Haughty Eyes
7 Things the Lord Hates
Proverbs 6:16–17
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, …
As we continue to learn wisdom from the ancient book of Proverbs, the Word of God gives us a direct statement that we all should consider: These are the 6/7 things the Lord hates….
At first, I assumed that this may be a restatement of the 10 Commandments denouncing idolatry, coveting, and theft. Instead, I see this list of 6/7 as personalizing the commands we try to keep at arm’s length.
The first is haughty eyes. Haughty is not a word we use often, so I want to make sure we understand what it means. Haughty is to be arrogant, judgmental, and snobbish. It is to judge that I am better than you, more important than you, or deserving of more than you.
Haughtiness has a direct effect on our personal and spiritual lives. First, it causes problems relationally as we no longer see others as image bearers of God whom He loves, but see others as competitors in the game of life. The haughty want to put others down as they elevate themselves.
Haughtiness also has a spiritual component. It is a failure to remember our place in the eyes of God. We are nothing without God making us something. We are doomed without God’s deliverance. We are separated without His salvation. The haughty forget the mercy received and, as a result, fail to show mercy to those around them.
I am reminded this morning of Jesus’ parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:21–35. The man who is forgiven a debt that was impossible to repay then goes and punishes a debtor of his for a paltry sum in comparison.
We are prone to have haughty eyes when we forget our salvation and start to assume we deserve or earn God’s love. We are quick to judge, assume, and demean others for the very things we have been and are guilty of ourselves.
To combat haughty eyes, I encourage you today to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for all that the Lord has done for you! Thanksgiving for the grace you have received can be the antidote to the haughtiness you harbor!
Playing with Fire
We have all heard the phrase, “You are playing with fire!” It is not wise to place ourselves near danger, yet how often do we approach the very boundaries we have been called to avoid?
As I have been reading these chapters in Proverbs, I have been shocked by how often and how openly Solomon discusses the allure of sexual temptation.
Proverbs 5:3–4
3 For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
and her mouth is smoother than oil.
4 But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
Proverbs 5:8
Stay away from her!
Don’t go near the door of her house!
Proverbs 5:20
Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,
or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?
Proverbs 6:25
Don’t lust for her beauty.
Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.
Then, now, and forever, men and women will be tempted by intimacy with what is forbidden. We seek what is not ours and give ourselves to what promises pleasure but ends in pain.
While all these warnings are important, I especially appreciate the practical wisdom of Proverbs 6:27–28:
27 Can a man scoop a flame into his lap
and not have his clothes catch on fire?
28 Can he walk on hot coals
and not blister his feet?
Solomon is saying, “Quit playing with fire because you are going to get burned!”
Where are you playing with fire?
Where are you approaching immorality simply in the name of interest or intrigue?
Where are you crossing lines you never imagined you would cross?
Quit playing with fire! Flee sexual immorality! The end is poison. Don’t go near it. Don’t lust after what is not true love.
The sad reality is that Solomon knew all of this to be true and yet is fully immersed in seeking out the pleasure of others. This is a constant fight that must be seriously taken or else it will take you!
If you are struggling in this area, please reach out to me at jordan@fbcfb.org to get help and move toward healing. There can be victory. There is hope. I want to help you in the fight!
Wisdom and Finances
Proverbs 3:9–10
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits—the best part—of all your produce;
10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Wise living includes wise spending.
When we choose to follow Jesus, we choose to let Him be the Lord of our lives—our whole lives. While that is easy to pray, it is challenging to live when bills must be paid and things are desired. If you are anything like me, you may start negotiating in your head about how little you can give God while still keeping Him happy.
This is not the wise way.
Proverbs 3:9 calls us to honor God with our wealth by giving Him the first and best of what we produce. In an agricultural society, where life depended on the harvest, the people were commanded to give the first grains, grapes, and goods they gathered. After waiting weeks or months for fruit to be produced, the first items reaped were to be given away.
This required great faith.
Faith that more would come.
Faith that locusts would not devour the harvest.
Faith that there would be enough at the end of the season.
The wisdom we are given in the Word of God is to honor God with what we receive. Are you doing that? Are you honoring God with the fruit of your labor? Or, in the name of prudence, security, or even greed, are you building your own stockpile and offering God whatever is left over?
