Introduction
Before getting into the meaning of Proverbs 14:11, here’s different Bible translations:
King James Version
The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
American Standard Version
The house of the wicked shall be overthrown; But the tent of the upright shall flourish.
World English Bible version
The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
Proverbs 14:11 Meaning & Commentary
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. – Proverbs 14:11 (ESV)
We can either build in our lives with God as the foundation, or we can choose to build in our own strength and human wisdom. Jesus taught a well-known parable about building with the correct foundation and the importance of it:
Matthew 7:24-27 – “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” When we build with God as our foundation, whatever we build will stand the test of time in this life, and we will also receive a reward in eternity.
It is interesting how Proverbs 14:11 says that the tent of the righteous will flourish –not even referring to a house, but simply a tent. The implication is that no matter how small, seemingly insignificant, or flimsy what we build may seem – when we build it in righteousness and with God at the center – we have a sure foundation, and what we build will surely flourish and grow.
On the other hand, the house of the wicked will be destroyed because it is “self-built.” The Bible is not referring to an actual house but rather something we build for God – a business, a family, a ministry, or anything else. Even if an unbeliever is successful in building something in this life, there is a life to come – and only what we do for Christ will stand the test of time:
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 – Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
Application
How can we apply Proverbs 14:11 to our lives?
God’s command is to build with him at the center of it all as our foundation. If we set out to build anything – a business, a ministry, a family, or anything else, and our motives are purely selfish and self-seeking, we have gone astray. If we fail to do this, we could be building in vain: Psalm 127:1 – Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Another way that we also keep God at the center of our lives and whatever we are building is to apply His Word and His principles to our lives and to everything we do.
God’s Word is our instruction manual for life – how to handle money, relationships, conflict, engage with people, etc. The way that we build anything successfully as a Christian who serves God is by applying His Word to every area of our lives. Through God’s wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, we build a house successfully and fill it with treasure: Proverbs 24:3-4 – By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
God invites us to ask for wisdom and promises to answer us when we do: James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. Yet, we also have The Word of God as our guide to living a victorious and successful Christian life on earth!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You for being a sure and firm foundation in my life. I know that whatever I build with You as my foundation will stand the test of time.
Please reveal to me where I may have built in my own strength and not trusted in your divine ability. I ask for wisdom today so that whatever I build will stand through life’s challenges. I pray this all in Jesus’ name. Amen!
