Wisdom to Avoid Evil

Proverbs 27:1-14

1 Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you do not know what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
But a fool's wrath is heavier than both of them.
4 Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,
But who is able to stand before jealousy?

5 Open rebuke is better
Than love carefully concealed.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

7 A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb,
But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest
Is a man who wanders from his place.

9 Ointment and perfume delight the heart,
And the sweetness of a man's friend gives delight by hearty counsel.
10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend,
Nor go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity;
Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,
That I may answer him who reproaches me.
12 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself;
The simple pass on and are punished.

13 Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress.

14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,
It will be counted a curse to him.

It is wise and prudent to see evil coming and avoid it, not ignoring or charging into it.  Such pride assumes we can make tomorrow what we can make it to be instead of what the sovereign God has for us.  If we do well, others will tell us.  We dare not puff ourselves up by our own inflated words as if all is in our power and planning, especially when we do not even avoid evil around and before us.  The anger of fools in denying God’s sovereign work in us is heavier than rocks and sand, and the torrent of anger from cruel burning wrath (2 Corinthians 12:20) in rebellion against God reaches its pinnacle in outbursts of jealousy (Galatians 5:20) when denied self-exaltation.  This is why rebuke or required to help each other from acting foolishly, even when wounds hurt from the love spoken in truth.  To conceal care in the name of love and let these things fester and grow is not love at all; even God corrects us with strong discipline when required in love.  Who are we to do otherwise?  If we hunger for righteousness then we yearn to do things God’s way, the sweetness of the suffering and of the joyous moments all are worth pursuing for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28).  If we wander from these things we become like a lost bird without the safety of the nest.  If we then counsel each other to identify evil and then to avoid it, this instruction and discipline of obedience is a sweet scent of love as Philippians 4:18 brings to mind.  We should not forget or ignore a friend in need, but seek wise counsel and solace as we give the same to each other.  The writer taught these things out of his own failures and found joy in the ones who listened to wise advice.  Then he could confidently bear witness of his faithfulness when asked.  Yes, we teach each other to be prudent in wise avoidance of looming evil and due punishment instead of charging into it as if we have superhuman strength instead of supernatural wisdom to deal rightly with the clear and present danger we face.  We are to look after each other and not falsely shout hollow blessings as if to wake the dead.  Private counsel and correction is  what helps settle pride and allows Christ to bring His sanctifying work into each of us in honing each other as we see later in verse 17.  These are lessons of gaining wisdom to avoid evil, teaching us to develop and use Wisdom to Avoid Evil, not to proudly charge into it as if to overcome it in our own strength and ability.