Proverbs 12:13, The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.  Part I

 We who are believers are to have the mind of Christ and in the mind of Christ is the truth that God has created a moral universe.

 It is easy to see God’s morality in the physical world by the idea of cause and effect.   

 Gravity is a moral law for gravity conforms to rules of right established by its maker. 

 Gravity does not do that which is right in its own eyes but always does right according to the eyes of its maker.

 Gravity is no respecter of persons and anyone who challenges that will find themselves humbled by its consistent application.

 Today we live as in the days of the Judges, where each man, each woman did that which was right in their own eyes. 

 Today is the day where normal societal barriers that have been recognized as good for millennia, are being cast aside without any thought of the consequences upon society of such actions.

 Now in a moral universe this is a very dangerous practice for it disregards cause and effect. 

 We have learned in the Proverbs that the lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. 

 God, in giving us free will, allows us to cast the lot but he does not allow the whole disposing or the outcome of the casting of the lot to us. 

 He says to us you can be the cause but I will determine the effect.

 Proverbs 26:27 tells of a man who digs a pit in order to trap others. 

 It tells of a man who rolls a stone in place in order for it to fall on another. 

 Now this man has great plans to do hurt and damage to others so he puts into place causes that he determines will bring that hurt about. 

 Everything is in place. 

 The pit is dug, perhaps disguised to deceive, and a stone is so placed that the movement of the unwitting victim, will bring it down upon him. 

 How satisfied and proud the man is for so carefully crafting these plans of destruction! 

 But he has not read this truth!   He has forgotten God.

 ²⁷ Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

 This man has made careful and detailed plans but he has forgotten that God keeps the effect to himself for all that which is caused by the man, for the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.

 I believe one of the great truths that is falling by the wayside in the homes of America is this truth. 

 Mothers, fathers, it is your duty to teach this truth to your children. 

 This truth, Son, this truth Daughter, is that there are consequences for every action that you take. 

 Every decision puts in place consequences of that decision. 

 And many times parents you are the appointed ones to bring about those consequences. 

 Unfortunately this duty is being neglected by many.

 The other day while waiting my turn in the barber shop I noticed a new chair in the corner and on the back of the chair was a note saying:  “This is the barber’s personal chair. Children are not allowed in this chair for it is reserved for the barber.” 

So curiosity grabbed me and I asked what was going on with this new comfortable looking chair. 

 My barber is a very countrified fellow and he told me in his own country way that the sign was the result of a child, who accompanied to the barber shop by both parents and waiting his turn decided to jump into the chair and go for a spin or two or a hundred spins.   

Whew! he spinned and spinned and spinned until it became too much for the barber who pointed to other chairs placed there for those who wait for service. 

 He sternly said to the boy: That chair over there is where you are to sit and wait. 

 The boy’s parents said not a thing as the boy reluctantly, perhaps with a pouty lip, went to the appointed chair, sat down and began his wait. (Most communication is non-verbal)

 But this boy had not been taught to wait so after a few minutes he went and jumped back into the chair that spun and again had fun to his heart’s content. 

 The barber again pointed to the other chairs where customers sat and told the boy to go sit and not use the barber’s chair. 

 Again no word of support from the parents who sat there mum. 

 So the only consequence that child had to face was the stern command from the barber, the parents seemingly not wishing to bring about any discomfort to their child. 

So again no doubt, teaching moments were neglected in the life of this boy by his parents refusing to bring consequences into his life. 

 That child had been living in a world in which every place he found himself was a play room. 

That child had been living in a world where every piece of furniture belonged to him and was his toy to do with as he desired. 

 There had been no discernment taught whereby this young boy knew what was proper and right under different circumstances and in different places. 

 This was a teaching moment where this boy was to be taught to sit still quietly in one place until his turn came to move to the big chair for his haircut. 

 This was a teaching moment where this boy should have been taught that the barber shop is an adult place and one day you will be an adult and this is how adults wait their turn. 

 Parents don’t forget you are given to rear children to be adults. 

 Doesn’t God do his part in over a period of 18 years make their body to be adult like? 

 So shouldn’t you go with God and make them over time to fit their body? 

 Each day you are given to chore to add to them adult like qualities for childhood is to be a temporary condition.

 And if you do not do this don’t be surprised when your children are still living at home at age 26 without a medical insurance policy of their own.

 So this lack of learning discernment will result in consequences far more harmful in this child’s years to come because of his parent’s neglect in this simple scenario. 

 The prisons are full of men and women who were not given to face consequences when they were children. 

 The prisons are filled with those who refused to believe God’s principle of cause and effect.

God gives parents the duty to bring consequences into the life of their children at an age where the consequences are not fatal or so serious as to be crippling and if they neglect this time the time will come when the consequences will be fatal or crippling. 

 It is an amazing fact that all the physical world operates according to rules and regulations established by its maker.

 And you do not even have to believe that there is a maker to see this. 

 But somehow this truth escapes humankind who believe it can operate by doing that which is right in their own eyes and that things will result in line with their will.

