Introduction
Good morning! Let us turn to Proverbs, chapter 14. This chapter is well-written! It begins by stating:
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. (Proverbs 14:1)
Please, do not think that woman here refers only to women. In fact, woman here refers to those with short-sighted views. The topic I will be discussing is: Understanding Wisdom and Folly through Demolition and Construction. The entire chapter 14 of Proverbs revolves around the theme of building and demolishing, as mentioned in the first verse. Whether it involves a woman or not, we will leave that aside for now; we will focus on understanding wisdom and folly through demolition and construction.
To discern whether someone is wise, observe whether they are builders; to discern whether someone is foolish, observe whether they are destroyers. Some people diligently build a family, only to tear it down with their own hands. Demolition, in this context, is somewhat related to short-sighted women. Our brothers and sisters must understand that the building and demolition of a family are closely related to the women or men in the household. Therefore, as we examine Proverbs 14, we will focus on understanding wisdom and folly through demolition and construction.
The Upright in Conduct Fear God, But the Deviant in Action Despise God
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. This is inseparable from the fact that those who are upright in conduct fear the Lord, while those who are perverse in their actions despise Him. When you are a God-fearing person, you will certainly be an upright person in your actions. If you act uprightly, you will certainly not tear down your own home. Why does a person who acts perversely tear down? You must understand that when you despise God, God will personally tear you down, causing you to suffer losses, because you are not walking on the right path. God protects those who are upright in conduct and fear Him. Is this not building?
The one whose walk is upright fears the Lord, but the one whose ways are devious despises him. (Proverbs 14:2)
If a person acts perversely, speaks arrogantly, is proud, does not fear God, and does not know their own limitations, it is like a rod striking themselves. What does it mean to strike oneself? It means to demolish oneself. Something that could have been done well becomes demolition in their hands. Some people specialize in doing things that ruin themselves. I do not know where their brains are! I do not know what is in their heads! Truly, opinions vary!
A fool’s mouth lashes out, but the lips of the wise protect them. (Proverbs 14:3)
In the past, I have seen many people who are arrogant in their speech! One person had a high level of education, but the words he spoke were not impressive. He lived in the same apartment unit as us, sharing a bathroom. We needed toilet paper, shampoo, and such. Surely, we could not each bring our own toilet paper every time we used the toilet, or bring our own shampoo for showering? That would be too troublesome. Therefore, I suggested that since we were all living together, we could each contribute one hundred yuan per month to buy toilet paper, shampoo, and some food to put in the refrigerator, which would be much more convenient for everyone. As for who used more or who ate more, it was not a big deal.
As a result, he said: Teacher, I will not contribute to this. I will usually buy my own and put it in the toilet or refrigerator. However, from the time he moved in until he moved out, he never bought anything. He used all of our shampoo and toilet paper. I said: You are quite stingy! He was from Shanghai, with a high level of education, but he said to me: Teacher, I agree with what you said. We Shanghainese are very stingy, but among Shanghai men, I am the most generous.
I said: Forget it! I know a woman from Shanghai who is much more generous than you. You are not even as good as a Shanghai woman. Tell me, how proud is this person? He felt that even Shanghainese people were not as good as him. As soon as he opened his mouth, he offended more than twenty million Shanghainese people. How could people not dislike him? A foolish person is like a rod striking themselves! Whether that person is male or female, I think that person lacks vision and is short-sighted!
The lips of the wise protect them. What is a foolish woman? It is someone who speaks nonsense as soon as they open their mouth. Some women get up in the morning with a stern face. Her husband asks her: Why do you have such a dark face? She says: I had a dream last night that you ran away with another woman. My sixth sense is very accurate. I think this dream is real. The husband is very confused: How did I get into your dream? Was that even me? Are you having an affair with another man and dreaming about him? Oh dear! She just starts talking nonsense. The words that come out of a person's mouth are closely related to building and demolition.
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. (Proverbs 14:1)
The path that a person walks in life has little to do with others, but much to do with oneself. Speaking foolish and arrogant words is foolishness. Not knowing how to protect oneself leads to nothing but ruin and demolition. That is foolishness! Our brothers and sisters must be wise. If you are a woman, do not be short-sighted; be a wise woman, because a wise woman builds her house. There is a Chinese saying that women manage the home while men manage external affairs. Household matters are closely related to the female head of the house, while men go out to work and earn money. Of course, this is a very traditional concept, but it can also illustrate that building a home is inseparable from a wise female head of the house.
