Still a Standard

Proverbs 22:2 (KJV) The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

One of the unique qualities of Christian nations in the west is that they understand that the common man stands on level ground in front of the cross with those who consider themselves his ruler.  You’ll notice as you read through the Bible there is a total acceptance of the fact that some people will be peasants, and some people will be kings.  Some are rich, some are poor.  Slavery is not condemned because it seems that there are some people, often because of bad choices, who are destined for slavery.  No one wants to be a slave.  Everyone wants to be a king.  Somewhere in between those two polar points is the balance of society.

The point here is that there is a certain dignity in being a human being that supercedes our social structures and class systems.  In the midst of our differences, we are to acknowledge that there is a commonality that comes from being made by God.  This is the basic idea behind the Declaration of Independence which states that all men are created equal.

So?  Remember that that equality begins to decrease the moment you were born.  Some things you can control, some not.  What you can control is the attitude you have between those who are above you on the scale and those who are below you.  

No Trade Imbalance

Proverbs 22:2 (KJV) The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

One of the core values, or principles, of the kingdom of God is that we all stand on level ground in front of the cross.  There is a sense in which none of us is better than anyone else.  This is one of the core things about Christian culture, it gives humans dignity because we have value in the eyes of God.  We are all made by Him.

At the same time, the Bible acknowledges that there are rich and poor.  It acknowledges that there are kings and nobles, as well as workers and slaves.  We should not get into denying that kind of thing.  The point isn’t that there are not people with different abilities in different positions in society, the point is that we are to treat each other with a dignity that you don’t find in other cultures.

So?  You may be a CEO.  I may be flipping hamburgers.  When we meet in Bible study, we salute each other as brothers and move forward together, each one contributing what is unique in the gifts God has given them.  

The Ism’s at Work

Proverbs 22:16 (KJV) He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

People with one track minds or petrified understanding of economics might see in this verse a condemnation of capitalism or free enterprise.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  This is not a condemnation of working hard and gaining wealth.  If you need a balance on that look at the Proverbs 31 and see how the perfect wife is praised for starting a business and selling merchandise.

This is a condemnation of both the capitalist and the communist.  The condemnation comes not because of an abstract economic theory, but because the way those theories tend to work out in our sin burdened cultures.  Socialism and communism are really good at talking about equality and the people.  In reality it ends up with the elites oppressing the poor while they live in great luxury.  They are literally living off of the blood of the poor.

So?  We are free to buy and sell at a profit.  We are free to enjoy the fruit of our labor.  We are not free to take unfair advantage of those who may be a little bit less aware of economics than we are.  Live in righteousness, even when it comes to your bank book.  

Work Hard and Prosper

(Pro 27:18 KJV)  Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.

One of the cultural standards that has developed from the influence of the Old and New Testaments is the dignity of the common man.  All through the scripture we see God’s concern for the poor and oppressed.  We also see in verses like this that there is a dignity and honor in hard work.  The snob does not belong in the house of God.

So?  Work hard.  Stand tall.  Remember that Paul was a tent maker and Jesus was referred to as a carpenter.  They were not known as political leaders or moguls of commerce.  That is our example.  (Posted, June 27, 2023, PP)

Classy

(Pro 19:10 KJV) Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

This verse brings to mind another mantra that our culture is pushing which might be contrary to scripture.  That is the mantra of equity and equality.  We tend to forget that the concept of being equal before the law, which is Biblical, has nothing to do with making everyone equal.  When you hear that it means making everyone the same and that ain’t gonna happen.

People are different.  The Bible marks a clear line between fools and the wise.  It points out that sloth can make a difference in how your life goes.  Here we see the reality of social classes.

So?  Our job is to live righteously before God.  It is not dependent on our income or class.  It is dependent on grace and obedience.

