Proverbs 22
This set of proverbs is made up of couplets, the standard of Hebrew poetry, that regard all sorts of different topics. They are individual wise sayings from 'the teacher' to his pupils. The poetic format is to enhance memorization; it is easier to remember poetic lines than it is to remember prose. You will never forget, "Roses are red, violets are blue" but you just might forget, "Roses are generally colored a shade of vermilion red, although they can be other colors as well. Violets, on the other hand, tend to be a purplish-blue color, much like that of a royal robe." That is the logic behind the format. Ease of remembrance is a huge step in the teacher's strategy to train up his pupils (probably sons, maybe others) in wisdom so that they remember the words and follow the advice. 'Proverbs' of yesterday might be referred to 'aphorisms' today.
A few key verses that stood out to me on this read-through:
Proverbs 22:2 - "The rich and the poor have a common bond, The Lord is the maker of them all."
This regards the rich and the poor, and talks about their commonality. How often do you hear this logic, especially in the 99% world we live in today? What with the 'Occupy' movement and slogans against the rich, one might never stop to consider the similarities between the rich man and the common man. The likeness that the teacher points out is that both the rich and the poor have the same maker. That doesn't mean much in our context, however, if you look back at the record of creation (Genesis 1-2) you will find that God made man in His own image. When asked if a Jew (who is responsible to the government of God and the temple first and foremost) should pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus looked at a Roman coin and asked whose picture (image) was on it. He then said, "Render unto Caesar's the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's" (Luke 20:21-26). He makes the distinction here that all people, no matter their race, skin color, religious affiliation, wealth or poverty, they all belong to God and bear His image. Your value comes from that fact, not from your social status or your accumulated belongings.
Proverbs 22:4 - "The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and life."
I think that the quintessential example of this might be someone like Mother Teresa. This is a mathematical formula: humility + the fear of the Lord = riches + honor + life. Was Mother Teresa humble? The answer to this question (my wife poured over her autobiography and letters) is undeniably "yes". Did she fear the Lord? Absolutely, and loved Him like a husband. Was Mother Teresa rich? That depends on what you mean by "riches". The teacher doesn't say "wealth", but "riches". Mother Teresa was as poor as the people she served because she gave everything she had to them. Monetarily, she had no riches. However, she did a great job of living out Matthew 6:20, "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven", so while she may have been the poorest of the poor on earth, in heaven, "the first will be last, and the last will be first" (Matthew 20:16). Was she honored? Greatly. People were incredulous at her pious life in a world that served itself, not others. Will she be honored in heaven? Once again I infer Matthew 20:16. Was she given life? Well, beyond the fact that she lived 87 years, I would argue that this 'life' is in regard to what comes after this life. She enjoyed a very close relationship with her Lord, and the life she now lives (having died in 1997) will never end.
Proverbs 22:13 - "The sluggard says, 'There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!'"
This is a play on a missing opposite. The reader is left to fill in the blank of what the diligent person would say (which would be just as opposite as 'diligent' is from 'sluggard'). In this case, a diligent person would say, "There is a lion outside, I must protect my family!" and would get his weapon straightaway. Notice how the sluggard thinks only of himself, and is a victim of his circumstances. This tells volumes about the personality we are dealing with. The diligent opposite, we are left to imagine, would take the reigns of the situation and change it. King David (Solomon's father) might be an example of this (1 Samuel 17:34-35).
Proverbs 22:24-25 - "Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, or you will learn his ways and find a snare for yourself."
Be very careful who you associate with. Did you know that no matter how hard you try, your body naturally correlates itself with those around you? Even the menstrual cycles of women will correspond if they spend enough time together. If you cannot control how your body reacts to your close company, what makes you think you can control the habits you will pick up from them, the quirks, the philosophies, the attitudes. The list is endless. Make sure your close friends and associates are those who are what you want to be, because you will become like those you spend the most time with whether you like it or not.
