Wisdom's Instructions on Human Relations
Book of Proverbs Chapter 27
What are our duties as the children of God?
Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
After the Holy Spirit guided Solomon through the entire Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon sees that there is truly one duty that every human is to have.
"We are to have a reverent fear of the Lord and keep His commandments".
Everything in this world is meaningless unless we see it through the eyes of Jehovah.
There is safety and peace in the keeping of the commandments of our self-existing God.
The Word of God is just as valuable today as it was in the days of Solomon and all the writers of Scripture, led by the Holy Spirit, and even more so as we approach the end of the Church Age.
Our eternal existence depends upon our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the giver and the taker of life!
Our one job is to please our Heavenly Father through His Son!
This begins when we recognize sin and avoid it.
*****Pro 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Pro 27:2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Pro 27:3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.
Pro 27:4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
We should understand that no matter how our day goes, it is a day that God by His Almighty Power causes or allows to happen according to His plan for us.
If we rely on what we think tomorrow will bring, according to the day we live now, we can be totally disappointed.
All our plans are secondary to the plan of God!
When we ignore what God has said, it is a sin as much as any other sin!
We are blind and arrogant to think that we hold power over our own lives.
This does not mean we are not to plan and even plan for the future, but we had better remain flexible with our plans.
We cannot take tomorrow for granted, and only God can direct our future; and it is sin not to know this.
God's plans will always prevail.
Let the Lord Jesus teach us on this: Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
There is another proverb that should be more important to us: 2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
God is saying we do not know what tomorrow will bring, so do not put off today what needs to be done today.
If the Lord Jesus returns this afternoon and you are waiting till next week to talk to the preacher about salvation, it will be too late for you to get to Heaven.
It is the same thing if the Lord has laid it upon you to witness to a certain person and you put it off for a few days, and all of a sudden, the trumpet sounds and we're out of here.
We may think we are the best that the Lord has to offer to the world, but we are never to brag about ourselves.
If we are just doing what the Lord has commanded us to do, there is no reward for that, it's obedience.
If we are not obedient, we are living in sin!
If we boast about how great we are, we will forget how great the Lord is.
Humility, not boasting, will cause others to think more of us, especially the Lord.
2Co 10:17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
2Co 10:18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
As we go through life as a Christian, we will find there are many daily irritations that can make our life unbearable, but if we come face to face with a fool, the Spiritual effort it takes to deal with him is far greater than anything else we face.
Pro 16:22 Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.
Envy, which includes jealousy, will consume and destroy even the strongest Christian, and we must avoid them.
Remember, Cain slew Abel because of jealousy and became the first murderer in the Bible and caused strife in the first family that existed.
Joseph, the son of Jacob, was sold into slavery because of jealousy.
King Saul tried to kill David because of jealousy.
Envy is the most dangerous of all sinful emotions.
Pro 6:34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore, he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
Many times, we ignore these sins in our lives, and we think we are living according to the Word of God when we are living in unconfessed sin, and our prayer life will suffer because of it.
The Lord Jesus Christ has given us the power to overcome all sin in our lives, but we must recognize them as sin.
The closer we stay to living according to the Word of God, we will understand that all sin is an abomination to our Heavenly Father.
Next, we must always be sensitive to the Holy Spirit who lives within us.
When we feel someone tugging at our heart, there is no need to look around on the outside because it will be the Spirit on the inside ringing our bell.
We must swallow our pride, admit our sin, and we will see an improvement in our prayer life and in our lives.
*****Pro 27:5 Open rebuke is better than secret love.
Pro 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Pro 27:7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
Pro 27:8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
Pro 27:9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.
Pro 27:10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
We meet a lot of people throughout our lifetime, but only a few can we say are our friends.
How can we say we are good friends if we do not love them enough to point out bad behavior?
We are never to ignore their bad behavior or anything which could be called evil.
It's the same with our children. How can we say that we love them if we do not tell them about their bad behavior and try to correct them at any age?
Pro 3:12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
Real friends will confront each other with the truth!
A true friend will get over that rebuke and remain your friend.
Many of us tend to overindulge, especially when we are eating our favorite meal.
Even that favorite meal will lose its taste when we reach the point where we cannot take another bite.
We know our health should be maintained before we reach this point.
We sometimes forget that a hungry person will eat anything they are offered, even if they do not like the taste of it.
Pro 22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
True friends will help the needy.
A bird that strays from the nest shows no regard for the family it leaves behind, and they will perish without its help.
