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Proverbs 28:21 To have respect of persons {nāḵar pānîm} is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.

Treat Others According To Christ’s Rule

Word Study: To have “respect of persons”{nāḵar pānîm}is to treat one person differently than you treat another person because you feel that the one person so treated can somehow benefit you better than the other person. A person who will hold one person above another based on how it benefits you is for sale. God forbade this in the courtroom, and forbade it from His people. When Moses set up judges throughout the tribes of Israel, he told them:

Deuteronomy 1:16-17 (NKJV) Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear [the cases] between your brethren, and JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY BETWEEN A MAN AND HIS BROTHER or THE STRANGER WHO IS WITH HIM. 17 ‘You shall NOT SHOW PARTIALITY IN JUDGMENT; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for THE JUDGMENT IS GOD’S. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’

When judges and leaders have different standards for different people, it hurts the stability of the land. God said:

Deuteronomy 16:19-20 (LSB) You shall not distort justice; YOU SHALL NOT BE PARTIAL, YOU SHALL NOT TAKE A BRIBE, for A BRIBE BLINDS the eyes of the wise and PERVERTS the words of the righteous. 20 “Righteousness! RIGHTEOUSNESS, YOU SHALL PURSUE, that you may live and possess the land which Yahweh your God is giving you.

The stepbrother of Christ wrote:

James 2:1-4, 8-9 (KJV) My brethren, HAVE NOT THE FAITH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, [the Lord] of glory, WITH RESPECT OF PERSONS. 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? … 8 If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF, YOU DO WELL: 9 But if ye have RESPECT TO PERSONS, YOU COMMIT SIN, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

The Law of God is that we “love our neighbor as we love ourselves”. When we have one standard for one person, but a modified standard for another whom we consider more important or more valuable, we fail to honor our God. Our God does not show “respect of persons” or impartiality:

2 Chronicles 19:7 (KJV) Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do [it]: for [there is] no iniquity with the LORD our God, NOR RESPECT OF PERSONS, nor taking of gifts.

God judges sin in His children the same way He judges sin among the lost. “Call on the Father, Who WITHOUT RESPECT OF PERSONS judges every person ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS” (1 Peter 1:17). God does not show your child preferential treatment because you are saved by Grace, by faith in Christ. God does not look the other way because your grandchild is your grandchild. “There is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11). God treats all the same. Those who receive Christ as Savior, who are indwelt by the Spirit of God, who are born again by the blood of Christ, are all treated as God’s children. Those who do well will be blessed. Those who sin will be punished. God is even handed.

When King David murdered Uriah and took his wife to be his own, God did not give David a pass because he was King. David repented when confronted by Nathan, saying:

2 Samuel 12:13 … I have SINNED AGAINST THE LORD

God told David “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” (2 Samuel 12:13-14). Though David fasted and begged God for the life of that child, God took the child. And afterward, as God said, “the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me” (2 Samuel 12:10). God does not look the other way because He holds one above another. God has no respect of persons, and neither should we.

Another point is this: If you have one set of standards but are willing to sell them for some benefit to yourself, then the devil will see it and capitalize on it. Your integrity should not be for sale! If you compromise with the devil, he will continually ask you to lower your price!

Beware The EVIL EYE! Stay Far From It.

Proverbs 28:22 He that hasteth to be rich HATH AN EVIL EYE, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.

Among Pagans and the godless, an “EVIL EYE” is a curse where someone can look at you and transmit harm. Someone with an “EVIL EYE” can through their stare bring you bad luck, illness, or misfortune.

In the Bible, the “EVIL EYE” is not something that will SEND a curse to others, but it is to focus your eye on the wrong thing and so bring a curse to YOU. Our Lord Jesus said:

Matthew 6:22-23 (NKJV) The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great [is] that darkness!

Biblically you control whether your eye is EVIL or GOOD based upon what you focus on. If you focus on goodness, on the things that God tells you to focus on, you have a GOOD eye. If you focus on that which is forbidden by your loving Heavenly Father, this is the EVIL eye. Jesus included the EVIL EYE in the list of sinful things that come out of the heart:

Mark 7:21-23 (NKJV) For FROM WITHIN, OUT OF THE HEART OF MEN, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, AN EVIL EYE, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these EVIL THINGS COME FROM WITHIN AND DEFILE A MAN.

