Proverbs 16:26-30– Don’t be misled or misguided by bad models

When every believer seeks to live in right relationship with God and each other, the community advances. But all it takes is for a few bad characters, and the community will be disrupted. How do we identify such people? Proverbs 16:26-30 describe four of them for us. They are the types of people that we must not emulate.

Before Solomon identifies the four of them, he begins in verse 26 by dealing with one’s motivation in life. More than just talking about the need for food that drives a person to work, this verse tells us that we should not only be motivated and driven by our physical need. It implies that we should be driven by a deeper desire to serve and honor God. That will guide us to be the best version of us that we can be.  

In verse 27, we are introduced to the worthless man. This is a character that we should seek not to be. He is one who schemes to get the innocents. He plots troubles and slanders. His words are like fire that burns. Everything he says is calculated to harm and injure.

Verse 28, the author describes a devious person, who stirs up strife. He is one who turns others upside down. He creates strife intentionally by sowing discord. This type of people has the tendency to gossip and set friends up against each other.

Verse 29 identifies the violent man. He is one who entices his friends and lures them into the wrong path. He has no qualm in oppressing and defrauding others.  And finally verse 30 points us to a scheming man. He acts dubiously. He uses his eyes and lips to devise and hatch evil plan. It is wise to take note of people’s body language so that we will not be taken in. 

Let us set our goal to cultivate a culture of honor. We seek to honor God, and members of our physical as well as spiritual family. Never mislead or misguide others, but we must also take care not to be misled and misguided by others. Be  wise like the serpent but gentle as the dove.