BE WISE AND PROTECT YOURSELF. PRO 21:21

PROVERBS (21:20-23) BE WISE AND PROTECT YOURSELF.

Solomon continues to emphasize the way wise people guard themselves against the consequences of foolishness and unrighteousness. If we are wise, we will protect ourselves by doing these four things.

  

A. Be Wise And Prepare For The Future: Do Not Be Foolish And Shortsighted (V. 20).

The future is uncertain; therefore, those who are wise will prepare and save for the unexpected. In this proverb, the second statement reveals the full meaning of the first: the wise do not have treasure and oil stored in their houses because they are wealthy but because they have diligently saved. Foolish people consume everything they have and spend everything they earn. They do not practice self-discipline or good stewardship.

Saving not only prepares the wise for the future but also provides them with things that frivolous spenders can never afford. The wise have precious (desired) treasure and oil stored in their houses. These are the finer things that nearly all people want but many never enjoy. Again, the subject of the proverb is a wise person, not a wealthy one. Through hard work, good stewardship, and self-discipline, the wise are blessed with savings and possessions. They are prepared for the future.

Ø  “They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps” (Mt.25:3-4).

Ø  “That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures” (Pr.8:21).

Ø  “The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly” (Pr.14:24).

B. Pursue Righteousness And Love: You Will Be Filled With Life, Righteousness, And Honor (V. 21).

Living righteously is another factor that contributes to the prosperity of the wise. Notice the treasures in this proverb: life, righteousness, and honor. The wise enjoy both the temporal things that money can buy and the priceless things that make life truly meaningful. These treasures belong to those who pursue or chase righteousness and love. To show mercy (chesed) is to show a faithful, steadfast, covenant love. But note while loyalty and sacrificial love in relationships with others add much to life, it is faithfulness to God that is in view here. These incomparable riches are reserved for those who walk faithfully with God, those who pursue His righteousness.

Ø  “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Mt.5:6).

Ø  “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt.6:33).

Ø  “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Mic.6:8).

C. Trust Wisdom, Not Physical Strength: Wise, Godly Character Will Conquer The Fortresses Of The Wicked (V. 22).

Wisdom also infuses people with a strength that is greater than physical might. The words of this proverb paint a powerful, vibrant picture:

⇒By its very definition the word city (‘iyr) projects strength. “None of our modern terms such as city, town, or village adequately convey the meaning or the mental picture contained in this word…The primary distinction between a city and a village is that the former generally had a wall…The importance of cities [in Israel] lay in the resistance they could offer to aggressors because of their fortifications, in the protection, they could give to their inhabitants.” The following Scripture illustrates this well:

Ø  “All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many” (De.3:5).

⇒Mighty (gibbor) speaks of great military strength. It is a city guarded by many great warriors—experienced champions in warfare.

⇒It is a city that is regarded as a great fortress or stronghold (‘oz, strength in KJV). Its residents live in ease and security, certain they cannot be invaded because of its strength.

Who is it that scales the heavily guarded walls of this fortified city and brings it down? It is not a great military general with a powerful, well-equipped army but a wise man. Wise individuals—those who fear the Lord—possess a strength that is unmatched by any military power. God hears the cries of those who truly trust (fear) Him. He empowers them to conquer all that opposes and stands against them.

Ø  “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ep.3:20).

Ø  “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (Jas.1:5).

Ø  “Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city” (Ec.7:19).

Ø  “Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city, yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless, the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard” (Ec.9:15-16).

D. Control Your Tongue: It Will Keep You Out Of Trouble (V. 23).

Wise people protect themselves by guarding their speech. They recognize the power of words and are able to discern what they should and should not say. By controlling their tongues, they spare themselves the stress caused by foolish speaking. Troubles (tsarah) speaks of the emotional and mental anguish caused by problems. Note that the verb keeps or guards (shamar) is repeated in this proverb. By guarding their mouths, people automatically guard their lives from trouble.

Ø  “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body” (Jas.3:2).

Ø  “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Ps.141:3).

Ø  “The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble” (Pr.12:13).

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Application

The fruit of wisdom cannot be overrated. This short set of proverbs highlights five individual benefits that come to those who obey God’s Holy Word and live righteously, benefits such as…

Pursuing righteousness and being faithful to God is the key to all these blessings (v. 21). If we will make righteous living a priority in our lives, we will be unusually blessed by God. He will honor us, provide for our needs, and fill us with overflowing joy.

Ø  “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Mt.5:6).

Ø  “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt.6:33).

Ø  “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Ti.4:8).

Ø  “This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men” (Tit.3:8).

Ø  “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings” (Is.3:10).

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The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Proverbs, (Chattanooga: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2012), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "F. The Duties of the Wise and the Righteous (Part 6), 21:1-31".

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Steps to Resolve Problems

Steps to Resolve Problems

“Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.  If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them.  For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.” ~Titus 3:9-11 (NLT2) ~

 A man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject;

3:9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. ^NIV

If sound teaching and good works were "excellent and profitable to everyone" (3:8), obviously foolish arguments were unprofitable and useless. Paul warned Titus, as he warned Timothy, not to get involved in foolish and unprofitable arguments (1 Timothy 1:4; 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:14, 23). The false teaching in Crete apparently had Jewish roots and focused on two errors: "Jewish myths" (1:14) and quarrels about the law—probably some useless speculations on the Old Testament rules and rituals, especially Jewish laws regarding what was clean and unclean. These teachers were causing controversies, arguments, and quarrels about their own wholly imaginary ideas, using methods similar to those of the false teachers in Ephesus and Colosse.

