Proverbs 28:3

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:3, “A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.” Someone who oppresses the poor is taking advantage of them because they are poor. Only a very selfish and non-feeling person would oppress the poor. If you have compassion in your heart because you know Jesus, then your heart will go out to anyone who is suffering. There will always be some poor people around, but just make sure that you treat them with the same honor and respect that all human beings deserve.

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:4, “They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.” For Christians the “law” represents all the Word of God. All that they had in Old Testament times was the law of Moses. We have the New Testament. Anyway, the spiritual principle is the same. Every person has a choice. You can seek to obey God’s Word or to forsake it. There is a battle going on in the world: the battle between good and evil. Many times we wonder why our politicians do not fight against evil. This verse tells us why that happens so often. Those politicians are not right with God and do not seek to obey God’s Word in their lives. Paul said at the end of his life in Second Timothy, “I have fought a good fight.” It tells us in Ephesians 6:11-12 to stand against the wiles of the devil and to be prepared for a spiritual warfare. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.[12] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:5, “Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.” One of the advantages of seeking the Lord and then knowing Jesus as Savior is that believers have access to true wisdom. Why do our congressmen, senators, and judges make such poor decisions? Here is the answer: “Evil men understand not judgment.” We need better leaders.

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:6, “Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.” This proverb emphasizes the fact that the kind of person that you are is more important than how much money you have. That should be obvious. You will not take anything with you when you die. Also, a rich person will have a greater judgment because they could use their extra money for good instead of for selfishness, and they will have to give an account for what they have done with what God put into their hands. It is less likely that a rich person will make it to heaven because they tend to trust in their riches instead of turning to the Lord Jesus and trusting in Him. Proverbs 28:6 does not say that every poor person is better than every rich person. First of all the poor person has to walk “in his uprightness,” and the rich person has to be “perverse in his ways.” If the poor person does not walk with the Lord, but the rich person does, then the rich person is better.

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:7, “Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.” Children have a responsibility to their parents. A child’s behavior will reflect on his parents, and the more so the older the child gets. What is the best that a child can do to honor his parents: keep “the law.” Today we have the whole Word of God because we have the New Testament. Love the Word of God, read the Word of God, apply the Word of God to your life, and you will bring great honor to your parents and to your family name. What will keep a child from doing such honor: if he becomes “a companion of riotous men.” Peer pressure is the enemy of many and especially of young people. There is a great danger for your life: getting involved with the wrong people.

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:8, “He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.” Usury was interest on a loan. Until this debt-ridden society came along, borrowing money was considered something that was only done by the poor. And so if you loaned money to someone, you were helping out someone who was poor and in a desperate situation. To demand interest on such loans would be considered cruel and taking advantage of the unfortunate ones. Collecting usury was the same as “unjust gain.”

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:9, “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” This is a verse that makes an important point about “the law,” in other words, an important point about the Word of God. God has given us His Word. God speaks to us through His Word. You cannot turn away from God’s Word and then think that God enjoys your prayers. Of course, He wants to hear you, but He wants you to hear Him too. If you love God, you will love the Bible. Your heart and soul will hunger to hear more, read more, and know more about God’s Word.

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:10, “Whoso causeth the righteous to go away in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit; but the upright shall have good things in possession.” This verse talks about the final result of people’s actions in regards to how God’s people are treated. You had better be careful how you treat the people of God. Jesus loves His children, and He protects them. Jesus is the shepherd of the sheep. The shepherd will kill the wolves who attack His sheep: sometimes in this life and definitely in the next. Find out about people. Treat the ones who are true believers with an extra kindness. You will be rewarded for it. Jesus said in Matthew 10:40-42, “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.[41] He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.[42] And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:11, “The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.” The first part of this verse tells us once again why rich people usually do not turn to Jesus and find salvation. A rich person is “wise in his own conceit.” A rich person is so full of himself that he does not see his need of God. A poor person is not any better unless the poor person has “understanding.” If you have understanding, it means that you are able to look at other people and see what kind of person they are. Is their attitude righteous or evil? Are they heading in the wrong direction or the right direction in life? Should they be a potential friend for you or should they be avoided? If you have understanding, then you will know.

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:12, “When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.” What is the situation when “righteous men do rejoice:” goodness has the upper hand, truth is triumphing, and wickedness has been put in its proper place. Such a situation is “great glory.” No doubt about it: God has blessed. But if the opposite happens: the followers of Christ and the righteous people are cast down, and the “wicked rise” to have a great power and influence, here is the result: “a man is hidden.” Good people have to hide. Freedom of speech and freedom of religion will be under attack. It happened during the Roman Empire. That is why Christians went into the catacombs for their gatherings. It is happening today in many countries: in communist countries such as North Korea, China, and Cuba there are great persecutions against the free assembly of Christians. North Korea is the worst. Communists want total allegiance to the state, and therefore are suspicious of those who teach an allegiance to God and Christ. Of course, they are wrong because a good Christian will obey and honor his or her leaders. In many Moslem countries such as Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey Christians are persecuted because these types of countries have combined government with a state religion. And the Moslem religion has some very antiquated and barbarous ideas such as the death penalty for blasphemy. That is the reason that Jesus was crucified under the Jewish religious society of the first century. This is what the Jewish high priest said in Mark 14:64 as soon as he heard Jesus speak, “Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.”

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” This is a great Bible verse that explains how you get saved and go to heaven, and how you do not. It has to do with your sins and your attitude toward them. Everyone is a sinner, but not everyone recognizes the greatness of their own sins. Proverbs 28:13 talks about repentance. Jesus said, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus also said, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” The word “repent” refers to a change of mind. We are all sinners but maybe we are unaware of our sins and how bad they are. When we repent we wake up to the fact that we have done wrong, and we need a change. We come to the point in life where we want to find forgiveness, and we want to follow Jesus. That is what motivates a person to do what it says in Romans 10:13, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The name of the Lord is Jesus. You call upon Jesus seeking forgiveness, and with the attitude that you want to start serving Him and following Him. That is why it says, “whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:14, “Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.” This is talking about the fear of God. In addition to knowing how much God loves us through Christ, we should never forget that God is holy and that He punishes sin. God knows. God knows everything we do and everything we think. That is why there are consequences to actions. Think before you act. A foolish decision or a sinful action can have terrible consequences. That is why it says that someone who hardens his heart against God “shall fall into mischief.” But if you have the right kind of fear of God’s holiness, the result of your choices will be happiness. Sin brings sorrow, and goodness brings happiness. Notice that it says, “Happy is the man that feareth alway.” The Lord wants us to be faithful. He wants us to have a firm resolution and determination that we are going to follow Him for the rest of our lives.

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:15, “As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.” Every person in every country will benefit greatly when they have good leaders. And the citizens will suffer greatly when they have evil ungodly leaders. If only we had the best leaders possible: that would be a great blessing. We want to always pray for our leaders whoever they are, but we also want to pray that God will either make them better or that He will replace them. One of the advantages of being a Christian is that our Savior will one day rule the earth from the throne of David in Jerusalem. When Jesus comes back and establishes His one-thousand-year-reign on the earth, finally we will see how the earth should be governed. It says about Jesus in Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

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