- Proverbs 16:1-5
- Prov 16:1 (KJB)
- The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the
tongue, is from the LORD.
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- Preparations - To setup, plan, or give consideration
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- Here we have a verse which speaks of the fact that man may plan his ways
or a person may be placed in a situation but the answer that the person
gives will be from the Lord.
(Mat 10:19
KJV) But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall
speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
The believer will plan his way and maybe those plans will
bring him into a situation where he can become a testimony for the Lord and
if He is quoting Scripture, then he is getting his answer of the tongue from
the Lord. This verse also teaches that both the preparations of the heart
and the answer are from the Lord. A good example of this would be the life
of the Apostle Paul because it seemed no matter where he went, he was a
testimony for the grace of God and that is how God directs the life of the
believer. We do not do things abstractly but it is the Lord who guides us
and directs us into differing situations where we will be a witness for the
Gospel. No believer lives unto himself because we belong to God and He is
the one who directs our path.
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- Prov 16:2 (KJB)
- All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the
LORD weigheth the spirits.
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- Clean - To be pure or innocent
- Weigheth - Examines or assess
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- One of the chief flaws of every human is that when we plan a way or plan
something, it is always innocent or pure in our sight. For example, many
Christian parents allow their children to go trick or treating on Halloween
because they feel it is innocent after all, their child looks so cute as a
ballerina or a cowboy. These same parents have no idea that Halloween is one
of the most evil days and no Christian should have anything to do with it.
What we need to do is make plans but we need to check those plans against
Scripture and get some Godly counsel from mature Christians to see if we are
going against the revealed will of God. No true Christian will want to
intentionally sin against the Lord and by praying and searching the
Scriptures, we will gain an answer because that way, we are examining our
motives and actions. Then we can assess whether we would be sinning or not.
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- Prov 16:3 (KJB)
- Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be
established.
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- Thoughts - Thoughts, plans, or intentions
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- This verse gives us a good insight into our plans. It speaks basically
in a reflexive sense. When a Christian commits their work, no matter what it
is, whether it be our ministries or jobs (our jobs are our ministries to the
people at work) unto the Lord and seeks His guidance for the doing and
preparations for that work, then that work will be established. Something
which is established is firm, fixed, or settled. If we want our ministries
or jobs to fail, all we have to do is run them according to our wisdom and
will, independent of God. If we want them to succeed, then we commit them
unto the Lord and sometimes He may take us by a different path to attain the
set goal.
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- Prov 16:4 (KJB)
- The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked
for the day of evil.
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- Here is a verse which those who believe in universal salvation disdain
or ignore. First, the Lord hath made everything for Himself in this world
and universe. Everything that we possess in this world is just lent to us by
the Lord. The easiest way to prove this is to realize that everything we own
here, is left behind at our death. Then the second half of this verse
teaches us plainly that the Lord even made the wicked for the day of evil.
There is a double meaning to the day of evil. First, that it describes the
time from the first sin to the last one committed before judgment day. Jesus
described this as the Generation of evil.
(Mat 23:35-36 KJV) That upon you may come all
the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel
unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the
temple and the altar. {36} Verily I say unto you, All these things
shall come upon this generation. Notice Jesus
speaks of the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias. This would include
thousands of years in one generation. So the day of evil continues until the
last day. Then the second meaning is found in Jeremiah 17:18.
(Jer 17:18 KJV) Let them be confounded that
persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let
not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with
double destruction. It speaks about the day of
evil being judgment day when all the wicked will stand before the Lord and
be judged for their sins. So the Lord has made the wicked, those He did not
plan to save, for both the day of evil which continues to the last day,
which is akin to the wheat and tares growing together until the harvest, and
Judgment Day when His holiness will be vindicated through His judgment of
the wicked.
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- Prov 16:5 (KJV)
- Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the
LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
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- This verse is a serious warning to the wicked and their organizations.
There are many wicked who have formed organizations to attack Christianity
and because they have many numbers, they think they are superior and
stronger, and therefore cannot be brought down. God warns that even though
the proud join together in their goals, the numbers of people they have,
will never escape the judgment of God. It does not matter if it is a single
person or ten thousand people, the proud in heart will be judged as wicked
on the last day. Groups like the ACLU, the Bilderbergers, Trilateral
Commission, and such which have the most powerful people on earth will be
judged by a God mightier than their pride. None of them will escape the
judgment of God. We have looked at a quite a number of verses which told us
that nothing can be hidden from God and nothing will be hidden from Him.
What these wicked people plan in private, will be shouted from the
housetops.
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