The Wise Righteous

[Proverbs 29:6-11]

Dear friends, we all have heard the words "praise and worship" many times, so we probably have a good understanding of what they mean. But what do you think "praise" is, and what do you think "worship" is? I still remember reading a book a long time ago, written by Pastor Hong Seong-geon, who served in the Jesus Mission, about praise and worship. In the book, Pastor Hong explained that "praise" is honoring the works God has done for us, and "worship" is honoring the existence of God, meaning worshiping God for who He is. When I read this, I was somewhat convinced—it really touched my heart. Especially when I thought about the difference between praise and worship, I realized that, no matter what situation I find myself in, I should worship God. The reason is that, even though there are times when I do not understand the things God is doing in my life, and even though there are countless times when I cannot praise God with faith, I must still worship God when I come to know and believe in His sovereignty. In Nehemiah 9:6, we see that the Levites—Joshua, Gadmiel, Bani, Hasabniah, Serabiah, Hodiah, Sebaniah, and Pedaiah—said to the people of Israel, “You alone are the LORD” (6). When I meditated on this verse, I realized that we, too, must confess, "You alone are the LORD" (6). We must confess that "The Lord is God" (7). The reason is that our God is righteous, and He is faithful to fulfill the promises He made to us; He is the God who forgives all our sins and saves us with great mercy. That is why we must sincerely confess, "O God, You are my God."

There is a gospel song in English titled “Step by Step.” The lyrics of this song say: "Oh God, You are my God, And I will ever praise you..." (O God, You are my God, and I will forever praise You…).

Today, under the title "The Wise Righteous," I would like to learn three lessons about how the wise righteous person behaves.

First, the wise righteous person sings and rejoices.

Let us look at the main passage today, Proverbs 29:6: "The wicked snare themselves by their own sin, but the righteous sing and rejoice" [(Modern Korean Bible) "The wicked are caught in their own sin, but the righteous sing and rejoice"]. This verse tells us that the Bible says the righteous sing and rejoice. Why is that? Why do the righteous sing and rejoice? Is it because something good has happened to them? After all, no one sings and rejoices when something bad happens, right? So, what good thing happens to the righteous that makes them sing and rejoice? To answer this question, we need to consider the first half of verse 6. Let’s look at the first half of Proverbs 29:6: "The wicked snare themselves by their own sin..." Isn’t it natural for the wicked to sin? The wicked sin because they are wicked, not because they are righteous. One of the sins of the wicked is mentioned in Proverbs 29:10: "Those who delight in the shedding of blood hate the upright, and seek the life of the innocent." In other words, one of the sins of the wicked is that they hate the upright and the innocent and delight in shedding their blood. It is natural for the wicked to hate the upright and the innocent. One reason for this is that the sin of the wicked is exposed by the upright and the innocent (cf. Ephesians 5:11). What is the result of this wickedness? In other words, what happens when the wicked hate the upright and innocent and seek to shed their blood? In Proverbs 28:10, we read: "Whoever leads the upright along an evil path will fall into their own trap..." The result of the wicked is that they fall into their own trap (28:10). Today, Proverbs 29:6 says: "They snare themselves" (or "are caught in their own trap" in the Modern Korean Bible). Additionally, in Proverbs 12:13, the Bible says: "The wicked are ensnared by the transgression of their lips..." This verse also says that the wicked are caught in a snare. In the previous verse, Proverbs 12:5, the Bible says: "He who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet." And in today’s passage, verse 6 says, "The wicked snare themselves," showing that the wicked not only hate the upright and the innocent but also flatter others and, in the end, trap themselves.

Now, if we think about the righteous, we can understand more easily by considering the opposite behavior. In other words, the righteous do not sin like the wicked, and therefore, they do not snare themselves. The Bible also tells us in Proverbs 12:13, "The righteous escape from trouble." This verse helps us understand why the righteous sing and rejoice (29:6). The reason the righteous sing and rejoice is because the Lord delivers them from trouble. Although the wicked persecute (or oppress) the righteous, the Lord rescues the righteous from their trouble. Therefore, even in the midst of suffering and persecution, the righteous stand firm in their faith, praising and rejoicing in God. Their praise is the praise of salvation, and their joy is the joy of salvation.

