Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son;
and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

(Pro 29:19-27)

[Study Aired May 28, 2026]

These proverbs are helpful in being able to show us the contrast of our journey in Christ from going from being babes to mature sons of God who by God’s power and might (Zec 4:6) are able to go without the camp becoming heirs of God through Christ (Heb 13:13-16).

Zec 4:6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Heb 13:14  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
Heb 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Heb 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Pro 29:19  A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer.

Pro 29:19  A servant will not be trained by words; for though the sense of the words is clear to him, he will not give attention. (BBE)

Pro 29:19  A servant won’t learn a lesson if you only talk to him. That servant may understand your words but he won’t obey. (ERV)

The servant who will not be corrected by words at first is each one of us, who are under tutors and governors (Gal 4:1-6). We understand the words but do not yet have the power to obey, “for though he understand he will not answer”, and this is all by God’s design to remind us that only Christ can open the seals that need to be opened in our lives to bring us unto maturity in Him (Luk 6:46 , Rev 5:5). It is only with that maturity which is a gift of God (1Co 3:6 , Eph 2:8) that we can find ourselves in that position to be in the blessed and holy first resurrection.

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Pro 29:20  Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

These are all conditions of the servant who is a son and an heir, but not yet mature enough to see the need to not be hasty with his words (Ecc 5:2). God is teaching the elect to be quick to hear and slow to speak (Jas 1:19), and this can only happen by suffering for a while, so that we can be perfected, stablished, strengthened, and settled in the Lord (1Pe 5:10).

Ecc 5:2  Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Babylon is “hasty in his words”, in his words and not Christ’s. In the positive use of the word “fools”, we are fools for Christ as we mature in him (1Co 4:9-10), our hope of glory within who puts us in remembrance that we will be more than conquerors through him, enduring to the end by grace and faith of Christ (Eph 2:8 , Rom 8:16-18)

1Co 4:9  For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
1Co 4:10  We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Pro 29:21  He that delicately bringeth up^H6445 his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.

H6445  pânaq  BDB Definition:
1) (Piel) to indulge, pamper, bring up, treat delicately
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root

The sum of God’s word shows us that if we spare the rod we will spoil the child (Pro 13:24), so if we indulge our children and don’t correct them we won’t have them at the length spiritually.

On the other hand and in a positive context, God considers our life as being ‘indulged’ and ‘pampered’ when we are being bruised as Christ was, as He knows that this is the only way that we can be received of our Father in heaven (Isa 53:10 , 1Jn 4:17 , Heb 12:6 , Tit 2:12-13).

Isa 53:10  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him;(1Jn 4:17 , 2Ti 2:12) he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, [“shall have him become his son at the length”] and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Pro 29:22  An angry^H639 man stirreth up strife, and a furious^H2534 man aboundeth in transgression.

The fruit of an angry man is divisive and stirs up strife. Saul of Tarsus was a furious man that abounded in transgressions. His anger was unknowingly against Christ and his Christ as the nation’s anger is according to the council of God’s will (Act 4:27-28 , Eph 1:11).

Angry  H639  ‘aph  af – From H599; properly the nose or nostril; hence the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire: – anger (-gry), + before, countenance, face, + forbearing, forehead, + [long-] suffering, nose, nostril, snout, X worthy, wrath.  Total KJV occurrences: 276

Furious  H2534  chêmâh    chêmâ’  khay-maw’, khay-maw’  – From H3179; heat; figuratively anger, poison (from its fever): – anger, bottles, hot displeasure, furious (-ly, -ry), heat, indignation, poison, rage, wrath (-ful). See H2529. Total KJV occurrences: 124

There is righteous anger that God has against sin within us every day (Psa 7:11), and there is this carnal, out of control anger that tears down and does not build up, that proceeds from those who have this out of control anger that causes them to sin (Pro 29:22 , Eph 4:26-28).

At first we are Simeon and Levi while we are in Babylon, wanting to take vengeance on others and not able to love our enemies (Gen 34:25 , and Jacob is a type of Christ speaking to our old man Gen 34:30), until the man of perdition is destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming into our heavens (2Th 2:3) so that we can now through His power obey all of the ‘But I say unto you’ commandments’ of Christ (Mat 5:22).

Gen 34:25  And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.

Gen 34:30  And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

Mat 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

This proverb also reminds us that there is progression to sin. We go from angrily stirring up strife and then become furious, abounding in transgression (the progression in this story of (Gen 34:25-29) is seen in how Simeon and Levi kill first, and then the thief comes to steal (Joh 10:10). It is the opposite of what God has called the elect unto, where we read that we should be going from glory to glory, and being at peace with all men without which we will not see God (2Co 3:17-18 , Heb 12:14 , Jas 1:18-21).

