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APPLYING THE WISDOM OF GOD #26

“The Wicked Shall Be A Ransom for the Righteous”

Proverbs 21:9-10

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Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with

a contentious woman. 10The soul of the wicked desires evil; his

neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

*Thought - Both of these proverbs deal with “contentious” relationships.

The first is a “better than” proverb that gives you an extreme picture to

apply. It points to the fact that love, joy, and peace in a home is what

makes a person rich, for it would be “better to dwell” by yourself in a little

house in peace, than in a castle fighting with your spouse.

The application is to be very careful who you marry. Do not get married

just because you’re lonely, etc, or you could find yourself wishing you could

be alone. And if you are married, there is nothing worth trading your peace

for.

Then there are some people who “soul”, mind, emotions, and will

“desires evil.” They are so twisted they have no desire for love, joy, and

peace. “His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes” so you certainly would

not want to marry an angry person like that.

The application is when you meet a person who is always fighting with

someone, then don’t think that person will not end up fighting with you.

Proverbs 21:11-12

11When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise; but when the

wise is instructed, he receives knowledge. 12The righteous God

wisely considers the house of the wicked, overthrowing the wicked

for their wickedness.

*Thought - “When a scoffer” who mocks God’s wisdom suffers the

consequences, a “simple” person who lacks wisdom learns from their

example and is “made wise” in that area.

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A sign of wisdom is that you can be “instructed” and simply “receive

knowledge” instead of having to learn the hard way. You could say it like

this. Even the simple minded can learn by others’ mistakes, fools who

reject knowledge have to learn on their own, but a “scoffer is punished”

for his prideful ways.

Remember, “the soul of the wicked desires evil” (verse 10) and “the

righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked.” He knows

everything going on in there and there is only one way to deal with people

in that state of mind. God overthrows it, so you surely don’t want to be in

there when He does.

Also, do not be discouraged when you know wickedness is going on.

God is watching and will deal with it in His own time.

Proverbs 21:13-14

13Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself

and not be heard. 14A gift in secret pacifies anger, and a bribe behind

the back, strong wrath.

*Thought - God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows he will also reap.

(Galatian 6:7) If you sow mercy, you will reap mercy. If a person “shuts

his ears to the cry of the poor,” he one day will find himself in need of

assistance “and not be heard.”

We are still on the subject of learning things the hard way. If we refuse to

have empathy for others God will bring you to a place where you realize

you should. You will walk a mile in their shoes, so to speak.

“A gift in secret pacifies anger” or you could say an act of generosity

calms people down. The “bribe behind the back” is difficult because all

through Proverbs “bribes” as a miscarriage of justice are condemned.

But here it is used in this case to settle someone down before someone

gets hurt because that is what “strong wrath” leads to.

It is better to stop a quarrel at any cost than to let opponents become

entrenched in their positions. For example my child accidentally runs off

the road into someone’s yard and tears up their precious rose bushes. My

child can’t pay for it.

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The neighbor wants to sue us, but instead of going to court, I just give him

the money to hire professional landscapers to come in and make his rose

garden more beautiful than it’s ever been. Once again there is peace in the

neighborhood and no miscarriage of justice.

Proverbs 21:15-16

15It is a joy for the just to do justice, but destruction will come to the

workers of iniquity. 16A man who wanders from the way of

understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead.

*Thought - The message is clear. Which experience do you prefer?

“Joy” or “destruction?” The innocent have nothing to fear and

everything to gain from “justice,” whereas the guilty can only fear the

punishment.

With the same thought in mind, verse 16 is a warning. You don’t have to

be an all out “worker of iniquity” to experience “destruction.” A person

must set their mind on God’s wisdom for “a man who wanders from the

way of understanding” can end up in the “assembly of the dead.” All it

takes to “wander” is to lose focus of where you’re going.

Proverbs 21:17-18

17He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil

will not be rich. 18The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and

the unfaithful for the upright.

*Thought - One characteristic of wisdom is to avoid immediate “pleasure”

that lasts but for a moment, and to seek long term goals that produce

spiritual, long lasting fruit in a person’s life. Living for temporary

“pleasures” of the day leads to long lasting poverty, which can be passed

down to the next generation.

One of the greatest temptations that destroys a person’s wealth is the “love

of wine and oil,” or what people consider fine dining.

“Ransom” means a price paid so someone else may be set free. When

judgment comes “the wicked” will suffer the consequences instead of

“the righteous.” And “the unfaithful” or those who could not be trusted

will pay instead of “the upright,” like in the parable of the talents.

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“Therefore take the talent from him,” the one who could not be trusted,

“and give it to him who has ten talents,” the one who was faithful.

(Matthew 25:28)

Proverbs 21:19-20

19Better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry

woman. 20There is desirable treasure, and oil in the dwelling of the

wise, but a foolish man squanders it.

*Thought - Here is another better than proverb that encourages us to be

careful of who we connect ourselves to in relationships. We may desire

companionship but it’s “better to dwell in the wilderness”all alone in

peace with the Lord than arguing with “a contentious and angry” person.

Thinking back to verse 17, “He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.”

Here in verse 20 “the wise” who know how to set priorities, and work

diligently to accomplish their goals, (21:5) find their work blessed. There

will be “desirable treasure, and oil” in their homes, “but a foolish man”

who lives only for today “squanders it.”

Here’s Pastor Grant’s proverb. If we live only for today, every day

becomes worse and worse, but when we live with tomorrow in mind, every

today becomes better and better.

Proverbs 21:21-22

21He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness,

and honor. 22A wise man scales the city of the mighty, and brings

down the trusted stronghold.

*Thought - What we seek we find. (Matthew 7:7-8) The path we “follow”

leads us to the place we end up. “He who follows righteousness and

mercy, finds life” or you could say the abundant life Christ came to give

(John 10:10) and because he “follows righteousness” he “finds

righteousness, and honor.”

The wisdom begs the question, “What are you seeking? What path are

you following?” You need to consider because that is where you are

headed.

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The picture in verse 22 of “the city of the mighty” who trust in their own

might as the city of Jericho trusted in their high walls, or Babylon the

greatest city on earth in its day, yet God gave Cyrus of Persia wisdom to

conquer it in one night.

Anything man builds can be overcome by God’s wisdom “and bring down

the trusted stronghold.” Thus wisdom is “mighty.”

Proverbs 21:23-24

23Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from

troubles. 24A proud and haughty man-- “Scoffer” is his name; he acts

with arrogant pride.

*Thought - Whoever understands the power of words (Proverbs 18:21,

James 3:1-12) recognizes the need to use them carefully. Because we

know the tongue is difficult to tame, and life and death are in the power of

the tongue, we need to “guard” or keep watch over the things we say.

He who does so “keeps his soul” mind, emotions, and will “from

troubles.” And, of course, visa versa!

A “scoffer” is the one who mocks God’s wisdom. This is done by use of

their “tongue.” If careless use of our tongue can lead us to “trouble” how

much more a person who purposefully due to their “arrogant pride” uses

their tongue to mock God!

You Do Not Want To Be In Their Shoes!

God Bless

See You Next Week

Pastor Grant Cole

Wednesday, October 20, 2021