 But as believers one thing we can be sure of and one thing that will bring comfort to us is that God will continue to be in charge of the disposing of what is caused by men.

 God is still on the throne and from that throne all laws are commanded to do their work and will continue to do so until God says otherwise. 

 Gravity, as well as all other laws, each day salute God’s throne and declare to again do their duty.

 So our proverb for today also declares to do its duty in that the wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips, but the just shall come out of trouble.

 In our last lesson we learned that the wicked desire the net of evil men in order to entrap other men. 

 The man who digged a pit, the man who rolled a stone learned of these traps from evil men but soon found out that the pit and stone craftily placed for others God directed be used upon the man.

This is the principle of God’s moral universe.   

If you teach your children to not run out into the street, to not touch the flame of a stove, this principle of reaping and sowing is more important to be taught then those admonitions for disregard of this principle will bring terrible consequences into their lives.

 And the consequences are built in the wicked man’s actions against others for in using nets to trap others, God has a snare to trap him. 

And that snare as given in our proverb is the transgression of his lips.

 In the first chapter of the Epistle of James he speaks of that which comes out of the mouth at times as a fire that will defile the whole body and that the tongue can no man tame, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

 Our proverb tells us that the deadly poison not only poisons those to whom the words are aimed but poisons or ensnares the one speaking the words. 

 We all know that most sin is caused by the spoken word. 

 Most sin is caused by the thoughtless release of words that have not been filtered through the principles of God’s word.

 And therefore he who is thoughtless as to what comes out of his mouth will most certainly ensnare himself sooner or later.

 Think about what gets you in trouble and you will conclude it is that which comes out of your mouth. 

 In our natural state we all can be foolish and speak before thinking and say things that are cruel or disrespectful or even at times blasphemous.   

These are words which have built in traps put there by God to honor his word which says, Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. 

 We sow foolish words, we sow cruel or disrespectful words and we reap heaps of difficulties that drop on our own head with all kinds of punishments, both spiritual, mental and physical.

 I know and you know from personal experiences of the many times immediately after saying something, how wrong it was to say it. 

 It is as if the trap of God springs shut on our mouth. 

 Proverbs 16:23 gives us the antidote for such faults for it tells us: The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.

 When we enter the family of God there is course work to do.  

 There is a curriculum to complete. 

 The textbook is the Bible for in it you will find instruction for your mouth, and learning for your lips. 

 It will tell you one way to keep the transgression of your lips is to cut down the output of your lips.

For in Proverbs 17:27-28 we are given,   He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.   Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

So God wants his children to use words with discretion and wisdom and that takes consideration of what they will be before they are issued. 

 It just makes sense that the more words that come forth the more sin comes forth and that sin is the kind of sin that will backfire.

 And Course number two of God’s curriculum is the ability to go into a mode of wrath slowly and with great consideration. 

 The Bible does not contemn wrath but it does contemn the flying off the handle kind of wrath. 

 That saying, flying off the handle describes clearly what that quick wrath brings for that saying refers to the sudden flying off the handle of an ax-head. 

 When that happens there is no control of where the ax-head goes and no control of the consequences of that sharp iron. 

 Hasty angry words result in all kinds of snares.

 So Proverbs 14:29 is given to us so that we know that truth, He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

 And these quick words uttered without consideration reveal one whom God calls a fool and careful words, well thought out words reveal one whom God calls wise,

For we read in Proverbs 29:11, A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.

 And in Proverbs 29:20, Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

 And see how carefully words are crafted in Proverbs 15:28, The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

 And then God directs us to Course number three of the curriculum by telling us to be very careful in making vows. 

 It is so easy to promise but so hard to perform especially when they have no ability to perform. 

 What have you told God you will do? 

 And are you calling upon God for the ability to do it or have you forgotten your vow?

 Again in vow making there is a snare: Proverbs 20:25, It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.

 Some easily make vows to serve God but end up serving themselves. 

 A vow sets you apart as holy unto the Lord. 

 A vow separates you for God’s use but if you devour yourself for your own purposes you are devouring that which is holy, that which has been set apart.

Jesus said in Luke 9:62, ......No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

His hand to the plow is the vow and the looking back is the inquiry.  

A Bishop Hall in his commentary on Proverbs said this:  "He entangleth his soul in the snares of death, who resumeth unto a profane use that which is once consecrated unto God, and who, after he hath vowed aught unto the Lord, argues within himself, how to alter that holy purpose, and to defeat God of his due."

Too many times we so carelessly vow, perhaps in an emotional environment and afterwards ask God how can this promise be retracted?

So many are much more ready in making vows than in paying vows.

Their life is built on shows of affection that are based upon some pleasant experience or some emotional sermon or service.

Preachers and teachers, witnesses for Christ be careful in pressing people into vow making for God takes vows very seriously.

There is much more course work to complete concerning the use of the lips and doing so is what causes the last phrase of our proverb which says: the just shall come out of trouble. 

 God says this because He provides the Proverbs, He provides His word which when studied and brought into the heart will indeed keep the just from trouble and bring them out of trouble.

 Oh how we need to heed II Timothy 2:15, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.