Let’s take our Bibles together and turn to Proverbs 29:1–27. We are finishing up Collection V of this book today. If you look at the beginning of Chapter 30, there’s a new section with even a new author, King Agur. That’s fascinating. More on that next time. 

But today, we finish up a section begun in Proverbs 25. This is the section of King Solomon’s writings compiled by King Hezekiah’s men approximately 250 years after Solomon. And once again, the focal point of this passage is on righteousness, that is, how to live a God-honoring life with God-imitating behavior. 

John MacArthur said once, “God judges, when one generation fails its responsibility to pass on righteousness to the next.” In many ways, that quote gets at the heart of the book of Proverbs. How do we pass on God-fearing wisdom to our children? How do we teach them the ways of wisdom and righteousness? How do we help them to see the goodness and value of living a life that pleases God? 

And it’s not just about teaching those values. It’s about living out those values. Because some things are caught, and some things are taught. Sometimes our behaviors are more effective than our lectures. Sometimes our actions are more effective than our proclamations.

Once again, the question today is, why should we embrace God-honoring righteousness in our lives? Let me give you four answers to that question. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here’s the first. 

1) Righteousness leads to rejoicing (29:1–3)

Solomon says in verse 1, 

1 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

Before we get to rejoicing, let’s deal with the opposite of that. Verse 1 speaks of someone who is stiff-necked. This is emblematic OT language for stubborn and rebellious hardheadedness. And it’s worse than that, because the opposite of a stiff neck is a bent neck. You bend your neck when you bow before the Lord. It’s an act of humility and submission before the Lord. 

When Moses was in the wilderness with the Israelites, God said of them, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people” (Exod 32:9). That was not a compliment! They wouldn’t bow before the Lord and his authority. Their stiffed-neck syndrome would eventually lead to their death in the wilderness. They were broken beyond healing. 

And what’s the remedy for this syndrome? It’s humility before the Lord. But also, from Solomon’s vantage point, it is continual teachability. It’s a willingness to be reproved. It’s a willingness to change and to grow and to be instructed. That’s an outworking of righteousness. And that leads to rejoicing.  

Look at verse 2. 

2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. 

3 He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

When I stated this first point, “Righteousness leads to rejoicing,” whose rejoicing did you think I was alluding to there? The righteous person himself or those around him? 

The emphasis with verses 2 and 3 isn’t on the individual who is righteous, but those around him. When righteous people increase, the people rejoice. When a young man makes wise choices, a father gladdens. When that young man becomes a sex addict or a deviant, a father saddens.  

I think there is a case that can be made that living a righteous life is the best, most-satisfying way to live your life. I told you last week that sin is fun. But killing sin is even more fun. That’s when life gets really satisfying! 

But if that’s not motivation enough for you, the motivation here is righteousness as a form of unselfish care for others. Living a God-honoring life is better for your community. It’s better for “the people” if you are in a place of leadership. It’s better for your parents. Righteousness leads to rejoicing… it leads there for yourself… and it leads there for others. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Write this down as #2.

2) Righteousness is a means of stability (29:4–14) 

Solomon says in verse 4, 

4 By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down. 

The Hebrew for “exacts gifts” is ambiguous. It can mean either “exacting taxes.” Or it can mean “exacting bribes.” I for one think that both of those things are evil. Taxes are a necessary evil. Bribes are an unnecessary evil.

By the way, many scholars have noted the number of times that the king or a ruler are invoked in Proverbs 28 and 29. Some have called these chapters, “Instructions for a future king!” 

We don’t have kings in America. But we do have politics. So if you are considering a career in politics, consider these chapters well. And if that is you, then do us all a favor, would you? Keep our taxes down! And don’t accept bribes. 

“We don’t accept bribes in America, Pastor Tony? That’s a third world practice.” Okay… keep telling yourself that.  

Look at verse 5, 

5 A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. 

In the ancient world, a fowler would set a trap for a bird by tying a piece of rope into a circle. Then they would put some food out over the rope, and maybe some leaves, to hide the trap. And then when the unsuspecting bird would hop on over to the food, you’d spring the trap. 

What’s that image likened to here? A flatterer. Watch out for the forked-tongue flatterer. They might be setting a trap for you.

