Ck – Caring Enough to Rebuke 15: 5-19

Caring Enough to Rebuke
15: 5-19

A proverb is a short and memorable saying designed to be our blueprint for living in the world that ADONAI has created. It is important to note that proverbs are not promises; they are generally true principles, all other things being equal.

Only a fool despises a parent’s rebuke; whoever learns from correction is wise (15:5 NLT). Rebuke. How rare, yet how important! To rebuke is to speak seriously to someone as a warning, or to correct someone in order to prevent a bad/sinful action, or bring it to an end. Although the word sounds intimidating, rebuking is not synonymous with harshness. Pause and think of a time when someone wisely, yet firmly, rebuked your behavior, your thinking, or your attitude, and you became a better person as a result? Trustworthy are the bruises caused by the wounding of one who loves you; deceitful is the flattery of one who hates you (27:6). This tells us several things: (1) the one who does the rebuking should be someone who loves the person they are rebuking, (2) a bruise tends to linger long after the wounding, it is not forgotten soon, (3) friendship should allow freedom to offer constructive criticism, and (4) not all compliments are offered with the right motive. We all need to listen to the words that Solomon spoke to his son: Do not despise ADONAI’s discipline, or be weary of His rebuke, for the LORD rebukes those whom He loves (3:11-12a).

So much of this matter of rebuking has to do with discernment and discretion. There is a right way and a right time (not to mention the right motive) for rebuking someone. If your friend’s motive is to help you, those wounds will make the best use of timing, be done privately, focus on a specific issue, lead to long-term improvement, and include lots of affirmation and encouragement. Consider what Solomon wrote: Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket. To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry (25:11-12).²⁹⁵

How does ADONAI rebuke us? In the B’rit Chadashah, Yeshua rebukes everything from the wind to unclean spirits. At various times, He rebuked His apostles’ unbelief, pride, ambition, and their inability to understand his coming death as being according to His Father’s will. God finds ways to reach us when we need correction. Often, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh will work through our own consciences to convict us. If we surround ourselves with others who are also aspiring to holiness, we have faithful friends accompanying us on that path. To rebuke a friend, or to be rebuked by one, is a sign of obedience and love.

When Yeshua rebukes in the Scriptures, it does not always appear gentle. Sometimes He displayed anger, frustration, or sorrow. His delivery suited the circumstances. His goal was to help His children make a course-correction that would lead them to Himself and His Father’s will. When Messiah’s devoted servant Martha complained about her sister Mary not helping her serve and clean up, the Master told her gently, but matter-of-factly: Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is a need for only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her (Luke 10:41-42). Messiah left Martha to contemplate her priorities, but He did not deal harshly with her. He invited her to consider what was truly important.

When the Lord encountered the Samaritan woman at the well, He taught gently and compassionately about Himself as the Living Water, because He wanted this daughter of His to receive what He had come to give. Then He gradually led her to see her failings, face them, and take accountability. Yeshua’s approach was an invitation for her to change her life.

The rebuke that stands out to me to be the starkest in Scripture is when Messiah exclaimed to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan. You are an obstacle to me. You are not thinking as God does, but as human beings do!” This was a wake-up call to Peter to remember the will of ADONAI, not human love, must be his priority. Peter had lost sight of the divine. In his zeal, he swore to protect his Master, he threatened to obstruct the Divine Will. We know they loved one another deeply. The stark reprimand was a warning and rebuke against Peter’s way of thinking in the moment. Yeshua knew Peter’s flaws and weaknesses. But He also knew that much would be required of Peter to accomplish the will of God in and for the Church. And Peter is our example in how he handled this rebuke, when he wrote: So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your worries upon Him, because He cares for You (1 Peter 5:6-7).

The Lord doesn’t delight in crushing us under the weight of our own faults. He doesn’t want to humiliate or destroy us and He doesn’t want others to do so either. But if we see the need to offer rebuke, we should first examine our own motives and intentions. Do we truly want the best for the person in question? We cannot know someone else’s heart. Only God can. But there are times when we can see by the outcome of a situation or by a specific behavior that gentle correction would be an act of mercy. It can be difficult to judge. Some relationships are better suited to rebukes than others. And some people are better suited to receive them than others. Some relationships are more accommodating of rebukes than others. After examining our intentions and considering these points, we can pray and ask the Ruach for the right words and right opening if there is enough time to wait. Finally, we must be sure that our rebuke is filled with as much love as possible.

