The Dangers of Sowing Discord

June 17, 2018 Preacher: Luis A. Cardenas Series: Proverbs

Topic: English Passage: Proverbs 6:12-19

Sermon Text: Read PROVERBS 6:12-19

One of the dangers of the Christian life is that we can often gauge how important something is by how strongly we feel about it. Rather than use biblical criteria or use a biblical grid for life, we use our own. And usually it’s our feelings that direct us. We’ll even use Bible verses to support what we’re feeling.

That idea of being driven by our feelings, seems like it’s almost automatic for us as sinners. We are dominated, at times, by our emotions, and we assume they are valid measurements of what is important.

Twice in Proverbs, we’re told that there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of that road is death. That’s a lesson about self-distrust. Don’t assume what you’re feeling or thinking is right. Be careful with that?

So, where do you go if you want to think properly? The father of Proverbs wants his son to know—he should go to the word of God, to the wisdom of God. That is to be what guides us,

I say that as we get started today because today the lesson in Proverbs is going to be addressing a lesson that I think we’re all tempted to downplay. We’re tempted to think it’s not as important as the Bible makes it out to be. And that topic is unity.

How important is unity and harmony to you? How much do you value it? How eager are you to see it be fully expressed in your family or in your church? Does that possibility even excite you?

Remember, what the father in Proverbs, and our heavenly Father want to do, it not just change the way we behave, but change the way we think, the things we value.

If you’re on a sports team that doesn’t get along very well, but ends up winning the championship game, are you bothered by that or not? Is unity worth more to you than material success?

There are a couple time in Proverbs when the father reminds his son: It’s better to have a dish or vegetables in a house filled with peace, than to sit at a feast in a house full of strife. Better to be poor and live in peace with others than to be rich and live in difficulty.

That’s the lesson that gets started here in VERSE 12.

What we’ve got here to start are a couple descriptive terms for this individual. The first one gets translated here as “a worthless person.” Though it has moral connotations, it mainly points to a lack of productivity.

The Hebrew Dictionary I use says this word means “good for nothing.” That’s who this guy is. He’s good for nothing. He’s useless. He’s a black hole, sucking away resources. This guy is the lowest of the low. He is scum that should be thrown away.

The second term focuses more on the moral component. Not only is this guy worthless; he’s wicked. So it’s not just that he’s incompetent or something like that. This man is evil. He only brings trouble.

Why? What makes this man so bad? Why would God use such harsh words for him? Well, we get a list of 6 characteristics. Six descriptions of the worthless man.

And before we go through this list, we want to be prepared to hear it with a receptive heart. We shouldn’t read this as some extreme caricature that we can’t relate to. We should recognize that the heart of sin, even in the most wicked man, is the same sinful heart we battle against, even if not to the same degree. So let’s go through this list, thinking about our own selves. And may the Spirit of God exposes sin in our heart so that we can repent and battle against it.

The six characteristics listed here are primarily expressed with body parts. The body is the extension of the heart. It’s the outward working of the inner man. We may not be able to see into a person’s heart, but we can see their life, and that’s a valid evidence.

The main point behind this worthless person is an inconsistency between what he says and what he does. He communicates one thing with his words, but is a completely different person in his heart. So verse 12 described him as going about with crooked speech. Another translation says “a perverted mouth.”

That’s not just the idea of sexually perverted jokes. The idea is that it’s deceptive and wicked. Rather than be on the straight and narrow way of God, this man’s path is crooked. And it’s deceptive. Look at VERSE 13.

We can’t be completely sure about the specifics of this in that culture, but what it’s pointing to is a person making gestures in order to deceive or to act without someone’s knowledge. some people think this could be like a con-man signaling others who are in on the deceit.

And we understand that in our culture too, right? I can lie right to your face, and then turn around and wink at the person next to you. It’s a hidden signal. And it’s an expression of my desire to deceive. To be malicious. Verse 14 continue the description. VERSE 14.

This is not a man who is lying a the spur of the moment. This is someone who has planned this all out. He is cunning. He is sneaky and sly. Again, he is perverse. He’s deceptive. He’s a fraud.

And what’s the result of all this? Or what’s the goal? End of the verse: He is continually sowing discord. He spreads strife.

The sluggard from the previous section, the lazy man, sows no seed. The evil man, on the other hand, sows the wrong kind of seed. He is spreading arguments, contention, strife. That’s talking about conflict. That’s what this person produces—conflict.

Now, it’s not just that conflict results. It’s that conflict was this person’s aim. They wanted to turn this into a fight or an argument. This is a contentious person. And what does the Bible tells us about a contentious man? VERSE 15.

