Integrity Over Income | Wisdom From Solomon | Proverbs 28:1-28

You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in practical ways. Well, happy Friday, Jeff, Chris, is it happy? Sure? Is it? Yeah? Are you feeling happy? Everybody likes Friday because today is everybody's favorite segment, is it? Yes, it's what made Chris mad this week? Wow? Yeah. So if you can, if you can, if you can really spend some time and really dig in deep and maybe find something. Yeah, well I've got one. That's what I love about him. It's not that you can think of a thing, it's that you immediately think of a thing. Well, I thought of it last night, and h and I actually said to my wife, I said, this is what made Chris mad and so and so. By the way, you were there. Yeah, we were. We were out with our wives. We were out our wives. It was it was both of our wives and us and then also Chad and Holly and we were at a restaurant. I'm not going to say the name of the restaurant because it was a very bad experience. Great food, but just bad adequate adequate food, adequate food, but bad customer experience. But it wasn't Washington Township. Ooh, so guess which one. Anyway, the bottom line is on no I'm joking. No no, no, no, no, no. Don't want to do that Van Dyke. So anyway, so here we are in this restaurant and we all made a comment that they were trying to get rid of us before we even ordered. It was amazing, it was. And we were there like six six thirty. Yeah, six thirty, right. It wasn't like we were there late coming in. Our reservation was six thirty. We walked out, were nine. We were getting hustled along. But there was six of us, yes, right, so two and half hours. But literally as we were waiting on Chad and Holly, they were like, so you in order, and I'm like, what is with the attitude? Right? It was just unbelievable, and so even before we sat down, We'll come and find out at the end of the night. I'm going to make this quick but bus basically, the service was pretty bad, right it was. It was rough. It was okay, really bad. You waited forty minutes on a refill? Yeah, yeah. I asked for her refill on my coke four times. She came to the table and would say, is there anything else you guys need? And she saw five empty glasses. And then I would say, oh yeah, can I get a refill on this coke? Oh? Yes, no refill? And then you know, missing for ten minutes, fifteen minutes, and then we'd come back. Does that thing you guys need? Yeah? Can I get a refill on this coke? And all of us and then your wife tried to get this a refill. Yep, right, it was rough. It is rough. So after a really really bad service and then running to rush us out, here's what made Chris Matt. Okay, and it's actually bigger than this instance. Okay, okay, I'm gonna tell you the instance. Then I'm gonna tell you what maye me met. Is that So I noticed that they started putting chairs up on the table at eight. Thirty, right, oh yeah yeah? And so I said, I said, hey, what time do you guys close? Instead of telling me the time, she said, you guys are the last ones, So whenever you're the last ones, or whenever I asked you when the place closed? And so I had to restate my question and I said, I mean when does your place of business close? She and she didn't want to say it, and she said eleven PM. And it's only literally what she said that it was. It was eight point fifty when she said that, and she goes eleven or eleven PM and then just walks away very quickly. And I was like, okay, so they're closing at eleven, they're putting the chairs up at eight thirty and it's eight fifty. And her answer to my question is when do you close is you're the last one, so whenever you're ready to go, you can please leave. And so so that. Made me mad, But believe it or not, that's not what my wife and I talked about when we got in the truck. What I get. When I got in the truck, she looked at me and said, what's with these restaurants since COVID? Oh and by the way, everything has changed since COVID in the restaurant world. And this is the part you're mad about. For all of you man, for all of humanity, all humanity. Thank you, Chris. So I think I remember told telling you that my parents, my grandfather owned a bar growing up. Yeah, okay, my family still owns that bar, okay. And so I was told not that I've been there, but I was told that all the bars used to close at two am and now they shut down at ten pm. So in conversation with family right about this, about this bar, they said, oh, you know, we closed up because nobody was there about ten ten fifteen, And I was like, what that's you know, So in conversation, I was like, when, well, ever since COVID, Okay, have you ever have you ever done this since COVID? You've looked online and you'll see a place of business and it'll say open on Saturdays from nine to nine or something like that, and. Then you go there and it's closed. Yes. And by the way, I did that in Clearwater Beach, Florida too. Which I just did that at a home improvement outdoor like flowers and all that stuff. A nursery. Yeah, and they closed an hour and a half early. Yeah. And I was racing to. Get there, yes, before they right, and then they were closed an hour and a half early. Yeah. And so so it seems like ever since COVID, nobody cares to update their times online so or. Their times are off flex. I think that's it is one more thing. Hey, everybody, we're going to shut it down and you go home. Yeah, they're working on profit margins. That's what they're trying to do. But it's inconvenient for them. But it's been I'm telling you, I've paid attention to this greatly. It has been since COVID. You were right and and but it's are you feeling I rate about? It is just just like a gentle simmer like you're starting to see No, let me tell. You why am I rate? I rate? So last night at that restaurant, they had an agenda before we even sat down at six point thirty. Yeah, to get us out, to get us out. So I can only imagine because it's advertised as being open to eleven, we checked. That means that here's what they must have done. I can't figure it out. But why was it? Why were we the last ones? Why