Transcription
[Music] As we come to Proverbs chapter 11, we come in the midst of this long middle section of the book of Proverbs where each chapter is simply a collection of individual verses of Proverbs that are pretty much entirely two-line, one-verse statements of wisdom. And we're enjoying this going by chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Let's begin now.
Proverbs 11:1. "Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight." That term "abomination" in the Old Testament, the first line, "Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord." That term "abomination" was reserved for terrible, horrific things, such as idolatry of the most grotesque kind. This shows just how deeply God cares about simple honesty and fairness. God regards dishonest scales as an abomination. Correspondingly, the second line of the proverb, "a just weight is his delight." To the degree that God condemns the dishonest people who defraud others, to the same degree he has delight in just and fair business practices. You know, the law of Moses clearly commanded that the people of God were to have honest scales, honest weights and measures. You can find this in Leviticus 19:35 and 36 and Deuteronomy 25:13-16. But it's an important principle. How you do your business, how you measure what someone is purchasing from you, it matters to God. And if you use dishonest scales, that's an abomination to the Lord. Instead, delight the Lord by using just and fair business practices.
Proverbs 11:2, "When pride comes, then comes shame, but with the humble is wisdom." The proud man or woman fears shame. Isn't that interesting to note about proud people? They fear being ashamed or discredited or disgraced in front of other people. But notice this. In a very ironic way, the proud man or woman cultivates shame and disgrace for themselves. Because the Bible says, "When pride comes, then comes shame." One very significant reason for this is that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. You'll find that in James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5, each of them interestingly quoting from the book of Proverbs. So when pride comes, somebody will be eventually, in the eyes of God, in the eyes of eternity, maybe in the eyes of this day and age, they will be ashamed. However, "with the humble is wisdom." There is great wisdom in humility because it recognizes the truth about God and the truth about self, especially self in relation to others. I think it's so strange how some people go around thinking that they're better than other people. That's not wise. But with the humble, there is wisdom. This humility is an important foundation for wisdom. I like what Derek Kidner, the Old Testament commentator, had to say about this. He said that the humble, it's translated "lowly" in the King James version. He said, "It's a rare word in the Old Testament, found only here as a verb and in Micah 6:8 where it says that we should walk humbly with our God." You see, the suggestion according to Derek Kidner is that the teachable spirit is the opposite of the proud, insubordinate spirit that has just been considered. No, it's true, friends. "When pride comes, then comes shame, but with the humble is wisdom."
Proverbs chapter 11:3, "The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them." The man or woman who lives with integrity, that's a trustworthy life lived without shame, without secrets, that's recognized as being an upright person. And they will have their integrity to guide them. Isn't it interesting to see that Jesus Christ is the ultimate upright man who was guided by his integrity? When I read a proverb like Proverbs 11:3, "The integrity of the upright will guide them," I see that as being perfectly fulfilled in the life of Jesus the Messiah. However, there's an opposite consideration given in this verse too. Verse three, the second part says, "But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them." The false and crooked ways of the unfaithful will bring those who practice those perverse and unfaithful ways, it'll bring them to destruction.
Proverbs 11:4, "Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death." The book of Proverbs many times recognizes the benefit of riches of wealth on a current earthly scale. But the book of Proverbs also recognizes the limitations of wealth. Friends, earthly wealth is useless in the day of wrath. "Riches do not profit in the day of wrath." However, something can profit you in the day of wrath. The second part of Proverbs 11:4 says this, "But righteousness delivers from death." We can and we should use our present earthly wealth to store up treasure in heaven, which will bring profit in the day of wrath. And isn't it true that Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of this principle that righteousness delivers from death? Jesus Christ, God's holy one. Even as he bore the sin of the world upon himself at the cross, he did not become a sinner. No, he was performing a holy, righteous act of love. Therefore, righteousness delivered him from death. That's seen in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 11:5, "The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way a right, but the wicked will fall by his own wickedness." The blameless man or woman finds some rest in the confidence that God's guiding eye is upon the righteous. That's why we read it. And it says, "The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way a right." Lord, if I trust in Jesus Christ, if I keep myself in right relationship with you, if I do what I can to walk in a godly way, then it can be my assurance that you will direct my way a right. However, the second part of the verse, "the wicked will fall by his own wickedness." The wicked man or woman does not have the same confidence that the blameless or righteous man or woman has. You see, God doesn't have to specially intervene in the fall of the wicked. Notice what it says there in verse 5. "The wicked will fall by his own wickedness." Many times when God brings judgment or even corrective discipline upon a person, God doesn't have to do anything extraordinary. He just simply needs to let them bear the effect of the things that they have caused to bear the results of the seeds that they have sown. No, it is true. "The wicked will fall by his own wickedness."
