Slices
Prepare
Worship the Lord for making you a part of his great purposes (v 21).
Bible passage
19 Better the poor whose way of life is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.
2 Desire without knowledge is not good –
how much more will hasty feet miss the way!
3 A person’s own folly leads to their ruin,
yet their heart rages against the Lord.
4 Wealth attracts many friends,
but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will not go free.
6 Many curry favour with a ruler,
and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.
7 The poor are shunned by all their relatives –
how much more do their friends avoid them!
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
they are nowhere to be found.
8 The one who gets wisdom loves life;
the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will perish.
10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury –
how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!
11 A person’s wisdom yields patience;
it is to one’s glory to overlook an offence.
12 A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,
but his favour is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,
and a quarrelsome wife is like
the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless go hungry.
16 Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.
17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done.
18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to their death.
19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,
and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
22 What a person desires is unfailing love;
better to be poor than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
24 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he will not even bring it back to his mouth!
25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.
26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother
is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
27 Stop listening to instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
29 Penalties are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.
Explore
The wisdom of Proverbs is not reserved for a chosen few but accessible to all, if we want it. Whether by common sense or from ‘commandments’ (v 16), all wisdom comes from God. He’s fixed it in the world as a standard. Our wise choices cooperate with him to bring shalom – heaven’s culture of peace and well-being – to our relationships and communities. This is reflected in healthy marriages and families (vs 14,17,18) and concern for justice for the powerless (vs 4,5). Prosperity is not a reward for good behaviour but the rich overflow of drawing close to God (vs 8,21). How are you cultivating this (vs 11,20,23,25b)?
Proverbs unflinchingly shows the consequences of not choosing to live wisely too (vs 1–3,9,15,27). Even though we are God’s children freed from sin (Romans 6:5–7), we must add virtuous habits in order to produce spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22,23). We’ve all met Christians who mock and quarrel, are quick to take offence, deceive themselves and others, pursue superficial self-gain and who blame God and others for the bad outcomes of their own bad decisions. Often, we’ve been like that ourselves! Left unchallenged, the lack of higher purpose behind these habits will deny us our destiny as shalom-bringers to our world.
Respond
How might you need to ‘rebuke’ yourself to prove ‘discerning’ (v 25)? You can do it; you’re no longer a slave to sin.
Deeper Bible study
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’1
In Proverbs 19, there are five sayings about the poor (vs 1,4,7,17,22). Among these, the first and last are ‘better … than’ sayings about the poor and about integrity (vs 1,22). Let’s take a look at the predicament facing the poor (vs 4,7). The sage points out that most people prefer to be a friend to the wealthy (v 4a), but a poor person is deserted by even the closest friend (v 4b). Here, the contrast between ‘many friends’ and the only ‘friend’ who deserts underscores the plight of the poor.2 If the poor are hated by their relatives, how much more are they shunned by their friends (v 7a). When the poor call after their relatives for help, they are nowhere to be found (v 7b). In sum, the separation from relatives and friends highlights the loneliness and helplessness of the poor.
The ‘better … than’ sayings about the poor (vs 1,22) bring out the same idea: it is better to be poor and honest than to have great gain through lies. Regarding the choice between integrity and wealth, the sage encourages us to choose integrity even though the price for integrity is poverty, which will in turn lead to abandonment by friends and relatives (vs 4,7). All in all, personal integrity is paramount. It is noteworthy that the poor have a special place in God’s eyes, which is very different from that in human estimation. We are reminded that whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord; God will reward them for what they have done (v 17). The value and dignity of the poor are being affirmed here.
Those who consider themselves poor can hold their heads up – for God values the poor. Those who consider themselves rich should consider what they can do for the poor.
May the Spirit guide you to act kindly, wisely and generously!
1 Matt 5:3 2 Paul E Koptak, Proverbs, The NIV Application Commentary, Zondervan, 2003, p468
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Amos 3,4; Psalms 140,141
Pray for Scripture Union
South east development worker, Lisa Jones writes, ‘Please pray as I invite church youth and children’s workers to join me in leading Christmas Unwrapped workshops in schools in the run-up to Christmas. May these workshops encourage stronger relationships between the churches and schools.’