The Bible also has much to say about being rebuked. God admonishes those He loves, and asks us to do likewise with our brothers and sisters in love. Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction (Second Timothy 4:2); If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him (Luke 17:30); These then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you (Titus 2:15); My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you (Hebrews 12:5); Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline, so be earnest and repent (Revelation 3:19).²⁹⁶

There is treasure in the house of the godly, but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble (15:6 NLT). The proverb describes the effects of the efforts of the righteous and the wicked, the first being positive and the second being negative. The first colon speaks to the fact that righteousness has effects beyond the individual. The great treasure does not have to be understood exclusively in terms of material goods; it may be the joy of living. However, due to the frequent connection drawn between wisdom and material benefits, this would not be excluded either. On the other hand, these positive effects of righteousness are contrasted with the harm that comes from the efforts of the wicked person.

The lips of the wise spread good advice, but the heart of a fool has none to give (15:7 Hebrew). The parallel between lips and heart is found elsewhere in proverbs and indicates Solomon’s belief that the lips normally reveal what is going on inside a person. Since the wise are wise, when they speak, it’s worth listening to. However, there is nothing inside fools, so when they speak, one expects stupidity. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool only belches out foolishness (15:2).

The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to ADONAI, but He delights in the prayers of the upright (15:8 Hebrew). The contrast in Chapter 15 is between the wicked and the upright. It is the sacrifice, not the sacrifice, that is the issue. The first colon really underlines God’s dislike of wickedness because it can ruin something as otherwise God-pleasing as sacrifices. On the other hand, even the prayers of the upright win His favor. The path of the wicked is an abomination to ADONAI, but He loves anyone who pursues righteousness (15:9 CJB). This verse is connected to the previous by the phrase abomination to ADONAI, but here the lifestyles of the wicked are contrasted. This is a general statement that needs to be understood in light of the book’s entire teaching on folly/wickedness and wisdom/righteousness. This verse and the following one remind us of the two-path metaphor that is especially prominent in Chapters 1-9.²⁹⁷

Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path; the one who hates correction will die (15:10 NIV). Having led himself astray (10:17), the unteachable person turns from the path of wisdom, not only resulting in stern discipline but in death! According to Isra’el’s sages, such a person is worse than he who rejects the right path. In the end, YHVH will correct this man and cause him to repent of his evil ways. Moreover, the one who hates ADONAI’s rebuke will find his way to death because there is no way to correct him. On the other hand, wisdom’s path is smooth and easy to travel, while the road of folly is filled with potholes.²⁹⁸

Even Sh’ol and the Abyss hold no secrets from ADONAI; how much more does He know the human heart (15:11 NLT)! Here Sh’ol and the Abyss are personified, the expression in colon 1 suggests that even Sh’ol and the Abyss are controlled by YHVH. The implication drawn from the second colon is that neither are human beings independent or superior to ADONAI.²⁹⁹ Sh’ol (to see link click Af – Sh’ol) was the place of departed spirits. It had two subdivisions. The first was called Abraham’s side (a place of comfort and peace), or Paradise (Luke 23:43), and the second section was a place of torment (see The Life of Christ Hx – The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus). At the end of the Great Tribulation, Satan will be thrown into the Abyss (see the commentary on Revelation Fb – He Seized the Dragon, or Satan, and Bound Him for a Thousand Years).

Mockers resent correction, so they avoid the wise (15:12 NIV). The proverb here and 15:10 reveal a theme that mockers do not appreciate correction. The term mocker is a strong term describing the fool as one who mocks those who try to point out a weakness. By being defensive about it, mockers ultimately undermine themselves. One way they avoid correction is by not associating with the wise, who can see their mistakes and are willing to offer advice. On the other hand, the wise really appreciate insightful correction because it helps them to live life better and more productively.³⁰⁰

A joyful heart makes the face cheerful, but a broken heart crushes the spirit (15:13 Hebrew). There are times when a sense of humor is needed. By a sense of humor, I am not referring to crass, foolish, distasteful talk, or ill-timed jesting. By humor I mean carefully chosen, well-timed expressions of wit and amusing, fun-loving statements.³⁰¹ The next proverb explains the source of the joy that enlivens and the hurt that depresses. For the despondent, every day brings trouble. The implication of this is that the daily life of the afflicted or oppressed is difficult because of their life choices, which suggests that it refers only to those whose heart has chosen the path of folly, rather than diagnosing everyone in the world who is depressed.³⁰² But for the cheerful of heart, life is a continual feast (15:15 NLT).

