Posted by Jeff Short on March 11, 2017 · Leave a Comment
As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
– Proverbs 11:19
Wisdom is concerned with the long view and outcomes over time more than immediate circumstances. This proverb contrasts pursuing righteousness and evil. Pursuing righteousness results in life and pursuing evil in death. This is a continual wisdom theme throughout Proverbs (Proverbs 1:16-19; 8:36; 10:16; 11:4; 12:28; 13:21; 19:23).
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
Posted by Jeff Short on February 27, 2017 · Leave a Comment
When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of the unjust men perisheth.
– Proverbs 11:7
The
expectation of the
wicked man is the outcome he hoped for. Likewise the
unjust men hope their unjust ways will yield long life and happiness. In the general tenor of Proverbs, wickedness tends to the cutting off of life. This proverb is not antithetical but other proverbs provide the contrast that the righteous have hope in their death (Proverbs 14:32).
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
Posted by Jeff Short on February 24, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.
– Proverbs 11:4
The
day of wrath refers to divine judgment or reckoning. It could be a reckoning in this life or the final reckoning in the life to come. Either way, the gain that so dominates the thoughts of many will not provide any release before the righteous judge. He cannot be bribed and silver and gold are not sufficient to pay for sin. The way of wisdom is the way of
righteousness, or justice. There is safety in that way and deliverance from the fear of death (Proverbs 12:28; Hebrews 2:14-15).
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
Posted by Jeff Short on February 14, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
– Proverbs 10:27
The fear of the Lord is where we begin in divine wisdom (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7). Continuing in fear means continuing in wisdom and departing from sin (Proverbs 16:6) and coming into God’s goodness (Psalm 31:19). In general, walking in fear and wisdom tends to long life whereas continuing in wickedness tends to being cut off (Psalm 55:23). Whatever prospering the wicked enjoy, it is short lived (Job 12:6; Psalm 73:12; 17:13-14).
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
Posted by Jeff Short on February 11, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
– Proverbs 10:24
Wisdom takes a long view and considers the end of a thing. The
wicked are in one way and the
righteous in another. They both shall come out somewhere—the righteous to everlasting life and the wicked to everlasting condemnation (Daniel 12:2). It is a terror to the wicked to stand before God (Psalm 14:1), but that is where they shall come at last. The righteous delight in God and his ways and long to be in his presence, which they shall also come to at last (Psalm 16:11).
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
Posted by Jeff Short on January 20, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.
– Proverbs 10:2
The first phrase refers to wealth gotten through immoral or unethical means. Worldly wealth is always a temporary possession no matter how it is acquired (Proverbs 23:5). Such wealth can do no more than provide some temporary enjoyment. It cannot deliver (Psalm 49:6-10). The contrast is with true righteousness. The word indicates a just and upright life. Wisdom knows the true righteousness is found in Jesus Christ alone (Philippians 3:9) and it leads to true life, eternal life (Romans 5:21).
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
Posted by Jeff Short on January 18, 2017 · Leave a Comment
But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.
– Proverbs 9:18
This makes the fourth time Solomon has reached this conclusion in his warnings (Proverbs 2:18-19; 5:5; 7:26-27; 9:18). We have already noted the general trend in Proverbs that wisdom tends to life and folly tends to death. The various aspects of death in Proverbs call for a much larger treatment than in the brief comments here. The ancient Semitic worldview in the Old Testament viewed death more in terms of a realm than a single event that ends life. They thought in terms of a conflict between the realm of the living and the unseen realm of the dead. The foolish guests of the foolish woman have entered in the way of death and consort with that realm as the words for
the dead and
the depths of hell indicate. The fools do not understand that going that way means they are unlikely to be recovered (Proverbs 2:19; 7:25-27).
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
Posted by Jeff Short on December 31, 2016 · Leave a Comment
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
– Proverbs 8:36
The word for
sinneth against here means to miss and answers to finding wisdom in the previous verse.
Wrongeth means to do violence to, and in this case it is his own
soul. Finally, to neglect or refuse wisdom is to hate wisdom and life. It is to
love death. Proverbs refers to death over twenty times and it is the most often the fate of the fool and the wicked (Proverbs 5:32). It is not merely a physical death but also a loss of all hope for the wicked man (Proverbs 11:7).
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
Posted by Jeff Short on November 25, 2016 · 1 Comment
Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
– Proverbs 7:27
Considering the end means considering her house is the gateway of the grave. It is the height of folly for a man to think he can enter there and escape unscathed. The consequences of this sin have been enumerated as many, but all serious. The words of wisdom are to avoid folly and consider well the end of the way before you set foot therein.
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
« Previous Page — Next Page »
Proverbs 11:19
Posted by Jeff Short on March 11, 2017 · Leave a Comment
As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
Wisdom is concerned with the long view and outcomes over time more than immediate circumstances. This proverb contrasts pursuing righteousness and evil. Pursuing righteousness results in life and pursuing evil in death. This is a continual wisdom theme throughout Proverbs (Proverbs 1:16-19; 8:36; 10:16; 11:4; 12:28; 13:21; 19:23).– Proverbs 11:19
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
Share this:
Filed under 11, Proverbs, Short Comments · Tagged with Commentary, Death, Evil, Life, Proverbs, Righteous