Proverbs Chapter 12 John Karmelich

1. I call this lesson, "results". Let's read the lesson and see what are those results. ☺

a) This is one of those lessons where we are not going to read anything earth-shattering. Most of the proverbs in this lesson are good common sense concepts. The main idea is that if one works hard, tells the truth, and lives a life by biblical principals, then God is saying in effect, "I'll guarantee the results are good".

b) Most of the proverbs in this chapter can be summarized as "A good person acts one way with good results and a bad person acts another way with bad results". These proverbs teach whether we do good or bad things, there are usually consequences to those actions.

c) My point here is that many of the proverbs in this lesson are saying in effect, "If you do "this", I (God) promise the result will be "that". Count on it! Yes, most of the proverbs are generalizations, but that also means the results will be true most of the time.

d) The underlying point is God wants us to life a happy and joyful life. God is saying in effect, "I want good for your life. In order to accomplish that, do these good things and avoid these bad things. With that said, I promise the "results" of one's actions will be based on one's behavior."

2. An idea I want to develop in this lesson has to do with what we think affects how we act. Our values and ideals shape our behavior. In other words, what is inside of us in terms of our attitude and moral outlook affects what happens in our life. Our attitude toward God affects the "results", which is how we live our life.

a) Jesus said this as well. "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." (Matthew 15:18-19 NIV)

i) What Jesus is saying in effect is when we do bad things, it is because we first have bad thoughts inside of us.

ii) The results of bad thoughts, when they are carried out, are called sins.

b) In this lesson, most of the proverbs deal with the rewards of good behavior and the consequences of bad behavior. One has to read both types of "results" as promises made by God for both good and bad behavior in life. God is saying in effect, 'If you act this way, you can count on the results that I express in these proverbs!"

3. On that scary note, ☺ welcome back to the study of Proverbs!

a) From Chapters 10 to 29, Proverbs is written in two line sayings. All of these chapters are one big collection of "sayings" that about living a life pleasing to God.

b) Therefore, my theme's for each of these lessons are just "mini-sermons" that I want to bring up with each lesson. Chapter 12 is not on the topic of "results", but an application of some of the proverbs seen in this chapter

4. Much of what we are going to read in this lesson is good, common sense. With that said, it is surprising in life how often these fundamental laws of life are violated.

a) Think of it this way: A good musician or a good athlete constantly practices the fundamentals. They can avoid "dumb mistakes" by constantly practicing the basics.

b) The same idea can be applied to many of these proverbs. Sometimes just reading and thinking about these fundamental proverbs can help us avoid making dumb mistakes.

5. Verse 1: Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

a) A big part of the Christian life requires some discipline. The idea is to train oneself to have the willpower to make good decisions. Jesus called us to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). The word "disciples" and "discipline" has the same root word.

b) The first part of this proverb says, "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge". What that means is, if one wants to be disciplined to live a life pleasing to God, one has to "love" knowing right from wrong. One must have a love of studying God's word to know what to do in the first place.

i) To "love knowledge" does not mean we have to hug our bibles. ☺ Love is about giving priority to someone or something other than our own desire. In this case, it is the "love" to take the time to learn what God wants from us so we can live in a way that is pleasing to God.

c) The second part of this proverb says, "He who hates correction is stupid".

i) The verse is not saying that if you hate being corrected, one is not intelligent. Remember the main theme of Proverbs is "wisdom". The idea of wisdom is how to apply God's knowledge (i.e., His desire) for our lives.

ii) This part of the verse is saying in effect, "If our ego's our so big that we won't listen to what is right, than (at that moment), we are foolish in that we are not living the life that God desires for us!"

iii) This part of the proverb is not about the one-time mistake; it is defining the person who habitually and willfully turning from God. The point is such a person hates to be corrected and wants to proceed with their sinful plans.

