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SAYINGS OF SOLOMON
Proverbs 25–29

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe” (Prov. 29:25).

Though his observations are brief, this collection of Solomon’s sayings gives us deep insights into personal relationships.

Background
In-depth study. So far we’ve noted two ways to study the Proverbs. One is to read through a chapter, and note specific verses that “jump out” at us. The other is to do a topical study, and compare all the proverbs on a particular subject.
In this unit we’re looking at a third method for studying the Proverbs. I’ve called it “in-depth,” though perhaps it might better be called “meditative.” To use this approach we simply look at a proverb and think carefully about it. What does the proverb say? What does it imply? What is the background that gave rise to it? To what situations might it apply? In today’s commentary I use this method to explore several proverbs selected from these sayings of Solomon.

Overview
These five chapters of brief sayings attributed to Solomon were added to Proverbs in the time of Hezekiah.

Understanding the Text
“If you argue your case with a neighbor” Prov. 25:8–10. What are we to do when we hear a rumor about someone, or see some suspicious act? Jump to conclusions? Run quickly to tell everyone we know?
This group of proverbs suggests that the worst thing to do is to spread a rumor, or even make an accusation based on something we’ve witnessed. After all, we don’t know the whole story. We don’t know the motive for the act we saw, or all the circumstances surrounding it. Solomon suggested that we withhold judgment, and not hurry off to “bring [our neighbor] hastily to court [i.e., accuse him].” We’ll look mighty foolish if he has a good explanation!
Solomon suggested that we go to our neighbor and “argue our case” with him. This doesn’t mean repeating what others have said in confidence: “Well, George said that you. . . . ” To repeat what others say is betraying a confidence. Do this, and when others find out, you’ll have a reputation that you’ll never be able to live down!
On the one hand, Solomon’s words are simply good advice. They make a lot of sense. On the other hand, they are rooted in a unique view of the godly society. In a godly society if you witness or hear something about another person, you can’t just shrug your shoulders and say, “That’s his business.” You are accountable for the welfare of the other person, and for the purity of your community. To fulfill your responsibility you first go to the person involved. You share what you’ve seen or heard, and give him a chance to explain. In doing this you both show your concern for truth, and for the other person himself.
If he can explain, well and good. If confronting helps him to set things right, again well and good. If he will not respond, that’s time enough to involve others and possibly the courts.
Solomon’s point is that while you must do something, what you do had better be the right thing! And the right thing is not to gossip about what you’ve seen, or spread a rumor you’ve heard. The right thing is to go directly to the other person, to find out the truth, and to help.

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend” Prov. 27:5–6. What is friendship really all about? Today we can take courses on how to win friends and influence people. While those who teach tell us not to use the techniques they show us to manipulate others, all too often the goal we have in making friends is just this. We want to ingratiate ourselves; to use the relationship for some personal gain.
Solomon, in exploring friendship, makes a different proposal. To win friends be a friend. Truly care about the other person. Rather than use him or her, serve.
This view of friendship is behind each of Solomon’s sayings. Why is open rebuke better than hidden love? Because such love is morally useless. It fails to tell its object his or her faults, and thus leaves him or her without information that might lead to reform. When we hesitate to rebuke a person our motive is not really love. It is fear that we might be rejected or attacked. We’re not really concerned about the other person: we’re concerned about ourselves!
Turning the saying around, Solomon invites us to evaluate our attitude to those who profess to be our friends. Do we prefer the flatterer? The person who has nothing but praise for us—while we’re with him—may very well be an enemy. You can tell a true friend by his willingness to wound you when a wound is for your own good.
No, not everyone who hurts you is a friend. But we should be able to tell the difference between an insensitive clod who tells us something that is hurtful, and says, “Now this is for your own good,” and the person who really cares and shows caring by telling us the truth in love.
Solomon’s insights are just as valid today as they were 3,000 years ago. Friendship calls for honesty exercised in the best interests of another, and for appreciating such honesty from others, even when it hurts.

