Those Who Receive God's Delight

[Proverbs 11:1-31]

Are you children who bring joy to your parents? If some of you have lost your parents, were you children who brought great joy to them while they were alive? Yesterday, Tuesday afternoon, after sending my youngest, Ye-eun, home after school, I took my oldest daughter, Ye-ri, to school. The reason was that Ye-ri had a Spelling Test at school, which took a little longer than usual. The "Spelling Test" seems to involve selecting representative students from grades 4 to 6, having them memorize numerous English words, and then taking a test. This time, 12 students participated as representatives. So, I asked the after-school teacher to take Ye-eun home and went to pick up Ye-ri. She was walking down from school, probably because she finished a bit early. I stopped the car in front of her, picked her up, and asked her how the test went. She told me that she had won. I praised her for it, and to celebrate, we did a high five (raising our hands and slapping our palms together). Haha. Then I asked her if she wanted to call her mom, and since she did, I handed her the phone. She was talking to her mom on speakerphone, so I could hear their conversation. One of the things I heard was my wife saying to Ye-ri, "I am proud of you." Later, after picking up Dylan and Ye-eun, when I mentioned that Ye-ri had won first place, it seemed like they were happy as well, which made me thankful.

Personally, I often feel grateful when I think about the three children that God has graciously given us. One of the reasons is that I experience grace through my children. As parents, there are many times when we feel like we haven't been good examples or haven't raised them properly, but despite that, I am simply thankful to see my children growing well in the Lord and fulfilling their individual responsibilities faithfully. Sometimes, when my wife and I talk about our children, I also feel thankful when I notice parts of them that don’t resemble us. Do you not also feel that way sometimes? Thinking, “I hope this child doesn't resemble me in this aspect…” Haha. I am truly grateful and happy to see that God Himself is raising my children. And most of all, when I remember that God the Father loves these three children more than we do, it brings peace, gratitude, and joy to our hearts.

Over the past two weeks, in our Wednesday prayer meetings, we meditated on Proverbs 10, under the theme “Wise Children and Foolish Children,” and we prayed to God. First, we prayed for ourselves, asking that we, as parents, would be wise children in God's eyes, and then we prayed for our own children. Today, as we meditate on the entire chapter of Proverbs 11, I want us to reflect on who are the children who receive God's delight, and learn from the teachings it offers. Please look at verse 20 of Proverbs 11: “The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those who are blameless in their ways are His delight.” Today, focusing on this verse, I want to reflect on the title “Those Who Receive God's Delight” and think about who those people are, considering five points and the lessons God gives us. My prayer is that, as we accept and obey the teachings of the Bible, we will become those who receive God’s delight.

First, those who receive God's delight are the humble.

Proverbs 11:2: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” As we read the Bible, we see that God opposes the proud (1 Peter 5:5) and also resists them (James 4:6) many times. What does “pride” mean? In Jeremiah 48:29, “pride” is described as “arrogance, haughtiness, pride, and the arrogance of the heart.” Throughout the Bible, we often see people who elevate themselves and are eventually rejected by God. Among them, I can never forget King Saul. Perhaps the reason is that, before he became king, he considered himself small (1 Samuel 15:17), but after becoming the king of Israel and winning the battle against the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:20), he became proud. This transformation scared me, as it made me realize that I too could change in the same way as Saul. Especially when I see how he became stubborn, disobeying God’s command (1 Samuel 15:9, 19), and instead of repenting, he made excuses (1 Samuel 15:20-21). Even at the end, he asked Samuel to honor him before the elders of Israel (1 Samuel 15:30). It made me realize that pride can lead someone to destruction. However, the Bible also clearly shows us that God pours His grace on the humble (Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). When I think of “the humble,” I think of Moses, the great leader of Israel in the Old Testament. Especially, I remember the verse from Numbers 12:3: “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” Moses, who was the most humble man in the world, pointed to Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate example of humility. Philippians 2:5-8 tells us that Jesus, though being equal with God, did not count equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Should we not have the humble heart of Jesus (Philippians 2:5)?

