TRUNEWS with Rick Wiles - Morning Manna - Jan 6, 2026 - Proverbs 19:4-6 - Wealth, Words, and the Illusion of Loyalty 02-2026

Episode Date: January 6, 2026

Proverbs 19:4–6 exposes how wealth attracts companions, poverty reveals abandonment, and influence often masquerades as friendship. Riches multiply friends, while the poor are deserted—even by neighbors. False witnesses and flattering tongues chase favor, but their loyalty is shallow and self-serving. In today’s Morning Manna, Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart examine the difference between convenience-based relationships and covenant faithfulness, warning against mistaking popularity and persuasion for truth, integrity, or genuine love. Teachers: Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart You can partner with us by visiting MannaNation.com, calling 1-888-519-4935, or by mail at PO Box 399 Vero Beach, FL 32961. MEGA FIRE reveals the ancient recurring cycles of war and economic collapse that have shaped history for 600 years. These patterns predict America is now entering its most dangerous period since World War II. Get your copy today! www.megafire.world Get high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves! www.AmericanReserves.com It’s the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today! www.Amazon.com/Final-Day Apple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books! www.books.apple.com/final-day Purchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today. www.Sacrificingliberty.com

Good morning. We're delighted to have you in our morning manna virtual Bible study. We have classmates on almost every continent. If this is your first time in the class, Doc and I methodically teach scriptures line by line. We separate each verse into two or three parts to allow us to drill down deeply to extract as many gems as possible. We are working our way through the book of Proverbs, and currently we are in Chapter 19. Today we will study verses 4, 5, and 6. Dr. Burkhart, would you please read the Word of God? Proverbs 19, 4, 5, and 6. And always an honor to read the Word of God, Rick. Proverbs 19, verses 4, 5, and 6. beginning of verse 4, I'm reading from the authorized King James.

Wealth maketh many friends, but the poor is separated from his neighbor. A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he the speak of lies shall not escape. In verse 6, many will entreat the favor of the prince, and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. This should be a fascinating study today, Rick. As it will be. All right. I'm going to start with verse 4.

and I'll read the King James and the English translation of the Greek Septuagint. The King James Version says, wealth maketh many friends, but the poor is separated from his neighbor. The Septuagint translation says wealth acquires many friends, but the poor is deserted even by his own friend. Let's begin with this first part, wealth acquires many friends. Wealth possesses a powerful social gravity. It naturally draws a multitude of associates into orbit around the prosperous. Those who are successful, influential, appear to have money and connections.

It's like there's a magnet around them, and it just draws the people. If you watch political events or Hollywood celebrities, you see the crowds around the influential people. They just have this magnetism. So these, quote, friends are attracted not to the person's character or soul, but to the advantages and the benefits that that man or woman provides. A Presbyterian, pastor, theologian, Matthew Henry said, those that are rich have usually many that court their friendship. It is the wealth they love, not the friend. Now, Doc, the Hebrew word that is translated as acquires by the Greek Septuagint implies that wealth adds or multiplies companions.

There's a superficial increase in numbers without a corresponding depth of loyalty. And so this dynamic exposes the, you know, it's the mercenary spirit of fallen humanity. Where there is honey, the flies gather. where there is gain to be made the crowds assemble. A Baptist pastor John Gill said hundreds of years ago, Wealth maketh many friends who appear to be such and may be called so,

but they are friends to the wealth and not to the person. Swallow friends, as the ancients called them, who are gone in the winter. Yes. Well, so rig this verse is. scripture here is just pointing out, and it's obvious in society today, the rich man's table is always surrounded. His house is always full of visitors, not because he's loved, but because he's useful. There's something to be gained in being in his circle of associates. So prosperity

creates this illusion at times of devotion. Popularity mistaken for covenant love, number for what's really a true community. So there are many relationships, Rick, that are formed around wealth and are sustained by self-interest rather than faithfulness and loyalty. They're friends of the purse, not the person. Reform Baptist Charles Furgeon said,

wealth maketh many friends, but when the money is gone, friends are gone, Rick. Yeah, it's true. Like I'm thinking about a story I read many years ago. I think it was 2016 when Donald Trump was running for president for the first time. And the articles described the scene where he was supposed to meet a famous artist who was going to paint a portrait of him. And the artist was waiting for Mr. Trump to arrive.

