Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

Proverbs 24:23-25 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. 24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: 25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

The Wise – The Children of God –
Judge Based On God’s Standard

The “WISE” (Hebrew ḥāḵām) are those whom “God has FILLED with the SPIRIT of WISDOM” (Exodus 28:3). God is the Giver of Wisdom. The Bible says:

Proverbs 2:6 (LSB) YAHWEH GIVES WISDOM; From His mouth [come] knowledge and discernment.

Job 12:13 (LSB) WITH {GOD} ARE WISDOM AND MIGHT; To Him belong counsel and discernment.

There are few “WISE” people in our world today. Since the time of Adam and Eve, we have been eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and considering ourselves gods. We are not gods. God is God, and we are not. God tells us:

Proverbs 24:23 It is not good to have RESPECT OF PERSONS in judgment

Our God has a standard, and His standard is revealed in the Bible, the Word of God. God judges by His standard, and wants us to do the same.

God does not use one standard for one person, and another standard for another person. When Peter was led to the Gentile Cornelius’ home, and shared the Gospel with him, he said:

Acts 10:34-35 (LSB) I most truly comprehend [now] that GOD IS NOT ONE TO SHOW PARTIALITY, but in every nation the one who fears Him and does righteousness is welcome to Him.

The Apostle Paul gave a stern warning in:

Romans 2:4-11 (NKJV) … do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are TREASURING UP FOR YOURSELF WRATH in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness–indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For THERE IS NO PARTIALITY WITH GOD.

The Wicked Must Be Corrected
By God’s Standard

Proverbs 24:24 He that saith UNTO THE WICKED, THOU ART RIGHTEOUS; him shall the people CURSE {nāqaḇ}, NATIONS {lᵊ’ōm} Shall ABHOR {zāʿam} HIM

Some have tried perverting justice, being politically correct so as to please the people, but have discovered that this backfired on them. My commentary notes:

“Pilate, Felix, and Festus were all judges who perverted justice to please their Jewish subjects (Matt. 27; Acts 24; 25). Ironically, the Jews hated them all.”

Though it was the will of the people that these judges condemn the innocent, their error did not bless the Jews for long. The people “CURSE”, the Hebrew nāqaḇ which means “to mark or brand another, much like a cow”. Such a person is belittled as the property of the people, and not as if they were respected judges. They are mocked. C.S. Lewis said in his book “The Abolition of Man”,

“We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise”.

Those who twist righteous judgment, the nations ABHOR him, that is, he is “denounced angrily”. It is God’s design that government restrain evil, not promote it. When leaders are corrupt, both God as well as people notice it. In America today we are closer to Sodom and Gomorrah than we have ever been.

Illustrate: In my news feed this morning I came across two strange reports. First, there is a Catholic Church in Massachusetts whose “Father” or “Pastor” set up a nativity scene. Rather than celebrate Christ in the manger, this fellow set up a Nativity Scene where the Baby Jesus was missing, and a sign “I.C.E. Was Here” was put in the manger. Rather than rebuke the professing priest, the Catholic Church endorsed it. Second, a “pastor” from a Methodist Church in Rochester, New York rather than preaching the Gospel, “came out” as transgender during the Sunday service. His words were: “So I get to announce with joy that I’m transitioning. I’m affirming to all of you that I am transgender. The best way to put this is that I’m not becoming a woman, I’m giving up pretending to be a man. This is a process, and it may be shocking for some as to what this all means.”

The world does not rebuke evil, but celebrates it. Though both professing “churches” affirmed what their leadership is doing, there is ultimately no blessing in casting the Word of God away in order to please the darkness. The Scripture says:

Proverbs 24:25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

Those who depart from the truth should be “REBUKED” {yāḵaḥ} when they depart from God’s clear standard. The wise are not to “sit in the gate of Sodom” as Lot did (Genesis 19:1), compromising with the darkness. There is no reward by going along with evil. Lot had become so accustomed to compromising with evil, that when the Sodomites came to rape the Angels whom God sent to the city, he said:

Genesis 19:8 (NKJV) I have two daughters who have not KNOWN A MAN; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may DO TO THEM AS YOU WISH; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.