The contentious man will receive calamity. Life will not go well. It will be disastrous. This man has spent his energy breaking the relationships of others, but in the end his own life shall be broken. And it will be irreparable. It’s a sickness beyond healing.

Do you remember the early warnings of Proverbs chapter 1? The dad was warning his son about evil men who are seeking to ambush someone and take their money. And here’s what the dad said: They lie in wait for their own blood. They ambush their own lives. [Pero ellos a su propia sangre ponen asechanzas, Y a sus almas tienden lazo]

Proverbs 26:27 says: He who digs a pit will fall into it. And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him. [El que cava el foso, en él se cae; al que empuja la piedra, la piedra lo aplasta.]

That’s the first lesson this dad wants his son to know: If you seek division you will find destruction. Seek division and you’ll find destruction. If you are contentious, it will ruin your life. It will destroy you. And that destruction will be swift and instant. You won’t be able to prepare for it or to fix it. The contentious man will be destroyed. The divisive man will become a disaster.

Now notice, this section has no explicit command. But the implication should be obvious. What’s the implication? Don’t be that guy! Don’t be the contentious man, quick to argue. Eager to get into a debate. That won’t make life easier for you. It will make life worse. The contentious man will be destroyed. Divisiveness leads to disaster.

There’s a second lesson here too. And the dad goes right into it. Lesson number 2 is the theological reason behind lesson number 1. Why does the life of a divisive person end up as a disaster? Here’s why: The one who seeks division will bring detestation. Seek division and you will find detestation. God detests a contentious man. He hates him. He is opposed to it.

That’s a second motivation not to be that kind of person. A man can tell his wife not to buy dinner from a certain restaurant because it might get them sick. That’s one motivation. But the same man could also say to his wife: “Don’t buy that kind of food because I hate it.”

The first motivation was a risk. The second is a guarantee—He will hate it. If all we had was lesson number one, there is still a slight possibility that you could avoid the danger or the destruction. But now, with lesson number two, there’s no way out of the consequences. God hates the divisive man. He detests him.

And the way the father tells this to his son is very memorable. Let’s look at it first in VERSE 16.

This is a numerical way to make a point, and to draw attention to the final item on the list. It’s not the only time this tactic is used in Proverbs, and it’s very memorable if you’ve heard it.

Saying a list in this way heightens the listener’s ear, links all the items on the list, and emphasizes the final point. Here are the six things that God hates, or rather, seven that are an abomination to Him.

In other words: live like this and you will be an enemy of God. He will be opposed to you. You will disgust Him. That’s the idea behind the word “abomination.” It disgusts God. What is it that disgusts God? Let’s look at that list. VERSES 17-19.

Number 1 on the list is haughty eyes. That is elevated eyes. Exalted eyes. Lofty eyes. Arrogant eyes. That is an expression of pride. “I’m better than everyone else in this room. Why am I even here? These people don’t deserve to be in my presence.” That’s haughty eyes. God hates them.

Number two on the list is lying tongues. This is deception, falsehood—saying things that either aren’t true or that are deceptive to people. Half-truths. White lies. Deceptive exaggeration. They’re all included here. And this isn’t confined to any kind of situation. Any kind of lying is wrong and God hates it.

Number three on the list is violent hands. Violent hands. The language here is speaking of murder—unjustly taking a life. This was primarily done for personal gain or as an expression of hatred. That’s a violation of the sixth commandment: Thou shall not kill. God hates murder. Because man is made in the image of God.

God hates haughty eyes, lying tongues, violent hands, and number 4: He hates wicked hearts. Wicked hearts. That there in verse 18. This is aiming at a heart (or a mind) that plans and schemes. Even our own legal system makes a distinction between a crime of passion and a pre-meditated crime. That pre-meditated component is what this is talking about. Those who plot wickedness and sin.

Number 5 on the list is evil feet. Evil feet. Running rapidly speaks of an eagerness and possibly a joy in doing evil. If some idea comes into their mind for sin, or if it comes from someone else, this person is ready. That’s what they want. They’re eager to do evil.

Number 6 on the list comes in verse 19. God hates false witnesses. False witnesses. Number 2 on the list already addressed lying, which was a more general statement. Here, it’s specifically aimed at a courtroom setting. A false witness, in some cases, had the power to free a guilty man or condemn an innocent man. It was a serious deal, because if two or three witnesses said something, it was taken as a fact. This wording might sound familiar to you because it’s what is says in commandment number 9—Do not bear false witness.

