If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked. Sermons
I. THERE MUST BE THE FORCE OF EXAMPLE. (Ver. 12.) Especially in regard to truthfulness. Nothing is more easily caught than an example of untruthfulness, evasion, hypocrisy. Servants' manners reflect their masters' characters. The more conspicuous the station, the further the influence of the example extends. II. THERE MUST BE RESPECT TO THE RULER AND JUDGE OF ALL. (Ver. 13.) He is no Respecter of persons; but he is the Protector of all, and the Judge between man and man. The distinctions of ruler and subject, of rank and rank, of class and class, are temporary; the common relation of all to God is spiritual and eternal. III. THERE MUST BE REGARD TO THE LOWLY. (Ver. 14.) Must not the test of every government be at last this - What did it accomplish for the poor, for the burdened, for the slave and the oppressed? "Glorious" wars and additions of territory can never compensate for injustice at home; the renown of arms for a people's misery. The throne that is not propped by bayonets, but built upon a people's gratitude and loyalty, may defy the storms of revolution. IV. DOMESTIC GOVERNMENT TEACHES THE SAME TRUTHS ON A SMALLER SCALE. (Vers. 15-17.) 1. There is the same need of firmness and discipline. Absolute liberty is licence. All our freedom is bounded by necessity. The good of the whole demands fixed law; and this must be observed in the household as in the body politic. A weakness in the administration of acknowledged law is fatal to the purity of the home, to the welfare of nations. Evil doers must be kept down; if their character cannot be changed, their power to work mischief must be taken from them by the unflinching administration of law. And lastly, firmness, so far from alienating, really wins the good will, the respect, and obedience of subjects in the petty commonwealth of home and in the larger sphere of the state. - J.
He that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck. This proverb may be accommodated to all the affairs of life. In whatever course a man blunders on, headstrong and regardless of advice and admonition, it will ruin him at last, as far as the matter is capable of working his ruin. But here principal reference is to religion. Often reproved — this is undoubtedly our character. Reproved by men from all quarters. The Word of God has reproved us. God has reproved us by His providence in private and public calamities. God has reproved us more immediately by His Spirit. We have also been our own monitors. Conscience has often pronounced our doom. Even the irrational creatures and infernal spirits may have been our monitors. Solomon assumes that a man may be often reproved, and yet harden his neck; that is, obstinately refuse submission and reformation. Nothing but a sullen and senseless beast can represent the stupid, unreasonable conduct of that man who hardens himself in sin, against the strongest dissuasion and reproofs from God and His creatures. The stiff neck that will not bend to the yoke of obedience must be broken, and its own stiffness renders it the more easily broken. It may harden itself into insensibility under reproof, but it cannot harden itself into insensibility under Divine judgments. He shall be suddenly destroyed. Sudden ruin is aggravated because it strikes a man into a consternation. There is dreadful reason to fear that you will always continue in your present condition if you persist in being proof against all admonition.(S. Davies, M.A.) 1. Such a reprover of sin does it against his office. The office of a reprover binds him to be blameless. 2. Such a reprover can never reprove to a right end. It is not because he hates sin; if he did he would put it away from himself. 3. Such a reprover can never do it in a right manner. As long as a man has a beam in his own eye he cannot rightly deal with the mote in his brother's. 4. Such a reprover is a hypocrite. 5. Such a reprover is inexcusable. His reproving another man's sin makes himself inexcusable of his own. 6. Such a reprover is an absurd and impudent person. Such a man both wrongs his own soul and dishonours God. But the verse may be read, "He that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck." Hebrew is, "Hardens his own neck." A "man of reproofs" equals a man often reproved. The Lord does not destroy a man nakedly, but upon consideration of sin. What a great sin it is, what a great ill it is, for man to sin against his reproofs.The greatness of the ill is set down in two ways. 1. By the great sinfulness of the thing. It is called the hardening of a man's own neck. 2. By the greatness of the punishment that God inflicts upon this sin. When God reproves a man of sin, the reproof primarily comes out of love. The end of reproof is to bring a man to good, to reduce him into a right way, to convert a man, and save his soul. There is no reason in the world why reproof should be taken otherwise than with all willingness and thankfulness and cheerfulness. First use of this: See here what an infinite punishment God is bringing upon a kingdom when He is taking away reprovers from them.The second use makes against those that despise the reproof of the wise. "Ye despise not men, but God." The Lord proportions punishments to men's sins. 1. Because hereby man's punishment appears to be so much the more equal and worthy. 2. Because this stops a man's mouth; it convinceth s man's conscience. 