Proverbs 14:17
He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly:
And a man of wicked devices is hated.
The great majority of these proverbs teach us principles through the development of contrasts. In this proverb, the contrast is not between good and evil, wisdom vs foolishness; it is rather between two forms of evil: between one who foolishly and thoughtlessly allows his anger to vent hastily, and one who, with all due process of though, slowly premeditate his evil. The first is just foolish and only gets the reward allotted to fools, but the second incurs the hatred of every man.
The Father in Heaven is a God of distinctions. He distinguishes between righteous and unrighteous; between good and evil, between and good and good, between evil and evil. His very nature is a nature of distinction between pure and defiled, between clean and unclean, the holy and the profane. The word ‘Holy” actually means: separated; set-aside for the use of God. If our Father, which is in Heaven, makes distinctions between one thing and the other, shouldn’t we, being His children do the same?
Many, in their attempts towards political correctness and undue tolerance want to let go of all standards. They consider their successful unity with the human race dependant on their horizontal earthly relationships styles rather than on their vertical relationship with their heavenly Father. But even then, there is a difference between the person who lets go of godly standards in a hasty frustrated angry decision that he may regret later when his spirits are leveled, and the person who premeditates his rebellion with all due consciousness of thought. The first can be forgiven with a reprimand; the second leads others astray who later hate him. The first is a sin of the head, the second a sin of the heart.
All in all though, the proverb is here to warn us. As we read and acknowledge its virtue, we should stand warned and without excuses, our eyes now being opened. When our eyes are opened with the knowledge of His truth, our Master said that we become without excuse. Let us therefore learn from this great wisdom. Even though distinction is made between foolish hasty sins and those that are premeditated, let us be guilty of neither.
He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly:
And a man of wicked devices is hated.
The great majority of these proverbs teach us principles through the development of contrasts. In this proverb, the contrast is not between good and evil, wisdom vs foolishness; it is rather between two forms of evil: between one who foolishly and thoughtlessly allows his anger to vent hastily, and one who, with all due process of though, slowly premeditate his evil. The first is just foolish and only gets the reward allotted to fools, but the second incurs the hatred of every man.
The Father in Heaven is a God of distinctions. He distinguishes between righteous and unrighteous; between good and evil, between and good and good, between evil and evil. His very nature is a nature of distinction between pure and defiled, between clean and unclean, the holy and the profane. The word ‘Holy” actually means: separated; set-aside for the use of God. If our Father, which is in Heaven, makes distinctions between one thing and the other, shouldn’t we, being His children do the same?
Many, in their attempts towards political correctness and undue tolerance want to let go of all standards. They consider their successful unity with the human race dependant on their horizontal earthly relationships styles rather than on their vertical relationship with their heavenly Father. But even then, there is a difference between the person who lets go of godly standards in a hasty frustrated angry decision that he may regret later when his spirits are leveled, and the person who premeditates his rebellion with all due consciousness of thought. The first can be forgiven with a reprimand; the second leads others astray who later hate him. The first is a sin of the head, the second a sin of the heart.
All in all though, the proverb is here to warn us. As we read and acknowledge its virtue, we should stand warned and without excuses, our eyes now being opened. When our eyes are opened with the knowledge of His truth, our Master said that we become without excuse. Let us therefore learn from this great wisdom. Even though distinction is made between foolish hasty sins and those that are premeditated, let us be guilty of neither.
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