The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on foolishness (15:14 Hebrew). This proverb talks about the basic motivations of those who are discerning, and of those who are fools. As might be expected, the former pursue what will make them wiser, and the latter what will make them more foolish. The contrast between heart and mouth may contrast the depth of the wise over against the shallowness of the foolish. The contrast between seeks and feeds may imply that knowledge requires effort, while foolishness just takes the easy route and consumes whatever is before them.

Better to have little, with the fear of ADONAI, than to have great wealth with inner turmoil (15:16 Hebrew). The better-than proverbs express relative values. In other words, Proverbs affirms both the value of the fear of ADONAI and the value of wealth (1:7 and 10:22). But if the choice must be made, then there is no question that the fear of ADONAI is much more valuable. In other words, though the book often suggests that wealth is the reward of the wise, it also makes it clear that sometimes one must choose between the fear of ADONAI and wealth. The proverb also implies a contrast between fear of ADONAI and turmoil. The assumption being that the fear of ADONAI brings calmness of mind as well.³⁰³

Better a small serving of vegetables with someone you love, than a steak with someone you hate (15:17 NLT). In the ancient world oxen were rarely slaughtered for meat because they were far more valuable alive. When plowing a field, a single ox could accomplish more in one day than three men laboring for a week. Consequently, the owner of an ox typically hired out the services of his animal once his own plowing, threshing, or harvesting had been done. It was not uncommon for an entire village to use the same team of oxen for farm labor. So killing an ox for food in ancient, agrarian societies was a lavish luxury, not unlike a farmer today selling off a tractor and using the proceeds to buy the most expensive caviar and serve the finest gourmet cuisine at a single dinner party. Yet, Solomon placed such value on love and harmony that he would rather eat a meager portion of veggies than attend a lavish dinner marred by a hateful attitude and strife. He was content with the intangibles of life.³⁰⁴

A hot-tempered person starts fights, but a cool-tempered person stops them (15:18 NLT). This proverb speaks of the emotional intelligence of the wise. Fools respond to an attack by attacking back, only making things much worse. On the other hand, the wise are coolheaded and patient; thus in the end, fending off the harsh accusations directed toward them.

A lazy person’s way is blocked with a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway (15:19 Hebrew). This proverb uses the two-path analogy throughout the book to talk about the hazards of one form foolish behavior, laziness, and contrasting it with wisdom. For lazy people, their path is hard to navigate and filled with pain, while the righteous find their path smooth and unimpeded. This observation is a subtle encouragement to avoid laziness.³⁰⁵

Dear heavenly Father, praise You for being perfect in Your love – neither too harsh nor too soft. You are always perfect in Your tender caring for each of Your children! What a peace and joy it brings, that when troubles and trials come into my life, calling on You is the wisest thing I can do. Then you will call on Me, and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you (Jeremiah 29:12). However, sometimes You use trials as discipline to remove imperfections in my life, as a silversmith uses the fire to perfect and remove the dross from the metal. These trials are so that the true metal of your faith (far more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire) may come to light in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Messiah Yeshua (First Peter 1:7).

Even though my trail may seem to go on for a long time, You time how long I should remain in the fire. You know when the right length of time to purify me, to teach me. My son, do not take lightly the discipline of ADONAI or lose heart when you are corrected by Him, because ADONAI disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He accepts (Hebrews 12:5b-6). Joy comes from discipline that is learned, for it produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Now all discipline seems painful at the moment – not joyful. But later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11). Thank You for caring enough to discipline/rebuke me when I need it. I know You love me and I can trust You. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and Power of His resurrection. Amen