Proverbs 3:30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
There are many arguments that happen for no good reason. Lost people with a little bit of liquor in them will often start to look for an argument or a fight. God tells us here that if the person has not done you any harm, don’t look to make trouble.
In verse 31 we are reminded that the oppressor is often well off in material things. He is a schemer and does quite well at his crooked ways. The wise son needs to understand this and not envy that type of person. All we see is the outward things. We do not see the misery of the heart all the time. The oppressor may seem quite pleased with his life in public, but in private it is another thing. God warns not to choose any of his ways. Honesty is always the right way of doing things. Integrity is an important quality to have.
The froward person is the crooked person. He is perverse. God hates these types of people. That would include most of the politicians and many lawyers and salesmen as well. Sadly the worst of these types of people are often leaders in charismatic groups. They corrupt God’s Word and use it for their own advantage. God hates the froward.
His secret is His counsel. The wicked do not want God’s counsel. They do not want His wisdom. The godly person conducts himself in a way that stands apart from the world.
King Solomon was a wise man in his early years as king. The queen of Sheba heard of his wisdom and his wealth and she came to see for herself. She wanted to know what made the difference. Daniel and his three friends had something that even Nebuchadnezzar’s “wise men” did not have. Daniel could give wise counsel because he chose to submit to God’s direction.
It is never a good thing to have the curse of the LORD upon you. That is what rests upon the house of the wicked. So again, we only see the outward things. The wicked may look as though they are successful and happy. We have neighbours who like to throw parties at times. They are far enough away from us so that we are not bothered by their parties. Their poor close neighbours have to endure loud music and other noise, besides the smell of marijuana.
They are not an anomaly. They are something that is quite common among the wicked. We have lived in a place where the neighbours threw a wild party that would have gone through the night. We finally called the police, but they seemed to want to protect the partiers. We were able to convince the police to stop the party in the early hours of the morning. God will deal with these type of people.
God blesseth the habitation of the just. The just are those who walk in the fear of the LORD. The just do not need liquor or drugs to be happy. They do not get up with a hangover. They can live without all that is involved in wickedness.
In verse 34 we read of the scorner. The scorner is the boaster. God cannot bless that kind of thing. However God giveth grace unto the lowly. The lowly are those who are humble. They are those who walk in the fear of the LORD. The grace refers to the favour of the LORD. It is a blessing to be subject to God’s favour.
In verse 35 the son is reminded that the wise shall inherit glory. They do not earn it. They receive it as a gift. The wise person is the person who heeds God’s Word and follows His way.
Shame is the promotion of fools. Those who reject God will end up at the great white throne judgment. I listened to a lost person talking about death recently. The person’s boyfriend had committed suicide and she was sure that he was fine now. She must be a Catholic. She seemed to believe that at death there is a final opportunity to fix things for the future.
The Bible teaches that we must choose who we will follow in this life. God gives us all the information we need to choose life, but most people allow their pride to keep them from the truth. Jesus stated that the truth is what makes a person free from the bondage of sin.
Today is the Lord’s day. Each person has another opportunity to attend a true, local church. There is no better place to be than in a Bible-believing local church. That is what your soul is desiring. It is up to each person to choose to follow the Holy Spirit as He seeks to lead you to the truth. The time is moving on. Only that which is done by faith, trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ will last. It is important to trust in Him. Don’t allow your imagination to rule. Let the Truth rule in your heart.
Pastor Bartel