6. Verse 2: A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a crafty man.

a) The first half says "A good man obtains favor from the LORD." (When the word "LORD" is in all capitals, it refers to the most holy name of God, which is transliterated "Jehovah".)

b) Let's discuss what is a "good man". Since the main topic of Proverbs is wisdom, it is describing a person that is concerned with seeking God's will for their lives. It is not about a perfect person, but one who understands they are accountable to God and makes their best effort to do what is right.

c) The verse says a good man "obtains favor" from God. How does God show favor? Doesn't God love everyone? Do only "good men" win the lottery? ☺ No. Remember to help understand a proverb, one compares the first and second halves. They are always on the same topic. Let's move on to the second half of the verse and then tie it together.

d) The second half says the LORD condemns a crafty man. My point here is in the second half, this "bad person" is condemned. The first thought is that it refers to eternal condemnation. If that is the case, then when it says the LORD "finds favor", it would refer to salvation and whatever rewards come with that salvation.

e) Let's talk about how God "finds favor" in our lives: I believe God intervenes in our lives. Most adults who believe in God can testify to at least one miracle where they have seen God intervene in their lives when all other options have failed.

i) At the least, it refers to the fact if one lives a life pleasing to God, one is less likely to get in trouble by going to jail or suffering violence from the consequences of a sinful act. Over the long term, one is blessed by living a good moral life.

7. Verse 3: A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

a) First, let's look at this verse in terms of salvation:

i) The first part says, "A man cannot be established through wickedness". The point as it applies to salvation is a wicked person cannot be saved into heaven based on the wicked deeds they have done.

ii) Suppose an evil person hurt a victim. That hurt victim pleads to God for healing and that victim was miraculously healed. The healed person then becomes a born-again Christian. My point is some good came out this evil deed. Despite that, the evil person cannot use that healing to justify their actions in judgment day. In other words, if some good comes out of an evil deed, God does not excuse the sin.

iii) The second part says, "The righteous cannot be uprooted". In terms of salvation, if one is considered righteous, then one cannot lose one's salvation. The fact that one's salvation is guaranteed is the idea behind "cannot be uprooted".

a) It is essential at this point to define "righteous". The idea is it means "right with God". It does not mean one is perfect. It means the person is disciplining their lives to do what God desires for them. It means that person is making every effort to please God in all that they do. It means when that person sins, they confess it and move on.

b) Doesn't one have to declare Jesus as Savior in order to be saved? Yes, let's not miss that fact. One has to be "perfectly forgiven" in order to be saved. On a practical level, it is about applying that forgiveness to our lives when we become aware that we sin.

b) Let's define what "established" means in context of this proverb. The text says, "A wicked man cannot be established through wickedness". That wicked man may be allowed to have riches and power in this lifetime, but that's all they get. Further, the world around them usually knows this person is wicked. They may have power, but they don't have a good reputation. In that sense, they are never established as respectful.

i) I generally find such evil people rarely have full lives. For most cases, evil people are brought down in life as opposed to dying of old age.

c) Now let's contrast this with the "righteous". The idea is no matter what happens to the righteous, they cannot be "uprooted". Does that mean no bad thing will ever happens to saved people? Of course not. Does that mean good people never get a false accusation? No. It means if one has a good reputation toward God, that reputation cannot be uprooted by anything society does to them.

i) Let me give an example: Suppose a good person is falsely accused of a crime. They may have to spend money for an attorney and go through all sorts of trials. That false accusation may take away their time and resources, but not their innocence. That fact cannot be "uprooted" by whatever life throws at them.

8. Verse 4: A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

a) This is the first of many proverbs in this book on the topic of "good wife versus bad wife". We'll spend most of a chapter on this topic when we eventually get to Chapter 31.

b) The verse is essentially saying, "If a man has a good wife, it adds to his character and makes the man a better guy. If a man has a bad wife, it will make his life miserable.

i) The text says, "A disgraceful wife is like decay in the bones." It is an illustration.

c) There is an expression that applies here: "Behind every good man is a good wife". I have found that to be true. Bragging about my own wife, she has made me a much better person than I could ever be by myself.

d) In marriage, usually our spouse influences us far more than any other person in our life does. Therefore, if a man marries a "godly" wife, that woman will lift them up and make him grow closer to God as he matures through life. (The same applies to a woman as well!) If the wife has no interest in God and doesn't care if she sins or not, in the end, it drags down the husband.

i) By the way, this verse is not saying one has to be married. The point is a good husband or wife is a great benefit to have, not a requirement.

e) This verse is a reminder of what type of person a single Christian should marry. First of all, Paul urges Christians to only marry Christians (See 2nd Cor. 6:14).

i) I want my daughters to pick a husband who loves God more than they love my daughters. That is because God commands us to love our wife "like Christ loves the church". (Ref.: Ephesians 5:25). Jesus gave His life for His church. My prayer is to have son-in-laws with the same attitude toward my daughters one day!

ii) A good prayer for a single person is, "Lord, help to change and mature me so that I could be a "crown" of my future husband or wife. Prepare me to be the type of godly person you want me to be so when my future husband (or wife) comes into my life, not only will I recognize them, but I will be the type of supportive husband or wife that You want me to be, Amen."

iii) This is also a good prayer for a married person, especially after a fight. ☺ Let God work on our spouse. He's bigger than our spouse! We should worry about getting right with God and know that He'll take care of the wife or husband!

f) A healthy marriage is one where each spouse puts the needs of the spouse over their own needs. A good marriage is where each spouse helps each other mature and grow in their relationship with God. That is why a good wife and a good husband "crown" each other in that each helps the other grow closer to God.

