Proverbs (Part 129) - Pro 10:17-18

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17. Pro 10:17 – "He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth." A. He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: i. Definitions a. Way n. – I. Road, path. 1. a. gen. A track prepared or available for travelling along; a road, street, lane, or path. b. In figurative context, with reference to a metaphorical walking or travelling. c. A main road connecting different parts of a country. III. Course of life or action, means, manner. 11. a. A path or course of life; the activities and fortunes of a person. b. pl. Habits of life, esp. with regard to moral conduct. b. Life n. - I. The condition or attribute of living or being alive; animate existence. Opposed to death. c. Keep v. – I. Early senses (with gen. in OE., afterwards with simple obj.). 1. To seize, lay hold of; to snatch, take. Obs. 2. To try to catch or get; to seek after. Obs. 3. To take in, receive, contain, hold. Obs. 4. To take in with the eyes, ears, or mind; to take note of, mark, behold, observe. Obs. II. Transitive uses (in early use also intr.). * To have regard, pay attention to, observe. 9. To have regard, to care, to reck. 11. trans. To pay attention or regard to; to observe, stand to, or dutifully abide by (an ordinance, law, custom, practice, covenant, promise, faith, a thing prescribed or fixed, as a treaty, truce, peace, a set time or day; see further under the ns.). d. Instruction n. – 1. The action of instructing or teaching; the imparting of knowledge or skill; education; information. 2. The knowledge or teaching imparted. With an and pl. An item of knowledge imparted; an instructive rule, a precept, a lesson. ii. In other words, the man who lays hold of, takes in, receives, pays attention to, regards, observes, and dutifully abides by the teaching, rules, lessons, and precepts of the word of God is traveling in a course of life which is conducive to life and flourishing. iii. The most important instruction to take heed to is the instruction of the scriptures (2Ti 3:16), and especially the Proverbs (Pro 1:1-2). iv. The Proverbs instruct us in wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity (Pro 1:3). v. God's word is to be kept (Pro 4:13; Joh 14:15, 21), not just heard (Jam 1:22). vi. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life (Pro 6:23). vii. God sets before us the way of life and the way of death (Jer 21:8): choose life (Deut 30:19) by keeping instruction. B. but he that refuseth reproof erreth. i. Definitions a. Refuse v. – 1. a. To disclaim, disown, decline to countenance (an act). b. To avoid, keep clear of or free from (sin, vice, etc.). Obs. 2. To decline to take or accept (something offered or presented); to reject the offer of (a thing). 3. To decline to accept or submit to (a command, rule, instruction, etc.) or to undergo (pain or penalty). b. Reproof n. – 1. Shame, disgrace, ignominy or reproach, adhering or resulting to a person in consequence or by reason of some fact, event, conduct, etc. (Occas. with a and pl.) Obs. (went out of use in mid-1500s) 3. Censure, rebuke, reprimand, reprehension. c. Err v. – 1. intr. To ramble, roam, stray, wander. 2. To go astray; to stray from (one's path or line of direction). Chiefly fig. and now arch. 3. To go wrong in judgment or opinion: to make mistakes, blunder. Of a formula, statement, etc.: To be incorrect. 4. To go astray morally; to sin. ii. In other words, he that declines to submit to God's commands, rules, and instructions which censure, rebuke, and reprimand him will consequently go astray from the way of life, go wrong in judgment, and will go astray morally into sin. iii. Those who refuse the reproofs of instruction from the word of God will err into sin (Psa 50:16-22; Pro 5:12-14). iv. Those who will not receive God's instruction and refuse to hear His words will err into the worship of false gods (Jer 11:10; Jer 13:10) which demand child sacrifice (Jer 32:33-35). a. This has happened to millions of Americans who refused the instruction of the word of God. b. They erred into the worship of self (Php 3:19). c. Their god of self demands the sacrifice of their children through "abortion" (aka, infanticide). v. Those who refuse the reproof of the word of God will err from the way of life into way of death via God turning them over to walk in their own ways and be filled with their own devices (Pro 1:24-32). vi. If you're wise, you will hear instruction and refuse it not (Pro 8:33). 18. Pro 10:18 – "He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool." A. He that hideth hatred with lying lips, i. Definitions a. Hatred n. – The condition or state of relations in which one person hates another; the emotions or feeling of hate; active dislike, detestation; enmity, ill-will, malevolence. b. Hate v. – trans. To hold in very strong dislike; to detest; to bear malice to. The opposite of to love. c. Hate n. – 1. An emotion of extreme dislike or aversion; detestation, abhorrence, hatred. d. Lying adj. – 1. Of a person, his lips, etc.: That tells lies. e. Lie n. – 1. An act or instance of lying; a false statement made with intent to deceive; a criminal falsehood. f. Lie v. – 1. intr. To tell a lie or lies; to utter falsehood; to speak falsely. ii. There are people who make false, misleading, and deceitful statements to conceal their enmity, malice, ill-will and malevolence towards others. a. Such people dissemble with their lips (Pro 26:24). b. Dissemble v. - 1. trans. To alter or disguise the semblance of (one's character, a feeling, design, or action) so as to conceal, or deceive as to, its real nature; to give a false or feigned semblance to; to cloak or disguise by a feigned appearance. c. They speak fair, but there are abominations in their hearts (Pro 26:25). d. Fair adj. - 1. Beautiful to the eye; of pleasing form or appearance; good-looking. 4. Of language, diction: Elegant. Hence fair speaker. 5. a. Of external manifestations, words, promises: Attractive or pleasing at the first sight or hearing; specious, plausible, flattering. e. Their hatred is covered by deceit (Pro 26:26). f. Deceit n. - 1. The action or practice of deceiving; concealment of the truth in order to mislead; deception, fraud, cheating, false dealing. g. Liars may lie to your face to hide their hatred of you, or they may lie to others about their feelings about you to keep them from discovering their hatred. iii. Such people will pretend to be your friend with outward displays of affection to hide their hatred (Pro 27:6 c/w Mat 26:49). iv. We ought to pray to be delivered from lying lips and deceitful tongues of those who hate us (Psa 120:2). v. Those who hide hatred through lies and deceit are fools as the verse goes on to say. B. and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. i. Slander n. – 1. The utterance or dissemination of false statements or reports concerning a person, or malicious misrepresentation of his actions, in order to defame or injure him; calumny, defamation. ii. In addition to lying to you or others to conceal their feelings of hatred towards you, wicked people will also spread malicious false statements about you to try to ruin your reputation. a. Both those who hide hatred through lying lips and slanderers are fools. b. Fool n. - I. 1. a. One deficient in judgement or sense, one who acts or behaves stupidly, a silly person, a simpleton. (In Biblical use applied to vicious or impious persons.) The word has in mod.Eng. a much stronger sense than it had at an earlier period; it has now an implication of insulting contempt which does not in the same degree belong to any of its synonyms, or to the derivative foolish. c. Be very cautious to not repeat rumors about people which you do not know the truth of for certain. d. If you disseminate false information about someone, you are a slanderer and a fool. e. Slanders and deceitful liars need a severe beating, being fools (Pro 26:3). iii. Slanderers who are motivated by hatred are dangerous and sometimes deadly (Psa 31:13). a. A good ruler will rid the land of such wicked people (Psa 101:3-8). b. The new earth will be free of liars and slanderers (Rev 22:15).