PROVERBS 12

The Proverbs provide a crystal clear roadmap for life. It is wisdom from above. Once again it is important to note the contrasts of character that the Scriptures provide.

1 ¶ Whoso loveth instruction (discipline, correction) loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish (stupid, without discretion).

• Pr 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
• Pr 15:10 ¶ Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.
• How sad and dangerous it is when a person refuses to listen to the reproof of God’s word. It is pride, it is foolish and it ends up in death.
• Biblical instruction consists in more than mere theoretical, or “book” learning: it involves the development of holy living.

The Hebrew word for brutish or stupid literally means, “to graze”. A person that refuses instruction is as stupid as cattle that refuse to graze in a lush green pasture.

2 ¶ A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked (crafty) devices will he condemn.

• Pr 14:35 ¶ The king's favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.
• Every truly good deed done for the glory of God will be blessed by God.

3 ¶ A man shall not be established by wickedness:

• Wickedness might prosper for a while, but it will catch up with you. You cannot be established by wickedness or sowing to the flesh because you are building on a foundation of sand, and when the storm comes, it’s going to crumble.

but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

• The Root of The righteous of course is none other than The Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David
• Those that by faith are rooted in Christ are firmly fixed. The familiar image used here of the righteous is being firm like a flourishing tree.
• Ps 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
• Jer 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Both wickeness and righteousness result from a corresponding “root” in the heart. What a person does results from what he is in the heart.

4 ¶ A virtuous woman (of godly character) is a crown to her husband:

• Pr 31:10 ¶ Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The husband of a virtuous woman is crowned with favor by God. Proverbs 31 is a description of the virtuous woman.

but she that maketh ashamed (disgraces) is as rottenness (decay) in his bones.

• She that is silly and slothful, wasteful and wanton, passionate and ill-tongued, ruins both the credit and comfort of her husband.
• The Hebrew word for rottenness speaks of a suffering that is like a painful and incurable disease.

5 ¶ The thoughts of the righteous are right (reliable): but the counsels (advice) of the wicked are deceit.

• One’s thoughts are the index to his character.The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, and judges them. We mistake if we imagine that thoughts are free.
• A good man may have in his mind bad thoughts, but he does not indulge them nor make provision for them.

6 ¶ The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

• In the foregoing verse the thoughts of the wicked and righteous were compared; here their words and those are as the abundance of the heart is.

7 ¶ The wicked are overthrown, and are not (no more): but the house of the righteous shall stand (stand firm).

• Cp. Matt 7.24-27
• The rewards of wise living extend to one’s household or family.

8 ¶ A man shall be commended according to his wisdom:

• That is, the wisdom that is from above.

but he that is of a perverse (warped) heart (mind) shall be despised.

• A perverse heart is a wicked, unregenerate heart, which, though it mayhave great worldly wisdom, yet, because it is in rebellion against the Savior, shall be despised in the Day of Judgment.

9 ¶ He that is despised (is a nobody; absence of worldly display), and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself (pretends to be somebody), and lacketh bread.

• This is one of the many better than passages in Proverbs. Humility is far superior to bragging about one’s importance and pride.

10 ¶ A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

• 1Sa 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear.
• Balaam was rebuked by The Lord through the donkey by mistreating him. (Num. 22:28).
• Kindness to animals is a sign of a righteous individual. Of course, if they do not repent and trust in Christ alone for salvation, that does not mean that they are saved, it simply means that they are doing righteous deeds.

11 ¶ He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth (pursues) vain persons (chases fantasies; get rich quick schemes) is void of understanding (lacks judgment).

• Throughout Scripture we find the warning to avoid bad company who shun the virtue of hard labor.

12 ¶ The wicked desireth the net (plunder) of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

The wicked desires only a net wherewith to fish for himself; the righteous desires to yield fruit for the benefit of others and God's glory Matt Henry

• One of the striking contrasts between a righteous and wicked person lies in the things that they desire.
• Before a person is converted, Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
• After we are saved, we still have a flesh nature, but our desire is to walk in The Spirit and in close fellowship with Christ.
• Ps 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Before we move on beloved, remember that Satan has a desire for each and every of us as well, Lu 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

What fruit does the righteous yield? The fruit of The Spirit recorded in Gal 5.22,23.

13 ¶ The wicked is snared (like an animal in a trap) by the transgression of his lips (sinful speech): but the just shall come out of trouble.

• Pr 18:7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
• One who is careless in his talk will almost certainly ensnare himself sooner or later.
• Many a man has paid dearly in this world for the transgression of his lips, and has felt the lash on his back for want of a bridle upon his tongue. Matt Henry

14 ¶ A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompence (harvest) of a man's hands (hard work) shall be rendered unto him.

• Right living and right speaking are keys to being satisfied and fruitful. 

15 ¶ The way of a fool is right in his own eyes:

This is why the fool is always so argumentative: he thinks he cannot be wrong. Those who most need counsel are often least ready to receive it.

• Pr 3:7 ¶ Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

• Pr 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

What it is that keeps a wise man from being a fool; he is willing to be advised, desires to have counsel given him, and hearkens to counsel.

We have one great ‘Counselor,’ Messiah, who is made unto us ‘wisdom’ (Isa. 9:6; 1 Cor. 1:30).

16 ¶ A fool's wrath is presently known (a fool shows his anger, annoyance at once):

• It is known in the day he is provoked; he cannot defer showing his resentments. Shame is the one thing of all others that the proud man does not want, yet it is the thing that pride most surely brings about. God always makes the punishment correspond to the sin.

but a prudent man covereth shame (ignores an insult).

• “When his spirit is stirred, and his heart hot within him, he keeps his mouth as with a bridle, and suppresses his resentments, by smothering and stifling them. Anger is shame, and, though a wise man be not perfectly free from it, yet he is ashamed of it, rebukes it, and suffers not the evil spirit to speak.” Matt. Henry
• The prudent man is an example of self control. Pr 10:12 ¶ Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

17 ¶ He that speaketh truth (truthful witness) sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit (lies).

• “Speaketh” is literally “breatheth,” suggesting that this is a continual, natural way of life to him. A person reveals with his mouth what his heart condition is.
• The false witness will show his true character by the deceit (dishonesty. trickery) that he speaks. The mouth is truly the index of the heart.

18 ¶ There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword (reckless, rash words pierce like a sword):

• Slanders, backbiting and other kind of cutting words are all too common. They ruin reputations, divide people.

but the tongue of the wise is health (brings healing).

• The tongue is death or life, poison or medicine. Words can be devastating. It is amazing how sharp and cutting the tongue can be if it is not kept under control.God spare us from having sharp tongues.

o   Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

19 ¶ The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

• What is true will always be true. A lie will eventually be revealed as falsehood and pass away, but the truth will remain constant.
• How wise it is to build solely upon the enduring foundation of eternal truth.

20 ¶ Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.

·      Those who plan evil by deceit have no joy because of the risks and dangers in their plans, whereas the plans of the righteous led by peace have great joy.

·      It has long been one of Satan’s lies that “The end justifies the means,” and so, those who imagine evil conclude that any sort of deceit is justified to accomplish their desired end. However, evil always tends to sorrow, whereas to listen to counsel of peace and truth produces joy.

21 ¶ There shall no (permanent) evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief (trouble).

• To the wicked, not only will mischief come, but he will be filled with it. Sin is always grows and spreads and until it takes over.

22 ¶ Lying lips are abomination (extremely disgusting, hateful) to the LORD:

• Pr 6:6 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue
• Pr 10:18 He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
• Pr 26:28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin
• Lying lips lead to lying deeds to cover up the lie.

but they that deal truly (truthful) are his delight.

• Honest words coming from a heart of love is the delight of God.

23 ¶ A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of (self-confident) fools proclaimeth foolishness (blurts out folly).

• They who have the least wisdom are often the most forward to express their opinion. On the other hand, the wise person is a model of restraint and humility, only speaking what he knows at appropriate times.
• Pr 29:11 ¶ A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
• “Better to keep silence and be thought a fool, then to open one’s mouth and confirm it.”

24 ¶ The hand of the diligent shall bear rule:

• The Hebrew word for diligent carries the idea of eager, decisive, determined.
• Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

but the slothful (lazy) shall be under tribute.

• This is the first of 11 times that we will see the word slothful in the Proverbs. A lazy Christian is a contradiction. As we will see a lazy person is one that can come up with a million excuses why he cannot do this or that. A lazy person is also called in Scripture a great waster. The idle shall be subject to the industrious.
• The slothful use deceitful practices in order to circumvent honest and diligent labor.

25 ¶ Heaviness (anxiety) in the heart of man maketh it stoop (weighs it down): but a good (encouraging) word maketh it glad.

• Despondency and discouragement do more to stop the work of the Lord than almost any other things.
• Isa 50:4 ¶ The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
• Lifting burdens is the way to fulfill the law of Christ , (Gal. 6:1-2).

The good word of God, particularly the gospel, is designed to make sinning hearts glad that are weary and heavy laden,

• Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

26 ¶ The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour (is a guide to his neighbor): but the way of the wicked seduceth them (leads them astray).

• The idea of this verse is that the righteous person carefully guides his friends, whereas the wicked person who leads them astray.

27 ¶ The slothful (lazy) man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

• The slothful seems to enjoy hunting just for the sport of it, and then does not use what he has killed, but just lets it spoil. Wastefulness is a characteristic of the wicked.

28 ¶ In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

• This is the teaching we find in Romans 6.
• Ro 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
• Ro 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

“Pathway” means a narrow footpath as distinguished from a cart-path, which is wider. Our Lord Himself spoke of the narrow way that leads to life and the broadway that leads to destruction, (Matthew 7:13-14).

There are only two paths to be on tonight my friends, the narrow path that leads to life and the broad path that leads to destruction.