Proverbs 12 WISDOM IN WORDS The balance of conduct and speech, communicate the character of a person. One person said to another, “What you do speaks so loudly, I can’t hear a thing you say.” The wise person has learned they don’t and won’t know everything. But as long as they maintain a righteous life and learn when to listen and learn, they will be able to be trusted and used by God for the benefit of other people and God’s glory.
A person who wants to learn is intelligent, because they will accept instruction when it is given by one who is wiser and more experienced than they. When correction is given, they will accept it gladly and the discipline necessary will be appreciated because they can see ahead. There will always be more to learn, but to refuse constructive criticism indicates the serious problem of pride. God resists that person. Someone who is a know-it-all, is ignorant and doesn’t admit it. The person of integrity will please the Lord who show will favor to him or her. The crafty person is wicked, and their intentions will bring God’s justice and judgment down on himself.
Wickedness will not bring success in life though you may save money by cheating the government out of taxes you owe, or pass an exam by copying someone else’s work. You may save a bit of money by using poor material in a project and by allowing shoddy workmanship, but the result may be the loss of your character and reputation. The solid reputation of a righteous person means he can be trusted in all their actions, and that establishes that person as one who can be counted on because they are rooted in righteousness. This is a result of faith in God.
A virtuous wife is a woman of excellent character. She is morally upright, ambitious in her calling in life, strong in her convictions, and can be trusted. Her worth as a trusted person reflects well on her loved ones – her husband and family, as well as on herself. The contrast is a wife who doesn’t care about others including her husband, but lives for her own self-centered interests. Her emotional and moral weaknesses are a drain on the lives of her husband and children. A righteous person plans ahead with a commitment to do what is right, rather than to react to events and problems after they come. Their mind is directed towards that which is pleasing to the Lord. The wicked pass on advice that is deceitful because they have a perverted sense of what is right and wrong.
The planned plot of the wicked is to verbally ambush someone they hate in order to do that person harm. A person of good character can have their reputation “murdered” by the lies and deceitful words of the wicked. On the other hand, the words of a righteous person who is known for speaking the truth, will deliver them from such attacks and the results of deception. “What goes around, comes around,” so the wicked will be exposed, overthrown and destroyed. The family of the righteous will remain because of the firm roots that have been established by righteous living and the passing on of truth from one generation to the next. Those who taught us the truth are still praised when we speak of them, though they have gone to heaven long ago. Their imparted wisdom remains with us in fond remembrance. Those who undermine the people of God, or who have left a bad testimony and reputation, are still despised.
A person who is looked down on because he has those who work for him, is in a better condition than those who claim to be important and tell others of all their exploits, but have nothing to show for it. He doesn’t even have enough to maintain himself, let alone a family. Some people live way beyond their means, and forget that their debts have to be paid. A righteous man even pays attention to the animals he owns. An animal in the days of Solomon would have been very valuable to normal everyday life as well as being an investment. If a person has animals, he is obligated to take good care of them. A wicked man has no mercy in him toward dumb creatures, so at his best he is still cruel in his treatment of them. God created them for our benefit, He has interest in animals and even sparrows, and He has chosen to give human beings dominion over them.
A good farmer labors hard to produce what he needs, and will not be satisfied until the harvest is brought in. “In all labor there is profit,” so in whatever area of life we have responsibility, we need to make sure we do all we can to make that work a success. People who spend their time and efforts in frivolous things of no real value are foolish. When evil men steal and seem to get away with it, other wicked people are jealous of them. Those things that are forbidden are attractive to people who love sin. The righteous person is secure in what comes to him from his own efforts and his own property. Twisting the facts with deceptive words to support devious claims, will ultimately trap one who lies. It is not easy to tell a lie over and over without contradicting the lie that was told previously. Facts are truth that is plain and unshakable. You don’t have to make up truth. It remains faithful to itself.
What a man says and does brings its own results. Our mouths and our hands are the members of our bodies that produce the most benefit. Good words can be useful end encouraging to many or to individuals. Hard work can produce helpful benefits to others as well as giving joy to the person who can see the positive fruit of his ministry. Not everything that seems right is right. When a person has all the answers, he doesn’t know all the problem. When a person thinks they are always right, he is fooling himself, not others. Shifting blame is really lying. A person is wise who is willing to listen to correction and advice from someone wiser than themselves.