Then the question we can ask is, how could Paul and Silas, who were imprisoned in Acts 16, still praise God? In other words, the question is: how could they praise God while still in prison, before being delivered from it? As I raised this question, I meditated once again on the passage about Paul and Silas in Acts 16. And I was struck by the fascinating providence of God. The reason for this is that Paul and Silas, upon arriving in Philippi (Acts 16:12), were looking for a place of prayer (verses 13, 16), but their place of prayer was actually the deep prison. Furthermore, Paul ended up being imprisoned after casting out a spirit from a slave girl who had a spirit of divination (verses 16-18), and both he and Silas were locked up. Yet, in prison, they prayed and praised God (verses 23-25). Isn’t that interesting? Isn’t it fascinating that God doesn’t just make us pray in a sanctuary but also leads us to pray in places like a deep prison?

But how were Paul and Silas able to pray and praise God in prison (verse 25)? They had not yet been delivered from prison by the Lord—how could they praise God in such a situation? In my opinion, Paul and Silas could do so because they believed that God would deliver them from the prison. In other words, they had the faith in the God of salvation and the assurance of salvation that God would rescue them from the prison. Because of this belief and assurance, they praised God even in the prison. Shouldn’t we, like Paul and Silas, praise God in any circumstance, having such faith and assurance of salvation?

Brothers and sisters, we must become wise righteous people. A wise righteous person sings and rejoices. The reason for this is the God of salvation. Even though the wicked hate the wise righteous and commit sin, it becomes a trap for the wicked themselves. On the surface, the righteous may suffer persecution from the wicked, but even in that suffering, a wise righteous person can praise and rejoice because it is due to the grace of salvation that God has given them through Jesus Christ. Look at Isaiah 38:20: "The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the Lord" (Modern Translation: "The Lord will save me, and we will sing and praise with stringed instruments in the Lord's temple all our lives").

Secondly, a wise righteous person understands the plight of the poor.

Who do you think understands your circumstances the best? Is it your spouse? Your parents? Your closest friend? If someone understands your circumstances well, I believe it is proof that the person loves you deeply. However, no matter how well someone knows your situation, they cannot fully understand it. Still, we are comforted and strengthened by the person who understands our situation. In this way, as we get to know the circumstances of those we love, we come to realize that no one, no family, is without their own struggles. For example, a couple may appear happy and without problems on the surface, but as you talk to them, you realize that they have their own private issues, and it is hard to fully understand them.

In the Old Testament, in Genesis 40:14, Joseph, who had been falsely accused and imprisoned, interpreted the dream of Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and said, “When it goes well with you, remember me and show kindness to me by mentioning me to Pharaoh and getting me out of this prison." Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him and plead his case to Pharaoh, hoping to be released from prison. However, the cupbearer forgot about Joseph for two full years. He didn’t bring Joseph's case before Pharaoh. Then, after two years, Pharaoh had a dream, and the cupbearer remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him (41:9-13). As a result, Joseph was brought before Pharaoh, interpreted the dream, and became the governor of Egypt.

As I reflected on this story, I wrote this: “If someone who knows my circumstances had prospered, they should have remembered me and shown me kindness, but they forgot about me. (Genesis 40:14, 23). I could have been discouraged, but instead, I trusted in God, who knows my circumstances better than anyone else, and I placed my hope in Him. Two years later, God caused the person who knew my circumstances to remember me through an opportunity. And he listened to my request. As a result, God not only saved me but also exalted me.”

Brothers and sisters, our God knows our circumstances better than anyone else. We must trust in that God and place our hope in Him.

Now, look at Proverbs 29:7: “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern” (Modern Translation: “The righteous think about the plight of the poor, but the wicked do not understand such things”). The Bible tells us that the righteous care about the circumstances of the poor. They care about the poor and show compassion to them (14:31, 19:17), provide them with food (22:9), and help them (28:27). A righteous king will defend the rights of the poor faithfully (29:14) and protect their lives (verse 10, Modern Translation). However, the Bible says that the wicked have no understanding of the poor's situation (29:7). The wicked not only turn a deaf ear to the cries of the poor (21:13) but also ignore them (28:27). The reason is that the wicked harden their hearts against the poor (Deuteronomy 15:7). Instead, the wicked mock the poor (Proverbs 17:5), threaten them (13:8), and even oppress them to gain their own profit (22:16).

