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Proverbs 21:8 The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.

Kingdom of God vs Kingdom of Man

Though a person is not saved by their works before God:

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

For “Salvation belongs to the LORD” (Psalm 3:8). We are all broken at physical birth. We are all sinners. But once God saves a person, He works in the heart of that person. The person who repents and comes to Jesus by faith in Him is “made alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5). God Himself “gives you a new heart, and a new Spirit He puts in you. He removes the old heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

The lost person has a different heart, because he has not surrendered that heart to God. The Bible calls this person the “natural man”. Paul contrasted the “natural man” with the “spiritual man” in his letter to the Corinthians. He said:

1 Corinthians 2:11-16 (NKJV) For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is [rightly] judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

The “ natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God”. The phrase “NATURAL MAN” is the Greek psychikos (pro. psoo-khee-kos’) which means “the man driven by senses, the fleshly person”. This is the person that Solomon is addressing in the first part of this proverb:

Proverbs 21:8 The way of MAN {‘îš} is FROWARD {hăp̄aḵpaḵ} and STRANGE {vāzār}

Word Study: The word “MAN” is the Hebrew ‘îš (pro. eesh), which is the common word for the created man (see Genesis 2:23). Here Solomon is not just talking about males, but mankind in general. Those who are “born of a woman”. The Prophet Job noted that:

Job 14:1 (KJV) Man {‘îš} [that is] born of a woman [is] of few days, and full of trouble.

Job 15:14 (KJV) What [is] man, that he should be clean? and [he which is] born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

Those who are without Christ are bound to their flesh, enslaved by sin. Though there are certainly some people who are moral, all who are without new birth are “FROWARD” {hăp̄aḵpaḵ, very perverse} and “STRANGE” {vāzār, very guilty or criminal}. The lost who are without Christ do what they do because their flesh compels them to do it. They chase after their desires, regardless as to how it effects others. God says that their ways, the ways of the lost, is both perverted as well as guilty. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 10:4 (NKJV) The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.

The lost are self absorbed. They care nothing for God, unless they can use God to further their self absorption.

Proverbs 21:8 but as for the PURE {zāḵ}, his work is RIGHT.

Word Study: The word for “PURE” is the Hebrew zāḵ, which means “those who are righteous or clean in God’s sight”. The Prophet Job asked the question:

Job 25:4 (KJV) How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean [that is] born of a woman?

How is it possible? It is only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, God re-writes our hearts. He changes us. The Apostle Paul who once believed that, as a Pharisee among Pharisees, he was “PURE” realized on the Damascus Road that he was not “PURE”. Paul later wrote:

Philippians 3:4-11 (NKJV) though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, [of] the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which [is] from the law, but that which [is] through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Coming to Christ, the Christian is changed. We are given imputed righteousness, and a desire to follow our Lord. How can we see if a person is right with God? Because “his work is RIGHT”.

Proverbs 21:10 The soul of the wicked DESIRETH EVIL: his neighbor findeth no favor in his eyes.

That which drives the soul of the lost is “the flesh”, their own desires. Not all people are as bad as they can be, as some still respond to their conscience. But there are some who will be as bad al society allows them to be. I see a lot of this horror show in political theater now. When President Trump mobilized National Guard troops to curb crime in Washington, D.C. news channels all across America pictured him as a dictator akin to Adolf Hitler. The question in my mind is,

Why wouldn’t anyone want crime to be decreased, and murder eradicated? Because the “WICKED DESIRES EVIL”. Governors call for insurrection. A homeless criminal brutally murders a Ukrainian refugee in our country legally – and politicians stand up to protect and coddle the murderer. Where the wicked go unrestrained, civilization suffers.

Proverbs 21:11 When the SCORNER {lûṣ} is punished, the SIMPLE {pᵊṯî} is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.

Word Study: The only way to put out a fire is not to feed it, but to douse it, to rob it of that which feeds it. The “SCORNER”, the Hebrew lûṣ, is a reference to the person who “mocks or derides the Word of God, who falsely interprets that which is said in order to defeat the message given”. The “SCORNER” mocks the Word of God, mocks Law and Order, mocks civilization. We must stand up to the scorners, not in our own strength or opinion, but by standing firmly on the Word of God. Jesus our Lord did the same. When attacked by the scorners, the religious anarchists, Jesus replied “it is written”. If the scorner is not punished, then the simple minded will follow them. But when the scorner is corrected through God’s Word, the “SIMPLE IS MADE WISE”. The word “SIMPLE” is the Hebrew pᵊṯî, which means “the simple minded, open minded or foolish person”.

The Church is to be “WISE”, to be instructed from the Word of God. We need to learn to think Biblically, and to respond to the “SCORNERS” via the Word of God. The Light must not hide itself out of fear.

