Audio Download

“But godliness with contentment is great gain” Part 2

(Pro 17:8-17)

[Study Aired August 14, 2025]

Pro 17:8  A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
Pro 17:9  He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
Pro 17:10  A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
Pro 17:11  An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
Pro 17:12  Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
Pro 17:13  Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
Pro 17:14  The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.
Pro 17:15  He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.
Pro 17:16  Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?
Pro 17:17  A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

God knows how to incentivize His children and keep us in a place of godliness with contentment which is great gain.

These two short Psalms when read side by side witness to this truth that it is the Lord who is making us “to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” and in doing that we find ourselves at peace and no longer wanting (Psa 23:1-6, Psa 1:1-6). These sections of scripture will give us a good backdrop regarding the proverbs will be looking at.

Psa 23:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Psa 23:2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psa 23:3  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psa 1:3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psa 1:4  The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Psa 23:5  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psa 1:5  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

Psa 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Psa 1:6  For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The next several proverbs we’re looking at have a focus on how to walk circumspectly and remain in those green pastures, where our hearts can be guarded and where great spiritual gain is had, along with the precious commodity of His peace which passes all understanding will be found (Php 4:4-7).

Php 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Php 4:5  Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Pro 17:8  A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
Pro 17:9  He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

The “precious stone” being talked about in our first proverb is Jesus Christ the pearl of great price (Mat 13:46, 2Co 4:7). Potentially that pearl or at least the name of it can be misappropriated and used as an instrument of bribing and controlling those who we try to rule over in our flesh as the Nicolaitan spirit did within us in our former conversation (Isa 4:1, Rev 2:6, Eph 4:22-24). The name of Christ, his name sake, his mind, his words, are not known by the world, but blessed are our eyes and ears if we have been given this “precious stone” “which no man [carnal man] knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”(Rev 2:17).

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

What we should be doing Lord willing with this “precious gift” is to not neglect so great a salvation, stirring up that gift within us (Heb 2:3) and showing fervent love toward one another that will “covereth a transgression” (1Pe 4:8).

Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

1Pe 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

We are washing each other with the word to that end that the bride can be without spot or wrinkle (Luk 7:44, Eph 5:26-27), and this section of the proverb, “but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends” is the exact opposite of what we have been called to do for each other (Rom 6:3, Jas 5:11, 1Pe 3:8, 1Pe 4:8).

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Jas 5:11  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

1Pe 3:8  Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

1Pe 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Pro 17:10  A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
Pro 17:11  An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

King David and King Saul are examples of the positive and negative first and second man Adam within us. David was tender hearted, however when he sinned he sinned big, typifying our coming to see we are ‘the man’, ‘the chief of sinners’ (2Sa 12:7). As a type of the elect, the reproof of the Lord who is the wise man entered into David as a man after God’s own heart,”A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool” (Act 13:22).

Act 13:22  And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
Act 13:23  Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:(Gal 3:16, Oba 1:21)

God is showing mercy to the elect in this age, and it is “his goodness” that is leading us unto repentance through judgement that comes upon the body of Christ first (1Pe 4:17). God’s elect are the first fruits of His harvest who are given a tender heart, or a humble and contrite heart from God that is needed to fulfill all His will in our lives, and not our own (Luk 22:42, 1Jn 4:17).

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Prior to being given that new heart we were the evil man whose day of evil was created by God for our good (Pro 16:4), when He sent a “cruel messenger” to humble us dead in our tracks, and do away with the fool within us whose carnal heart will only learn by doing hard time, “an hundred [10×10] stripes into a fool”, and even still that correction did not bring about a new creation, as we remained with uncircumcised hearts before the Lord until he came to destroy that hardness by the brightness of His coming (Act 9:4, Rom 11:22, 2Th 2:8).

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Pro 17:12  Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
Pro 17:13  Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

This proverb demonstrates why we must pray every day, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen”. In order to avoid ‘fools in their folly’, we must be led by God’s spirit (Rom 8:14) and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and saviour who knew how to answer and deal with every adversarial situation that was written in his book (1Jn 4:17).

