Proverbs Chapter 28

• Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

If we live in wickedness and have a guilty conscience, we assume someone is after us, knowing that we deserve to be in that state. No one could be pursuing us but in our hearts we would think they were because we would know that we did something deserving to be found out. God may be the one that is pursuing us in some cases.

• Numbers 32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

In other words, no one is getting away with anything. If our sins go without change or repentance, we will be found out either in this life or when we stand before God.

• Proverbs 28:2 For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.

How blessed we are when we have a righteous, fair and just ruler of the land. When a nation's sins are great, we may have many in rule or authority but we are in danger of losing our nation to other nations. All we have to do is read what happened to nations in the bible who refused repentance and did things that were very evil, God had to destroy them to keep it from spreading further. In other words they go so far that they can't repent or change. However, God's protection is upon those that live by His word and righteousness.When righteous people are scattered across the land, judgment may be delayed.

• Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
• 3 A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.

Makes sense that if a person is poor and oppresses those even poorer than himself, it is really like a sweeping rain that leaves nothing but disaster in its wake. It is scary when people begin to lose their compassion on the poor no matter what state our finances are in, we must have compassion.

• Proverbs 28:4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

This is another verse that does not need much commentary to be understood. When we stop reading and living by the word of God, we can become desensitized toward wickedness and get use to it. We become complacent in other words.

When we keep God's word ourselves, sin will grieve us. The same is true in our secular world. If we obey the law of the land, we will be upset when others do not obey it. If we start to skirt the law, we feel better if others cheat also. Sin likes company. However, when lawbreakers are caught, they pay the penalty. The old saying, crime does not pay is true in the long run.

I'm sure however, that this means good sensible laws, not those made by the unrighteous that decree evil decrees that oppress the innocent.

• Proverbs 28:5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and also knowledge. We think having a high degree is education is the answer to knowing what we need to know but it is not. Without the knowledge that comes from the Lord, we still would be ignorant in spite of much education.

I say this in truth. I've known people with only a 6th grade education as far as secular education goes, that were wiser then college graduates that I've known if those with the 6th grade education were wise in the ways of God.

I've seen it and heard it myself growing up around Church of God people. Those people knew their bible, even the old King James bible and they had wisdom compared to Solomon. I remember a very young man that visited our church from Cleveland Tennessee many years ago. He came into our Sunday School class and when an opening for comments was given, I was awed by the wisdom and knowledge that came from that young man. He knew his bible. I believe he was taught either by the Holy Spirit Himself or by someone else who was taught by the Holy Spirit. I remember that young man to this day and it has been many many years.

• Proverbs 28:6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

If people would only get this. We seek success and fortune, high education and many things to appear successful but the spiritual or our fellowship with God often gets pushed in the background. This doesn't mean education in itself is wrong but that should not be our first love. If we listen to the way people talk though it would show who their first love is.

I have known grown children who desire to make such a good impression on their siblings and parents that they exaggerate facts about their jobs, success etc., so that they do not look to be beneath or inferior to another successful sibling. What would cause this? I believe that growing up hearing their parents and relatives praising the success of one of the siblings or relatives who were successful and never pointing out and good about the others that were not successful does not help, it only discourages.

• Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Our first desire as parents should be that our children are saved, born again and have a close fellowship with God even if that meant they were called into the mission field with little pay but trusting God for their needs. The truly successful are those that are walking in the ways and in the will of the Lord.

• Proverbs 28:7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.

Hanging around bad companions is and always has been trouble for any family. Some people are prone to be influenced easily by keeping bad company. Others are stronger and resist evil. It is a blessing to teach children to choose wisely and not be afraid to "just say no."

• Proverbs 28:8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

In the long run increasing wealth by oppressing the poor does not profit. It shall be given to one that has compassion on the poor.

• Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 
• 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 
• 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 
• 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 
• 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 
• 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 
• 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 
• 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 
• 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 
• 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 
• 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 
• 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 
• 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Jesus rose from the dead and they still do not hear.

• Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

Oh my if we could only see how true it is and how good the word of God is to keep us from trouble both in this life and in eternity. We may suffer the wrath of men for standing up for what is right but in the long run we win and those that go their own way and do evil without coming to Christ for salvation, will lose.

• Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

God will always hear the prayer of one who repents because that person is not regarding iniquity in his heart but is desiring to be forgiven and freed from any iniquity. If we are seeking an answer to prayer though and regard evil in our hearts with no thought of repentance, our prayers are not heard. 

• Proverbs 28:10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.

We have an example of this in the book of Acts where Paul was preaching the gospel and someone tried to prevent another person from receiving the gospel.

• Acts 13:6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: 
• 7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 
• 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 
• 9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 
• 10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 
• 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 
• 12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

It is bad enough for us to desire to do evil but it is even worse if we seek to turn someone who is righteous away from God, or we desire to turn someone who is seeking righteousness to stop seeking God and His righteousness. That is why even if I know someone who does not do something because he fears God and I personally do not see anything wrong with what they are giving up, I leave them alone. Who am I to judge in that instance? There may be a reason for their abstaining from a certain practice.

• Proverbs 28:11 The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.

I realize that there are rich with wisdom and poor that are ignorant of God but if one is poor and has a knowledge and fear of God, he is far wiser than a rich man who ignores God and does not understand His ways. The poor man in the long run is much richer.

• Proverbs 28:12 When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.