Paul also referred to genealogies in his warning to Timothy. It might be that the false teachings in Crete, Ephesus, and Colosse had some of the same tangents (see 1 Timothy 1:4; Colossians 2:8, 18), including imaginary genealogies of angels. These were needed, so the false teachers said because believers had to worship angels as well as God. But these speculative arguments took valuable time away from teaching the truth of Scripture and spreading the gospel. Pointless controversy does not help advance the truth.

Paul warned Titus and Timothy to avoid the false teachers' debates and arguments, not even bothering to answer their pretentious positions. This did not mean that the church leaders should refuse to study, discuss, and examine different interpretations of difficult Bible passages. Paul was warning against petty quarrels, not an honest discussion that leads to wisdom. As foolish arguments develop, they should rebuke false teaching (1:13) and turn the discussion back to a helpful and profitable direction. Meanwhile, the faithful minister should continue to emphasize those truths that God wants to be taught.

3:10 After a first and second admonition, have nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions. ^NRSV

Paul gave a similar warning at the end of Romans 16:17-20 and follows Jesus' pattern in Matthew 18:15-17. Besides avoiding the false teachers' debates, Titus needed to take specific action toward the false teachers themselves, as with anyone who causes divisions. These divisive people insisted on their own opinions without proper biblical undergirding. Even more than their doctrine, their church-wrecking behavior had to be stopped. While false teachers outside the church were to be avoided, a person inside the church must be warned not to cause division or threaten the unity of the church. 

This warning should not be a heavy-handed action because it is intended to correct the individual's divisive nature and restore him or her to fellowship. Paul allowed for two warnings before having nothing more to do with the person. This step of excommunication is like Jesus saying to treat them like a pagan or a tax collector.

Paul was giving Titus a guideline for "discipline on the run" as he pursued his duties on Crete. More than two warnings to someone creating distractions and false teaching would involve Titus with them too deeply and hurt his effectiveness elsewhere.

LIFE APPLICATION: CHURCH DISCIPLINE

In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus gave a four-step process for church discipline that Paul uses here. Jesus said:

1. Go to the one who sins against you one-on-one.

2. If the person does not listen, take one or two others along as witnesses and try to solve the problem.

3. If the person still refuses to listen, take the matter to the church (most churches handle it by having the elders decide the issue).

4. Finally, put the person out of the church, treating him or her like a "pagan" or a "tax collector."

These guidelines are for Christians to use with Christians. They are for sins committed against us, not for us to use in order to ferret out sins others do against others. They are to be used to deal with problems within the church, not in the community at large.

Finally, believers must remember that Jesus' words are not permission to attack every person who wrongs or slights us. Nor do they permit us to find two or three others to form a gossip campaign. These guidelines must never be used to escalate conflict; they are to be used as steps to resolve problems.

3:11 Since you know that such a person is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned. ^NRSV

Those who refused to be corrected should be put outside the fellowship, or at least be avoided by Titus if they were not part of the church. A person's stubborn refusal to stop teaching false doctrine and to stop causing division in the church (even after being lovingly admonished) evidenced a perverted and sinful mind, one that is self-condemned; in other words, such actions condemn the doer. (See also Matthew 18:15-18 and 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 for help in handling such problems in the church.)

A local church cannot modify its doctrine for every new idea or accommodate every person's viewpoint. It may be better to risk having a member leave for another church that emphasizes his or her theological "hot button" than to try to be a church that caters to every conceivable theological taste. A church cannot get to the important work of evangelism and service to others if the theological base is shaky or if the church is embroiled in theological controversy.

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Bruce B. Barton, David R. Veerman, Neil Wilson, Life Application Bible Commentary – 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1993), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "TITUS 3".

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Do Not Let Your Heart Be Troubled!

Do Not Let Your Heart Be Troubled!

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ~John 14:1 (NLT2)~

14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled." ^NKJV In the Greek, the pronoun your is plural; therefore, Jesus was speaking to Peter (whose denial of Jesus had just been predicted—see 13:38) and to all the other disciples. According to Luke, Jesus had told Peter, "Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat . . ." (Luke 22:31 ^nrsv). All of the disciples must have been troubled about Jesus' predictions of betrayal, denial, and departure. After all, if Peter's commitment was shaky, then every disciple should be aware of his own weaknesses.

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LIFE APPLICATION: STRONG WEAK PEOPLE

Jesus did not want his followers to imitate Peter's impulsive self-confidence. Potential weaknesses and possible failures trouble us. So we don't like to think about them. Peter denied his own frailty and claimed more faith than he had. Jesus' solution for troubled hearts requires us to trust in him. Trust does not mean pretending we are strong; it means recognizing our weakness and need for God's help. If we believe for a moment that we can follow Jesus in our own strength, we will fail as miserably as Peter.

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"Trust in God; trust also in me."^NIV Jesus urged his disciples to maintain their trust in the Father and in the Son, to continue trusting through the next few very difficult days. Jesus later told the disciples why he gave them glimpses of the future that would soon follow: "I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe" (14:29 niv). They would not need to be afraid because all that he promised would come true.

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Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – John, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1993), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 285-286.

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