By the way, how do you discern between an encourager and a flatterer? In other words, how do you differentiate between someone who is building you up and someone who is buttering you up? 

For the record, encouragement is a good thing. The Bible commends it (1 Thess 5:11; Heb 3:13). Flattery is bad. The Bible condemns it. But sometimes they sound very similar. How do you tell the difference? 

I would just say that the difference is in the intent of the heart of the person who is speaking. And that’s difficult to ascertain. I think it’s a matter of discernment. Over time you start to learn who has your best interest in mind and who has a trick up their sleave. For my part, I always assume encouragement. I want to give people the benefit of the doubt. But sometimes that “encouragement” becomes self-serving or it’s perceptibly deceptive. And you have to be on your guard for that. 

Look at verse 6.   

6 An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, it seems as if sin is the way to get ahead in life. but a righteous man sings and rejoices.

Never estimate the power of a clear conscience. That causes the righteous man to sing and rejoice.

Look at verse 7.   

7 A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge. 

A righteous man knows how to be generous. He knows how to advocate for the weak and downtrodden in society. A wicked man doesn’t care, and his indifference leads to ignorance. 

Look at verse 8.   

8 Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath. 

9 If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet. 

One of the ways to translate verse 9 is as follows: “If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no rest.” Whether Solomon is speaking here of the difficulty of taking a fool to court or the futility of arguing with a fool, the principle is clear. The fool will bring you down if you get into a fight with him. 

Let me say it this way, a verbal argument with a fool is like a fistfight with a wolverine. You might win that fistfight. You may even have to fight that fight—if your life depended on it. But you will not emerge unscathed.   

I just read Thomas Jefferson this last week say essentially the same thing as Solomon here. Jefferson is not my favorite founding father. But I appreciate the way in which he approached conflict. He told his grandson in a letter to never enter into dispute or argument with another. He said, “I never yet saw an instance of one of the two disputants convincing the other by argument. I have seen many, on their getting warm, becoming rude, and shooting another.” Unfortunately, that was a real thing that happened, not hyperbole. Thomas Jefferson’s Vice President actually shot and killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel while he was serving as Vice President! That’s a fascinating piece of American history. Jefferson continues, “Conviction is the effect of our own dispassionate reasoning, either in solitude or weighing without ourselves dispassionately what we hear from others.”  

Look at verse 10.   

10 Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless and seek the life of the upright. 

One of the things that Thomas Jefferson wrongly assumed is that you can live your life in such a way that everyone will love you and you will never have enemies. That is, as you know, patently ridiculous. Why? Because there is no rest for the wicked. 

And let me just say, that if you are planning to live your life in such a way that everything will be peachy keen, and nobody will ever oppose you as a Christian, then I’ve got some oceanfront property in Arizona that I’d like to sell you. If you are going to fear God, follow Christ, and love the church, then get ready to be opposed! Because bloodthirsty men hate blameless men.

Look at verse 11.   

11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. 

This is a tough verse for me. “A wise man quietly holds back [his spirit].” I don’t do anything quietly. I don’t eat quietly. I don’t talk quietly. I don’t walk quietly. I don’t suffer fools quietly. I don’t play board games quietly. Just ask the people in my small group! When I was little, my mom repeatedly told me, “Tony, turn down the volume! You are too loud!” 

So this is medicine, right here, for my extroverted tongue and my unquiet soul. “Thank you, Lord, for this! I receive it.” 

Look at verse 12.  

12 If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.

King David wrote this in the book of Psalms: “I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes” (101:6–7). A king needs good “officials” or “ministers.” A president needs a good cabinet. And we all need good counselors in our lives.

 Look at verse 13.

13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the Lord gives light to the eyes of both

. 

  The language of giving “light to the eyes” is a euphemism for life. When you have light in your eyes, you are alive. When it goes dark, you die.

  So Solomon is saying here that the Lord gives life to the rich. And he gives life to the poor. Proverbs 22:2 says, “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.” And the Lord will judge both accordingly. 

  And by the way, they both will be buried six feet under. As I told you before, the Grim Reaper is an equal opportunity reaper. He doesn’t discriminate against rich or poor. And you can’t pay him off!

 Look at verse 14.

14 If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever. 

Like I said, many of these proverbial statements are framed in the context of a king’s court. Therefore a ruler should be generous and rightminded to the poor. He should not oppressively tax the people. He should not listen to falsehoods. He should not surround himself with wicked counselors and officials. 

