Proverbs 14:18 The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The Simple Will Not Repent & Turn To God

Word Study: Those who are “SIMPLE” {Hebrew pᵊṯî} or “open-minded, worldly” turn away from the Word of God and instead choose the traditions and foolishness of man. The word “FOLLY” is the Hebrew ‘iûeleṯ (pro. iv-veh’-leth) which means “foolishness, that which is devoid of God’s blessing”.

The simple chase after anything that leads them away from God, rather than to the Source of Life.

Illustrate: The simple believe Darwinian Evolutionary Theory to be true, teaching that humans are just another form of animal. They teach their children that you can be a “furry”, an animal, if you want to be, and put litter pans in human toilets. They teach that life in the womb is disposable, then wonder why life in society is so cheaply held. They allow their children to play video games where murder is glorified, then wonder why their child grows up to murder. They give their children rewards for nothing, and the child grows up expecting to be supported in their lives whether they work or not. Their government awards welfare checks to able bodied citizens, and then wonder why these people keep expecting more.

Illustrate: Actions always have consequences – and sometimes those actions lead to unintended consequences. For instance, the wildfires that are destroying Los Angeles that have killed 16, and destroyed $135 Billion dollars in property to date. The liberal Mayor Karen Bass cut the Fire Department budget by $18 million dollars. Reservoirs were not filled with water, because the ruling class mismanaged resources. Fires themselves are out of control because environmentalists have resistedprovenforestation control, keeping dry tender removed via controlled burns. Rather than hire the most qualified to fight fires, the LA Fire Chief made it a priority to hire along Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion guidelines.

The simple, ignoring the counsel of God’s Word, ignoring common sense, ignoring the counsel of the wise, through their actions cause horric consequences.

the PRUDENT {Hebrew ʿārûm} are CROWNED with knowledge

The “PRUDENT” or Wise Believer heeds the Word of God from cover to cover. We not only read but we DO as God says. When we do so, God CROWNS our lives with blessing. Children of the King follow the King. My commentary notes:

“Contrary to the claims of ignorant skeptics, the Bible does not promote “blind faith.” This is one of many statements in Scripture warning against being naive or credulous (Proverbs 14:12, 15; Matthew 10:16; 1 John 4:1). The term translated “simple” here is from the root pathiy, meaning someone too easily convinced or unreasonably trusting. The book of Proverbs denounces this flaw many times when encouraging the reader to follow true wisdom (Proverbs 1:4, 22; 7:7; 8:5; 22:3).”

The Christian has a reasoned, clear faith. We follow what God has directed in His Word. We understand that DEI practices are non-Biblical, and nonsensical. All people are to be treated as Christ has directed, regardless of outward color:

Matthew 22:39 (ESV) … You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Romans 13:9-10 (ESV) For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

When God is placed FIRST (Matthew 22:38), then other humans are treated not as animals or furniture. Every person is the creation of God, and on that level is to be respected. We do not condone sinful fruit, but we love others enough to share Christ with them. We live our lives in glory to God so we can share the Gospel with the simple. We cannot save anyone – that is God’s work. But we work alongside God by sharing His love through the Gospel.

Righteousness Is Superior To Evil

Proverbs 14:19 The EVIL bow before the good; and the WICKED at the gates of the righteous.

Though it seems in this world as if those who are evil are enthroned over those who love the Lord, from God’s perspective the evil will eventually fall down before His Children. Jesus promised His followers:

2 Timothy 2:11-12 (ESV) If we have died with {Christ}, we will also live with Him; 12 if we endure, we will also REIGN WITH JESUS

In time, evil will be defeated. When God created the world His first command was “Let there be light”, and there was light (Genesis 1:3). God will not work in the darkness, but demands LIGHT. He conquers darkness by light.

1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and in him is no darkness at all

God is on a mission to eradicate darkness.
He has chosen us to partner with Him.

There will come a time when every believer in Christ will reign on this earth with Him. During Christ’s Millennial Kingdom, His Thousand Year reign on this earth, the Bible says:

Revelation 20:4-6 (ESV) Then I saw THRONES {notice this is PLURAL}, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Those who “were not conformed to this world, but were transformed by the renewing of their minds” (Romans 12:1-2) will reign on this earth with Jesus, as Satan and his angels are bound in the bottomless pit. Those who are in the first resurrection, the believer in Christ, will “inherit the earth” (Psalm 37:11; Matthew 5:5).

When you give your life to Jesus Christ, you come to the winning side. Philippians 2:10 tells us that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. This will happen in time. This must happen.

I remember several years ago a young woman who mocked our church, one whom I had tried to reach with Christ (along with her effeminate husband). She was the head of her household, and her husband the wife. Visiting our church, she hopped from church to church, having no use for the Word of God. About 6 months after leaving our Church she sought me out on a Monday morning, begging food from our pantry. Her husband had been up on a ladder doing something she wanted done, and the ladder slipped. Her husband fell, broke his back, and was badly laid up. Though there were other churches in town, she came to THIS CHURCH looking for help. She saw Christ in our midst. This woman who mocked and abandoned Christ and His way now came to me begging food. Of course, I fed her and her husband.

We are to “love our enemies” (Matthew 5:44), “blessing them that curse you, doing good to those who hate you, and praying for those who despitefully use you”. This is what Children of God do. I encouraged the foolish woman to come back as needed, but never saw her again as she – red faced – put several bags of groceries in her car. The wicked may – in this life – come to “the gates of the righteous”. Look at the testimony of the Scripture:

Imprisoned Joseph had all Egypt – and his brothers –
eventually bow before him and beg food.