DEVOTIONAL
Let It Out!
(Prov. 29:11)
I’m often amazed at the new treatments psychologists come up with. A few years ago one popular fad was, let it out! If you feel angry, let it out. Take this foam-rubber bat and hit something as hard as you can. If you feel hostile, say all those nasty things you’re thinking. If you ventilate your feelings, the theory goes, you’ll get rid of them. If you hold them in, they’ll grow stronger.
Nice theory.
Of course, it doesn’t really work. Solomon knew that 3,000 years ago, and said so when he wrote, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control” (v. 11). When we practice letting any sinful or negative feeling out, what happens is that we become less able to control it next time. Rather than “ventilating” the emotion and getting rid of it, we find it returns more often. And, like a muscle that we exercise over and over again, those feelings we “let out” become stronger too.
The reason is deeply rooted in the very nature of human beings. You and I are moral creatures. That means we are to stand in judgment of our own emotions. We are to choose against our emotions if those emotions are wrong. We are to be controlled, not by what we feel, but by what we know to be right. When a person chooses to “let out” his anger or hostility, he is not getting rid of it. He is permitting it to master him.
How wonderful that in Christ you and I have a better way to deal with our anger. We can choose to do what is right—and confess our sinful feelings to God and ask Him to change them, and us. When we do, God works His gradual transformation within us, until we become loving rather than angry women and men.

Personal Application
Do what you know is right, not what you feel.

Quotable
“There are many queer ideas about cross bearing. I recall a man once saying to me, ‘I have a fierce temper, but I suppose that is my cross.’
“ ‘My friend,’ I said to him (lovingly, I hope!), ‘That is not your cross. It is your wife’s cross, but it is your sin!’ ”—Alan Redpath

SOLOMON’S WISE SAYINGS
Proverbs 10:1–22:16

“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception” (Prov. 14:8).

The pithy sayings of Proverbs apply to moderns as well as to the Israelite of the ancient East. Billy Graham once said he read a psalm each morning to enrich relationship with God, and a chapter of Proverbs each evening to guide his dealings with his fellowmen.

Background
On reading Proverbs. Either of two ways to read the Proverbs—straight through, or by drawing out sayings on a common topic—can be helpful. Either of these two ways is appropriate for devotional reading; each is illustrated in today’s look at the sayings of Solomon. For your reading, choose the approach which feels most comfortable to you.

Overview
Each of these chapters contains sayings that share insights into a variety of practical matters. We can draw sayings on a given topic together to develop more complete pictures of such things as a righteous way of life, the values of discipline, or attitudes toward work, laziness, and poverty.

Understanding the Text
“The proverbs of Solomon” Prov. 10:1–32. This first chapter of Solomon’s proverbs touches on many varied facts of life:
v. 1. The choices we make necessarily affect others, not just ourselves.
vv. 2–3. Wealth gained by wicked means can never provide security.
vv. 4–5. Hard work is rewarded—and so is laziness!
vv. 6–7. Goodness brings lasting blessing, wickedness does not.
v. 8. It’s better to listen than to blither on without paying attention.
v. 9. The person with nothing to hide has nothing to fear.
v. 10. Any act that harms others is a first step on the road to ruin.
v. 11. The spoken word can heal or harm others.
v. 12. Our basic character is revealed in the way we treat others.
v. 13. Punishment will overtake the man whose judgment is poor.
v. 14. Discretion calls for thinking before speaking.
vv. 15–16. Wealth provides a measure of security. But wealth unjustly gained provides only disaster.
v. 17. The teachable man is the best teacher.
v. 18. The problem with hatred is that it corrupts the one who hates.
vv. 19–21. Words are important. Be careful how you use them.
v. 22. God’s blessing is the only true wealth. (This emphasis is suggested in the grammer of the Heb. construction.)
v. 23. What a person enjoys reveals his character.
vv. 24–25. The fears and insecurity experienced by the wicked are well-founded!
v. 26. How frustrating it is to work with a lazy person.
vv. 27–30. The confidence of the righteous is well-founded too!
vv. 31–32. The words of a righteous person are both wise and helpful.

“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Prov. 16:33) illustrates how Proverbs reveals a people’s basic attitude toward life. The biblical universe is not ruled by chance, but all lies under the control of the sovereign God. We should read the Proverbs of the Bible with an eye to their underlying as well as obvious meanings.

