Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people. A leader who lacks judgment is also a great oppressor, but he who hates dishonest profit will prolong his days.
A man burdened by bloodguilt will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him.
He who walks with integrity will be kept safe, but whoever is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.
The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.
To show partiality is not good, because a man may sin for a piece of bread.
A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty awaits him.
He who rebukes a man will later find more favor than one who flatters with his tongue.
He who robs his father or mother, saying, “It is not wrong,” is a companion to the man who destroys.
A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.
He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.
Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.
When the wicked come to power, people hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous flourish.”
“Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people. A leader who lacks judgment is also a great oppressor, but he who hates dishonest profit will prolong his days.” Friends who have recently visited one Central American country have described how the president has driven out every aid organization, including Rotary Club, the Lions, and even Mother Teresa’s group-all because he believes them to be subversive. With a single blow, this short-sighted individual has deprived the poor of much-needed help; meanwhile, he is not prepared to take up the slack.
“A man burdened by bloodguilt will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him.” When Cain slaughtered Abel, God put a mark on Cain’s forehead so that nobody would kill him in reprisal. But murderers are truly burdened by the memory of what they have done. And the Law of Moses allowed for intentional murderers to be put to death. Anybody supporting such a person shares the bloodguilt.
“He who walks with integrity will be kept safe, but whoever is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.” Wickedness carries with it its own reward. There have been countless times when our Ghanaian friends have quietly come to us with sage advice, protecting us from making tragic mistakes.
“The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.” Dreamers and schemers-we have all known a few. One of the traits all these people share is laziness; they want to get rich quick. In the end, these people waste huge amounts of time, energy, and sometimes money in attempts to become successes overnight. When the late Colin Powell was growing up in Harlem and the South Bronx, his Jamaican immigrant parents taught him the value of hard work. While many of Powell’s contemporaries were standing around on street corners, Powell was working for a Jewish storekeeper, learning Yiddish in the process. Powell later described his classmates as people who were standing around chanting “shoulda, coulda, woulda,” boasting of what they would do someday. But that day never arrived; meanwhile, Powell went on to pursue a glittering army career, ending it as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.” Faithful people bless others as they go through their daily lives. You must be a blessing to receive blessings, and those obsessed with wealth will fail.
“To show partiality is not good, because a man may sin for a piece of bread.” There is a saying that “Every man has his price.” While this saying might not hold true for righteous people, it is true for others. Each of us has a choice: will we prostitute ourselves or not? If we follow Jesus, we have already been bought, because Jesus has bought us at the cost of his blood. We should mark “SOLD TO JESUS!” on our foreheads and refuse all other offers.
“A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty awaits him…. Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.” God rewards the generous because He knows He can give them resources and they will pass them on to the poor. But someone grasping everything cannot hold anymore because his hands are already closed. The more you give out, the more God will give you. R. G. LeTourneau, the inventor of many huge earth moving machines and founder of LeTourneau University, began by tithing 10% of his income. Before LeTourneau died, he was tithing 90% and living on the remaining 10%.
“He who rebukes a man will later find more favor than one who flatters with his tongue.” Faithful friends will tell you the truth, helping you to stay on course. Those who only flatter you are no friends at all. If you see your friend heading in a wrong direction, you must go to them and quietly confront them. If you fail to correct your friend, God may hold you accountable for that failure.
“He who robs his father or mother, saying, “It is not wrong,” is a companion to the man who destroys.” There was no Social Security in Bible times, only children who were to care for their parents. Anybody willing to victimize his parents is a destroyer of society and a menace to those around him.
“A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.” You can pursue God or pursue wealth, but you cannot pursue both at the same time. Far better to draw close to God and allow Him to arrange your life for you than to obsess about money and create chaos.
“He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.” Consistently and persistently, the Bible advises us to seek wise counsel-why? No matter how brilliant we are, we cannot know everything and may make terrible mistakes.
“When the wicked come to power, people hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous flourish.” During our missionary careers, we have passed through seasons in which those supervising us were either foolish or wicked or both. The only thing to do in such circumstances is to hunker down, continue to be faithful in the work God has called you to do, and weather the storm. Eventually, God will remove the wicked.
APPLICATION:
Honesty, self-control, excellence, responsibility, respect, courteousness-all these are attributes advocated in this part of Proverbs 27. While it is difficult to select a single theme for these verses, these qualities are those most emphasized. Sadly, many people don’t want to develop these qualities; however, they demand that others should exhibit them instead.
We must live our lives to please God and not men. No matter what the culture around us is demanding, God’s standards have never changed. Let us follow hard after Him all the days of our lives!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to become people approved by You, forsaking the cultural norms that are trying to pull us down. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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