The Many Roads to Hell Proverbs 16:25-33

Review Proverbs 16 gives us the general view of the two paths we can follow in life –The first is following God’s way Requires leaving behind evil Requires humility Requires obedience to the will of God Requires spreading the word of God to others Has a destination of eternal life –The second has quite a different destination

Man’s way Prov 16:25 –The same proverb as Prov 14:12 –Man, without God’s wisdom, will choose a path that he thinks is right Remember, God has shown man which way IS right (Prov 16:1-3, 17, 20) The truth is that all ways (other than God’s way) leads to death –Not physical death (since everyone will die until the Lord comes – Heb 9:27) –But the death of eternal destruction in hell (Matt 7:13-14, 21-23) –Jesus said there is only one right way (Jn 14:6)

Some of man’s ways Prov 16:26 –The man who throws himself into his work It is astonishing how many commentators think Solomon is complimenting hard-workers –Missing (or disconnecting) the preceding verse –This is a way leading to death Being consumed by the desire to have more driving someone to work –Solomon tried this approach to life (Eccl 2:5-11) –He finally realized there was no profit therein Eph 4:28 –Work should have a more noble goal than to simply feed our own desires

Some of man’s ways Prov 16:27 –This is the path of those who neither forgive nor forget They are always looking for the evil that has been past and buried And once they find something, their lips are on fire to tell it to others (James 3:6) –They advance through life (i.e., feel better about themselves) by making sure everyone else is behind (are crushed under their past mistakes) –This too is a path leading to death

Some of man’s ways Prov 16:28 –Similar paths to the last one –The path of the fraud and the gossip The fraud (perverse, froward) is one who bends or changes the truth to cause ruin for others –Lying, cheating, stealing, etc. –He advances as others are left to fight over the pieces –Still a path leading to death

Some of man’s ways Prov 16:28 –The gossip (whisperer) is the subtle path Prov 26:20-22 What he says may be true (like v27) or false (like the fraud of v28a) But he doesn’t openly attack, preferring private conversations, destroying friendships Feeling better about self, by leaving everyone else feeling worse about their own lives –Just another path leading to death

Some of man’s ways Prov 16:29-30 –The man who uses physical force or threat thereof as a way of life – “might makes right” The bully, mugger, robber, thief, extortioner, blackmailer, murderer, etc. –He works by “enticing” others Tricking them into place that is not good –Into the dark alley for a mugging –Into giving them access for robbery –Into trusting their money for theft –Into a compromising situation for blackmail –He puts a lot of thought into the plan (fastening shut the eyes – not winking) –He is determined (biting the lip – not moving)

Back to the alternative Prov 16:31 –All the ways of man are ways which tend to shorten life Through violence, stress, etc. –The way of righteousness (God’s way) is not an attempt to shortcut to one’s goal It is a path of long term goals It is traveled by those who have spent a lifetime acquiring and following wisdom –And their gray hair is a crown of glory –(Not that everyone with gray hair is righteous or that old age is a sure indication of godly living)

Comparing the ways Prov 16:32-33 –Better to have a slow-temper and self-control (the path of righteousness) –Than to be mighty and powerful enough to conquer a city (man’s way) –Why? You may think your life is entirely yours to live as you want (casting the lot in your lap) But God has determined the end of those paths (Prov 16:1-2, 9, 25) –Man can choose his path, but he can’t change the destination of the path

Conclusion Proverbs 16 emphasizes the certainty of our eternal destination based on the way we live –That shouldn’t surprise us Jesus taught it (Mt 25:31-46) Paul taught it (2 Cor 5:9-11) Hebrews teaches it (Heb 9:27) Revelation teaches it (Rev 20:11-15) –The only question is, which path will you follow? –Once you answer that, you know where you will spend eternity