May 20, 2026

Business by the Book

Psalm 1:1 …nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

The third Principle for Prosperity is a warning about being scornful. The word scornful has two basic interpretations. One has to do with mocking others; the second has to do with boasting or arrogance. Neither of these is good. 

There are many who mock their bosses, but when they become a boss they largely make the same decisions. By the way, it is always easier to make difficult decisions without all the facts, and the facts are not always shared with all employees. Therefore, sometimes employees mock, or scorn, their mangers without having the benefit of all the facts that were part of the decision making process. 

As children there are things we have said that we would never do as parents. These usually are things our parents did to us that we disliked. Yet, after becoming a parent we find ourselves doing the very thing we scorned in our parents. I remember as a teen mocking, and scorning our preacher. Now I am a preacher and I’m sure teenagers mock me for my old fashioned and outdated ways.  

As for boasting, Proverbs 27:2 says: Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. Don’t talk about it, do it! 

Sitting speaks of being permanently at rest in the state of scorning. This reminds me of Proverbs 26:16. The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason. The scorner is the only one who knows everything and isn’t afraid to let you know that fact. Being a scorner will detour anyone from the path that leads to prosperity. This is no place for successful people to sit.

Dr. William Howe