I encourage everyone to be wise women, to learn to build, and not to imitate some foolish women who are so foolish that their eyes are almost blind. When I minister, whenever I encounter problems with the eyes or ears, especially in women, it is usually closely related to foolishness. They tear down their own eyes, so they cannot see. Upon further investigation, I found that they are constantly judging good and evil with their husbands, finding their husbands' actions displeasing, yet unable to do anything themselves. If you cannot do anything, what are you doing giving blind directions? It is absolutely annoying, and it makes it impossible for the family to live in peace. They nag all day long, saying things that ruin themselves, because in their husbands' eyes, they are foolish women, speaking as if they have eaten gunpowder, unable to say good things properly, but speaking in a sour and sarcastic way. This is absolutely foolish.
I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all. “This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.” (Ecclesiastes 7:27》）
Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. (Proverbs 14:4)
A home without oxen has no productivity. If there are oxen, the feeding trough will be dirty. Just clean the feeding trough, and that is what we should do at home. However, some people just do not do it and insist on a clean feeding trough. That is not managing the home. If the feeding trough is dirty, do not complain and nag annoyingly. Those who do not do anything themselves and constantly nag are foolish. I have learned a new term in Singapore: Kua Kua Jiao, which is a very negative term. It refers to women at home who do nothing but Kua Kua Jiao. Everyone knows that abundant crops require oxen. With more oxen, productivity can increase. Are people supposed to plow the fields themselves? We must have a basic understanding that if you have oxen, you must manage them, feed them, and clean up the mess that the oxen create. Do not be the kind of person who constantly nags, only knows how to complain, and does not do anything.
An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies. (Proverbs 14:5)
Lies cannot build. Do not think that lies go unnoticed. In fact, everyone knows, and God will also take care of it. An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness loves to lie. Foolish people like to tell lies. It is not intentional. Many times, they only tell half the truth, hiding the other half, rather than seeing things objectively. Foolish people speak carelessly and annoyingly, unable to build, only demolish. Therefore, demolition and construction demonstrate wisdom and folly.
The Foolish Lack Knowledge, Their Hearts Turn Away
Those who lack knowledge do not even know that they are demolishing and ruining their homes; they do not know that they are ruining their own image and reputation; they do not know that they are tearing down and striking themselves, pushing themselves into a miserable life, all because they lack knowledge. They cannot distinguish between their own judgment and the judgment of others, and the words they speak lack knowledge. A person whose words lack knowledge cannot build. When I do pastoral work, I do not expect anything from the person being pastored. My goal is to build up a person. To be a wise person, it is easy to gain knowledge. If a person thinks highly of themselves, how can they have knowledge? How can they gain wisdom? A foolish person cannot gain knowledge from their mouth. Inside them, there is nothing but ruin and demolition!
The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips. (Proverbs 14:6-7)
The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception. (Proverbs 14:8)
The most important thing in a person's life is to know what they are doing, to know whether they are demolishing or building. Do not open your mouth and ruin yourself or others without even knowing it. Such foolish people are really difficult to handle! Since I was young, I have had a bad habit that I needed to deal with. Whenever I saw a foolish person, seeing the way they spoke, I would hate them from the bottom of my heart and would stay far away. As high as the heavens are above the earth, that is how far I am from foolish people, because it is very dangerous to associate with such people. These foolish people are very ignorant and come up with many tricks, so it is best to stay away from them.
Carefully observe those who do multi-level marketing. How many of them are doing well? Multi-level marketing has a characteristic: it is actually a Ponzi scheme, in varying degrees, but it is a scam! This scam is such that anyone who gets involved in it will be defrauded. Even if you are running a Ponzi scheme, you will definitely be defrauded, and you will eventually become an old patsy without even knowing it! Some people have made hundreds of millions doing Ponzi multi-level marketing schemes, but even if they become the general agent, the money will still be gone! The evil spirit behind Ponzi schemes is very powerful! Do you think it will bless you? These Ponzi schemes only tell you half the truth, withholding some things from you.