A biblical example of this is King Ahab in 1 Kings 21. Even though he had a more beautiful vineyard, he desired Naboth's vineyard, which was closer to his palace (1-2). When Naboth refused to sell it, citing the law of God, Ahab became upset and refused to eat (4). Seeing this, his wife Jezebel asked him what was troubling him, and Ahab explained his frustration (5-6). In response, Jezebel devised a plan to have Naboth killed and take his vineyard for Ahab (1 Kings 21:7-15). The Bible tells us that Ahab sold himself to do evil in the sight of God (20, 25), and there was no one like him in this regard (v. 25).

Dear friends, Isaiah 32:7 says, "The vile person devises wicked plans, and he speaks lies to destroy the poor, even when the poor speak rightly." [(Modern Bible) "The main weapon of a bad man is evil. He devises wicked plans and destroys the poor with lies, even when they speak rightly, he traps them."] What does this mean? It means that the wicked devise evil plans to destroy the poor with lies, and even when the poor speak the truth, they are oppressed. Do the wicked care about the plight of the poor? No, the wicked not only do not care about the situation of the poor, but they also cannot understand it. The reason is that the wicked have no knowledge to comprehend it (Prov. 29:7). Therefore, the wicked oppress the poor people (28:15), and corrupt judges give unfair verdicts to the poor, depriving them of their rights (Isa. 10:2). But the righteous understand the plight of the poor (Prov. 29:7). The righteous will relieve the grievances of the poor and rescue the children of the needy (Psalm 72:4). The righteous who know God solve the problems of the poor and handle everything well (Jer. 22:16, Modern Bible). Above all, the righteous bring good news to the poor (Isa. 61:1). In other words, the righteous preach the gospel to the poor (Luke 7:22).

Dear friends, Jesus preached the gospel to the poor (Luke 7:22). The Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, has come upon us, so we must preach the gospel to the poor (Luke 4:18). We should have compassion on the poor (Prov. 28:8), care for them (Psalm 41:1), and also help them with mercy (Esther 9:22).

Lastly, thirdly, the wise and righteous person calms anger.

While reading the book The Heart of Remarriage by Gary and Greg Smalley, I began to think that righteous anger is necessary in marital relationships. The reason is that righteous anger can bring healthy change in the relationship. However, unrighteous anger destroys the relationship through sinful words and actions. In my opinion, one of the major problems in a marriage is the inability to control anger. If one partner cannot control their anger, even the smallest spark of conflict can become a fire that burns the entire relationship. Therefore, we should not express our anger towards our family members. It is also a bad habit to express sinful anger to family members. One way to correct this bad habit is to first humbly acknowledge why we are angry and admit that it is often our own fault.

Look at Proverbs 29:8: "The arrogant stir up strife, but the wise turn away wrath" [(Modern Bible) "The arrogant and cynical people stir up the city, but the wise calm the anger"]. Here, it says, "The arrogant stir up strife in the city..." The arrogant ones are those who are proud and angry. These people fan the flames of discord and cause the city to be in turmoil (MacArthur). Let’s look at Proverbs 26:21: "As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife" [(Modern Bible) "As charcoal makes the fire blaze, and as wood adds fuel to the burning fire, so does a man who loves to argue stir up strife"]. Can you imagine this? If you add charcoal to an ember or wood to a fire, what will happen? The fire will grow larger, right? Likewise, people who love to argue fan the flames of a small disagreement, turning it into a big conflict.

