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Proverbs 21 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
A very intriguing verse in this chapter of Proverbs includes a reference back to the days of King Saul.
“Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”
Proverbs 21:3 HCSB
From a New Covenant perspective, we might read this and assume the writer is speaking of sacrificing our lives to Jesus. That application, however, does not fit the overall context of Scripture. This is an Old Testament reference to the animal sacrifices required time and time again for the sins of Israel.
In 1 Samuel 15, King Saul is told to go and destroy the Amalekites. He is told to slaughter even the animals in the city. However, he brings back a slew of “the best” sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord. He disobeyed what the Lord had told him to do, and then justified it with a “spiritual angle.” The prophet Samuel was furious and rebuked him in verse 22…
“Then Samuel said: Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.”
1 Samuel 15:22 HCSB
This is a serious matter with the Lord, because we see it many times in Scripture…
“You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; You are not pleased with a burnt offering.”
Psalms 51:16 HCSB
“For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Hosea 6:6 HCSB
What does this mean for us today under the New Covenant? In Matthew, we see Jesus (just as serious as God is about the same issue) give a scathing rebuke the Pharisees…
“”Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. These things should have been done without neglecting the others.”
Matthew 23:23 HCSB
Essentially, what God is getting at through all of these passages is that He is not concerned with “going through the motions,” but rather, your true heart posture. Anyone can check items off a list. It takes humility and obedience to truly allow the Holy Spirit to change a heart.
Don’t be fooled by people who take bits and pieces of Scripture and justify their “half-truth” behavior with a spiritual angle. This is essentially the modern-day version of what King Saul was doing. He obeyed *part* of what God had told him, and then justified disobedience by trying to sound spiritual. As you can see from both God’s response to Saul and Jesus’ response to the Pharisees, it did not turn out well.
Hi,
(Proverbs 21: 29) says,
‘ God directeth His ways to
the righteous.’
This is one way of a brief explanation with the explanatory verses, about righteous people _:
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[The similar words for
righteous are : Virtuous,
Just man( Eccle.7:20) , upright in heart ( Psa. 94 : 15 )honest, innocent, faultless blameless,
guiltless,noble, honourable, sinless, pious, God fearing, sensible. & Godly people.]
(1 Peter 3 : 12) says :’ The eyes of the Lord are over
the righteous & his ears
are open unto their prayers.’
(Proverbs 15: 8 )says, ‘The prayer of the upright
is God’s delight.’
(Proverbs 3 : 32)says,
‘God’s Secret is with the righteous.’
(Psalm 146 : 8) says,
‘He loveth the righteous .’
( Psalm 14 : 5 )says,
‘God is in the generation
of the righteous.’
( Proverbs 21: 3)says,
‘ To do justice & judgment
is more acceptable to Him than sacrifice.’
( Psalm 116: 15)says,’The death of God’s saints is precious in the sight of
Him .’ And,
(Psalm 5 :12 ) Says,
‘The righteous gets the blessings from God .’ _:
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These are the blessings _:
1) ‘The righteous shall
flourish like the palm tree.’
( Psalm 92: 12)
2) ( Psalm 64 : 10 ).
‘He shall be glad in God,
& shall trust in him ,’
3)’ God shall never suffer
the righteous to be moved, He shall sustain him. ‘
(Psalm 55 : 22 )
4)’LORD upholdeth the righteous.'( Psalm 37 : 17)
5)’ HE knows how to
rescue godly people from their trials.’ ( 2 Peter 2 : 9 )
6)’The righteous shall inherit the land & dwell therein for ever.’ ( Psalm 37 : 29 )
7)’ The righteous will
shine forth as the sun in
the kingdom of Father.’
(Matthew 13:43)
Question : Who can
become rightous ?
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Answer :
! ) ‘Who worship God & do According to His will.’
(John 9 : 31)
!!) Who keeps faith on God.
(Romans 3:28).Gentiles
i.e heathen can also
become righteous by keeping faith.(Gal.3 : 8 )
!!!) ‘He that hath clean
hands & a pure heart ;who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,nor sworn deceitfully.'(Psa.24 : 4-5 )
Who departs from evil.
( Proverbs 16 : 17 )
& do not putforth
his hands to iniquity. ‘
(Psalm 125 : 3)
iv) Who does the works.
(James 2 : 24)
But not the works of
the Law.’ ( Gal. 2 :16)
v) Who shows mercy.’
( Psalm 37 : 21)
The examples of righteous
people in the Bible :
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1)Daniel & Job.
(Eze.14:14)(Gen. 6:9)
Noah,( Genesis 7: 1)
‘The LORD said unto Noah, Come thou & all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me
in this generation.’
2) Lot: (2 Peter 2: 8)
3) Abraham, Isaac, David
& Solomon.
4) Priest Melchizedek .
(Gen. 14:18)
5) Joseph Of Arimathea,
(Lk.23:50)states, ‘Behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; he
was a good man & a just.’
6) Abel. (Mt. 23:35)
(Hebrews 11:4)
‘By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by
which he obtained witness that he was righteous.’
7) Joseph, Mary ‘s
husband. (Mt. 1:19)
8. Cornelius(Acts 10:22)
‘ Cornelius the centurion, a just man & one that feareth God & of good report
among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from
God by an holy angel.’
9. John The Baptist.
(Mk. 6:20)
10.Zacharias & his wife Elisabeth. (Luke 1:6)’And they were both righteous before God, walking in all
the commandments & ordinances of the Lord blameless.’
11. Elisabeth. (Lk. 1:5-6)
12. Simeon.(Lk.2:25) says,
‘Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon & the same
man was just & devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel & the Holy Ghost was upon him.’
13, Rahab (James 2:25)
Pharisees were not righteous :Jesus said to them, ‘Ye outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of
hypocrisy & iniquity.’
‘( Matthew 23 : 28)
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