Proverbs chapter 11:6, "The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the unfaithful will be caught by their lust." The upright will have their reward. Their righteousness will be blessed and they will be delivered. It's a true statement. "The righteousness of the upright will deliver them." However, there's a contrasting statement given in the second half of verse 6. "But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust." Just as much as the upright will be delivered, the unfaithful will be caught, and they will be caught by their own lust, receiving the penalty of their own unfaithful desires.
Proverbs 11:7, "When a wicked man dies, his expectations will perish, and the hope of the unjust perishes." The wicked man or woman often expects blessing and goodness. But that expectation will perish when they die and when they face the judgment that is to come upon all men and women. Surely it is true that it is given to men once to die and then to face judgment, as Hebrews chapter 9:27 says. However, it's not only true what it says there that his expectation will perish, but it says, "the hope of the unjust perishes." The hopes of the wicked end up only being wishes, and they are wishes that end up being bitterly disappointed. I like what Adam Clarke, that Methodist commentator from the early 19th century, said. He said this, quote: "Hope was not made for the wicked, and yet they are the very persons that most abound in it. They hope to be saved and get at last to the kingdom of God, though they have their face towards perdition and refuse to turn. But their hope goes no farther than the grave." Dear friend listening, don't be the kind of person described in Proverbs 11:7. Don't be the wicked man or woman who dies and have all your expectations perish. Don't be one of the unjust whose hope perishes when this life perishes.
Proverbs 11:8, "The righteous is delivered from trouble and it comes to the wicked instead." God promises deliverance to his righteous ones. Whatever trouble they experience in this life is only temporary, and they will see his deliverance in this life, but especially in the life to come. It's like the Apostle Paul would later on say in Philippians, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." It's true. "The righteous is delivered from trouble." But the second part of Proverbs 11:8 is also true that "it comes, that is the trouble, it comes to the wicked instead." You know, for the righteous, this life is the worst trouble they will ever experience. But for the wicked, their greatest trouble is yet to come. It's interesting how this pattern plays out through the scriptures. In Exodus chapter 14, the Israelites were delivered out of the troubles of the Red Sea, but the Egyptians were drowned in that same Red Sea. In Esther chapter 7, Mordecai was rescued from the gallows, but Haman was executed by that same gallows. In Acts chapter 12, Peter was rescued from prison while his persecutors and jailers were condemned. No friends, it is so often true in the way God works that "the righteous is delivered from trouble, but that trouble comes to the wicked instead."
Proverbs chapter 11:9, "The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered." One of the identifying marks of the hypocrite is that they destroy other people with their words. Sincere love looks to build others up by what they say, not to destroy them. But again, what does it say to repeat myself from Proverbs 11:9? "The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor." But the second part of the verse, "through knowledge the righteous will be delivered." God's deliverance comes to the righteous through their knowledge. And this is knowledge both in the sense of their knowledge of wisdom, their knowledge of God's truth in his word, but friends, also in the sense of the knowledge of God in a personal relationship with him. No, it is true. "The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor," or maybe he does it nowadays on his social media account. But "through knowledge, the righteous will be delivered."
Proverbs 11:10, "When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation." God gives favor among men with his righteous ones. That's a principle recorded all the way back in Proverbs 3:4. And therefore, the community rejoices when righteous ones are blessed. But the second half of that proverb says that "when the wicked perish, there is jubilation." You see, verse 10 explains to us that as much as the community rejoices over the blessing of the righteous, they also celebrate the calamity and the end of the wicked. Wicked men and women are not missed when they pass. The commentator Bruce Waltke said this. He said, "Rome rejoiced at the death of Nero, and the public rejoiced in the French Revolution at the death of Robespierre." Well, it's true, isn't it? That wicked rulers, wicked people, their passing is not mourned.
Proverbs 11:11, "By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked." Friends, when good comes to the upright, it's good for the whole community. Their blessing and prosperity extends beyond themselves. However, that same community, that same city will be, as it says in the second half of verse 11, "will be overthrown by the mouth of the wicked." Friends, the words of the wicked can even destroy a city, leading to its overthrow. This mouth of the wicked can overthrow a city either spiritually or politically. It could be done through the promotion of spiritual or social deception. No friends, this is why we need truth on what we might call a macro level in the community, in the city. We need to be truth tellers and truth receivers. And it's a grievous thing when wicked people spread lies abroad.
