Proverbs (Part 143) - Pro 11:3-4

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3. Pro 11:3 – "The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them." A. The integrity of the upright shall guide them: i. Definitions a. Integrity n. – 1. The condition of having no part or element taken away or wanting; undivided or unbroken state; material wholeness, completeness, entirety. 3. In moral sense. a. Unimpaired moral state; freedom from moral corruption; innocence, sinlessness. b. Soundness of moral principle; the character of uncorrupted virtue, esp. in relation to truth and fair dealing; uprightness, honesty, sincerity. b. Upright adj. – III. fig. 8. a. Of persons: Adhering to or following correct moral principles; of unbending integrity or rectitude; morally just, honest, or honourable. c. Guide v. – 1. a. trans. To act as guide to; to go with or before for the purpose of leading the way: said of persons, of God, Providence, and of impersonal agents, such as stars, light, etc. c. To keep from by guidance. 2. fig. and in immaterial senses: To lead or direct in a course of action, in the formation of opinions, etc.; to determine the course or direction of (events, etc.) d. In other words, the soundness of moral principle, uncorrupted virtue, honesty, and sincerity of a morally just, honest, and honorable man will lead and direct him in his course of actions and in the formation of his opinions. ii. An upright man with integrity will be guided to keep God's commandments (1Ki 9:4). iii. Job was an upright man whose integrity guided him. a. His integrity guided him to hold fast to his faith and allegiance to God in the face of severe adversity and affliction (Job 2:3; Job 13:15). b. His integrity guided him when his own wife tried to persuade him to give up the good fight of faith (Job 2:9-10). c. His integrity guided him and kept him from turning out of the way and walking after his own eyes (Job 31:6-8). iv. David was an upright man whose integrity guided him. a. His integrity guided him and prevented him from sliding off the path of God's truth (Psa 26:1-3). b. His integrity guided him out of the way of the wicked and into God's church (Psa 26:8-12). c. His integrity and uprightness preserved him (Psa 25:21). v. Integrity guides us in our Christian walk (Pro 19:1; Pro 20:7). B. but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. i. Definitions a. Perverseness n. – The quality of being perverse; the disposition or tendency to act in a manner contrary to what is right or reasonable; obstinate wrongheadedness; refractoriness; corruption, wickedness. b. Perverse adj. – 1. Turned away from the right way or from what is right or good; perverted; wicked. b. Not in accordance with the accepted standard or practice; incorrect; wrong. 2. Obstinate or persistent in what is wrong; selfwilled or stubborn (in error). 3. Untoward, froward; disposed to go counter to what is reasonable or required; hence, wayward, petulant, cross-grained, ill-tempered, peevish. c. Transgressor n. – One who transgresses; a law-breaker; a sinner. d. Transgress v. – 1. a. trans. To go beyond the bounds or limits prescribed by (a law, command, etc.); to break, violate, infringe, contravene, trespass against. b. intr. To break a law or command; to trespass, offend, sin. e. Destroy v. – 1. trans. To pull down or undo (that which has been built); to demolish, raze to the ground. 2. To lay waste, ravage, make desolate. b. To ruin (men), to undo in worldly estate. f. In other words, the disposition or tendency to act in a manner contrary to what is right or reasonable, and the obstinate wrongheadedness, corruption, and wickedness or those who break the laws and commandments of God and thereby trespass, offend, and sin against Him will lay waste, ravage, and ruin themselves. ii. Balaam's perverseness caused his destruction both temporally (Num 22:32 c/w Jos 13:22) and eternally (2Pe 2:15-17). iii. Those that have perverse tongues fall into mischief (Pro 17:20) and will end up destroying themselves thereby (Pro 18:7). iv. Those who are perverse in their ways shall fall at once (Pro 28:18). v. The perverseness of sinners (especially their rejection of the word of God) will bring upon them sudden and devastating destruction (Isa 30:9-14). vi. God will recompense sinners' own perverse ways upon them as a judgment (Eze 9:9-10). 4. Pro 11:4 – "Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death." A. Riches profit not in the day of wrath: i. Definitions a. Riches n. – 1. Abundance of means or of valuable possessions; wealth. Also, in certain constructions, the possession of wealth, the condition of being rich. b. Profit v. – I. 1. intr. To make progress; to advance, go forward; to improve, prosper, grow, increase (in some respect). c. Wrath n. – Vehement or violent anger; intense exasperation or resentment; deep indignation. d. Righteous indignation on the part of the Deity. d. In other words, having an abundance of means and wealth will not cause one to make it through God's vehement and violent anger unscathed on the day of judgment. ii. While riches profit not in the day of wrath, treasures of wickedness profit nothing (Pro 10:2). iii. Rich men think that their wealth will protect them (Pro 18:11). a. But riches will not save men from death; they will die like everyone else (Psa 49:6-12). b. In fact, those who trust in their riches will sometimes die early as a result (Luk 12:16-21). c. Those who trust in their riches will fall (Pro 11:28). iv. When God's wrath is kindled and He judges a nation severely, money can become nearly worthless (2Ki 6:25). v. Gold and silver will not deliver a man from the wrath to come (Eze 7:19; Zep 1:18; Jam 5:1-3). a. This is true of temporal judgments from God on this earth. b. This is also true of the final judgment on the last day. vi. Although riches profit not in the day of wrath, they certainly do profit in the day of trouble. a. When your house needs a new $15,000 roof, having enough riches to comfortably write out a check to take care of it profits you. b. When your basement starts leaking and requires a $20,000 foundation repair, having enough riches to comfortably write out a check to take care of it profits you. c. When you need a new $20,000 septic system, having enough riches to comfortably write out a check to take care of it profits you. d. When your house needs a new multi-thousand dollar heating or air conditioning system, having enough riches to comfortably write out a check to take care of it profits you. e. When your car breaks down and it takes thousands of dollars to fix it, having enough riches to comfortably write out a check to take care of it profits you. f. When your car dies and you need $10-20K (or more) to replace it, having enough riches to comfortably write out a check to take care of it profits you. g. When an unexpected $5k, $10k, or $20k (or more) health problem happens which is not covered by insurance, having enough riches to comfortably write out a check to take care of it profits you. h. When your spouse needs to live in a nursing home at the cost of $50-$60k per year for a few years, having enough riches to cover the expense without losing your house profits you and your children. i. When your children, parents, siblings, or friends fall on hard times, having enough riches to comfortably write out a check to help them profits you and them. B. but righteousness delivereth from death. i. Definitions a. Righteousness n. – Justice, uprightness, rectitude; conformity of life to the requirements of the divine or moral law; virtue, integrity. b. Deliver v. – I. 1. trans. To set free, liberate, release, rescue, save. b. Now esp. To set free from restraint, imminent danger, annoyance, trouble, or evil generally. c. In other words, those who are upright, conform their lives to the requirements of God's law, and have virtue and integrity will be saved from death when God judges a nation or the world in the day of His wrath. ii. Riches are contrasted with righteousness in this verse. iii. Whereas riches will not profit nor deliver a man in the day of wrath, righteousness will. iv. The righteous who fear and trust God will be delivered from death and kept alive in famine (Psa 33:18-22). v. Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish (Pro 11:28). vi. Rather than grasping at riches, the righteous lay hold on Christ, "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col 2:3). vii. Those who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mat 6:33) will not be destroyed like the wicked who trust in their riches (Psa 52:5-7), but will be like a green olive tree flourishing in the house of God (Psa 52:8-9). viii. The saints who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ (Rev 19:8) will be delivered from death on the last day (Rev 20:9).