There is a fundamental law in business, it’s called integrity. There are so many ways to cheat but it really pleases God when we are honest, Amos 2:6 / Amos 8:5. To be dishonourable is to be disgraceful, to be humble is the person who is a reasonable, disciplined individual. Pride is almost certainly going to lead to disaster but humility, which is the opposite of pride, has the benefit of wisdom, thus success.
The course of our life is determined by the nature of our inner self, what we are, this will determine what will happen to us. God really does not care about how much we have accumulated but He will judge us based on how we live our lives.
The reference to death here is probably referring to premature death. The point in these verses is that righteousness can deliver us from anything, Ezekiel 7:19.
What hope does the wicked have in the afterlife? The wicked have no hope of anything beyond the grave and the wicked receive trouble instead of blessings.
Have you ever been on the receiving end of verbal abuse? Solomon says the wicked use their mouth for verbal assassination. If we do not watch our mouths and what we say, we are godless, James 3:1-12.
Unfortunately, not many people rejoice when someone prospers, nor are there many shouts of joy when the wicked perish, in fact, it seems to be rarely true today.
Have you ever been told gossip by others? How does that make you feel? Why do people gossip in the first place?
The wisdom teachers were also concerned with the influence on the community and they control themselves by not saying what they think. The trustworthy man is not a gossip, he does not speak about confidential matters, and he is dependable.
When decisions are being made, those in a group are likely to be more successful. A wise man refrains from business deals with strangers.
The word, ‘violent’ could mean energetic and strong and the contrast between the gossip and the trustworthy person may be the two ways of obtaining success. Perhaps this means that ruthlessness is not the only way to be successful. In addition to verse 16, verse 17, depicts the entire story of violence and cruelty, Matthew 5:7.
If we ‘sow’ righteousness, we will not have a crop failure, God guarantees success! Galatians 6:8-9. The word, ‘perverse’ here means stubborn. Evil will be punished, either in this world or the next. The word, ‘discretion’ means discrimination, good taste. The wicked will have nothing else to hope for, Romans 2:8-9.
These are the economic facts of life, the person who hoards will find themselves in poverty, but the one who invests, will make money, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 / 1 Timothy 6:17.
Are you a hoarder? What things do you like to keep hold of?
Are you an investor? What kind of things or people do you invest in?
Mismanagement of money will destroy a family. Solomon says anyone who manages money their money badly, will end up serving the wise man, who is the person who knows how to handle money.
It seems to mean the wise save people from physical and spiritual disaster, James 5:20. And all will be ‘rewarded’, each person will get what they deserve.
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'"