Proverbs 11:12, "He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his peace." You see, the way of wisdom is also the way of love and respect. When someone despises his neighbor, it isn't evidence of superior wisdom and discernment, but a failure of true wisdom. You know, I think about this when I see people, especially in the social media sphere, who claim to be people of great discernment, people of great understanding, but you can tell in the way that they speak to other people, that they despise other people. But friends, it's true that "he who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor." And the second part of Proverbs 11:12 says this, that "a man of understanding holds his peace." Men and women of wisdom, that is understanding, recognize that there is a time and a place to hold back one's outrage. They know when love and respect should compel them to hold their peace.
Proverbs 11:13, "A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter." Notice this, the talebearer. This can be the unfaithful gossip, the uncontrolled talker, this person who loves the power and intrigue of revealing secrets. For them, such secrets are a form of power that they can use for their own advancement. I like how Matthew Poole defined this person as the talebearer. He gave this definition, quoting, "he that goeth about from one place or person to another as the manner of such is telling tales, making it his business to scatter reports, revealeth secrets." Oh, that's the talebearer. And I like what George Bridges had to say about this. He said, "It is not safe to be close to this cruel man who trifles with the happiness of his fellow creatures. For as readily as he betrays a confidence about a neighbor to us, so he will betray a confidence about us to someone else." My friend, it's true. You can't trust the talebearer who reveals secrets. They're going to tell stories about you as well. But look at the contrast. And the contrast is wonderful here in the second part of Proverbs 11:13. "But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter." The man or woman of wisdom, those who have a faithful spirit know that there is an appropriate time to conceal a matter. There are times when love and wisdom will guide us to privacy and discretion. That's certainly not all the time. Look, there's a time for making things known from the housetop. But it's true in its appropriate place. "He who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter."
Proverbs 11:14, "Where there is no counsel, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety." People need leadership and guidance. And God has given systems and structures of authority. And those in leadership need to be able to give wise counsel because "where there is no counsel, the people fall." But "in the multitude of counselors there is safety." There is great value and safety in receiving the opinions and input from the multitude of counselors. No man or woman has all gifts or all wisdom, and a multitude of counselors may work well to bring greater wisdom and safety in decisions.
Proverbs 11:15, "He who is surety for a stranger will suffer, but one who hates being surety is secure." To promise to pay the debts of a stranger, that's what it means to be surety for a stranger. To promise to pay the debts of a stranger is to invite trouble. It's never a surprise when that person suffers because of such a foolish promise. Rather, there is security in being responsible for only one's own debts, the things that they have control over. That's why it says in the second part of Proverbs 11:15, "one who hates being surety is secure."
Proverbs 11:16, "A gracious woman retains honor, but ruthless men retain riches." A mark of a truly gracious woman is that she carries herself with a sense of honor and dignity. It's interesting that phrasing here, "a gracious woman." According to Matthew Poole, he says that the Hebrew indicates that this is a woman of grace and favor. For example, "one who by her meekness and modesty and prudence and other virtues renders herself acceptable and amiable to God and to men." That's a gracious woman. And she will, of course, retain honor. However, in contrast, "ruthless men retain riches." As verse 16 explains, character and honor are important to the gracious woman, but all the ruthless care about is riches. Wealth is their god. There are some people who believe that the Hebrew phrasing here for ruthless men does not have a negative sense in this proverb, that it simply speaks of the reward that comes to the strong. I'm more likely to think that this has a negative connotation.
Proverbs 11:17, "The merciful man does good for his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh." The one who shows mercy to others will be shown mercy. And this is good for the soul. So it's true. "The merciful man does good for his own soul." Friends, if you have no other reason to be merciful to other people, then do it for the sake of your own soul. However, "he who is cruel," this is the second half of verse 17, "he who is cruel troubles his own flesh." The one who is unmerciful and cruel to others will find that it troubles himself. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, you can find this at Matthew 7:2, that "the measure men use for others will also be measured to them." And this proverb is a good example of that principle. When you're merciful to others, God will be merciful to you. When you're cruel to others, God will allow cruelty to come your way and maybe even deliberately inflict it.