For a father or a mother to desert loved ones is not different.
We simply are not to walk away from those we love!
As far as the Jews, this applied to those who left their nation to live in some other nation.
God's plan encompasses the community of people beyond the family.
We must understand that God has placed us wherever we live, and unless God calls for us to go somewhere else, then His intention is for us to remain where He has placed us.
This is our mission field.
What did God tell Cain after he murdered Abel? Gen 4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
Look at what happened to Naomi.
Rth 1:1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
Rth 1:2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab and continued there.
Rth 1:3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
Rth 1:4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
Rth 1:5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
God made something good come out of this tragedy in the family of Naomi, for this is what God does, but maybe they should have stayed in Bethlehem.
Our purpose cannot be fulfilled when we run away from it!
Maybe we should not run away from the friends that God has allowed us to establish unless it is God who leads us to do so.
Good friends are just too hard to find!
True friends can help heal each other in times of sorrow and times of need.
Wounds of the heart are especially painful, and a good friend can help heal that pain.
Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
In today's world, we need more friends and not fewer friends, and our brothers and sisters in Christ are to always be our friends and we theirs.
A friend of your father who is now your friend shows a connection to the family and should be regarded as a true friend.
We should not only love our friends, but we should also love our friends' children.
Most of the time, we do not need the help of our friends, but on that day, we do, and it is good to know that help will come.
True friends are priceless!
A good friend who is available is far better than a family that lives miles away from you.
A wise child of God will cherish and value their friends.
Our greatest friend is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
*****Pro 27:11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.
Pro 27:12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
Pro 27:13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
Pro 27:14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
If we raise our children according to the Word of God, we will certainly be criticized by the world.
The world will say we are doing it wrong.
They will be taught to follow certain godly rules.
They will be denied certain freedoms that the children of the world will partake in.
They will be removed from certain teachings in the schools that go against the Word of God.
The world will say, As Christians, we are being too oppressive to our children.
As a Christian, I say, the world allows Marxist teachers, and terrorist to brainwash their children.
That wise child will bring great joy to his parents if they have listened and learned the reasons why these things are important.
How we and our children go through life reflects our upbringing.
When we are trained to recognize the pitfalls of life, then we can avoid them.
When we see the danger that is ahead, we can protect ourselves from it.
The wise child of God will not walk into danger unprepared.
We have the full armor of God.
Those who are simple seldom see the danger that is ahead of them and are not prepared to face it when it comes.
When we do business with people we do not know, we need to demand payment or keep some sort of collateral.
If we are asked to stand good for the debt of someone else, we should refuse.
If we allow our best winter coat to be collateral, we may spend many cold days because of it.
Pro 11:15 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure.
What is common courtesy? Most of us would say it is being polite, connected to kindness.
It is also an act of respect.
If we have had some great thing happen to us and we just cannot hold it in and wake our friends up in the middle of the night to tell them, then we have not been good friends to them. We have not respected them.
We may even lose a friend with such behavior.
Our good news has become bad news for them.
If we call our friends in the middle of the night to tell them how much we appreciate them, they may not appreciate your call.
Friends are just too important for us to do these things to them.
If we call our Pastor for some trivial matter after he has preached three services and visited the sick and needs his rest, we have done him no favor.
*****Pro 27:15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
Pro 27:16 Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.
Pro 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Pro 27:18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
The Holy Spirit has mentioned this subject at least five times, so it has to be important.
If it has been raining for a long time and the place you are seeking shelter has a leaky roof, that can drive us back out into the storm.
If we are at home trying to have some peace, but an angry, quarrelsome wife will not let that happen can also drive a man out of that house.
Those who are married to such a person are at their mercy.
We should not be the cause of her anger, or we will certainly suffer for it.
It will be raining inside and outside, and we will have nowhere to avoid it.
Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Eph 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
A husband and wife must be good friends at all times and let not anger divide them.
Iron is sharpened by another piece of abrasive iron.
The Bible says we are not created to be alone but with others.
We are social beings, and we need to be around others to feel human.
Iron sharpening iron is about two pieces of equivalent materials.
When two people talk and work out the details of their marriage or their friendship, they have sharpened each other, and their bond remains strong.
Our character is shaped by contact with others, which is another reason God wants us to gather together as like-minded people to worship our Heavenly Father.
We do not have to agree with each other all the time, but by talking and gaining understanding, it will sharpen our convictions and remove those sharp edges that cause friction.
