Proverbs 28: 11-20

¹¹The rich man is wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding sees through him.
¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
¹³He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.
¹⁴How blessed is the man who fears always,
But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
¹⁵Like a roaring lion and a rushing bear
Is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
¹⁶A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding,
But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
¹⁷A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood
Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him.
¹⁸He who walks blamelessly will be delivered,
But he who is crooked will fall all at once.
¹⁹He who tills his land will have plenty of food,
But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.
²⁰A faithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.

Today's Thought Question:

1. What proverb in today's passage spoke to you and why?

I must still be thinking about yesterday's post. This passage picks up from those thoughts:

"He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion." (vs. 13)

The wicked forsake the law. The one who confesses forsakes his transgressions. Big difference. Who has it easier?

Concealing sin, covering it up, "plumping, as to fill hollows" in the Hebrew [Strong's] does not make sin vanish. As if the sin itself is not bad enough, the sinner goes a step further and ignores that it exists. God does not reward this kind of folly. The sinner will not move forward or progress. Interesting that the Hebrew word used for 'transgressions' means revolt. When we choose this pathway, we turn from God's prosperous direction for us, indeed, from God Himself.

One of the most rich expressions in the original language is the next phrase--"but he who confesses...." I love all of these definitions in the Hebrew: "literally to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically to throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or worship (with extended hands); intensively to bemoan (by wringing the hands)." [Strong's]

Confession is multi-faceted. Holding out, wringing the hands of what we have done--we need to do that! Oh, to literally, physically let the sin fly off our hands!! That's why I like the "throw" definition, too. Shoot it far away, as on an arrow. And, of course, the last definition about reverence. If confession doesn't bring us back to our Lord, have we really confessed?

"It is very difficult to bring sinful man humbly to accept free mercy, with a full confession of his sins and self-condemnation. But the true and only way to peace of conscience, is, to confess our sins, that they may be forgiven; to declare them that we may be justified. Although repentance and confession do not merit the pardon of transgression, they are needful to the real enjoyment of forgiving mercy.

And what tongue can tell the happiness of that hour, when the soul, oppressed by sin, is enabled freely to pour forth its sorrows before God, and to take hold of his covenanted mercy in Christ Jesus! Those that would speed in prayer, must seek the Lord, when, by his providence, he calls them to seek him, and, by his Spirit, stirs them up to seek him. In a time of finding, when the heart is softened with grief, and burdened with guilt; when all human refuge fails; when no rest can be found to the troubled mind, then it is that God applies the healing balm by his Spirit."

--Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible

When we sin, what is our first response? Is it the duck-and-cover or is it a throwing up of our hands? If we want to know the true Bridge over troubled water, we need to be like Solomon's father, David, and open, reveal and empty our heart to the One who is our compassion and mercy.

"How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.

I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; and You forgave the guilt of my sin...."

--Psalm 32:1-5

Photo: http://www.seanet.com/~stokley/images/hands-up.jpg

* * *

Tomorrow's Scripture Focus and Thought Question:

Proverbs 28: 21-28 (of the transcribed proverbs of Solomon)

1. What proverb in today's passage spoke to you and why?
   

* * *

Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation, specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB). I will quote other sources if used in a post.
I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (with notes from the King James Version).