Building A House That Stands

Proverbs 24:1-2 Be not thou ENVIOUS against evil men, neither desire to be with them. 2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

Guide Your Hearts From Envy Of The Rich

Understand Envy vs Jealousy: We need to be careful who we associate with. Close friendship and close relationships with those who are ungodly can lead us into a trap, destroying our lives. There are two heart – emotions that we need to understand, jealousy and envy. Jealousy is when you are possessive about that which is rightfully yours. Jealousy is not necessarily a sin. God Himself is jealous:

Exodus 34:14 (NKJV) (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is JEALOUS {qannā’}, is a JEALOUS {qannā’} God),

Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a JEALOUS {qannā’} God.

Jealousy means to be “zealous, protective of what is rightfully yours”. God our Father made us. God the Holy Spirit caused us to be born into His Family, His House. God the Son shed His Blood on Calvary for us. Therefore, those who are His Children by faith in Christ Jesus, (Galatians 3:26) those who are “born again” (John 3:3-7; 1 Peter 1:23), are God’s possessions, God’s children. The Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (KJV) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN? For YE ARE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, WHICH ARE GOD’S.

The Christian is a member of the House of Christ, the Kingdom of God. We are God’s family – and He has every right to be jealous over us, for we are His.

Envy, on the other hand, is a negative and ungodly emotion. Whereas jealousy is to be protective of what is rightfully yours, envy is a desire to take what is rightfully someone else’s’ and make it yours.

Proverbs 24:1 Be not thou ENVIOUS {qānā’} against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

Word Study: The root of the word qānā’ means to see something and, through desire, to pursue it so as to gain ownership of it. The focus of the word is possession of something not rightfully yours. Evil people – the lost driven by desire and self – will lead the righteous person away from God and toward greedy fulfillment.

Proverbs 24:2 For their heart STUDIETH DESTRUCTION, and their LIPS TALK OF MISCHIEF.

Word Study: Such people are always looking for a way to take over something not theirs. They “STUDY DESTRUCTION” {hāḡâ šōḏ}, literally “devise violence”. They look for ways they can defeat the owner of what they want in order to acquire what is his. We cannot completely avoid wicked people while in this world, for the Apostle wrote:

1 Corinthians 5:9-10 (ESV) I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people — 10 NOT AT ALL MEANING THE SEXUALLY IMMORAL OF THIS WORLD, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, SINCE THEN YOU WOULD NEED TO GO OUT OF THE WORLD.

We are going to come across bad people, evil people. But we should never envy what the bad people have, nor seek friendships with them because such people are constantly seeking that which will take away from others.

Illustrate Ai: When Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land he sent spies into the city of Ai. There were very few people there, so the spies told Joshua “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.” (Joshua 7:3). So that’s what they did. Three thousand soldiers went up against Ai – and were chased away by the smaller army of Israel. This was shocking to Joshua, as they had just come from defeating Jericho (Joshua 6). Joshua fell down before the Ark of the Lord in prayer, saying:

Joshua 7:7-9 (NKJV) Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all–to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear [it], and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”

God answered Joshua,

Joshua 7:10-12 (NKJV) Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? 11 “Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put [it] among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, [but] turned [their] backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.

The Bible tells us that Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah saw accursed things when Jericho was overthrown, things like gold and silver idols in the rubble of Jericho. God had told Israel:

Joshua 6:18-19 (NKJV) And you, by all means abstain from the ACCURSED THINGS, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, [are] consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.

God owned the city of Jericho. The gold and silver were to be dedicated to God’s treasury. But Achan began to envy that which was not his but was God’s – and took it, and hid it in the floor of his tent.

What was sad about Achan was that he was blessed of God, fed of God, and protected as a child of God. But he stole from God out of envy, stole from idolaters, and ended up dying for it.

God tells us who are His to not envy the wicked, nor envy their stuff.

Hebrews 13:5-6 (NKJV) [Let your] conduct [be] without covetousness; BE CONTENT WITH SUCH THINGS AS YOU HAVE. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: The LORD [is] my Helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NKJV) Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into [this] world, [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And HAVING FOOD AND CLOTHING, WITH THESE WE SHALL BE CONTENT. 9 But those who DESIRE TO BE RICH FALL into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and harmful lusts which DROWN MEN in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all [kinds of] evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and PIERCED THEMSELVES THROUGH with many sorrows.

Rather Than Seek Earthly Riches,
Live For The House Of Christ

Proverbs 24:3-4 Through WISDOM IS AN HOUSE BUILDED; and by UNDERSTANDING IT IS ESTABLISHED: 4 And BY KNOWLEDGE shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Rather than chase after the rich and the ungodly, seeking to build your bank account, look to build a “House” partnered with God. The evil who pursue riches are not building a “House” that will stand. The evil build their “House” based on covetousness and greed. The Bible says:

Proverbs 12:7 (NKJV) The wicked are overthrown and [are] no more, But THE HOUSE OF THE RIGHTEOUS WILL STAND.

