PROVERBS AND GODLY WISDOM

Lesson Eight

Things Godly Wisdom Does Not Do

Text: Proverbs 3:27-35

The objective of this lesson: To stress a negative command often includes a positive action.

Virtually every cause or movement is composed of positive and negative instructions.  It is not unusual for a cause or movement to be defined primarily by what it does not do.  Seemingly, people like to define responsibility by the negative.  They like to produce the impression that a person can be a part of a cause or movement by doing nothing if they avoid the correct things.

Stress and illustrate that people often try to prove they are positive by citing what they do not do.  Stress the problem: often “goodness” is proven by what I “do not” do—one can do nothing and still be “good.”

Consider two illustrations.  Illustration # 1: people often wish to prove they are good because of what they do not do.  “Because I avoid doing these things, I am good.  I do not actually do anything positive, but my goodness is demonstrated in the fact that I avoid the correct things.  I may not do anything, but I avoid the ‘bad’ things.”  Thus the person is “good” if the person does nothing, but in doing nothing he/she avoids the correct “bad” things.

The attitude: “If I do not do ‘bad,’ I must be ‘good.’”  The result is a “do nothing” goodness.  Godliness has never been defined by or composed of doing nothing.  Godliness expresses itself in involvement/doing acts.  It may abstain from one behavior to do another behavior in a credible manner.

In illustration #2 carefully note the contrast.  In the Ten Commandments (this is taken from Exodus 20:1-17), most of the commands are stated in the negative.  Four commands are about Israel’s relationship with God, and six commands are about the Israelites’ relationship with each other.  The “do not” is prominent.  Yet, the “do not” commands are not instructions to do nothing, but instructions to redirect behavior.

The “do nots” are avoidance behaviors (behaviors that had been common) that endorsed proper involvement behaviors which had been shunned.

Consider the instructions about relationship with God.  They were not to honor other forms of deity. They were not to make idols.  They were not to use God’s name in order to achieve deception. They were not to work on the seventh day or Sabbath.

The “do nots” regarding relationship with God were to change their perspective of deity and thus appropriate action toward deity.

Why?  God was one, not many.   Only He had delivered them from Egypt.  He was so distinct from physical creation that nothing in creation could represent Him.  An important way to acknowledge His superiority over the creation was to refuse to use His name in an attempt to deceive.  (Their form of a guarantee was to use an oath that called upon something greater than self to verify truth.)  They would not work on the seventh day because God rested on the seventh day after creation.  Thus a completely different perception of deity resulted in a completely different behavior in honoring deity.

Note that these things were to change Israel’s common perspective of deity and acts of honoring deity.  These facts did so by declaring the uniqueness of this Creator/Deliverer God.

In their relationship with each other, they would care for their parents; they would not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie about a neighbor, or covet anything in a neighbor’s possession.  The prohibitions could be fulfilled only through respect for fellow Israelites.  Thus a completely different way of perceiving people should result in a completely different behavior toward people.  Other people were not to be viewed as “my” opportunity.

Stress that other Israelites were not to be viewed as “my” opportunity for either hostile or exploitive acts.

The point: How one did not behave determined how he/she would behave.  The negative stressed the positive.  Avoid the negative by doing the positive.  Example: Settle disputes respectfully—murder IS NOT an option!

Stress that the “do nots” excluded those acts from acceptable options.

In today’s text, godly wisdom DOES NOT:

1. Withhold doing good when the person is capable of doing the good.
2. Delay in helping your neighbor.
3. Devise harm to your neighbor who trusts you to do good.
4. Be contentious without cause.
5. Envy people of violence.

Stress what godly wisdom did not do.

What will that mean?

1. You will do good promptly as ability presents opportunity.
2. People who count on you have reason to understand you are trustworthy.
3. You are open in your actions—you are not dangerous to others.
4. You seek peace rather than contention.
5. You let the right people influence you—people who challenge you to be your best.

Excluding unacceptable acts endorsed correct behavior.

Why?

1. God is close to the upright, not the untrustworthy.
2. God blesses the righteous, but curses the wicked.
3. God gives grace to the person who suffers, but has no confidence in those who live in doubt.
4. Honor is the inheritance of the wise; however fools delight in dishonor (they do not understand they shame themselves).

There were valid reasons for acceptable behavior—the instructions were not just an arbitrary declaration of “Do not do this!”

Remember being godly is both positive and negative.  The fact you do not behave wickedly means you behave in a godly manner.

Stress that in godly wisdom it is a matter of doing, not just refusing to do.

For Thought and Discussion

1. Virtually every cause or movement is composed of what?

They are composed of positive and negative instructions.

2. How do “good” people often wish to prove they are “good?”

They wish to prove they are “good” by what they do not do.

3. In the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), how many were about relationship with God?  About relationship with people?

There were four about relationship with God and six about relationship with other Israelites.

4. What understandings were the basis of Israel’s relationship with God?

a)     God is one.

b)     Only He delivered them from their slavery.

c)     He could not be compared to anything in creation because He is the source of all of it.

d)     His honor was not to be used for human deceit.

e)     His “resting” on the seventh day meant Israel should not work on the seventh day.

5. How was Israel to treat other Israelites?

a)     They were to take care of their parents.

b)     They were not to murder, commit adultery, steal, lie about a neighbor, or covet.

6. What was the point in the Ten Commandments?

The point: How they did not behave would determine how they would behave.

7. In today’s text, godly wisdom did not do what things?  What did that mean?

They did not:

a)     Withhold good when they were able go do good.

b)     Delay in helping.

c)     Devise harm to those who trust them.

d)     Be contentious without cause.

e)     Be envious of violent people.

8. Give four reasons for godly wisdom behaving in that manner.

a)     God is close to the upright, not to the untrustworthy.

b)     God blesses the righteous, but curses the wicked.

c)     God gives grace to the sufferer, but has no confidence in those who live in doubt.

d)     The wise inherit honor, but the fool delights in dishonor.

9. What are you challenged to remember?

Remember that being godly is both positive involvement and negative abstaining.

10. What fact should you remind yourself of?

Remind yourself that not being wicked means behaving in a godly manner.

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David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