Precepts and Warnings - II

(insert slide with a warning sign) (illustration) - Driving down the road you read a warning sign “dangerous curve ahead” what are you going to do? Are you going to adhere to the warning, reduce your speed and continue on or are you going to ignore the warning and risk the danger? The Bible is full of warnings, not because God does not want us to do things, but because God wants to protect us from things that will, can harm us.

Today as we look at some of the warnings that go with the precepts of , let’s see the spiritual application that is for our benefit.

If you were to summarize , taking what we looked at last week (instructions/precepts) and this week (warnings/instructions) we can deduct that even when it seems evil is prospering we should not be inclined to join evil.

(Slide) They may have happiness, where you have joy

(Slide) They may be content, but you have peace

(Slide) They may have riches now, but you have eternal riches.

Don’t Join In

Proverbs 24:1–2 NASB95

1 Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them; 2 For their minds devise violence, And their lips talk of trouble.

Trouble in the making, don’t desire the things of this world, for they will lead you to trouble.

1 John 2:15–17 NASB95

15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

1Jn

One day we will stand and give account for our actions and our words; our benefit is we have God’s Word, God’s truth, God’s power to do what is right and to hate that which is evil.

Proverbs 8:13 NASB95

13 “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

Romans 12:9 NASB95

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

(Slide) To have the fear of the Lord is to hate evil and to cling to what is good.

Wisdom, fool and the Schemer

Pro24:

Proverbs 24:7–9 NASB95

7 Wisdom is too exalted for a fool, He does not open his mouth in the gate. 8 One who plans to do evil, Men will call a schemer. 9 The devising of folly is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

Wisdom is too high, too much for the fool, remember they do not listen in the first place.

Proverbs 18:2 NASB95

2 A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind.

In the days of these writings the wise men would meet at the gates of the city and that is where judgment came, disputes were resolved. We should not waste our time in listening to the babbling of the fool who does not have the wisdom of God. Listening to perverse arguments, intellectually and morally inept people is a waste of time and energy.

(Slide) Don’t be a conniver! - A loss of a good name, a good reputation, and being a person of character is not easily regained, or to come back from

(Slide) In one of the Hebrew translates it says “the scheme of an unprincipled person is sin.”

Do not lie in wait!

Proverbs 24:15–16 NASB95

15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not destroy his resting place; 16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.

Proverbs 14:15–16 NASB95

15 The naive believes everything, But the sensible man considers his steps. 16 A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless.

Are you familiar with the term

Pro24: 15-16

Are you familiar with the term

(Slide) “You can’t keep a good man down?”

Well the righteous man will not stay down, he will get back up, look up, thank God and move on. He has the truth.

1 John 1:7 NASB95

7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

In the end the evil man, the wicked man, the unjust man, the unprincipled man will stumble, be caught up in their own nets, their own schemes for

Luke 8:17 NASB95

17 For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.

They can try to hide things from God, but God knows the heart for He is the searcher of the heart; not only in prayer but in all things.

Don’t Gloat!

Proverbs 24:17–18 NASB95

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Or the Lord will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him.

(Slide) Pride comes before the fall, and gloating is a form of pride.

Don’t rejoice when evil stumbles around you, for you too stumble and God gave you mercy! Don’t forget that God is just

We are to be people of love

1 Corinthians 13:5–7 NASB95

5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

How About some more wise sayings?

Proverbs 24:23–24 NASB95

23 These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good. 24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;

Proverbs 24:25–26 NASB95

25 But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight, And a good blessing will come upon them. 26 He kisses the lips Who gives a right answer.

(Slide) God is not partial in His judgment (v.23)

1 Peter 1:17 NASB95

17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;

1Pet

(Slide) Don’t lie (vv.24-25) for that is not in character with us as a Christian

Colossians 3:9 NASB95

9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,

(Slide) Since we have put away the old self, we should be honest and give an honest answer (v.26)

(Slide) Don’t look for a hand out, but put your hand to work (v.27)

Proverbs 24:27 NASB95

27 Prepare your work outside And make it ready for yourself in the field; Afterwards, then, build your house.

(Slide)This is the general principle of don’t look for a hand out, put your hand to work and then get your house in order. This is a prelude to (vv.30-34) whereas it does look at laziness.

Maybe you know the proverb (though not in the bible)

(Slide) Feed a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime”

Pro24:30

Proverbs 24:30–31 NASB95

30 I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, 31 And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down.

Proverbs 24:32–33 NASB95

32 When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. 33 “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,”

Pro24: 32-33

Proverbs 24:34 NASB95

34 Then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man.

The poetic words paint a picture of the story of a lazy man and the outcome. It is a wise saying and a great illustration of the warning principles we have looked at today.

We have looked at lot’s of don’t’s today, but surely we don’t want to end on that do we?

The warning we need to be concerned about more than any other, is the day is coming in which the Lord is going to return to judge the world. Will He find faith? Will your be filled with faith? Will you be walking by faith? Will you be assured in God’s finished work on Christ’s cross? Then Don’t be alarmed, be ready, Don’t be afraid of what is to come, look for it. Don’t be quiet, share your hope with others.