Proverbs 3:29

The Bible says in Proverbs 3:29-31, “Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.[30] Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.[31] Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.” These verses are an emphasis on how to treat other people. One would think that verse 29 would be obvious. But because the heart of man can go so bad so easily, people do need to be reminded. There is a right way to treat people. But this is talking about how to treat someone who is at peace with you. Verse 30 makes the same emphasis. Do not be the aggressor. It is ok to defend yourself if you need to, but do not be the person who starts trouble. If you do see someone who takes advantage of others to use them or to even harm them by word or deed, remember to reject their way of life and their attitude. Be careful, we learn from others.

The Bible says in Proverbs 3:32-35, “For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.[33] The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.[34] Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.[35] The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.” God knows those who do not serve Him and He is not pleased with them. Those who resist or rebel against God are “abomination to the LORD.” Verse 33 speaks of a curse being in the house of the wicked. Whenever I see the word “curse” in the Old Testament, I am reminded of the fact that in the New Testament age in which we live no believer is ever under a curse. That is because Jesus became a curse for us. Jesus took our curse. Why does verse 35 say, “The wise shall inherit glory.” That is because the wisdom of God will lead you to the truth about God. And you must know the truth to be set free from your sins, and you must be set free from your sins to enter into the kingdom of heaven. That is why it says in First Corinthians 1:17-24, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.[18] For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.[19] For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.[20] Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?[21] For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.[22] For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:[23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;[24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”

The Bible says in Proverbs 4:1-4, “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.[2] For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.[3] For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.[4] He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.” Many times in the Bible children are reminded to obey their parents, and to listen to their parents’ words and advice. If you have loving parents, no one will love you as much as your parents, except for God. Solomon is speaking to his son, and telling his son that Solomon learned from his father, King David. And so we see a family tradition of one generation serving the Lord, teaching their children, and the next generation also serving the Lord. That is the way it should be. If you were raised in a Christian family, you were blessed beyond measure. Now you have an added responsibility to uphold the family name and reputation. If a child from such a family does not listen to his or her parents, then that child will dishonor the family name. But even if you have done that, you will be forgiven if you repent. Every prodigal son or daughter can be forgiven.

The Bible says in Proverbs 4:5-9, “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.[6] Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.[7] Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.[8] Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.[9] She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.” There are two types of wisdom: practical wisdom and spiritual wisdom. There is a lot of writing about practical wisdom in the book of Proverbs, but there is spiritual wisdom too. Spiritual wisdom of course centers around knowing God, which in our age is manifest through knowing Jesus as Savior. Jesus is “the truth.” Practical wisdom will fall short unless it is also accompanied by spiritual wisdom. The emphasis of verses 4-9 is to tell us to desire, to value, and to seek wisdom greatly. That implies an admission that we do not have the wisdom that we need. Whatever wisdom that you have, it is not enough. You need more. First you must get wisdom by listening to the Word of God. Then you must hold on to what you have captured so that you do not lose it. And then you must exalt wisdom. It is not money, or power, or influence, or reputation that is important: it is wisdom. You must know what to do with what you have, or you are a fool. You must know how to handle each situation that comes along, or you are a fool. You must know God and have wisdom from Christ, or you are a spiritual fool. “Wisdom is the principal thing.”

The Bible says in Proverbs 4:10-13, “Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.[11] I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.[12] When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.[13] Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.” Why must a young man be told over and over to be careful to listen to wisdom in the form of the words of a father and to listen carefully to the Word of God? This father (Solomon) is being used of the Holy Spirit to write part of the Word of God. Young men sometimes think they have all the answers already. No one has all the answers. You can learn from those who have lived longer than you. If you want to live long, you had better learn from them. “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.” It says in one of the Ten Commandments that is written directly to children: “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

The Bible says in Proverbs 4:14-19, “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.[15] Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.[16] For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.[17] For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.[18] But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.[19] The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.” One of the things said about the wicked in verse 16 is their great desire to “cause some to fall.” They do not only want to commit evil themselves, they also want to cause others to commit evil. They get joy in seeing others fall. They want to corrupt the innocent. They want to lead children into an evil way. What did Jesus say about such people? He said in Mark 9:42, “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.” The word “offend” means “to cause to fall.”

When you follow Jesus, you are taking the path of goodness and truth. Proverbs 4:18 tells us something about that path. It says, “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” The Christian life is a great challenge, and you never arrive, but you can constantly grow and improve. You can also constantly learn more and more about the great Savior. We are walking in the Light of Christ, and we are heading towards perfection: the perfection that is His alone and that He will share with us by His grace. There is this progression to the Christian life as we get closer and closer to the day when we see Him.

The Bible says in Proverbs 4:20-23, “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.[21] Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.[22] For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.[23] Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” First you must receive the true teachings, then you must keep them “in the midst of thine heart.” The heart is the innermost part of a person. The heart involves the intellect, the emotions, and the will. Some people study the Bible and it only reaches their intellect, but that will never change their life. There is such a deep reward promised for those who come to know the word of God in their heart: life and health. You will come to know life the way it was meant to be and you will realize your true potential on this earth if you know Jesus as Savior, and if you take in the Word of God and its wisdom, and make it part of your heart. Verse 23 summarizes this truth so well. It says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Be careful what you have allowed into your heart because what is in your heart will determine your destiny. Your thoughts will determine how you respond to what happens to you. Your thoughts will determine what decisions you make. Your thoughts will determine how you treat others. The thoughts of your heart are your life.

The Bible says in Proverbs 4:24-27, “Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.[25] Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.[26] Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.[27] Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” This verse uses the mouth, the eyes, the feet, and the hands to symbolize what we need to do to follow the Lord. Always say the right thing. Do not use the language of the ungodly. Use the language of God and the language of the Bible. You will be tempted to use the language that is popular or politically correct. It says in Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Some of the greatest sins that we commit are with the words that we use. Two of the Ten Commandments are about our words: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, and Thou shalt not lie.

When Proverbs 4:25 says, “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.” This refers to the fact that we must have singleness of purpose if we are going to keep serving the Lord faithfully. We cannot be double-minded. We cannot pretend that we are a Christian in one environment, but not so much in another. The apostles “left their nets” and followed Jesus. They were all in with both feet. Speaking of the feet, it says in verse 26, “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.” The key word here is “ponder.” In other words think carefully about any decisions that you make. There will be consequences. Many things in life can be predicted. Certain actions will result in certain outcomes. For example, adultery can result in disease and maybe even an incurable disease, unwanted pregnancy, a ruined marriage, shame, guilt, a lost testimony, jealous rage, and even violence. “Ponder the path of thy feet.” Look before you leap. Think about it.

Psalm 4:27 says, “Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” Following the Lord is a straight and narrow path. The standards for a Christian are very high. Do not get off that path or you will be out of fellowship with the Lord, and who knows where you will end up. It will not be good. Be careful. Life is full of dangers. Jesus will protect you if you keep walking with Him by confessing your sins. Do the right thing, and God will use you.

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