Proverbs 28 packs a punch that has teeth. Please take these five scriptures to heart as we examine them and ponder their meaning.
Pro 28:6 Better is the poor that walks in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
“Perverse in his ways” – PERVERSE, a. pervers’. [L. perversus. See Pervert.]
1. Literally, turned aside; hence, distorted from the right.
2. Obstinate in the wrong; disposed to be contrary; stubborn; untractable.
Do you know anyone hardheaded and determined to do wrong? The people who are determined to do wrong, are hard-headed and stubborn about it, those are the ‘perverse’. Perversity then is common in our lives, because we all know stubbornly wicked people, even in our own families. I myself was once a stubborn and perverse man.
What verse six is telling us is this simple Truth – that it is far better to walk in the Way, even if one of poor in wealth, than to possess great wealth and be perverse. Sadly, many people we love will choose perversity over righteousness, and our walk in righteousness will be, in large part, a lonely one. We will live in peace, which is better than strife.
My Father caused my perverse spouse to push me out of our family, and in truth I am grateful to Him for it, because the distance between she and I is the distance between heaven and hell. Her perversion in conjunction with her great wealth blinds my older children to the Truth. In effect, she purchases their love, mocks my faith and allows sin to flourish in her home.
I walk in sorrow, praising Yahuah for His great love, but tears well in my eyes even as I write this sentence when I consider the darkness in my mid-teen sons. I ask my Father “What can I trade you for my sons? What have I to give for their turn to Righteousness?” I failed them terribly, but only found Torah as a discipline four years ago. I always loved the Torah documents the most, but never knew they were Torah or what Torah was.
Please pray that Yahuah will face my sons to Righteousness. As for their mother, she is stubborn and intractable in her enmity to Yahuah and her love of her wealth.
Pro 28:7 Whoso keeps the Torah is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shames his father.
Keeping Torah is the key to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is here now. Abiding in Torah places the soul in the Kingdom and we live there. We see through opened eyes the wickedness in the world. We are in but not of the world. The Way is the path through the Kingdom of Heaven. Do you understand these things?
The rebel, the enemy of Truth is shameful in his conduct. He rejects the call, thus rejecting the immense transformation of his soul. He will never know the Way. He will never see the Kingdom of Heaven and he will run with the dogs until he dies.
Pro 28:8 He that by usury and unjust gain increases his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
You know, I read this and understand it, but when will that happen, because I see the money changers collecting literally uncountable wealth through usury and the poor having nothing to eat. Charities might be the “him that will pity the poor.”
Pro 28:9 He that turns away his ear from hearing the Torah, even his prayer shall be abomination.
This is the truth that caught my heart and pulled me into Proverbs 28. This is perhaps the most powerful statement in the chapter, and one of the most powerful in the Words. This tells us that a person, any person, who declines to accept, hear, study, read, or otherwise in any way engage with Torah, that even his prayers are an abomination. That’s powerful.
This explains a major part of the the Christians are failing. They deny Torah. When I was turned to life, when I took a year off work to study the Word, I was blocked from what is called the “Old Testament”. I sat down at my table, opened my brand new bible to Genesis 1 and stopped in my tracks, asking myself “Am I allowed to read this?”
It was such a roadblock that I did not read it, but started in Matthew. When I read through the “New Testament”, I did go back to Genesis and read through the “Old Testament”, but even when I finished the book after a year of diligent and inspired study, I stood up after closing it, looked intensely at it and remember saying aloud “There is something else there.”
And there is. It is Torah and when I started studing Torah as a way of life, life changed. I changed. My Amsrican Standard Bible church turned its back on me and my tzitzit ways. My spouse divorced me. My oldest boys (teenagers) rebelled against me and I more or less lost everything meaningful to me.
Nonetheless, the Words are true. Yahuah is Truth. He loves me and He provides for me. I abide in His Truth and He provides for me. I am generally quite lonely, but when the Sabbath comes, we rejoice, for on the Sabbath we are one. We have fellowship that is filled with happiness and love and laughter and after hours of being together, we return to our dwellings, jobs, broken families, regular lives.
Our fellowship is real.
(I was just pondering Yahusha and the end of the 1000 years of His rule, and remembered His words “I lay down my life, only to pick it up again.” How many times do you think He will do that? Eternally, perhaps?)
Pro 28:10 Whoso causes the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the yashariym shall have good things in possession.
The wicked dig a hole for themselves that will swallow them eventually. When the wicked entice the righteous or the innocent to sin, the wicked will suffer, and I want to say doubly. He is already wicked and suffers from that, but to lead others into sin places an additional burden on himself for which he will be required to answer after this life and also during this life. The yashariym who are not drawn into rebellion with the evildoers will possess good things in a good life lived righteously.
The righteous, or yashariym, shall have the good. There must be a distinction between the righteous, who are those who obey the commands of Yahuah, and the Yashariym, but I cannot discern what the difference is. Both “righteous” and yashar” seem to be the same. The “ym” on the end of yashari is simply the plural.
Original Word: יָשָׁר
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: yashar
Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-shawr’)
Definition: straight, right
Proverbs 28
Pro 28:1 THE wicked flee when no man pursues: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Pro 28:2 For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.
Pro 28:3 A poor man that oppresses the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaves no food.
Pro 28:4 They that forsake the Torah praise the wicked: but such as guard the Torah contend with them.
Pro 28:5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek Yahuah understand all things.
Pro 28:6 Better is the poor that walks in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
Pro 28:7 Whoso keeps the Torah is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shames his father.
Pro 28:8 He that by usury and unjust gain increases his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
Pro 28:9 He that turns away his ear from hearing the Torah, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Pro 28:10 Whoso causes the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the yashariym shall have good things in possession.
Pro 28:11 The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that has understanding searches him out.
Pro 28:12 When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.
Pro 28:13 He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.
Pro 28:14 Happy is the man that fears always: but he that hardens his heart shall fall into mischief.
Pro 28:15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.
Pro 28:16 The prince that lacks understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hates covetousness shall prolong his days.
Pro 28:17 A man that does violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.
Pro 28:18 Whoso walks uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.
Pro 28:19 He that tills his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that follows after vain persons shall have poverty enough.
Pro 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
Pro 28:21 To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.
Pro 28:22 He that hastens to be rich has an evil eye, and considers not that poverty shall come upon him.
Pro 28:23 He that rebukes a man afterwards shall find more favor than he that flatters with the tongue.
Pro 28:24 Whoso robs his father or his mother, and says, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.
Pro 28:25 He that is of a proud heart stirs up strife: but he that puts his trust in Yahuah shall be made fat.
Pro 28:26 He that trusts in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walks wisely, he shall be delivered.
Pro 28:27 He that gives unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hides his eyes shall have many a curse.
Pro 28:28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.
Love ya brother… Keep doin what you do… Baruk Haba Bashem YAHUAU !!!
Thanks, JR. Your encouragement does mean a lot to me.