The Scorners
Proverbs 9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Proverbs 9:8(GNT) Never correct conceited people; they will hate you for it. But if you correct the wise, they will respect you.
Proverbs 9:8(NLT) So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you.
Proverbs 9:8(MSG) So don’t waste your time on a scoffer; all you’ll get for your pains is abuse. But if you correct those who care about life, that’s different–they’ll love you for it!
Introduction: Calvary salutations to all beloved of the Lord. Glory be to God for life as we witness another week at His feet.
🤔 For some time now, I have been reading and hearing about some people suffering in prison as a result of speaking out against sinister activities of their pastors after leaving the ministry. There is a particular pastor who is frequently taking any of his former members that speak against him to court and he uses law enforcement agents to torture them. Lots of questions are on my mind. My wife also asked why other General overseers of Churches do not intervene by calling this pastor to order based on Biblical principles that forbid Christians taking one another to court.
👂Hear what Scriptures speak about that;
1 Corinthians 6:1-2;4-6(NLT) When you have something against another Christian, why do you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter, instead of taking it to other Christians to decide who is right? Don’t you know that someday we Christians are going to judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide these little things among yourselves? If you have legal disputes about such matters, why do you go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these arguments? But instead, one Christian sues another—right in front of unbelievers!
🤔 Sincerely, I don’t have answers to most of the questions as regards the happenings.
👉 This week, I want us to look at what goes on in my mind when I read our text for this week.
▶️ Scorner is the one who scorns. To scorn is to disdain or despise something or somebody.
🔹 From other translations, Scorners are conceited or very proud people, they are mockers, that is those who mock or ridicule, they are scoffers that is those who reproach.
🤔 After reading this text, I said in my heart that maybe those who are suffering or have suffered for speaking against sinister activities of their pastors should not have gone through the route they took. Probably they should have just left the church and let the Owner of the Church deal with Scorners in His Church.
Proverbs 9:8a(MSG) So don’t waste your time on a scoffer; all you’ll get for your pains is abuse.
👉 Rebuking this particular pastor who is a Scorner brought about their abuse and pains. This is my thought when I came across our text for today.
Proverbs 9:7(AMP) He who rebukes a scorner heaps upon himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man gets for himself bruises.
▶️ Many times we instinctively fight the battle that belongs to God. Many people use social media to fight God’s battles without His permission. This will surely bring abuse and pains because the fighter will be alone without God’s backing.
Exodus 14:14(NLT) The Lord himself will fight for you. You won’t have to lift a finger in your defense!”
🛑 God knows those who are scorners and those who belong to Him.
2 Timothy 2:19(NLT) But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “Those who claim they belong to the Lord must turn away from all wickedness.”
🛑 I believe God will only send any Believer to those who belong to Him but live in sin. God sent Nathan to David and Nathan did not bear any pain or abuse when he delivered God’s message to David.
2 Samuel 12:7,14 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
▶️ Because David was not a scorner and he belonged to God, he responded to Nathan’s message the way a correct child of God who sins should react to the truth.
2 Samuel 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
🛑 Micaiah Imlah, a prophet was abused with afflictions from Ahab king of Israel who was a scorner when he spoke the truth against Ahab and 400 lying prophets that stood by Ahab.
1 Kings 22:6-8,23-24, 26,27 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him? And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee. But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee? And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.
🛑 In this dispensation of social media, there are many Zedekiah Chenaanah that insult and assault real children of God who speak the truth in order to defend their erring pastors. This is largely due to lack of knowledge on the part of Zedekiah Chenaanah of this world who are many in the body of Christ today.
▶️ Because prophet Micaiah Imlah was a true prophet of God, though he suffered afflictions from Ahab, he was sure of what God said. Hear his response to Ahab;
1 Kings 22:28 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.
🧖♂️ My opinion here is that, though Micaiah heard from God, he suffered afflictions for a while because God didn’t send him to Ahab a scorner. God already decided the fate of Ahab which Micaiah saw by revelation.
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
▶️ Micaiah Imlah was sure of his deliverance when he was incarcerated and afflicted by Ahab, therefore those suffering under this particular pastor should also be sure of their ultimate deliverance by God through revelation from His words.
Proverbs 24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
⚠️ Only those who know their God are strong in adversity to survive afflictions from the Scorners or the wicked without fainting or backsliding.
❓How can we know Scorners both in the Church of God and in the secular so as to avoid abuse and pains from them?
1️⃣ Scorners hate to be corrected for their sins even in the face of death.
Proverbs 15:10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.
2️⃣ Scorners hate anyone who challenges their injustice and speaks the truth.
Amos 5:10(GNT) You people hate anyone who challenges injustice and speaks the whole truth in court.
3️⃣ Scorners want applause from men even when they are hurting others. They reject truth against wrong teachings and doctrines.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NLT) For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. They will reject the truth and follow strange myths.
4️⃣ Scorners acquire wealth anyhow and depart from God’s ways and knowledge.
Job 21:13-15 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
5️⃣. Scorners hate anyone who rebukes by God’s words which is wisdom from above.
Proverbs 15:12(AMP) A scorner has no love for one who rebukes him; neither will he go to the wise [for counsel].
6️⃣ Scorners despise Godly wisdom given even privately in the secret
Proverbs 23:9(AMP) Speak not in the ears of a [self-confident] fool, for he will despise the [godly] Wisdom of your words.
▶️ There was no Scorner among the apostles who laid down their lives in the course of the Gospel during the early Church.
👉 Paul who was not among the first disciples of Jesus Christ rebuked Peter the senior disciple for hypocritical behaviour.
Galatians 2:11-12 (NLT) But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him publicly, speaking strongly against what he was doing, for it was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who don’t bother with circumcision. But afterward, when some Jewish friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore because he was afraid of what these legalists would say.
👉 Peter did not form his own church, or gather supporters against Paul, but he accepted his error and even affirmed wisdom of God in the life of Paul in one of his letters to Christian brethren.
2 Peter 3:14-16 (NLT) And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. And be at peace with God. And remember, the Lord is waiting so that people have time to be saved. This is just as our beloved brother Paul wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters around to mean something quite different from what he meant, just as they do the other parts of Scripture—and the result is disaster for them.
❓What is the situation of the Church of Christ today?
🛑 There are divisions and dissensions due to infiltration of Scorners in the body of Christ.
✍ Finally brethren, to avoid unauthorised pain and abuse from Scorners, ensure you know God and hear clearly from Him. Do not act after the Flesh to fight God’s battles.
👂Hear what Jesus Christ said about Scorners that are regarded as dogs;
Matthew 7:6(AMP) Do not give that which is holy (the sacred thing) to the dogs, and do not throw your pearls before hogs, lest they trample upon them with their feet and turn and tear you in pieces.
✋ Maranatha