Proverbs 22:9-16

Hey, hey, hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This is where every day we get together, we get into God's Word, and we grow in our love for the Lord together. And this year, 2021, Lord willing, we will make it through all of the wisdom literature. Well, today we are at Proverbs. Let's see here on the computer, Proverbs chapter 22, verses 9 through 16. Why don't we go ahead and have some coffee? We'll pray and get into God's Word. Let's pray.
Oh, Father, we thank you so much for this day and for your Word. We thank you that you are a God who still speaks. Through your word, by the apostles and the prophets, what was written down for us ages ago is still speaking today because your Holy Spirit is still alive, still applying these words to our hearts. So Father, we pray that you would do that work this morning in Jesus' name, amen. All right, here we go.
Proverbs chapter 22, verses nine through 16. He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor. This is the counter-intuitiveness of things, right? That many people think, you know, A plus B equals C. Hard work plus saving everything up for yourself equals having a lot for yourself. And here the scripture says, no, no, no. You want to store up for yourself?
Give. Be generous. The Lord loves a cheerful giver. Be more about others than about yourself. It is more blessed to give than to receive. What is it saying? He who has a generous eye will be blessed. You might not be blessed with physical, material things, but some of the happiest people I've ever met in my entire life are the people who give away the most amount of their time, money, and energy. Verse 10, cast out the scoffer and contention will leave. Yes, strife and reproach will cease.
I remember I was talking to one of my mentors a number of years ago and he was saying, you know, when somebody comes to your church and you start talking to them and they tell you, oh yeah, that church, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And they start listing off the number of things. And then they say, oh yeah, but I was a member of this church too. blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and just constantly, ah, too bad. Those people are horrible. Those people are horrible. Guess what they're going to do at your church? They're going to love your church for a little while, and then guess what they're going to do? Unless the Lord changes their hearts, they're going to be scoffers at your church, too.
And my mentor was saying, point it out straight. Cast it out of them, and if they won't, let it go. Don't hold on to that person tightly, because even though they might be your biggest fan today, they're the type of people that will be your biggest enemy later. It's hard words, but I found it to be true.
Verse 11, he who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the king will be his friend. The kings love people who are pure in heart and have gracious lips. It's one of the things I've actually found about the leaders I admire most are not the leaders who are just so mean and then they just cut right to the chase and are real power men, but they're the people who are gracious with their lips and loving with their hearts, generous with their time. Those are the people who are the type of leaders that kings love.
Verse 12, the eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the faithless. God loves the truth. And God casts off. the wicked. God casts off the foolish philosophies of this world. Philosophies have come, philosophies have gone. Books have been written and books have gone away, but the word of our Lord endures forever.
Verse 13, the lazy man says, there is a lion outside. I shall be slain in the streets. I love this proverb. The sluggard, the New King James here says the lazy man. I think it's the King James that says the sluggard. The sluggard goes, oh no, there's a lion in the streets. It's just making up crazy stories. I can't do that. I can't do that. A bear might come out of the woods. I can't go jogging down the road, a cougar might bite me. It's just crazy excuses and we should be able to call it out when we see it.
Verse 14, the mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit. He who is abhorred by the Lord will fall there. Earlier in the book of Proverbs, in the first seven chapters, we found Solomon instructing his son on the way of this woman. The woman who was an adulteress, the immoral woman, and the things she would say to try to ensnare this young man in her grasp. And the Lord is, the Lord abhors that and he He abhors the people who are senseless enough to fall into it. Verse 15, foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child.
The rod of correction will drive it far from him. Now let me be very careful here. This is talking about corporal punishment. This is, oh, I just realized, I never put the words on the screen. I'm so sorry. Maybe you see this for yourself. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. The rod of correction will drive it far from him. This is talking about corporal punishment. This is talking about physically disciplining our children. This is not talking about abusing your children. This is not talking about wanting to destroy your children. This is not talking about intentionally hurting your children.
This is about getting some attention. And I know that's not popular in our society, I know that it's poo-poo in our culture, but the reality is is that, what does this say here? Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. The rod of correction will drive it far from him. Children need corrected. Lovingly, graciously, patiently, with a smile on your face and tears in your eyes at times. But children need their parents. Our world is trying to sell you a bill of goods to say you need to be your kid's best friend. Your kids need you to be a parent. Verse 16.
He who oppresses the poor will increase his riches, and he who gives to the rich will surely come to poverty. This is one of those just truth statements of the Proverbs, right? This is just the way it is. The he who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he who gives to the rich will surely come to poverty." If you are trying to suppress the poor, and if you are the one who's giving your stuff over to the rich, what's to say about you? Will surely come to poverty. How are you making your income? Is it from a predatory way to oppress the poor? Is it in a way to try to make others servants to yourself? Are you doing it so you can gain favor and prestige and honor with people in power and who have wealth?
The Lord is saying you're going to have a poor life. You're going to have a poor soul. I'm just amazed, you know, how God sets these examples for us. He says these things here. And then we think about Jesus Christ. Who was rich. It was Jesus Christ who had everything. It was Jesus Christ who was the Eternal One. The Logos from Eternity.
Who humbled himself. He did not come to oppress the poor. But he himself became poor. He did not come to give to the wealthy. But he emptied himself. He humbled himself and because of this he became rich. He became the inheritor of the universe. God gave him a name above all names and a crown that will never tarnish and a kingdom that will never end. Let's follow his example.
Let's outdo one another in humility and in love rather than trying to get up. one on another. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for the sacrificial love you have shown us in Jesus Christ. Father, we pray that you would watch over us and that you would, by your spirit, let us walk in your ways. Thank you for the joy we have in Jesus Christ. It's in his name we pray. Amen. Well, may the Lord bless you today. May you walk in humility with those around you. Always fill for the peace of God. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye.