Proverbs 16 DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY – FREE AGENCY In living for God governed by divine principles of living that are given to us in the scriptures, there is a balance, a partnership if you will, between what I do and God’s sovereignty. In His wisdom He has given us freedom of our will so we will not be mere robots, and yet maintains, in His infinite wisdom, the actual control, the final outcome of what He wants. He has given us the responsibility to use our minds, in order to plan ahead for actions to be taken. He has counseled us to seek advice from others who are more experienced in life or some area of expertise that will enable us to do His will. So, it is incumbent on us to plan as if things depended on us, and take action knowing the Lord knows what is best.
A man may ask what he wants, but God will give or withhold as He sees best. He gives us the ability to articulate and accomplish the plans we make. We ask Him for guidance as we make the plans, and when we act on those plans, we trust God to produce the desired, and best results. By nature, we think we know what is best for us, but we need unchangeable standards to make wise decisions, or pass judgments. Our inclination by nature is to justify ourselves. It is wise for us to makes sure before taking any action, that what we do can be backed up by God’s word. Are our plans meaningful, manageable and measurable? Is my attitude consistent with the Lord’s will? He knows what is the motive behind the action and what is in my spirit.
Superficial commitment to the Lord’s will really means, I will do what the Lord wants, if I want to and if it doesn’t hurt too much or take too much of my time. Giving half-hearted or temporary submission to the Lord is not doing the will of God from the heart. Yielding everything I do to the Lord is commitment, and I will leave it to Him to make those plans succeed. The words of verse four do not mean that God created some people to be lost and some to be saved. “He will have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.” That is His desire and that was His design. But man sinned. We have all sinned and are lost when we do not accept God remedy for sin. The Lord created everything for His glory. Everyone will receive the just reward that is determined by God, who is “just, and the justifier of them who believe in Jesus.” He has given ample reason for us to trust Him when we exercise our own free agency as people who make choices. We can accept by faith that which we know is right and please God. We can reject Him if we choose to. Even the evil choices people will make will not thwart the sovereign purposes of God.
Pride within makes a person think he or she knows what is best for them. Resisting divine direction and authority is a choice people make when they choose to be proud. That is detested by God, and He will carry out judgment on one whose pride keeps them from humbling themselves to the sovereign Lord. The love and mercy of the Lord has dealt with the problem of sin. Sin has been dealt with in a just, righteous and legal way by the atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are accepted by our holy God “in the Beloved.” There is a sense in which those characteristics of love and faithfulness have been imparted to a degree by those who have accepted Christ by faith and have been given a new nature. In our lives, we avoid sin by fearing the Lord and by being obedient to Him.
A characteristic of one who God has saved and wants to live “godly in Christ Jesus,” is to make peace with enemies. That doesn’t mean we will do anything to please them, but we will please God, and He takes over the situation by making it plain how that peace can be brought about if it is possible. The important thing is to please God who is the giver of peace, and the forgiver of those who confess their sin before Him and accept the responsibility for their own sin. It is plain that “little is much if God is in it.” The point in verse eight has to do with how you got what you have, not how much you have. The individual and his or her character is of far greater value than the money they have. The plans we make, may or may not be carried out, because every step we take is known and ordered by the Lord. There is value in every step we make according to His will and plan.
“The powers that be are ordained of God.” Leaders are “ministers” of the Lord. Headship has to do with delegated authority, with rule, and is passive because it is under submission to the sovereign Lord. Humility and recognition of who is the responsible one or ones, is involved in the teaching of headship. The head is what controls. It is the seat of authority. There are three areas of delegated authority from God. The man is the final authority in a home and is responsible legally before God and man for what happens in his home. Elders in an assembly have been delegated by God to guide the affairs of a local church. “Kings and those in authority” have been given public responsibility to function as God’s representatives to the nation. He is expected to lead and judge the nation with good sense and justice. If he fails in that, he is responsible to the sovereign God for his failure. The Lord gives to those who lead, the insight needed to make wise decisions.
There are divine standards that do not deviate, even when men change laws to suit themselves and their constituents. No matter who a person may be, impartiality is to govern actions taken not only in business, but in assemblies and in the homes of wise parents. It takes courage to be honest and fair consistently in all areas of life. Honest leaders will detest wrongdoing in themselves and in those they lead. That attitude toward wrong is essential because of the place of authority they hold under God. If a leader doesn’t make righteous judgments and fair decisions, his leadership will fail. He needs to get rid of bad counselors and never accept bribes. Honest lips in righteous advisors who commit themselves to tell the truth, will lead to right decisions. When citizens can be counted on to tell the truth to a truth-loving leader, there will be wisdom ruling in a nation.
