Proverbs 11:12 He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
15 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure.
16 A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches.
Wisdom is essential to building proper relationships. Your neighbour may not be saved, but you can still treat him with respect. If he does something that is offensive, you can try to resolve the matter in a way that allows for building a better relationship.
Again we see the importance of knowing how to respond to a situation. Cursing and swearing is never right. Becoming angry without a just cause is also not acceptable. A man of wisdom needs to behave in that manner. It is good to try to understand where the neighbour is coming from. If the person is lost, there will be great differences between him and the man with wisdom.
Jesus dealt with many individuals who lacked wisdom. He exposed the false teachers and rebuked them. He suffered the children to come unto Him. He rebuked His disciples when they were inconsiderate. He dealt with Judas in love even as he was betraying Him. He looked upon Peter with sorrow in His eyes as Peter denied Him three times. He prayed for forgiveness of those who mocked Him and nailed Him to His cross. Christians need to behave like Christians. The world needs to see the difference. The difference will be in accordance with God’s Word. The Holy Spirit will be there to guide the Christian to honour God with his words and actions.
A talebearer is a slanderer. He or she is like a gossip. He reveals things that should be kept quiet. We do not need people who want to spread rumours or who want to embellish matters. Oftentimes journalists are talebearers. They are not just reporting the news anymore. They are biased and giving their opinion of the news.
The man of a faithful spirit keeps things close. Facebook and other platforms like that are often used to reveal things that should be kept private. Many times those who use those platforms reveal things that the world does not need to see or know. The faithful spirit does not want to broadcast everything.
In verse 14 we see the necessity of counsel. Nebuchadnezzar needed counsel when he was given his dream from God. His secular, pagan counsellors were of no help to him. Daniel was a blessing to him.
King Ahab rejected wise counsel. Israel was dragged down with his wicked rule. Ahab eventually died in battle and his wicked wife was eaten by dogs.
As we see, it is good to seek wise counsel. No one person knows everything. No one person will always interpret God’s Word accurately. It is important to seek out wise counsellors. King David had more than one wise counsellor. When he tried to fix his sin of adultery himself, it hurt him and the entire nation. When Nathan came to him and confronted him regarding his sin, he finally dealt with it and was forgiven. The pain of his sin was still there, but the guilt of his sin was forgiven.
In verse 15 we are reminded of the danger of becoming surety for another person. A person that cannot stand on his own two feet, it not worth supporting. A person that has such a bad name that he needs a co-signer for what he is wanting, needs to back off and build a good name first.
If you become surety for someone, you need to understand you could be left with the debt if the borrower does not keep his word.
The wise person hates suretiship. It is loving to help the person to see they need to earn the trust of others on their own merits. If you want to give someone a gift, that is your choice. If the person is dependent upon your signature to purchase something, that person is not worth supporting.
In verse 16 we see that a gracious woman retains honour. This is the opposite of the strange woman that God has referenced several times already in the book of Proverbs. Mary was a gracious woman. God could entrust her to be the mother of the incarnate Son of God/Man. She was a faithful woman who did not set herself up to be anything special. The Catholics have denigrated her with their false teaching regarding her.
Strong men will retain honour. This builds on the issue of suretiship. It takes a spiritually strong man to say no to what may seem like a good idea, but really is not. There is more to life than trying to make a quick buck.
The casinos are full of weak men. Those who purchase lottery tickets are also weak men. The strong man knows better than to throw away hard-earned money for such foolish ventures. Samson was a physically strong man, but he was a weak man when it really mattered. He allowed a woman to make him weak so that his eyes could be plucked out and he could be mocked as a slave that treads out the grain like an ox.
God is not talking of physical strength here. He is talking of spiritual strength that builds a life with Bible convictions and then is willing to stand upon the sure Word of God. The taunting of man will not affect the strong man.
Job lost his family, his wealth, and his health. He refused to listen to the bad counsel of his wife, who told him to curse God and die. He showed strength as his pseudo friends tried to convince him that their false theories were right. He had some things to learn, but he would not learn anything from those men. He sought an audience with God and God honoured him. He was blessed in a greater way than he had been earlier in his life. His spiritual strength increased and he was a greater blessing to those who knew him well.
The world needs some strong men. It needs some men who are truly born again and are willing to stand upon the sure Word of God and not flinch under the peer pressure that is often there. Be sure you are a person of wisdom.
Pastor Bartel