Proverbs (Part 148) - Pro 11:10-11

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10. Pro 11:10 – "When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting." A. When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: i. Definitions a. Well adv. – I. 1. a. In accordance with a good or high standard of conduct or morality; in a way which is morally good. Chiefly with do vb. 6. a. Prosperously, successfully, fortunately, happily; without harm or accident. Freq. with do, fare, go. c. Successfully in some material respect; profitably; advantageously. b. Righteous adj. – 1. a. Of persons: Just, upright, virtuous; guiltless, sinless; conforming to the standard of the divine or the moral law; acting rightly or justly. c. Rejoice v. – 1. trans. To enjoy by possessing; to have full possession and use of (a thing). Obs. 2. To gladden, make joyful, exhilarate (a person, his spirits, etc.). d. In other words, when just, upright, and virtuous people who conform themselves to the standard of God's law experience success and prosperity in their endeavors, the people of their city will be glad and joyful for them. ii. We should rejoice with those who rejoice and be happy for people who do well according to God's standards (Rom 12:15). iii. Examples a. A righteous man is acquitted of a crime he didn't commit. b. A righteous man attains a position of authority (Pro 29:2; Est 8:15-17). c. A righteous man is honored for a great accomplishment. d. A righteous man is successful in a business endeavor. e. A righteous man is victorious in a quest against wickedness. f. A righteous man wins a lawsuit against a corrupt government. g. Righteous people fight for their lives and freedom and destroy their enemies (Est 9:17-19). iv. When things like these happen, the city rejoices. v. "It is here observed, that good men are generally well-beloved by their neighbours, but nobody cares for wicked people. It is true there are some few that are enemies to the righteous, that are prejudiced against God and godliness, and are therefore vexed to see good men in power and prosperity; but all indifferent persons, even those that have no great stock of religion themselves, have a good word for a good man; and therefore when it goes well with the righteous, when they are advanced and put into a capacity of doing good according to their desire, it is so much the better for all about them, and the city rejoices. For the honour and encouragement of virtue, and as it is the accomplishment of the promise of God, we should be glad to see virtuous men prosper in the world, and brought into reputation." (Matthew Henry, Pro 11:10) B. and when the wicked perish, there is shouting. i. Definitions a. Wicked adj. – 1. Bad in moral character, disposition, or conduct; inclined or addicted to wilful wrong-doing; practising or disposed to practise evil; morally depraved. (A term of wide application, but always of strong reprobation, implying a high degree of evil quality.) b. Perish v. – 1. a. intr. To come to a violent, sudden, or untimely end; to suffer destruction; to lose its life, cease to exist, be cut off. c. Shouting n. – 1. a. Loud crying, uproar, clamour; vociferous applause, acclamation; an instance of this. d. In other words, when evil and morally depraved people suffer destruction and die, the people of their community will celebrate it loudly. ii. Things going well with the righteous, and the wicked perishing, are connected with each other via the conjunction and. iii. A city will be full of rejoicing and shouting both when things go well with the righteous and when the wicked are judged and killed. iv. Examples a. When the Egyptians were destroyed in the Red Sea, Israel rejoiced (Exo 15:20-21). b. Israel sang a song of rejoicing when Jabin king of Canaan was destroyed (Jdg 4:24 c/w Jdg 5:1-3, 31). c. Men shall clap their hands at the destruction of wicked men (Job 27:19-23). d. The righteous rejoice when they behold the vengeance of God upon the wicked (Psa 58:10-11). e. Mystery Babylon's destruction was accompanied with rejoicing by the holy apostles, prophets, and others in heaven (Rev 18:20; Rev 19:1-7). v. We should not rejoice when our personal enemies stumble and fall (Pro 24:17-18; Job 31:28-30). a. We should not be glad at the calamities of people when misfortunes happen to them which are common to men (Pro 17:5). b. But to rejoice in God's judgment of the wicked is perfectly acceptable which the previously cited verses show. vi. When the wicked perish, the righteous increase (Pro 28:28b). vii. But when the wicked rise to power they hide themselves (Pro 28:12, 28a). viii. "Wicked people may perhaps have here and there a well-wisher among those who are altogether such as themselves, but among the generality of their neighbours they get ill-will; they may be feared, but they are not loved, and therefore when they perish there is shouting; every body takes a pleasure in seeing them disgraced and disarmed, removed out of places of trust and power, chased out of the world, and wishes no greater loss may come to the town, the rather because they hope the righteous may come in their stead, as they into trouble instead of the righteous, Pro 11:8. Let a sense of honour therefore keep us in the paths of virtue, that we may live desired and die lamented, and not be hissed off the stage, Job 27:23; Psa 52:6." (Matthew Henry, Pro 11:10) 11. Pro 11:11 – "By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked." A. