Proverbs 10:21-26

 

Prov 10:21 (KJB)

The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.

 

Here is a verse which makes a direct comparison between the foolish and the wise. The righteous ones, which are the saved, bring to light eternal things by preaching and teaching the eternal word of God and those who are saved, continue to learn and grow in the faith. As they bring the Gospel, others become saved and when they mature in the faith, they too will bring the eternal word of God to their generation. On the other hand, the fools die because in their hearts, they deny and reject the wisdom of God. They will awaken at the Judgment Seat of Christ and there they will see how foolish they were to reject the wisdom of God. In fact, the Bible qualifies a fool as one that claims there is no God. (Psa 14:1 KJV) The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. We see the evidence of this fool in great numbers today and they too, like the fools in Solomon’s time, will die, and that is eternal death.

 

Prov 10:22 (KJB)

The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

 

Sorrow - Pain, toil, or hurt

 

This Proverb has a secondary meaning in that if the Lord allows a person to be come wealthy, as Solomon was, the Lord adds no sorrow to that decision. The one who adds the sorrow to the wealth is the fact that it is in the hands of sinful man and even though they be rich, they are still not satisfied with what they have. The primary meaning of this verse has to do with eternal things. The Lord blesses His people with more wisdom and that makes them rich. The Gospel itself is called treasure and when the Lord saves save someone, He does not add sorrow to the mix. He takes a person in despair or depression and the Gospel, with the joy of the Lord, will make a person joyful. The only reason that Christians are miserable is because they dilute the true Gospel with either works or some other inferior additive. Many Christians walk about as Zombies never knowing what their reason of existence is and it is not the fault of the Gospel but the fault of the Christian who seeks to go beyond what the Scriptures teach. It seems many are not satisfied with the Gospel and that is why they seek signs, wonders, and tongues because they desire a Hollywood religion to make them happy.

 

Prov 10:23 (KJB)

It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

 

Sport - Laughing, jesting, or laughingstock

Mischief - A shameful deed or plot

 

A fool is never happy or satisfied unless they are planning some type of evil or wicked scheme. They wonder why they get into trouble when they get caught. To break the law is to play with fire. They may get away with it for while, but eventually they will be caught. It is also sport for a fool to contradict the true Gospel by creating their own system of beliefs. Many have strayed from the faith resulting in a new belief system which contradicts the truth of Scripture. (Acts 20:30 KJV) Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Paul knew that this would happen as soon as he departed and we see this happening at a very rapid rate today. There are many false teachers bringing in false belief systems and the end of those systems are eternal damnation. However, the man of understanding, knowing what a snare evil plots can be avoids them and obeys the Scriptures, therefore, they do not get caught up in them and live a peaceable life. They are also aware of false Gospels and false teachers, since they study the Scriptures, they can recognize them immediately and stay away from them.

 

Prov 10:24 (KJB)

The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

 

One of the things which the wicked person fears is the loss of all their material goods. Another thing the wicked fears, and they all do, is the end of all things. They do fear the end of the world and they do fear the end of their lives. It was said that Frank Sinatra was so fearful of dying, that he even went for camel milk injections to extend his life but on May 14, 1998, what he feared most happened, his death. If he did not become saved in the last moments, then he will be awakened and will be judged for all his sins and be cast into an eternal hell. The unbeliever does know that eventually this world will have to come to an end. This is why they believe in evolution because they claim that the world is four billion years old and they hope that it will go on for another four billion. They have transferred belief from God to a belief system. On the other hand, the righteous desire to be with the Lord and one day when they die physically, they will be with the Lord forever. On this earth, the desire of the righteous is to see others become saved and instead of worrying about losing our material goods, we use them to the Glory of God in bringing souls to Him. That is the great difference between the saved and unsaved, the fearful relinquishing of material goods versus the voluntary relinquishing of material goods.

 

Prov 10:25 (KJB)

As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

 

In the grand scheme of eternity, the wicked may rule for a few years but their lifespan is no longer than the timing of a whirlwind. Sin is not something which endures for eternity because it stands in opposition to God’s standards. It is for a moment. Even if a person lives to be 100, compared to eternity, it is but a drop in a great storage tank. (James 4:14 KJV) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Our lives are like a vapour compared to eternity. The righteous ones know this and do not plan to live their lives on earth as if it will continue on in its present form. The Scriptures teach a new Heaven and new Earth and the righteous, which have the great foundation of eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ, seek the world to come so they will be free of all sinful surroundings. So as we see the wicked ruling now, we know that there will come an end.

 

Prov 10:26 (KJB)

As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

 

Both vinegar and smoke are irritants to the eyes and mouth. This passage compares an irritant to a lazy person who is dispatched by his boss but because of his laziness, he fails to complete the task. Laziness is reprehensible to God because He gave us work as part of the creation. Adam was told to till the Garden of Eden, not to sleep under the trees all day. The lazy person never wants to fulfill their tasks but they are the first ones to scream if they do not get a yearly raise. There is also an element of laziness which pervades Christianity. Many Christians think that being a Christian is just to go to church, jump up and down in the pews, speak in tongues and then go home to watch the football games. God has given each of us a spiritual gift because we each have a ministry to fulfill and those Christians who do not want to search out their gift and ministry are no better than the vinegar and smoke, except that the vinegar and smoke irritate Jesus because He is the one who sends us. (John 20:21 KJV) Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. Have you been living on excuses?

Back