did nobody wander in at nine o'clock? Right? The only reason I could come up with is they must have they must have locked the door. Cars pulled into the parking lot while we were sitting there. Yeah, but the tables just kept empty because it was packed when we were there. Every almost every table was full, but the tables were emptying. Cars were pulling into the parking lot, but nobody was coming in. So here's here's my theory. My theory is the owner of that restaurant did not know that that's what the staff was doing. Oh yeah, right. So in other words, what they were doing was they cared about themselves and they didn't care about necessarily the place of business, nor the customers, nor the fact that they advertised open till eleven o'clock. One last thing. And then as we were heading out to the car, not only did was she like, okay, goodbye, goodbye, get yourself, can go. But it did not. None of us even use the restaurant. We went straight to the car. We hugged in the parking lot, and as we were hugging in the parking lot, the staff got in their cars and left before us. Right right right before us. They literally could not wait for us to get out of the door fast enough, locked. Up the back. People are the worst, Oh my goodness. And we tipped, well, yeah, of course we did so, so you and I were kind of grumbling about it. Yes we were. We were horrified, but Liz, your wife is one of the sweetest human beings on the planet, almost always right, almost always, dude, I gave you a lay up there and you couldn't that was a slam. That would have been an alley. Hey, I think almost almost always his take. Is a great win. Yes. So so anyway, she's such a sweet person and she's always trying to find the best. So I'm like, and Chad is right, and so are you, and she goes, guys, guys, let's just give her grace. And I said, well, I wanted to give her a big tip. Now she's just getting grace, right, But ched Chad's one who paid, and and he did give a nice tip. So everybody's having a bad day, it might have just been her bad day. Okay. So so I rate on behalf of humanity and the business owners who own things either a fix your times on the internet, fix them, fix them, fix them, or how about how about something better? Just just honor the regular times in which society goes out neats. It used to be you can go out to eat at nine o'clock and you were fine. Now you can't even find a place like just. We're getting old man who whole country we all want to be in the sun goes down, we go home. Oh I don't think that's it. I think, I think. I think the new generation says, uh, I'm used to working at home and let's go home early. And it's just it's almost as if like the work ethic has been softened since COVID, because we get to experience. When you're just starting to sound so old. What next thing? You know, you're gonna band, You're gonna you're gonna ban dancing in the high school. You don't even saw follers. But yeah, I just I just I just get with it. Those darn kids. Let's go back to the business. Okay, let's go back to you know, society. Come on, well, talking about going back, we're going to go back to the Book of Proverbs. Nice, you pulled that one right out. It was the last second. It was three. So we've been doing this for a while. Just to remind our listeners. This week, King Hezekiah is leading the people through great reform, spiritual reform, going back to faith in the One True God. He cleaned out the temple, and while they were cleaning up the temple, they found some of the writings of Solomon. His father a has had nailed the doors shut on the temple, and his father ruled for sixteen years. So they find these writings of Solomon, who's the wisest king, and he is deciding to bring these back to the people. So we're reading the chapters that Solomon wrote that has Akyah found. And by the way, I could honestly say this, there are a lot of things that I learn, like together as we're reading through this myself, a lot of things that I have to relearn that I say, oh, I don't remember that, or I think I think I remember that in Bible college, or or you know, during a sermon somewhere. But I could honestly say this because because I won't forget it, I did not know at all that has a Kai I found writings of Solomon and included them in Proverbs. That is a brand new piece of information. That's cool. Yeah, it literally says it in verse one of chapter twenty five, So it's not like we're making it up. It's there. That's one of the things that's so great about the Bible is I mean, we've been believers for forty some odd years. I've been believer for forty. Forty five years, this year forty five years, this week, well, wow, wow, this week? Yeah you remember, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it was the Yeah, yeah, it would be this Sunday. I mean, wow, wow, that's cool. Birthday. Yeah yeah, I didn't even just not the birthday. But what's amazing is how many times we read through the Bible. I mean thousands and thousands of hours in the Bible. And it's amazing how there's always something else to learn, there's a new thing to apply. God gives you a new thing. So it's one of the reason why I love the book. But in Proverbs chapter twenty eight, Solomon says, the wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions. When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily, but wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability. Wow. A poor person who oppresses the poor is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops. To reject the law is to praise the wicked. To obey the law is to fight them. Evil people don't understand justice, but those who follow the Lord understand completely. Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich. Young people who obey the Lord are wise, and those with wild friends bring shame to their parents. Income from charging high interest rates will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor. God detests the prayers of a person who ignores the law. Wow. Those who lead good people along in evil path will fall into their own trap, but the honest will inherit good things. Rich people may think that they're wise, but a poor person with discernment can see right through them. When the godly succeed, everyone is glad. When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding. People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble. A wicked ruler is as dangerous to the poor as a roaring lion or an attacking bear. A ruler with no understanding will oppress his people, but one who hates corruption will have a long life. A murderer's tormented conscience will drive him into the grave. Don't protect him. The blameless will be rescued from harm, but the crooked will be suddenly destroyed. A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty. The trustworthy person will get a rich reward, but a person who wants quick riches will get into trouble. Showing partiality is never good, Yet some will do wrong for a mere piece of bread. Greedy people try to get rich quick, but don't realize they're headed for poverty. In the end, people appreciate honest criticism more than flattery. Anyone who steals from his father mother and says what's wrong with that is no better than a murderer. Greed causes fighting. Trusting the Lord leads to prosperity. Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe. Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, But those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed. When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding. And when the wicked meet disaster, the godly flourish. Ah. That's a repeated verse there, right. Yeah. So one of the lessons, and these lessons are all over the place, that we can derive from this is don't sell your soul for a wage. Right, So better to be rich and better to be poor and be dishonest than to be dishonest and rich. Better to be poor and honest. What did I say dishonest? I don't want I don't be both of those days. That's terrible dishonest. For you're just you're just a fool. Then no better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich. And uh, you know, and and then there's. At least on four or five versus that talk about that, you know, just just uh, you don't trade wealth for a character, you don't trade wealth for integrity. And then you know, the trustworthy person will get a rich reward, but a person wants to get rich quick will get him into trouble. I mean, it just goes on and none. So it's just talking about the love of money and uh. And not everybody who has a lot of money has bad character. Yeah, right, people. Can get a lot of money in honest ways, right, And that's really what God is saying. God is saying, like, hey, follow me, honor me. You know, you'll be successful, you'll be rewarded. But the goal isn't necessarily to get rich. The goal is to honor God and then God will provide, right. But anyway, yeah, if the goal is to find if the chief goal is richest. There are many many people out there that bend the rules or you know, turn their head or cheat the system or cut the corner, you know, to to get more. Yeah, you know my dad. By the time this errs, I will have done my dad's funeral. So tomorrow, yep, from when we're shooting this, tomorrow, I'm going to do this funeral. And I worked for my dad for a couple of years in between my junior and senior year of college. Remember when I told you to several years off and he owned at that time, he owned a refrigeration company, and he was doing very well, very prosperous at that point. I grew up poor, and then he decided to make a bunch of money. Right, So my little brothers, like they lived with semi retired. You know, they're wearing sandals and socks at the same time down in Florida in the wintertime, and you know, going to Denny's at four in the afternoon. Right, that was kind of the My little brothers were semi retired when they were teenagers. And but I grew up poor. Anyways, Dad ran this business, was pretty successful and integrity was one of the big things for him. So in all of his advertising, you'd always have something about, you know, honest and dependable would be in the things that people would call and say, Man, in this industry, I just can't find somebody who's honest and dependable. And so my dad would often quote a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, which Solomon says in the Book of Proverbs. So the good name is better than great riches because great riches can disappear, Solomon says, but that good name will always keep producing more riches, right, That's it. So the flip side of those things. And then the other one he would quote all the time is this one. Better to be poor and honest than to be rich, dishonest and rich. And I remember one time, you know, in the refrigeration world, particularly in the commercial refrigeration world, there are parts that are very expensive, thousands of dollars. And it's not uncommon because what do you know about refrigeration. You don't know anyth about refrigeration nothing. So you own a refrigerator, you own a grocery store, let's say a small grocery store out in the country, somewhere it's the grocery store and everybody's doing business there. You're doing, you know, twenty thousand dollars a day or ten thousand dollars a day in business and have your your cooler go down is going to cost you all of the product that's inside that cooler plus all the money you would have made in selling from that cooler. So these guys are in a hurry fix it right now. We need it now. I'm going to lose that product, I'm going to lose those sales. I need the money. Whatever. And so refrigeration guys will come in and they'll fix stuff that don't need to be doesn't need to be fixed all the time. It was famous that way. So I remember one time we came in my dad's trying to diagnose the symptoms could have been one or two three things. He tested some of the less expensive parts first and they seemed to be working well, and so that led us to the big thing. And so it wounded up be in a few thousand bucks, and my dad replaced this piece, said I'm sorry, I've got one in the truck. We will replace it right now for you. And guy's like, just just do it, so we replaced it, and about a