Firstfruits are not a simple or easy offering, yet this is the wise way presented to us.
Will you live wisely?
Finally, a blessing is promised here: barns filled and vats bursting. This passage assures us that God is the provider and that honoring Him is always wiser than trusting only in what we can accumulate. It is not a blank check promising that every faithful giver will become wealthy. It is an invitation to trust that God knows our needs and can provide what is necessary as we faithfully surrender to Him.
We can offer many “what if” scenarios and hypothetical conundrums, but my charge to you is this: Are you actually living in the “what if,” or are you simply trying to justify your unwillingness to release what you have?
Too often, we look for loopholes in order to rationalize our unwillingness to live rightly.
Wise living includes wise spending. God is not just concerned with your firstfruits or your tithe. God cares about how you spend 100 percent of your money, not just 10 percent.
Are you honoring the Lord with what you have?
Wisdom and Blessing
Proverbs 3:5–6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make straight your paths.
The Bible often makes great statements and promises of blessing, yet we are sometimes scared to speak about them. Why? Because too many preachers have bought mansions and planes while promising things from God that He does not intend to give. The prosperity gospel is alive and well, preying on spiritual infants who are trying to find the truth.
While the prosperity gospel is a corruption of the truth, I fear that we have too often overcorrected. As a result, we fail to discuss the God who desires to bless His children. I think the main reason for this is that we have the wrong definition of blessing.
When we think of blessings, we often limit them to the things our greater culture believes make life better: money, power, platform, and comfort. Maybe some of those things are less like blessings and more like temptations. Jesus says it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom because of divided loyalty. Those with platforms and power are often more vulnerable to temptation and attack. Even comfort can create in us a sense of laziness that is not promoted in the Scriptures.
God wants to bless you with things that are truly good for you—actual blessings.
Think about a family that has a child with Down syndrome. From the outside, people may focus only on the challenges the family will face. Yet, when speaking with the parents, we often hear about the profound blessing their child has been. Alongside real challenges, that child may teach the family more about love, laughter, joy, and living life to the fullest. The blessing is not found in pretending that the challenges do not exist, but in recognizing the beautiful ways God works through a life that the world may too quickly underestimate.
Proverbs 3 tells us that when we trust in the Lord, He will make our paths straight. It does not say that the road will be easy, full of fun, free of rocks, or shaded from the scorching heat. The promise is clear direction for those who trust in God. Uncertainty may remain, and challenges may come, but we can walk with confidence in the One who directs our steps.
Our God is a good Father who loves to bless His children with good things—even with the things we request when they align with His desires for us. No matter how much little Coop may want a motorcycle, I will not let him drive one because it would be detrimental, not helpful!
God promises to bless His people—not necessarily with riches and power, but with direction, love, grace, and mercy.
Can you be satisfied with that?
Fear of the Lord
Proverbs 1:7
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Practical wisdom for living is the central concern of the book of Proverbs. Throughout these 31 chapters, Solomon gives nuggets, analogies, comparisons, and commands regarding how to live wisely in a world opposed to God. That sounds good to me!
Throughout the book, Solomon will say that wisdom starts with the fear of the Lord. It sounds nice, and you probably could have recited that, but what does it actually mean?
The fear of the Lord does not mean viewing God as a terrible monster seeking to devour us like King Kong or Godzilla! Nor is God like the deceitful serpent who leads humanity astray. To fear the Lord does not simply mean to be afraid. Yet the Bible says that God is to be feared.
The fear of the Lord is the recognition of who I am and who God is.
I am weak. He is strong.
I am finite. He is infinite.
I know some. He knows all.
I make things. He created everything.
I work. He holds all things together.
The fear of the Lord is a reverential awe of the enormity of God and the frailty of me. It is a place of humbly admitting that I am nothing before the Almighty! Not many people get to this place. So many who dwell on this earth think much of themselves and little of God. I must admit—that is me far too often.
John MacArthur defines the fear of the Lord as “a state of mind in which one’s own attitudes, will, feelings, deeds, and goals are exchanged for God’s.” It is a recognition of who I am and who He is.
Today, I encourage you to admit the many ways in which you have shrunk God in order to enlarge yourself.
Admit the ways you have acted according to your own desires and failed to look or listen to His.
Today, take another step toward “fearing the Lord” as you stand in awe of our God!