Our Lord Jesus said:

Matthew 5:13-16 (KJV) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

God’s Church is not to hide from the fight. We are to be salt and light, standing up for the righteous way. Our righteousness “must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, or we will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:20). We cannot back down. We cannot compromise. We must follow God and glorify His Name.

Illustrate: A great example of this is found in the Book of Acts. The Bible tells us that:

Acts 13:7 (KJV) … Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

But Satan had already sent one of his agents to keep Sergius Paulus from being saved. We are told that “a false prophet, a Jew named BarJesus” (Acts 13:6) hindered the Gospel, mocking and scorning the Gospel that Barnabas and Paul presented. Paul didn’t back down! We read:

Acts 13:8-12 (KJV) But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is {BarJesus’} name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9 Then Saul, (who also [is called] Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, [thou] child of the devil, [thou] enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord [is] upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

If we do not speak up for Jesus, and quit worrying about offending the lost, we will lose this generation of simple minded people for all eternity. The simple minded need to be plainly told the truth – and the scoffers need to be rebuked in the name of Jesus!

Proverbs 21:12 The righteous man WISELY CONSIDERETH {śāḵal} the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.

Sometimes we as believers will carefully look at the riches that the wicked have gained. Yet we do not fret. We know that, in time, God will “OVERTHROW THE WICKED FOR THEIR WICKEDNESS”. Case in point was when God sent a prophet to anoint Jehu as the replacement King of Israel. Ahab and Jezebel had led Israel into following idols rather than serving God. God had Elisha tell Jehu:

2 Kings 9:6-10 (KJV) {a son of the prophets} arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on {Jehu’s} head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, [even] over Israel. 7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. 8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall {no child will survive} and him that is shut up and left in Israel: 9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah: 10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and [there shall be] none to bury [her]. And he opened the door, and fled.

“Jeroboam the son of Nebat” led Israel into idolatry by establishing golden calves to worship in Samaria, rather than supporting Jerusalem as the place where God was honored. (2 Kings 17:21-23). His sin caused Israel to be carried away into exile into Assyria. “Baasha the son of Ahijah” was an evil king who followed idolatrous practices. Both of these kings lost everything, along with their families, for their wicked reigns.

The wicked may seem to prosper for a time. But evil leads to God’s wrath. The Bible says:

Proverbs 10:29 (ESV) The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers.

There is safety in following God, as God is the Author of light and life. In time, God will overthrow the wicked. But “the meek shall INHERIT THE EARTH” (Matthew 5:5).

Proverbs 21:15 It is joy to the just {ṣadîq} to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

Those who are “JUST” (Hebrew ṣadîq, lawful or righteous) find joy in serving the Lord. The lost love serving themselves, their desires, their wants. The children of God love serving God. Though we are not perfect by any means, we are perfectly saved, and we love the Lord Who saved us. The Apostle said, “I delight in the Law of God after the inward man” (Romans 7:22). The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 1:1-6 (KJV) Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly [are] not so: but [are] like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

We who are saved love to do God’s Word, to love Him Who saved us. There is no salvation without obedience to the Savior. Our Lord Jesus said,

John 14:15 (KJV) If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 15:10 (KJV) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

Proverbs 21:16 The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

The protection the Christian has is in obedience to the Word of God. When either Christian or Church wander away from “THE WAY OF UNDERSTANDING”, they put themselves in harm’s way. The “CONGREGATION OF THE DEAD” is a reference to the Kingdom of Man. Those without Christ are spiritually dead, and they walk in darkness rather than light. The Bible is clear that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This does not just mean for unbelievers, but for believers as well. Whether lost or saved, if you play with fire you will be burned. God said:

Hebrews 10:38 my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.

Death awaits those who cease living for Jesus, and begin to live in the flesh. As we were previously told in …

Proverbs 12:28 (ESV) In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.

Proverbs 21:17-18 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. 18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.

Unrestrained pleasure and self satisfaction will rob you of God’s best. Those who feed their flesh without taking time for God will find themselves robbed of ultimate joy. There is a payday coming for everyone. Those who love the Lord will find a joyous payday waiting for them beyond this life. Those who spend their lives loving themselves will find themselves in a place of absolute loss, a place of eternal burnings. Those who spent their lives living selfishly will find themselves separated from God in eternity. Jesus said:

Matthew 25:46 (KJV) And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

What is the ultimate destiny for those who love the Lord as opposed to those who love their flesh? Jesus explained self denial in the most exacting of ways:

Mark 9:43-48 (KJV) And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Those who are saved by Grace have hands that serve God. They have feet that want to follow Jesus. They have eyes that want to look on God’s glory, not on their own glory. Those saved by Grace – by faith in the Lord Jesus – are changed internally so that they love to serve God externally. I close with this:

1 John 5:2-5 (KJV) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Have you believed on Christ? Have you come to Him repentant, surrendered, calling on the Name of the Lord for salvation? If you have, you love Him and His Word. You want to live for Him. I pray that this is you. Amen.