Some people say, how do you know? That is because I did micro-business and multi-level marketing when I was young. Because I could speak well, I achieved very high results in just a few months. If I were to do that again now, I would still be quite successful, but that is not the right path! I have studied the words spoken in Ponzi schemes. They all tell customers: As long as you build your organization well, you can sit back and relax from now on, collecting money while sitting or lying down! That is nonsense! I know that this is a scam, so I quit after a few months, because I did not have time for this and had to continue doing my real work!
Fools make a mock of guilt, but goodwill is found among the upright. (Proverbs 14:9)
At that time, I just wanted to figure out what Ponzi multi-level marketing was. People kept trying to persuade me, so I thought I would try it out, and I actually did quite well, often training them in their office conference room. Later, I realized that I had spoken many deceptive words, which was a sin and a curse! If I continued to do that, I would tear myself down! People really need to develop good habits and be wise.
How many people who are doing well today have been trapped? That is a curse! I knew early on that this was a Ponzi scheme. The things they sold were actually effective, but even 30% of a Ponzi scheme is very powerful. Therefore, brothers and sisters must have wisdom. You may not like to read, but by listening to me every day, you will gain a lot of knowledge. Since I was young, I have liked to understand what things are all about. Do you not have to study hard for that? Even when making friends, you must make friends with wise people, not foolish people, lest they make deceiving and playing tricks on you their daily routine.
Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. (Proverbs 14:10)
One of our sisters went back to her hometown and saw her childhood friend driving a BMW and spending money everywhere, living a very glamorous life. Later, she met this person's mother, who said not to look at how ostentatious her daughter is, because she is always asking her mother for money. Our sister was a little puzzled, as this childhood friend was a very successful insurance salesperson and a member of the Million Dollar Round Table. Later, she found out that all of this was just her image. She was actually still renting a house, but she had to buy a BMW to put on a show and brag. She also knew that all of this was just an act, and only she knew the bitterness in her heart.
No one else can share its joy. Foolish people can only swallow the bitterness in their hearts, while wise people are very aware that their joy has nothing to do with others. Foolish people only care about appearances, so they focus on packaging themselves, but these external things have nothing to do with our inner joy. When someone is watching, they feel better, but when no one is watching, they feel sad. How tragic it is when a person's joy is built on others.
The joy of a wise person is related to themselves. We choose joy, we choose to do things that build, we choose not to do things that demolish, we choose not to ruin ourselves. I strive to build myself, to build myself into a joyful person, regardless of how outsiders see me. For example, when driving a car, the people inside the car cannot see the condition or color of the car's exterior, only the people outside can see it, but I do not care about that.
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. (Proverbs 14:11)
This verse echoes the first: The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. People should build their homes, not tear them down with their own hands. Many people’s homes are, in fact, torn down by their own hands. They only remember the evil others do, and never the good. A thousand goods are wiped away by one bad. Whether it's the relationship between husband and wife, mother and son, mother and daughter, or mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, it's often like this. They are ruining themselves. I can only wish you good luck.
Can you be a builder, not a destroyer, especially of your own home? Who would poke a big hole in their own house? When it rains, it pours outside, and it pours inside. How can you live like that? If you are a builder, you will not poke a hole in your house, you will not turn your home upside down.
There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. (Proverbs 14:12)
If you tear down a little today and a little tomorrow, won't you eventually perish? Today, we must not only observe people, but also observe current affairs and politics, and the relationship between countries. Be a smart person, and don't keep running on the road to death.
Even in laughter the heart may ache, and rejoicing may end in grief. (Proverbs 14:13)
This is ignorance. In fact, people are all for laughter, all for happiness, but what is born is sorrow and pain. This is foolishness.
The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his. (Proverbs 14:14)
That's how God arranged it. If what is sown is ignorance and apostasy, what is reaped is destruction. Why is that? Because people have no way, no knowledge, and believe everything they hear, and the result is destruction.
