Proverbs 14:14-16 (ESV)

[14] The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,

and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

[15] The simple believes everything,

but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

[16] One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,

but a fool is reckless and careless.

Proverbs is filled with lessons that would take a lifetime to learn, but at the heart of all the truths in chaptern14 is this one issue: Right behavior starts with good character. The one theme that runs through the whole chapter is that what we do starts with who we are. It’s about the heart first.

There are three primary approaches to determining ethical behavior. Rules based ethics says that God set the rules and expects us to keep them. Ethical behavior is determined by God’s rules. We are not responsible for the consequences of our actions. That is God’s responsibility. We are only responsible to do the right thing based on God’s revealed rules. The Pharisees lived by rules-based ethics.

The second approach to ethics is character-based ethics. Those who hold to this approach insist that God is not so concerned about the rules. He is concerned with who we are from the heart. He wants us to be people of character. They point to Jesus statement, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mk 2:27). He had been challenged by the rule keepers because his disciples were breaking the Sabbath rules. Jesus pointed them back to when the High Priest gave King David bread to eat that, according to the law, was to be eaten only by the priests. He then concludes with the statement about the Sabbath being made for man. Jesus appears to be more concerned about character of the heart than about rules.

A third approach is called Consequentialism. It says that ethical behavior is based on the consequences of our actions. If bad things result, then our action was unethical. If good things result, then our choice was an ethical one. This is often used to justify behavior that God’s rules forbid. Its strength is that it is not only concerned about what we do, but about how our choices and actions affect others. Its weakness is the same, for how can one determine how things will turn out?

This discussion could become a whole book to be written, so let me shorten the discussion for the sake of time and space. Proverbs, along with Jesus’s teaching, seems to indicate that God is concerned not only with what we do, what with the condition of our heart. God’s rules are not just random rules, nor are the rules put in place by a callous and inconsiderate God. His rules reflect his nature, character, and intended purpose in creation. God is also, however, concerned about the consequences of our actions. Rule keepers without a heart can become self-righteous and uncaring. The consequences of their actions are not their concern. They are only concerned with keeping the rules.

I would argue that God is concerned with all three. According to Jesus life and teaching, God is first concerned with what kind of person I am. He is concerned with my character, my heart. Secondly, God is concerned about his rules because they reflect his nature, character, and purpose. But, God is also concerned with consequences. If I do the right thing for the wrong reason, I cannot call that ethical. If I do the wrong thing for the right reason, I cannot call that ethical either. If I do a right thing for the right reason, but the result is unloving and harmful, I need to rethink what I am doing. Perhaps there is another way to do the right thing for the right reason that embraces love, gentleness, and humility. After all, God cares about people even more then he cares about his rules. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mk 2:27).

Proverbs 14 teaches wise behavior, but first it teaches godly character. At the heart of all the truths in the chapter is this one issue: Right behavior starts with good character. The one theme that runs through the whole chapter is that what we do starts with who we are. It’s about the heart first. “Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding” (Prov 14:33).