PROVERBS 28

1 ¶ The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold (confident, secure) as a lion.

• Ac 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
• Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
• Heb 10:19 ¶ Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus

2 ¶ For the transgression (rebellion) of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.

• The Bible teaches that transgressions are not only personal, but also national. A country in turmoil will often have a number of leaders, each of them in turn taking the nation further into sin. A wicked nation is doomed. Bad government is a punishment for rebellion in the heart of the people of that nation.
• Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
• This is one reason why God commands us to pray for the leaders of our nation in 1 Timothy 2.

3 ¶ A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping (driving) rain which leaveth no food.

• A hard rain that washes away all the seeds and crops is not a useful thing. The same can be said of a poor person who treats other poor badly.

• Our Lord spiritually illustrates this proverb most beautifully, by the parable of the two debtors in Matthew 18. In that parable, the “lesser sinner” oppressed the “greater sinner” and what was the consequence? The oppressing poor was delivered to the tormentors.

4 ¶ They that forsake the law praise the wicked (Wrongdoers encourage one another): but such as keep the law contend with them (resist them).

• Those who forsake the law of God, praise those who practice lawlessness. Such is the case of those who support abortion or same sex marriages or the legalization of marijuana. We are living in a day and age when people are calling good evil and evil good.

5 ¶ Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

• In the Proverbs, evil men are people committed to opposing God’s will. They do not understand justice and what it requires in a government or a society.
• First Corinthians, where Paul declares that,The natural man understandeth not the things of the Spirit, neither can he know them. They are spiritually discerned. But he which is spiritual understands all things, though he is not understood of men (I Corinthians 2:14-15). So evil men understand not the judgment, but they that seek the Lord, are given by God the ability to understand the reason and need of judgment.
• In our nation where the Holy Bible can be obtained in any translation possible, ignorance of moral truth is due to unwillingness to know it. Evil man cannot understand judgment any more than a legally blind person is able to see.

6 ¶ Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (blameless, integrity), than he that is perverse (crooked; double dealing) in his ways, though he be rich.

·      Character counts more with God than any external advantages. An honest poor man much better than a perverse rich man.

7 ¶ Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous (gluttons, self indulgent) men shameth his father.

A son who seeks to obey God's commandments will be a blessing to his father, and will be wise in the eyes of the Lord. But a son who devours the excesses of life is shameful to his father.

·      Pr 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

• Pr 23:20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
• The young person that is a companion of the wrong crowd will inevitably bring shame upon his or her parents.

8 ¶ He that by usury (excessive interest rates) and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity (be gracious towards) the poor.

• Lending to a man in great distress, money, for the use of which he requires an exorbitant sum. Listen to this remark by Adam Clarke in the 1800’s-“O that the names of all those unfeeling, hard-hearted, consummate villains in the nation, who thus take advantage of their neighbour's necessities to enrich themselves” I wonder what he would say today?

9 ¶ He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination (hateful and revolting to God).

• When a person insists that they do not want to hear what God’s Word says, until they repent, even their prayers are an abomination to The Lord. Prayer is the highest form of the communion of a man with God. But it is possible that even our prayers can be an abomination. And if I if I'm not regarding the law of God, if I turn away my ear from obedience to the law of God, my prayers are useless.
• In Scripture, how do we listen to The Lord? We listen to the word of God with our hearts.
• Pr 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

10 ¶ Whoso causeth (leads) the righteous to go astray in an evil way (path), he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.

• Pr 26:27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.
• I cannot help but think of the spiritual predators who seduce young or weak Christians into sinful practices. The Scripture says that those who deliberately turn the righteous into the path of evil will incur the wrath of Jehovah.

11 ¶ The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding (discernment) searcheth him out (sees right through him).

• The ungodly rich man is usually filled with pride, but a poor righteous person can see right through them. And so does God!

12 ¶ When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise (to power), a man is hidden (men go into hiding).

• Upright rulers are the glory and strength of a nation; and wicked men its shame and ruin.

13 ¶ He that covereth (conceals) his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy (compassion).

God and men cover sins. God covers sin with the blood of Jesus Christ and men cover sin with the shame of hypocrisy. It is foolish to try and cover your sin, because eventually your sins will find you out (Numbers 32:23). Listen to how trying to cover sin felt to David.

• Psa 32. 3When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
• Now listen to God’s much better way of dealing with sin.
• 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• There is but one way to escape the ruinous consequences of sin, which is by confessing and forsaking it. Simply confess and forsake your sins. God will be merciful to you.
• This truth about covering sin also pertains to entering into the kingdom of God. God will never admit a sinful, unhumbled soul, into his kingdom. There is no new birth apart from confession and repentance of sin. We enter into the kingdom of God poor in spirit or we do not enter into it at all.

14 ¶ Happy (blessed, fortunate, to be envied) is the man that feareth (reveres God) always (at all times and in all circumstances):

• Oh how we desperately need the fear of God in our lives. In our homes. In our church family.
• Happiness belongs to the person that lives in a state of holy dread of violating God’s will by the willful practice of any sin.

but he that hardeneth his heart (against God's authority) shall fall into mischief (calamity, trouble).

