The book of Proverbs is filled with good counsel and help. In it, the Lord reveals His heart and mind to us, and attempts to lead us down the right path. It is a practical book, but its practical wisdom can only truly be lived out by those who have genuine faith in the Lord.
Proverbs 11, like many of the chapters in this book, deals with multiple subjects and offers a variety of helpful contrasts between wisdom and folly, giving and taking, and righteousness and wickedness. As we look at these verses, I hope at least two concepts will catch your eye in particular; integrity and generosity. In fact, the primary question we're going to attempt to answer as we look through this chapter is, "Will your integrity fuel your generosity?"
I. Integrity won't lead you down a destructive path
"A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death." (Proverbs 11:1-4)
Integrity is something that clearly matters to the Lord. When we read through the Scriptures, we can see that the subject is brought up through direct teaching, historical stories, and the example of the Lord Himself.
One the best definitions I have heard of integrity is this; “Integrity is doing the right thing when someone is watching and when they aren’t.” I like that definition, but for us as believers, we have the additional sense of accountability in knowing that the Lord is always watching.
As Solomon speaks about righteousness and integrity in these verses, he tells us that the Lord delights in just weights, values humility, admonishes us to keep our way straight, and to walk in righteousness.
As the Lord reveals these concepts through Solomon, we’re also shown their opposite. We’re told of people who keep false balances, walk in pride, take a crooked path, and put their trust in riches. Each of those examples is given to us to caution us not to follow their unwise and godless patterns.
During the course of Christ’s earthy ministry, He demonstrated to us what it was like to live with humble integrity. There weren’t two versions of Jesus. He was the same person in front of a large crowd and when He sat down for a meal with a small group. He spoke creation into existence, yet He was willing to humble Himself so He could effectively serve us.
Jesus isn’t asking us to do anything He wasn’t willing to demonstrate for us. As Christ was willing to take the form of a servant in order to serve us, so too should we be willing to serve one another. As Christ is the perfection of integrity, so too should we be willing to seek His guidance in order to live with integrity in our generation.
The godly and righteous traits that Solomon emphasizes in these verses find their pinnacle in Jesus. He is the standard of integrity and humility that we should all value, emulate, and worship.
II. You can have hope beyond this moment
"When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too. The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead." (Proverbs 11:7-8)
Several days ago, I officiated for a funeral. Funerals can be emotionally difficult for family and friends, but they can also be hopeful moments when the redemption Christ has offered us is welcomed and celebrated.
As I looked around the room at the many faces that were gathered, I saw a lot of sadness, but I also saw hope and joy. As believers, we truly have a hope that’s genuinely anchored in Jesus Christ.
Solomon tells us that when the wicked die, they don’t have the hope we as believers possess. Those who reject the Lord place their hope in earthly and transient things. They struggle to think about things from an eternal perspective. They usually remain caught up in the moment. Their greatest hopes are in their riches, their government, their status, or their abilities. But what sense does it make to anchor your hope to something that can change? What logic is there in anchoring your hope to something that can be taken away from you?
Through Christ, we have hope beyond the moment. Our hope is anchored in His unchanging and powerful nature. He holds us securely in His hands. He teaches us not to place our trust in things that can change or be taken away. He invites us to approach life with confidence that surpasses the shaky beliefs that govern the hearts of lost humanity.
III. It is a privilege to rejoice in righteousness
"With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness. By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown. Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent." (Proverbs 11:9-12)
Very recently, a friend of mine began the process of buying her first house. For years she has dealt with a lot of adversity, but she’s transitioning into a new season of life, and she has much reason to be optimistic. As a child, she dealt with a lot of pain in her family, and she frequently felt unloved and abandoned. As an adult, she has admittedly struggled to believe that anyone would want to genuinely be her friend, let alone respect her or value what she’s accomplished.
She has admitted that to some of us, but just the other day, she took the risk to post of picture of the house she’s buying. The place is beautiful. And to her surprise, hundreds of people have now gone out of their way to let her know how happy they are for her and how they’re celebrating this purchase right along with her. It’s as if we’re all living vicariously through her to celebrate her accomplishments as our own.
A similar thing happens in the lives of those who practice righteousness. Solomon tell us that when it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices and the city is exalted. Everyone feels lifted up right along with them.
This stands in stark contrast to the activities of the godless and wicked. Godless men destroy their neighbors. They use their words to cut them down and belittle them. They attempt to bring harm to others because they’re convinced that the only way they can feel better about themselves is by making others feel low.
But the truth is we will never ultimately feel better by crushing the spirit of another brother or sister. The more we violate our conscience or ignore the voice of the Holy Spirit when He speaks to us, the lower we will eventually feel. But if we speak with grace and go out of our way to lift others up, we will honor the people the Lord has blessed us with the privilege to interact with.
IV. Kindness isn't as expensive as you think it is
"A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches. A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward. Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die. Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those of blameless ways are his delight. Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered." (Proverbs 11:16-21)
What does kindness cost you? That might seem like a funny question, and in some respects, it may not even be a logical question because ultimately, I believe Scripture teaches us that kindness is a net-gain, not a net-loss. A kind person receives much more in benefit than they incur as an expense.
The wicked defraud. They attempt to earn dishonest wages. Their eyes are glued to the prospect of earthly rewards. But those who walk in the righteousness of Christ, find life. Even their children experience great blessings.
As a father, I take great joy in the thought of the blessing of God being poured out upon my children and grandchildren. In this passage we're told that the Lord has blessings in store for the children of those who truly believe in Him. We're told here that "the offspring of the righteous will be delivered." True deliverance is found through Jesus Christ, so it's my prayer that the generations that come from me will truly enjoy the deliverance that Christ offers them through faith in Him.
V. Let the generous heart of Christ be seen in you
"The desire of the righteous ends only in good, the expectation of the wicked in wrath. One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it. Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it. Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise. If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!" (Proverbs 11:23-31)
This proverbs concludes with multiple examples of biblical generosity. In this passage, believers are admonished to give freely, lavish blessings upon others, and enjoy the blessings that come back upon them as they practice generosity. We're also reminded never to trust in riches. Our calling is to trust the One who blesses without idolizing the blessings He bestows.
One of the things the Lord has been communicating to my heart repeatedly, particularly in recent years, is that one of the greatest earthly joys He will allow me to experience is the privilege to be generous with what He entrusts to me. Last week, He surprised us financially in an unexpected way. In return, we were able to be extra generous in our giving toward His work in the church. I also had lunch with a group of friends, so I decided to surprise them and pay the bill. Someone we met during the week expressed a need for food, so we bought them groceries. A member of our family had a car repair that we contributed to. We also made an extra principal payment toward our mortgage (so I guess we were even a little generous toward the bank).
Do you ever wonder what you might do if the Lord surprised you and gave you millions of dollars? What would you do with it? Can I suggest something that I think is pretty accurate? I think you'd be just as generous with it as you already are with what you presently have, no more and no less.
When the nature of Christ's generosity toward us becomes clear to our thinking, and we realize just how blessed we truly are, it becomes difficult not to be generous in return. As recipients of these blessings, Solomon encourages us not to withhold sharing with others what the Lord has blessed us to share. Just as Christ demonstrated with His sacrificial actions and His personal generosity, it truly is better to give than it is to receive.
© John Stange, 2020