week later we get called back and the same symptoms are happening, and so we go back in, we test some things and a switch that had tested okay now tested poorly. It wasn't working. That was it. It was like twenty bucks. We'd already charged thousands, and so my dad replaced it and then decided to go back and check. We still had the part that we had replaced before check and it was okay. Because we never thought to check that, we just all the other things were working. So this is the bad process of elimination. So my dad went back. To that guy and gave that guy his money back, and the guys said what And my dad said, now, hey, I'm a Christian and I want to be honest and dependable. And he said, I think I replaced the wrong part. I think this is your problem. Is only twenty bucks or something. So there was a service charge and whatever, a couple hundred bucks he covered our time, but we didn't charge him the service charge this time because we didn't fix it last time. And then my dad gave back that money and I can remember leaving going what did we just do right? Right? And my dad said it's better to be poor and honest than it is to be rich and dishonest, and he said God will always bless integrity. And that business owner owned a couple of other grocery stores and stores throughout the thumb that we didn't know, and he leaned into my dad. We wound up getting you know, the there's a gas station across the street from the church that we own up in Emily City. Yeah, we built all the walking. Coolers there, and that was so much profit on that and that guy's I can trust you, And I don't even know that he took any other bids. He just hired my dad to do that that project. Right, we made. Back so much more. And so God keeps his promises, I think, is what I'm trying to say here, God, this is just wisdom. There is no promise connected better to be poor and honest than to be rich, dishonest and rich. The only promise is it's better. That's it. That's the only promise. And so sometimes you just decide to do the right thing, not knowing what God might do, but believing that God is always good and he'll always do the right thing right right, Yeah, I saw my Dad do that so many times. Yeah, it's a great lesson because you know, integrity is one of the best things that you can have. Solomon talks about integrity as one of the most elusive and one of the most prized things all the way throughout the Book of Proverbs. Right, So integrity is it's better than rubies, it's better than gold, and yeah, I think it's just awesome. There's definitely more in here besides the money. Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery. You know, That's what we talked about that again. There's another gem with the criticism, right, yep. Whoever loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but if he hangs around with prostitutes as wealth will be wasted. What. Yeah, there's two things that don't seem to. Quite go together, right, What the heck? I mean, these things are all over the place. I love Proverbs because of that too, Right, so every everything is just randomly. A piece of those two are in the next chapter. You just kind of hinted at what we're talking about Monday. What, Yeah, those are both. That was verse one and verse three of chapter twenty nine. Oh, am, I on the wrong page. It's where I end. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Oh my bad. That's okay, that's okay, But those are exciting. Hey, it's all you're highlighting is in fact that Proverbs is great. Tell me how random that is? That it's so random? But yeah, so the wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly as bold as lions. I've had a number of times when I couldn't know what the truth was, and you know, having to sort things out, and this verse has come to mind. Let me just figure out who's running, Oh yeah, yeah, who's trying to defend themselves, who's running, who's pointing figures everywhere else? Who's avoiding icons? That's right, right, the wicked people run away when no one's chasing them, but the godly as bold as lies. And so sometimes when you don't know what's true and what's not, you got to just watch the body language, you watch the right there's so much wisdom in these things. That's not always true. There's some people that just fidgeting, nervous people. There's sometimes right. But when you know the. Pattern of the person and you know how they normally live, and suddenly now they're talking too fast, they're shifty, they're accusing others, they're they're guessing that somebody else is going to attack them. I had somebody come in one time and tell me they believed I was about to get bad. News and it's just not true. Wow, And I never got that bad news. But I went back to that person and I was like, you're right, I do think there's some really bad news, and they're like, and then I called him out on it turned out they confessed on their own they thought somebody else knew, and so they came to try to tell me that person's been lying about me. And then that person never came to me at all, never said anything. But I went back to that person because now clearly they hear footsteps behind them, right right, And so I went back and just kind of challenged a little bit, and they was spilled their guns. And you know there's something to that. Just he's so smart. Solomon is so smart. And you know it stands out to me verse fourteen, where he says, blessed are those who fear to do wrong. There's a healthy fear and wanted to do wrong. Right, yep, But the stop fear of the Lord is what the King James said, Yes, yes, but. The stubborn are headed for serious trouble. Well, those who are stubborn who say, hey, we're just going to push through because you know, this is either prosperous or sinful desires or whatever it is. But yeah, that's pretty incredible. Yep, that's so good, such a good chapter. Man, that is definitely our time. So hopefully we will pick up on I think we're being Proverbs on Monday, probably. Yeah, I think we're going to finish up there. Okay, super good. Well, hopefully you'll join us and we'll see you then on the Bible guys,