Proverbs (Part 147) - Pro 11:9

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9. Pro 11:9 – "An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered." A. An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: i. Definitions a. Hypocrite n. – 1. One who falsely professes to be virtuously or religiously inclined; one who pretends to have feelings or beliefs of a higher order than his real ones; hence generally, a dissembler, pretender. b. 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. c. Neighbour n. – 1. One who lives near or next to another; one who occupies a near or adjoining house, one of a number of persons living close to each other, esp. in the same street or village. d. In other words, a man who falsely professes to be a Christian and pretends to be a godly person will with his words lay waste and ruin those who live close to him. ii. What a hypocrite is and is not. a. A hypocrite is not someone who preaches or maintains that himself and others should live by the standard of God's word but sometimes through weakness fails to do so himself. (i) Such a man is not pretending to be something he is not, nor is he falsely professing to be a follower of Christ. (ii) He is simply a man with feet of clay who cannot always keep God's commandments perfectly due to his fallen nature. iii. What a hypocrite is. a. A hypocrite is someone who doesn’t even attempt to live godly when nobody is watching. (i) He doesn't try and fail, but rather he doesn't try at all unless he is trying to impress others. (ii) He knows that he is a pretender, but lives in such a way to keep others from knowing it. (iii) He puts on a pious appearance to cover his inner wickedness (Mat 23:25-28). (iv) He says what others should do, but intentionally doesn't do it himself (Mat 23:2-4 c/w Mat 23:13. b. Hypocrites do everything they do to be seen of men (Mat 23:5). (i) They go to church for the sole purpose of appearing to be godly (Mat 23:6). (ii) They dress in suits and dresses to give the appearance of piety (Mar 12:38). (iii) They speak in a godly manner in order to make it appear that they are holy in the eyes of men (Mat 15:7-9). (iv) They make long, public prayers to feign spirituality (Mat 6:5; Mat 23:14). (v) They give to the church, and make sure others know they do, to give the impression that they are godly and generous (Mat 6:2; Mat 23:23; Luk 18:12; Mar 12:41). (vi) As a pretense of godliness they fast and disfigure their faces so that all will know they are fasting (Mat 6:16). iv. Types of speech a hypocrite uses to destroy his neighbor. a. Hypocrites gnash on the righteous with their teeth and plot to destroy them (Psa 35:16-17; Job 16:9; Psa 37:12; Act 7:54). (i) Gnash v. - 1. intr. To strike together or ‘grind’ the teeth, esp. from rage or anguish. Also with against, on, upon. Said also of the teeth. (ii) The mouths and words of hypocrites are like swords and knives which are used to cut people to pieces and devour them (Mat 23:14 c/w Pro 30:14; Psa 57:4; Pro 12:18; Job 5:21). b. They devise deceitful matters against their neighbors (Psa 35:20; Psa 52:2). c. Hypocrites speak lies about others to destroy them (1Ti 4:2 c/w Pro 25:18). d. Being hypocrites and pretending to be people they are not, they use the following methods of speech to destroy others. (i) Talebearing (Pro 26:22) (ii) Dissembling and deceitful words (Pro 26:23-24, 26) (iii) Speaking fair (Pro 26:25) (iv) Lying and flattering (Pro 26:28 c/w Pro 29:5) B. but through knowledge shall the just be delivered. i. Definitions a. Knowledge n. – II. Senses derived from the verb know, in its later uses. * The fact or condition of knowing. 5. a. The fact of knowing a thing, state, etc., or (in general sense) a person; acquaintance; familiarity gained by experience. 8. a. Acquaintance with a fact; perception, or certain information of, a fact or matter; state of being aware or informed; consciousness (of anything). b. absol. Acquaintance with facts, range of information, ken. b. Just adj. – 1. That does what is morally right, righteous. just before (with) God or, simply, just: Righteous in the sight of God; justified. c. 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. d. In other words, by being informed with information and facts, a righteous man will be saved and spared from the destruction which hypocrites attempt to cause him through their words. ii. The antidote to being destroyed by the mouth of a hypocrite is knowledge. a. Knowledge obtained through the word of God will enable a just man to deliver himself from a hypocritical neighbor. b. This includes knowledge of the following: (i) Knowing how to identify a hypocrite through discernment and wisdom (Pro 1:4; Pro 2:6-15). (ii) Knowing to avoid hypocrites once they have been identified (Rom 16:17-18). (iii) Knowing how to perceive when one is being flattered (Pro 27:21). (iv) Knowing how to catch a man in a lie by paying attention to things he says and comparing them with things you have observed and with things he has said in the past. (v) Knowing to not divulge too much personal information to neighbors who have not yet proven themselves to be trustworthy (Pro 17:27-28; Pro 29:11). (vi) Knowing how to shut the mouths of gainsayers with sound doctrine (Tit 1:9-11; Isa 54:17). (vii) Knowing how to push the buttons of hypocrites to get them to explode and reveal to others who they really are.