Proverbs 11: 4 Riches vs Righteousness

The verse we are studying today, warns us not to put our trust in riches, but in being right with God. We will use verses from the Bible with God’s definitions of the major ideas from today’s verse.

Proverbs 11: 4 (NKJV)

4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.


God is a God of Love, and as such, He must judge evil. There is coming, a “Day of Wrath,” when God WILL pour out His judgment on those that refuse to accept Him as their Lord and Jesus as their savior! He gave up His son to save us and there is nothing further He can do. We don’t have to face this… It is our choice. Here is what God has to say about the “Day of Wrath” in Isaiah 13:9-13 (NKJV)


9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes,
Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
To lay the land desolate;
And He will destroy its sinners from it.

10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations

Will not give their light;

The sun will be darkened in its going forth,

And the moon will not cause its light to shine.

11 “ I will punish the world for its evil,

And the wicked for their iniquity;

I will halt the arrogance of the proud,

And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold,

A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.

13 Therefore I will shake the heavens,

And the earth will move out of her place,
In the wrath of the LORD of hosts

And in the day of His fierce anger.

Psalms 49: 16-20 (NIV) warns us not to be overawed with “riches,” because riches, in themselves, will not bring life.

16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,

when the splendor of his house increases;
17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies,

his splendor will not descend with him.
18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—

and men praise you when you prosper-

19 he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of life .
20 A man who has riches without understanding

is like the beasts that perish.

NOTE: It is the man that has "riches WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING" that will perish. It isn't the riches that bring about condemnation, it is putting them before God that does.

Psalms 15: 1 – 5 gives us a definition from the Bible, of the person that God feels is “righteous,” and who will end up in Heaven…

1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless

and who does what is righteous,

who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue,

who does his neighbor no wrong

and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man

but honors those who fear the LORD,

who keeps his oath

even when it hurts,
5 who lends his money without usury

and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things

will never be shaken.

Now, let's read, again our verse from today: Proverbs 11: 4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. After reading God’s definitions, I found this verse to be much more meaningful and significant in it’s meaning for me… I hope that you did too!

Proverbs 11: 3 Integrity vs Perversity

Today’s verse contrasts the differences between the life of those that are people of integrity and those that distort or “pervert” God’s truth.
Proverbs 11: 3 (NKJV)

3 The integrity of the upright will guide them,

But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

To refresh us on the meaning of “integrity” and of “perversity,” lets re-read the definitions of these two words.

Integrity: .1. honesty; steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code. 2. the quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness. 3. the state of being unimpaired; soundness.

Perversity: 1. deliberate and stubborn unruliness and resistance to guidance or discipline 2. deliberately deviating from what is good;


“The integrity of the upright” speaks of people who HAVE a strict moral or ethical code. Because they are followers of God (which is what the Bible means when it speaks of the “upright”) they have decided to follow His teachings and ways. This brings about ‘soundness” and “completeness” in every part of their lives and in their spirits. This “code” will guide them in paths that are blessed by God.

“The perversity of the unfaithful” tells us of people who choose “deliberately and stubbornly” to do things that are against God and His rules and ways. They resist proper guidance from Him and His discipline as well. As we have seen from past studies, God disciplines those that He calls his children, but those that refuse to submit to His discipline, and deliberately deviate from them (what is good), will end up following paths that lead to the slippery slope of destruction.

Proverbs 10:28 & 29 Blessings follow the Righteous

Today’s verses bring us more contrasts between the blessings of those that follow God’s ways and the problems for those that don’t.

Proverbs 10:28 & 29 (NKJV)
28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish.
29 The way of the LORD is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

The first part of both our verses speaks of the blessings of those that are made righteous by following the “way of the Lord.” These people have “the hope of gladness,” and they are also given strength. “Hope” is basically defined as: A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment.

Life in this world is often hard, but when we know the Lord, and the love of our God for us, then we have a deep down hope in our heart that everything will turn out fine. This “hope” brings gladness into our lives and helps us to continue onward to the “prize” that God has for us. Those of us with loved ones that have gone on ahead, have gladness in our hearts for we have the “hope” of seeing them again, whereas others that don’t follow God, have lost all hope of ever seeing their loved ones again.

God promises to give us strength to continue our journey through this world when we are righteous from following His ways. That “hope” that brings gladness, often is exactly what gives us the strength to keep on going in the times of trials and tribulations that everyone goes through while living in this world.

By contrast, those that are wicked and are workers of iniquity, have no hope or “expectations” of good things to bring gladness into their hearts. Instead, their ultimate end is destruction.

Proverbs 10:17 Be teachable…

Today’s verse contrasts between those that are teachable, and those that aren’t.

Proverbs 10:17 (NKJV)

17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,

But he who refuses correction goes astray.

Jewish children were supposed to be taught God’s ways from the time they are very young at the time these proverbs were written. Since this verse is based on this premise, following these Godly instructions would lead the young person into paths of blessing and life.

