angela hormberg

Tag: Righteousness

  • Proverbs 11 – Summary

    Proverbs 11 – Summary

    What I learned from Proverbs 11

    Now that we have come to the conclusion of Chapter 11, I circled back around and reread each post. Following is a brief topical summary of each verse in Proverbs 11.

    1. Proverbs 11:1 Treat others with careful attention and intention to act justly.
    2. Proverbs 11:2 Be humble.
    3. Proverbs 11:3 Be a person of integrity, undivided in spirit.
    4. Proverbs 11:4 Have an eternal outlook and value righteousness over wealth.
    5. Proverbs 11:5 Make good choices and pursue righteousness.
    6. Proverbs 11:6 Deliverance comes through righteousness.
    7. Proverbs 11:7 The wicked seek material goods, which die with them. Seek the eternal.
    8. Proverbs 11:8 The righteous man is delivered out of trouble because he makes good choices.
    9. Proverbs 11:9 The words of the hypocrite destroy his neighbor.
    10. Proverbs 11:10 Good triumphs eternally.
    11. Proverbs 11:11 The upright bless the city and raise it heavenward
    12. Proverbs 11:12 Be kind to your neighbor and hold your peace don’t allow petty jealousies steal it.
    13. Proverbs 11:13 Faithful people are counsel keepers.
    14. Proverbs 11:14 Seek and be wise counsel.
    15. Proverbs 11:15 Don’t be surety for a stranger or a neighbor.
    16. Proverbs 11:16 Be gracious women and strong men.
    17. Proverbs 11:17 Mercy benefits those we extend it to and ourselves.
    18. Proverbs 11:18 Sow righteousness and be a righteous influencer, embodying the fruits of the Spirit.
    19. Proverbs 11:19 Righteousness leads to life: take action and pursue it.
    20. Proverbs 11:20 Uprightness delights the Lord.
    21. Proverbs 11:21 The wicked will be punished, and the righteous will be delivered.
    22. Proverbs 11:22 Be a woman of discretion, grace and religion.
    23. Proverbs 11:23 Desire what is good.
    24. Proverbs 11:24 Giving blesses us.
    25. Proverbs 11:25 The liberal soul gives and has abundance, pours out and sees it return.
    26. Proverbs 11:26 Give what you have to help others. Don’t hoard.
    27. Proverbs 11:27 Seek goodness.
    28. Proverbs 11:28 Righteousness leads to flourishing.
    29. Proverbs 11:29 Keep peace in the home.
    30. Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life to others.
    31. Proverbs 11:31 We are all paid back for our actions, in this life or the next.

    Verses I specifically recommend for my children to ponder:

    1. Proverbs 11:20 – Uprightness delights the Lord. Therefore, make it your singular focus.

    One recurring theme in Proverbs 11 was pursuing righteousness while resisting wickedness and having an eternal outlook. Additional themes are maintaining your peace and giving liberally.

    Hopefully, you found the daily reflections on Proverbs 11 helpful. For me, they were convicting and fruitful. What are your thoughts? Ready for the next chapter? See you soon for Proverbs 12.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

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    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:19

    Proverbs 11:19

    Tending and Pursuing

    Commonplace –

    “As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death” (Proverbs 11:19).

    Proverbs 11:19 is about action, just different kinds.

    In the first part of the verse, we are told that righteous ‘tends to’ or leads to life. This is interesting. What is leading? Righteousness is leading, in the sense that we are following an example. Only one is truly righteous, and that is Jesus, “in him is no sin” (1 John 3:5). Only through our faith in Christ are we justified. Therefore, when we are choosing to follow Christ’s example, we are submitting our will to him. Only in this way are we acting justly and only in Christ are we justified and receive eternal life. “…righteousness, in its own nature, has a direct tendency to life and wickedness to death” (Henry 699).

    In the second part of the verse, we are told about the person who pursues evil. Who is pursuing? The person that seeks to do evil. This person has in front of him the desire to act unjustly, and he chooses to seek it. “The more violent a man is in sinful pursuits the eagerly bent he is upon his own destruction; he awakens it when it seemed to slumber and hastens it when it seemed to linger” (Henry 699).

    We are either following an example or pursuing our own desires.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:19.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:18

    Proverbs 11:18

    Reaping What Is Sown

    Commonplace –

    “The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward” (Proverbs 11:18).

    When we think of influencers, we immediately think of modern day social media and individuals who hold sway over an audience. Proverbs 11:18 is a witness to the fact that influencers are an ancient idea. In today’s verse, we are presented with the wicked influencers and the righteous influencers.

    The wicked influencer deals in deceit. They use lies of omission and commission to manipulate others. The wicked are self-focused, choosing to sway others to their own wants. His eye is always on the material.

