AN ANSWER TO THE UNHOLY

Proverbs 25:19-25 (KJV)

Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.

As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.

The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.

As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

I am intrigued by the fact that there are three obviously unholy characters and, alongside them three accompanying, and less caustic characters.

It occurred to me that the second set might be viewed as an answer to the first.

I admit to a little bit of stretch to make this reach, but listen and see if you can’t see what I mean.

I. AN UNFAITHFUL MAN

Proverbs 25:19-20 (KJV)

Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.

As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

Notice this phrase, “Confidence in an unfaithful man.”

See if you don’t think this is interesting:

The words confidence and unfaithful are related words.

The Hebrew word for confidence comes from another word[1]that means, “to hide for refuge and to trust.”

The Hebrew word[2]for unfaithful means, “to cover up and to deceive.”

I think we tend to think of unfaithfulness as sort of a passive problem.

·   When a person cannot be trusted to show up on time

·   When a person cannot be trusted to keep their word

·   When a person cannot be trusted to do what they promise to do

I think we tend to think of that as a character flaw akin to laziness.

We almost excuse the unfaithful person.

·   They didn't, at least we think, mean to cause us the harm they did by being unfaithful.

·   They just didn't do what we thought they would do because they are unfaithful.

But this passage tells us something else.

This passage indicates that, whether the unfaithful person knows it or not they are activelypillaging, deceiving and harming the cause to which we are committed.

So here we are in trouble.

Because the word “refuge” is found in the definition, I picture some sort of danger.

·   A military unit pinned down, expecting another unit to come to their aide

·   A family being victimized, hoping for the police to come

·   An dangerously injured motorist, waiting for a medic

What would you think if the help they needed didn’t show because, well, they were not committed enough to show?

You know, 

·   The paramedic was coming, eventually, but he hadn’t gassed up his truck or he misplaced his keys.

·   The police would have gotten there, but he waited until some backup got their with him

·   These reinforcements were just a little bit late because they didn’t have their gear ready when the call for help came

In the case of life and death trouble, to be careless and unfaithful is to participate in the tragedy that’s unfolding.

Now put that into the context of things that may seem to beless critical.

·   You teach a Sunday school class but you show up late and sometimes not at all

·   You said you would pray for this person what you meant was to say that you would pray, not that you really would pray

·   You signed up to take a meal to a grieving family, but some other things came up and you forgot

You see, to be unfaithful, to be the sort of person that cannot be trusted is to be the sort of person who is harmful, not just not faithful.

Now notice with me what I think is the answer to an unfaithful character

An Heavy Heart

Vs 20

When we think of the heavy heart we might first think about someone who is down and depressed – sad.

But that kind of doesn’t sound right with the context.

Singing songs can help the person who is sad. It’s not a negative thing at all.

But if you think about a heavy heart as being someone who carries a burden, who has a duty, who is committed to the task he has before him –

To attempt to distract that sort of person with frivolity is a grief to him for sure.

Years ago I asked a particular evangelist to come preach for me in Astoria.

I lived in a rented house that gave me a view of most of the downtown area but this evangelist asked if there was somewhere we could go where we could look over the city and pray for the revival meeting. 

We climbed to the top of the Astoria Column.

I will never forget hearing him pray.

·   I had gone up there to pray for the city lots of times.

·   I had groaned and grieved and cried. But I had a reason.

This was my city and my responsibility and my family’s well being depended on us having at least some success.

None of that was true for this evangelist.

But he had come to preach and, though in five days he would drive off, he was earnestly and honestly burdened to make a difference while he was there.

If you are an unfaithful sort of person, the kind who is not to be trusted, the kind who doesn’t keep your commitments, the kind who can’t be counted upon.

Firstof all I want to challenge you to see how unholy that characteristic is

SecondlyI can tell you the way to fix it is to get a heavy heart. Start believing in something strongly enough that you can’t help but do the right thing.

The second unholy character is

II. A BACKBITING TONGUE

Proverbs 25:21-23 (KJV)

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.

The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

There are two terms set together that each have an ominous reputation in the Bible.

First of all the tongue

James 3:2-10 (KJV)

For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Wow!

… the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

The tongue is a world of iniquity all by itself.

But this is a backbiting one to boot

Romans 1:26-32 (KJV)

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Backbiting

Talking critically about people behind their backs

Is listed among the most wicked sins a reprobate mind can do.

Notice the answer

An Angry Countenance

There are some people who think it is always a sin to be angry.

I do agree that losing our temper – uncontrolled anger, can be a destructive thing.

But let me tell you how to react when someone speaks unkindly to you about another person.

·   Forcefully

·   Insistently

·   Angrily 

Let them know that their behavior is wicked.

·   Do not listen to what they say

·   Do not let them finish what they want to say

·   Do not try even to defend the person they want to speak against

You go on the offensive against their speaking badly about someone to you.

Thirdly there is,

III. A BRAWLING WOMAN

Proverbs 25:24-25 (KJV)

It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.

As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

I brought a message some months ago where I addressed this very woman.

The concept of this brawling woman is that she does not want to be ruled.

She is: 

·   Loud, 

·   Contentious 

·   Angry

And it is because she wants to be in charge. 

She is in rebellion against authority, which ultimately means she is in rebellion against God.

In the message I preached back in January I advised the men around her to leave.[3]

But I think the context tell us how the brawling woman might correct her unholy character with-

A Thirsty Soul

She needs good news.

Firstin the form of the gospel to save her from eternal hell and to reconcile her to God.

Second, in the form of the Word of God, so she can see the treasure God has placed in the soul of the woman.

Thirdlyin the form of grace and in growing in her Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

It might sound like an oversimplification but I can assure you that it is true of all, anyone who refuses to submit to the authorities God has place in our lives:

·   Is not saved or

·   Does not know what Christ has done for him or

·   Is not growing in their relationship with the Lord

Conclusion

·   The answer to unfaithfulness is a serious/heavy heart

·   The answer to a backbiting tongue is an angry, unyielding countenance and

·   The answer to a brawling woman is a soul thirsty to know Jesus better

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[1]Batach

[2]Bagad

[3]January 21, 2018 Up On a Rooftop , Point I. A.

“The thing to do is to get away fast!

Right away someone will say, “Pastor, are you telling me I should leave my wife if she is a brawling woman?”

This passage does not tell us that man is married to her

1. It could be in a business relationship

2. It could be a relationship in view of marriage

If a woman is of the mind that she wants to rule the house, I would want to know that BEFORE I got married to her. And if she was that sort, I would surely not marry her.

3. What happens, you might ask, if you are married already to a woman like that?

I would not leave her, but I would not let her rule the house. I would rather have her kick me out in the streets than to allow her to usurp an authority God did not give her. I would insist she submit to the plan God gave to marriage. It is the husband’s duty to present his wife without blemish before the Lord Jesus Christ. If she refuses him his duty, he would be better off in a hotel than to stay in a home where the woman rules the roost.”