Proverbs 11:1-8

Except for verse 7, Proverbs 11 continues with maxims of contrast [antithetic parallelism], which one usually encounters in Proverbs 10. Here we will look briefly at verses 1-8 because of similar thoughts in some of these verses.

Verse 1: "A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
but an accurate weight is his delight."

Verse 2: "When pride comes, then comes disgrace;
but wisdom is with the humble."

Verse 3: "The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them."

Verse 4: "Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death."

Verse 5: "The righteousness of the blameless keeps their ways straight,
but the wicked fall by their own wickedness."

Verse 6: "The righteousness of the upright saves them,
but the treacherous are taken captive by their schemes."

Verse 7: "When the wicked die, their hope perishes,
and the expectation of the godless comes to nothing."

Verse 8: "The righteous are delivered from trouble,
and the wicked get into it instead."

What practical, eternal lessons appear in these verses?

1. There are things which are "an abomination to the Lord," that is, which he "hates" (verse 1). This is a consistent teaching in scripture, although is it offensive to many modern people [Christian and non-Christian] to think of God "hating" anyone or anything. The Bible teaches this in Deuteronomy 16:22; Proverbs 6:16-19; Isaiah 1:14; Luke 16:15; etc. According to Proverbs 11:1, Yahweh hates dishonest weights, weights used in business transactions for the purpose of deceiving and cheating someone in buying and selling. The law is very strong on this point, as Leviticus 19:35-37 and Deuteronomy 25:13-16 show.

2. True followers of God are humble, not proud (verse 2). Jesus is the sterling example of this for all believers (Mark 10:42-45). The emphasis in the Bible on godly living is on service, not on leadership. Our ONLY leader is God through Christ. All of us are servants and followers.

3. Worldly-centered thinking exalts wealth. Many human beings live their lives for the purpose of accumulating wealth. Popular publications try to justify gaining wealth, even as a "spiritual" enterprise. Of course, there ARE wealthy people whose hearts are God-centered. But the pursuit of wealth is not a godly pursuit (verse 4; see Ecclesiastes 2:1-11).

4. Verses 3 and 5-8 describe the ultimate fate or destiny of both the righteous and the wicked. These are strikingly different. The righteous [those who truly seek to live the way God directs] proceed through life in "straight ways," escape from trouble, and are delivered from death. On the other hand, the wicked [those who are not concerned about God's will, but direct their lives according to self-centered concerns and pursuits] travel "crooked" paths, experience loss and pain "by their own schemes," and fall by their own wickedness.

John Willis

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