Proverbs 18:3

"When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach."

Wicked - meaning those who are guilty, ungodly, and condemned

cometh - to attain or to carry

contempt - some synonyms for this word would be: disrespect or scorn. A dictionary definition for this word: 1. lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike, 2. a manner that is generally disrespectful and contemptuous, 3. open disrespect for a person or thing, and 4. a willful disobedience to or disrespect for the authority of a court or legislative body .

ignominy - synonyms: shame or dishonor. Definition: a state of dishonor

reproach - a mild rebuke or criticism

So now that we defined some of the main words in this verse we can put them together with a better understanding.

When the guilty, condemned, and ungodly come, then comes the scorn, disrespectful, and willful disobedient, and with shame and dishonor rebuke.

We learn in this verse that the wicked bears nor brings forth nothing good. They are the guilty, condemned, the ungodly. Their character is disrespectful, willfully disobedient, they bring dishonor and shame.

One thing I have learned about shame is that once it has a good hold onto you it's hard to destroy. It eats you up and eventually uses you to cause shame in other people. No one likes to show what they are ashamed of.  What causes us to be ashamed? Criticism! When people point out our faults we become ashamed.

In this verse I also hear a warning: And that is: we must be careful of our surroundings! Last Sunday Evening  the message was about 'Drinking from the Right Well' and the speaker said this, "It takes a special grace to not partake of the world! We must not drink of the waters of this world" If we don't have that special grace and we find ourselves surrounded by the wrong environment, life will be hard and no guarantee of staying on the path! We must have Grace!!! I'll admit the only thing that keeps me going at my job is the Grace of God. If His Grace isn't there then I know I must move on to another place. I have felt life with His Grace and without His Grace and I cannot life without it! Stay with His Grace!

I want to conclude by saying this: Please remember when this: when the wicked come he bring willful disrespect, shame, dishonor, and criticism.

Amen

God Bless!

Your Grace Still Amazes Me: Sung by Leah J. Anderson


Church of Mt. Zion: Erie, PA
Located: 18th & Liberty St., Erie PA
Our Telephone: (814) 456-1422

Our Church Website: mtzionweb.org

 

The Church of Mt. Zion is a Full Gospel church with an emphasis on teaching, worship and missions.

We believe that the church age will end in great revival and that the great commission shall be fulfilled (Mat. 24:14). We must complete the acts of faith that our fathers saw from a distance! (See Heb. 11:39-40).

Proverbs 18:2

"A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself."

A fool hath no delight in understanding, - Why does he have no delight in understanding? and what is this understanding? I'll answer the second question first: This understanding is of the truth [Gods Word]. He does not delight in understanding the truth because the truth shows him that he is on the wrong path.

but that his heart may discover itself. - A fool seeks in darkness that he can discover what he wants to discover and forget all the things he wants to do. He wants to be 'free', but he does not know that he is blind to the fact that his 'freedom' is only for a time and is really bondage adding up.

Ex: The understanding [truth] is represented here as a bright light. No a fool he is represented as a lover of darkness. A fool loves the dark because he can go where ever he pleases and no care, but once that bright light of understanding comes closer and closer to him he gets mad. He does not like that light because it will show areas that he would rather keep in the dark.

Gods fire is like that bright light; He uses it to shine in a particular area of our heart that He knows needs to be dealt with. Through His light we can discover what is in our heart and we must not be a fool and try to hide it. We need to allow God to deal with that area now and not wait until it gets worse and harder to get ride of! 

Let us make sure we are not lovers of darkness. May we be willing to allow God to shine His light upon us and deal with areas that need to be dealt with now!

God Bless :-)