Gen 34:25  And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.
Gen 34:26  And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.
Gen 34:27  The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
Gen 34:28  They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,
Gen 34:29  And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

The only anger we should have is against sin in our lives, as we beseech our Father to give us victory over the powers and principalities that we war against (Eph 4:26 , Psa 7:11 , 1Jn 4:17 , Pro 16:4 , 1Co 9:26-27).

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Eph 4:26  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Psa 7:11  God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

1Co 9:26  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Pro 29:23  A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

We have to always approach our relationship with Christ and each other and everyone we meet with humility, and if we can’t do that God is assuring us in this proverb that He will abase His children so that we come to that point through His chastening grace (Rom 5:20-21). It is when we are humbled by His mighty hand that we will in due time be exalted to the glory of God (Mat 23:12 , 1Pe 5:6 , Php 2:12-13).

Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Mat 23:12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. [“honour shall uphold the humble in spirit”]

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

A pride-filled spirit has nothing to offer anyone, and so God blesses us to become like a child who is humble and teachable in our spirits, “but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit”. Only Christ can bring us to that place of overcoming the sin of pride, and it will bring everyone low before we are ultimately delivered from it through Christ, “A man’s pride shall bring him low” (Rom 8:36-39).

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Pro 29:24  Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.

Satan is the thief (Joh 10:10), and if we have partnered with him or someone who is one his children (Joh 8:44) we are in effect hating our own soul (2Co 6:14), being an empowered ‘joined unto’ beast, or son of the devil (Rev 12:9 , Rev 13:4).  This is the opposite of being of one mind with the body of Christ and nourished by every joint that supplies in love (Eph 4:15-16 , Eph 5:14-19).

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Eph 5:14  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Eph 5:15  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Eph 5:16  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Eph 5:17  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Eph 5:18  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Eph 5:19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Eph 5:20  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

The fruit of being joined unto a spirit such as this, “Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul”, is that he/we will “hear[s] the curse, but disclose[s] nothing” (ESV) (1Co 15:33). Our inability to do war against those who are an enemy of the cross is something that we need to constantly be on guard against, and Paul tells us our natural inclination is to not even recognize that there are those who are against us and in our midst (Act 20:28-31).

Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves,(1Co 9:26-27) and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Act 20:31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Pro 29:25  The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

David had no fear of Goliath and the armies of that age, and as such God’s plan moved forward. David is a type of Christ and with God’s spirit within us (Col 1:27 , Rom 8:9) His plan is going to move forward despite ourselves (Mat 16:18 , Php 2:12-13). Christ put it this way in (Luk 12:5):

Luk 12:5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. [“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe”]

This kind of fear of God delivers us from the snare of the devil, if God will permit (2Ti 2:24-26).

2Ti 2:24  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
2Ti 2:25  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; (Heb 6:3)
2Ti 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, “The fear of man bringeth a snare” who are taken captive by him at his will.

We know that those who fear God are also those who “trust in the LORD [and] shall be safe”(Eph 1:12).

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

This idea of fearing God is key to our salvation (the beginning Pro 9:10 , the conclusion Ecc 12:13) and it is a gift of God that comes from having God’s spirit within us (Heb 5:7 , Eph 5:30).

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh (Eph 5:30), when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; (1Jn 4:17)

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Pro 29:26  Many seek the ruler’s favour; but every man’s judgment cometh from the LORD.

We are “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” at first (2Ti 3:7) without the judgement that comes from God (1Pe 4:17). Until then we turn to “the ruler’s favour”, the earthly carnal counsel of man’s wisdom because we do not yet have the power of God and the faith of Christ to overcome the lies of the adversary (1Co 2:4-6 , 2Ti 1:7-9). The ruler’s favour is no favour at all (that is found in Babylon) where we are promised liberty and only become part of the blind leading the blind at that time in our lives, until we are called out of her, by God’s grace (2Pe 2:18-19 , Mat 15:14).

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
1Co 2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

Pro 29:27  An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.

Polarization! If we think of money or mammon as righteousness or self righteousness, like the rich young ruler parable demonstrates to us (Mat 19:16-26), we can then turn to this verse (Mat 6:24) that shows us that we are going to either serve one or the other, righteousness or self righteousness (Php 3:9), understanding that God has everyone where they are (Eph 1:11 , Rom 8:28 , Mar 10:21).

Mat 6:24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

God willing, we will continue to lose our life and serve Christ faithfully to our last breath, going where our flesh does not want to go (Joh 21:18 , Gal 5:16), “no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ”.

Joh 21:18  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.