He should be a man of impeccable character and unimpeachable conduct, and he must be impervious to imperfections. In other words, there’s no man or woman on this planet who fits that bill! The founding fathers of our country were right not to make George Washington king, because no man can serve in that place perfectly! Except maybe one…????!!!!

By the way, there’s a famous Latin phrase that goes like this: Qualis rex, talis grex. It means, “like king, like people.” In other words, the people take on the nature of their king. Or let me say it more crassly, “Underlings adjust themselves to their leader.” If you’ve got an unrighteous king, you’ll be like him to earn favor with him. If you’ve got a righteous king, then you want to be like him. 

Listen, I’ve got a king, and his name is Jesus, and I want to be like him! Qualis rex, talis grex.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Write this down as #3. 

3) Righteousness is accomplished through discipline (28:15–23)

Solomon says in verse 15, 

15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. 

We saw earlier in this passage how a child can make his father glad. Here’s the opposite of that, and it’s a parallel concept—bringing shame to one’s mother. How do we prevent that? What should parents do to ensure their own future unashamed happiness? They should use the rod. And they should reprove. Children don’t raise themselves. They need guidance. And they need discipline. 

And when necessary, use the rod. We’ve talked about the rod already in this series. You can see more on that in previous messages. 

Look at verse 16,  

16 When the wicked increase, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall. 

Notice the righteous see their downfall; they don’t share in their downfall. That distinction is key.

Verse 17 says, 

17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart. 

18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. 

Verse 18 deserves some comment, because it’s an oft-quoted verse. And unfortunately it’s often used by pastors who want to advocate for some idiosyncratic vision that they’ve conjured up in their own minds. But that’s not really what this verse is about. 

The Hebrew word here for “prophetic vision” is חָזוֹן, which means “communication from God” or “revelation.” Solomon is saying here that where there is no prophetic vision… where there is no word from God… where there is no clarity about what God wants... where there is no God-directed, God-honoring vision… the people run wild! They “cast off restraint.”

These three words in English, “cast off restraint,” is a translation of only one word in Hebrew. And it’s an interesting word. In the active qal form it means, “to be out of control” or “run wild.” But this is the nifal passive form of this verb. So literally what’s being said is that “where there is no prophetic vision the people are unrestrained.” They are allowed to run wild and be out of control. 

 And here’s what’s interesting. The verse right before Proverbs 29:18 is Proverbs 29:17. And that is not a coincidence. I know that in Proverbs the context can change on a dime, but in this case, I think verse 18 is intimately linked with verse 17. In fact I think verses 15–18 are all packaged together to explain the importance of discipline—discipline with children and discipline with a nation.  

 Look at verse 17 again.

17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart. 

That’s the positive presentation there. That’s the positive result of having vision and disciplining your children. 

So, back to verse 18, where there is no prophetic vision… where there is no clear word from God as to what he requires, what he expects, what he demands of you as a parent… people break loose. Where there is no clear God-given vision for parents—what they are going for—children break loose. They cast off restraint. They go wild!

So what is your vision for your children’s lives? Do you have one? I’ll tell you right now, the government has a vision for your children’s lives! LGBTQ+ activists have a vision for your children’s lives! The National Education Association has a vision for your children’s lives! Your son’s baseball coach has a vision for his life. Your daughter’s volleyball coach has a vision for her life. Your children’s friends have a vision for your children’s lives. Do you have a vision for them? Do you have a plan for them? 

“Okay, so what is the vision, Pastor Tony?” Look, there is only one right vision for your child’s life. And even if as a parent you have to pray for it until your son is 40 years old, you can never lose sight of the one thing that matters most. Your vision for their lives is for them to fear and love God. 

Solomon says in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” What’s the way? What’s the way your children should go? That word is singular by the way. There is only one “way” that they should go and that is the way of God-fearing. 

Your vision for your kids’ lives is for them to know God and follow God. And on this side of the cross that means submitting themselves fully to Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. That is your vision! That is your primary goal as a parent. And if you don’t lock into that vision, if you don’t sell out for that vision, something else or someone else will come along and give your kids a vision that has nothing to do with fearing God or following Christ.  

And notice what’s parallel to the “prophetic vision” in verse 18.