This is before he was elected in 2016. And the artist looked down the hallway and saw this mob of people surrounding a man who was walking. towards him. And he realized that Mr. Trump was in the middle of that mob. And so when Mr. Trump got inside the room alone, away from the mob, the artist said to him, how do you, how do you operate in such a storm? And Mr. Trump got up close to him, looked him in the eyes, and said, I am the storm. Okay, so I'm telling that story because Mr. Trump is, he's accustomed to being surrounded by people who are seeking his favor. Why? Why?

Because they perceive that he has money and power. Right. He knows it. Think about it if someone of our stature, Rick, money-wise and everything, said the things that Donald Trump said. We wouldn't be able to get away with it at all, right? No, you wouldn't have anybody. He can because, why? He's rich.

Yes, but the point I'm making is he knows that the people who are around him are there for the money and the power. Yes, he's aware of her. Okay, that's the lesson that we desire you to understand here is that just because a lot of people are surrounding someone, it doesn't mean that they are that man or woman's friends. They're friends with the money. They're friends with the power. So sadly, Doc, most wealthy people inwardly recognize that many of their friends are only friends because these people want their money or they want to be close to their money, their influence. The chatter, the laughter, the company of these false friends satisfies the longing of these wealthy influential people. are companionship.

So what you have here is many times wealthy people knowingly purchase friends to alleviate their profound sense of loneliness. So sad. On what hand, they're enjoying it.

They're surrounded by people. But inside, they know, I had to buy this. I had to pay for this. This isn't real. These people are only here because I have money and power. So the proverb is not praising this idea. It's indicting the world's crooked love and it's warning us against deception.

Big churches, influential religious leaders with a lot of money. They can attract crowds. But the numbers alone prove nothing about that person's spiritual death or their genuine fellowship with God. So a sudden influx of admirers into your life often signals the arrival of sudden wealth, but not sudden virtue. True friendship is tested during times of lack. not abundance. When you go through hard times, you discover who is your friend. That's true. Well, a couple of quotes here, Rick, to ponder on as we explore this, get ready to explore the second part of this verse. Bath is John Gill had this to say,

Wealth make of many friends who appear to be such and may be called so, but they are friends to the wealth and not to the person. Swallow friends, as the ancients called them, who are gone in the winter. In congregational, G. Campbell, Morgan said that true friendship is measured by loyalty that remains after resources are gone, Rick. Gee Campbell Morgan was a great man of God. I've read just about every book that man wrote. The second part of this verse says, but the poor is separated from his neighbor. The Septuagin says, but the poor is deserted. even by his own friend.

Yes. So, Doc, if wealth is a magnet that attracts friends, poverty is a powerful repellent that drives them away. This is what we're seeing in this verse. Wealth attracts friends. Poverty repels friends. It's just human nature. It drives away even those who should be closest.

your relatives, your neighbors, your companions, your friends. When you go broke, you lose more than money in possessions. You lose friendships. You may even lose family numbers. And that's a shock to many people. So the poor man or the poor woman is separated or deserted. people don't avoid them because these newly impoverished people are sinful but they they desert them for one or two reasons or lack of usefulness or fear of burden friends relatives associates

abandoned people when the money runs out because the newly poverty stricken person offers them nothing to gain or because they inwardly fear that this person may need financial help as people scatter there's nothing to get from them anymore and if you hang around them you might have to take care of them and so they desert they abandon they separate from the poor a presbyterian pastor albert baron arms, said, the separation is the act of the friend. He separates himself to avoid the burden of helping. And, doctor, this isolation is cruel. I mean, it's the poor lose not only money, but they lose their dignity. They, they lose the feeling of being needed, loved, wanted,

remembered. They're suddenly alone. And this movement come from the neighbor who quietly withdraws, ashamed of association with a poor person, or unwilling to share this person's new burdens. But the bottom line is this talk. God knows human nature. Humans tend to neglect the needy, and they just do this naturally. And that's why God's law commands. his disciples to care for the poor. We naturally retreat. Therefore, God commands us to move towards

the poor with compassion. He knows we're going to move away. Yes, because it's our age. So he has to give us a commandment to go to them. Yes. So this verse here, Rick, really indicts society's failure to be merciful. The poor are forsaken even by their friends. So what poverty does, poverty strips away advantage, exposes how fragile relationships, especially interest-based relationships can be. So it's a double tragedy, Rick. Lack of bread plus crushing loneliness. The poor man discovers how little his friends truly loved him. So poor people are separated from others. They're not visited. They're not cared for. They're deserted by people who previously professed to be their friends. English young Methodist pastor Joseph Benson said this proverb was not written to justify

