Proverbs 28:1-8

Morning, 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, we'll make it through all the wisdom literature. Today we're at Proverbs chapter 28, the first couple verses. Let's pray and get into God's Word. Father, we thank you so much for this day, and we thank you for your Word. We pray that as we read it, you might bless us and watch over us. In Jesus' name, amen. All right, let's have some coffee, and we'll get into God's Word. Proverbs 28, let me just make sure everybody's live over here. Yep, we're good to go. Proverbs 28, the first eight verses together this morning.
The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. The wicked flee and no one's there. It's just, this isn't this idea that as if there's no, you know, there's never any persecution for Christians or things like that. That's not what this is saying. This is saying that the wicked have this constant fear of guilt and suspicion behind them, and that they're always worried about when is the anvil going to fall, when is the shoe going to drop, and they're running away knowing that judgment is going to come.
But the righteous can be as bold as a lion because we stand firm in our Savior, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. We're able to be bold in the face of adversity. We're able to be bold in the face of persecution. We're able to be bold even approaching the throne room, the grace, the mercy seat of God.
Verse two. Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes. But by a man of understanding and knowledge, right will be prolonged. So sin means there's going to be a whole bunch of people vying for power, always wanting to fight one another for authority. But understanding and knowledge brings about what is right.
Verse 3, a poor man who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain which leaves no food. If it's a drought-stricken land and the ground is hard, a cloud might move through quickly, drop some rain, and then it's gone. But the ground is so dry and hard that when that cloud passes over, the sun comes back up, the rain is dried, and there's nothing left. There's no good left from it. It's the same way when a poor person oppresses a poor person. No one's getting better because of it.
What does Jesus tell us? Blessed are those who are poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Are we those who will recognize our own poverty and instead of oppressing others will go to the King who is rich in grace and has all the universe at his disposal to aid us.
Verse four, those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them. Oh man, you know I don't normally talk about modern politics and stuff, but this seems to be what's going on today. Let me read this again. Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them. When wicked people are allowed to just get away with things and do things and no one is able to, they're praised for it, that's wrong. It's evil.
But when the righteous are able to stand up against it, when those who hear God's word and are able to say, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on, something isn't right here. When justice is perverted, when the wicked are praised, we know the land is going down the wrong hill. Verse five, evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand all. Where do we find justice? The word for justice there is the same word for righteousness. Where do we find righteousness? Where do we find justice?
We find it in God. We find it in his law. We learn what is right and what is wrong as we look at God, as we see his attributes and we see it played out in the Ten Commandments and in the moral law that he's given us. We're able to see what the standard of righteousness is and the wicked want nothing to do with it. But the Christian must sit and realize that there is a sovereign of the universe and he's given his law. and that we can follow his law by his grace. Not out of, you know, human strength. We're always going to fail with that, but we can follow him by his spirit. That's the blessing of the new covenant, that his law is written on our hearts.
Verse six, it is better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich." Hey, hey, do you hear that? It's better for you to be poor and to have integrity. What is integrity? Who you are when no one else is watching. It is better to be poor than to be rich, if it means you still have integrity, if it means you'll still stand for what you believe in rather than just go with pragmatism. So you can get a leg up in this world, but if you're not standing on principle, I'd rather be poor. Verse 7.
Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons shames his father. Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son. I hope and I pray that my boys will love the Lord, that my girls will follow after the Lord's ways. But a companion of gluttons is ashamed of his father.
What is this? Someone given over to excess? Someone given over to the sensual satisfactions of this world? This is what Jesus talks about with that soil, the weedy soil, where the deceitfulness of wealth and the cares of this life choke out the hope of the gospel. I'd rather my children be poor and godly than rich and happy.
Verse 8. One who increases his possession by usury and extortion gathers it for him who will pity the poor." If you are getting rich by oppressing people, by stealing their wealth from them, by charging inexorbitant amounts of interest on things, someday your wealth is going to go to someone else.
That's what the Lord is saying here. It's going to eventually be given to someone else. This is the reality of God. God at the last great day, he's going to make these things right. And those who are in him, even though they may be poor, will inherit the earth. And that's the promise. We will live on the new heavens and the new earth.
Let's go ahead and pray. Father, we pray that we would be those who would walk in righteousness. We pray that we would not oppress the poor. We pray that we would not be satisfied with the things of this life, but our eyes might be heavenward. That we would take full satisfaction in you, in you alone, in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, may God bless you today. May you trust in Jesus Christ. May you follow the law of your Father. May you keep Jesus' commandments and always have the peace of Jesus Christ in your heart knowing that he has forgiven all your sins. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye.