (Christian Standard Bible) stays closer to the KJV in the first part of the verse in that it does not overtly imply that the “expectation” is in the wicked, but a possession of the wicked. But in the second part of the verse, it sides more with the ESV and assumes that “hope” is money or “wealth.”

Like I said before, I’m not a KJV-only-ist. I have found each of the above versions useful in my study of the Bible. However, one word, in particular, makes me wish they’d kept things unchanged, or at least interpreted differently.

Expectation

The Hebrew word that is translated as “expectation” is a word that literally means “rope.” Consider the following definition from Strongs Concordance:

תִּקְוָה tiqvâh, tik-vaw’; from H6960; (compare H6961) literally a cord (as an attachment); figuratively, expectancy:—expectation(-ted), hope, live, thing that I long for.

The first two times this word is used in the Old Testament is in Joshua 2:18 and 21. This is the story where Rahab the harlot is given the assurance that she and her household will not be harmed, just as long as she hangs a scarlet cord from the window of her home on the wall of Jericho.

The same word translated “cord” in Joshua 2:18 and 21 is translated “expectation” in Proverbs 11:7. Now, this does not necessarily mean that the “expectation” of the wicked is a rope, but it does give me the idea that what the wicked man has is something that he’s depending on to save him.

Granted, I could be wrong in my interpretation of this verse, but it would seem to me that it’s not too much to believe that the wicked man’s “expectation” is the hope and trust he has in something that will hold on to him, guide him, or keep him after death. It could mean that when a wicked man dies all the hopes others have in him will die with him, but considering the context of the surrounding verses (11:6 and 11:8), I think my interpretation holds more water.

My Expectation

Thankfully, my “expectation” is more akin to the scarlet thread that Rahab hung from her window than anything I can come up with on my own. What I’m counting on to pull me through death into eternal life is the “scarlet thread” woven throughout all of Scripture, the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness…”

When I die, my expectation will hold.

A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. -Proverbs 12:10, KJV

I love my dogs. We even sometimes call them our “fur babies.” Sometimes I spoil them with a trip to the coffee shop that has Puppaccinos for dogs (whipped cream with dog biscuits on top). I feel bad when they do not get their regularly timed walks or step on a sharp rock or hot asphalt during those walks.

Even though I love these guys, if my wife or another human were in trouble, I would choose the human over them.

Have Mercy

Some people, however, only view animals as property, at best. Their idea of mercy on their dogs is not kicking them very hard or remembering to feed them today.

Oftentimes, these are people who tend to treat many humans similarly. Whether it is being verbally abusive, deceptive, or simply not caring, this type of person would rather record you having a problem than help you.

This thinking infects most of us in some way, ever since the beginning when Cain asked God about Abel, “Am I my brothers keeper?” In other words, “How is this my problem? What has it to do with me?”

Jesus turned this thinking on its head, most notably in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5). To be fondly and righteous means to make others’ problems our own. It means not thinking too highly of oneself, but as a servant to others. It means having compassion and showing mercy on others.

It might even mean caring about what happens to animals. (But always in regards to human life.)

The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright. -Proverbs 21:18 KJV

I see two ways the wicked can be a ransom for the righteous and the transgressor for the upright.

First, the fulfillment of “you reap what you sow.”

Think of Haman from the book of Esther, who hoped to hang Mordecai, but was instead hung on the very gallows he had built.

Or the men who tried to trap Daniel and were themselves thrown into his pit of lions to be devoured.

In other words, if you plan evil against someone, you may very well find yourself suffering that fate.

Secondly, the ransom is not the payment but the prize.

Think of the kidnapped child. The “ransomed child” is paid for and redeemed.

(You probably see where this is going …)

Jesus Christ is the only truly righteous and upright One, and He sacrificed Himself for our ransom. Praise be to God that we wicked transgressors are the ransomed of Christ.

Likewise, we should go out and be willing to sacrifice everything to bring others to the knowledge of our Great Redeemer.

Bob’s been trying to get in touch with our tree service guy to come out and take a look at a particular sugar maple in our back yard.  It’s been trimmed back more than once, and even had one major branch amputated and sealed years ago.  This summer there has been a nest of (I believe) woodpeckers in a hole on the main trunk; it’s very cool to watch the little avian family, but probably doesn’t bode too well for the tree.

