GOD’S WISDOM FOR YOU
PROVERBS 28:11-14
11 A rich man is wise in his own eyes,
but a poor man who with understanding sees through him.
Nothing is said here about how the rich man got his wealth. The reason is that wealth can be deceptive no matter how it is obtained. A man who inherits his wealth may be deceived into thinking that his privilege or good fortune makes him wise, but all it makes him is fortunate. A man who steals his wealth may actually believe that he is clever to have done so, perhaps even saying (as thieves sometimes do) that anyone foolish enough to lose their money to a thief doesn’t deserve to have that money. A man who gains wealth by natural means by farming or herding (Genesis 4:2), mining (Job 28:1-11), fishing (Psalm 8:8; Mark 1:16), or otherwise using the world around us, might be tempted to think that his skill alone, or luck alone, or the zodiac has somehow been the source of his income. Remember that James says: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” (James 1:17). And a man who earns a fortune on his own may forget his former lowly status and forget that it is really God who gives such gifts. None of these thoughts are wise at all. The proverb shows that even a poor man can see this; you don’t need to be a wealthy man to understand the faults and temptations of wealthy men.
In truth, if you find that you have riches, you will be tempted to be bound to those riches. If you find that you are not bound to them at all, but are willing to give it all away, you will benefit yourself and those who prosper for your generosity.
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory;
but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.
When the righteous triumph, few if any people need to fear. The righteous will be merciful to enemies and even the wicked. But when the wicked triumph, everyone becomes afraid. A truly wise man will observe this reaction to his status and give careful consideration to his life and his own place before God who will judge him. The Bible shows examples of people going into hiding when the wicked rise to power. Moses was hidden by his mother because of a Pharaoh’s paranoia (Exodus 2:3). Obadiah hid a hundred prophets in caves when Ahab was king in Samaria (1 Kings 18:3-4). Joash was hidden as a boy to keep him hidden from wicked Queen Athaliah (2 Kings 11:2-3). Even Jesus hid himself once from a crowd that wanted to kill him before his proper time had come (John 8:59).
It is not a sin to hide or to run when our lives are in danger on account of the wicked to hate the gospel. Jesus said, “When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes” (Matthew 10:23). His words describe danger to the lives of his followers even in Israel, where the word of God was known. His followers would have to continue to flee from city to city, over and over again, until his return on the Last Day. This describes the trouble we will have as well as Peter, James, and John. The gospel will not always be welcome in every nation. The gospel was a blessing once in Asia Minor, but it was attacked and scarcely a church remains today that isn’t just a ruin. The gospel was a blessing once in Europe, and how many churches are nothing but museums anymore? The gospel was a blessing once in Germany, through the ministry of Martin Luther, but those who survived the terrible wars of the 20th century fell prey to the philosophies of the same century, and the church there is hardly even a shadow of its former glory. The gospel has been a blessing in America now for more than four hundred years. How long before the madness of our nation and the compromises of church leaders loose sight of the gospel altogether? Praise God that he is already opening doors in Africa and Asia. Perhaps one day missionaries from those places will bring the gospel back to Israel, Turkey, Europe, and other places. Even here.
13 He who conceals his sins will not prosper,
but whoever confesses and turns from them finds mercy.
The ability to confess our sins and to turn away from those sins or temptations with the help of God is a great blessing to mankind, a gift from God that is never anticipated, accepted, or even believed possible by unbelievers. The wicked can’t even dream that anyone would want to obey God, and so they imagine in their hearts that Christianity is a lie, a sham, and nothing but a veneer of holiness and hypocrisy. But God in his infinite mercy has given to mankind the conscience and the natural knowledge of the law, through which man is terrified over his guilt before God. This guilt is soothed only by the loving promises of God. We are permitted to confess our sins in public, led by the example of the pastor in worship. We are also permitted to confess our sins privately, to a pastor or to another Christian, to receive forgiveness “just between the two of you” (Matthew 18:15). But we are also to confess our sins in silence before God alone (Nehemiah 1:6). In each case, the gospel of forgiveness is promised by God for our eternal good.
14 Blessed is the man who fears the LORD always,
but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
God wants mankind to fear him, because his punishment for sin is real, certain, terrible, and inevitable for those who forsake God. It is fear of the punishment of hell that keeps us focused on the details of God’s holy will. What kind of Christians would we be if we accepted God’s will about some things but not all things? Even the sunflowers would condemn us, because they turn to face the sun at all times rather than just once in a while as it suits them, and when the sun is hidden from them, they seem to go into mourning.
We are right to talk about the fear of the Lord as respect, which we often do. But we would be wrong to omit the other definition of fear, which is being frightened over the consequences of our sins. God’s promises sooth our consciences, but that medicine must be used where the sickness of sin has been recognized and confessed. The medicine is Christ alone. His sacrifice is what has cured us of the incurable sickness of sin. His sacrifice binds us to him and to his resurrection through faith.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
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Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, New Ulm, Minnesota
God’s Wisdom for You – Proverbs 28:11-14 Fear, repentance and faith