“The plans of the righteous are just” Prov. 12:5. One topic which is given much attention by Solomon is righteousness. The righteous make just, not violent plans (v. 5; cf. 16:27, 30; 21:7), for they truly care about justice (17:23, 26; 18:5; 19:28). Because the righteous are concerned for those in need, the righteous are generous (12:10; 21:25–26). They hate falsehood and dishonesty (13:5), so in all they do the righteous are upright (11:3; 15:19; 21:8).
As a result the righteous are delivered from troubles that the wicked bring on themselves (11:8, 21; 12:21; 13:17; 22:5). They rightly feel secure (10:9, 25, 30; 12:3, 7; 14:11, 32), and have hope for the future (10:11, 16; 11:8, 19; 12:28; 16:31; 21:21). The righteous receive what they want; the wicked what they dread (10:24; 11:23). The righteous know joy (10:28; 12:20; 21:15) and are rewarded; the wicked get what they deserve (11:18, 31; 14:14).
The dividing line between the righteous and wicked is clear, no matter how a society may attempt to confuse it by calling the corrupt “adult,” and by exploiting violence under the banner of “free speech.” God is never deceived, even though courts and lawmakers may be.
We who choose righteousness surely are and will be blessed. Those who reject it will receive what their actions deserve.

“He who spares the rod hates his son” Prov. 13:24. The Jewish people were noted for their love of children, and were among the best of parents in the ancient world. Such sayings as this lend no support to an abusive approach to child-rearing, but instead emphasize the necessity of discipline if boys and girls are to freely choose God’s way as adults. Discipline was not harsh, but loving and purposeful: “Discipline your son, for in that there is hope” (19:18), and “folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him” (22:15).
Proverbs reminds us that we adults too are subject to discipline: God’s. When God disciplines us, His motive too is loving. The wise person recognizes this and gladly responds, while the foolish man rebels and is punished (10:17; 12:1; 13:1, 18; 15:5, 12, 32; 17:10; 19:16, 25; 21:11).

“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” Prov. 14:23. The proverbs of Solomon often contrast the benefits of hard work and the disaster courted by laziness. The one who works his land produces food, profit, wealth, and high status (10:4–5; 12:11, 24, 27; 13:4; 14:23; 22:29). Whatever his excuses (v. 13), the lazy man will soon lack even necessities (18:9; 20:4, 13).

DEVOTIONAL
Blessed Are the Poor?
(Selected Proverbs)
In general, the Proverbs seem to take a middle-class attitude and blame poverty on the poor. That view is reflected in such sayings as, “Lazy hands make a man poor” (10:4), “Do not love sleep, or you will grow poor” (20:13), “He who loves pleasure will become poor” (21:17), and, “Drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags” (23:21).
At the same time, the Proverbs show that at times the poor are victims of powerful others. “A poor man’s field may produce abundant food,” 13:23 notes, “but injustice sweeps it away.” The reality of injustice is shown in warnings against harming the powerless poor (18:23; 22:16). Indeed, the well-to-do are to offer help: “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered” (21:13).
It’s true that in society the rich are generally lionized and the poor ignored (14:20; 19:4, 6–7). It is also true that wealth protects the rich from dangers to which the poor are vulnerable (10:15; 18:11). Yet wealth is not an unmixed good, nor poverty an evil. After all, “A man’s riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat” (13:8). No one bothers to kidnap a poor man!
Perhaps the most significant saying, however, is found in 19:17. “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward him for what he has done.” What is so important about this proverb? It reflects the Old Testament’s conviction that God has a special love for the poor. Society ignores, exploits, or abandons the poor. But God makes the poor an object of His special concern. When we are sensitive to the needs of the poor, we are close to God, for God Himself is on their side.

Personal Application
We are not to assign blame for poverty, but to help the poor.