In today’s passage, Proverbs 11:2, Solomon writes that "when pride comes, disgrace follows," meaning that “the proud will fail” (Park Yun-seon). The reason is simple: proud people refuse to listen to the Lord’s command (Nehemiah 9:16). Not only do they refuse to listen, but they also disobey God’s command, sinning against God (Proverbs 29:1), which leads them to failure. Although proud people may seem to succeed at first in the eyes of others, we must remember that ultimately, God will cause their downfall. On the other hand, we should also remember that “with the humble is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2). What does this mean? If God causes the proud to fail, then He causes the humble to succeed, right? So, how does God make the humble succeed? Why do the humble succeed in God’s eyes? The answer is simple: because the humble have wisdom (Proverbs 11:2). In other words, the humble possess the wisdom that is the key to success. In short, the humble are wise. So, what does today’s passage in Proverbs 11 say about how the wise act? I want to learn from four key points:

1. The wise know how to be silent.

Look at Proverbs 11:12: “Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.” Wise people are those who build trust in their relationships with others. The reason is that they are humble and have a sincere heart (Proverbs 11:13). Because of this sincerity, they do not gossip about others' secrets. Rather, they keep secrets well. Wise people do not belittle others in front of them but know when to remain silent.

2. The wise have many counselors.

Look at Proverbs 11:14: “For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.” Humble people possess wisdom and have wise counselors. Therefore, humble people consult wise advisers (Proverbs 15:22; 20:18) in order to make wise decisions. The Bible shows us that King David, especially in times of war, employed advisers to secure victory. His son, the wise King Solomon, also used counselors (2 Samuel 8:15-18; 1 Kings 12:6). King Solomon himself said in Proverbs 24:6: “For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.” If wise King Solomon sought counsel, how much more should we? We should pray to God and consult wise spiritual mentors, seeking their advice, and make wise decisions. By doing so, we will achieve victory and experience peace in our lives (Proverbs 11:14).

3. The wise do not want to be surety for others.

Look at Proverbs 11:15: “Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.” We were already warned about being surety for others in Proverbs 6:1-5. In other words, Solomon warns us not to pledge responsibility for someone’s debt, especially if we know they cannot repay it, and the person defaults. The Bible warns us not to become a surety when we are not prepared to take responsibility for the debt or if we are tricked into becoming a surety without the financial means to fulfill the obligation. Solomon reaffirms this wisdom in Proverbs 11:15, saying that wise people do not want to be surety for others, and they are safe.

4. The wise win people.

Look at Proverbs 11:30: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.” This verse was our church’s theme verse for 2006, and our theme was “Be a Soul Winner!” That year, we focused on what it means to be someone who wins souls, learning from Charles Spurgeon’s book The Soul Winner. I applied the seven lessons from that book to wise people and made the following comparisons:

• (a) The wise who win souls have a holy character.

• (b) The wise who win souls live a high standard of spiritual life.

• (c) The wise who win souls are humble.

• (d) The wise who win souls have living faith.

• (e) The wise who win souls are genuinely zealous.

• (f) The wise who win souls have a great simplicity of heart.

• (g) The wise who win souls fully surrender themselves to God.

In this way, those who are wise in God’s eyes have a positive influence on others, leading them to walk in the way of wisdom.

Secondly, those who receive God's favor are the honest ones.

Let us look at Proverbs 11:3: “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the perversity of the unfaithful destroys them.” Here, the “integrity” of the upright refers to the righteousness they pursue from the heart. In other words, the upright desire righteousness and walk in the path of righteousness, and because of this, they come to life (Park Yun-Seon). In contrast, the Bible says that the wicked destroy themselves through their own perversity (verse 3, latter part). So, what does the perversity of the wicked, which leads to their own destruction, refer to here? Look at verse 1: “The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with Him.” In other words, the perversity of the wicked is the use of dishonest scales. In other words, the perversity of the wicked is lying. Ultimately, the wicked, by turning away from God's truth and seeking falsehood, destroy themselves. However, the upright, who long for righteousness and walk in its path, reject falsehood and live according to God's righteous word. Therefore, the upright are saved because of their righteousness, as verse 6 of our passage says. And look at verse 11 of our passage today: "Through the blessing of the upright, a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked, it is destroyed." What does this mean? A city is exalted because of the blessings, or the prayers of the upright. More specifically, it means that a city is praised and lifted up by the people because of one righteous person living in it. How is this possible? It is because the citizens of the city see the blessings that this righteous person enjoys from God and thus praise and exalt the city (Walvoord).