The concern is, regardless of how pretty the maple is on the outside, (and I do love them, especially in the autumn), this one is close enough to the family room roof that toppling over could do some serious damage, and not just to the woodpeckers’ cozy little abode!

Which seems, in its own way, speaks to one of the major themes in this chapter of Proverbs.  The writer makes several references to leadership, which could include anything from the home, the workplace, all the way up the President:

When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily.
    But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.

And another:

When the godly succeed, everyone is glad.
    When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding.

Not done yet, here’s a few more:

A wicked ruler is as dangerous to the poor
    as a roaring lion or an attacking bear.

 A ruler with no understanding will oppress his people,
    but one who hates corruption will have a long life.

When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding.
    When the wicked meet disaster, the godly flourish.

With so much of the same line of thinking packed closely together, it’s almost like God is giving us a bit of a go-‘round in case we didn’t get it the first or second time: wicked people in charge is a prescription for disaster.  We don’t have to look too far back in our own history to renew the bitter taste in our mouths. 

Yet there are two interesting tidbits here which may be easily overlooked. 

The first has to do with the term “the wicked”.  Such a moniker predisposes a standard which can be reliably used to define wickedness.  It would be no good to tell us to avoid something if we had no way of identifying it.  And if such a standard exists, then there must be someone transcendent of that standard to set the bar.

Obviously, in the Christian worldview, this standard is God as illustrated in His Son, Jesus.  Yep, a pretty high one, that.

Secondly, the writer refers to “moral rot” on a national scale as being that which precedes the downfall of the government.  In other words, it’s not about the officials—at least initially—but the people themselves.  Those of us who work in the factories and hospitals and schools and homes.  Those of us who, when we do something less-than-legal, needn’t worry about the media broadcasting it all over Twitter and Facebook.  CNN isn’t looking over my shoulder to see if I cheat on my income tax or run the red light or kick my dog.

SomeOne else is, though.  (Reference the first tidbit.)

I am admonished by the writings in the New Testament to pray for those in leadership—God alone knows how very much they need it.  But perhaps Solomon, from his very unique perspective, is going a step deeper: just maybe I need to take a good look at who I am giving them to lead regarding my own character.

Am I giving them a sturdy tree to build on, or one that will topple with the next storm?

Proverbs 28:2,12,15,16,28  Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 5:21-23

“For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.”

Stay On the Good Path

There is a line in Disney’s “It’s A Bug’s Life” that to me describes these verses. It starts with two fire flies that are buzzing around a bug zapper. One of the bugs is headed straight into the bug zapper while the other is warning him to look away. The conversation continues with one bug saying “No, Harry, No – Don’t look at the light”. Harry responds, “I can’t help it, it’s so beautiful!” As soon as the word beautiful comes out of Harry’s mouth, you hear and see Harry being zapped by the bug zapper. (VIDEO)

God is yelling to us and warning us to stay on the good path and not be lead astray by our own folly!

God’s Eyes

There was a little chorus that I was taught when I was little. It says “O be careful little eyes what you see; O be careful little eyes what you see; for the Father up above is looking down with love; O be careful little eyes what you see!”

We need to always remember that God is watching our every step. Nothing takes him by surprise. Even those times when we think that no one is watching us or that no one will ever find out – GOD KNOWS! Our ways are before the eyes of the Lord.

Our Choice

Something that has always fascinated me is that we (man) have the freedom of choice. We have the freedom to chose to follow God or not to follow God. One of the things that I find intriguing about verse 22 is that when we make the decision not to follow God and His laws – we find ourselves in bondage.

Warren Wiersbe says this about the power of sin:

The cords of sin get stronger the more we sin, yet  sin deceives us into thinking we’re free and can quit sinning whenever we please. As the invisible chains of habit are forged, we discover to our horror that we don’t have the strength to breath them.

God again is yelling at us “No, no, don’t go down that road! Don’t let sin entrap you and keep you in bondage!

John 8:36 says “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”. Only Jesus Christ can set us free from our bondage of sin!

Within thy circling power I stand;
On every side I find Thy hand;
Awake, asleep, at home, abroad,
I am surrounded still with God.

