Proverbs 27:12

November 2, 2023

“A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; the simple pass on and are punished.”

This passage of Scripture out of the book of Proverbs written by King Solomon is very informative. It gives us a direct contrast between a wise man and a naïve person. It is a continuation of advice given by him to his son advising the importance of being a prudent person.

He understood what it meant to train up a child in the way they should go, Proverbs 22:6. The thing is our children are a direct representation of us and how they act is due to the wisdom that we provide them with or the lack of knowledge because they are not being taught the Word of God.

Some of the important words of wisdom Solomon gave in Proverbs 27 include:

Proverbs 27:5 “Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed.”

Proverbs 27:9 “Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.

Proverbs 27:10 “Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.”

These verses of Scripture out of the Old Testament are very significant as King Solomon truly understood the importance of having intelligence and insight. We have to remember the fact that the Lord gave Solomon wisdom unlike any other king in his time. He wanted his son to have an understanding of the knowledge that he was given and that is one of the things that prompted this proverb.

One important takeaway that we can gain out of the three passages of Scripture is that we need to remain mindful how we treat others. You can be in a situation where you need someone to intervene and your relationship with that person can literally make the difference between life and death.

We know that this kind of wisdom is not pertaining to just the physical aspect of life but it has to do with remaining ready spiritually as well. The clever see danger coming ahead way in advance because they are sober and vigilant; but the naïve proceed without understanding the evil ahead. Don’t take your warfare lightly, the devil is on a mission to kill, steal, and destroy your entire life, John 10:10.

Peter states it perfectly in 1 Peter 5:8 when he states, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” The Apostle Paul reiterates the importance of being ready for the spiritual battle when he tells us to “Put on the whole armor of God…” Ephesians 6:11.

Once you become a Christian you are now an enemy to the devil. The fact is there are two kingdoms: the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of God, there is no in between. We cannot afford to live our lives as gullible people as if the enemy does not exist. That is how he snares you in his trap with the inability to see danger coming ahead regardless of the warning sign given to you by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s break down the first part of the verse of Scripture that I am highlighting above. The words “a prudent” is the Hebrew word “ʿārûm” which means: crafty, shrewd, and sensible. The word “foresees” is the Hebrew word “rā’â” which means: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, and consider. The word “evil” is the Hebrew word “raʿ” which means: evil, misery, distress, and injury.

So when we tie these key words together we can conclude that Solomon is letting us know that a person that is practical and levelheaded will inspect and consider upcoming situations and scenarios so that he can prevent unnecessary misery, injury and distress. The enemy is notorious for setting up traps for us in the hopes that we will fall victim to the consequences of sin.

A shrewd person remains on alert hiding themselves from the dangers of sin. How does one remain hidden? Psalm 91:1 discloses that important piece of information when the author states, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” The best way to foresee the evil up ahead is to stay in the presence of God while being led by the Holy Spirit.

Every one of us is a human being and there are things that we cannot see with our own eyes. We need divine protection and guidance from the Lord so that we can make sure that we are making wise decisions in every aspect of our lives. The ability to be able to listen to the Lord’s still small voice will prevent you from running into evil ahead.

The second part of this passage of Scripture states, “…the simple pass on and are punished.” The words “the simple” used here is the Hebrew word “pᵊṯî” which means: simple, foolish, and open-minded. The words “are punished” is the Hebrew word “ʿānaš” which means: to be fined, to be punished, and be mulcted (extract money from someone).

When we piece this last portion of Scripture together we can determine that the point that Solomon is making is that people that are naïve keep finding themselves in the same tricks over and over again. They are foolish when it comes to the spiritual realm and the enemy takes full advantage of their lack of awareness.

The outcome is punishment in many different ways: mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. A lot of people are very lackadaisical when it comes to their Christianity and so they find themselves bound and can’t understand why. The prudent person sees danger coming before it comes near because they are in tune with the Spirit of God.

This contrast that King Solomon is using is a warning to all of us: if you are an unthinking person that is consistently in the midst of evil and danger then you want to make the necessary changes to be alert and sober minded. We are in a time where the devil is no longer playing any kind of games. He is on a mission to take as many of us to the pit of hell with him as he can!

We cannot afford to passively sit back and watch him kill, steal, and destroy, John 10:10. We need to get into the Word of God: study it, digest it, and apply it to our lives daily! The fact is a sensible person knows and understands the value of reading your Holy Bible consistently and the power in the Name of the Lord Jesus!

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