Quotable
Advantages of Being Poor

1. The poor know they are in urgent need of redemption.
2. The poor know not only their dependence on God and on powerful people but also their interdependence with one another.
3. The poor rest their security not on things but on people.
4. The poor have no exaggerated sense of their own importance and no exaggerated need of privacy.
5. The poor expect little from competition and much from cooperation.
6. The poor can distinguish between necessities and luxuries.
7. The poor can wait, because they have acquired a kind of dogged patience born of acknowledged dependence.
8. The fears of the poor are more realistic and less exaggerated, because they already know that one can survive great suffering and want.
9. When the poor have the Gospel preached to them, it sounds like good news and not like a threat or a scolding.
10. The poor can respond to the call of the Gospel with a certain abandonment and uncomplicated totality because they have so little to lose and are ready for anything.—Monica Hellwig, as quoted by Philip Yancey

Proverbs

INTRODUCTION
Proverbs is a collection of sayings that examines specific behaviors, asking whether each is wisdom or folly. The book’s pithy observations state general principles that apply to all human beings, not just to believers. Many of the sayings in this book are ascribed to Solomon (970-930 B.C.), while Proverbs 25:1 indicates the collection was not edited and put in its final form prior to the time of Hezekiah (715-686 B.C.).
In thought, vocabulary, style, and themes the biblical proverbs are similar to Egyptian and Babylonian wisdom literature dating a millennium before Solomon, and to Phoenician writings from 14th century Ugarit. This not only supports the biblical dating of Proverbs to Solomon’s time, but also suggests that the issues explored in Proverbs reflect a common interest of all peoples for advice on how to live wisely and well. Among the many topics given close attention in this book are wisdom and folly, wealth and poverty, righteousness and wickedness, generosity and stinginess, adultery, laziness, family, child-raising, and friendship. The proverbs themselves however, are not grouped by topic; thoughts on various subjects are scattered in apparently random order throughout the book.
Whether we simply read through Proverbs, or use a concordance to group its sayings by theme, we too are helped by the Bible’s ancient words to the wise.

IN PRAISE OF WISDOM
Proverbs 1–9

“Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse” (Prov. 2:12).

The wise person is not the individual of great intellectual achievement, but the person who makes appropriate choices in his or her daily life. To know what is right and to do it is wisdom for you and me, as it was for the ancient Hebrew.

Definition of Key Terms
Wisdom. The Hebrew root translated “wise” and “wisdom” (H-K-M) occurs over 300 times in the Old Testament. Together they portray a wise person as one who subjects himself to God and who applies divine guidelines when making everyday choices. In contrast, foolishness involves rejection of the divine guidelines, or another failure to apply them when making moral or other choices.
Several parts of the Old Testament are classified as “Wisdom literature.” These include Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Psalms 19, 37, 104, 107, 147–148. Wisdom literature does not state divine law, or record divine promises, but rather simply describes behavior that illustrates wise and foolish choices a person may make.

Overview
After summarizing the benefits of this book (1:1–7), these first chapters take the form of a father exhorting his son not to reject (vv. 8–33) but to embrace wisdom (2:1–4:27). He warned against adultery (5:1–23; 6:20–7:27) and folly (6:1–19), picturing wisdom and folly as two very different women (8:1–9:18).

Understanding the Text
“For attaining wisdom and discipline” Prov. 1:1–7. This introduction describes the purpose of the book, a major portion of which was written by Solomon. If we read carefully we can gain insights that will help us “acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.”

“If sinners entice” Prov. 1:8–33. Parents of every era have worried about their children’s choices. We may feel that we have more to worry about today, with drugs, violence, sex, and satanism so prevalent in our society. Yet each new generation has faced similar moral challenges, and parents have expressed their concern.
We can’t help but identify with the themes mentioned by the father of Proverbs 1–9, who warned his son against “giving in” to peer pressure and getting in with the wrong crowd (vv. 10–19). Like him we warn our children to think beyond the moment and be wise. In the end those who ignore wisdom and make sinful moral choices will be overtaken by calamity. Then it will be too late: “They will eat the fruit of their ways.” Only a person who listens to and follows the way of wisdom will “live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
Perhaps we can sense in these words some of the desperation we may sometimes feel. Too many young people think, “That can’t happen to me,” and foolishly take that first experimental step that draws them inexorably into a way of life that leads to destruction. This father realized, as you and I do, that we can’t make choices for our children. But we can point out the way of wisdom—and pray.

