21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord like channels of water; he turns it wherever he wants.
A farmer directs water by digging canals. God directs history by changing the hearts of kings.
21:2 All of a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion, but the Lord evaluates the motives.
Man is totally depraved and evil. His own nature deceives him into thinking that he is right in his own opinions. However, the Lord is the one who evaluates the motives of man.
21:3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
The Lord detested the hypocrisy of an evil person who brought a sacrifice to His Mosaic Law altar. He would rather have obedience than sacrifice.
21:4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart— the agricultural product of the wicked is sin.
Evil men grow crops of arrogance and pride.
21:5 The plans of the diligent lead only to plenty, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
Those with strong Bible doctrine will plan their work, execute it, and make good profit. Those without strong Bible doctrine will make quick and hasty plans without much thought. This type of decision making will lead them to poverty.
21:6 Making a fortune by a lying tongue is like a vapor driven back and forth; they seek death.
Wealth which is gained by dishonest means will disappear quickly like a vapor in the air. Seeking money dishonestly will lead one to a premature death.
21:7 The violence done by the wicked will drag them away because they refuse to do what is right.
When an evil person commits violence on another, then the violence will boomerang and hit the evil person.
21:8 The way of the guilty person is devious, but as for the pure, his way is upright.
Those without strong Bible doctrine are devious in their ways. Those who possess strong Bible doctrine are righteous in their ways.
21:9 It is better to live on a corner of the housetop than in a house in company with a quarrelsome wife.
It is better to live on the roof of a house than to live with a nagging wife. When a wife nags her husband, then she is not being submissive to him. She is attempting to use nagging as a method of controlling him. This type of nagging will cause the husband to keep his distance from his wife. A wife who causes strife makes a home unpleasant and undesirable. The wife is to be the helpmate, not the master, of her husband. A wife will not respect a husband who she can control.
21:10 The appetite of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor is shown no favor in his eyes.
An evil person craves evil. He is addicted to it. He even treats his neighbors in a wicked manner.
21:11 When a scorner is punished, the naive becomes wise; when a wise person is instructed, he gains knowledge.
A mocker is one who mocks God. He elevates his own human opinion above the written Word of God. When he is punished publicly, then he serves as a deterrent to other mockers who wish to commit evil acts. When a person with strong Bible doctrine is instructed, then he learns from the experience.
21:12 The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked; he overthrows the wicked to their ruin.
The Righteous One is God, not man. God is the one who will overthrow wicked men. He will send them to their own destruction.
21:13 The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and will not be answered.
Those who ignore the poor will become just like them.
21:14 A gift given in secret subdues anger, and a bribe given secretly subdues strong wrath.
In the satanic world system, bribes work. Bribes will control wicked judges. Solomon is not condoning bribes. He is just stating that they are effective. Money motivates evil people to close their eyes to justice. Judges who are controlled by bribes will be judged by he Judge of judges.
21:15 Doing justice brings joy to the righteous and terror to those who do evil.
Those who possess strong Bible doctrine love to apply what they learn. These divine actions bring terror to the satanic world system.
21:16 The one who wanders from the way of wisdom will end up in the company of the departed.
Those who refuse to study and apply Bible doctrine will go down the broad road which leads to destruction. They will leave the company of the wise and make company with the dead!
21:17 The one who loves pleasure will be a poor person; whoever loves wine and anointing oil will not be rich.
Loving pleasure results in poverty. Proverbs does not teach a dismal, stoic lifestyle. It teaches against only living for self and pleasure. If a person continues to spend his money on wine and oil, then he will not become wealthy. Alcohol has caused nations to fall and men to lose fortunes.
21:18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the faithless are taken in the place of the upright.
When the wicked cause the righteous to suffer, then they will cause themselves to suffer as well. When the wicked begin to suffer, then the righteous will no longer suffer at their hands.
21:19 It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and easily-provoked woman.
It is better to live in a hot desert than to live with a nagging wife. The desert brings sun burn, heat exhaustion, thirst, and discomfort. No man wants to be stuck in the desert, because it is torturous and uncomfortable. The man just wants to get out of the desert and drink a refreshing cup of water. Neither does a man want to be stuck with a nagging wife. A lack of Bible doctrine causes a wife to nag her husband.Nagging makes life unbearable for the whole family. Instead of nagging, a wife should pray for her husband.