    The righteous influencer is different; they sow truth. How does this look? By embodying the Fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The righteous are altruistic. They see the other person and look at what their needs are. His eye is always on the spiritual.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:18.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:7

    Proverbs 11:7

    The wicked perish

    Commonplace –

    “When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth” (Proverbs 11:7).

    When my granny was alive, she always sent me a birthday card and said she was praying for me. At the time, I was more interested in the money and candy tucked inside the card than her prayers.

    Now that I am older, I think more deeply about her prayers. Some of those prayers were not answered in her lifetime, but their beauty lies in their spiritual nature. The prayers outlived her, and I know some of them were answered after she passed away. I am grateful for her thoughtfulness and kindness towards me, even though I did not appreciate the depth of her gift – a spiritual blessing that did not perish with her.

    In contrast, the wicked pursue only material gain. When they die, their hopes die with them. As Matthew Henry notes in his Commentary “his hopes vanish with him” (697).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:7.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:6

    Proverbs 11:6

    Deliverance

    Commonplace –

    “The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness” (Proverbs 11:6).

    Death comes for all of us. We never know the exact day and time. We do know that we all want the evil among us to be punished for the wicked deeds done and the good people to be rewarded for their devotion to righteousness. At the time of death, justice, which may have been delayed in the material world, is served in the spiritual one that follows. Contemplating death should be something we all do, because it puts us in mind of justice and causes us to consider what our judgment will be. In light of this, it is good to consider Matthew Henry’s words:

    “For the truths are here [in Proverbs 11:6] of such certainty and weight that they cannot be too often inculcated. Let us govern ourselves by these principles” (696).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:6.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:5

    Proverbs 11:5

    The Way of Righteousness

    Commonplace –

    “The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness” (Proverbs 11:5).

    Yesterday, while I was scanning the room for supplies I might need for my co-op class, my eyes landed on a pair of scissors. I thought about the lesson I was going to teach and realized I didn’t need scissors, so I moved on. Then, a little voice inside me urged me to bring the scissors with me. After years of experience disregarding the voice to my own detriment, I just tossed the scissors into my bag. What difference would it make if I brought them and had no use for them? Off we went to co-op.

    During the first class of the day, I was serving as a class helper. Part way through the class, the teacher paused, glanced around searchingly, and asked, “Did anyone bring any scissors? I don’t have mine.” I immediately produced the pair of scissors I had tossed into my bag, and she thanked me gratefully. Later, in my own class during the second hour, I never needed the scissors. The scissors were not for me but were a help to another in need.

    Do you ever hear that little voice in your head? I know my children do, because we have talked about it. It’s the voice that nudges us toward the good, convicts us of bad ideas, and reminds us of things we didn’t even realize we needed. I’ve learned a few important lessons from listening to it:

    1. Disregard it, and you will regret it.
    2. Continue to disregard it, and it will grow weaker.
    3. Listen to it, and you will not regret it.
    4. Continue to listen to it, and it grows stronger.

    Whenever I have ignored the voice, I have always regretted it. Sometimes it’s about something simple, like the scissors in my story; sometimes it’s about big things, important things, character-shaping decisions.

    Proverbs 11:5 reminds me of this little voice. It is the good that is directing us on the right path, when we are open to receiving the message. If we ignore it, we become like the wicked and fall from our own foolishness.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:5.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:4

    Proverbs 11:4

    Righteousness

    Commonplace –

    “Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death” (Proverbs 11:4).

    Proverbs 11:4 encourages the reader to have an eternal outlook toward life and pursue righteousness over wealth. Job 1:21 helps us understand the writer’s meaning behind the first part of verse 11:4: “Riches profit not in the day of wrath”:

    “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither” (Job 1:21).

    We came with no thing. We leave with no thing. The only possession we have upon entering and exiting this life is our soul, which is why we should pay heed to this verse and think primarily of what is best for our soul during our life. Riches may bring comfort during life, but they do not help us in our eternal life. As Matthew Henry states, “In the day of public judgments riches often expose men rather than protect them, Ezek 7:19” (696).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:4.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 10:2

    Proverbs 10:2

    Honest Gain vs. ill Gotten Gain

    Commonplace –

    “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death” (Proverbs 10:2)

    The message of Proverbs Chapters 1 – 9 is about choice. The choice that is always before us is between good and evil. Verse 10:2 gives us the result of each path; wickedness leads to nothing and righteousness delivers from death. The specific evil mentioned in 10:2 are treasures of wickedness. Later, Jesus will speak to this subject in Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon”. It’s important to remember,though, that the specific word Solomon uses in 10:2 is ‘treasure’, and treasure doesn’t have to be money. It’s whatever that thing, that treasure, is that tempts you to do something that isn’t good. Money is not inherently evil; the evil is not in the money. The potential for good and evil are within each of us.

