Proverbs 17:8 (KJV)
A gift is as a precious
stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
The word for gift, in
this verse, means “a bribe or a reward”. It is not a positive thing, this “precious stone in the eyes of him
that hath it.”
I want to present to you
three verses in the proverbs that sound very similar.
Full disclosure, this is
the only one[1] where the Hebrew word
literally includes “bribe”. But all three words mean: gift and reward.
The commentaries, for
the most part, view these passages as being of the same nature and I think I am
in safe territory grouping them together.
I call this lesson, It’s No Gift.
The point of a true gift
is that it comes with no strings, attachments or expectations.
A true gift is given:
· Freely
· Generously and
· Charitably
It is given – merely to
be a blessing.
What is described in the
passages we will consider this morning might not cost money, but they are
certainly not free.
*I. THE GIFT THAT TURNS THE EYE
Proverbs 17:8 (KJV)
A gift is as a precious
stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
Picture here the diamond
that sparkles in the light.
Every time you move it,
a new facet shines and grabs your attention.
This gift costs your heart.
There are some things
that, to look upon them, causes such temptation that you believe you have to
have them.
They become like idols
in your heart. You have to have them to such an extreme that you become blind
to any negative consequences to having them.
I am reminded of
Proverbs 23:1-3 (KJV)
When thou sittest to eat
with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
And put a knife to thy
throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Be not desirous of his
dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
For some people, food
has such control of them that they can be persuaded to do and give about
anything for it.
· For some people, it is a vehicle – the great American god.
· For some it is a house –
· It can be just about anything, if it is that thing that you
become convinced you have to have and your life will be better for the having
of it.
Life is never better for the having of things.
Things can be enjoyed,
that is true.
But if you are not
happy, content and already filled with joy, no thing will make you happy.
*II. THE GIFT THAT EXPECTS PROMOTION
Proverbs 18:16 (KJV)
A man's gift maketh room
for him, and bringeth him before great men.
This gift costs respect.
The Bible teaches to be
no respecter of persons.
James 2:1-4 (KJV)
My brethren, have not
the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
For if there come unto
your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also
a poor man in vile raiment;
And ye have respect to
him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good
place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
Are ye not then partial
in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Almost everybody gets
the idea that James is teaching us that we don’t have to dress up to come to
church.
That is a complete
fabrication and wrests the Scriptures from their meaning to promote a fleshly
desire to come into God’s presence as we please.
Consider; if I can come
before God in casual clothes what I am saying is that I am as good as God is.
The point of James is
not that we can dress down to come to church.
The point is that we do not allow a person’s
wealth to influence their position in the church.
Exodus 23:8 (KJV)
And thou shalt take no
gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the
righteous.
The wisest and the most
righteous person in the church, the one we might ought listen to, may not be
the one with the most money.
There is then
*III. THE GIFT THAT DEFERS JUDGMENT
Proverbs 21:14 (KJV)
A gift in secret
pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.
Here is a gift at the cost of justice.
Proverbs 17:23 (KJV)
A wicked man taketh a
gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.
Most of the passages
that have to do with bribery deal with the subject of perverting judgment.
In some countries the
problem is – if not worse, at least less concealed.
I have heard of
missionaries who have parted fellowships over the issue:
· One missionary sees bribing officials as a cultural thing
you just have to accept and use to your benefit.
· Another missionary to the same country sees bribery for any
reason as enabling that which is unjust and thereby making the problem worse.
My take on the missions
thing is
A. I am not there so I can’t say for sure what
I would or would not do.
I think it is pretty
trusting of our sin nature to believe that just because we say a thing is wrong,
we won’t do it if tempted or pressured enough.
What if you were trapped
in a foreign country?
· You child is deathly sick and needs to be life flighted back
to the States
· The government will not give you permission to let her leave
without proper documentation but
· If you pay the official a couple of hundred dollars he will
look the other way when you climb onto the plane
I think the most holy of
us would give the guy $200 to save our child’s life.
Having said that,
B. It is purely unscriptural to either give or
accept a bribe to influence a judgment and
A missionary ought to be
on the field to be an influence for right, and not to encourage an injustice.
I imagine that bribery
is a problem in the United States as well, but I think it probably exists on a
level higher than I am privy to witness.
The lesson for us this
morning is simply, don’t be fooled by the false gift.
A true gift is always
given with no strings attached, and no hidden cost or consequence.
Be thankful for the gift
but
Don’t be tricked by the
bribe.
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