Proverbs 11:1-5

 

Prov 11:1 (KJB)

A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

 

False - Deceitful or Treachery

Balance - Scale

Just - Complete, total, or full

 

One of the tenets of the Christian life is to be honest. In this verse, a scale is being used as a picture from business that those in business are to deal properly with customers and vendors. This Proverb carries way beyond business as it extends to our Christian walk. We are to deal honestly with all those we come in contact with. It is basically linked to the command to love your neighbor and our neighbor is anyone who is in our path at any given time. We must never bring false witness or do anything to hurt anyone. We are to live peacefully with all if possible. (Rom 12:18 KJV) If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. In the ancient world, when merchants would weigh out product for a customer, they would have a set of stones which would offset the balance and weigh out the proper amount. Sometimes they carried two sets of stones and one was used on the Non-Israelite which was the set that was light in its weight and therefore the customer was cheated.

 

This, God abhorred because He wanted His people to deal honestly with all. This is the same in Christianity, as we are not to have a double standard. We must treat all people equally since we do not know if one of them is going to become a believer. Another aspect of this proverb is dealing with people in the spiritual realm. As Christians we are to bring the whole counsel of God and not just a portion. Too many Christians bring a “God loves you” gospel and never bring the reality of judgment. When we witness to people, we must bring the total truth and not just a partial. God expects us to deal properly with His Word and not to add to it or leave parts out. (Prov 6:16 KJV) These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: Remember Proverbs 6:16, where one thing is an abomination unto the Lord? It is the one who sows discord among the brethren. (Prov 6:19 KJV) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. God expects us to bring the whole truth and not just the parts which we like.

 

Prov 11:2 (KJB)

When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

 

Shame - Dishonor or to be despised

Lowly - Humble

 

If there is one sin which can be shared by both the saved and unsaved, it is pride. Many in the ministry have been toppled because they thought they were either too spiritual or too lofty in position and it is from there that God has toppled them. (Oba 1:4 KJV) Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. Many church pastors are also loaded with pride thinking they have more knowledge than their entire congregation. With this they puff themselves up and soon they fall prey to false teachings because their pride cannot allow them to see the truth of false gospels. This is why so many churches have become spiritual garbage dumps because the pastor brings in some teachings which he tries to amalgamate with the true gospel and with that attempted homogenization, the church loses its spiritual edge and becomes another dead assembly. We see this today in those churches which adopted the “Purpose Driven Church” program or the “Emerging Church” with its resurrection of Roman Catholic Mysticism by such authors as John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Thomas Merton, and others. These have nothing to add to Christianity but many pastors sound very intellectual from the pulpit and that is why they include these false teachings.

 

Whenever pride rules any individual, sooner or later, they fall prey to their own pride and dovetailing that pride is the consequences and that is shame or being despised. Many Christians have become dishonored when they started serving their pride and stopped serving Christ. (Mat 11:25 KJV) At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Jesus had thanked His Heavenly Father that He revealed biblical truth to those who are babes, the humble who seek the Lord. Jesus also states that God has hidden these things from the wise and prudent, which would today would be the intellectuals who have massacred the truth of the Scriptures by forcing worldly teachings on it such as psychology, mysticism, sociology, and other false systems. This is why so many churches are dead because a partial gospel is like no gospel.

 

Prov 11:3 (KJB)

The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

 

Integrity - Uprightness or innocence

Perverseness - Twisted or ruin

Transgressors - The treacherous

 

The integrity of the upright or the saved will help guide them through this world because it helps to guide them in the paths of the way of life. It helps them to identify the pitfalls which could lead to sin and their downfall. Since the uprightness of the saved is given to them by God who indwells in the person of the Holy Spirit, they will have this guide all their life. (Psa 48:14 KJV) For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death. On the other hand, those who live treacherous lives normally follow a twisted philosophy of life and that will lead them to destruction. One cannot turn their backs on the wisdom of God and expect to live a wholesome life. Even though some unbelievers seem to live a good life, if you ask them, they will believe that a good life will be their salvation in the end. This, of course, is false because those outside of the Lord Jesus Christ will never run their lives by truth, they may have snippets of it but never the entire truth as found in the Scriptures.

 

Prov 11:4 (KJB)

Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

 

Here God is emphasizing the end of life for both the saved and unsaved. The one who has amassed much wealth in this life but remains unsaved has actually profited nothing. All the wealth that they possessed will do nothing for them when they stand in the judgment. All their sins will be brought to light and since they have no savior, they will be judged and cast into hell and all the wealth they have gained will be given to others to fight over. Many rich people think that if they give to social organizations, then God will look at them as being very altruistic but the problem is that God looks for two things, saved or unsaved. That is it! The rich person only has that wealth because God has given it to them but in the end they will lose it all. I believe it was John Jacob Astor who died on the Titanic when it went down in 1912. His heirs asked his lawyer, “how much did he leave?” His lawyer responded “all of it.” On the other hand, God emphasizes the fact that righteousness will deliver from that death which is eternal damnation. This is not self-righteousness but the imputed righteousness which Christ gives us. (Isa 61:3 KJV) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. The true believer receives the robe of Christ’s righteousness and then He types us as trees which are planted by the Lord, and God is then glorified in the body of Christ because of His wonderful salvation.

 

Prov 11:5 (KJB)

The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

 

Perfect - Blameless

Direct - Straight or level

 

Here God continues His emphasis concerning the lifestyles of the saved and unsaved. He first states that the saved are blameless and that their righteousness will direct their path. Now the word “direct” carries with it the meaning of level or being straight. (Luke 3:5 KJV) Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; If you notice in Luke 3:5, we gain an understanding of what the Christian life can do for a person. John states that the mountains and hills will be brought low and the valleys shall be lifted. This means that if the heights are lowered and the lowest are raised, then what we have is a smooth, level road. This is the life of the believer because as they walk in Christ, the problems which seemed like a mountain before salvation, is now seen in the light of who God is and what He can do. Those mountains and valleys of life no longer affect the believer as before. He also states that the believer is blameless. We must keep in mind that we are blameless in the eyes of God who saved us but in the world we are always looked upon as second class people. (Eph 1:4 KJV) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: We must never see salvation in the light of how the world sees it but only how God sees it. (Rev 14:5 KJV) And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. The true believer is before the throne of God without fault and therefore blameless. That is because when we were saved, Christ removed all our sins from us and we no longer have any sin in our souls. When we get to Heaven, there will be nothing to hinder the believer from getting in. (Col 2:13-14 KJV) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Christ took all our sins and nailed them to His cross, they will never again be used to indict us. The world will indict us but we must look at our salvation through God’s eyes and not through the eyes of the sinful world.

 

Then God contrasts the believer with the unbeliever by stating that the wickedness of the unbeliever will destroy him. (Mat 26:52 KJV) Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. It is like those who take up the sword, they will perish with the sword. The wicked live in wickedness and therefore that wickedness will be their doom. This not only applies to the world today where sinful lifestyles can lead to physical death but when they stand before the Lord, they will be judged for all their sins and then plunged into an eternal hell.

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