When one is insulted, it is natural for them to want to retaliate. But venting anger at a simple annoyance only encourages conflict and doesn’t solve anything. Uncontrolled temper only displays the character of a foolish person. A person who takes time to think and consider a matter, and then answers carefully and quietly to the shame of being insulted, has good self-control and self-respect. A positive response will bring a satisfactory result, and hopefully, a conclusion to an insult. Sometimes we have to speak. When that happens, a wise person always tells the truth when called to witness to an event. In those times truth has to be told to vindicate some wrong testimony of a false witness has given. The character of the false witness will someday, sometime and some way be exposed for what it is.
Hard speech and words that hurt people, very seldom produce any benefit. To say things that are unnecessary in a way that is not helpful, is both reckless and produces a negative effect. A wise person uses words to encourage, help and heal, rather than infect communication with others in ways that bring sorrow and bitterness. Truth stands the test of time. It applies to the present and the future because truth is a characteristic of the One who said, “I am the way, the truth and the life…” The truth of scripture has never changed and has the power to sanctify those who read it and apply it to themselves. Laws change, opinions change, even interpretation of the scriptures are changed when people want to suit themselves. But the word of God is “settled forever.” It is changeless. A lie has a very short life span before it is exposed for what it is and is rejected.
Deceit is in the heart of those who make plans of evil intent. For some reason they think they will find pleasure in being perverse and deceptive like their father the devil. A peacemaker who plans for peace and seeks it, will have joy in peace, and will know personally, “Blessed are the peacemakers…” Believers in Christ are not immune from harm in specific things, but in a general sense they escape from more than they will have to go through. Moreover, Christians will often find what may be physical harm is actually an opportunity for their faith in God to be openly seen. Those who are ungodly will not escape trouble and can have no benefit from it, so will have to bear the full brunt of it alone. Quite often in the proverbs, those who lie are spoken of as being detested as an abomination unto God. That devilish characteristic is the total opposite of truth in which God delights. Honest people are trustworthy people of integrity.
A person with true wisdom and intelligence is prudent with a quiet confidence that doesn’t feel the necessity of having to prove anything. They know who they are, and what they have done, and what they are capable of doing. They don’t have to advertise themselves, show off or have a whole lot to say. Their modesty is appealing. Fools can’t keep quiet about themselves or even things they know very little about. When you hear in a conversation someone talking about “I did this,” “I did that,” “I said to him,” “I know all about that because…,” you know you are in the presence of a fool. A person of diligence is one who disciplines himself before he tries to discipline others and tell them what they should do. When one is diligent in business, he will be trusted to go higher and farther. A person diligent in the things of God will be used by God and useful in God’s work. A lazy person will end up doing work for little or nothing because he gives nothing of himself to the tasks that honest labor requires.
When a person has not learned to walk by faith and is anxious about little things as well as the big things, their mind is affected and they can become depressed. They get depressed over things over which they have no control and can do nothing about. In contrast, instead of pessimism, an optimistic person can cheer people up and give them some hope. When they do that, they cheer themselves up too. It doesn’t take a lot of time to say a few kind words to lift someone’s spirit. Choose your company, counselors and confidents well. Those who will be a help to you will be trustworthy and wise. The “other side of the coin” is that wicked people may give counsel but will lead you astray from that which is right, what will do you good, and from God.
A lazy person does not value what he has or what is available to him. He has something good but either wastes it or ignores it. We need to take good care of what we have and make good use of it. We have “all things in Christ” available to us to use for our benefit. The word of God, the throne of grace, the indwelling Spirit, the new nature, the fellowship of saints and the guidance of wise counselors are all available to us, but are only valuable when we make use of them with diligence. For believers in Christ, those who have committed themselves to righteousness and live by the principles of wisdom, at the end of the way there is the light of heaven and a fullness of life forevermore that exceeds the joy of living for our Lord now. Immortality is real in that there is no more death after physical death. We enter into a greater experience of eternal life than we have ever had here. Any person who chooses to reject righteousness rejects life. One who goes in the “way of righteousness” will not lose, but will avoid all the sins that end in eternal death.