Proverbs 16:31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.
32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.
The hoary head is a reference to an older person. Sadly we are living in a time when it is a rare thing to find an older person who is found in the way of righteousness.
In the religious world, most older men and women have given up on truth, if they ever cared about it. They are more concerned with being liked by the younger generation which is in need of some sound teaching and humility.
The world has a powerful hold on far too many people, both young and old. I remember how many churches changed their music standards because the hippy movement had a detrimental impact on the young generation. Most of the preachers were not convinced that God’s Word was absolute. In the past it seemed that people were more traditional. Most preachers just preached what they had always preached. They could not answer the challenge put before them by this younger, rebellious generation.
Immodesty was also greatly increased in that generation. Today, it is not uncommon to see women going to their church showing off some cleavage or wearing clothing with slits in the skirts. Those slits are designed to give a flash of flesh as the woman walks. The designers, who are ungodly people, mostly ungodly men, know that men are attracted to that flash of flesh. Some skirts are so tight that they require a slit to allow the woman to walk in them.
Worldly fashion has overtaken godliness. Some of the rebels take that to the extreme and say that people like me want women to walk around in a potato sack. The Bible talks of godly women who were well dressed. They were attractive because of their character, not because they were tempting men.
We need to appreciate the hoary head that is found in the way of righteousness. We need pastors who are not ashamed to preach the whole counsel of God because they love God and they love the people.
In verse 32 we are further reminded of the need to control our emotions. There will always be challenges to the Truth. There will always be those who love to slander a godly person. Those who are godly need to learn how to handle that in a godly manner.
Jesus did not appreciate being mocked and slandered. He knew how to handle every situation. James and John needed to learn that. They wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans because they would not receive Jesus. They learned that is not the godly way of behaving.
There are people like Goliath who are almost indestructible. The Philistines called him their champion. King Saul was a big man but he was no competition for Goliath. King Saul could not control his temper either. King David, who was anointed to eventually replace king Saul, knew how to handle king Saul and Goliath. He trusted in the Lord and with a sling and a stone, he took down Goliath because he trusted in the Lord. He knew how to read king Saul and learned to stay out of his way until the Lord took him out of the way permanently.
In verse 33 God talked about the lot. He taught the priests how to use the lot to make certain decisions. That was not a form of gambling. He would direct the lot to fall according to His will. Many Jews abused that system, and they did use the lot as a form of gambling. We know the Roman soldiers use the lot to determine who would get Jesus’ robe.
In that sense, the lot is cast into the lap. It is just a chance win. However, God states further that even though people think the lot is just a game of chance, there is still a God who is in charge.
This is not to suggest that today’s gambling is directed by the LORD. No person can pray to God for a lucky draw so they can get money to pay off some debt, etc. Years ago we knew a man who would gamble and he claimed to be a Christian. He was even asked to share his success in a church and he claimed that he would give all his winnings to the Lord. The Lord does not need dirty money.
The lot was used of God in Old Testament times. Since the time of Christ, there is no justification for the lot. We do not flip a coin or draw a piece of paper to determine who gets chosen for a particular task. Born again Christians fast and pray and seek God’s face in making wise decisions. If God does not give a clear answer through His Word, then obviously we need to wait for clarity. If He clearly shows us that what we are trying to decide on is not of Him, then we need to back away and ask Him to show us what His will is. Christians can trust God to guide and direct them. If something is His will, it will also carry His blessing with it. If it is not His will, it will cause grief. God’s Word is the standard, not our feelings.
Pastor Bartel