Proverbs chapter 11:18, "The wicked man does deceptive work, but he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward." When someone works with deception and dishonesty, it is evidence of wickedness. The wise and honest person knows that work must be done in a way that's marked by honesty and integrity. No, "it is the wicked man that does deceptive work." But as verse 18 goes on to say, "he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward." Those who do their work in righteousness, marked by honesty and integrity, will see the sure reward of their work. Their righteous work is like good seed that has been sown. Isn't it true that Jesus sowed to righteousness? It's as if every godly and good thing he did was like a righteous seed that he cast out upon the ground. Jesus sowed to righteousness in all that he did, and he certainly had a sure reward.
Proverbs 11:19, "As righteousness leads to life, so he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death." For Solomon, this was a self-evident fact. Righteousness leads to life. And using the same logic, Solomon could have just as easily written, "as the sun rises in the east." The path of righteousness is a path to life. However, the second half here of verse 19 says, "he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death." You see, the way of evil is also a path, and it leads to death. Many people sacrifice a lot in their pursuit of the evil way, but their only reward is the destination of death.
Proverbs 11:20, "Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord, but the blameless in their ways are his delight." Notice that phrasing there in verse 20. "Those who are of a perverse or twisted heart are an abomination to the Lord." There is a real sense in which we are victims of sin, but there's another real sense, perhaps this isn't even a greater sense, in which we are willing participants in and perpetuators of sin. No, God is right to regard the perverse heart of man as something that is an abomination before him. And in contrast, "the blameless in their ways are his delight." Men and women can delight God. And especially this is true from what we would call a New Covenant perspective. We're so grateful that even though Solomon lived and wrote these proverbs on his side of the person and work of Jesus Christ, we live in light of having Jesus's person and work completed at his death and resurrection. Friends, we live under the New Covenant. And from a New Covenant perspective, we see that the blameless in their ways are those who have been forgiven and declared righteous because of the person and work of Jesus Christ. These are those who are God's delight. God delights in them as he delights in his own Son. We can say that this proverb hints at the transformation that the New Covenant promises, that God would take special delight in his people who come to him by faith based on the New Covenant, based on who Jesus is and what he did, especially what he did in his death and resurrection.
Proverbs 11:21, "Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished, but the posterity of the righteous will be delivered." Notice it says, "Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished." Individually, man is not strong enough to resist God. But it's also true of mankind collectively. Collectively, man is also not strong enough to resist God. God judged mankind when they joined forces to resist God in the days of the Tower of Babel. You can find that back in Genesis 11. So, it's a true principle. "Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished." But we're grateful for this corollary at the end of verse 21. "But the posterity of the righteous will be delivered." God's blessing will be upon his righteous ones and upon their descendants, that is their posterity.
Proverbs 11:22, "As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion." Solomon here used a humorous and absurd word picture. No one would think of putting a ring of gold in a swine's snout. The ornament doesn't match the thing being adorned. But even so, the principle is true. "So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion." Friends, it doesn't fit to put a golden ring in a pig's snout. Even so, it doesn't fit to have a lovely woman who does not have the wisdom of self-control that marks discretion. The power and the influence of that woman's beauty, those aren't enough to make up for her foolishness, for her folly. Literally, according to the commentator Garrett, the woman here is someone who has abandoned discretion. It implies an immoral way of life. Bruce Waltke said of this proverb, he said, "It implies that this woman, the woman who lacks discretion, described here in Proverbs 11:22, it implies that she has turned herself into a boorish animal in her dress, speech, and behavior. In fact, she's worse than a pig. The sow by nature is boorish. But this woman turns aside from her dignity. The misplaced ornaments instead of enhancing her beauty make her look foolishly wasteful, grotesque, and repulsive instead of gaining honor by her natural gift. She wins ridicule. The proverb instructs youth to give priority to inner grace, not to outward beauty." What a contrast here. But it's a true principle. "As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion."
Proverbs 11:23, "The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath." The good character of a righteous man or woman is reflected in their desires. "The desire of the righteous is only good." A righteous man or woman desires that which is good. However, "the expectation of the wicked," it says here in verse 23, "is wrath." The good desires of the righteous will be fulfilled, and that which is due to the wicked will also come to them.
Proverbs chapter 11:24, "There is one who scatters yet increases more, and there is one who withholds more than what is right but it leads to poverty." This phrasing here in the first line of verse 24, "there is one who scatters." That refers to the generous man or woman who scatters. Yet not in the sense of wasting. This isn't a wasteful distribution. This is biblical generosity which 2 Corinthians chapter 9:8-13 says is like the scattering of seed that will later bring a great harvest. And that's indicated here. "There is one who scatters." Verse 24 says, "increases more." We never lose when we give generously unto God and unto his work. However, conversely, the second part of verse 24 tells us that "there is one who withholds more than is right, and that leads to poverty." To be stingy and to hold on to more than is right leads to poverty. When we are selfish and ungenerous with what God has given us, we should expect that God would grant less to us, leading eventually to poverty.
Proverbs 11:25, "The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself." God has promised to bless the generous soul, and he will do so with riches in this world, perhaps riches in the next world for sure, and sometimes both. When it says here, "the generous soul will be made rich," it's literally "fat." "The generous soul will be made fat." That's how it's translated in the Old King James version. And this is simply explained by the fact that in that day and age, people had little fat to eat, and to be fattened both with the food that you ate meant luxury, wealth, abundance, full satisfaction. No, this was an indication of blessing. So, "the generous soul will be made rich," literally "fat," "and he who waters will also be watered himself." When we give, God knows how to give unto us. We can't water others with our own generosity without being watered ourselves. Friends, we are never the loser for our God-guided generosity. Jesus himself told us that it is more blessed to give than to receive. That is God's great promise, his great word to his people, that it is more blessed to give than to receive. And this is his consistent promise to us.
Proverbs 11:26, "The people will curse him who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it." You see, the one who withholds grain here has in mind the seller of grain who refuses to sell, hoping to manipulate the market and gain a much higher price later. Such a selfish man or woman will not only be opposed by God, but will also be cursed by the people. God is a remarkably generous God. Selfishness comes from the fallen nature of man. Now, this verse doesn't establish what you will say, a regulated price for grain, but it protects the buyer by warning the seller of the eventual consequences of their action. "The people will curse him." I think there's a very interesting quote here by Charles Spurgeon on how we should regard financial markets and transactions. Let me read to you this extended quote from Charles Spurgeon, again, based on this proverb, Proverbs 11:26.
Spurgeon said this: "Laws which interfere between buyer and seller, master and workman by any form of law, are blunders and nuisances. Parliaments and princes have hung on to the antiquated absurdity of regulating prices, but the Holy Ghost is nothing of the kind. All the attempts of men to control the price of bread and wheat is sheer folly, as the history of France may well prove. The market goes best when it is left alone. And so in our text, there is no law enacted and no penalty threatened except that which the nature of things makes inevitable. God knows political economy whether men do or not. And leaving the coarse machinery of police regulations, he puts the offender under a form of self-acting legislature which is far more efficient." I think there's a lot of wisdom in the observation of Charles Spurgeon there.
Now, the second half of Proverbs 11:26 says, "But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it." The one who does good by providing grain and goods for sale will be blessed by the community. The proverb does not refer to someone who gives away grain, but simply to someone who sells it, making it available at a fair and good price. Now friends, this principle is spiritual as well as practical. When we distribute instead of hoarding, blessing will come. Spurgeon applied this to what you might call the distribution of the gospel in the 19th century missionary movement and the blessing that came to churches because of this. Let me read another quote from Spurgeon if I dare here for this one particular proverb.
Spurgeon said this: "Mark this. From the day when Fuller, Carey, Sutcliffe, and others met together to send out missionaries to India, the sun began to dawn of a gracious revival, which is not over yet. For bad as the state of the churches now is, yet it is marvelously an improvement upon anything before the age of missions. I believe that the neglect of sending the word to the heathen brought a blight and a curse upon the churches." I would say amen to that statement by Charles Spurgeon. There is blessing on the head of him who sells it when people distribute rather than hoard.
Proverbs 11:27, "He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, but trouble will come to him who seeks evil." God honors the one who earnestly seeks good, and that one may be blessed with favor with God and also among men. This is especially true when the good sought is God himself. Friends, is there anything greater I could use the word "gooder" to seek than God? So when it says, "He who earnestly seeks good finds favor," that should be an encouragement to us to seek God. However, as it says here in the second half of verse 27, "trouble will come to him who seeks evil." Seeking good brings favor, but seeking evil brings trouble. And the trouble that it often brings is simply finding the evil that you're seeking. Friends, think about how that works. Sometimes the great trouble that comes into our life comes simply because we have found the trouble that we've sought after.