What a curse Lot brought on his own life! Compromising with the darkness to be “politically correct”, Lot would end up losing his home, his business, and ultimately his daughters. Had Lot spent his time in Sodom standing in the wisdom of God PUBLICLY, he would not have PUBLICLY shamed his daughters when the mob came. When you compromise with evil, you bring a curse upon yourself.

Proverbs 24:26 Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a RIGHT {nāḵōaḥ} answer.

Word Study: The word “RIGHT” is the Hebrew nāḵōaḥ, which means “the correct or straightforward answer”. The Christian is called to be “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). The respecter of persons, i.e. the person who shows partiality, is eventually marked by the general populace as crooked. But the person who consistently speaks the truth in love, and who gives a proper Biblical response, that person will be respected. It is an act of love (KISSING THE LIPS) to clearly “GIVE A RIGHT ANSWER”.

Order Your Life With Wisdom

Proverbs 24:27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

In the ancient world, most people farmed or were farmers. There were no “grocery stores” or markets except in the largest of cities, so people had to make sure they prepared the soil and planted food first. This proverb could be paraphrased as “First things first”. If you are going to build a house, a dynasty, and raise a family, you have to plan ahead. It would be foolish to move to a land and build a house before you made sure the land could be used to produce food. Once the fields are planted, and the crops have sprung up, then you can prepare the foundation of the house.

Our Lord Jesus tied the Christian way of life to being prepared. Jesus did not sugarcoat what being a Christ follower would entail. He asked each person to carefully consider the cost to salvation. THERE IS A COST.

Luke 14:26-33 (NKJV) 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and HIS LIFE ALSO, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE. 27 And whoever does not BEAR HIS CROSS AND COME AFTER ME Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and COUNT THE COST, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and CONSIDER WHETHER HE IS ABLE with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not FORSAKE ALL THAT HE HAS CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

Salvation does not come to a person without REPENTANCE, that is, turning your life over to Jesus. There are many who PROFESS to be saved. They came to Jesus, and said “YES” to Jesus because He promises Heaven, or because He healed them or blessed them in some way. But salvation is a surrender to God, an unconditional surrender. Some say, “You can be saved, but NOT be a disciple”. This is not what Jesus taught, and cannot be substantiated by the Scripture. The Great Commission plainly states:

Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV) Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to OBSERVE ALL THINGS THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

The ground must be prepared before the house can be built. Jesus compared the preaching of the Gospel to a Sower sowing seeds (Matthew 13). Where the ground was not prepared, where the Gospel seed …

… fell by the wayside (Matthew 13:4)
… fell on stony places (Matthew 13:5)
… fell among thorns (Matthew 13:7)

… where the ground was not prepared, the “House of Christ” (Hebrews 3:6) could not be built. But where the seed fell on good ground it yielded a crop (Matthew 13:8). Why? Because the field was prepared, the seed sown. The House could be built.

Illustrate: I walked into a Sunday School class one week years ago where the subject of discussion was “Can you join the Church and not be baptized?” Some thought that you could. I told the men that, no, you CANNOT be a part of the Church if you had not been baptized as our Lord Jesus directed. Why? The life surrendered to Christ will obey the things that Christ has directed. Jesus directs baptism by immersion. If the ground is not receptive to the Gospel seed, if there is no tilling of the life via REPENTANCE, then there can be no salvation. Period. God must be first!

The Bible tells us that King Solomon spent seven years building the Temple – and after the Temple was built he then built his own house (1 Kings 6:37-38; 7:1). We, like Solomon, are to put the House of Christ FIRST, not last.

The Wise (Believers) Always Return Good For Evil

Proverbs 24:28-29 Be not a witness against thy neighbor WITHOUT CAUSE; and deceive not with thy lips. 29 Say not, I WILL DO SO TO HIM AS HE HATH DONE TO ME: I will render to the man according to his work.

Under the Old Covenant God established the lex talionis or the “Law of Retaliation”. The word “LEX” means “Law”, and “TALIONIS” means “of the same kind”. God set forth the Law in several texts:

Exodus 21:23-25 (LSB) … you shall pay life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound.

Leviticus 24:19-20 (LSB) If a man injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so it shall be done to him: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him.

Deuteronomy 19:21 (LSB) Thus your eye shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

We started out talking about not being impartial in judgment, but to render equal judgment to all regardless of person.

The lex talionis was not about promoting vengeance, it was about proportional justice. It was a legal guideline not for believers, but for judges. No judge was supposed to impose a heavier penalty on the accused than what the person was found guilty of.