It is the same for husbands and wives, good friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ.
It is also the same in our relationships at work.
It is not so much about sharpening as it is about caring for one another.
Tending to a fig tree requires some work, but if you do this properly, you will be able to eat its fruit.
As Christians, we have only one Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we faithfully serve the Lord and do not worry about whether our efforts will be recognized and rewarded will in the end receive from our Master, the most important things.
Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Mat 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
It is these things that build our character.
*****Pro 27:19 As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.
A good mirror will show the reflection of our face, but they did not exist at this time, so a pool of clear water would give the best reflection.
Just as that good mirror gives the best reflection of our outside character, our hearts will give the best reflection of our inside character.
Mat 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
It is the Word of God that is to be used as our mirror.
It is the Word of God that will show us what is in our hearts.
What is in our heart is what we are!
When we acknowledge what is in our hearts, it will drive us to our knees, and we will beg God for mercy!
The world we live in today is so close to being like the world that existed before the flood that the Lord could return at any moment to remove His Church, which He promised would not see His wrath and return with fire to destroy this wicked world.
Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Gen 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
*****Pro 27:20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Pro 27:21 As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.
Pro 27:22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
We know that the grave eats up all the bodies that are put into it and is always ready to eat up more.
Destruction is speaking of the second death.
Rev_20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev_21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Hell is always hungry for more of the dead!
Hab 2:5 Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:
Hell is never full or satisfied. Enough is never enough.
The Bible then says our sinful desires can be compared to Hell because our sinful desires are never satisfied.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
The only thing that will satisfy us is the "Fear of the Lord" and a reverent relationship with Him.
The fining pot and the furnace are used to test precious metals for purity.
In the same way, our praise of the Lord reveals our character.
If our praise is not real, God knows it!
When we humble ourselves before God, we show we are sinners and give God the credit for His Mercy and His Grace, which allows for our salvation.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
We should understand that not everyone is going to accept the truth of God, and over and over, God says they are foolish.
Even severe punishment is not enough to cause fools to change their minds.
Pro 26:3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.
Pro 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
No matter how long we pound fools, we will never be able to separate them from their foolishness!
We are cautioned not to waste our time and energy trying to reform them.
Jer 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
Jer 13:24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.
We must recognize who we can and cannot help.
*****Pro 27:23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.
Pro 27:24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?
Pro 27:25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
Pro 27:26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.
Pro 27:27 And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.
Everything we own belongs to God, and we need to be diligent in managing and protecting these things.
The wealth of the people of the Old Testament consisted of livestock.
God had given them their land, and it could not be sold.
Flocks would designate sheep, but herds could be goats or cattle, or any group of animals.
Why should we be so diligent? Because God has provided these things to feed and clothe our families.
When we do not work diligently with the things God has given to us or loaned to us, then our families will suffer.
A farmer must keep a close eye on his animals.
Today, we are to keep a close eye on our assets, our property, businesses, if you have a business, our accounts, and any other resource.
We are to do this because at any moment these things could disappear, or we could see a better place to place our finances.
Riches do not last forever!
We know that if we have animals, they require personal attention.
It is the same for everything we have obtained.
We must set our hearts on providing for our families.
Once money is spent then it is gone.
The value of cars and other possessions deteriorates with time or can be stolen.
There are more risks every day because our world is getting more evil, and crime is increasing.
Nothing we own is entirely secure, even our nation, and who knows about our government from day to day.
We must also apply these things to our Churches.
The Church is compared to flocks by the Holy Spirit.
Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
We know that these things are happening in the Church today.
What is the Pastor to do?
1Pe 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
1Pe 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
1Pe 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
It is not the time for any Pastor or Church leader to stray from the Gospel, but many are.
The message of the Lord Jesus Christ does not ever change.
There is no such thing as a modern Gospel.
The growth of the Church has always been the job of the Holy Spirit!
Our job is to preach and teach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!
In the beginning of time, God provided everything needed to sustain humans throughout all the Ages.
God then gave humans the knowledge to take care of the things He created.
We are to be good stewards of these things.
Luk_12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
This includes taking care of the planet God has allowed us to live upon.
We will one day give an account to God for all He has placed in our heads, our hearts, and our hands.
Psa 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Psa 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Psa 8:6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
Psa 8:7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
Psa 8:8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
We will one day give an account for this planet God has created for us to live on till He takes His children home, those who love the Lord Jesus Christ!
Amen