Proverbs 11:28, "He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage." Proverbs teaches us the value of money and wealth. But it also teaches us to never trust in riches. To put trust in riches is to invite our own fall. But instead, "the righteous," as it says there in verse 28, "will flourish like foliage." The righteous man or woman does not trust in riches, but they trust in God. This leads to a truly flourishing life.
Proverbs 11:29, "He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart." Notice this. "He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind." To bring trouble to one's own family is to prepare a future full of storm and difficulty. To inherit the wind is to have a future filled with trouble and problems. And it's also true that "the fool will be servant to the wise of heart." Because God's blessing is on the wise, God will lift up the wise of heart. And the foolish man or woman should expect to end up working for the wise man or woman.
Proverbs chapter 11:30, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise." A righteous life bears fruit, and it gives life to others. Now, the New Testament will later speak of the fruit of the Spirit in the life of God's people. You can find this in Galatians chapter 5 and in Ephesians chapter 5. This fruit, especially if we consider it to be like the fruit of the Spirit, is like a tree of life to others. It brings shade and sustenance to others. Again, another quote from Spurgeon. He said, "The fruit of the righteous, that is to say, his life is not a thing fastened upon him, but it grows out of him. Look to it more and more that your religion is real, true, natural, vital, not artificial, constrained, superficial, a thing of times, days, places, a fungus produced by excitement, a fermentation generated by meetings and stirred by oratory. We all need a religion which can live either in a wilderness or in a crowd. A religion which will show itself in every walk of life and in every company." No friends, that really is indicative of the fruit of the righteous. It's like a tree of life.
But the end part of verse 30 says, "He who wins souls is wise." One of the greatest exercises of wisdom is to win souls to God and his kingdom. It takes wisdom to love. It takes wisdom to give. It takes wisdom to winsomely answer those who have yet to come into God's kingdom. We use words to win in romance. So to win souls, you must love them. We use the word "win" in war. To win souls is like a battle. We use the word "win" in regard to sports. To win souls is a competition. Friends, "to win souls is wise." Can I rest one more Spurgeon quote here? Spurgeon said about this verse, "He that wins souls is wise. I do not ask you how he did it. He sang the gospel and you did not like it. But if he won souls, he was wise. Soul winners have all their own ways. And if they do but win souls, they are wise. I will tell you what is not wise, and will not be thought of so at the last, namely to go about the churches doing nothing yourself and railing at all the Lord's useful servants." No, it's true. "He who wins souls is wise."
Proverbs chapter 11:31, "If the righteous be recompensed on the earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner?" We see that many times God's righteous men and women see at least something of the reward of their righteousness while they're still on this earth. A righteous life is a blessed life, and it's often an apparently blessed life. The individual experiences it, and everybody can see it. Well, if that's true, it says, "how much more the ungodly and the sinner?" That's the second part of verse 31. The righteous will receive their reward, and often they receive it on this earth. It is sobering to consider how much more is this true of the ungodly and the sinner. Friends, one of the great themes of Proverbs is that every life is on a path, and the destination of that path has a result. We see it here in Proverbs 11:31. The righteous have their reward, but so do the ungodly and the sinner, and their rewards are respectively certain.
Before we leave Proverbs chapter 11, let's take a look at seeing Jesus in Proverbs 11. And there are many different places. We mentioned a few of them, but go back to verse 30 where it says, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise." Friends, Jesus is the ultimate righteous one. And his fruit, those who bear fruit by abiding in him are like a tree of life. So, we see Jesus in the first line of verse 30. But I see Jesus in particular in the second line of Proverbs 11:30. "He who wins souls is wise." Was there anyone who ever won souls like Jesus did? No. Jesus is the ultimate soul winner. Every soul that has ever been won has been won by Jesus Christ. And though he may use us as soul winners, as intermediaries, and praise God if he does, but friends, the real winning of that soul happens by the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus is such a tremendous soul winner that no wonder Jesus not only has wisdom, he *is* wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:24 says that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Indeed he is, and we praise him for it.
Father, thank you. Thank you that everyone who has been saved is a soul won by Jesus Christ. So we look to you, Jesus, the ultimate soul winner. And we pray, Lord, that as your disciples, you would train us in your ways and help us to live in the wisdom of being those who win souls for your kingdom. Work in us to be conformed in the image of the Son in this aspect. We pray this in Jesus' marvelous name. Amen.
[Music]