Deceived Jacob in time gained most of Laban’s flock.

Captured Daniel was sought out by the King
as a wise man, and became the Chief Magi.

Mocked and disregarded David came from the flock to the Palace,
and his family bowed before him.

We as believers know that eventually we will triumph, because evil must lose. Let us continue trusting the Lord and keep doing good to the glory of God!

What Is The Fruit Of Your Life?

Proverbs 14:20-21 The poor is hated even of his own neighbor: but the rich hath many friends. 21 He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

People are often friendly, pretending to be friends to those who have money. This is not how God would have us to be, but an observation as to what happens among those who are lost or simple. Those who are rich have rich friends, not poor friends. They think themselves above those who are outside of their economic bracket. Yet the rich rarely find salvation in Christ. The Bible tells us that:

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (ESV) For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

Though not all the rich are lost (praise God), many are because their god is money and power. The poor have no such gods to rely on, so they often turn to Jesus. The Bible says:

James 2:5 (ESV) Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

There were a few rich people who helped support Jesus’ earthly ministry – but very few. We know of:

Joseph of Arimathea, who gave a Tomb to Jesus
Nicodemus, a rich Rabbi
Joanna, the wife of Pilate’s steward
Susanna, a wealthy woman

The Bible does not say there were NONE chosen to salvation, but it says “NOT MANY”. The vast number who followed after Christ were impoverished, either physically or economically.

Many who are rich are not noble or virtuous, but have achieved their riches through deception and lying. Not all, but many. There are many rich who live in luxury, but treat people as if they were furniture or objects to be used. Jesus reminds us in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) how cruelly the rich can be toward the poor. And yet, how gracious God is.

Those who love money more than life will one day “lift up their eyes in hell” with the rich man, whereas those who struggled through this life while loving the Lord will be comforted in glory. Money is fleeting, but life is eternal – in Christ. My commentary notes:

“No matter how dear are the friends, or how many there are of them, that reject you, God will never desert you, no matter how poor (Psalm 73:25-26; Hebrews 13:5-6). He set His love on you when you were his hateful enemy, and He will not remove His love for the minor turns of life’s events (Romans 5:6-11). He became poor to make you rich (II Corinthians 8:9).”

The Good (Converted) Tree Bears Good Fruit

Proverbs 14:22 Do they not err that DEVISE {ḥāraš} evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that DEVISE {ḥāraš} good.

Word Study: This present life we live is a battlefield. All around us are temptations to do the wrong, to join in with the worldly, to compromise with sin. Satan whispers to us, “Just do it. If it feels good, do it.” But if you are a Child of the King, you are called to “DEVISE GOOD”. The word “DEVISE” is the Hebrew ḥāraš, [pro. Khaw-rash’] which means “to cut, plough, engrave, plot, to scratch” in the Qal {simple verb stem}construction, but in the Hiphil {verbal stem that is causative action} & Hithpael {verbal pattern that shows reflexive action} the word means “to be silent or keep quiet”. Put this into English: Those who sneak around, plotting and planning evil are hurting themselves and others. However, those who quietly do good, seeking to serve the Lord shall find mercy from God and the truth that Christ wants us to have.

The converted or “Good” Tree quietly bears fruit to the glory of God. The unconverted or “Bad” tree quietly conspires to bring evil and dark fruit to the glory of man.

A Christian is not a Christian because of good works, but because of GRACE. But once saved, God recreates the soul of that person. The tree is made good – CONVERTED or BORN AGAIN. As our Lord Jesus said,

Matthew 7:17 … every GOOD TREE bringeth forth GOOD FRUIT; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth EVIL FRUIT

If you profess to be a Christian, then what fruit is your life producing to prove or endorse your faith? What fruit are you producing DAILY that glorifies God? How many people have you been Jesus to? How much good have you done in the name of Christ? Or do you just sit about talking about doing good, but never doing.

Those who are saved DEVISE GOOD. Those who are possessors of eternal life through Christ patiently DO GOOD. The Bible says:

Romans 2:7-8 (KJV)To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath

If the fruit of your life is evil, you need only expect hell and damnation from God in the next life. Those who have been “born again”, changed by God from corrupt trees to good trees, will produce good fruit.

Good fruit blesses others, brings glory to God,
and is proof of a saved life.

The Scripture says in Galatians 6:9 (ESV) … let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

And again in 2 Thessalonians 3:13 (ESV) … do not grow weary in doing good.

An apple tree will struggle to bear apples, even in years when the rain was not as plentiful, and the sun not as hot. Why? Because it is in the nature of the apple tree to bear apples, not frogs or poison ivy or chiggers. The apple tree knows that to reproduce, it must bear fruit. Even so, the Christian MUST BEAR FRUIT.

Why are so many Churches dying in America today? We cannot blame the unbeliever for not coming. The unbeliever is not an apple tree. Their fruit is evil, poisonous. They may come to Church periodically to give the appearance of good, but it is not Church life that proves the tree, but life life. Are you bearing apples? Or are you bearing evil fruit, or worse, no fruit at all. Evil fruit goes with the world, with the darkness, but not with the Lord. Evil fruit glorifies man and mankind, while ignoring the glory of the Creator.

Beloved, we are to bear fruit unto the glory of God. We may suffer in doing so, for good fruit is hated by the darkness. We are to remember the words of Scripture:

1 Peter 3:13-17 (ESV) Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

Children of the King DO GOOD. Churches that die, die because they are filled with bad trees pretending to be good trees. Churches that do not DO GOOD do not deserve to continue.

Serve the Lord.

May God the Holy Spirit touch your souls, drawing you to hear and heed His Word. Amen.