Pro 14:13 | KingComments | STEP | There are three contrasts in : “house” – “tent”; “wicked” – “upright”; “destroyed” – “flourish”. The wicked live in a house. This gives the picture of permanence, safety and comfort. The upright live in a tent. That gives the picture of a home that can be blown over just like that and offers little safety or comfort. Here appearances deceive, for the house of the wicked will be destroyed, while the tent of the upright will flourish. It is about what characterizes a house or also household. A house seems strong and permanent, yet it falls. A tent seems weak and temporary, yet it flourishes. It is not about the material so much as the occupant. A house exudes wealth, a tent poverty. The house of the rich seems to survive many generations; the tent of the poor seems to have the short existence of only one generation. But it is the other way around. The reason is that the wicked have no regard for God and His laws, while the upright do and thereby honor God. Those who honor Him, He will honor. is repeated in Proverbs 16 ( ), which underscores its importance. The first line of verse does not say that the way which seems right is a wrong way, but the second line of verse clarifies that. The picture used is that of a traveler following a straight road. He seems to be on the right way, but he is on the wrong way because it is literally a dead end. That way leads him to death. It is noteworthy that Solomon in the second line of verse literally speaks of “ways of death”, plural. It indicates that the way that seems straight leads to numerous other ways and that all those ways have one destination and that is death. Therefore, it is important to leave the way that seems right before it is too late. An example of a way that seems right to someone but ends in death is the way of good works, as taught by the roman-catholic church, for example. Another example is doing works of the law in the expectation of being saved thereby. After all, life is attached to keeping the law ( ). But no one can keep the law. The law turns out to be a ministry of death and of condemnation ( ). Paul also believed he was on the right way when he persecuted Christians, but it was a way to death ( ; ). If Christ had not stopped him on that way, he would have ended up in eternal death. The hypocritical Pharisees and scribes in the time of the Lord Jesus boasted in their own righteousness. They thought they were walking on the right way, but Christ pronounces “woe” against them ( ). says that in superficial joy there is sometimes underlying pain. In those cases, the joy disappears someday, but the pain is still present. People laugh in the company of others, but when they are alone at home, the pain of sorrow gnaws at them. A person can appear happy and smiling, while his heart is in pain. What we see does not always reflect the deeper reality. We do not know what is going on inside someone. We are led astray when we rely on appearance. Pain, due to any cause, cannot be laughed away. If there is no solution to the pain, grief is the end of that kind of joy. For the wicked, the end of joy is always grief. That joy is finite and turns into infinite grief. The joy of those who live in fellowship with God has no end, but is perfect and eternal ( ). God is the God of hope. He can fill the believer with a joy that does not hide anything, but that can go along with grief ( ; ). Pain and grief will be no longer there when there is a new heaven and a new earth ( ).

‏ Proverbs 14:13

Appearances Are Deceiving

There are three contrasts in Pro 14:11: “house” – “tent”; “wicked” – “upright”; “destroyed” – “flourish”. The wicked live in a house. This gives the picture of permanence, safety and comfort. The upright live in a tent. That gives the picture of a home that can be blown over just like that and offers little safety or comfort. Here appearances deceive, for the house of the wicked will be destroyed, while the tent of the upright will flourish.

It is about what characterizes a house or also household. A house seems strong and permanent, yet it falls. A tent seems weak and temporary, yet it flourishes. It is not about the material so much as the occupant. A house exudes wealth, a tent poverty. The house of the rich seems to survive many generations; the tent of the poor seems to have the short existence of only one generation. But it is the other way around. The reason is that the wicked have no regard for God and His laws, while the upright do and thereby honor God. Those who honor Him, He will honor.

Pro 14:12 is repeated in Proverbs 16 (Pro 16:25), which underscores its importance. The first line of verse does not say that the way which seems right is a wrong way, but the second line of verse clarifies that. The picture used is that of a traveler following a straight road. He seems to be on the right way, but he is on the wrong way because it is literally a dead end. That way leads him to death.

It is noteworthy that Solomon in the second line of verse literally speaks of “ways of death”, plural. It indicates that the way that seems straight leads to numerous other ways and that all those ways have one destination and that is death. Therefore, it is important to leave the way that seems right before it is too late.

An example of a way that seems right to someone but ends in death is the way of good works, as taught by the roman-catholic church, for example. Another example is doing works of the law in the expectation of being saved thereby. After all, life is attached to keeping the law (Lev 18:5). But no one can keep the law. The law turns out to be a ministry of death and of condemnation (2Cor 3:7 ; 9).

Paul also believed he was on the right way when he persecuted Christians, but it was a way to death (Acts 26:9; Jn 16:2). If Christ had not stopped him on that way, he would have ended up in eternal death. The hypocritical Pharisees and scribes in the time of the Lord Jesus boasted in their own righteousness. They thought they were walking on the right way, but Christ pronounces “woe” against them (Mt 23:13 ; 15 ; 16 ; 23 ; 25 ; 27 ; 39).

Pro 14:13 says that in superficial joy there is sometimes underlying pain. In those cases, the joy disappears someday, but the pain is still present. People laugh in the company of others, but when they are alone at home, the pain of sorrow gnaws at them. A person can appear happy and smiling, while his heart is in pain. What we see does not always reflect the deeper reality. We do not know what is going on inside someone. We are led astray when we rely on appearance.

Pain, due to any cause, cannot be laughed away. If there is no solution to the pain, grief is the end of that kind of joy. For the wicked, the end of joy is always grief. That joy is finite and turns into infinite grief. The joy of those who live in fellowship with God has no end, but is perfect and eternal (1Jn 1:3-4).

God is the God of hope. He can fill the believer with a joy that does not hide anything, but that can go along with grief (Rom 15:13; 2Cor 6:10). Pain and grief will be no longer there when there is a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21:4-5).