A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps. (Proverbs 14:15)
Some time ago, a person's husband was cheated. Although he was very rich, he was foolish. It was no use calling the police. People are like this, believing what anyone says, even daring to believe what liars say. They deserve it. If a person believes this and believes that in their life, isn't that destroying themselves? So our brothers and sisters must know to be cautious. You can't be careless or muddleheaded. If someone says they'll give you 20% interest, and you give them the money, you'll be lucky if you get your capital back. People should be careful and stop doing things that ruin themselves. We've never even checked what's in our minds.
The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
I recently pulled a brother over from another church, hoping his cancer could be healed. I gave him one requirement: to take a piece of paper and a pen, and write down what problems he has, what things are rubbish, and what things are truth. Then, distinguish between what are important truths and what are superficial things. We should implement the important truths as a foundational thing. If you believe everything you hear, can that work?
Brothers and sisters, I want to tell you something: Do you know that offerings are for the church? But many people don't give offerings to the church. Where do they give them? They give them to missions in Thailand, missions in Xinjiang, and missions in Pakistan. Is that giving to God? Go and check it out for yourself. The Bible clearly says to bring offerings to God's temple. That is your duty. You cannot give it to a poor person halfway. Can you escape the curse if you give it to a poor person? If you have already given 10% or 20% to the church, and then you are willing to help some poor people, that is your business. Do you know what these missionaries are doing? Do you really understand? I never support these people. I don't object if you want to support them, but do you really understand? You have to investigate!
One day, a man walked into my office. He came from Xinjiang to study theology. I said that studying theology in Singapore costs 200,000 RMB a year. Do you have this 200,000 RMB yourself? He said no, he lives by faith. Do you know what living by faith means? Why did he come to my office? In fact, he came to beg for alms. Some of our brothers and sisters wanted to give to him, but I told them not to be silly. I told this person that I have nothing else here, but I have truth, I have Mingding Destiny. I give you my best treasure, but he doesn't care at all.
I've been to that seminary, but I look down on that place the most, because there's too much nonsense. Once, after listening to a class, I raised my hand and asked: Teacher, how would our Lord Jesus view what you just said? The teacher glared at me, thinking I was there to challenge him. He said: I'm not Jesus, how would I know? Well, I believe in Jesus, I don't believe in a certain professor, so I left. I paid the tuition, and if I can't get it back, so be it, but I won't give you the rest of my time.
A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless. (Proverbs 14:16)
The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. (Proverbs 14:18)
If a person is foolish, they are arrogant and self-righteous. When people who are cheated give money to others, they are very confident, and you can't stop them. I stopped a few, but I couldn't stop them. I reminded them to be careful, lest they be cheated, but they thought I was annoying. Why do I encourage everyone to study and increase knowledge? I hope everyone can become a builder of themselves, remove foolish things, remove things that destroy and ruin themselves, write down their foolish places, and strive to change them. How many foolish things have many Christians done?
A few years ago, there was a very lovely brother, also a good person, but being a good person doesn't solve the problem. The road a person walks must have an understanding of God's Word. He was a businessman, and one day his warehouse caught fire. I said a few words, but he didn't pay attention to them at all. I said: We must understand the words of Jesus Christ. But his attitude was very certain that his faith was not a problem. As a result, he got cancer in a few years. Who caused the warehouse to catch fire if not a demon? Who caused the cancer if not a demon? Who opened the door for the demon? Wasn't it ourselves? Isn't that foolishness?
When I minister to these people, I tell them the truth. They all love God, but they don't have true knowledge, and they are fooled by those people. Because he is a businessman, his pastor fooled him, the brothers and sisters around him fooled him, and I was the only one who didn't fool him, so I wasn't liked. Can we explain these things clearly? Even if we understand, we still need to be more clear. I am filled with emotion. I poke everyone hard, and I poke myself hard. Even if we have knowledge, is there still more knowledge to learn? Be a prudent person, and don't keep talking about the good things you've done all day long. That doesn't replace your foolishness. Let's list the foolish things we've done and deal with them one by one.
The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. (Proverbs 14:20)
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. (Proverbs 14:23)
If you don't manage yourself well, where will you get friends? Even your neighbors look down on you. Let's start building our own homes, building our whole spiritual condition, and not be destroyers or ruiners of ourselves. If you are good at talking, you must start changing yourself and become a diligent person. What have you done in the past ten years? Write down what you have done and what I have done, and then compare them. What things have results? What things are beneficial? If we do things that are beneficial, we will not be poor.
