Insights into Proverbs

Insights into proverbs chapter 16

Prov 16:1-5

The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

Verse one

Many of our so called insights, wisdom and understanding actually come from God. When your little mind has found a solution to a big and nagging problem it is because the Lord Himself has decided to create that solution and has found your heart as the incubator for such.

What has your mouth pronounced to the amazement of people? It is the Lord that has spoken through you.

Have you said something that so mush impressed those around you and you wonder where it came from? It is from the Lord.

There are other kinds of words of mouth that may not actually be pleasing unto you when others say it to you. You must accept it also that it is from the Lord. Landlords have been used in the past to say things that makes you want to build your own house. Your tormentors may be used to provoke you to move ahead in life. Hannah was provoked to seek God’s face and found solution to her problem. I Sam. 1:6-10.

Verse two

2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

The ways of a man are always pleasing in his own eyes: he justifies himself and gives himself a pass mark. God however does not see the ways man sees and as a matter of fact His judgements are based on certain things that many human being do not consider in making judgement.

What are the things that inform God’s judgement and decision?

· Our motive for doing what we have done

· His laid down rules

· Forces beyond human ability that prompt man’s action. Even our laws allowed for such. When a man unavoidably kills another man he may be allowed to go free.

· God’s mercy. His prerogative of mercy which no man can question.

What are the ways of man?

· A man wants to do what he knows to be wrong but that has legal justification

· He wants to do things that are for his own selfish interest.

· He wants to do a thing that has fatal consequences for others. i.e. the production of arms and ammunition.

How God does weigh the spirit?

Like in the Machiavellian Theory of the state the result is more important than the action itself. Machiavelli wrote about the action of the king and says

When the action accuses him the result will absolve him

The implication of this statement is that God is interested in the end result of a thing than just the beginning of it.

Case study in the Bible that may not go our own way

- How God justified Abraham who denied his wife twice for fear and for economic security

- How Uzah was killed while trying to prevent (that is what we think he was about to do) the ark from falling and God blessed Obededum (not a priest either) for keeping (he must have touched it while keeping it) the same ark in his house.

- How God told Prophet Samuel to tell King Saul that he was going to perform sacrifices when his purpose was to anoint David as king.

- How Peter the Apostle denied Jesus three times and was still allowed to lead others and was a favourite that Jesus sought after all the times.

- How a harlot anointed Jesus to prepare Him for his burial and today we still mention her name as having done well.

Verse three

3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

How can a man have a breakthrough in his thought and research?

There are solutions to all problems if we commit it to the Lord to help us find solutions. The reason while many of us do not have a breakthrough is because we do not ask God for solution and we do not always seek for His assistance before we begin a project.

What does it mean to have our thought established?

- To come out with an indisputable fact

- To be recognised as a de facto in your own field

- To have a breakthrough in your research

- To find solution to a nagging problem

Verse four

4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Solomon said that God made everything for a specific purpose and the same issue is being reiterated here that God made the good and the evil to serve some specific purposes.

In the last four years or so Nigeria woke up to the evil of pipeline vandal and hostage taking in the Niger Delta, yet the same evil and related factors has increased oil prices to more than $100 a barrel. Nigeria has been able to pay all her external debt. Would you say that is a case of some are weeping some are dancing?

Lesson

- God made all things, all situations and every person

- What a man terms evil and pain may turn out to be good

Verse five

5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand joins in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

proud can be used to describe somebody who is rightly self-satisfied.

It can also be used disapprovingly to describe somebody who shows a lack of humility or who has an inordinately high opinion of himself or herself;

arrogant used disapprovingly to describe somebody who seems inordinately self-confident or pleased with his or her achievements and who lacks humility;

conceited used to describe somebody who displays excessive satisfaction and smugness with regard to his or her appearance or achievements, often combined with a rather superior attitude towards others;

egotistical used to describe somebody who has an inflated sense of his or her own importance, especially when this is shown through constantly talking or thinking about himself or herself;

vain used to describe somebody who shows an excessive concern with and admiration for his or her personal appearance

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My understanding of being proud in heart is of a person that is self opinionated, self willed.

- He does not allow consideration for God in his heart

- He holds on to his opinion despite correction from God

- He always plan contrary to God’s plan

Verse six

By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord man depart from evil

To be free from punishment you have to do the following:

Ask for mercy- if you have a problem that is likely to have been caused by sin you will need to ask for mercy from God and the person you have offended.

What is mercy?

Mercy is an unmerited favour. The person you have offended has the prerogative of mercy over the matter and what you do or do not do may determine whether or not you deserve forgiveness. To receive mercies therefore do the following:-

- Tell the truth. When you are asking for mercy you must defile all odds to tell the truth and that truth consist of only three words that many find difficult to pronounce- `` I am sorry``. When an English man tells you I am sorry he has admitted guilty. Don’t expect pardon when you have refused to tell the truth. Uthman Dan Fodio said ``conscience is an open wound only the truth can heal it``

- Be purge of your sin. You may have told the truth the final pronouncement of pardon lies with the person you have offended. In a case the person insists you have to be punished for your offences, be ready to bear it so that your sins may be purged and your conscience can be cleared