Shouldn’t we be those upright people? Shouldn’t our city be blessed by God because of the righteousness of us Christians, so that the citizens of this city not only praise and lift us up, but also elevate the city itself? In this sense, I think the current city evangelization movements happening here and there are meaningful. I don’t know much about the movement, but I know that it was started in 1972 by the late Pastor Kim Jun-Gon in Chuncheon. Its purpose was to spread the gospel, with the goal being that all churches within a city (Whole Church) would share the whole gospel (Whole Gospel) to the whole city (Whole City). The content of this city evangelization movement is evangelism, sanctification, and welfare. That is, it is a movement to create a city that is just, holy, and blessed by proclaiming the gospel (Internet). When considering the purpose and content of this movement, I think it has a truly precious goal and content. So, what is our responsibility as Christians to make this purpose and content a reality in a city? Our responsibility is, first, to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. And then, we must be just and holy ourselves. If we want to make our city holy, we Christians must first live holy lives. Especially in light of today’s scripture, we Christians must first be honest. We must first long for righteousness and walk faithfully in the path of righteousness. Indeed, the wise are those who are honest, long for righteousness, and faithfully walk in the path of righteousness.

Thirdly, those who receive God's favor are the perfect ones.

Let us look at Proverbs 11:5: “The righteousness of the upright makes their path straight, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness.” Where can we find the “perfect ones” among us? The “perfect ones” mentioned in this verse refer to those whose “actions are complete.” Look at verse 20: “The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse, but those whose ways are blameless are His delight.” In other words, the perfect one is one whose actions are complete, and one whose actions are complete is one who receives God’s favor. How does someone with complete actions please God? Because they practice “righteousness” (verse 5). In other words, the perfect one who practices complete actions is someone who hates the “false scales” that God detests and loves the “just weights” that God delights in (verse 1). God hates falsehood and delights in justice. Therefore, we must practice the justice that pleases God to receive His favor. When we do this, as we see in verse 5, the Bible says that God will “make our path straight.” What does this mean? It means that when we practice the justice that pleases God, He will remove obstacles from our path and ultimately cause us to prosper (Park Yun-Seon). Of course, the path we walk will be filled with many trials and adversities. However, the Bible teaches us that God will refine those who practice righteousness through the process of trials and adversities, and will ultimately deliver them from these trials, making them prosper. But the wicked fall because of their own wickedness (verse 5). In other words, the wicked will be trapped by their own wickedness and perish (verse 6, latter part).

Fourth, those who are favored by God are merciful people who enjoy showing grace.

Let’s look at Proverbs 11:16-17: “A gracious woman gains honor, and violent men gain riches. A merciful man benefits his own soul, but a cruel man harms his own flesh.” Here, the term "gracious" means "kind-hearted," or “full of grace,” referring to someone who is compassionate and benevolent. Therefore, we can say that those women who are favored by God are gracious because they are generous and enjoy showing grace. Additionally, verse 17 refers to a “merciful person,” which means “a compassionate person.” In other words, those who are favored by God are merciful people who enjoy showing grace.

(1) Merciful people who enjoy showing grace are careful.

