Proverbs 14

Lesson 14 of 28

2. Anger

Anger may be another weakness of the inner man, yet sometimes it is good and proper, especially in kings.

Proverbs 14:17 - He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked device s is hated. Some people become angry very quickly and about very small things, Ecclesiastes7.9 - Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. This is foolish and such a person will be hated by others, as much as the one who coolly plans to harm them.

Proverbs 27:3 - A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both. A foolish person makes it hard for other people, and especially if he becomes angry. Foolishness and anger make anyone a burden to others, more than carrying stones or sand.

Proverbs 19:19 - A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. A man’s friend will stand up for him when he becomes very angry and gets into trouble with others. But it may be better to let him suffer a little for his quick temper. If not he may get into the habit of being angry so you would have to help him many times. Little babies soon learn that they can get what they want just by crying. It is sad to see a grown person acting like a baby, trying to have his own way by getting angry. It is not good to be angry, Matthew 5:22 - But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Ephesians 4.26 - Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath, and Christian leaders should be very careful, Titus 1.7 - For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre.

Proverbs 29:20 - Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him. - This proverb is only about a person who speaks without stopping to think, he is worse than a fool. He may not be angry but he speaks too soon. In Proverbs 14.17 - He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated, quick temper is also foolishness, and in Proverbs 27.3 - A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wra th is heavier than them both, it is the fool who becomes angry.

Proverbs 20:2 - The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul. - However it is right that kings should be angry against sinners and criminals. Such people should properly be afraid of the king’s anger. He has authority to put a criminal in prison, or put him to death. Proverbs 24:21-22 - My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? David was angry, 2 Samuel 1.13-16 - And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed? And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, sayin g, I have slain the Lord’s anointed; so was Solomon, 1 Kings 2.42-46 - And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the Lord, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good. Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head; And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever. So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon; and Ahasuerus, Esther 7:7-10 - And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified; and Herod, Matthew 2:16 - Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

Proverbs 19:12 - The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass. The king also has authority to show mercy. David, Solomon and Ahasuerus did so, 2 Samuel 19:22-23 - And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him; 1 Kings 1:50-53 - And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword. And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house; Esther 8:2 - And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Proverbs 16:14 - The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it. - It is also possible to show a king that he should not be angry, as Abigail did to David, 1 Samuel 25:23-31 - And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord. I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days. Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling. And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel; That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

It is terrible to think of God’s anger, or the anger of Christ,

Numbers 11:1 - And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

Numbers 11:10 - Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

Numbers 12:9 - And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.

Isaiah 5:25 - Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Jeremiah 4:8 - For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us.

Ezekiel 7:3 - Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. 

Ezekiel 7:8 - Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations. 

Mark 3:5 - And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 

John 3:36- He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. 

Revelation 6:16 - And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb...

Revelation 19:15 - And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

God is righteously angry with sinners, Colossians 3.6 - For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience. Yet the Lord Jesus Christ can save us, Romans 5:9 -Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Ephesians 2:3-5-Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved); 1 Thessalonians 1.10 - And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

3. Revenge

An evil heart often wants to repay anything bad which someone has done. What does the Lord say about this?

Proverbs 24:29 - Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work. - Do not say in your heart that you will do to your neighbour as he has done to you, unless, of course, he has done something good and so you want to help him. The verse before this one,

Proverbs 24:28 - Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips, tells us not to lie about a neighbour, and this one, not to repay any evil.

Proverbs 20:22 - Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee. We should wait on the Lord. This means we should trust Him to punish those who do wrong. This is the Lord's privilege, and we should not try to get revenge for ourselves. He knows everything, He is perfectly fair, and we know He will do what is right. People say, “I will kill that man, he insulted my mother.” Then someone from his family kills someone in your family. In this way bitter fighting and feuding may continue for many years. As Christians we can leave it all to the Lord, Romans 12:19 - Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Proverbs 24:17-18 - Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. We should be sorry when something bad happens to an enemy. Perhaps the Lord is punishing him for what he has done. The Lord will know if we are happy in our hearts and this will not please Him. The Lord might then deliver this man before he has really learned his lesson.

Proverbs 25:21-22 - If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.- The Lord Jesus taught that we should love our enemies, Luke 6.27 - But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.

In this proverb we learn we should try to help them. This will make them ashamed and perhaps they will stop being enemies. Anyway the Lord will be pleased because He gave His Son to save His enemies, Romans 5:8-10 - But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Lamech killed a young man for hurting him, Genesis 4.23 - And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice;
ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt, but the Lord has commanded us not to revenge ourselves, Leviticus 19:18 - Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord; Luke 18:7-8 - And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth. David obeyed this law, 1 Samuel 24:12 - The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee, and the Lord looked after him.

