The Truth In Print Vol. 16 Issue 1, Feb. 2010
A Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928-782-5058)
Website Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Do Not Let Your Heart Envy
Sinners
The
following points have been taken from a class study of the book of Proverbs.
Here are some verses that tell us not to envy sinners. Perhaps, due to present
circumstances in our nation, this will have many helpful admonitions.
Proverbs
23:15-18
15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. 16 Yea,
my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. 17 Let
not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in
the fear of the LORD all the day long. 18 For surely
there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be
cut off.
Develop Speech That Correctly
Describes The Sinner
First, notice that Solomon asked his son to
speak right things in verse 16. Why follow this request with the admonition to
not envy sinners? Because he is striving to keep his son away from sinners’
influences — this will be effected by his own speech that correctly describes
the sinner. Many times young adults, and older, will lie about the character of
the sinner if they consider them a friend or have been having a good time with
them. Parents learn early on if a teen wants to date someone they’ll often
describe them as a “nice” person when they are not.
If you can say the wicked are so that helps
to protect you from displays of hypocrisy. How did Paul protect himself in Gal.
2:11-21? He did what Barnabas and others failed to do thus saving himself from
their hypocrisy. His rebuke displayed what love should be — without hypocrisy
while abhorring what is evil (Rom. 12:9). This kind of understanding comes from
one’s own study that produces a hatred of false ways (Ps. 119:97-104). This is loving the Lord — if you hate and despise false hood you
will love His law (Ps. 119:63). When a brother or sister is concerned about one
of my acquaintances and asks if they are worldly what am I required to say? (Eph. 4:25). If members will hate evil, love good, establish
justice – perhaps God will be gracious to their church (cf. Amos 5:15).
If You Can’t Say The Wicked Are So What Are Some
Likely Problems?
Consider the following and think about other
applications yourself as you do. Often a young woman who has a bad husband will
not say so. She wants to be with him. There is the fear of losing “marriage”
status and more. This can be reversed — consider the man with an evil wife who
fails in the same way. We must not love family more than God (cf. Matt. 10:47; Lk. 14:26). Young adults and older see worldly “success”
through eyes that desire: (a) recognition of being in
company with someone considered important in various ways. It is easy to
justify the wicked if I desire what they have — “He that justifieth
the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even
they both are abomination to the LORD” (Pr. 17:15); (b) desire wealth —
this is the temptation of Prov. 1:13; ( c) desire opportunities to meet the
opposite sex, to be around money, cars, recreational vehicles etc.; (d) desire
a fun time — time not viewed by sinners as something that must have as a
primary allotment serving God and worshipping collectively with a local church.
What
Does “Envy” Say About The Heart?
To do so is to have a heart that is not
right before God. Envy and fretting take away the fear of the Lord (Cf. Pr. 8:13).
Wisdom can say evil is hated (Rom. 12:9). Ps. 73 is
about this very thing. Why not use your Bible and read along and meditate upon
this psalm? The one who wrote this had lost the purity of heart he praises (Ps.
73:1-2). He tells us what happened in Ps. 73:3 — he was envious of the
“boasters” who depicted physical health and material prosperity that most did
not have. He describes their prosperity in different ways:
1) 73:4 “4 For there are no bands in their death: but their
strength is firm.” The n.a.s.b. says “and
their body is fat” – unlike many they are not as likely to die by starvation,
disease and pestilence where poverty increases the likelihood of disease and
death.
2) 73:5 They
are not in trouble as other men. The prosperous wicked appear to escape the
toils that come to the common man – efforts that wear down the body and the
mind— no work, how to feed your family, debts piling up, knowing others who are
in the same boat.
3) 73:5b “neither are they plagued
like other men” — probably because of better living conditions.
4) 73:6 “6 Therefore
pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.” What they escape produces pride not humility
and benevolence. They commit violence because they have the power to do so.
5) 73:7 “7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart
could wish.” The face as the index shows their lifestyle; their desire runs
over good sense.
6) 73:8
“8 They are corrupt, and speak
wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.”
Their speech arranges and works cruelty and
extortion. “Oppression:” ~ H6233 ‛ôsheq o'-shek From
H6231; injury, fraud, (subjectively) distress,
(concretely) unjust gain: - cruelly, extortion, oppression, thing
[deceitfully gotten].
7) 73:9 They
speak blasphemies against God. Their tongue “parades” through the earth as– they make a great
display of all they have, are, and intend to do to others.
8) 73:10-14 “12 Behold,
these are the ungodly, who prosper in the
world; they increase in riches. 13 Verily I have
cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
14 For all the day long have I
been plagued, and chastened every morning.” His own
evil thoughts are recorded here.
9) 73:15 If he’d spoken the thoughts
publicly he’d have led others astray from trusting in God.
10) Ps. 73:16 “16 When
I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;” This is the fretting
over the wicked God condemns — “1 Fret not
thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of
iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the
grass, and wither as the green herb” (Ps. 37:1-2).
11) Ps. 73:17-20 “17 Until
I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 18 Surely
thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst
them down into destruction. 19 How are they brought
into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly
consumed with terrors. 20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest,
thou shalt despise their image.” When close to
accepting the wicked and his ways you understand through acceptable worship
what their “end” is. You do not want to be there with them!
12) Ps. 73:21-24. Looking back he sees
what he was before God. He did not stumble so as to fall away completely.
13) Ps.
73:25-28. He is just a man and realizes that God is all he needs on earth.
He went from “fretting” to getting busy telling of God’s wonderful works!
Conclusion:
Ps.
37:7-9 “7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:
fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his
way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices
to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not
thyself in any wise to do evil. 9”
Don’t fret as it only leads to doing more evil!
By Bob Lovelace
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