By Jay T. Robertson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
Pleasing God
Proverbs 15:33–16:11
Wisdom Demonstrated (15:33; 16:8)
As the believer realizes the presence of the holy God, he will be full of humility. Indeed, no Christian grace can exist without it. The phrase “the fear of the LORD” occurs more than 12 times in the Book of Proverbs. This phrase describes Christians who live with a keen awareness of God’s nearness and holiness. A believer who possesses the fear of the LORD is conscious that God is holy, and humanity is sinful.
Wisdom is the righteous application of true knowledge. “Teaching” is correction that leads to learning. The goal of God’s discipline is to transform His people and motivate them to live a God-centered life. Our Father’s discipline is so wise.
“Humility” means modesty and gentleness. “Honor” comes from a root that means to be heavy and can be translated glory. Without humility, honor would be our temptation rather than our glory. True humility realizes our wickedness and causes us to depend upon the full resources of the gospel.
Solomon writes that it is better for a person to be poor yet be characterized by righteousness than to have great income acquired unjustly. The love of gain is so blind that it looks only at its own selfish end and to the present moment. God does not measure religious piety based on material wealth.
Accountability Established (16:1, 4–5, 9)
Humans can think and act for either good or evil, but God is sovereign and will hold all ultimately accountable for their choices. Humans can process multiple pieces of information in order to make various decisions. But the opening verse focuses on God’s control of events. People may carefully think through a course of action, but the sovereign God has the final say in what happens.
In verse 4 Solomon writes that everything was created by God and for God. This includes all the work of creation, all the events that take place in the nations and all of God’s providential activity in the affairs of man. Along with divine sovereignty we also see human accountability. Even the wicked are being prepared for the day of disaster — the day they will appear for judgment.
Everyone who thinks he or she knows better than anyone else is a person with a “proud heart.” A person with a proud heart uses his or her own decision-making as the standard by which to measure everyone else’s decision-making. The proud person is always right and everyone else is always wrong. God abhors the person with a proud heart. He will hold all with a proud heart accountable for their sin, unless they repent.
Verse 9 is a good description of God’s sovereign rule. It is a mystery how God accomplishes His purpose by human agents who exercise their will. Humans without a will are machines. God without His unchangeable purpose ceases to be God. Mysteriously, God orders our will without infringing our liberty or stopping us from being responsible creatures. We act but are accountable to God.
Motives Matter (16:2, 10–11)
Pleasing God involves right motives as well as right actions. What is down in the well comes up in the bucket. People often evaluate attitudes and actions based on what feels right to them. People are tempted to evaluate their own actions by personal criteria rather than the Word of God. God weighs our motives deep within our hearts.
God is concerned about government and commerce. Solomon teaches that even a king is still accountable to God. A king should seek God’s guidance before declaring a verdict and a merchant should be honest in his business dealings.
Blessing Assured (16:3, 6–7)
Solomon identifies blessings that come to people who are in right relationship with God and seek to live for His glory. Those blessings include spiritual stability, deliverance from evil, and true peace.
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