    Matthew Henry has this to say about honest gain and the treasures of the wicked:

    Honest Gain

    “That which is honestly got will turn to a good account, for God will bless it. Righteousness delivers from death, that is, wealth gained, and kept, and used, in a right manner (righteousness signifies both honesty and charity); it answers the end of wealth, which is to keep us alive and be a defence to us. It will profit to such a degree as to deliver, though not from the stroke of death, yet from the sting of it, and consequently from the terror of it” (690).

    Treasures of the Wicked

    “The treasures of wicked people, much more the treasure which they have made themselves masters of by any wicked people, by oppression of fraud, though it be ever so much, as a treasure, and laid up ever so safely, though it be hidden treasure, yet it profits nothing; when profit and loss come to be balanced the profit gained by the treasures will by no means countervail the loss sustained by the wickedness, Matt 16:26” (690).

    Reading Proverbs 10:2 brings to mind many other verses, which are helpful in understanding this verse, remembering scripture interprets scripture. Following is a list of cross-references gathered from BibleHub.com.

    Matthew 6:19-21
    Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

    Luke 12:15-21
    And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” / Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. / So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ …

    1 Timothy 6:9-10
    Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. / For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

    James 5:1-3
    Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.

    Matthew 16:26
    What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

    Mark 8:36-37
    What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? / Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

    Luke 16:11-13
    So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? / And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own? / No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

    1 Timothy 6:17-19
    Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. / Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, / treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

    Ecclesiastes 5:10-11
    He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile. / When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes?

    Psalm 49:6-10
    They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches. / No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God. / For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice, …

    Jeremiah 17:11
    Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”

    Ezekiel 7:19
    They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem unclean. Their silver and gold cannot save them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs with wealth, for it became the stumbling block that brought their iniquity.

    Zephaniah 1:18
    Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.

    Proverbs 11:4
    Riches are worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.

    Proverbs 15:16
    Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.

    Works Cited

    “Proverbs 10:2”. Biblehub.com. https://biblehub.com/proverbs/10-2.htm#google_vignette. Accessed 12 Dec 2025.

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 10:2.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 15

    Psalm 15

    Commonplace –

    “He that doeth these things shall never be moved” (Psalm 15:5).

    Psalm 15, an exploration on righteousness, is in direct response to Psalm 14, an exploration on wickedness.While Psalm 14 focused on the general truth that all men are wicked or as Paul puts it in Romans 3:23, “…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”, Psalm 15 explores the righteous man. Herein David searches out the qualities of the righteous.

    Question

    David begins his study of a righteous man with two questions.

    1. Who shall I abide in God’s tabernacle?
    2. Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

    Response

    David then begins to list the qualities of a righteous man.

    1. He walks upright.
    2. He does good.
    3. He speaks truth in his heart.
    4. He doesn’t gossip.
    5. He doesn’t do evil to his neighbor.
    6. He doesn’t complain or express disapproval of his neighbor.
    7. He looks down on the vile.
    8. He honors those who fear God.
    9. He doesn’t swear to his own hurt.
    10. He does not change.
    11. He doesn’t lend money at interest.
    12. He doesn’t hurt the innocent.

    Psalms 15 and 14 are a continuation of the theme of the psalms presented from Psalm 1. Psalm 15 is what the path of goodness looks like and Psalm 14 is the evil path.

    Here is a short excerpt from Matthew Henry’s summary of Psalm 15:

    “The scope of this short but excellent psalm is to show us the way to heaven, and to convince us that, if we would be happy, we must be holy and honest” (232).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 15.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 7

    Psalm 7

    Commonplace –

    “I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high” (Psalm 7:17).

    David begins this psalm with a reminder to himself: “O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust” (v.1.). The circumstances surrounding David were harrowing and terrifying. His enemy was close at hand and threatening violence toward him. To combat his fear, David declares his trust in God and asks for God’s help. He entreats God to search him for sin and turn him over to the enemy, if sin is found within him. David is relying on God’s justice and righteousness.

    “The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me” (Psalm 7:8).

    and

    “My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart” (Psalm 7:10).

    God’s righteousness is a gift. He is not a God of caprice. We do not have to wonder at what He will do; He will always do what is right and good. What we learn herein from David is trust and faith, even when the circumstances make it seem as if the wicked are winning. In this type of suffering, when we do good but evil appears to be winning, we join in suffering for the good. In his summary, Matthew Henry notes,

    “In this David was a type of Christ, who was himself, and still is in his members, thus injured, but will certainly be righted at last” (212).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 7.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg