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Jul
29

A Look at Proverbs 10.9

By | Proverbs

Prov 10.9
9 He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

One of the common statements of today is “What you see is what you get.” Well, this isn’t an accurate statement and even less accurate in the spiritual realm! It would be far more accurate to say “What you see is not what you get”!

One of our struggles is how do you “walk” in integrity when it seems like all those around you get away with everything? The answer comes from a biblical understanding of “security.” Real “security,” biblical “security,” is tied to something greater than the here and now. It’s tied to God’s plan and indeed, tied to God Himself! Our Proverb is a great “gem” in the Bible for this truth.

 

Parallelism Examined

9a

9b

he who walks in integrity

he who perverts his ways

walks securely

his ways will be found out

integrity – from a root meaning complete, thus whole, healthy, soundness (of sacrifices w/o blemish, Lev 21.21-22 ultimately picturing Christ, Heb 9.14; 1 Pet 1.19). cf. Gen 19.1; Ps 101.2b. E.g., speech which is with integrity is always true, completely true.

perverts – twists, crooked, cf. Prov 28.18; 19.1; 11.20; 22.5. So “why” would you “pervert” something? You hope to gain or avoid something, meaning you are dissatisfied with what God has provided! To “pervert” is to reject the hand of God, even God’s equitable discipline and instruction.

security – well-being and security which comes from having someone or something in which is confidence. Does “security” mean you never encounter harm? No! With the longer focus on life of the wise, there is still “security” even in a place of harm.

security in pagan thinking – this is typically when someone thinks they have some degree of control over life.

security in biblical thinking – realizes you are without resources to control life and yet you have life itself in a relationship with God! It is His faithfulness, loyal love, truth, trustworthiness which sustains you!

found out – known for what / who they are!

References to consider

Prov 19.1
1 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

Prov 11.20
20 The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the blameless in their walk are His delight.

Prov 22.5
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards himself will be far from them.

Prov 11.3
3 The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

Psalm 32.10
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.

Psalm 84.9-12
9 Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm56.3-4
3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.
4 In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?

Sharpening for my life today

As mentioned, what you see is not what you get!

With “integrity,” what you see is only a tiny portion of what you get (when you’re rewarded by your Father in heaven)! cf. Prov 4.18

The rule of farming again appears, what you sow, you reap.

Jul
15

A Look at Proverbs 10.7

By | Proverbs

Prov 10.7

7 The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.

sharpen_150x117

Prov 27.17

The focus of this proverb is on the reward of the righteous (probably future), a reward built on character. The character of the righteous person is not only making an impact in the present, it makes an impact in the future for wisdom has a longer view of life. Note that the proverb “almost” seems to be written after life has passed, i.e., written for the dead, but, Proverbs is most definitely written for the (truly) living! 

Here in Nashville, we’ve just suffered the tragic death of an outstanding professional athlete. While his performance has never been in question, his character has seriously suffered. And, as is typical for rebellion against God’s Word and Ways, that rebellion spreads and affects the lives of those around us, in this particular situation even bringing the death of another person as well as the memory of this athlete.

Let the lesson of God’s wisdom in this Proverb soak into your heart. When your life view is only for instant gratification, only what’s in it for me, when your course of life is that of sin, the consequences are never what we truly desire. Sin is always personal, but, it is never private! There is the classic lesson of life, what you sow, you reap.

Parallelism Examined

7a

7b

memory

name

righteous

wicked
 

will

blessed

rot

righteous – (see previous study) “righteousness” necessitates relationship to another where there are claims to be met, moral and ethical. There is a standard for life by which “righteousness” to the Creator of the standard is evaluated. Consider Mal 3.18, one who serves God.

wicked – (see previous study) There is no relationship to be claimed, no standard for life.

blessed – (see previous study: this is directly tied to that which comes from God, cf. 1 Chron 29.11-12; it is frequently future from this present place in life.) This is always a positive benefit, something practically good. While there are “emotions” of blessedness, it is imminently tangible in life.

memory – (of God: Ex 2.24; 6.5; Gen 8.1; Ps 79.8; Jer 31.34; of man: Ezek 6.9; Num 15.40; Ex 20.8; Ps 22.27; Amos 1.9)

name – (1 Sam 25.25; Ex 6.3; Gen 35.10)

rot – something without strength which will eventually disappear. There is no “name”! The ultimate unpleasantness is to be forgotten! Be certain here to consider that “righteousness” is strength which passes on character and a “name.”

References to consider:

Prov 22.1
1 A good name is to be more desired than great wealth,
Favor is better than silver and gold.

Prov 30.4
4 Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son’s name? Surely you know!

John 17.25-26
25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Sharpening for my life today:

Consider “how” you can build a memory, especially something which communicates righteousness and declares a “name” to be passed on. Typically, it’s trophies and deeds considered first, instead of character.

Consider what causes “memory” to root. One key is retelling the story, something the Word of God consistently does, declaring the “name” which resounds with the character!

Consider what causes “memory” to rot. There is little doubt that wickedness is a major destroyer of a desire to retell the story, declare the “name,” remember the character.

Consider “memory” itself. It’s a way we recall so we can imitate and follow. Memory shows us (often via the Word) the hand of God, the way of God, the truth of God. In our present age, the Lord’s Supper is crucial to our “memory” of the Lord. It’s a past act with a very present reality! Those who think this is “dull” are only watching, they’re not remembering! Remember, boredom is never a statement of circumstances; it’s always a statement of our own life, thinking, focus, and future.

“Memory” and “name” are often synonyms. Consider the memory you are building and the name (i.e., your character) being declared now and in the future.