21:20 There is desirable treasure and olive oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish person devours all he has.
A person with strong Bible doctrine stores up food like an ant preparing for winter. A person who does not possess strong Bible doctrine lives for the moment. He does not save for the future (or for eternity). He consumes all of his food and has nothing to eat between harvests.
21:21 The one who pursues righteousness and love finds life, bounty, and honor.
The one who pursues Bible doctrine will find life, prosperity, and honor. Notice it does not say that the one who gives the most receives more material wealth. Prosperity teachers misquote this verse to seduce carnal Christians into giving them more money.
21:22 The wise person can scale the city of the mighty and bring down the stronghold in which they trust.
Those who possess strong Bible doctrine can bring down a strong fortified city. The Apostle Paul brought down the Roman Empire. Martin Luther brought down the Catholic Church. Oliver Cromwell brought down the British Empire.
21:23 The one who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his life from troubles.
The one who possesses strong Bible doctrine keeps himself out of trouble by controlling what he says and does not say.
21:24 A proud and arrogant person, whose name is “Scoffer,” acts with overbearing pride.
A scoffer is one who elevates his human opinion above the written Word of God. When a scoffer neglects Bible doctrine, then he becomes proud and arrogant. He begins to think that he knows more than God.
21:25 What the sluggard desires will kill him, for his hands refuse to work. 21:26 All day long he craves greedily, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.
The lazy person desires nice things, but he refuses to work for them. This causes him to die of starvation. God’s divine teaching is that if one does not work, then one does not eat. Those with strong Bible doctrine work, they have, and they are willing to give. Social programs that give away food to those who do not work or unbiblical. The government is to protect the people, not feed the people. The church is to feed its own, not feed the people of the satanic world system.
21:27 The wicked person’s sacrifice is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent!
The Mosaic Law required that families bring sacrifices to temporarily atone for their sins. These sacrifices all pointed to the future atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. God hates hypocrites who bring sacrifices to His altar without repentance (a change in their lifestyle). A person who brings a sacrifice to God’s altars with evil intentions is an abomination to the Lord.
21:28 A lying witness will perish, but the one who reports accurately speaks forever.
God is on the side of justice. He protects the innocent. God will bring the sin unto death to those who commit perjury.
21:29 A wicked person shows boldness with his face, but as for the upright, he discerns his ways.
A wicked person puts up a bold front. He tries to persuade other people to believe in him. He will do so by telling lies and deceiving others. A person with strong Bible doctrine will seek to be honest in his walk with others.
21:30 There is no wisdom and there is no understanding, and there is no counsel against the Lord.
Human wisdom is no match for God’s wisdom. Atheists, agnostics, evolutionists, feminists, abortionists, liberals, cults, and isms have no chance against God, because they do not have the truth. The United Nations may plan to kick God out of this world, but all that they will do is bring in an Antichrist which will cause Israel to cry out, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” The Lord Jesus Christ will not return to this earth and establish the Millennial Kingdom until Israel makes this call.
21:31 A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory is from the Lord.
Large armies and powerful military weapons will not protect a nation if God is not on their side. God has already decided which nation (if any) will win.
Oliver Cromwell defeated the Catholic kings of England with a smaller army of Puritan peasants. Cromwell’s victories protected the Puritans from being exterminated by the Catholics.
Queen Elizabeth defeated the Spanish Armada with a very small English fleet. The winner of this battle would control the religion of the American colonies. If England won, the colonies would become primarily Protestant. If Spain won, the colonies would become primarily Catholic.
George Washington defeated the mighty British Empire with a smaller number of soldiers. These victories established Puritan rule in the Americas.
Sam Houston defeated the much larger Mexican army of Santa Anna. Texas then left the Catholicism of Mexico and joined the United States as a Protestant state.
After Adolph Hitler destroyed Europe and Japan crippled American carriers at Pearl Harbor, it looked as though Hitler was going to establish a one-world Nazi government, which would exterminate the Jews and Christians. America defeated larger military forces at Normandy Beach and Midway to stop the global takeover of the Nazi government.
It is not the size of the army which brings victory. God has already decided the battle. This is a lesson which America needs to relearn. God is not impressed with an American military machine which is used to secure same-sex marriage, abortion, transgenderism, anti-Israel policy, global warming, multiculturalism, social healthcare, socialism, and other godless liberal programs.