You and I have probably heard the phrase “cheaters never prosper.” It is something people often say to encourage honesty and discourage lying, stealing, and cheating.

But if we look around, sometimes it seems like the opposite is true.

We see people cheat and get away with it. We see dishonest people succeed in business. We see people manipulate others to advance their careers. We see criminals steal from innocent people through scams and cybercrime, and sometimes it appears that nobody ever catches them.

So you and I might reasonably ask:

Do cheaters really never prosper?

The book of Proverbs teaches us that although wickedness may appear profitable for a season, eventually there are consequences. In God’s world, you and I cannot continually walk the path of wickedness without eventually experiencing what that path produces.

This is one of the major themes of Proverbs: wisdom preserves us, while foolishness and wickedness ultimately destroy us.

The Trap We Set Can Become Our Own Trap

Solomon gives us this vivid picture:

“Surely, in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird; but they lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk secretly for their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners.”

Solomon is warning his son about associating with wicked people—people willing to deceive, steal, harm, and even kill others for personal gain.

They think they are setting a trap for someone else.

But Solomon says something surprising:

They are actually setting a trap for themselves.

It is like someone spreading a net to catch a bird while the bird is watching the entire thing. Eventually, the wicked person’s scheme turns against him.

That is something you and I need to remember whenever sin appears attractive.

Sin rarely advertises its consequences.

It shows us what we might gain while hiding what we might lose.

Sin Never Pays What It Promises

This is really the heart of the lesson:

Sin never pays what it promises.

Sin promises pleasure without showing us the pain.

It promises money without showing us the cost.

It promises freedom without showing us the bondage.

It promises excitement without showing us the consequences.

It promises that nobody will know.

It tells you and me, “You’ll get away with it.”

But Proverbs tells us to look farther down the road.

In Proverbs 2, Solomon describes wicked people as those who rejoice in doing evil, walk crooked paths, and behave deceitfully. He also warns about sexual immorality and the seductress, saying:

“Her house leads down to death, and her paths to the dead.”

Then the chapter concludes:

“The wicked will be cut off from the earth, and the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.”

The immediate temptation may look attractive, but wisdom asks a different question:

Where does this road eventually lead?

Adultery Promises Pleasure but Conceals the Consequences

Consider the example of adultery.

A married person might think:

It’s only one time.

Nobody will ever know.

I’m not getting what I deserve at home.

What’s the harm if I don’t get caught?

Or a single person might reason:

I’m not married, so I’m not breaking a marriage vow.

I should experiment before settling down.

These desires are natural, so why shouldn’t I act on them?

The temptation focuses attention on immediate gratification.

But Solomon tells you and me to look beyond the moment.

He says:

“Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away.”

The point is that sexual sin can carry consequences that we may not consider when temptation is directly in front of us.

Relationships can be destroyed.

Reputations can be damaged.

Families can be affected.

There can be physical consequences.

There can be financial consequences.

There can be consequences involving jealousy and retaliation.

And once a choice has been made, you and I cannot simply rewind life and pretend it never happened.

Wisdom therefore teaches us to think beyond the immediate moment.

Before choosing the pleasure, consider the price.

Stolen Water May Taste Sweet for a Moment

Solomon gives us another striking statement:

“Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant; but he does not know that the dead are there.”

Notice how honestly Proverbs describes temptation.

The stolen water does appear sweet.

The secret bread does appear pleasant.

That is precisely why temptation is tempting.

If sin looked horrible from the beginning, you and I would rarely struggle with it.

The danger is that something can taste sweet now and become bitter later.

Something can feel pleasurable now and become destructive later.

Something can appear profitable now and become incredibly expensive later.

So wisdom does not merely ask:

“Do I want this?”

Wisdom asks:

“Where will this take me?”

Dishonesty Eventually Produces Calamity

The same principle applies to lying and dishonesty.

Solomon describes a wicked person who speaks perversely, devises evil, and creates conflict. Then he says:

“Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.”

A dishonest person may become extremely skilled at manipulating people.

They may know exactly what to say.

They may know how to conceal their motives.

They may fool coworkers, friends, customers, family members, or authorities.

But there is Someone they cannot fool.

They cannot fool God.

And even practically, dishonesty becomes increasingly difficult to maintain.

One lie requires another lie.

Then another.

Eventually, you and I have to remember what we said, who we said it to, and what version of the story each person heard.

Truth does not require that kind of maintenance.

God Hates Dishonest Gain

Proverbs repeatedly talks about dishonest scales.

In the ancient marketplace, weights and scales were used to determine how much someone received when purchasing goods. A dishonest merchant could manipulate those measurements so that the customer thought he was receiving the correct amount when he was actually being cheated.

Proverbs says dishonest scales are an abomination to God.

The technology may have changed, but the principle has not.

You and I can cheat people financially.

Businesses can misrepresent products.

Workers can falsify information.

People can scam others online.

Someone can manipulate contracts, numbers, transactions, or accounts.

The methods change, but dishonesty remains dishonesty.

And Proverbs tells us that gaining something through deception is not wisdom.

Getting Ahead Is Not the Same as Prospering

This is especially important because the world can teach you and me a very different philosophy.

We may hear that life is about getting ahead.

Do whatever is necessary.

Look after yourself.

Take advantage of an opportunity before someone else does.

If someone is gullible enough to be deceived, that is their problem.

Under that philosophy, cheating can actually appear intelligent.

But Solomon tells us that this way of thinking is completely backward.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

Something can appear successful and still be destroying us.

Someone can gain money while losing integrity.

Someone can gain pleasure while destroying a marriage.

Someone can gain a promotion while destroying relationships.

Someone can gain possessions while destroying a reputation.

Someone can gain temporary freedom while placing himself on a road toward judgment.

So you and I need a better definition of prosperity.

Getting what we want is not necessarily the same thing as prospering.

Haman Fell Into His Own Trap

The book of Esther gives us a powerful illustration of this principle.

Haman was a powerful official who hated Mordecai and wanted him dead. He even prepared gallows on which he intended to have Mordecai executed.

Haman thought he was arranging someone else’s destruction.

But he did not know everything that was happening.

Mordecai had previously uncovered a plot against the king and ultimately received honor. Haman’s wicked intentions were eventually exposed.

And what happened?

Haman was executed on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.

The trap he prepared for another person became his own.

That is almost a perfect picture of Solomon’s warning.

The wicked lie in wait for someone else’s blood, but ultimately they are endangering themselves.

You and I Need to Look Beyond the Immediate Reward

This is where Proverbs gives us wisdom for everyday living.

When you and I are tempted to lie, cheat, steal, deceive, or indulge in something sinful, temptation wants us to focus only on the immediate benefit.

What can I get?

How will this make me feel?

Can I get away with it?

But wisdom teaches us to ask better questions:

Where does this road lead?

What might this cost me later?

Who could be hurt by this decision?

What happens if the truth comes out?

What does God think about what I’m doing?

And perhaps most importantly:

Is the thing I’m gaining worth what I may ultimately lose?

Don’t Be Fooled by Temporary Success

Sometimes you and I will see dishonest people appear to prosper.

We should not allow that to confuse us.

We may only be seeing one chapter of their story.

Proverbs calls us to look at the entire road.

The cheater may appear successful today.

The liar may appear convincing today.

The thief may enjoy what he stole today.

The adulterer may enjoy the pleasure today.

The dishonest businessperson may enjoy the money today.

But today’s pleasure does not tell us tomorrow’s consequences.

That is why you and I need wisdom.

We need to recognize the trap before we step into it.

The bird that sees the net being spread should have enough sense to fly away.

And when God has already shown you and me where sin leads, we should have enough wisdom to walk away from it.

Sin Never Pays What It Promises

So when temptation tells us, “Nobody will know,” we need wisdom.

When greed tells us, “This will get you ahead,” we need wisdom.

When lust tells us, “It’s only one time,” we need wisdom.

When dishonesty tells us, “Everyone does it,” we need wisdom.

And when we see wicked people apparently succeeding and begin wondering whether God’s way is really worth it, we need to remember the warning of Proverbs.

The trap eventually closes.

You and I may not always see the consequences immediately, but Solomon wants us to understand the direction of the road before we travel down it.

Sin never pays what it promises.

So let’s not measure success by what we can get away with today.

Let’s measure our lives by wisdom, integrity, faithfulness, and obedience to God.

Because you and I are living in God’s world, and God’s way is still the wisest way to live.

That’s wisdom for living from the book of Proverbs.