That list of six, I hope you will admit, is a serious list. Those are some major sins. It don’t think it surprises most of us to say that God hates those things. and it wouldn’t have surprised the son either. The point of this section, though, is that there’s something else that belong on that list. Something God hates just as much, if not more. and that’s number seven on the list.

Number seven belongs in this group, because God hates it. He detests it. And it is this: Divisive people. Divisive people.

The closing line of verse 19 uses the same wording as the closing line of verse 14. The one who “spreads strife,” the one who “sows discord,” [siembra discordias] is the one who brings division. And if you are a person who brings division. You will receive destruction and detestation. If you are a contentious person those are the two results: Destruction will come as well as God’s hatred. And again, the obviously implied command is: don’t be that guy. Don’t be the one who sows discord. That’s dangerous.

That’s not a complicated lesson. It’s not difficult to understand. But what I want to do with the time we have left is talk about two important components for this kind of lesson. And those two component are the theological foundation and the practical effect.

The theological foundation: Why is division such a bad thing? Why is unity so important?

  • We are all created in God’s image. There is a unity of mankind with God as creator.
  • Beyond that, there is a special unity in the body of Christ
    • Ephesians 4 — be diligent/eager to preserve the unity. One body. One Spirit. One Lord. One faith. One baptism. One Father.
    • Romans 14 – a brother for whom Christ died
    • Rom 12 – One body
    • Galatians 3:28 — There is no longer slave or free, male or female. [spiritual equals]
  • Every earthly father knows the unity/peace he wants in his own children. How much more does God desire that?
    • Psalm 133 [God speaking too] — How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
    • Matt 5 – blessed are the peacemakers
    • Christ’s prayer in John 17—that we may be One, even as we are One. (reflecting the trinity.
    • One flock, one shepherd
    • Ephesians 2 – broke down the dividing wall
    • Unity is addressed in practically every epistle. It matters!
  • Peaceful relationships and reconciliation gives this world a picture of the gospel, which reconciled us to God
    • Unity makes us effective for Christ
    • They will know by our love [unity]

 

The practical effect: How do we avoid sinful division? Are you a contentious person?

  • Not all division is sinful
    • 1 Cor 11:18-19 — Some divisions are needed when crucial doctrine is at stake
    • James 3:17 — the wisdom from above is first pure (doctrine/motive), then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full or mercy and good food fruits
    • But we need to be able to pause and think about what “level” a disagreement is at. What’s at stake? Who am I speaking to. What’s my attitude in this disagreement?
  • Be aware the our culture prioritizes conflict and contention. It leads to higher ratings, more “likes,” more followers on social medial
  • Recognize that not all strife/division is as visible (ripping a doll in pieces vs. pulling at it slightly)
  • What things do you do (big or small) that lead to conflict or division? You can start by looking at the lists given here in Proverbs.
    • Deceptive speech, half-truths, ulterior motives
      • “I’m on my way”
      • “I’ll be there tonight:”
    • Haughty eyes – proud thoughts
      • Seeing differences as a cause for conflict (culture, language, age)
      • Racism is a sin.
      • Rom 14 — don’t despise or pass judgment on those who disagree with you
      • Many conflict emerge because we have mixed-up priorities. What you want may not be bad or wrong, but it’s not the most important thing.
    • Don’t let bitterness and resentment build up
      • Jesus equated the judgment of anger with the judgment of murder.
      • Be reconciled with your brother before worship. Unresolved personal conflict is a hindrance to true worship.
    • Teach and model to our children how to get along
    • Recognize that NOT getting your way typically feels like the majority. You don’t usually feel as relieved to get your own way as you feel offended when you don’t. It’s pretty one-sided emotionally.
    • Colossians 3:12-14 – bearing with and forgiving
      • Let things go—whether sinful or not
    • Be a peacemaker – help resolve conflicts
      • Glorifying God is more important than getting our own way or winning an argument
    • Ask other people if you are an argumentative person. If there seems to be conflict all around you, maybe you’re a big factor in that.
    • Asses your commitment to the local church. Our membership covenant addresses unity because of how important it is to God. If you don’t wholeheartedly commit, you strain the unity of those that do.
    • Guard your speech (gossip, slander, harsh words)
    • Take division seriously in the church
      • 2 Tim 2:24-26 — the Lord’s servant must be gentle and patient
      • Titus 3:10 — Reject a factious man
      • Deal with divisive people directly
    • 1 Cor 13 – love is not easily angered. Develop a heart that overflows with grace and forgiveness.
    • Look to Jesus Christ.
      • The sins of this chapter led to the crucifixion.
      • The resurrection brings us forgiveness and the power to be peacemakers.

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