6-16-12. Prov 26b. THE SLUGGARD AND THE MALICIOUS
6-16-11. Prov 26b. THE SLUGGARD AND THE MALICIOUS
Proverbs 26:13-28 Key Verse: 26:24
Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF Saturday, June 16, 2012
“ Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.”
Dear Lord, heavenly Father, thank you for your love and your grace in my life. Thank you for granting me strength to work and lead my family and be a spiritual mentor to a few people. You give me strength in a very hard and difficult world. With you I can scale a mountain. Please bless the Feed ‘Em Soup Gala. May you raise many funds so that they may continue to do good in the community. Grant me one word of God to hold onto. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!
1. The sluggard has his own justification (13-16).
This passage gives us warning about choosing the path of the sluggard. Look at verses 13-16 and verse 26b, “A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!” 14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. 15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. 16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly… “There’s a lion in the road! Yes, I am sure! A lion is out there!” The sluggard finds the strangest excuses for doing nothing. He turns on his bed as a door turns on its hinges. He takes food in his hand, but does not lift it to his mouth. He still thinks he is smarter than any other wise man.”
The sluggard is full of fear. He sees fear in things that are not there. And they should be fearful because if a person is sluggard then they are most likely teetering on the edge of ruin. The sluggard also finds the strangest excuses for doing nothing. It is easy to find excuses for not doing something. A sluggard does not go beyond his limits. As a door only moves according to the limitations of its hinges. The hinge swings in predictable ways and sluggards are very predictable. Like a door they move only when others move them. They also make way for those who are going someplace. A sluggard is very lazy. He takes food in his hand, but does not lift it to his mouth. He can not even feed himself. Even though a sluggard is floundering and fruitless, they still thinks they are smarter than any other wise man. That is blind.
Even though I work and engage in a few spiritual activities. I can still be a sluggard in other realms of my life. I am sluggard at doing house chores, building relations, reading, studying about spiritual things, repenting of my sins, putting the words of God into practice. One person I know posted on Facebook, “I am not learning something new every day.” Jesus tells me that if I am a disciple of Jesus I must deny myself, pick up my cross daily and follow Jesus. It is easier to be sluggard. But in that realm is fear, fruitlessness and excuses and limitations. But to be diligent in regards to God’s truth is the way of fruitfulness and victory. Lord, save me from my sluggard mentality and help me to follow Jesus.
The author talks about the thoughtless maniacs. Look at verse 17-21, “Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own. 18 Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death 19 is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” 20 Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. 21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.” The point is, that we need t be very thoughtful in what we are doing. We can not follow our feelings, especially if they are leading us on a reckless course. Jesus can show us the way.
2. The malicious man disguises himself (17-28).
Then we go on to learn about those who use their words in deceptive ways. These are the malicious, those whose intention is to do harm. Verses 22-26a read, “22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. 23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent[a] lips with an evil heart. 24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. 25 Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts. 26 Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly…. The malicious meddles in someone else’s argument. He lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking.”
He gossips and spreads quarrels. He speaks flattering words, but his heart is full of many evils. Their wrongdoing will be exposed in public. Verses 27-28 read, “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them. 28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.” He will fall in his own pit. Being malicious means we are vengeful and want to get one up on someone else. We are elevating ourselves in our own eyes. We are defending our sense of human honor. We are trying to place ourselves in a position of self importance at others’ expense. This is so wrong. May God save me from a malicious spirit and give me a spirit of benevolence. This is a spirit of doing good and wanting to bless others. The Bible says that we must bless others and not curse them.
Prayer: Lord, save me from becoming a sluggard and a malicious man. It is only through the gospel that this possible.
One Word: Saved by the grace of God.
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