Blessings upon the Upright

Proverbs 11

Many examples in the Scriptures show forth a righteous life. Joseph the earthly father of Jesus, was such a man. Matthew 1

 

God is looking for the man who has a heart that is right with Him. This man will reap the blessings from the Lord upon his life. On the contrary the person who does not live right will miss out upon the blessings of the Lord.

 

One must have the right character before the Lord before he can expect God’s blessings upon his life.

 

  1. Honesty—vs. 1 A life characterized by truthfulness in life and lips(Honesty starts in the heart) I won’t tell I lie from my lips if the truth is in my heart! The faulty balance was built by a deceitful heart. The deceitful heart is known by its treachery or transgressing—vs. 3
  2. Humility—vs. 2 Pride invites shame upon my own life. If I am too proud to admit my own faults and weaknesses I will reap shame. This arrogance in attitude will cause me to view life through a different lens, causing me to make foolish decisions. My life will be characterized by disgrace rather than grace. Pride me to think that life is all about me, my happiness, and my needs, thus looking down on others, and causing shameful treatment towards them. The opposite of pride is that of the heart attitude of lowliness. This is not negative trait but rather one that is not assuming. The lowly person does not desire the limelight, but rather that Christ would be seen, and others put up. The lowly person delights in being a servant thus his life is characterized by wisdom. On the contrary the proud man is a fool. Pride and Foolishness seem to go hand in hand.
  3. Integrity—vs. 3 Integrity is the inward character of the heart that causes the life to be steadfast in the principles of the Word of the Lord. Integrity encompasses every part of the inward being. The whole life is one of devotion to the Lord and that which is right. The opposite is that of perverseness or crookedness. The character must be straight towards the truth and not bent or twisted out of the way.
  4. Upright—vs. 3 Upright has to do with straightness in accordance to the truth of the Word of God. Integrity deals more with the character, but uprightness deals more with the choices that stem from that character. Integrity will cause uprightness in attitude and action. The upright man delights in pleasing the Lord with his actions. The opposite is the transgressor who crookedly departs from the path of the Lord. God has His standards for the living of life. To depart from these standards in any way reaps destruction.
  5. Perfect—vs. 5 The perfect man is a man with integrity, honesty, humility, and uprightness in heart. The perfect man is sound, healthy, and complete in his spirituality. This is the goal that the believer is striving towards. Perfection in the New Testament is always a sanctification term. It is a goal to be strived towards, but not something that is ultimately reached until Heaven. The perfect man upon this earth still battles the old man within himself. (vs. 20)

 

Having the characteristics of these traits in one’s life will allow him to be called righteous before the Lord. Righteousness is the character of making decisions according to the divine laws of God. This righteousness is a result of love, fear, and wisdom. The same word can be translated just—upholding the law or doing right by the law.

 

Lord make my life be characterized by righteousness.

 

Righteousness provides:

  1. Direction from the Lord—vs. 3, 5
    1. Divine guidance; leading—The Lord will direct the steps of the man who is seeking to live right.
    2. Contrary—the man who does not seek to live righteously cannot expect the guiding hand of the Lord upon his life
    3. Right living itself causes the person to be on the path that the Lord desires. Obedience in the general will of God equals guidance in the specific. This direction causes safety on the pathway of life. The wicked man cannot claim this guidance and thus will fall along the way.

 

  1. Deliverance from the Lord—vs. 4, 6, 8, 9, 21
    1. Righteousness delivers from eternal death. The man who has been made righteous by the blood of Christ is righteous. Riches will not deliver any man. Righteous living can also deliver from physical death. (vs. 19)Proverbs 19:23 (vs. 4)
    2. Righteousness delivers from traps of sinfulness. Sin will always trap people with its deceitfulness. The righteous man is delivered from the binding power of sin. Those who live for their naughtiness (evil desires) will be captured or trapped in its continuance! Sin is a controlling substance. (vs. 6)
    3. Righteousness delivers from troubles that are in this world. This is not to say that righteous people will never endure trials, but there is a divine protection from troubles for those who live right. The wicked person does not have this hedge by God. (vs. 8)
    4. Righteous living delivers from the failure of foolish decisions. Righteous living brings about the wisdom of God upon the life of the person thus protecting him from making man foolish decisions. The wicked man lives rashly and thus gets himself into many troubles. (vs. 9)
    5. Righteous living delivers from the consequences of sinfulness. Sin has heavy consequences and those that pursue it will reap a sure reward. (vs. 21)

 

  1. Destination from the Lord—vs. 7, 31
    1. Righteous living realizes the fulfillment of right expectations. Every man has expectations—desires that he believes should or will come to pass. The righteous man lives right and has godly expectations. He will see these come to fruition. The wicked man also has expectations, and they will perish. It is a sad day when there is no hope. There is no hope for the wicked, but that he forsake his way! Isa_55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
    2. The Righteous person will be recompensed for righteous living and the wicked will be recompensed even more for wrong living! God keeps the books.

 

  1. Delight from the Lord—vs. 1, 20
    1. Righteous living causes the very God of Heaven to delight in that man who is devoting his life to doing what the Lord asks. God delights in that man who is honest, he takes not of the man with integrity (Job). God’s blessings are poured out upon this righteous man and those around him are even blessed. (vs. 10-11)
    2. Righteous living is farming. You plant righteous seeds in the garden of life and you reap plants of blessings. The contrary is also true. It is much better to sow righteous actions. Where weeds of wickedness have been allowed to grow, we need the plow of God’s Word to root out our sin! (vs. 18) Gal. 6:7-8
    3. Psalm 37:23—The steps of a good (godly) man are ordered by the Lord and He delighteth in his way. This causes the protection and guidance of the Lord!
    4. God hates the twisted, perverted heart, but He delights, takes pleasure, and favour in the heart that is complete, whole, right before Him!

 

  1. Desire from the Lord—vs. 23
    1. The righteous man cannot help but have the right desires. He has so chosen to live by the principles of the Word of God that his desires have come inline with the desires of the Lord. Psalm 37:4 bears this out, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Because the Lord is first in this man’s heart, His desires are in line with the divine!
    2. The righteous man also is granted his desires. While the wicked’s expectation is wrath, the righteous man receives the very blessings of the Lord. Many righteous men have been granted a special desire of their heart-something only the Lord could meet!

 

Righteous causes the life to be:

  1. Favored by the Lord—vs. 27
  2. Flourishing by the Lord—vs. 28
  3. Fruitfulness by the Lord—vs. 29