Our goal by the grace of God is best expressed and reached by maturing into a life that is walking circumspectly in this age and living by these words of God, Lord willing:(Mat 10:16-17, Col 2:8, 2Ti 2:24-26, Jas 5:19-20).

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mat 10:17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

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;
2Ti 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Jas 5:19  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Jas 5:20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. [this exercise is given to God’s elect so that in time we will be used to judge all the world and cover “a multitude of sins”, the innumerable multitude of (Rev 7:9)!]

In order to overcome, we must stop “reward[ing] evil for good”. Every evil spirit can be overcome as we grow in having a diligent heart and witness the spiritual increase that comes from God (2Pe 1:5-9, 1Co 3:6-7). It is counterintuitive to the world, but we know the only one who is going to see evil depart from his house is the one who will never have the sword depart from his house in this age, meaning the word of God that keeps us on a straight and narrow path that is not overcome by evil but overcomes evil with good (2Sa 12:10, Rom 12:21).

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

2Sa 12:10  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

Pro 17:14  The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.
Pro 17:15  He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.

We can’t be respecters of persons who justify the wicked and condemn the just for our own advantage. Christ was our example in that regard, of not being a respecter of persons and by His faith we can do the same (Act 10:34, 1Jn 4:17, Jas 2:1).

Act 10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (“no respecter of persons”)

Jas 2:1  My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

Christ knew there was no good thing in flesh including His own flesh, and with that perspective, and the spirit of God without measure, Christ was able to never walk with strife, and left off contention knowing that vengeance was God’s and all that anyone could do and can do is already ordained of God (Eph 1:11, Joh 19:11).

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Joh 19:11  Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

Conversely we all at first justify our own wicked hearts and condemn the just, meaning we condemn Christ, and that self-righteous and misaligned spirit is an abomination to the LORD, “even they both are abomination to the LORD”, which he is going to burn out of the elect first, in this age. Pilate was not the one who dragged Christ into this situation wanting him tried and convicted and wanting the guilty Barabbas to be set free, and the innocent killed. At first glance it appears that Pilot did not do this: “He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD”, and it even says “from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar”. Pilate who had the ‘lesser’ sin of not delivering Christ, caved in to the crowd being a people pleasing politician. Peter and all the disciples did the same thing, betraying Christ, telling us that we are all guilty of the death of Christ, and no one is exempt from this truth while we are being controlled by our yet carnal hearts.

We don’t want to be self-righteous then and turn around and say, well at least I wouldn’t have been the one who delivered Christ, or I wouldn’t have done what Judas did, I didn’t have “the greater sin” (Mat 23:29-30, Luk 11:50-51). No, we are to seriously take heed to verse 14 and understand that “Pro 17:14  The start of an argument is like a water leak— so stop it before real trouble breaks out. ” (CEV), even while knowing that all things are of God.

Pro 17:16  Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

Getting wisdom is getting Christ, understanding how he is the Way, the Life and the Truth, but if we are not diligent and have “no heart”, we will try to obtain Christ in a fleshly manner, “a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom”, another way of saying these verses, (Act 8:18-21, Isa 4:1).

Act 8:18  And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
Act 8:19  Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
Act 8:20  But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Act 8:21  Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Pro 17:17  A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Pro 17:17 The close associate keeps friendship at all times, And a brother is born to share distress.” (CLV)

Christ calls us His friends (Joh 15:13-17), and “a friend loves at all times”, and if Christ is in us we are brothers in arms who are “born to share distress”.  We are to carefully, by the grace and faith of Christ, count the cost (Luk 14:28-30), knowing that ours is a narrow path of tribulation that leads to the Way, the Truth and the Life that will set us free if we are granted to continue in the Truth, and know and acknowledge the great debt that has been paid on our behalf (Joh 8:31-32 , Luk 7:40-50).

Luk 7:40  And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
Luk 7:41  There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
Luk 7:42  And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
Luk 7:43  Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
Luk 7:44  And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Luk 7:45  Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
Luk 7:46  My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Luk 7:47  Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
Luk 7:48  And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
Luk 7:49  And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
Luk 7:50  And he said to the woman,[the church the body of Christ] Thy faith hath saved thee;[1Jn 5:4, Rom 3:27, Eph 2:8] go in peace.