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: i. Definitions a. Blessing n. – 1. a. Hallowing, consecration. Obs. 2. a. Authoritative declaration of divine favour and countenance, by God or one speaking in his name; benediction; passing into b. Invocation of divine favour by any one. c. The form of words used in this declaration or invocation. 3. a. The bestowal of divine favour and prospering influence; favour and prospering influence of God. 4. a. A beneficent gift of God, nature, etc.; anything that makes happy or prosperous; a boon. 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. Exalted adj. ppl. – 1. Raised or set up on high; elevated. 2. Elevated in rank, station, or public estimation. Usually without implication of any previous lower condition: Highly placed, of high station, etc. d. Exalt v. – 1. trans. To raise or set up on high; to lift up, elevate. 2. In various fig. or non-material senses: a. To raise in rank, honour, estimation, power, or wealth. d. To praise, extol, magnify. e. To raise to a higher class, a higher degree of value or excellence; to dignify, ennoble. e. In other words, a city can be elevated in rank, station, or public estimation when it is given an authoritative declaration of divine favor by a morally just and honorable man of integrity. ii. "The blessing of the upright" is the blessing given by the upright, which is evident by the fact that it is contrasted with "the mouth of the wicked." iii. How is a city exalted by the blessing of the upright? a. By the blessing of God (i) A city or a nation whose God is the LORD is blessed by God (Psa 33:12) who is the most upright (Psa 25:8). (ii) That righteous city or nation will be exalted because of God's blessing upon it (Pro 14:34; Psa 144:15). b. A godly city will also be exalted when an upright leader blesses it in the name of the LORD (Num 6:22-27). iv. An example of a city being exalted by the blessing of the upright. a. Solomon told the story of a poor wise man who delivered his little city by his wisdom which was besieged by a great king (Ecc 9:13-18). b. This man blessed the city with his wisdom, and it was exalted. v. A city can also be exalted because of righteous men within it who are blessed by God for their uprightness (Pro 10:6). vi. "By the blessing of the upright, the blessings with which they are blessed, which enlarge their sphere of usefulness, - by the blessings with which they bless their neighbours, their advice, their example, their prayers, and all the instances of their serviceableness to the public interest, - by the blessings with which God blesses others for their sake, - by these the city is exalted and made more comfortable to the inhabitants, and more considerable among its neighbours." (Matthew Henry, Pro 11:11) B. but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. i. Definitions a. Overthrown adj. ppl. – A. 1. Thrown over on its side, face, or upper surface; upset; overcome; vanquished, demolished. b. Overthrow v. – 1. trans. To throw (a person or thing) over upon its side or upper surface; to upset, overturn; to knock (a structure) down and so demolish it. 2. fig. To cast down from a position of prosperity or power; to defeat, overcome, vanquish; to ruin, destroy, or reduce to impotence. c. Wicked adj. – 1. Bad in moral character, disposition, or conduct; inclined or addicted to wilful wrong-doing; practising or disposed to practise evil; morally depraved. (A term of wide application, but always of strong reprobation, implying a high degree of evil quality.) d. In other words, an evil and morally depraved man through his words can cause the ruin and destruction of a city. ii. Haman's mouth would have overthrown the cities of the Jews in the Persian empire were it not for the intervention of God (Est 3:8-15 c/w Est 9:2). iii. One sinner can destroy much good with his mouth (Ecc 9:18). iv. Scornful men bring a city into a snare (Pro 29:8). v. The tongue has the power to destroy individuals and cities (Jam 3:6). vi. "Wicked men are public nuisances, not only the burdens, but the plagues of their generation. The city is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked, whose evil communications corrupt good manners, are enough to debauch a town, to ruin virtue in it, and bring down the judgments of God upon it." (Matthew Henry, Pro 11:11)