The wealth of the wise is their crown, but the folly of fools yields folly. (Proverbs 14:24)
Wise people are never short of money. If we are relatively lacking in material things, we must repent well. So I basically look at people from two points: poverty and physical illness. If a person has these two points, the problem is very serious. If this person is pleasing to God, and has knowledge and wisdom, how can he be poor? The poor attract demons! So be a diligent person, beneficial in all things, and a builder. If you make a table, build a house, or make something else, you must make it a high-quality product. Be a high-quality person too. How good is that! So everyone starts to develop a reverent attitude.
He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning people away from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:26-27)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)
For example, with today's Covid, if you are arrogant, you will say that others have managed it so badly, and we have managed it so well. But when Covid comes to you, your governance methods will not work either. Everyone must not be a fool, and must have knowledge and wisdom. How did SARS come? How did it go? If we don't know, then we must say we don't know. When will today's Covid come? When will it go? People can't say for sure either. So what is there to be arrogant about? Don't be arrogant! Don't laugh at others. If Easterners laugh at Westerners for not knowing how to govern, and Westerners laugh at Easterners for not knowing how to govern, then it really becomes a joke. Not only people are like this, but countries are also like this, and emperors are also like this:
A large population is a king’s glory, but without people a prince is ruined. A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly. A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. (Proverbs 14:28-30)
If an emperor is ignorant, has no wisdom, is quick-tempered, and foolish, that country will not be good. If a person prospers in the spirit, his life will also be healthy. The things inside a person have a profound impact on the person's body. If a person gets a very serious, life-threatening disease, there must be a problem in his heart. If you are a competitive, jealous person, you are tearing down your own bones and flesh until you perish. If everything you do in your life is ruining yourself, then what have you done?
The wicked are brought down by their wrongdoing, but the righteous have a refuge when they die. (Proverbs 14:32)
When the end comes, people will know whether they are builders or destroyers. It's too late then! Wake up today: Be a wise and intelligent person. In fact, what is stored in the hearts of fools is obvious. How simple is that!
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. (Proverbs 14:34)
Establishing a country and a family, destroying a country and a family, are closely related to wisdom and foolishness.
A king delights in a wise servant, but his wrath is directed at a disgraceful one. (Proverbs 14:35)
The kingdom of God is also like this. If you are a servant in the kingdom of God, you cannot incur God's wrath. You must fear God, know righteousness, have wisdom, please God, distribute food at the proper time, and shepherd God's flock at the proper time. I long for the brothers and sisters to become smart people. I can't be called a smart person, but I am working hard to do it. What I ask for is that one day, when we come together before God, everyone will be my beautiful testimony before God. I don't want the brothers and sisters in our church to be disgraced; I also don't want my shepherding of the brothers and sisters to incur God's wrath; I want to please God before God, and what I desire is to build God's glorious church.
Conclusion
The brothers and sisters among us must have some foresight, don't be shortsighted, don't be a person with the views and benevolence of a woman. Everyone should be a man, a hero, with a broad mind, look farther, have wisdom and intelligence, and fear God. When we bring what we have accumulated in the world to God, then we will receive God's beautiful praise. When God's house is built up, God's army is built up, and God's church is built up, how can it be poor? How can it not be protected? God is the God who protects us, forever and ever!
May God bless everyone!
Reflection Questions
Why are those who fear God builders? Why are those who despise God destroyers?
What are the characteristics of wise people?
A. Acting uprightly, fearing God
B. Building one's own life, building a home
C. Having knowledge in their mouth
D. Being rich and not lacking
E. Being generous, knowing how to deal with people, knowing how to do things, knowing how to speak
F. Choosing joyWhat are the manifestations of foolish people?
A. The mouth of a fool lacks knowledge, and their proud words are a rod to punish themselves
B. Acting deceitfully, despising God
C. Like a foolish woman, believing everything they hear
D. Destroying the home, ruining themselves
E. Shortsighted, having the benevolence of a womanThrough this lesson, what kind of person do you want to be in the future?