Wisdom Weighs the Words Which People Speak – (Proverbs 20:14)

Daily Bible Study
The buyer tells the seller their merchandise is worthless, the words used here are "bad, bad" says the buyer! He does so with all sincerity. Even though he knows he is lying, he does so in order to drive the price down. Once he accomplishes his goal, he goes his way and boasts of its value to those he meets in order to make a profit. This passage is provided as an example of why wisdom from God is so precious. God gives us wisdom from the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the study of His word. Wisdom weighs the words which people speak against their motivations and actions. Wisdom does not disregard the sinful nature of man when dealing with others. Therefore, this passage is for our edification because it gives us a glimpse into the heart of humanity and the sin-nature all people possess. This passage warns us of the dishonesty brought about by greed and selfish motivation for gain. In his letter to the Ephesian church, the Apostle Paul tells us that this world is influenced by the "prince of the power of the air," who is Satan.

And that it's Satan, who is behind the philosophies, ideologies and social movements of the world, both in ancient times and in modern times. This happened because of the fall of mankind, which ushered in disharmony. Because of the fall we have disharmony with God, with others, with nature and with ourselves. Moreover, the Bible tells us until Jesus returns, this disharmony will continue because of the nature of the fallen world we live in. And the wisdom of the world tells us it's ok to do whatever we can do to make money and get ahead, and here in this passage, we see an example of the worlds philosophy. This proverb gives us a rhetorical example of a buyer who has focused on the things of this world, and as a result, he uses lies as a common tool, used to make a profit. We have to remember this verse is a "negative" example of human behavior and it's meant as a warning to us, for our edification, to help us with practical wisdom for living in a fallen world. This wisdom is given to us in order that we can use wisely the blessings and resources God has given us, and not to squander or lose them by the wiles of a fallen world.