9. Verse 5: The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

a) The first part says, "plans of the righteous are just". The idea is that those who are seeking God make good plans in life.

i) Does this mean a Christian never has bad thoughts? Of course not. It means that as a rule, Christians understand they are accountable to God make their life plans accordingly. As a simple example, a God fearing person should never make plans to steal something or commit some grievous sin.

ii) This verse also does not mean that every plan the Christian makes is going to go well in life. The idea is simply that one who cares about God won't plan to do things that are not pleasing to Him in the first place.

b) The second part says, "The advice of the wicked is deceitful".

i) How does one know if another person is wicked? Listen to what they advise! The other idea is if you know a person is wicked, be careful what they say. Avoid their advice and consider doing the opposite!

ii) The "wicked" is someone who willfully sins. It is defining a person who doesn't care about the fact they are accountable to God and it never bothers them to sin. All they care about is their own self-interest and they don't care who they hurt.

10. Verse 6: The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.

a) I was thinking about the first half of this verse. It says in effect the words of a wicked person are waiting to kill someone.

i) It could apply to a false accusation. It could mean that a wicked person is planning to kill someone, say, so they could get their money. It could mean a wicked person plans to kill someone so that innocent person won't turn them in.

ii) The idea is this wicked person not only does evil, but also plans to do evil.

b) The second part of this proverb says, "The speech of the upright rescues them".

i) This does not mean that if the evil person plans to kill someone "upright", then the upright will be rescued out of that situation because of their speech. Many innocent and upright people have been killed through history. There have been millions of Christian martyrs who died simply due to their belief in Jesus.

ii) It means what is inside of us will save us on the outside. The idea of "rescue" refers to rescue from eternal damnation. Again, we are back to the topic of "results". The result of the speech of the godly person will save them.

iii) Does this verse mean a good person can be rescued out of a situation based on their speech? Of course. If someone asks you to sin and we say no, we are being rescued from the consequences of acting out that sin.

iv) I'll take this proverb one step further and say we can "rescue" others with our speech. If we talk in a way that encourages others to do the right thing, we are rescuing others as well.

11. Verse 7: Wicked men are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm.

a) The first way to see this verse is in terms of salvation. The idea is when the wicked die, that's the end of all enjoyment they get for their lives. They are eternally damned and are "no more". It doesn't mean they are extinguished in terms of their existence. They are simply "no more" in terms of their ability to hurt innocent people.

i) When we see wicked people get away with stuff, one can take comfort in verses like this. The idea is to remember there is a God, He is perfect and will judge people one day. That gives comfort when we see people get away with sin.

b) The second part says, "The house of the righteous stands firm".

i) The basic idea is one of salvation. It means that no matter what life throws at a righteous person, their faith in God sees them through the situation.

ii) Jesus said, "I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. " (Luke 6:48-49 NIV)

iii) Jesus words teach the same principal as this proverb. The idea is that no matter what life throws at the committed Christian, the "results" will always be good.

a) Let me explain: Even if the Christian is killed by a disaster or some wicked person, they are still saved for eternity. Even during hard times in the Christian's life, God promises us peace and security to face whatever situation is thrown at us. Our house can "stand" bad weather because we are built on a good spiritual foundation, which is Jesus Christ.

iv) I'm fascinated by the word "house". That term can also mean one's "household" is positively affected with a righteous person. Let me put it this way: Show me a godly father and husband, and I'll show you a godly household. Whenever I see a home where the leader of the house is a good, god-fearing man, then the family will usually follow along.