The EVIL EYE does not defile others. It defiles the one who has it. If you focus on earthly riches rather than Heavenly riches, then in the end you will be impoverished. The EVIL EYE caused Judas Iscariot to lose his life, and his apostleship.

God has previously warned us to stay away from those who have the evil eye.

Proverbs 23:6-7 (KJV) EAT THOU NOT THE BREAD OF HIM THAT HATH AN EVIL EYE, neither desire thou his dainty meats: 7 For AS HE THINKETH IN HIS HEART, SO IS HE: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but HIS HEART IS NOT WITH THEE.

The person with the “EVIL EYE” will never be your friend. Their intent is to get what you have, to make it their own, regardless as to what it does to you. Again, our Lord Jesus said:

Luke 11:34-35 (LSB) The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light, but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Therefore WATCH OUT THAT THE LIGHT IN YOU IS NOT DARKNESS.

Beware The Flatterer – He Will Damn You

Proverbs 28:23 He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favor than he that flattereth with the tongue.

Those who genuinely love you will speak even harsh truths in loving ways. When people are hurting or troubled, they do not need platitudes or calming lies. They need the truth. “SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE, we are to GROW UP in all aspects INTO HIM WHO IS THE HEAD, that is, CHRIST” (NASB). People need to hear the truth, and to apply that truth to their lives. The Matthew Henry commentary notes:

“He that cries out against his surgeon for hurting him, when he is searching his wound, will yet pay him well, and thank him too, when he has cured it.”

When Peter played the hypocrite among the Gentile Church, Paul called out Peter before them all (Galatians 2:14). How did Peter handle that? He repented. Later Peter wrote:

2 Peter 3:14-15 (NASB) beloved, since you look for these things (new heavens and a new earth), be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; JUST AS ALSO OUR BELOVED BROTHER PAUL ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM GIVEN HIM, wrote to you

Those who are genuinely children of God will respond to Christ like rebuke when in error. A lost person, however, will often hate rebuke, and hate even the Word of God that is quoted. We previously read in Proverbs:

Proverbs 19:25 (NASB) rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge.

It is not loving to flatter people or to hide the truth from them rather than be offensive. Magician Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller) is an atheist. A Christian man came to Penn one day and told him about Jesus. When asked how he felt about this later, Penn replied:

“I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize {tell others about Jesus}. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life… and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward… How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean, if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe it… there’s a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.”

There are a number of people who believe that Christianity is about morality. Christianity primarily has nothing to do about morality. It has to do with OWNERSHIP, to whom do you belong. I have often heard people say “If anyone deserved to go to Heaven, he or she did”. Can I tell you, NO ONE DESERVES HEAVEN. You can’t be moral enough to get to Heaven. How do you get to Heaven? By giving yourself to God in Christ. By entering into a Covenant Relationship with your Creator. Jesus said:

John 14:6 (ESV) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME.

Acts 4:12 (ESV) And there is SALVATION IN NO ONE ELSE, for there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given among men by which WE MUST BE SAVED.

John 10:9 (ESV) I AM THE DOOR. If anyone enters BY ME, HE WILL BE SAVED and will go in and out and find pasture.

Ephesians 2:18 For THROUGH HIM {Jesus Christ} we both have ACCESS in one Spirit TO THE FATHER.

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. Whoever BELIEVES IN ME, though he die, yet shall he live, and EVERYONE WHO LIVES AND BELIEVES IN ME SHALL NEVER DIE. Do you believe this?”

Someone may get angry with you if you speak the truth – but they will either get over it and improve, or live in the worst way and end up paying the price. We must uphold the Biblical truths regardless as to whether others agree or not.

Do Not Rob Your Parents

Proverbs 28:24-25 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer. 25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that PUTTETH HIS TRUST IN THE LORD SHALL BE MADE FAT.

The greedy person will steal from their parents and justify it by saying, “Well, I would have inherited it anyway”. My commentary notes:

“The person who makes excuses for sin—especially sin against their own parents—is on the same moral level as the one who robs or destroys outright.”

Our Lord Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for doing this. The Pharisees that Jesus addressed did not love God, but loved status and money. Jesus told them:

Mark 7:9-13 (LSB) You are good at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, is to be put to death’; 11 but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever you might benefit from me is CORBAN (that is to say, given to God),’ 12 you no longer leave him to do anything for his father or his mother; 13 thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.

