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Bribes are Wicked

27 

Greed brings grief to the whole family,
     but those who hate bribes will live.

28 

The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking;
     the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.

Verse 27

People give bribes (secret gifts) so that other people will do wrong things. For example, if a judge accepts a bribe, then he might punish an innocent man. If a government official accepts a bribe, then he might allow the giver to meet the king.

The Bible teaches that we should not give bribes (secret gifts). The Bible also teaches that we should not accept bribes. We should not do evil things to get more money. This behavior will only bring trouble to us and to our families. Instead, we should refuse bribes. If we refuse bribes, then God will help us to have good lives.

Verse 28

Jesus answered questions in Mark 11:27-33 and Mark 12:13-40. Jesus studied the Bible. His answers were wise. Jesus thought about what the Bible says. And he knew the right answers.

We too need to think about problems. Especially, we must discover what the Bible says. Then we shall learn God’s wisdom.

An evil man hates God. The evil man does not think about what is right. Instead, he answers quickly. If an evil man does think about his answers, then he makes an evil plan. If he does not think about his answer, his plans are still evil.

Almost everyone knows that it's illegal to bribe a judge or court officer. However, not everyone knows that laws against bribery come from the Bible. God hates injustice, and bribes let rich people get away with crimes that poor people can't. Wealth and power should never corrupt justice.

I recently read about a politician who is removing traffic cameras from outside schools in his district. These cameras have significantly reduced accidents and injuries. Why remove them? Because the politician has been caught speeding by these cameras ten times and has the power to get rid of them. The Scriptures clearly condemn this abuse of power.

Verse 28 can be summarized by the saying: Think before you leap.

Let me ask you: Do you sometimes try to get things done by asking someone you know instead of going through the normal process? Do the Proverbs think this is a good idea?

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