“You will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path” Prov. 2:1–4:27. Paying attention to wisdom has lasting benefits, which are expressed in these verses. Each of the benefits is rooted in the fact that God Himself “holds victory in store for the upright” and “is a shield to those whose walk is blameless” (2:6–7). While it is possible to view consequences of a good moral life as a natural outcome, Proverbs affirms a supernatural element. God observes our choices, and He Himself “guards the course of the just.”
How do we achieve these benefits? Several sayings from Proverbs 3 and 4 are rightly famous, and merit memorization. Here are just four:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (3:5–6).

“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (vv. 9–10).

“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act” (v. 27).

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (4:23).

What makes a parent’s words authentic and compelling? Actually, it is his or her own life, the ability to guide another (4:11) along a path we ourselves have traveled. When we share truths that are authenticated by our own dedicated lives, our children will find it easier to “accept what I say” (v. 10).

“In the end she is bitter as gall” Prov. 5:1–23; 6:20–27. Adultery is dealt with at length, perhaps because the sex drive is so strong in the young; perhaps because sexual temptation so vividly contrasts the prospect of an immediate reward with delayed consequences. Wisdom demands that in making any choice we consider distant as well as immediate consequences. When it comes to sexual sins, the desire for immediate satisfaction often pushes aside any thought of the future. In our sexually oriented society, the warning of Proverbs against adultery is especially appropriate, not just for the young, but for each of us.
What are some of the points these passages make? While illicit sex seems to “drip honey,” the long-range consequences are “bitter as gall” (5:1–14). God has provided us with marriage to satisfy our sexual needs: we are to be captivated by our spouse. The wise man focuses on developing his relationship with his wife, so that their love will be totally satisfying (vv. 15–20). God knows our ways, and has ordained that evil deeds ensnare the wicked (vv. 21–23). Immorality has consequences. As walking on hot coals scorches the feet, so committing adultery brings disgrace (6:20–35). A person controlled by his or her hormones is like a beast; an ox led to the slaughter or a deer stepping into a noose, “little knowing it will cost him his life” (7:1–26).
The thing that sets man above the animals is judgment: the ability to stand aside from instincts, and decide what to do on the basis of what is wise and what is right. The person who is drawn into sex sin acts like an animal, for he or she sets aside that human capacity and acts on the basis of passion alone. To commit adultery is not simply wrong, it is a denial of the Creator’s gifts which set man above all other living creatures.

“Does not wisdom call out?” Prov. 8:1–9:14 These chapters picture wisdom and folly as two different women. The one quietly offering something more precious than all worldly riches and honor; the other raucously tempting those going by to pass through her doorway, only to tumble unexpectedly into the “depths of the grave.”
The voice to which we respond as we live our daily lives demonstrates to all whether we are among the wise or among the foolish of men.

DEVOTIONAL
The Beginning of Knowledge
(Prov. 1–2)
One of those fascinating phrases that dot the Scriptures launches the Book of Proverbs. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” That phrase does not, of course, mean that it’s smart to be scared of God. After all, Adam and Eve were scared of God after the first sin. They ran away and tried to hide, which wasn’t smart at all! First off, they couldn’t really hide from God. And second, only by running to God rather than away from Him could they have found relief from their guilt.
No, the “fear of the LORD” isn’t being scared at all. What it means here, and in most Old Testament texts, is simply to have respect for God; to be fully aware and in awe of the fact that He is living and present.
This, the fact that we take God’s existence and His presence into account when thinking about any issue or making any decision, is “fear of the LORD.” And this, taking God’s existence and presence into account, is the beginning of knowledge. If we take God into account, we look to Him for guidance. And we find it, for “the LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (2:6).
What a blessing to be among those who fear God and look to Him for wisdom.
But what a challenge to realize that we are responsible to live wisely. We are called not simply to know the will of God, but to let wisdom “enter your heart” so that we will “walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous” (vv. 10, 20).

Personal Application
God’s wisdom is displayed in the way we live, not in what we say.

Quotable
“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great as the knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”—Charles H. Spurgeon