Word Study: What were the Pharisees doing? When God gave His Commandments to Israel, the Fifth Commandment was to ‘HONOR your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God has given you’. That word “HONOR” is the Hebrew kāḇaḏ, which means “to honor or count worthy, to attribute weight to, to glorify or to hold in high esteem”. In the ancient world the adult child would take care of their parents. If the parents had a need, that child would respect the parents, and see to their needs.

What the Pharisees were doing was if their parents needed help, they would say “I’d help, mom or dad, but my funds are dedicated to God and the Temple. Sorry – I can’t do it!” They would hide from caring for their parents so they could keep the money to themselves. Our God knows the heart, and would respond accordingly. Failure to honor one’s parents could shorten the life according to the commandment. A good example is King David’s son Absalom who sought to take over his father’s throne, possibly because he knew that Solomon might be king. Absalom led a revolt against his father Davis in the forest of Ephraim (2 Samuel 18). When the battle turned against him, Absalom retreated. The Bible says:

2 Samuel 18:9, 14-15 (LSB) Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And his HIS HEAD WAS CAUGHT FAST IN THE OAK, so he was LEFT HANGING between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him passed onward. 14 … {Joab} took three spears in his hand and THRUST THEM THROUGH THE HEART OF ABSALOM while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. 15 And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor gathered around and STRUCK ABSALOM AND PUT HIM TO DEATH.

What killed Absalom? Was it the MULE who took him under the oak tree, or was it the OAK TREE that his long flowing hair was bound in? Was it JOAB and his ARMOR BEARERS who killed Absalom? The truth is this.

When Absalom chose to dishonor his father and steal his throne, his greed set him on a path that would ultimately shorten his life. This is why the Bible says if you honor your parents “your days will be long on the earth”.

Absalom was PROUD OF HEART. Had he trusted in God, and waited on Him, who knows how his life might have turned out? Hasn’t God said,

Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) … BE CONTENT WITH SUCH THINGS AS YOU HAVE. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Do Not Follow Your Heart. Follow Your God

Proverbs 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

One of the most popular sayings today is “Follow your heart”. Albert Einstein said “The only real valuable thing is intuition”, or following your heart. Steve Jobs, the Founder of Apple, said “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition”. Singer and songwriter James Taylor said “Let your heart be your compass”. Princess Diana said “Only do what your heart tells you”. Oprah Winfrey said, “Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself”. Every one of these people – though famous – are according to God “FOOLS”. The heart will lead you astray. But God won’t.

whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered {mālaṭ}

Word Study: Those who follow their hearts are asking for trouble. But those who “WALK WISELY”, that is, follow the Holy Spirit of God, will be “DELIVERED”. The Hebrew mālaṭ means “to save from destruction and decay, to be preserved, to escape a trap, to be freed from prison”.

Adam followed his heart, and allowed sin into Paradise.
Samson followed his heart, and got a bad haircut and death.
David followed his heart, and ruined two families.
Solomon followed his heart, and hurt his son Rehoboam.
Jonah followed his heart, and spent three days and nights in a fish.
Israel followed their heart, and wandered for 40 years.
Jezebel followed her heart, and was eaten by dogs.
Judas Iscariot followed his heart, and killed himself.
Herod followed his heart, and was eaten of worms.
Ananias and Sapphira followed their heart, and were killed by God.

I could go on and on, but I won’t. To follow your heart is to follow a madman. People followed their hearts, and mutilated their bodies attempting to switch sexes. People follow their heart and get sexually transmitted diseases. People follow their hearts and get addictions and destruction. The Bible says:

Romans 8:1 (KJV) [There is] therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to them which are IN CHRIST JESUS, who WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH, but AFTER THE SPIRIT.

Your life will be a bigger and bigger mess while you follow your heart. You need to GIVE YOUR HEART TO JESUS. You need to turn yourself over to Him, and call upon Him to save you, to make you “born again” (John 3:3), to allow His Spirit to indwell you.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

The Christian belongs not to himself, but to the Christ Who saved Him. The “FOOL”, the godless person walks according to their heart. The Christian follows Jesus. We heed His Word. We pray to the Father, seeking His will for our lives. “Walk by the SPIRIT, and YOU WILL NOT GRATIFY THE DESIRES OF THE FLESH” (Galatians 5:16). If you are led by your heart you are not walking as a child of God. The Bible says:

Romans 8:14 (ESV) For all who are LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD ARE SONS OF GOD.