The authority of an angry king can quickly deal with a person who is on the judgment seat. A wise man will seek to appease the king with thoughtful and wise statements in a cautious and respectful way like Daniel did in his day. If a king finds a reason to be pleased with a person, it is like essential rain on a planted field that needs the water to fill out the grain. That latter rain makes the difference between success and failure. A smile of approval is like a promise of good things to come. Material riches do not satisfy a person made in the image of God. All they do is provide “things,” not meaningful relationships. We need wisdom to live holy righteous lives, and insight to be consistent in wise living. Then we can have fellowship with people who have similar interests, and with the Lord.
There are potholes in the road of life. Thorns and obstructions on the road of life, snare the wicked who love sin. For those who are upright in life, there is a plain path before them that has no real obstacles that cannot be taken care of. It is up to us to guard our own souls to avoid those hindrances to godly living. It is hard for proud people to think they don’t have everything under their control. It is also hard for them to admit they have weaknesses. As far as they are concerned, “It will happen to them, but not to me.” Everyone else knows and marks the proud person, but they think they are wise and skilled, – above other people. They don’t want to hear what others say or think. In our relationships we are better to be involved and sharing in the lives of those who are “meek and lowly in heart,” than to be hob knobbing with the successful in the world and sharing all the accumulated wealth of proud people.
By reading the word of God and acting on what it says, there are spiritual benefits and blessings that will come from the Lord who delights in those who put their trust in Him. A person of understanding and wisdom will be recognized by his prudence in words and actions. When he speaks, he will have something positive to say, and will say it in an appealing and gracious way. Those who listen to him and watch him, will learn from him. Wisdom from God’s word is like life-giving nutrients to one who is a sensible. That person will experience and value the truths learned. It is a waste of time to try to teach someone who doesn’t want to be taught, and will not listen to serious truth, because all they want is foolishness. It is important to think before speaking. What is in one’s heart is what they will say. Our mouths will say what wisdom tells it to say – or not say. If it is spoken in an appropriate way, it will be instructive.
Constructive conversation is good. When one speaks with gracious words, they are speaking like the Lord Jesus. People marveled at “the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth” when He spoke. Grace brings delight to those who do not deserve its blessings. Gracious words can be delightful to both the hearer and the speaker. One is getting benefit from what is being said, and the other knows that. Words that promote spiritual life and growth are not only considerate, but are healing to those who have been wounded or made sick from attacks within and without. The way of fallen mankind who is alienated from God, may seem right to him, but because it leads people astray, he not only endangers his own eternal future, but the others who follow him.
The fact that we get hungry and need food to keep going, motivates us to keeps diligently at our work. What we need most is what we work hardest to get. Foolish people rush from one thing to another to try to fill their emptiness. Those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness” will be filled. Ungodly people sow discord by bringing up the past in someone’s life for some cruel reason. Evil gossip should be avoided like the plague. Someone always gets burned. Perverse people also cause strife with malicious intent and create division between people who were friends by his evil innuendo. Whatever his goal is by doing and saying such things, it creates lasting division. Violent men go even further by enticing people to join him in committing a crime. That road ends in a bad place, with bad circumstances and bad results. The insinuations indicated by the wink of an eye, at least in this context, may seem secretive between two persons, but the objective is not something that is good and is not likely to end well. Our face, eyes and the setoff our lips give expression to what is in our minds and sometimes in our intentions to carry out a planned plot.
If an older person with white hair has walked a path in life that has been respectful and honorable, their reputation is deserving of respect. A Christian life lived in the fear of the Lord and for the benefit of others, is commendable. It there has been no reason to be ashamed of ourselves, then we don’t have to be ashamed of being old and white- headed when people show a caring response to the aged people. Self-control even in times of tension and opposition is better than being a hero in a battle. Ruling one’s own spirit by self-discipline, accomplishes better things than defeating a city. It is harder to do, but has greater and longer lasting beneficial effects. Venting rage doesn’t solve problems. The way of making wise and effective decisions is to put the matter before the Lord rather than taking chances. He is the sovereign Lord and nothing is unknown to Him. He knows the outcome before the event takes place. The word of God and the Spirit of God are ours, so we can make decisions in ways that we know is right with Him. He allows us to experience the benefits of those decisions we make in fellowship with Him.