this desertion, but merely making an observation to warn us against trusting in people and to press us to be faithful friends to the poor. So, Reform Baptist Charles Ferguson says, it's better to have one friend who cleaves to you in poverty for Christ's sake than a thousand who feast at your table while your person's full. But you need to understand that sometimes this separation can also work to bring in great mercy by driving the poor to the only friend who sticks closer than a brother or Lord Jesus Christ. Rick, you and I have traveled different parts of the world. We've seen some very poor areas of the world. But there's a different spirit among those communities of the poor who are Christians as opposed to other faiths or persuasions.

There's something different. There's a hope there. They take care of their small, humble dwelling. The streets are cleaner. Something happens when Christ enters in, even in poverty. Yes. The most joyful Christian church services I've ever attended were in the African bushland. You know, dirt floor.

Churches with no glass windows, just a thatch roof over the head, and just joyful worship. And I can remember being in Africa in those kind of services, thinking to myself, I wish I could just bottle this African joy and take it home. And when I'm sad, I just take the cork out and let that joy come out. But they were poor Christians. Right. But they were not poor in spirits. They were joyful. They were happy.

And so their poverty was not, did not rob them of their joy in the Lord. Now, they may have, you know, they may have lost, they didn't, they weren't pursued by people with money. They didn't want to come there and participate in their church services. It didn't affect their relationship with God. Amen. I want to move on to verse 5, Proverbs 195. The King James says, a false witness shall not be unpunished.

And he that speaketh lies shall not. escape, Septuagin says, a false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that accuses falsely shall not escape. False witness. This strikes at the heart of justice. Deliberate perjury or malicious slander that destroys reputations and perverts truth. It's a spiritual violence that assaults the divine order established by God. Truth is the foundation of God's throne and his society, and lying is treason against both. The number one liar is Satan. And so when you are lying, you're reminding God of Satan, and that is company you don't

want to be in. The proverb, doc, is a, I see it as a double thunder clap from heaven because it contains a double negative. Right. A false witness shall not

be unpunished, and he that accuses falsely shall not escape. The double negative is divine emphasis. False witness and habitual lying, both provoke God's unyielding justice. The divine justice is an

absolute certainty. Human courts may overlook it, may fail to deal with it, but heaven's docket has never lost a case against a liar. Amen. English Baptist theologian John Gill, said, hundreds of years ago, a false witness shall not be unpunished, though he may escape the judgment of men, he shall not escape the judgment of God. You see, the liar, the liar may appear clever and prosperous for season, but his sin accumulates unseen liability before the righteous judge. And so the warning that we have in this proverb is both remedial and judicial. It is designed to deter and to call the deceiver to repentance before the day of reckoning. So a false witness is not only someone who commits perjury under oath in a court of law. A false

witness can also appear in families among friends at the workplace, in politics, in government, in churches. This sin is the devil's tongue. Every false accusation echoes the great accuser of the brethren. This is why it carries such a serious penalty. God does not look upon this lightly, Doc. yes and rick you can be assured that almighty god the great judge of the universe he has a special mark upon the false witness that's evident throughout scripture his or her sin will bind them in chains that no power can break god will see to that if you're lying about another person you best repent confess that sin to god and make things right with the victim of your lives the people who listened to your lie That's often a forgotten part of that.

So every false word is recorded. God's surveillance system is much more thorough than the NSA. The tongue that destroys others will eventually kill its owner. Some remarks from some of our commentators of the past, Rick, regarding this portion of the verse, Alexander McLaren said, A false witness shall not be unpunished. the lie is a boomerang he that speaketh lies shall not escape his own words will hunt him down

presbytery matthew henry said a false witness shall not be unpunished god will find out some way or other to bring him to condign punishment and that methodist adam clark a false witness shall not be unpunished the most solemn judgments of god have been executed upon perjurers and let's not forget that even our Lord Jesus himself was wrongly convicted in a corrupt court that accepted the testimony of two false witnesses. And so this verse is also prophetic, Rick. Yes, so Jesus takes it really personally when people falsely accused someone.