• Just ask Pharaoh if it is worth hardening your heart against The Lord. To fear the Lord involves confessing and forsaking one’s sins, rather than concealing them and hardening one’s heart.
• Job 9.4 who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

15 ¶ As a roaring lion, and a ranging (charging) bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor (helpless) people.

• A wicked ruler is as unmerciful as a hungry lion or bear. The oppressive rule of a wicked king is compared to the viciousness of attacking animals.

16 ¶ The prince that wanteth understanding (a tyrannical ruler) is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness (ill-gotten gain) shall prolong his days.

• It would do all of us well to note that there is nothing good that ever comes of covetousness. Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
• These words of Jesus precede His account of the foolish rich man who was planning on building bigger barns for his goods, but made no provision for his soul.

17 ¶ A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.

A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a fugitive until death, and no one should seek to support him. The Complete Jewish Bible reads, Let a man weighed down with anyone’s blood flee to a pit; give him no support.

• Ge 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

·      Judas Iscariot was a perfect picture of this situation, as he betrayed the innocent blood of our Savior, then went out and hung himself (Matt. 27:3-5).

• Praise God that there is real forgiveness from God to the person that repents of this sin, but that does not remove the consequences of man’s law.

18 ¶ Whoso walketh uprightly (blamelessly, integrity) shall be saved (safe, delivered): but he that is perverse (crooked) in his ways (willfully walks in a double way) shall fall at once.

• Pr 10:9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

19 ¶ He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain (worthless, empty) persons shall have poverty enough.

• A farmer must do this most basic work in order to receive the fruit of his labor. Paul the Apostle urged us to mind our own business and work so that we would not lack (1 Thess. 4:11-12).
• Pr 12:11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.
•  Pr 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
• Habits of diligence are blessed by The Lord. The prodigal son is a type of the person that follows after vain persons.

20 ¶ A faithful man shall abound with blessings (shall be richly blessed): but he that maketh haste(is eager) to be rich shall not be innocent (unpunished).

·      Faithfulness pleases God, and it is impossible to please Him without faith. In this verse as well as other places in Scripture, we find that blessing follows faith (Gal. 3:8-9). The faithful man believes what God has told him. The man who chooses the riches of this world rather than the riches of God makes a foolish choice (Matt. 16:26).

·      1Ti 6:6 ¶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

21 ¶ To have respect of persons (show partiality) is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.

·      Often the person who pays special respect to individuals is doing so in the interest of personal gain. Not only is it warned against in scripture to be partial, but it is just an unwise thing to do as anyone can be led astray by the smallest thing, even a morsel of bread.

22 ¶ He that hasteth to be rich (hastens after wealth) hath an evil eye (is stingy), and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.

·      Jesus tells us in Luke 11:34 that the eye is the lamp of the body. The eye of the person living in sin and darkness will seek out the things of this world with eagerness; he loves the darkness because his deeds are evil (John 3:19). This man in his haste to be rich forgets the disaster that is sure to come upon him if he neglects the grace of God.

·      Beware of those get rich quick schemes. When I first got saved there were all kinds of “pyramid” kind’s of investments that ran through the church, but left multitudes in rags. For every one winner, there's a thousand losers. He that hastes to get rich, he who's looking for a get-rich scheme is going to end up in poverty.

• The man that abandons biblical principles of hard work will experience poverty for sure.

23 ¶ He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue.

The Hebrew word for rebuke means to dispute, to judge, or to correct. While it often seems easier to avoid confrontation, we are encouraged to exercise sound spiritual judgment when dealing with our fellow man. In fact the Word of God promises better results when correcting individuals than just telling them what they want to hear.

·      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.

• A person who in love rebukes a man in accordance with the oracles of God is of great value. On the other hand, the person who flatters you with empty words is of no value to you or The Lord.

24 ¶ Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.

• A person guilty of robbing their mother or father are in the same category of a murderer. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for this in Matthew 15, Mark 7.

25 ¶ He that is of a proud heart (greedy spirit, arrogant) stirreth up strife (dissension):

• The person who is motivated or driven by pride will always be stirring up strife.

but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat (enriched and blessed; prosper).

• Pr 16:20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.
• In the kingdom of God, being fat is where it is at!

26 ¶ He that trusteth (leans on) in his own heart (himself) is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered (kept safe).

By nature we are prideful and self-reliant. The Bible tells us that our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked. We are born into the sin of either looking to ourselves or others for deliverance.

• FBN- “The absence of self-distrust is a certain sign of folly and approaching destruction.”
• Contrary to that way of thinking is the wisdom of God.
• Pr 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
• Jas 1:5 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.

27 ¶ He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack (not want): but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

• When you remember the poor, your needs will be met, but if you close your eyes to poverty, you will be cursed.
• De 15:7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
• Pr 19:17 ¶ He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
• Pr 22:9 ¶ He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

·      In other words, it is wrong to see people in need and not try to help them (James 2:15-16). We are to give freely and joyfully as we serve our Lord. Once we do give, God will not be in debt to anyone. He increases the blessing in our life as we respond to Him in obedience (Luke 6:38).

28 ¶ When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.