Jul
07

A Look at Proverbs 10.6

By | Proverbs

Prov 10.6
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

sharpen_150x117

Prov 27.17

As was mentioned as we began this look at Proverbs, while the arrangement of the Proverbs of Solomon (Prov 10.1) seems lacking, in actuality there is much more structure when seen with the observant eye. Prov 10.6 is a classic example of such structure.

Prior proverbs, which dealt with wise behavior (Prov 10.2-3, value of righteousness; Prov 10.4-5, rewards of wisdom), are now transitioned thematically to instruction in blessing and cursing, the fruit being rewards.

Here, the focus is on what lies ahead for those who practice wise behavior, rewards. Our first word is “blessings” and our last word is “violence.” Both of these words apply to one’s self and to others. Two key words interior are both related to character, “righteous” and “wicked.” A righteous person is humble to God’s ways. A wicked person is prideful to God’s ways. 

Parallelism Examined

6a

6b
head mouth
righteous wicked
(displays) conceals
blessings violence

righteous – righteous is always conformity to a standard, both moral and ethical, e.g., judges and weights are areas where this term would apply. Cf. Mal 3.18 below. “Righteous” comes in relationship to others where there are claims, standards, to be met. (One of the great tragedies of modern culture, that of insane individualism, is a lack of righteousness because everything is related to self.) Biblical righteousness and innocence are closely related and always judged by God’s standard. 

blessings – This directly tied to that which comes from God, a loving and faithful God! Life is at the core of blessing, and life comes from God! Those wrongly related to God, not “righteous,” cannot bless (Mal 2.2) or be blessed (Deut 28).

wicked – That which is contrary to God’s standard, i.e., those not in relationship with God.

violence – This term is used almost exclusively of sinful violence! It is part of the culture of the flood, Gen 6.11 (parallels corrupt), Gen 6.13 (parallels destroyed). In Ex 23.1, a malicious witness.

References to Consider:

Prov 10.28
28 The hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked perishes.

Prov 10.22
22 It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.

Prov 28.20
20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.

Mal 3.18
18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

Micah 6.8
9 The voice of the Lord will call to the city— And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: “Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time?

Ps 5.4
4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You.

Deut 30.19
19 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

Prov 10.24
24 What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.

Gen 24.27
27 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”

Ps 89.14-15
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.
15 How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.

Sharpening for my life today:

Righteousness has a longer view of life! Righteousness is humble to God’s ways, trusts God to take care of real value. A violent person takes control to self.

The ultimate blessing, life itself, is founded on the moral order of God. It is God who establishes justice, declares what is unjust (the world is not relative!), and bestows the blessing and the cursing!

Here is classic farming, “like” produces “like.” What you sow, you reap!

Jun
22

A Look at Proverbs 10.2-3

By | Proverbs

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Proverbs: How they’re put together, a brief lesson on “Synonymous Parallelism.”

Prov 27.17

Prov 27.17

Synonymous parallelism is when two ideas brought together are saying the same thing in different words. The second line often repeats the first line in somewhat altered form to express the truth in maximum clarity. There may or may not be a conjunction. Some examples:

Prov 16.28

A perverse man spreads strife,
And a slanderer separates intimate friends.

Prov 18.20

With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.

Note: It is possible to omit part of the Proverb, and sometimes subjects or verbs are omitted.

Prov 14.19

The evil will bow down before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

Note: Sometimes the parallelism can be indentified only by attending to the whole ideas which are brought together.

Prov 10.23

Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.

Note: The characters are certainly in contrast. Their activities contrast. Nevertheless, the “ideas” of both are that this activity is sport for this person. Bringing the lines together makes the point that a fool and a wise man have something in common; they each do something for the pure enjoyment of it!

Now, our look at Prov 10.2-3 . . .

Ill gotten gains do not profit,

          But righteousness delivers from death.

          The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger

But He will reject the craving of the wicked.

Parallelism Examined

A-2a

B-2b

B1 3a

A1 3b
(treasures of wickedness)

Ill-gotten gains

  righteousness  Lord  He
does not profit

(delivers to)

 (profits)

delivers from

 (does not reject)

will not allow

 wicked
    righteous wicked
(death/separation)  death (cravings)

hunger

 (to hunger)

craving

First, let’s look at the parts, what do you think of regarding:

ill-gotten gains? Tend to be short-term. Look at Luke 12.13-21. Note in Luke12.19, money made life, I can control my life! A major lack of humility! Note Luke 12.20, wrong currency for life! Aslo note Jesus never even intimated this money came from evil sources!

does not profit? Even with all the “gains,” you’re bankrupt in what matters for life, what you want most!

righteousness? This person practices humility. Puts the Lord first and lives it out!

wicked? These are not just criminals.

death? Untimely separation from life! Long-term consequences!

rejects? The original is an emotional word meaning to thrust away, push away! The one “rejected” lives unfulfilled, never “attaining” because the Lord moves against you!

hunger? Interestingly, hunger can be satisfied. It’s not just an extrinsic motivation for you must determine your character to direct your consequences! Satisfaction really relates to our character!

craving? This is seeking but never attaining! It’s a powerful word of emptiness!

References to consider

Prov 13.11; Prov 21.6; Prov 16.2; Prov 11.4; Psalm 37.23-26; Prov 4.7-8

Sharpening for my life today . . .

Notice that this Proverb (as are many Proverbs) is written in the third person form. The exhortation leaves the choice to the learner. You must choose and evaluate yourself as wise or foolish!

Outside forces do not determine character, they only display what is there! Circumstances are not to be the controlling factors in your life! Here is where real wisdom growth takes place as you take charge (through God’s Wisdom) and make responsible choices.

It’s your character that’s being formed, not just your behavior!

Putting the Lord first in life has long-term consequences, consequences established by my character.

How important it is to have a long-view of life! So, where do I, how do I, need to lengthen my view of life so I can genuinely gain in the things of the Lord?