Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
If you were to ask the average person on the street if he is on his way to hell, he would probably respond in the negative. So you ask him, “Are all of your efforts in life focused on dying and going to hell? Is everything you are doing today working towards the goal of death and hell?” Even if he makes no profession of faith in God or His Savior, the fellow would think you certifiably crazy for even thinking to ask him such questions. Most rational, functioning people in society are confident in the life choices they have made and the direction they have set for themselves. And that’s the point. Without acknowledging God and His interest in their lives, they set the course of their lives, and they are generally confident that it is the right course. A popular song from the 1960s depicts a strong inner confidence cultivated in the hearts of proud, autonomous humanists:
“And now, the end is near, And so I face the final curtain. My friends, I’ll say it clear; I’ll state my case of which I’m certain. I’ve lived a life that’s full—I’ve traveled each and every highway. And more, much more than this, I did it my way. Regrets? I’ve had a few, But then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do And saw it through without exemption. I planned each charted course—Each careful step along the byway, And more, much more than this, I did it my way. I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried, I’ve had my fill—my share of losing. But now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing. To think I did all that, And may I say, not in a shy way—Oh no. Oh no, not me. I did it my way.”
“There is a way that seems right to a man!” Some day one of the composers of this song might add a final verse, but only after he reaches the end of his life. Then, all of his hopeful confidence in himself will shatter as he finds himself in the ways of death. He may have arrogantly defined his own values, and determined his own standard of right and wrong while he lived. But because he trusted in himself and refused to trust in God’s saving wisdom for his life, he will step into the paths of death forever. There will be regrets then...far too many to mention.
Proverbs 14:13
Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.
Here is an interesting irony. Some of the funniest people can be the saddest of them all. Indeed, all of us experience the simultaneous emotional waves of joy and sadness. They come seperately and sometimes together. Depending on who is experiencing sadness or laughter, these emotions play different roles. Either the backdrop of joy will be sadness, or the backdrop of sadness will be joy. The godless unbeliever works hard trying to make this present world into a joyful place. He parties it up high, always trying to avoid seeing the backdrop of death and hell forever. His humor is superficial. Yet, believers can be humorous and joyful. They are surrounded with sadness, sin, and death in this present age; and they refuse to sugar coat it, avoid it, or deny it in their literature and culture forms. But they are still joyful, because they clearly see the backdrop for all of this sadness. It is resurrection and eternal joy! So the endearing and satirical forms of humor used by Christians will always be tinged with a note of sadness. Nevertheless, you can be sure that there is true joy there, penetrating deep in hope and expectation of ultimate victory. For now, our laughter is mixed with tears, but one day God will wipe away all tears from our eyes (Rev. 21:4).
Proverbs 14:14
The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man with his.
The righteous and the wicked are presented in the Word as always in some relation with God—the righteous inclined towards God and His way, and the wicked turning away from God. As you live your life, you will find yourself progressively turning away from God or turning towards Him. You will turn in one direction or the other. The “backslider” is one who turns away. Like a rebellious son who finds his father repulsive, this man is repulsed by the mere consideration of God and he instinctively turns away from Him. Occasionally, a son will look at his father (who in the whole scheme of things is a pretty good dad), as overly restrictive, unconventional, and even downright repulsive. Meanwhile, other family members and friends stand around in amazement wondering what the boy could possibly find so extraordinarily disagreeable about the man. The root problem resides in the heart of the boy.
Applying this to the text at hand, we have a very good God. That anyone could possibly find God repellent or undesirable should stagger the imagination. Were any man to turn away from the living God, we would have to conclude that the heart of the man contained some severe defect. Therefore, the Psalmist declares about the godly, “Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Your way” (Ps. 44:18).
The Proverb declares the rewards coming to the man who turns away from God. He will be filled with his own ways, and that is not a pleasant prospect! When a man turns out of God’s ways and into his own, he begins to sow seeds. If you look at the seed packets he uses, you’ll notice they are marked “cockroach droppings.” So, sure enough, as harvest time approaches, he yields a huge crop of stinking, filthy cockroach manure. Those that live their lives for themselves, working diligently to satisfy their sinful, dying flesh, will reap death and corruption. But those that sow to the Spirit will enjoy a crop of life everlasting (Gal. 6:8).
1. Are you ever tempted to launch out on your own and confidently live life your own way, satisfying your own flesh, and ignoring God’s claims on your life? What are the attractions of living life this way? What happens at the end of such a life?
2. What kind of humor do we use in our family? When we laugh as a family, do we forget about the sadness of the reality of sin and pain and death around us? Is our humor hopeful and confident in the resurrection of Jesus Christ?