FRIEND OR FOE?

 PROVERBS 27:6                                                                 

Pastor Rick Jackson

I am sure that one of the things my mother must have hated to do when Becky and I were little was to take us to the doctor's office, especially, if shots were involved. We were not fond of needles as tots and I can remember the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth that was involved. And that was just on mom's part... it got worse when you added mine and Becky's!

I am fairly certain we saw the needle as an enemy, a foe that needed to be avoided at all costs. I mean, good grief, you've stepped on a nail and go to your mom for sympathy and she says, "Oh, you need to be stuck with another sharp object!" What was up with that?

What was up with that was the wisdom of a generation that had seen lockjaw, tetanus, polio and numerous other ailments that could be avoided by a needle. What was up with that was the love of a parent who put up with the crying and the hurt to help the object of that love, even if that object didn't understand.

I. FAITHFUL ARE THE WOUNDS OF A FRIEND

1. “Wounds” - speaks to hurt

Sometimes we are wounded by people. Sometimes those people are enemies, sometimes they are friends. Wounds are not pleasant. Wounds are painful. But wounds are not always bad. The shots caused wounds.

2. “Faithful” - speaks to help (motive)

We've discussed the mother wanted her child to have shots because she knew what they could prevent, what they could do to help the object of her love. The Hebrew word is used over 125 times in the Old Testament. 20 times it is translated "faithful" as in our text, 45 times is it translated as a form of "believe". Fully 40 times it is translated "verified, assurance, trusted, continuance, sure, established, or stedfast". Twice it is given as "father" and thrice as "nurse". God uses this word to establish a motive that is positive, that builds up, that can be counted on.

So, who wounds you but with a positive motive, that is, for your good?

3. “Friend” - speaks to heart (affection)

Here's a Hebrew word that appears in 195 OT verses. It is translated as a form of "love" in over 95% of the verses. Here's a few in Proverbs [12:1, 13:24, 14:20, 15:9, 12; 16:13, 19:8, 20:13, 21:7, 22:11, 27:6]

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend

Jesus tells us we are sinners, we cannot save ourselves, we are heading to Hell…

II. THE KISSES OF AN ENEMY ARE DECEITFUL

1. “Kisses” - sounds pleasant

Not everything that sounds pleasant really is. Think of eating all the chocolate you want--- what would be the eventual outcome if we did not curb this appetite?

2. “Deceitful” - sounds insincere, purposefully miscommunicating (motive)

3. “Enemy” - sounds like hate (the opposite of affection)

Indeed, most of the 120+ times this word occurs it is thus translated.

So, what is better, to be hurt by someone who loves you and is trying to help you and the pain is actually part of that process--- or ---to be kissed by someone who hates you and is doing great harm to you while pretending to be your friend? Judas kissed the Saviour as an act of betrayal. Look at:

III. THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLES

1. The Ultimate Enemy - the Devil

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

2 Corinthians 11:13-14 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist

2. The Ultimate Friend - the Lord Jesus Christ

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Matthew 11:19 ... a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

3. The Ultimate Decision - what will you be?

John 15:14-15 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Mark 5:19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.