THE SIMPLE, THE EVIL AND THE PRUDENT

Proverbs 14:18-19 (KJV)

The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

If I wanted to give you the whole of the Proverbs in a nutshell, I could just preach tonight’s message and be done with it.

There are some details, some specific lessons such as:

·   Parenting and

·   Stewardship

that would require a look into – but generally speaking, everything that the book of Proverbs teaches, it teaches in these two verses.

There are six characters listed in these two verses:

·   The simple

·   The prudent

·   The evil

·   The good

·   The wicked and

·   The righteous

I will build my message tonight by observing three things about these six characters.

Notice first of all,

I. A PROGRESSION

Proverbs 14:18-19 (KJV)

The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

I noticed the progression first in the more negative of the characters:

·   The simple

·   The Evil and

·   The wicked

A. I would not consider simplicity a negative.

It’s just not a positive.

It’s like darkness.

Darkness is nothing. It’s what is without effort, creation or design.

Genesis 1:1-3 (KJV)

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Darkness is what existed before God created light.

Light had to be added.

Being simple is what a person is by nature. A person does have to try to be simple. You don’t work at or plan on being simple.

It’s what we are before anything is added.

It’s not really a negative, it's just not a positive.

Almost anyone can improve upon simplicity.

It can be done through:

·   Study

·   Counsel

·   Mentoring

·   Practice

The simple can improve upon simplicity simply by trying to improve. Any good thing added is an improvement just like even a little candle is an improvement over darkness.

B. Worse than simple, is evil

The word evil means worthless or bad.

It can also mean wrong.

It sort of gets a bad wrap in our day.

Today someone might say, “Hitler was pure evil.”

No. Hitler was much worse that evil.

Hitler was wicked.

C. The word wicked is the more sinister term.

Wicked means “actively bad.”

The wicked is:

·   Guilty

·   Condemned

·   Ungodly

While the evil might wrong in a thing, the wicked is wrong in his person.

So there is this progression in the negative characters.

As I studied, I soon saw that this same progression could be applied to the positive characters:

·   The prudent

·   The good and

·   The righteous

The word prudent can mean

Cunning, crafty and subtle

It’s used in a positive sense in the text, but none of those have to be positive.

The serpent was subtle.

The word good is better isn’t it?

I can’t think of anything negative about being good.

To be a good person is a good thing.

But there is something better.

It’s better to be righteous

As far as I can tell the best definition of righteous is “hidden in Christ.”

Compared to Jesus Christ all our own righteousness is as filthy rags.

When we got saved, God made us “the righteousness of God in Him.”[1]

There is this progressive nature in the two verses.

Notice secondly

II. A CONTRAST

Proverbs 14:18-19 (KJV)

The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

There are three contrasting characters:

·   The simple and the prudent

·   The evil and the good

·   The wicked and the righteous

Practically speaking, we can define

A. What is simple by what is prudent

If prudent is to be cunning and subtle then to be simple is to be dull and incompetent.

B. What is evil by what is good

If the good are cheerful, kind and pleasant[2] then to be evil is to be gloomy, mean and disagreeable.

C. What is wicked by what is righteous

If the righteous are just and lawful, then the wicked are guilty and condemned

If being righteous is to be hidden in Christ, to be wicked is to be anything but hidden in Christ.

Finally notice

III. A CONCLUSION

Proverbs 14:18-19 (KJV)

The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

In every case, the end of the positive character is to be preferred to that of the negative character.

The simple receive folly: silliness, foolishness- a joke.

The prudent receive knowledge: discernment, skill – respect

The evil bow before – will be humbled in the presence of the good

The good will be honored in the presence of the evil.

“The wicked at the gates of the righteous” seems a bit more challenging to present the outcome so I want to do it by taking you to another passage.

Matthew 25:1-13 (KJV)

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

There is coming a future day when ever knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.[3]

That is the fundamental truth that no man can escape.

Hebrews 9:27 (KJV)

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

The Bible likens the wise virgins to those who had prepared for that day and the foolish virgins to those who have not adequately prepared.

When the day comes, those who are not prepared, or those who thought they were prepared but were not properly prepared are shut out at the gates of the righteous.

That is, by Jesus Christ, the righteous.[4]

Conclusion

Are you properly prepared for His coming?

·   Not just active in church

·   Not just a good sort of person

·   But truly hidden in Jesus Christ

Only that person, who is the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, will enter in the gates when Jesus comes.

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[1] 2 Corinthians 5:21

[2] I pulled those from Strong’s Concordance

[3] Philippians 2:9-11 (KJV)

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

[4] 1 John 2:1 (KJV)

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: