Connect Proverbs 21:6 with another verse about the dangers of deceit. Setting the Scene Proverbs 21:6: “Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.” Jeremiah 17:11: “Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is a man who makes a fortune unjustly; in the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be a fool.” Why These Two Verses Belong Together • Same sin, different images—Proverbs pictures deceitful gain as “a fleeting vapor,” Jeremiah as stolen eggs that abandon their impostor parent. • Same timeline—short-lived success that evaporates “in the middle of his days.” • Same verdict—what looks profitable ends as “a deadly snare” and leaves the perpetrator “a fool.” The Mechanics of Deceitful Gain • Method: Lying tongue / unjust means. • Motive: Craving quick wealth without honest labor (cf. Proverbs 13:11). • Outcome: Wealth slips away, soul is trapped (cf. 1 Timothy 6:9). The Built-In Consequences 1. Fleeting Vapor—riches disappear as quickly as breath on cold glass. 2. Deadly Snare—sin never stays confined to the wallet; it ensnares the heart. 3. Public Folly—Jeremiah declares the deceiver ends up exposed as “a fool,” not a mastermind. Supporting Witnesses • Psalm 101:7—“No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who tells lies shall stand in my presence.” • Proverbs 10:2—“Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.” • Luke 16:10–11—faithfulness in small matters proves fitness for true riches. Practical Takeaways for Today • Guard speech—truthfulness in words protects from snares later. • Choose patient integrity—steady, honest earnings outlast every shortcut. • Remember God’s timeline—He sees the “middle” and the “end,” ensuring that deceit never truly prospers. |
    |