God Is in Control
Text: Proverbs 16:1-33
Man’s Plans and Moral Choices
(Proverbs 16:1-9)
(1) Man has free will, granted to him by God. His plans are his own; you can say what you intend to do, but God determines the outcome (James 4:13-17).
(2) People have a strong tendency to assume that whatever they are doing is right (literally, “pure”), but we can’t judge ourselves – that belongs to God. He judges not only what we do, but also why we do it (I Corinthians 4:5).
(3) If we act committed to the Lord, then our plans will be established because the plans will not be contrary to God’s purpose (Psalms 22:8; 37:5; 119:5). “Commit” literally refers to rolling something onto God, like a weight; in other words, giving God your burdens.
(4) Everything is made for God’s purpose, even the wicked who commit evil (Psalms 17:13-14; Romans 9:22). God doesn’t cause evil (James 1:13), but God does make use of everything He created to accomplish His goals.
(5) Those who are proud will be punished because God finds pride disgusting. The second half starts literally with “hand to hand,” which is translated as “yes,” “yea,” or “assuredly,” because the idiom is assumed to refer to sealing an agreement by clasping hands. It could also mean that even though the prideful join forces, they will not stop God from punishing them (Proverbs 11:21).
(6) “Lovingkindness and truth” is a way to refer to the covenant and God’s plan for the salvation of man (Psalms 25:10; 40:9-11; 138:2). It is through God’s law that sin is atoned for (Romans 1:16). It is there that God promised a Savior to address the problem of sin (Zachariah 13:1). “Iniquity” means acting without law, but God fixes the problem with law. It is by fearing God, which motivates you to obey God, that you can stay away from sin.
(7) When a person lives by God’s laws, even his enemies are at peace with him (I Peter 3:13). This is not an absolute, but a general tendency. The best way to turn enemies into friends is by doing good.
(8) Righteousness is better than injustice, even if it means living poorly (Psalms 37:16). Notice that injustice is not the true opposite of righteousness; thus, the cause of injustice is wickedness, and it is the righteous who uphold justice.
(9) Forming a bookend (Proverbs 16:1), we return to the point that a man makes plans, but it is God who determines what actually happens.
Rulers’ Plans
(Proverbs 16:10-15)
(10) Kings are expected to make decisions as God’s representative (Romans 13:1-2), so they should be careful not to make mistakes in their judgments. Psalm 82 rebukes judges (literally “gods”) who do not uphold God's laws and reminds them that they will face the Judge of all the earth in the end. In these days, kings were the final appellate court. Kings need to be aware of the responsibility laid on their shoulders.
(11) Merchants also need to be aware that they must be honest in their dealings (Leviticus 19:36; Proverbs 11:1). God is concerned about the honesty of business transactions. Since this verse appears among proverbs about kings, it can be assumed to also remind kings to be as concerned about God as God is about them (Ezekiel 45:9-10).
(12) A ruler not only administers justice, but he is also expected to live by the same standards (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). God finds it disgusting for rulers to indulge in sin. A kingdom's stability depends on righteous living (Jeremiah 22:2-5, 15-16).
(13) Those who promote righteousness should be a king’s delight because it helps to stabilize his kingdom (combined with Proverbs 16:12). This proverb is similar to Proverbs 14:35. Notice that many of these verses are specific applications of more general proverbs to the needs of a king.
(14-15) When a king gets angry, it is dangerous because he can order a person’s death. A wise man understands this and words his advice so as to keep a king calm (I Samuel 19:4-6). Thus, connecting it with the prior verse, a right answer doesn’t excuse a tactless one, though it won’t always succeed (Daniel 3:14-20). In contrast, when a king is in a good mood, life and favor come to those around him. In arid countries, rain is seen as a great blessing Deuteronomy 11:14; Zechariah 10:1).
The Wise
(Proverbs 16:16-20)
(16) Wisdom and understanding have more value than money. You can lose money, but you can regain it with wisdom and reasoning. With wisdom and reasoning, you can gain things that money cannot buy. This idea was stated earlier in Proverbs 3:14 and 8:11, 19.
(17) The righteous take the fast way away from evil (I Thessalonians 5:21-22). By being careful where you go, you can preserve your life.
(18) The opposite of the prior verse is that pride precedes downfall and ruin. A proud person doesn't watch where he is going. Often he doesn't think such care is necessary and won't listen to advice (Proverbs 1:25).
(19) The prior two verses summarize that a person is better off with humility and being among the lowly than to be dividing ill-gotten gain with the proud. The proud won't last.
(20) You find good when you go looking for it in God’s word, and happiness comes when you trust God (Proverbs 3:5-8). You are happier when working with God instead of against Him. A similar passage is Proverbs 13:13.
Positive Persuasion
(Proverbs 16:21-26)
(21) Those who are wise in heart are seen as discerning. That is because the wise think through their words, considering how best to say what needs to be taught.
(22) Insight is a source of life to the person who has it (Proverbs 10:11; 13:14). It is a well that never goes dry. The second half can be translated as either: when fools try to correct, the result is foolishness, not true discipline; or: attempting to correct fools is a foolish waste of time. Either way, the implication is that fools do not have access to the source of life.
(23-24) The wise in heart teaches others and carefully considers how to express himself to persuade others (Proverbs 15:23,28; 16:21). Well-worded, pleasant teachings are desirable and benefit the listener’s spirit and physical health (Proverbs 12:18).
(25) The wisdom we are talking about cannot be man’s wisdom. Men are too short-sighted. Some things look good to men, but their ultimate outcome is death. Therefore, all decisions must be based on the wisdom of God, who does know the outcome of all things. This is identical to Proverbs 14:12.
(26) While no one likes to be hungry, that hunger becomes a drive to work. Thus, a self-motivated person accomplishes more than trying to talk a person into working (II Thessalonians 3:10).
For discussion:
- Proverbs 16:21 and Proverbs 16:23 are very similar. What is different?
Evil Persuasion
(Proverbs 16:27-30)
(27-28) Corrupt men search out the evil others do and are quick to tell others about it. Like wildfire, it spreads from one person to another (James 3:5-6). As a result, a perverse man spreads strife between people. Purposeful lies can separate even the closest friends. The problem is that we tend to believe negative news, even when we should doubt it.
(29-30) A violent man entices his neighbor to go down paths that are not good for him (Proverbs 1:10-19). He hides his true objectives from his victims. He winks, perhaps to draw others to join him in his mischief, but the plan isn’t fun; it's perversion. Compressing, pursing, or biting the lips can indicate annoyance with another person or a determined purpose (Proverbs 6:12-15; 10:10).
People Worth Listening To
(Proverbs 16:31-32)
(31) Age and experience are signs of honor if the person has lived a righteous life (Leviticus 19:32). A long life tends to result from following wisdom (Proverbs 3:2; 4:9-10; 9:11; Psalms 34:11-14; Ephesians 6:2-3).
(32) Controlling your anger makes you stronger than any strong man or conqueror. Physical power tends to decay, and someone stronger will always come along. Self-control grows stronger as you use it.
God Controls
(Proverbs 16:33)
(33) Random events may influence decisions, but God ultimately decides what happens (I Samuel 14:41; Acts 1:24). Wisdom, persuasion, and corruption will not alter the course God sets.
