You may recall that: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

You may recall that: Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

Do you recall that all the kings horses and all the kings men could not put Humpty Dumpty together again?

What prompted Humpty Dumpty to sit on a wall?

What urged him to take such a step?

Was it because he wanted to be high and lifted up?

Were his eyes lofty and his eyelids lifted up over others?

Was he filled with pride wanting to be seen of men?

We are given the fact that he chose to sit on a wall.

He did not stand on the wall but sat on a wall, a seemingly safe position.

He chose to lift himself up over others and he chose to be seen of men.

He was not called to the prominent place, he did not earn the prominent place, he simply chose the prominent place on the wall.

He chose to exalt himself.

What did this choice get him to be seen by others?

Did it get him fame and fortune?

Did it get him power and prestige?

Perhaps for a time but ultimately it got him a fall!

Not a fall that took time or could be prepared for but a sudden fall, in spite of the fact that he thought he was safely sitting.

He did not choose to fall.

Falling was far from his plans but he fell and what was the result of that fall?

The result of that fall was that he could not recover from that fall.

All the kings horses and all the kings men could not put Humpty Dumpty together again!

Mr. Dumpty did not count on that.

That was not in his thought process!

But he suddenly fell from his high position and there was found no remedy for him.

Powerful government machinery of the king, his horses, and government bureaucrats empowered by the king were of no help to Humpty.

They convened their committees and their empowerment teams and all their efforts came to naught.

They were helpless. No remedy was found.

Humpty Dumpty's calamity came suddenly, without warning and he was broken without remedy.

The imaginary character described in this children's rhyme fits the description of the person in our proverbs passage.

Our passage describes a busy person.

He walks, he winks, he speaks, he teaches, he devises, and he sows.

Our passage describes what kind of a person he is.

He is naughty, he is wicked.

Our passage also describes the end of this fellow.

Where will his naughtiness, where will his wickedness bring him?

We are told he is naughty. This is not a word in vogue anymore.

It does not do much for self esteem to be called naughty but God calls this fellow naughty.

Apparently God cares not about hurting this fellow's self esteem but instead God cares about the truth.

Most times in the past this word was applied to children.

I well remember being called naughty on occasion.

I deserved to be called naughty because of what I did.

I was called a bad boy at times because I was a bad boy and deserving of the name.

As far as I know these names did not stunt my development! You may disagree!

But this is not a child, this is a man and God calls him naughty.

He walketh with a froward mouth. This means his manner of life is froward.

Froward means to turn from. It is the opposite of forward.

To and fro means forward and froward.

This is a man that is not willing to yield to that which is required.

This is a rebel who is not willing to be governed. He did not get this way overnight.

He learned not to yield when he was a boy.

No doubt he was a naughty boy who did not come when called but went from when called. He was froward.

He uses his eyes, his feet, and his fingers to express rebellion.

Do not let your children express rebellion with their body!

He winketh with his eyes means that he pinches his eyes together in malice or threat.

His eyes squint together as they are used to stare down authority, to threaten those who try to govern him.

His feet speak as they stamp out a message of defiance.

Don't you see the beginnings of this stamping of feet in uncontrolled children?

Stamping of feet is symbolic of the stamping out of authority.

And how his feet speak disobedience to authority as they take him out of the way of that which is required. He is froward.

His fingers are used in gestures of malice and contempt to those who defy him.

Oh, how fingers are used to communicate today.

They speak volumes. And how inflammatory they are?

People have killed because of the speech made with fingers.

And how they reveal what is in the heart of naughty and wicked persons!

Every language includes the language of the body.

The heart forces the body to do its bidding.

The heart is not satisfied with simply communicating with the mouth so every part of the body is enlisted in the communication of rebellion.

When the mouth is not enough the eyes and the feet and the fingers are employed to serve the hostility of the heart.

Because frowardness is in his heart and from out of the heart are the issues of life.

With a heart that is not willing to yield to that which is required he devotes mischief continually.

His time is spent in devising schemes for the destruction of the peace and happiness of others.

He yields to no government so his mischief can continue unhindered.

He sows discord. When he is around there are arguments and quarrels.

He lives by the proverb in chapter 10 verse 12:  Hatred stirreth up strifes:

He is the one who hates instead of loves and his hatred for all that is good is the stirring spoon in the pot of strife.

But God's word be true for as in Luke 14:11 we find that, ... whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

By the authority of the word of God: God will bring down high looks.

The proud he resisteth, the proud he knoweth afar off.

The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down.

The lofty looks of man shall be humbled whether they be with the mouth, the eyes, the feet or the fingers!

Pride and lofty looks may profit for a time in this world as Mr. Dumpty found by sitting for a time on the wall.

But humility is the path to promotion in the kingdom of God.

As 1 Peter 5:6 says,  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Otherwise be prepared for the calamity which will come suddenly and without remedy.