3. All the standers-by see the equity of it. Consider and see how God proportions punishments to sins in kind, quantity, quality, time, and place. (William Fenner.) II. THE WAYS IN WHICH GOD ADMINISTERS REPROOF. God exercises a universal providence. By judgments God ofttimes administers reproof. The Holy Spirit reproves by convincing the sinner of his sins and producing in his mind visitations of remorse. III. THE DESIGN OF REPROOF. To effect a reformation. He means to secure this end by forbearance. When He finds that will not do, then He uses the rod. IV. THE MEANING OF HARDENING THE NECK. The figure is that of a bullock working with a yoke upon his neck. The neck becomes callous with the pressure of the yoke. Men are represented as pushing against God's providence, and thus making their necks hard. The conscience of the sinner becomes quite callous under reproof if he does not yield to it. V. THE MEANING OF BEING SUDDENLY DESTROYED. Opposition and destruction will always go together. The conscience becomes so stupefied that men lose the sense of danger. The danger of men is great, just in proportion as they cease to be affected by a sense of it; when men feel the most secure, if they are living in sin, then destruction is most certain; and when it comes it will be sudden, because they do not expect it at all. This is not arbitrary on the part of God; it is a natural consequence of the sinner's conduct. ( C. G. Finney.) I. A CASE SUPPOSED.1. You have often been reproved by kind and judicious parents. 2. Or by some faithful friend who has seen your tendency to evil, and has stepped in to prevent the destruction which he saw was on its way. 3. A still larger class among us God has counselled and reproved by His ministering servants. 4. Many have been reproved by afflictions of various kinds. II. THE SEVERE JUDGMENT HERE DENOUNCED. The threat of the text is only against those who persevere in iniquity amidst all their religious privileges, who will not be warned nor instructed, who reject all advice and admonition, all offers of grace and mercy. Reflect on the suddenness, the greatness, and the eternity of the destruction which awaits impenitent offenders. But we only preach destruction that we may make you feel your need of salvation; and then, when we have awakened your fears, how gladly do we point you to the refuge and the remedy. (S. Bridge, M.A.) I. GOD'S LINGERING LONG-SUFFERING. He reproves. Why? That we may turn and live. He reproves often. Why? Because "He is not willing that any should perish."II. MAN'S INSANE INFATUATION. "Hardeneth his neck." Too many "reject the Word of the Lord." 1. How terrible the power of sin! 2. How deceitful the heart of man! 3. How inexcusable and suicidal the sinner! III. THE TERRIRLE THREATENING. God's long-suffering will not always last. 1. "The sinner shall be destroyed; his destruction is certain." 2. Be destroyed; his destruction fearful. 3. Shall suddenly; we know not what a day may bring forth. IV. THE AWFUL APPENDIX. "And that without remedy." There is a remedy here and now, however sinful we have been, but there will be none hereafter. (David Jamison, B.A.) I. THE CHARACTER IMPLIED.II. THE REPROOF GIVEN. "Often reproved." III. THE REPROOF REJECTED. "Hardeneth his neck." Setteth himself against taking the reproof, as a stubborn ox against taking the yoke. Indifferent to it. Laughs at it. Becomes worse. Obstinate in doing evil and in resisting good. "Mind your own business." "I am my own master." Throws off all restraint. Becomes sceptical, perhaps atheistic; scorns at religion and religious people. IV. THE PUNISHMENT THREATENED. "Shall suddenly," etc. He shall be cut off from hope; from friends; from honour; from happiness; from all his desirable possessions — suddenly; prematurely cut off; unexpectedly: apoplexy; disaster in travelling, etc. Irretrievable; eternal. Conclusion: 1. A limit to God's long-suffering. 2. To live against Divine reproofs is perilous. 3. Divine reproofs are Divine mercies. 4. Exhort sinners. (John Bate.) People SolomonPlaces JerusalemTopics FALSE, Attention, Evil-doers, Falsehood, Gives, Hearken, Hearkeneth, Lies, Listens, Lying, Ministers, Officials, Pays, Ruler, Servants, WickedOutline 1. observations of public government15. and of private 22. Of anger, pride, thievery, cowardice and corruption Dictionary of Bible Themes Proverbs 29:11 5267 control Library An Obscured vision(Preached at the opening of the Winona Lake Bible Conference.) TEXT: "Where there is no vision, the people perish."--Proverbs 29:18. It is not altogether an easy matter to secure a text for such an occasion as this; not because the texts are so few in number but rather because they are so many, for one has only to turn over the pages of the Bible in the most casual way to find them facing him at every reading. Feeling the need of advice for such a time as this, I asked a number of my friends who … J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot Two Ancient Proverbs The Baptismal Covenant Can be Kept Unbroken. Aim and Responsibility of Parents. But Sometimes a Peril to Eternal Salvation Itself is Put Forth against Us... Little Sarah Howley. For, Concerning False Witness, which is Set Down in the Ten Commands of The... Palm Sunday It Remains Then that we Understand as Concerning those Women... What are Evidences of Backsliding in Heart. God's Glory the Chief End of Man's Being How the Impatient and the Patient are to be Admonished. Humility is the Root of Charity, and Meekness the Fruit of Both. ... 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