Proverbs 17:11-15
 
Prov 17:11 (KJB)
An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
 
A person who is of an evil nature is one who is not satisfied unless they have created some type of rebellion, whether it is against the government or against their place of work or even their own family. Notice the verse states that he seeks “only" rebellion. This means he is not satisfied unless he creates a conflict. His rebellious attitude will not go unpunished because the latter part of this verse states that a cruel messenger will be sent against him. His rebellion will not go unanswered. The word “messenger” can also be translated as “angel” which means that Satan may incite a person to rebel against something and then he will raise up another person to fight against the one he originally incited. This is how Satan works, he will incite someone to do something and then bring someone else against him. This double incitement may lead to a war with many casualties.
 
Prov 17:12 (KJB)
Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
 
If a man walks into a bear who has lost her cubs to death, she will be a vicious bear and will no doubt seek to kill the man. This verse is stating that it is better to meet the bear than to meet the fool who is caught up in his folly. The fool may draw the man into his web and get involved in such a bad situation that the meeting with the bear would have been better. At least, when you meet a bear bereft of her cubs, you will know the outcome but a fool’s plans will yield danger around every corner and a person will not know what to expect, even though they know the expectation is of a nefarious nature.
 
Prov 17:13 (KJB)
Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
 
Rewardeth - One who returns
 
There is a saying, “No good deed ever goes unpunished.” This verse may be one of the sources for that saying. A person who had good deed done for them but returns that good in an evil manner, shows they are of an evil heart and unless God saves them, the evil will never depart from them or from their entire house. Their evil methods will be picked up by their children and they will perpetuate the evil to the next generation. There is no such thing as a generational curse because evil ways are learned and not inherited.
 
Prov 17:14 (KJB)
The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.
 
Be meddled with - Break out
 
When one lets out water over a dam, it will normally start out small and if it is not stanched, then it will increase to a full flood destroying everything in its way. It is the same with strife, it may start out as a little incident but if it goes unchecked, it will mushroom into a full fight where people can get hurt. The proverb teaches us that we are to leave off from allowing strife to continue to grow. A wise man will see that there is no benefit in allowing an argument to continue but the fool who revels in such practices will try to continue it as long as they can.
 
Prov 17:15 (KJB)
He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.
 
Under the Mosaic law, there were judges appointed to adjudicate matters between the citizens. Justice was a high priority among the people of Israel. When a justice system goes awry, it tends to start making bad decisions. In this proverb, God is stating that it is detestable in His sight, the false judges who will justify or vindicate the wicked guilty and then on the other hand to condemn the innocent just. Most of the time when this happens, the judges are taking bribes from the rich so they may be found not guilty on the charges they are accused of. On the other hand, many times the Just are the ones who do not have much money so they are the ones who would be found guilty because they cannot afford a bribe. This verse reveals a situation found in many churches today and would still be an abomination unto the Lord. In many churches, the unbelievers, who have money and influence, are coddled and even exalted in the congregation. The church overlooks their nefarious dealings because they are good givers and keep the pastor in power. On the other hand, many Christians are thrown out of churches because they bring the truth of the Gospel or they expose a situation which could bring much consternation to the church as Achan did to Israel in Joshua 7. This situation will cause a church to go apostate because once the true believers exit, then there is no true Gospel left and the church will die even though the people there are still breathing.

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