That’s why Proverbs 29:9 says: "When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no rest" [(Modern Bible) "When a wise man and a foolish man have a dispute, the foolish one’s anger or laughter does not end easily"]. The proud and angry person, who likes to argue, is the fool, and the fool's anger is more dangerous than that of a bear robbed of her cubs, as Proverbs 17:12 says. Why is this? The reason is that the foolish person is irrational when angry (MacArthur). Can you imagine it? A foolish person immediately shows irrational anger (12:16). The foolish person not only expresses anger irrationally but also harbors it for a long time, and in the end, he may even kill someone. We can see an example of this in the Old Testament with Absalom, the son of David. He harbored anger for two years against Amnon, who raped his sister Tamar, and finally killed him. When a person harbors anger for a long time, they inevitably commit sin (Park Yun-seon).

Harboring anger for a long time can cause disturbances, not only in the family but also in the church. Therefore, I believe we should avoid people who get angry easily (Prov. 12:16). We should keep distance from those who hold onto twisted thoughts and anger for a long time (2 Sam. 13). We should never meet with people who are irrational and unreasonable when they get angry (Prov. 17:12).

In today's passage, in the second part of Proverbs 29:8, we are told who we should get close to: "...but the wise turn away wrath." The proud person, who easily gets angry, causes turmoil in the family, church, and city, but the wise calm the anger of the enraged. How does the wise person calm the anger of the one who is angry? Let’s think of a couple of ways:

(1) First, let’s look at Proverbs 15:18: “A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms a dispute” [(Modern Translation) “A quick-tempered person stirs up arguments, but one who rarely gets angry puts an end to a quarrel”].
A wise person does not get angry easily. As stated in the latter part of Proverbs 29:11, the wise person restrains their anger. In other words, they are slow to anger (James 1:19).
They are not quick-tempered. They also put an end to disputes (Proverbs 15:18). However, when we are quick-tempered and get angry easily, we can only cause conflicts. The reason is that in the midst of anger, we fail to control our words and end up speaking recklessly, using harsh words that wound others (v. 4). Therefore, when we are angry, we need to keep our mouths shut. In other words, when we are angry, we should control our speech. The reason for this is that if we cannot control our anger, our words may become harsh (v. 1). Thus, we should be slow to speak when angry because our words could hurt the hearts of others (James 1:19).

(2) Also, look at Proverbs 25:15: “By long forbearance a ruler is persuaded, and a soft tongue breaks the bone” [(Modern Translation) “A patient persuasion can turn even the heart of a stubborn ruler, and a soft tongue can break bones”].
A wise person speaks softly. And as the Bible says, their gentle words can “break the bones,” meaning they can accomplish even the hardest tasks (Walvoord).
What kind of hard task can the gentle tongue of a wise person accomplish? The Bible says that a gentle tongue can even turn the heart of a "ruler" (v. 15). Here, "ruler" refers to a high-ranking official, such as a judge. Someone who seeks a fair judgment from an unjust judge might be frustrated due to the judge’s negligence, but the wise person maintains a gentle attitude, and even the judge will be moved (Park Yun-seon). How is this possible? How can we turn the heart of an unjust judge with a gentle tongue? It is possible through “patient persuasion” (v. 15).
I’m reminded of Proverbs 15:1: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” [(Modern Translation) “A gentle answer calms anger, but a harsh word stirs it up”].
A wise person calms the anger of others with gentle words. I pray that both you and I may be wise people who calm anger.

Let me close this meditation with these thoughts: We must become wise and righteous people. The wise righteous sing and rejoice. The reason is that the Lord delivers the righteous from their troubles. In other words, the reason the wise righteous sing and rejoice is because of the God of salvation. Even though they may face suffering, the wise righteous can still praise and rejoice in the midst of it because of the grace of salvation that God has given them in Jesus Christ.
The wise righteous understand the plight of the poor. They help resolve the injustices that the poor suffer and rescue the children of the needy. Moreover, those who know God, the righteous, solve the problems of people in difficult circumstances and handle everything wisely. Above all, the righteous bring good news to the poor. In other words, the righteous preach the gospel to the poor.
The wise righteous calm anger. The wise person rarely gets angry. Rather, they suppress their anger and are slow to become angry. With soft words and gentle answers, they not only calm the anger of others but also bring peace by using patience and persuasion to calm their anger. I pray that both you and I may become such wise and righteous people.