This set of proverbs is made up of couplets, the standard of Hebrew poetry, that regard all sorts of different topics. They are individual wise sayings from 'the teacher' to his pupils. The poetic format is to enhance memorization; it is easier to remember poetic lines than it is to remember prose. You will never forget, "Roses are red, violets are blue" but you just might forget, "Roses are generally colored a shade of vermilion red, although they can be other colors as well. Violets, on the other hand, tend to be a purplish-blue color, much like that of a royal robe." That is the logic behind the format. Ease of remembrance is a huge step in the teacher's strategy to train up his pupils (probably sons, maybe others) in wisdom so that they remember the words and follow the advice. 'Proverbs' of yesterday might be referred to 'aphorisms' today.
A few key verses that stood out to me on this read-through:
Proverbs 22:2 - "The rich and the poor have a common bond, The Lord is the maker of them all."
This regards the rich and the poor, and talks about their commonality. How often do you hear this logic, especially in the 99% world we live in today? What with the 'Occupy' movement and slogans against the rich, one might never stop to consider the similarities between the rich man and the common man. The likeness that the teacher points out is that both the rich and the poor have the same maker. That doesn't mean much in our context, however, if you look back at the record of creation (Genesis 1-2) you will find that God made man in His own image. When asked if a Jew (who is responsible to the government of God and the temple first and foremost) should pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus looked at a Roman coin and asked whose picture (image) was on it. He then said, "Render unto Caesar's the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's" (Luke 20:21-26). He makes the distinction here that all people, no matter their race, skin color, religious affiliation, wealth or poverty, they all belong to God and bear His image. Your value comes from that fact, not from your social status or your accumulated belongings.
Proverbs 22:4 - "The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and life."
I think that the quintessential example of this might be someone like Mother Teresa. This is a mathematical formula: humility + the fear of the Lord = riches + honor + life. Was Mother Teresa humble? The answer to this question (my wife poured over her autobiography and letters) is undeniably "yes". Did she fear the Lord? Absolutely, and loved Him like a husband. Was Mother Teresa rich? That depends on what you mean by "riches". The teacher doesn't say "wealth", but "riches". Mother Teresa was as poor as the people she served because she gave everything she had to them. Monetarily, she had no riches. However, she did a great job of living out Matthew 6:20, "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven", so while she may have been the poorest of the poor on earth, in heaven, "the first will be last, and the last will be first" (Matthew 20:16). Was she honored? Greatly. People were incredulous at her pious life in a world that served itself, not others. Will she be honored in heaven? Once again I infer Matthew 20:16. Was she given life? Well, beyond the fact that she lived 87 years, I would argue that this 'life' is in regard to what comes after this life. She enjoyed a very close relationship with her Lord, and the life she now lives (having died in 1997) will never end.
Proverbs 22:13 - "The sluggard says, 'There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!'"
This is a play on a missing opposite. The reader is left to fill in the blank of what the diligent person would say (which would be just as opposite as 'diligent' is from 'sluggard'). In this case, a diligent person would say, "There is a lion outside, I must protect my family!" and would get his weapon straightaway. Notice how the sluggard thinks only of himself, and is a victim of his circumstances. This tells volumes about the personality we are dealing with. The diligent opposite, we are left to imagine, would take the reigns of the situation and change it. King David (Solomon's father) might be an example of this (1 Samuel 17:34-35).
Proverbs 22:24-25 - "Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, or you will learn his ways and find a snare for yourself."
Be very careful who you associate with. Did you know that no matter how hard you try, your body naturally correlates itself with those around you? Even the menstrual cycles of women will correspond if they spend enough time together. If you cannot control how your body reacts to your close company, what makes you think you can control the habits you will pick up from them, the quirks, the philosophies, the attitudes. The list is endless. Make sure your close friends and associates are those who are what you want to be, because you will become like those you spend the most time with whether you like it or not.