Conversely, those that don’t follow the instructions of their youth, are then corrected and disciplined, but refuses to accept that correction and learn from it, will end up going astray. If they continue to follow THAT pathway, as we have seen in prior verses, they will end up falling away from God and that will lead them to the opposite of abundant life. They will lead lives of pain, despair, etc. --- since THEY have CHOSEN to turn away from the God that wants to bless them. If they continue to turn their back on God and the only way to eternal life, THEY make the CHOICE to reject Heaven after this life and CHOSE to make Hell their eternal “home.”

Proverbs 10 : 13 & 14 Wise or Foolish Lips...

Today’s verses give us some more attributes of those that are wise, and those that are foolish.

Proverbs 10: 13 & 14 (NKJV)

13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,

But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.

14 Wise people store up knowledge,

But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

Both of our verses today start out speaking about wisdom. Verse 13 tells us that a person that is wise and understanding, speaks wise words… wisdom is “found” on his lips, and verse 14 goes on to tell us that a wise person will “store up knowledge.” They don’t just “hear” it, they seek after it and put it into their heads, hearts and actions, so that they will remember it.

The second part of both of these verses show contrasts to the first parts. Verse 13 contrasts those who are “devoid of understanding” to those that “have understanding.” “A rod is for the back…” speaks of people who are caught and punished for doing foolish, ungodly things. All of us do these types of things at different times of our lives… especially when we are young. Hopefully these incidences become less frequent as we grow in knowledge and understanding of God and His ways.

God also tells us that “those He loves, He chastens…” when they need it, and there are several places in the Bible that speak about this principle. Just as we give our children the choices to choose between following our rules and not following them, if they will eventually NOT be safe if they don’t follow, then we will, if we are wise parents, discipline them so that they will stay on “safe paths.” God does the same for us, because He loves us even MORE than we love our own children.

The first part of verse 13, which as we saw, speaks of having wisdom on his lips, contrasts with the last part of verse 14 which tells us that people that speak foolishness are near destruction. As we have studied before, our words flow from what is in our hearts, and if they are full of ungodly things (The fool says, in his heart, there is NO God…) then each time the “foolishness” flows, it draws us closer to destruction because it draws us AWAY from God.

Proverbs 10: 6 & 7

Our two verses for today give more contrasts between the righteous and the wicked.

Proverbs 10 6 & 7 (NKJV)

⁶ Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
⁷ The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.

When we studied verse 3, a few studies ago, we found that to be “righteous,” means to be morally upright, or without guilt or sin. These verses tell us that if we follow God’s path for us and “seek… His righteousness,” which is only found by letting Him cover our sins with His blood sacrifice, the we will have blessings put on us, and I assume that means on our lives, and it also says that our “memory” will be blessed.

I find that last to be very interesting, and three thoughts came to my mind. I would love for that to mean that I could claim this verse and get rid of my “faulty” memory, and I think I will pray about that!

It could also mean that if you lead a “righteous” life, you will have wonderful memories of all those blessings that have been given to you. The last thought, was that those that remember us… those family and friends or people we might have mentored, will receive blessings when they remember the things our lives have taught them. It might be a mixture of these things, for they are all supported by other Biblical principals.

The second parts of both of these verses speak of “the wicked.” One commentary I read on the meaning of this verse was that the violence spoken of through their lips will eventually overwhelm them. They will follow the lead of their lips and words because out of the hearts of men, come their words, and the death that comes from a sinful life, will cause even their name to rot. No one will WANT to remember an evil person, so it will “rot” and disintegrate into nothing as time goes on (in a “forever” timeline). Also, while something is in the process of “rotting,” it stinks and those that have to deal with it will be affected by the “smell.”

Proverbs 6: 20 – 29

Today’s verses are another warning to young men about committing adultery. From the repetition that the Bible uses in this area, God must really think it is one of the most important things a young person can learn about, as we have discussed in prior studies. Here are today’s verses:

Proverbs 6: 20 - 29 (NIV)
Warning Against Adultery

20 My son, keep your father's commands
and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
21 Bind them upon your heart forever;

fasten them around your neck.
22 When you walk, they will guide you;

when you sleep, they will watch over you;

when you awake, they will speak to you.

23 For these commands are a lamp,

this teaching is a light,

and the corrections of discipline are the way to life,

24 keeping you from the immoral woman,

from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty

or let her captivate you with her eyes,
26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread,

and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap

without his clothes being burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals

without his feet being scorched?
29 So is he who sleeps with another man's wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished.

The first four of today’s verses remind us that our “father’s commands” and “mother’s teaching”… the lessons a good parent would continually impart to a young person throughout their youth (spiritual or physical) IF REMEMBERED and ACTED upon, will shine for others to see, guide them throughout their lives, give them comfort so they can sleep peacefully, etc. They also remind us, in verse 23, that “the corrections of discipline are the way to life…” As we have seen in other studies in this area, proper “discipline,” done in a wise way, is to be expected to keep us on the right path. If we listen the first time, we don’t have to have a harsher discipline later on.

Verses 24 thru 29 cover this chapter’s warnings on adultery. The first verses we looked at tie together with these, as we see in verse 24. Both types of adultery are mentioned in this verse… a man turning to a prostitute or immoral woman, and a man having an affair with a “wayward wife.”