The lex talionis – unlike the pagan laws like the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi – required that offenses be equally penalized, regardless as to who committed the offense. Under Hammurabi, if you injured a nobleman, you suffered the same exact injury. But if you injured a commoner or a slave, in many cases only a fire was levied. The Bible views each person as made in the image of God, regardless of color or caste. Thus each person bore an equal punishment to what their offense was – which is fair.

Sadly believers under the Old Covenant took the Lex Talionis and turned it into something God never meant it to be. They began to use it for vengeance, contrary to the Holy Scripture. God has said,

Romans 12:19-21 (NKJV) Beloved, DO NOT AVENGE YOURSELVES, but [rather] give place to wrath; for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD.

Jesus addressed the false view of the lex talionis in His “Sermon on the Mount”. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:38-41 (NKJV) You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 “But I tell you NOT TO RESIST AN EVIL PERSON. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 “If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have [your] cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

Jesus was not erasing the lex talionis, but He was putting it back in its place. Believers are called to “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all” (1 Thessalonians 5:15). We are called to pursue the good, not the evil.

Believers Learn From The Lazy, But Are Not Lazy

Proverbs 24:30-32 I went by the FIELD OF THE SLOTHFUL, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; 31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. 32 Then I saw, and CONSIDERED IT WELL: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

The fruit of the lazy person is thorns, nettles, and broken walls. The lazy person does not plant the thorns and nettles, nor did the lazy person deliberately break down the stone wall. But by being lazy, his actions aided the natural decay that is in this Adamic world. Solomon watched the lazy person and the fruit of the lazy life. He meditated on how that person lived, and saw the results of his laziness – and “RECEIVED INSTRUCTION”.

Illustrate: Recent changes in SNAP Benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) have many liberal people up in arms. Under current guidelines if you are between 16-64 and are able to work, you must put in at least 80 hours a month labor. At present there are around 42 million people on SNAP, many of whom are able to work but will not. 42% of SNAP participants are 18-59 years old. People should work if they are able. Certainly if people need assistance, and are working but earning low wages, they should receive assistance. But the Bible tells us “If anyone is NOW WILLING TO WORK, LET HIM NOT EAT” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). God created us to work. Adam worked in Paradise – how much more should we work in this fallen world?The lazy person justifies their behavior. They say things like …

Proverbs 24:33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

“A LITTLE SLEEP”. The lazy person justifies their laziness by “we all need a little sleep. What’s wrong with slumber? Why shouldn’t we take it easy?” The truth is, a sleeping lamp cannot emit light – but by doing nothing contributes to the darkness. When Jesus spoke the Parable of the Kingdom of Heaven, He said:

Matthew 13:24-25 The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, HIS ENEMY CAME AND SOWED TARES among the wheat and went his way.

The Farmer has His workers plant good seed in good ground. But while the Farmer’s men slept the enemy – Satan – crept in and sowed TARES. Tares look like wheat, but are poisonous, and can foul the harvest when they grow up among the true wheat. The Farmer – the Lord God – will one day separate the Wheat (the believer) from the Tares (the pretend believer), and only the Wheat will be gathered into His barn (the Kingdom of Heaven).

Proverbs 24:34 So shall thy poverty come as one that TRAVELLETH {hālaḵ}; and thy want as an armed man.

Word Study: The word “TRAVELLETH” is the Hebrew hālaḵ, which means “to wander about, to go to and fro”. The picture is of a wandering robber who seeks who he may destroy. Those who are lazy and will not work will find themselves robbed of the pleasures of life. I have seen young men and women on the Internet posting tantrums because their benefits were stalled or removed. Some justified receiving SNAP and other welfare assistance because “I’ve been receiving this for 10 years now”. Those who are able to work should work. This is how God designed us. We do not steal, but work and share with those truly in need. We are told in

Ephesians 4:28 (LSB) He who steals must steal no longer, but RATHER HE MUST LABOR, performing with his own hands WHAT IS GOOD, so that he will have [something] TO SHARE WITH ONE WHO HAS NEED.

We who are Children of God by faith in Christ “WORK HEARTILY, as for the lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23-24). The Apostle said “If anyone does not provide for his relatives… he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). From Old to New Testament, those who are God’s people are to work, both spiritually and physically.