Yes. Because false witnesses lied about him in court to send him to the cross. But he takes it very personally. The second part of this verse says, the King James Version says, And he that speaketh lies shall not escape. The subtuagin says, and he that accuses falsely shall not escape, basically the same. Speaketh lies or falsely accuses.

It widens the scope to include people who lie as naturally as they breathe. Now, these are people who slander people. destroy reputations. They are people who intentionally seek to destroy the good names of other people because they resent them or they hate them or they feel offended by them or they feel threatened by them. They're seeking revenge and so they intentionally lie. We often see this behavior in passive aggressive covert narcissists. One of their popular tactics is to ruin the reputations of their victims. Typically, it is an act of revenge.

They've been offended. And so they quietly decide, I'm going to get even. You've offended me. You've hurt me. I'm going to get even with you. And how am I going to get even? I'm going to lie about you. I'm going to spread vicious lies about you.

They know that what they're doing is wrong. But they do it anyway because the end. impulse for revenge is too strong. Now, if you know anything about passive, aggressive, covert narcissist, you've heard the term flying monkeys. Flying monkeys refers to the monkeys in the Wizard of Oz movie that did the evil work of the wicked witch. So narcissists have their own flying monkeys who believe anything the narcissist says about another person. So the narcissist fills their minds with lies. He or she speaks lies,

falsely accuses an innocent person because the narcissist is secretly driven by a lust to seek revenge for some offense. Some offense that the innocent person doesn't even know, doesn't even recognize. And then the monkeys fly off to spread the lies to other people.

The narcissists knew they would do it. And that's why the narcissist pumps the lies into the heads of his or her group of followers, knowing that they will spread the false accusations. Doc, this is a sin that God despises. And if you know such individuals, I think everybody right now can think of somebody who does this kind of stuff. you know them, avoid them. There is a curse on them. I'm being very serious. They might even be in your family. You've got to avoid. You've got to separate from them. What they're doing is a

serious sin. And the church does not deal with this sin. Too often this sin is rampant in churches. The proverb says, these people shall not escape. Escape home. Almighty God's judgment. Yes. Well, Rick, Methodist theologian Joseph Benson said that the man or woman who habitually speaks lies shall not escape judgment because God will call them to account. Judgment may be slow, but it is, sir. And that phrase in there, Rick, shall not escape removes all illusion. There's no sanctuary. There's no loophole. There's no final evasion for those that don't repent. So these lies are like self-multiplying chains. One requires ten more to cover it, another hundred to cover those ten lies, weaving a web that imprisons the original speakers of the tongue that pours out, breathes lies, like you were talking about earlier, Rick,

reveals a heart that's already captive to darkness and deception. So the liar may flee human detection. Understand this. He cannot flee God's eyes and ears. Foren Baptist Charles Burgess said, He that speaketh lie shall perish. His own tongue shall hang him. Presbyterian Albert Burns said a false witness

shall not be unpunished. Divine justice will overtake him. He that speak of lies shall not escape. The lie returns to its author. And one of my favorites, Free Church of Scotland, Pastor William Arnaud, a false witness shall not be unpunished. The lie is a seed that bears bitter fruit, he said.

He that speaketh lies shall perish. His own words are his jailers. So that phrase shall not escape, Rick, is really like the final verdict in this process. All liars will have their part in the lake of fire, according to the book of Revelation, unless they're covered by the blood of the true witness. And the only escape, Rick, is the gospel,

a flight to Jesus, fleeing to guilt, the truth. one who bore the punishment we deserve for our lion's. Amen, Doug. One more verse. And if you're watching on television and we run out of time, you can always watch the rest of the lesson at manna nation.com. Verse six, the King James says, Many will entreat the favor of the prince,

and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. Subtuogen says many court the favor of kings, and every bad man is a reproach to another man. We'll start with this first part. Many will entreat the favor of prince or many court the favor of kings. So, Doc, power, like wealth, possesses a universal magnetism. Multitudes flock to the prince,

any person of authority, influence, or status. They seek his or her smile, their favor, They just want to get inside that inner circle. You know, I think you think of a prince as, you know, the son of a king, a princess, the daughter of a king. Think of powerful people. It's hard to get to them, but it's a little bit easier to get to their son or daughter. Yes. And people will flock to the son or daughter if they make a public appearance, hoping that they can,

get inside that person's inner circle and then get access to the father or mother. Yes. So entreat this says entreat the favor. The literal meaning of this is stroke the face. Yes. To stroke the face, please be nice to me. It's calculated flattery. It's fawning over a person.

