Proverbs 28.10
“Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.”
Wicked people are not content to practice their wickedness alone. They feel compelled to lure others into their nefarious activities. It is the nature of sinners to tempt, seduce and entrap the foolish and naïve. This harsh reality of life is evidenced everywhere: On the playground, in the classroom, on the street, and at work.
It is particularly damaging when the “misleader” is a person of influence: a politician, journalist, actor, athlete, teacher, manager, or even a pastor. Indeed, the enemy loves to disguise his agents of darkness in those positions. They are the proverbial “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
Here then is a warning to the wicked: The trap you lay for someone else will itself be your destiny; dig a pit for a good man, and eventually it will be your grave. This same warning is given in Psam 7.15-16: “He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.”
Proverbs 28.11
“A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.”
Wealth can be deceptive. It can deceive you into thinking you know more than you actually do, and it can give you a false sense of security that blinds you to the reality of your sinfulness. Wealth can lead to arrogance and cause a person to think and act foolishly.
A poor man with wisdom can see the rich man’s errors and prove he is wrong. It is better to be poor with wisdom than wealthy without it. That’s why scripture warns not to put your faith in wealth, but rather to invest fully in God’s truth: “Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.” (Proverbs 23.23)
Wealth can lead to arrogance, and that is dangerous. Very dangerous. And because all people tend to be self-oriented, arrogance is an easy trap to fall into. We all have a tendency to be “right in our own eyes.” However, we must understand—as the book of Proverbs teaches—that arrogance is the way of a fool, whereas humility is the way of wisdom.
“Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Proverbs 26.12)
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11.2)
If you recall, the word for pride here is the Hebrew zadon. It refers to arrogance and self-centered pride that rejects God’s standards and authority. This kind of pride is marked by an inflated sense of personal authority (“I am in charge of things around here.”), a rebellious disobedience (“I don’t have to listen to you!”) and willful selfishness (“It’s my life. I can do what I want.”).
Zadon — arrogance and selfishness — is the spirit of our time. Many people live and work in willful disregard for God’s standards and principles. They act not on the basis of timeless truth, but on the basis of personal preference, popular narrative, and selfish pride. It is a disastrous way to go about life.
This is not saying that poverty automatically produces wisdom and that wealth produces arrogance. It is very possible to be poor and arrogant, and it is possible to be wealthy and wise. Whether you are poor, wealthy, or somewhere in between, the core message is this: Be humble, and at all costs avoid arrogance of heart.
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
