PROVERBS LESSON 16

     We will begin this lesson in Proverbs 12:1 "Whoso loveth
instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof [is]
brutish."

     A person who loves instruction grows into a very intelligent
being. I believe part of the instruction meant here is instruction in
right living. We are eager to learn God's ways, we quickly see sins in
our life and repent. The greatest knowledge that we can have is to
know God and his Word. "Brutish" means acting like a beast who does
not accumulate knowledge. If we are not eager to learn of God, we are
like a beast without a conscience.

     Proverbs 12:2 "A good [man] obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a
man of wicked devices will he condemn."

     A good man is seeking to please God instead of himself. The Lord
is pleased with this. A wicked man is always trying to figure out ways
to do evil. God will not approve of evil in any fashion. God condemns
evil every time.

     Proverbs 12:3 "A man shall not be established by wickedness: but
the root of the righteous shall not be moved."

     When you see a righteous man, it is like looking at a giant oak
tree with deep, deep roots. We will not be easily moved even though
the winds of false doctrine be strong. Even in the parable of the
sowing of the seed in the 8th chapter of Luke, Jesus tells us the seed
that fell on good ground had good roots and brought forth much fruit.
Read Luke 8 beginning with the 5th verse, through verse 18. You know
the wicked man doesn't even bother to see the seed at all.

     Proverbs 12:4 "A virtuous woman [is] a crown to her husband: but
she that maketh ashamed [is] as rottenness in his bones."

     We see, here, how important it is for a woman to be upright. Not
only for her own good and welfare, but so her family will not be
ashamed of her. Her husband can be very proud of her, because she will
not make him ashamed of her. It would crown him for her to be
totally faithful to him. When we get in chapter 31, we will read
extensively about the kind of woman she will be. In the spirit
teaching on this verse, Jesus is coming back for a chaste virgin (the
true believers) to be His bride. Nothing is worse than an unfaithful
wife. She brings torment and shame to her husband, her family, and
herself.

     Proverbs 12:5 "The thoughts of the righteous [are] right: [but]
the counsels of the wicked [are] deceit."

     A righteous person thinks of things that are correct. His ways
are the ways of God. His thoughts are truthful and fair. The wicked
are deceivers, trying to convince others that lies are truth. Not
only are they deceiving others, but the people who council them are
deceivers, as well. They believe a lie and try to convince others to
believe lies.

     Proverbs 12:6 "The words of the wicked [are] to lie in wait for
blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them."

     Wicked people lie in wait to destroy someone else for selfish
gain. False accusations many times cause a person to kill someone who
is totally innocent. The upright speak words of life not death.

     Proverbs 12:7 "The wicked are overthrown, and [are] not: but the
house of the righteous shall stand."

     Tribulations comes to all; but the wicked cannot stand up to
trials, because they have no source of strength (Jesus) to rely upon.
A righteous person will stand firm in adversity knowing that God will
see him through.

     Proverbs 12:8 "A man shall be commended according to his wisdom:
but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised."

     If you know not to sin and go ahead and sin anyway, you are more
guilty than someone who sins not knowing that it is sin. Read Hebrews
6. I will give a small part here beginning with Hebrews 6:4 "For [it
is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of
the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost," Hebrews
6:5 "And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world
to come," Hebrews 6:6 "If they shall fall away, to renew them again
unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God
afresh, and put [him] to an open shame."

     My own personal belief is, we must walk in our salvation after we
receive it. We must not go back into worldly sin, but must have the
desire in our heart to walk uprightly before God. There has been much
said in our society today about perversion. Perversion of any kind is
terrible, but when it becomes a way of life with you, it is perversion
of the heart. He, truly, who has a perverted heart will be despised.
Perversion has to do with unnatural sex or extreme extent of sin.

     Proverbs 12:9 "[He that is] despised, and hath a servant, [is]
better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread."

     This Scripture above, I believe, is speaking of someone of some
means (enough to have a servant) who is not liked by people. The
second person is someone who has nothing to be proud of, and yet is
bragging about himself all the time. He is so down trodden that he
can't even feed himself and yet he is a braggart. He constantly tells
every one how wonderful he is. At least the first man was not
dependant on someone else to provide for his food. As bad as the first
man is, he is better off than the second.

     Proverbs 12:10 "A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his
beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked [are] cruel."

     Show me a man who is cruel to animals, and I will show you a
wicked man. God showed mercy to animals when He told the man to rest
his animals on the sabbath, as well as resting himself. Man rules over
the animals, and God made the animals to serve man; but an animal you
feed well and care for, will work better for you. People who love
God love people as well; and are kind to animals who are dependent on
them. A wicked person does not love God, or man, and is cruel to
animals who cannot help themselves.

     Proverbs 12:11 "He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with
bread: but he that followeth vain [persons is] void of understanding."

     Someone who works his fields with his hands shall not go hungry,
but someone who does not want to work and is always looking for short
cuts to take, really does not understand God's principles and may not
eat. There are no short cuts. Those who work eat, and those who do not
work, do without.

     Proverbs 12:12 "The wicked desireth the net of evil [men]: but
the root of the righteous yieldeth [fruit]."

     We see, in this Scripture above, the righteous produce fruit
pleasing unto God. A workman who needeth not to be ashamed is a
righteous person. It seems to me the wicked here are trying to set a
trap to get something that they have not worked for. Ill gotten gain
is soon gone.

     Proverbs 12:13 "The wicked is snared by the transgression of
[his] lips: but the just shall come out of trouble."

     Transgression of the lips would be lies. When you tell a lie, it
usually calls for another lie to cover up the first; and pretty soon,
the liar is trapped because they cannot remember all the lies and keep
them straight. The just person tells the truth. There is no problem
for this person to remember. They just tells the facts and the truth
wins out every time. The just have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the Righteous.

     Proverbs 12:14 "A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit
of [his] mouth: and the recompence of a man's hands shall be rendered
unto him."

     We see here, that speaking can produce fruit. A minister who
tells others about Jesus can produce much fruit for God with words
that come from the minister's mouth. I Corinthians 1:21 "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."

     You see, preaching produces fruit for the kingdom. In the last
part of this, we see recompense (rewards) comes from men working with
their own hands.



                       Proverbs Questions 16

1.  Whoso loveth instruction loveth ____________.
2.  He that hateth reproof is __________.
3.  What kind of instruction is probably meant in verse 1?
4.  What is the greatest knowledge we can have?
5.  What does "Brutish" Mean?
6.  A good man obtains favor of the Lord, but a man of wicked devises
    ________  _________  _______.
7.  What cannot establish a man?
8.  What is meant by the root of the righteous?
9.  What parable in the New Testament has to do with this root of
    righteousness?
10. What is a virtuous woman to her husband in verse 4?
11. What is a shameful woman to her husband?
12. The counsel of the wicked are __________.
13. False accusations sometimes cause what?
14. The words of the upright bring _______, not ______.
15. Who does tribulation come to?
16. Why can a righteous man withstand problems better?
17. A man shall be condemned according to what?
18. What does a perverse heart mean?
19. What is perversion?
20. Who is better than someone who honors himself?
21. How will a righteous person treat animals?
22. The author says: show me a man who is ___________ to animals and I
    will show you an evil man.
23. Who shall be satisfied with bread?
24. A workman who needeth not to be ashamed is a _________.
25. What is meant by "the wicked desireth the net of evil men"?
26. What is transgression of the lips?
27. Who has an advocate with the Father?
28. What is meant by the fruit of his mouth?
29. What does I Corinthians 1:21 have to say about preaching?
30. What does recompence mean?