Let’s look at Proverbs 11:22: “As a ring of gold in a pig's snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.” In ancient times, women adorned themselves with nose rings to beautify themselves (MacArthur). Now, King Solomon compares a beautiful woman who lacks discretion to a gold ring in a pig’s snout. Can you imagine putting a gold ring in a pig’s snout? Does the pig look more beautiful with a gold ring on its snout? Of course not. Solomon is saying that a woman who is immoral and acts shamelessly is like this (Park Yun-Seon). Dr. Park Yun-Seon said: “A beautiful face, if paired with reckless behavior, will not harmonize. It is like painting the face of a dead body—it may look beautiful, but it is ultimately ugly” (Park Yun-Seon). However, the woman whom God considers beautiful is the gracious woman who enjoys showing mercy. Not only is she morally pure, but she also handles situations with wisdom and discernment. She is generous and enjoys showing grace, yet she does so carefully and wisely, according to her discretion. This is the true beauty of a Christian. Not only is she morally pure, but she shows grace with prudence and discernment, reflecting God’s love. God delights in these kinds of Christians.

(2) Merciful people who enjoy showing grace scatter and give to the needy.

Let’s look at Proverbs 11:24: “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty.” The merciful Christians who enjoy showing grace love to give generously and without holding back ("scattering and giving") (verses 24-25) (Park Yun-Seon). They enjoy making others prosperous, and that is their joy. Moreover, the merciful Christians who enjoy showing grace understand that giving generously with a joyful heart is the secret to becoming wealthier and more prosperous. However, foolish and stubborn people do not understand this secret, and they live in anxiety, hoarding excessively while being stingy when it comes to giving to others or helping those in need. The Bible says that such people will become poor (verse 24). Moreover, in verse 26, the Bible says that those who are stingy in giving to others will be "cursed by the people" (the people will curse him). Isn’t this true? Who would praise or like someone who is stingy with their giving? Naturally, people would speak ill of such a person. The principle is simple: it is “generosity.” Just as God the Father gives generously to us, Christians who are favored by God are those who generously give to others, especially in helping those in need. How can these Christians give generously and without reservation? Because they fervently seek goodness and have received abundant grace from God (verse 27), they can give abundantly to others. Furthermore, those who are favored by God do not rely on their wealth (verse 28), but trust in God, and that is why they can give generously to others. God delights in such people.

Lastly, fifth, those who are favored by God are the righteous.

Let's look at Proverbs 11:8 today: "The righteous is delivered from trouble, but the wicked goes on his way." King Solomon is not saying that the righteous have no troubles. Rather, he is saying that the righteous do face troubles, but they are delivered from them. In verse 21 of today's passage, the Bible says that the descendants of the righteous will also be saved. Even in the midst of such troubles, the true desire of the righteous is good (verse 23). What does this mean? It means that, even in trouble, the righteous do not focus on the painful circumstances but focus "only" (verse 23) on the goodness of God. Why is this? It is because the righteous believe that, even in the midst of trouble, God, who is good, works everything together for good. Therefore, the righteous, by trusting in God's goodness during their troubles, do not commit injustice but firmly uphold righteousness (verse 19) despite facing all kinds of adversity and crises. When they do this, God will reward them (verse 18). That reward means that, in the end, God will allow the righteous to taste and know His goodness (Psalm 34:8).

Certainly, God rewards. Let's look at Proverbs 11:31 today: "If the righteous will be rewarded on the earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!" God definitely rewards both the righteous and the wicked (sinner). The reward for the righteous is that God will deliver them from their troubles (verses 8 and 21), and also, God will make them prosperous (verse 10). Ultimately, God will make the righteous "like a green leaf that flourishes" (verse 28). And God will make the righteous bear fruit, gaining souls (verse 30).

I want to end this reflection with a meditation. As I reflected on today's passage, I remembered a verse from the Bible, Zephaniah 3:17: "The Lord your God is in your midst, the Mighty One, who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." This verse, which says that God cannot contain His joy because of you and me, makes us realize that we cannot help but be thankful for God's grace and love. Therefore, we must strive even more to become the children of God who make Him rejoice. To do so, like the lesson given in today's passage, we must be humble, honest, complete (with good works), enjoy showing grace and mercy, and walk in the way of righteousness. I pray that you and I will be established as such.