The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous endures.
Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,
and so the innocent escape trouble.
From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,
and the work of their hands brings them reward.
The way of fools seems right to them,
but the wise listen to advice.
Fools show their annoyance at once,
but the prudent overlook an insult.
An honest witness tells the truth,
but a false witness tells lies.
The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but those who promote peace have joy.
No harm overtakes the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble. (New International Version)
Many of the biblical proverbs are set as contrasts between the way of righteousness and the way of wickedness.
Being aware of both vice and virtue in our personal lives, the workplace, neighborhood, family, and faith communities can create an environment of trust, love, fellowship, and enjoyment. Intentionally pursuing the good, while identifying and forsaking the bad, contributes to a thriving community who intentionally cultivates righteousness.
It’s likely that you have heard of “the seven deadly sins.” In medieval Christianity, these were vices to avoid at all costs, because they eroded personal integrity and poisoned the social community. A “vice” is a bad habit which corrupts character and debases society.
The early church eventually formed a short list of the most corrosive vices, the seven deadly sins, which were considered the most heinous desires/actions of all. We find them in our proverbs for today.
Lust
The wicked covet the proceeds of wickedness. Desiring evil is a trap for them. They chase after sinister fantasies.
Lust is an intense desire, coupled with a lack of mental self-control, which is manifested in pursuing that desire in the heart. It is to have a passion for someone (or something) that is neither yours, nor meant for you. Lust leers at and indulges in selfish daydreams, without any concern for another person.
Do not desire to possess anything that belongs to another person—not a house, a wife, a husband, a slave, an ox, a donkey, or anything else. (Exodus 20:17, CEV)
Gluttony
The wicked have their fill of trouble. They’ve gobbled up evil as if dining at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Whereas lust and covetousness is mostly a lack of mental self-control, gluttony is the lack of bodily self-control.
So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, you should do it all for God’s glory. (1 Corinthians 10:31, CEB)
Gluttony doesn’t stop eating, buying, talking, drinking, or binging. It only excessively indulges to the point of physical and/or relational sickness. Addictions and workaholism are some modern-day forms of gluttony – it consumes to the point where it cannot control the consumption any more. The thing desired and indulged becomes the master.
Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work—neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. (Exodus 20:8-10, GNT)
Greed
The tools of greed are deceit and lies; the greedy person goes to just about any lengths to obtain more wealth. They will misrepresent another and spread gossip and slander to get what they want.
Do not tell lies about others.
The Ninth Commandment (Exodus 20:16, CEV)
Money. More money – is the mantra of the greedy person. It is to have an inordinate desire and pursuit of wealth. Just as sex and food are good, but have their proper boundaries, so money is both good and necessary.
But money is powerful in more ways than one. It can take over a person’s life in such a way that charging exorbitant interest, rent, or price gouging is justified by satisfying the greed. The greedy person lives every waking moment for leveraging wealth to get more wealth.
People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them. The love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some people want money so much that they have given up their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain. (1 Timothy 6:9-10, CEV)
Sloth
The sloth much prefers get-rich-quick schemes to actual hard work. They spend their time in worthless projects, and are easily annoyed at others.
Sloth is more than laziness. It is also failing to do good when it is in your power and ability to do so. To be slothful is to be indifferent to the great need of the world.
Whereas the previous sins have a more active pursuit of some desire, the sloth is passive, not wanting to get involved in making a difference. The slothful person always has an excuse why they can’t participate; they expect everyone else to do the work.
Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master.
Colossians 3:23, CEV
The irony is that for all of Ebenezer Scrooge’s hard work and thrift, he was really a sloth who had no intention of improving the condition of humanity; he depended on poor houses and work farms to do all the work. It took supernatural means to get him to think differently. It typically takes a lot for the sloth to go out of their way to honor, respect, and bless another.
You must honor and respect your father and your mother. Do this so that you will have a full life in the land that the Lord your God gives you. (Exodus 20:12, ERV)
Anger
A wicked person is often an angry person – so full of anger that they abuse their pets and animals who have done nothing against them. And they let their tongues wag and fly off the handle anytime they are perturbed.
Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm. (Psalm 37:8, NLT)
That doesn’t mean that anger itself is a bad thing. As with most things in life, anger has its proper place. For example, we ought to be angry in the face of evil perpetrators. Anger motivates us to not be slothful, but helpful.
But excessive selfish anger is a vice. Whereas righteous anger seeks to help a victimized person or group, sinful anger is fueled by hatred. Whether it’s a violent verbal decapitation of another, or a deep seated bitterness, such anger destroys relationships – and even life itself.
No murder.
The Sixth Commandment (Exodus 20:13, MSG)
Envy
Envy and lust are kissing cousins. They both traffic in excessive desire for what they don’t possess.
Envy rots the bones.
Proverbs 14:30, NIV
The subtle difference has more to do with the object of the affection. Lust leers at, longs for, a person who belongs to someone else. Envy fixes its gaze on a material possession or a respected position which someone else has. It is to have a passionate pursuit of taking over someone else’s job or keeping up with Jones’s.
For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. (James 3:16, NRSV)
Pride
The wicked and the proud share a table together for lunch every day. They don’t listen to anybody else, because they believe they already have the answers and know what is best.
Pride is an over-inflated view of one’s opinions, thoughts, and self. Proud persons have an overestimation of themselves. They seem to actually believe that if only others followed their thinking and advice, the world would be a better place.
Every antagonist in the movies, comics, and classic literature are full of themselves. They justify stepping on others to achieve what they think is the greater good of imposing their agenda in the situation. It’s no wonder that in the Bible, Satan is the ultimate antagonist.
The proud must eventually contend with God. And the Lord has no allowance for the foolishness and idolatry of any human believing they know better.
“No other gods, only me.”
First Commandment (Exodus 20:3, MSG)
Consider the following questions:
How will you respond to the seven deadly sins?
In what ways and/or behaviors do you see these vices being manifested in both the church and the world?
What can the book of Proverbs bring to such a discussion?
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 