Proverbs 14:17 (NKJV) — 17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated.
Losing one’s temper. A hot-headed person will make foolish decisions. (See also Proverbs 14:29.) A person who dreams up wicked schemes to take advantage of others will be hated.
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Proverbs 14:16 (NKJV) — 16 A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident.
Taking chances. Those who are wise have the good sense to know when to stop, when to draw back. They take no chance with evil; they turn from it. Fools, in their self-confidence, bluster and boast. They will probably pay the price for their confident raging in personal pain and injury.
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Proverbs 14:15 (NKJV) — 15 The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps.
The gullible and the prudent. Those who are simplistic believe everything they hear, see and read. Like children, they are tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of teaching. (See Ephesians 4:14.) They cannot see the violation of biblical principles. They do not recognize the telltale signs of deceit. They are ready victims for those who would take advantage of them. But those who are prudent are cautious. They do not believe something just because someone says it; they search out the facts for themselves. They go to the source.
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Proverbs 14:14 (NKJV) — 14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied from above.
The backslider and the good person. Both the backslider and the good person will reap what they sow. Backsliders may put on a good front; they may fool others into thinking everything is still right between them and God. But their problem is a heart problem. They turn from the true God and set themselves up as god. Instead of being filled with God’s ways, they are now filled with their own ways, and they are a poor substitute for God.
Good persons are content in the knowledge that they are doing right. They are not filled with the apprehension that consumes those who follow their own senses. They know God has given them the power to do right, and if they make the choice to act on that power, God will be pleased and good things will happen.
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Proverbs 14:13 (NKJV) — 13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, and the end of mirth may be grief.
Laughter and sorrow: This verse seems to bear a relationship with the previous one. While a merry heart is beneficial, the laughter of the carnal person ultimately does not end in good. It does not lift the heart. When the laughter is over, the heart is still sorrowful and heaviness still weighs down the soul.
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Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV) — 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
The way that seems right. We must not walk by our physical senses and carnal human reasoning. The way that leads to death actually seems right to the flesh. As far as the eyes can see, the ears can hear, and the senses can reveal, it is the right path to take. But the end of this way is death. (See Matthew 7:13-14.)
How then are we to walk? We must forsake what the senses, the carnal mind, and human traditions tell us and instead walk only on the path revealed by the Word of God. (See Psalm 1; 119:105.)
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Proverbs 14:11 (NKJV) — 11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
Insecurity and stability. A recurring theme in the Book of Proverbs is the insecurity of the wicked. It is important to realize this truth, for, from the limited perspective of human experience, it may appear that the wicked are successful and stable. But from God’s perspective of eternity, where even the nations are as a drop in the bucket (Isaiah 40:15), there is no security at all in wickedness. And regardless of what our senses tell us, the upright are not only stable and secure, but they will prosper in the way that really matters.
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Proverbs 14:10 (NKJV) — 10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and a stranger does not share its joy.
Private emotions. Neither the joys nor the sorrows of one person can be wholly shared with another. No person stands in such an intimate relationship with another as to identify perfectly with what that person feels. Nevertheless, Christians should attempt as far as possible to identify with others in their sorrows and joys.
Romans 12:15 (NKJV) — 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
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Proverbs 14:9 (NKJV) — 9 Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor.
Mocking sin. Sin is amusing only to fools; a wise person hates sin. This trait of the spiritually foolish demonstrates that they have a very limited view. They see only the immediate, whereas the spiritually wise have a long-range vision. The wise look beyond the short-term pleasure of sin to the sure and ultimate destruction it brings. Sin is mocked only by those who cannot see past the immediate and momentary pleasure to the destruction and death that is the final flower of sin’s seed. God can extend no favor to those who love what He hates, but He does grant favor to those who love righteousness.
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Proverbs 14:8 (NKJV) — 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.
Understanding why. Prudent persons display their wisdom by their desire to understand their way, which implies knowing more than just the “what.” It takes little wisdom to see what is happening. The word “way” speaks of the “why.” Fools are concerned only with what is happening, but this approach is deceitful, for nothing happens in a vacuum. Specific actions tend to produce predictable results. There is a seed for every flower. Wisdom causes people to look beneath the surface to find the source, while folly results in deception.
Reminder: The “Daily Wisdom” posts are drawn from my book Proverbs: Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World (Hazelwood, MO: Word Aflame Press, 1990). This is a verse-by-verse commentary on the Book of Proverbs. It is available at pentecostalpublishing.com and amazon.com.
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