18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.

The חָזוֹן of verse 18a is parallel to the torah of verse 18b (i.e. “the law”). We talked about the torah last week. How important was the law of the Lord in the life of the Israelites? That law is what God gave them. It’s a reference to his Word. It’s what the people of God delighted in. And we can delight in that law too.

Look at verse 19. More focus on discipline here.

19 By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond. 

There’s self-discipline and then there’s discipline that comes from others. One of the implicit themes that runs through the entire book of Proverbs is that you had better discipline yourself, otherwise there are outside forces in this world that will discipline you. But it’s better if you initiate that yourself. King David wrote, “Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will stay near you” (Ps 32:9).

Look at verse 20.  

20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. 

There it is again. Solomon’s always hating on the extroverts. He must have been an introvert. There are so many statements like this in Proverbs. These are encouragements for us to hold back hasty speech!

Look at verse 21.

21 Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will in the end find him his heir. 

That would have been viewed as a negative thing in the ancient society—a servant becoming an heir. So this doesn’t translate well into our modern day context. But the principle is something like this: “You need to use authority firmly and appropriately with your subordinates.  Because if you don’t, they will overtake you.”  

The word rendered “heir” in the ESV is a very difficult Hebrew word to translate. It’s what’s called a hapax legomenon. It’s a word that is only used once in the Hebrew Bible. I think “heir” is a possibility for translation. 

But I’m more inclined to translate this Hebrew word “trouble” instead of “heir.” If that’s the case, then Solomon is saying, “Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will in the end find trouble.” 

I think the principle still holds either way you translate this verse. Solomon is saying, “you need to use authority firmly and appropriately with your subordinates. Because if you don’t, they will overtake you.” That’s true of the parent/child relationship. That’s true of the boss/employee relationship. That’s true of the elder/parishioner relationship.   

Look at verse 22.

22 A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression. 

23 One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. 

So discipline yourself in the way of strife. Discipline yourself in your handling of anger. And discipline yourself in regard to pride.

You know there are so many proverbs in this book that have to be held in tension, it’s almost overwhelming in this book. Be firm and authoritative, but don’t be prideful. Discipline your children, but don’t exasperate them. Answer a fool when necessary, but don’t answer a fool if it’s unnecessary. Work hard, but not too hard. Be wise, but don’t be a know-it-all. Encourage, but don’t flatter. Build wealth, but don’t be ungenerous to the poor. 

All of these ideas in this book have to be held in tension. And it’s a bit overwhelming. And it’s a reminder that none of these proverbs can be interpreted or absolutized in isolation. You’ve got to bring all of it together, and hold it in tension. Life is hard. Life is complex. Life resists simple, platitudinous rules.  

And Proverbs is one of those books in the Bible that you’ve got to come back to again and again and again. And there are new insights that you glean each time you read it. And as you age, there are more and more insights that you gather. 

We’re almost done with this book. But I hope you don’t get the sense that, “Okay, now I’m done with Proverbs. Nailed it! I don’t ever need to come back to this book again.” No, I hope you do come back to this book. And I hope you are able to glean new insights the next time you work through this book. I hope to do that myself in the years to come. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Let’s finish this chapter up. Write this down as #4 in your notes. Let’s talk finally about righteousness reflecting a relationship with God. 

4) Righteousness reflects a relationship with God (28:24–27)

This is a great way to finish up Collection V of Proverbs, the last of the explicitly Solomonic collections. Look at verse 24. 

24 The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing. 

In other words, the only thing worse than being a thief, is being a thief who doesn’t cop to his actions after getting caught. His failure to admit his actions and to implicate his fellow transgressors brings down consequences on his own life. “According to Leviticus 5:1, if a witness does not speak up, he is held accountable for the crime [of others.]”

And why does he fail to own up to his sin? Why doesn’t he cop to what he’s done? He’s afraid. But he’s afraid of the wrong thing. Look at verse 25.

25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. 

Here’s another great cross-reference to Solomon’s dad, King David. David wrote in Psalm 56:11, “In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” That is a great question, David! What can man do to me? He can torture me. He can kill me, yes. But is that all he’s got? Yes. He can’t touch my soul! 