– Isaac Watts

Let’s surround ourselves with God each and every day and stay focused on Him!

Lord, we thank you for your instructions to help us keep our path straight. Help us each and every day to die to self and completely give our lives to you.

^{Proverbs 6:16-17a}

^{“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look...”}

The Overlord

Most other translations translate this verse as “haughty eyes”.

People with this look are often considered arrogant and rude. A proud look, haughty eyes, comes when you look at another person convinced you are better.

Evidence of this is found in Jesus’ parable in Luke 18 with this prayer:

‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
NIV

These tend to be the people who refuse to associate with certain people and treat others as beneath them. They lord their righteousness over others, whether or not they really are more righteous.

The Needy Servant

A proud look can also come from someone in a more lowly position.

These are the people who have to help others and make sure everyone knows about. If you do not help out, you are not worth their time. Yet, if you need help, they will be the first to help, because all they really seek is the attention as being so good or to know they are better than someone else.

There are many ways in which this can be expressed, but these two examples are definitely prevalent.

Are you one lord’s your righteousness over others? Are you one who seeks the glory by debasing yourself to look “good”?

Lord, give us humble hearts, discerning minds, and a willingness to serve out of love. Remove our prideful passions and replace them with a passion for You!

Proverbs 10:11 

“The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.”

Righteous

The word righteous is probably not one that many of us would wish to use if describing ourselves. But how do we become righteous? The simple answer is that nothing on earth, and nothing we can do in our own strength, will ever make us righteous. That’s the bad news. The good news is that God provided a way to achieve righteousness.

God sent Jesus, His righteous Son, who willingly gave His life for us, the unrighteous. Although God knew that we could never achieve the righteousness He desires in us, His love for humanity was so great that He made a Way. But it came at a price.

How can we repay the debt that each of us owes to God? One answer is contained in this verse. If we accept the gift of God’s grace, then we must be changed. Our lives must increasingly reflect the life of Jesus. Our friends and family should be able to see Jesus in us, and we should be able to see them through His eyes.

Be the Well

When we speak, our mouths become like wells. The words that come from deep within should bring life to others. Therefore, our words should mark us as different.

It should be easy to tell the believer apart from those who have not accepted the gift of grace that God gave in Jesus. But sadly, many times what comes out of their mouths tells a different story. The challenge for those who have received the gift of grace is to be easily distinguishable from those who have not.

Proverbs 12:7

“The wicked are overthrown, and [are] not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.”

The Wicked

The person that coined the phrase, “All good things must come to an end” must have never read Proverbs 12:7. According to this verse, it will be the wicked that come to an end. Or should I say, die and disappear. The ESV says our verse this way, “The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand.”

The Greek word for overthrown is “haphak” which means “to turn around or turn over; to overturn”. This is the same terminology that was used in Genesis 19:21,25,29, when God displayed His judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah.

God overthrew or overturned Sodom and Gomorrah because of the wickedness of the people and He has promised that same ending for the wicked today!

The Godly

There are two things here that I want to point out:

One, the godly have a firm foundation. There is a chorus entitled “Firm Foundation” that goes like this:

Jesus, you’re my firm foundation
I know I can stand secure
Jesus, you’re my firm foundation
I put my hope in your holy word
I put my hope in your holy word

Many of us have heard the great old hymn “How Firm a Foundation”. Two of the verses say these words:

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Jesus is our firm foundation and the godly can take comfort in knowing that even when storms come our way, our foundation is secure! Matthew 16:18 says, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Second, the way we live our lives affects not only us but also our family. We saw in Proverbs 12:3 how the righteous man can not be uprooted, but in our verse today we see how the actions of one man can affect his entire family.

I believe that it is important to point out here that this is one reason why Solomon continued to hammer home the idea of “My son, listen and obey my words and commandments”. Solomon knew the promise of the Lord in this verse.

When we live godly and right, we will reap the blessings of God.

Lord, my prayer is that each and every one of us would live a godly life. That we would make You our solid foundation. Help us to heed the words of wisdom from Solomon to listen and obey your commands.

Reference:

1. “Firm Foundation” – words and music by Jamie Harvill & Nancy Gordon

2. “How Firm A Foundation” – words by John Rippon / music by Joseph Funk