It is designed to soften. the powerful, to secure an advantage with them. Now, the pursuit is not rooted in respect, but it's in self-interest. People are courting the position, not the person. That's right. So the prince's presence becomes a marketplace, and the petitioners are bringing compliments to buy opportunities, to buy promotion, to buy access, to buy favors.

They're bringing gifts. For what? To get in the inner circle. That's what this proverb is saying. Many court the favor of a prince. So this kind of behavior is, it's timeless, dog. You can go back. The ancient royal kings, there were people that courted their favor.

We see it today with modern corporate CEOs, billionaires. a social media influencers, powerful politicians and their adult children, is still in the world today. The higher the position, the thicker, the cloud of people adoring them. And so the world is a marketplace where friendship is bought and sold. Right, Rick. Well, let's go back to our commentator friends and see what they had to say about this. G. Campbell Morgan said, they love the power.

Every man is a friend to the giver of gifts, but the friendship is of the purse. Charles Spurgeon said, they're like flies around honey. Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts, but when the purse is empty, the friends are empty. And William R. not love the sunshine of his countenance. Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts, but that friendship is skin deep. So, Rick, really, it's sad to observe crowds bowing before earthly kings and princes and influencers and the ridge, but they never bow before the throne of grace, Rick. And that's sad. God observes us. He sees how people fall over themselves to bow in front of a famous, powerful man or woman, but they don't bow before him. Yeah.

Okay, the second part of verse six, And every man is a friend to him that giveth gift. The Septuagin says, And every bad man is a reproach to another man. It's somewhat different. Our translation. So what do we have here? Generosity is a universal solvent.

It dissolves resistance. It multiplies friends. And it does it with astonishing. Speed. Every man, it says, it says, the gift turns strangers and enemies into companions. We see it almost every day in politics. There's a saying, politics makes strange bedfellows. Yeah. Well, what does that mean? It means two politicians may hate each other one day and then love each other the next day. Well, what happened? Because somebody gave a gift. Yes. stop these friendships are mercenary they love for the hand that feeds them not the heart that cares

but the proverb is teaching us that the gift is the glue it it binds um where no natural bond exists it holds people together there's no natural bond there's no family bonds friendship you know nothing. The gift is what brings the two people together. Right. Take away the glue, take away the gift, they fall apart. Yeah, there is no relationship.

Rick, King Solomon of himself toward the end of his life after he had written these proverbs, ecclesiastes 10, verse 19. He says these words. This is after a lifetime of looking back. A feast is made for laughter

and why make it merry? but money and truth all things. Now, that was an observation he'd made there. So what King Solomon was saying, he knew who could solve almost any problem, anything with enough money. Just to throw enough money at it, we'll solve this issue.

So the giver is surrounded by mirrors that reflect his own generosity to him as affection. This is called cupboard love. Covered, but covered, like you open a cupboard cabinet. covered love describes that insincere affection or attachment shown for selfish reasons usually to gain something desirable gifts favors rather than genuine cares but here's the truth Rick if relationships evaporate when giving stops were they ever really friendships at all they were certainly never covenant friendships so Methodist Adam Clark had this comment

every man is a friend to him that give a gift, but when the gift cease, the friendship sees, as we said. And so this verse, Rick, is peering power and generosity as twin magnets. Both attract crowds driven by self-interest rather than any kind of covenant loyalties. Flattery courts the metaphor, Rick. That's the way of the world. Gifts purchase the generous. That's the way it is.

but both reveal the transactional nature of this fallen human love, right? Yes. So what do we learn in these three verses? It's teaching us that it's exposing the superficial transactional nature of most human relationships because we're in a fallen world.

These relationships are created by shaped, by wealth, by power, by self-interest. And there's no real genuine friendship or love in these relationships. It's all about what can you do for me and what can I do for you. That's what the Bible's telling is. This is the way much of the world operates. But it's saying to the saints of God, don't you be like this? Don't you be like the world?

Your model, your role model is the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, thank you. We appreciate you being here today for this lesson in morning manna we'll be back tomorrow we'll pick up at uh verse seven tomorrow proverbs 19 verse 7 god bless you see you tomorrow god bless you we love you