The Man of Integrity
“Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a fool whose lips are perverse. Even zeal is no good without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps misses the mark. A man’s own folly subverts his way, yet his heart rages against the LORD.
Wealth attracts many friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend. A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape. Many seek the favor of the prince, and everyone is a friend of the gift giver. All the brothers of a poor man hate him—how much more do his friends avoid him! He may pursue them with pleading, but they are nowhere to be found.
He who acquires wisdom loves himself; one who safeguards understanding will find success. A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who pours out lies will perish. Luxury is unseemly for a fool—how much worse for a slave to rule over princes! A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.
A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping. Houses and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. Laziness brings on deep sleep, and an idle soul will suffer hunger.
He who keeps a commandment preserves his soul, but he who is careless in his ways will die. Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender. Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be party to his death.
A man of great anger must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do so again. Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days. Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail. The desire of a man is loving devotion; better to be poor than a liar.
The fear of the LORD leads to life, that one may rest content, without visitation from harm. The slacker buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth.
Strike a mocker, and the simple will beware; rebuke the discerning man, and he will gain knowledge. He who assaults his father or evicts his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace. If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
A corrupt witness mocks justice, and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity. Judgments are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.”
““Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a fool whose lips are perverse. Even zeal is no good without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps misses the mark. A man’s own folly subverts his way, yet his heart rages against the LORD.” The theme of today’s study is integrity. The dictionary defines integrity as: 1. The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles “a gentleman of complete integrity” 2. The state of being whole and undivided, “upholding territorial integrity and national sovereignty.” The two definitions are closely related because a double-minded person cannot possibly possess integrity.
Integrity is not one of the virtues that gains very much praise these days; yet, we all hope that those with whom we are dealing will demonstrate it. Here the writer warns of those who have zeal without knowledge, impetuosity, and refusal to regard the Lord.
But even though the writer is praising a poor man with integrity, he warns that many “friends” will desert the poor. Even if a poor man has integrity, his friends will desert him, despite his pleas for help.
“He who acquires wisdom loves himself; one who safeguards understanding will find success. A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who pours out lies will perish.” Even though someone might be poor, they can still acquire wisdom, safeguard understanding, and bear true witness. Inevitably, liars get caught up in their own lies and wind up in trouble.
Now let’s look at some of the harmful behavior described here. “A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.” “A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.” “A man of great anger must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do so again.” “He who assaults his father or evicts his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace.” “A corrupt witness mocks justice, and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity. Judgments are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.”
All these practices are typical for someone with no integrity. Bearing false witness, failing to control one’s temper, mocking others-all these are actions God hates. The Ninth Commandment clearly states “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16) For a man to assault his father or evict his mother is a clear violation of the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”
APPLICATION: In Bible times, punishments could involve being beaten, something that doesn’t happen in most countries these days. But in the Kingdom of God, integrity has never gone out of style. God hates liars, mockers, cheaters, and those who oppress the poor.
Do God’s purposes always prevail? Sadly, we can frustrate God’s purposes if we insist on pursuing foolishness. But we must remember that God knows the end from the beginning and God is not sitting in heaven, slapping His forehead, and saying, “Why did I ever create those people?” God is infinitely resourceful and He can save terrible situations, delivering us from our foolishness if we will allow Him. I can’t count the number of times God has had to extricate me from stupid situations into which I have gotten myself.
Not only is God infinitely resourceful, but He also forgives our shortcomings if we will only confess them to Him. Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” Putting it another way, all of us have messed up, are messing up, and undoubtedly will mess up in the future. When we ask God for help and guidance, He can give us wisdom so that we avoid stupid mistakes. Let’s pray.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we have frequently made foolish mistakes. Thank You for delivering us. Give us wisdom so that we will make good choices and live lives that honor You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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