God and His people will ultimately triumph. The House built on God’s Word (Wisdom) and the understanding and application of His Word will stand when all other things fail. The Prophet wrote very poetically:

Job 8:11-15 (LSB) Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes grow without water? 12 While it is still green [and] not cut down, Yet it dries up before any [other] plant. 13 SO ARE THE PATHS OF ALL WHO FORGET GOD; And the hope of the godless will perish, 14 Whose confidence is fragile, And whose trust a spider’s web. 15 HE RELIES ON HIS HOUSE, BUT IT DOES NOT STAND; He holds fast to it, but IT IS NOT ESTABLISHED.

The Church is called the Bride of Christ, but it is also called “The House of Christ”.

Hebrews 3:4-6 (LSB) For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5 Now MOSES WAS FAITHFUL IN ALL HIS HOUSE AS A SERVANT, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later, 6 but CHRIST WAS FAITHFUL AS A SON OVER HIS HOUSE – WHOSE HOUSE WE ARE, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope.

The House that stands through all the storms is the House built on WISDOM, on the Word of God. The House built on God’s Word and the knowledge of His Word is promised “chambers be filled with all PRECIOUS and PLEASANT RICHES”. I don’t believe this is talking about money – but about joy of life, and peace no matter what you are going through.

Proverbs 24:5 A WISE MAN IS STRONG {ʿōz}; yea, a MAN OF KNOWLEDGE increaseth strength.

Word Study: The evil man may seem to have power, but only the “WISE MAN IS STRONG”. The word translated “STRONG” (ʿōz) does not refer to physical strength, but to INNER STRENGTH and SPIRITUAL STABILITY. Though the Bible teaches that the Judge Samson was blessed by God (Judges 13:24), and that Samson had great physical strength, he was never called ʿōz or “Strong” because he was NOT a wise man. Samson was a womanizer who demanded that his parents get him a bride from among the Philistines. Samson was narcissitic, prone to anger and rage. Though God used Samson in many ways to punish the pagan Philistines, killing a thousand enemies in a day. And yet the House of Samson ended in ruin. Blinded, tied to pillars in the godless temple of the Philistines, Samson pulled the pillars down and killed many Philistines – but also destroyed himself.

Samson was not a wise man.
He was powerful, but not strong.

But King David – with all his flaws – was called strong. When the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem the Bible says:

2 Samuel 6:14-15 (NKJV) Then David danced before the LORD with all [his] MIGHT {ʿōz}; and David [was] wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

David later wrote in the Psalms:

Psalm 28:6-7 (NKJV) Blessed [be] the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplications! 7 The LORD [is] MY STRENGTH {ʿōz} and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.

The House of Samson – though he was a physically powerful man – ended up dying with the enemy. But the House of David, built on the Word and Will of God, still stands today. God made a promise to David that His Son would sit on His Throne:

2 Samuel 7:12–16 (NIV) When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I WILL ESTABLISH THE THRONE OF HIS KINGDOM FOREVER. I will be his Father, and He will be My Son… Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your Throne will be established forever.

Because David built his Houseon the Word and Will of God, his House lives forever (Psalm 89:3-4, 29, 36-37). When God sent His Son to this earth, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, He came as the fulfillment of what God promised David. The Bible says:

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJV) For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, UPON THE THRONE OF DAVID AND OVER HIS KINGDOM, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

God told Mary:

Luke 1:31-33 (NKJV) And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and THE LORD GOD WILL GIVE HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and OF HIS KINGDOM THERE WILL BE NO END

Those who build their House on God’s Word – His Wisdom – will be blessed.

We Win The Battles When We Heed The Wisdom Of God’s Word

Proverbs 24:6-7 For BY WISE COUNSEL THOU SHALT MAKE THY WAR: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

A wise person will not seek out evil people, in envy wanting their riches. A wise person will seek out other wise people, others who love the Word of God. The Bible says “BY WISE COUNSEL THOU SHALT MAKE THY WAR”. You cannot have a successful battle against those things that seek to destroy you without wise counsel. Everyone suffers in this life. Everyone struggles. My commentary notes:

“The Christian life is full of battles as spiritual warfare rages. We learn from Ephesians 6:12 that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” First Peter 5:8 tells us to “be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Fortunately, no Christian is alone in this warfare. Christ, the “Wonderful Counselor” (Isaiah 9:6) is always with each believer, and the Holy Spirit, “another Helper,” is alongside (John 14:16). Furthermore, the Lord has placed in the church teaching pastors to help build us up in the faith (Ephesians 4:11–12). He has also given His Word as a sword to use in battling the devil (Ephesians 6:17). With all this available counsel victory is certain.”

We cannot build a successful House without a multitude of WISE counselors. We do not need to listen to the godless, the foolish. We need to heed God’s Word.