A nation or country that is ruled by righteous people are blessed indeed but when evil rulers rule, it is better to be obscure and not be well known. Remember Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler. Men who had others hiding in fear because in their power they killed without discretion. No one was safe from their terror. Yet we see their final end. They rule no more. God always brings them down eventually. The worse they are the faster they go down.

• Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Here we have a huge hint of the way of salvation. If we confess our sins, He (God) shall forgive us of all sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This comes by way of the Son of God who gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins.

• Proverbs 28:14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

This fear simply is referring to the fear of the Lord not a fear of things in our surroundings. The fear of the Lord is to fear and have respect to His commandments. It is to show reverence and love toward God. It is a fear of sinning against God that is a healthy fear. The fear of things in our life that could bring us down is not a fear we should desire. Like the fear of snakes or burglars. The fear of men or the opinions of men would not be a healthy fear. Those that have no fear or respect toward God and His commandments are those spoken of here that harden their hearts against them. The more they resist God, the more their hearts are hardened.

• Proverbs 28:15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

That is a great example of what a wicked ruler over poor people seem to be. As a roaring lion or a bear robbed of its young. Poor people only prosper around rulers with compassion. In some cases rulers will outwardly show compassion but when faced with actual works they will skirt around it and not really help the poor. We must always try to help the poor but in such a way as not to draw attention to ourselves in doing so.

• Proverbs 28:16 The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.

He that wanteth understanding is a person that lacks understanding. The KJV translation is my favorite but sometimes the terms are different than we normally would understand it to mean. On the surface it would seem as if the passage was saying that a prince that desires understanding is a great oppressor but the opposite is true here. Wanteth means to lack understanding. Good rulers must have compassion on the poor and a sense of fair justice for lawbreakers. They also need wisdom to choose wise counselors.

The rulers that hate covetousness shall prolong his days or rule the longest. Perhaps his ways also increase his natural life as well. Covetousness is a desire to have and acquire possessions so much that we desire to take it from others to increase our own wealth.

• Proverbs 28:17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.

We are not to harbor or protect those we know are prone to violence and murder against the innocence. There are times when someone is falsely accused so we must be constantly seeking the will and presence of God in all that we do. 

• Proverbs 28:18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.

People that walk in honesty, integrity and uprightness make decisions that are wise and their whole lifestyle is such that it insures safety. Not to live this way will of course cause the reverse to occur. They could fall all the sudden and not have a chance to set his or her household in order.

• Proverbs 28:19 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

We reap what we sow. He that does not work to make a living, will not have anything to live on. Vain persons will live for themselves selfishly and will soon see the results of their lifestyle. Poverty will eventually come to them.

• Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

Someone who makes a living honestly and will not defraud others to get rich quick, will abound with true blessings that count. If our hope is in getting rich, we may prosper temporarily but we will not be blessed as far is a fulfillment of achievement by being blessed of God and doing good things. He that gets rich hastily and any way he can no matter who it hurts is never satisfied and he is always afraid of losing what he has. If our hope is not in our earthly riches but in the true riches that comes from God, our joy is in the Lord and not in this life.

• Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 
• 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 
• 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

This will be proven true when we stand before God. No riches here will count in eternity.

• Proverbs 28:21 To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.

The book of James tells us that to have respect of persons is sin.

• James 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 
• 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 
• 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 
• 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 
• 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 
• 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 
• 7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
• 8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 
• 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 
• 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Perfect love casts out ungodly fear. Fear many times is what cause us to be biased and prejudice against some for how they dress or whether or not they are poor. There are some though that go the opposite extreme and envy or despise those that are rich.

• Proverbs 28:22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.

How many stories have we heard about someone gambling all he has only to lose it all no matter what method he used to gain sudden riches. It is rare for one to strike it rich. One has to work long and hard unless he inherits fortunes from a relative to gain riches. To gain it honestly and share with the poor is the best way to insure that he doesn't lose what he has gained. To hoard, live in fear and never be satisfied is a sure way to lose everything.

• Proverbs 28:23 He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue.

Flattery serves a temporary purpose. It can make friends very quickly until one begins to realize that a real friend will speak only truth and it is one that we can count on to tell us like it is.

• Proverbs 28:24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.

This is so true. I've seen it in my own lifetime. I've seen kids that run their parents into bankruptcy and they never learn to handle money. It can destroy.

• Proverbs 28:25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.

This is the right kind of fat, like to be satisfied and not suffer want. It does not mean obesity.

• Proverbs 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

Our confidence and trust has to be in the Lord. While we need to learn to make decisions we must not rely totally upon our own judgment. We are human and can make many mistakes in judgment. To seek godly advisors and counsel is wise as well as seeking the Lord. 

• Proverbs 28:27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

We must remember this. In countries that have a welfare system, it is good to have but it tends to cause us to forget the poor and presume the government is taking care of them. On other hand in countries that use forced giving like in communist countries, giving is not from the heart but is forced. It serves no purpose and poverty is worse than in countries where giving is from the heart.

If every individual in the whole world would give from their hearts and share their wealth, there would be no poverty. The thing is that some try to force this issue and it doesn't work that way. True giving has to be willingly on the part of the giver in order for this to work.

• Proverbs 28:28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.

It is a sad time in history when wicked men rise to rule over countries. I mentioned before Hitler and Stalin. We seen that in the days of Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Nero, and many others; they oppressed, killed and had people live in terror. Truly the innocent had to hide. Righteous rulers are a gift from God. I believe evil rulers come as a judgment from God even though God brings them down in the end. Dorna