12. Verse 8: A man is praised according to his wisdom, but men with warped minds are despised.

a) The first half says, "A man is praised according to his wisdom".

i) Does that mean every day people will walk up to us and say, "You know, I've always admired you and your lifestyle! Keep it up!" ☺ I don't think so.

ii) A Christian may occasionally get such praise, but it is rare. More likely, it will be said about us at our funeral. A pastor will often be thanked for giving good biblical advice after a sermon, but that's usually about the extent of it.

iii) With all of that said, if one tries to live a life pleasing to God and does their best to avoid sin, one can expect some praise sooner or later. God uses people to draw others to Himself. It may be "something we said" or "something we did" that leads another person to Christ. In many ways, we get praised by others whether we realize it or not.

b) The second half says, "Men with warped minds are despised".

i) Instead of "warped", the King James Version says, "perverse heart". That latter expression is closer to the original intent of the language. The word "warped" today is associated with "weird" and it misses the point.

ii) The idea is similar to previous proverbs in that people who don't care about their relationship with God end up being despised. Think of wicked people and what they end up doing in life. That is the general idea of this phrase. The idea is people who "think sinfully" end up being despised by society.

13. Verse 9: Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

a) It's best to paraphrase this one: It says in effect, "Its better to take a job one is ashamed of, and have enough money to hire a servant than to pretend to have money but are really flat broke." The idea is a warning against pride when it comes to income.

b) First, let's describe what it means by being a "nobody". It means it is better to have a job that society considers "low" and have enough money to have a servant than to claim one is "somebody" but really have no money at all.

c) The underlying message of this proverb has to do with pride and money. God desires we work hard and if possible, financially support ourselves. The proverb is saying in effect don't let one's pride stop us from earning a living. Its better to take a job that society dreads than to not have a job in the first place.

d) OK, John, that's neat and that's practical. So what? ☺

i) Another point is one is "more blessed" by God if they are taking a low-end job than one who claims (key word) they are "somebody" and have nothing. God is saying it is better to be working than to have pride and not be working.

ii) For men, one's work is associated with one's identity. When God cursed Adam in the Garden of Eden, God said in effect that man would have to work hard for a living. (Ref.: Genesis 3:17-19). I'm convinced God created males with a desire for work, as it helps give us an identity. It ties to this proverb in that it is better to do some sort of low-end job than to be too prideful to work and out of money.

iii) It ties back to my title for this lesson: Results. If one takes a job others wouldn't take and that job pays the bills, there are good financial results.

iv) The same applies in ministry. Like most professions, one has to start at the bottom and the pay isn't that great. At the same time, one has a job. It is better to get involved with some bottom-end ministry where one is making a difference than to brag about some major project, yet never get involved with that project.

14. Verse 10: A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

a) This verse is not saying only "saved" people are kind to animals and the condemned are cruel. This verse is a sign of what a righteous man is like. In other words, it is true that if a person is nice to others, they will also be nice to the animals under their care.

b) OK, time for a well needed deviation. ☺ I own two dogs. I love them and they are very loyal to my family. The only problem is they think they are prisoners of war and try to escape every chance they get. ☺ It frustrates me. I get angry when they do, as if that is going to make a difference in their behavior. This proverb convicts me of my need to be kind to my dogs, if no other reason it would encourage them to come back faster.

c) Remember the key to understanding proverbs is to compare the first and second halves.

i) The first half says a "good person" is kind to his or her animals.

ii) The second half says a "bad person" is still cruel even with their kindest acts.

iii) Notice the "bad person" is talking about their relationship with humans.

iv) The point is the wicked, in their best moments are cruel and they are still inferior to the "righteous" and how they treat those around them.

d) Are you saying even wicked people are incapable of being nice to others? Not exactly. I'm sure even the worst person at some moments of their lives can show some kindness. Remember these proverbs are generalizations. The point is if one looks at the overall life of the wicked, it is generally true they treat people pretty badly, or by definition, they would not be considered wicked. The same is true when one considers the overall life of the righteous person. Remember that "righteous" means "right with God".

15. Verse 11: He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.

a) Many years ago, I learned the expression, "Anything that sounds too good to be true usually is". What that means is "get rich quick" schemes do not work. To state another proverb I've learned along this line, "If getting rich is easy, everyone would be rich".

i) These expressions apply to this proverb. The essential idea is that for the farmer to grow crops, that farmer has to do the hard work necessary to plant and take care of the crops. If the farmer is busy chasing fantasies, the crops will never grow.

b) I want to distinguish between "fantasies" and goals". The second part of this verse condemns the idea of "chasing fantasies".

i) Goals are generally a good thing. Assuming the goal in life is not some of sin, usually people who set their minds and efforts to a goal accomplish that goal.

ii)    &