Can I just say this? Man is inherently an anxious creature. It’s true. He’s going to fear somebody. He’s going to serve somebody. He’s going to worship somebody. I think the old adage is correct, “If man doesn’t worship God, he will worship anything.” I’ve heard it this way too: “When a man ceases to worship God he does not worship nothing but worships everything.” You’re either going to fear God, or you are going to fear man. 

Have you ever wondered, how could Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, a group of Hebrew teenagers from the devastated nation of Judah… how could they stare down the most powerful and ruthless man in the world, King Nebuchadnezzar? How could they say to him, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Dan 3:16–18)? The nerve of those snotty-nosed brats! How dare they speak to the most powerful man in the universe that way! No wonder Nebuchadnezzar said, “Fire up the fiery furnace!”

How could Peter and John say to the powerful religious leaders in their day, “You guys do what you need to do. But we are not going to stop evangelizing Jews. We are not going to stop telling people about Jesus.” “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). The nerve of those disciples. The impudence! How did they get the gumption to do a thing like that? 

Well, maybe they were familiar with Solomon’s words in Proverbs.    

25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. 

Those who trust in Yahweh are safe. Even if they kill you… even if they remove your head from your body… even if they stone you to death, like Stephen… even if they torture you or imprison you or saw you in two like they did the prophets of old (see Heb 11:34–40), you are safe. You slide into home, safe!  

Look at verse 26.

26 Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice. 

The fear of man is a mistake. Also reliance on a human ruler or a human system for ultimate justice is a mistake too. The Lord is the author of justice. The Lord is the author of מִשְׁפָּט (mišpat)… we learned that word last week. 

And finally, verse 27 says, 

27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way [דֶּרֶךְ] is straight is an abomination to the wicked. 

In other words, birds of a feather flock together. Like unites with like. And dislike with dislike. And there are only two paths. There’s the way of God-fearing. And then there’s the way of wickedness. 

And the wicked detest the righteous. And the righteous detest the wicked. It’s not like they are friends with just a small matter of disagreement. No, one path is radically opposed to the other. And there’s no merging the two.

This is a good place to close out the words of Solomon in Proverbs. This is a fine swan song proverb for King Solomon. Because intrinsic to Solomon’s wisdom, and intrinsic to the book of Proverbs, is the question, “Which way are you going to go?” “Which path?” 

There’s good derek, and there’s bad derek. To choose one way is inevitably to hate the other path. You either choose the way of wisdom and righteousness and hate wickedness and folly. Or you choose the way of wickedness and folly, and hate the way of wisdom and righteousness. Which way are you going to go?  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The prophet Jeremiah said to the Israelites in the OT on behalf of the Lord, “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls” (Jer 6:16). There’s a crossroads. Which way are you going to go?  

Jesus said something similar in the NT. He offers a few additional details to the two paths of the book of Proverbs. He says, “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matt 7:13–14, NIV). What did Jesus mean by that? How was he nuancing Solomon’s ancient teaching about the two paths? 

Here’s what he’s saying. Jesus is saying, “I am that gate that leads to salvation. I’m it. I’m the way. I provide to you the road that leads to life. All that stuff that Solomon wrote about concerning the two paths. I’m the ultimate embodiment of that. And there’s no salvation, in fact there is no righteousness, not real righteousness, not God-satisfying righteousness, apart from me.” So Which way are you going to go? 

Jesus is also saying this… and he’s saying this to you now… He’s saying, “I’m the perfect king that the world’s been waiting for. I’m the good derek. I’m wisdom incarnate. I’m the righteousness of God. I’m the true and better Solomon. All that you need is found in me.” “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

When I was a kid, I used to read Proverbs, and it went something like this. “Ooh, I’ve got to do more of that.” “Ouch, I’ve got to be better at that.” “Ah, that hurts. I’ve got to fix that.” I still read Proverbs that way. I even preach Proverbs that way. 

But now I add a Biblical theological layer over the top of it. As I read it, I also say to myself, “Wow, Jesus is the perfect embodiment of that.” “Wow, Jesus has never failed to do that.” “Wow, Jesus was all that and more.” “Wow, Jesus is the king that we’ve all been waiting for.” 

So yes, church, seek righteousness and pursue it, but not apart from the perfectly righteous one, Jesus Christ. Put your faith in him. He’s the only way to righteousness leading to eternal life (Rom 5:21).