21. BAD THOUGHTS

We have seen that our thoughts are in our hearts and they are often bad, and we will learn more about our thoughts later.

Proverbs 27:19 - As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.-The thoughts of our hearts show what we really are. In Proverbs 23:7 - For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee, we learned that a greedy man may act as if he was generous, but what he thinks is what he really is. Here it is like the reflection of your face, it shows what you really look like. So your thoughts show what you really are. More still, the hearts of all men are the same, they are all sinners and rebels against God. I may not do the things that others would, but my heart is just as bad. Only God can give us a new heart, Ezekiel 11:19 - And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh.

Proverbs 24:9 - The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men. Our thoughts may be very sinful. Planning a foolish thing is sinful. We should not think or talk about foolish or unclean things, Ephesians 5:3-4 - But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. This proverb also teaches us that people do not like those who laugh at them, they are usually troublemakers, Proverbs 22:10 - Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

22. PRIDE

Proud talking is forbidden as we have seen in previous lessons about boasting words. We should not consider ourselves to be wise, Proverbs 3:7 - Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil, and God hates a proud look, Proverbs 6:17 - A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. Later we will read what Agur said about many people who think they are pure and good, Proverbs 30:12-13 - There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. Now we will consider the root of boasting which is pride in the heart. In this section we have six proverbs.

Proverbs 16:5 - Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Pride can be hidden in the heart, but the Lord knows it and will surely punish proud people. Many may even join together and in their pride plan to attack God, but of course they could never succeed, Psalm 2:2-4 - kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Proverbs 21:24 - Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath. Pride and anger go together. A proud person becomes angry because he thinks people are not showing him enough respect. He is so proud that he thinks he can get his own way by getting angry.

Proverbs 21:4 - An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin. Pride is a form of sin. It may be the first sin, because Lucifer fell through pride. He was a great angel but wanted to be equal with God, Isaiah 14:12-14 - How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Satan appealed to Eve’s pride when he told her that she and Adam would be like God if they ate the fruit of the tree, Genesis 3:5 - For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Pride is in the heart, but it is seen in the eyes and face of a proud person. The wicked person is so proud that he dares to rebel against God. His life, all that he is and everything he does, is sinful in God’s sight.

Proverbs 26:12 - Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him. Pride makes the person think he is wiser than what he really is. It is impossible to teach a fool or a proud person, or one who speaks too soon without thinking, Proverbs 29:20 - Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him.

Proverbs 18:12 - Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility. Only God can teach proud people and keep them from sin. He does this by allowing great troubles to come into a man’s life. These troubles will help us to become more humble and confess that we are sinners. God also gives honour to those who take a humble place. At first Saul did not think he was a great man, but the Lord set him up as king of Israel, 1 Samuel 10:21-23 - When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they enquired of the Lord further, if the man should yet come thither. And the Lord answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff. And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward; 1 Samuel 15:17 - And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?

Proverbs 25:6-7 - Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen. We should learn to take a low place. At a wedding feast the highest place is reserved for some important person. A proud man might walk in and take a high place, but he would be ashamed when the king or the host moved him down, Luke 14:7-11- 7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Better to take a low place until the king gives you a higher one.

23. ENVY AND JEALOUSY

Envy is like covetousness, it is the desire to have what belongs to another. Envy also means feeling badly because someone else is successful. Jealousy is the fear of losing the love of husband or wife. We should not envy those who get their own way by using force, Proverbs 3:31 - Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. The wise man wrote some more advice on envy, and Solomon added three parables.

Proverbs 23:17-18 - Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. 18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. - Sinners may seem to get rich but we should not envy them in our hearts. We have the Lord and He supplies everything we really need, 1 Corinthians 3.22 - Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; Philippians 4.19 - But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. In the end He will fulfil all our hopes, but sinners will be cut off.

Proverbs 24:1-2 - 1 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. We should not even desire to be with these evil men. In their hearts they plan to kill someone, Proverbs 1:11-12 - If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit, and they talk only about evil things. Why envy them?

Proverbs 24:19-20 - Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. We should not worry or envy such people because we know God will punish them in the end. Their only reward will be punishment and they will never have eternal life.

Proverbs 27:4 - Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? Jealousy is different. A man becomes jealous if someone else tries to take his wife, Proverbs 6:34 - For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. It is hard to stand against a jealous and angry man. Jealousy is as cruel as death, Song of Solomon 8:6 - Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. A woman may be jealous of another woman who she thinks is trying to steal away her husband. Warning: never do anything to make another person jealous.