NOTE: During Bible times, “prostitutes” and prostitution was often a form of Temple worship employed by many of the religions of that time, so this sin also often had spiritual implications involved that would, of course, be another problem as far as God was concerned.

Verse 25 talks about a “lust of the flesh” that is activated by the eyes in this case. Remember, our senses are wonderful gifts of God, but as with all of His gifts to us, we need to keep them under HIS control, and not ours.

Verse 26 tells us that to a prostitute, a person is simply a way to make money for food, etc. There is no love involved to feed that person’s soul. It goes on to say that getting involved in adultery can get you killed, as the penalty in this time period was death by stoning. Adultery also sucks the life out of people for it causes them to live a life of lies, and we have seen who the father of lies is in past verses.

The last three verses go on to give word pictures of what adultery is like, ending with another warning. It equates it with “scooping fire into his [a person’s] lap,” and “walking on hot coals.” Playing with fire WILL end up getting a person burned, and God says it will NOT go unpunished! ALL parties will be burned sooner or later...

Proverbs 6: 12 - 15

The next four verses of Proverbs 6 are about people who “plot evil with deceit in [their] heart[s].” These people aren’t just lazy, as the type of people spoken of in the last study. Here are the verses:

Proverbs 6: 12 - 15 (NIV)
12 A scoundrel and villain,
who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13 who winks with his eye,
signals with his feet
and motions with his fingers,
14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart—
he always stirs up dissension.
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;
he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

These verses describe a couple of ways of figuring out that a person is of bad moral character… a scoundrel or a villain. Verse 12 says that they go around using foul language and talking about off color things, and the next verse describes them as people who are always sending body language signs of deceitfulness. They signal with their eyes, feet and fingers.

How many people do you know that use these types of “signals” to get across dirty or off-color meanings added to whatever they are saying. Gang members have gotten notorious for this. These type of people, verse 14 says, usually end up stirring up dissension (disagreement, argument, discord). As with so many of the verses we have studied over the past week, this area ends with the fate of destruction and disaster being predicted for people that have chosen this ungodly approach to life.

I think that God wants us to be able to recognize this “type,” because we need to be careful about associating with them so that we aren’t pulled down with them.

Proverbs 3: 33 & 35

Today, we will finish Chapter 3 of Proverbs with these 3 verses:

Proverbs 3: 33 & 35

33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,

But He blesses the home of the just.

34 Surely He scorns the scornful,

But gives grace to the humble.

35 The wise shall inherit glory,

But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

All three of these verses use “antithetical parallelism.” That is the form of Hebrew poetry in which the second line is the opposite, or in contrast with, the first. The contrasts intensify the lesson to be learned and helps to drive it home..

Verse 33 tells us that “the curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked…” When there is wickedness in a house, it tends to be JUST a house, and not a home. It is a place where people go to eat and sleep, but there is usually NOT love or peace there, and THAT is what makes a home a real “home.” When those that dwell together in a house are truly just and living Godly lives that are filled with the Fruit of the Spirit, then God will bless that place and make it a true “HOME.”

Verse 34 warns that people that treat others with scorn and derision will receive scorn from God. The online dictionary defines the word “scorn” as 1. a.contempt or disdain felt toward a person or object considered despicable or unworthy. b. The expression of such an attitude in behavior or speech; derision. 2. One spoken of or treated with contempt.. 3. To consider or treat as contemptible or unworthy. 4. To reject or refuse with derision; to express contempt; scoff.

Though God is love and wants to love people, those that reject Him and His love, and treat others in evil ways, will have the protection of the Lord removed from their lives. His purpose for this is to bring people back to following Him and His ways, because, since HE is the CREATOR, He knows what will give us peace in our lives. The whole point of the tribulations, spoken of in Revelation, are to show God’s majesty and power with the hope that they will repent and turn to Him, but there are still people that refuse to repent and turn from their evil ways. (See Revelations 16:9 and 11 where this is spelled out in so many words.)

The second part of verse 34 uses the contrast between the way Lord treats the scornful in the first part, and the way he treats those that are humble in the second. It says that He gives grace, or “unmerited favor” to those that are humble. The word “humble” is defined as 1. Marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; NOT arrogant or prideful. 2. Showing deferential or submissive respect: If we are humble to others, and especially toward the Lord, then He will pour His favor out in our lives even though we don’t deserve it.

The last verse of this chapter sums up the difference between the “ends” of those that are wise compared with those that are foolish. It says that those that are “wise,” or are following Godly wisdom in their lives, will inherit glory, and I believe this is speaking of the glory of becoming a citizen of heaven.

On the other hand, those that are foolish, will leave behind a "legacy" or feeling of shame, in those that have followed them… their families or friends. The definition of legacy is: something handed down from an ancestor or a predecessor. Those that refuse to follow God and accept His free gift of eternal life, are CHOOSING eternal death… the second death spoken of in Revelation 20:14 & 15. This IS true foolishness!