Not Obvious

(Pro 21:1 KJV) The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

Why the emphasis on the “king’s” (4428) “heart” (3820)?  Possibly because we need to be reminded that even those at the top of temporal power are subject to Providence.  This is another difference between the standards of God and the standards of our secular society.  It doesn’t take much of a wake up call to see that the elite in society are not held to the same laws that us common folk are.  Our culture has rejected the ideas of justice and morality that God provided so clearly.  Those of us that don’t have a relative to get us a Get-Out-of-Jail card already can see this clearly.  

This is a reminder that God still “channels”  (6388) the rich and the powerful.  We may not see it.  We probably won’t understand God’s timing.  We will feel let down and deserted at times.  We still have the promise.

So?  Keep in mind that

(Heb 11:1 KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

And have a good day. 

Christmas Diversity

(Pro 22:2 KJV) The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

This is a principle that America was founded on.  It is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence with “all men are created equal” and continued in the development of the Constitution which forbids income and class as requirements for public office.  Have we always lived up to it?  That is a rhetorical question and always will be.  It is part of the human condition that we will never measure up to ideals.  We can, however, keep trying and striving.  

So?  As Christians we are to look at people as children of God.  That does not mean we accept their sin or sinful behavior.  We do not make lesbians our pastors.  What it does mean is that we do not judge people based on their net worth, blood lines or social class.  We need to keep remembering that the ground is level at the foot of the cross.  Christmas is a good reminder of that.  God announced Advent to the poor shepherds, used a middle class family for the incarnation and invited royalty from afar.  Celebrate.

The First Half of the Formula

(Pro 22:22 KJV) Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

The most common pattern in Proverbs is for each verse to stand alone.  There are a few places where a longer section holds together.  Here we need to look at the next verse in order to get the full impact.

(Pro 22:23 KJV) For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

This is one of those cases where we are told the consequences of ignoring what we are told.  We need to remember that if we take advantage of the disadvantaged then the counsel for the other side will be God Himself.

So?  You may get away with playing it fast and loose for the day, week, year or even a lifetime.  You need to remember that eventually you will meet the Judge. 

Know Their Place

(Pro 29:21 KJV) He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.

Is it “slave” (5650) (NASB) or “servant” (KJV)?  Although it can mean either the most common translation in both is a variation of servant.  In fact the KJV does not use it for slave.  In modern culture there is a world of difference between the two, in the ancient world, not so much.  The peasant farmer of ancient history had some rights but they were usually trumped by the nobility.  Slaves had rights in theory also.  Serfs in medieval Europe could not travel without permission of their lord. 

Move down a little further in history and think of the place of the servant class in Victorian England.  Picture the movie Mary Poppins is you can.  The well to do banker had a house full of servants.  He had lowly clerks at work.  Everywhere he went his class made people pay homage to him.  Of course he did the same for his betters.

This turned the tables in a way.  It did not do away with the class structure but it said we have a responsibility to those “below” us.

So?  Treat people well.  You may not respect them but you are required to be courteous and kind. 

Disciples of Diversity

(Pro 20:23 KJV) Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.

There are times when a literal translation might be confusing to modern readers.  In the Hebrew “differing weights” (68) is simply “a stone and a stone”.  What we are looking at is basic honesty and justice in economic transactions.  I imagine that merchants in those days used some kind of balance scale.  What some had a tendency to do was use one stone when weighing your stuff and another identical stone to weigh theirs.  It is like having loaded dice.  They are cheating you.

Using different results for different people based on their relationship to you is unethical.  For this reason I think the KJV “divers” should set of a warning bell for those in our culture who are into diversity.  America has always been a diverse nation.  Even the Pilgrims had a large contingent of non-Pilgrims.  We have adjusted.  What disciples of diversity mean by the term today is special privileges to special groups to achieve the results that the disciples want.  It is like changing stones half way through the weighing.

So?  Whether it is business or social programs the Bible gives a thumbs down on preferences.  And keep in mind that God would have big thumbs. 

No Peasants Allowed

(Pro 10:15 KJV) The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

There are at least four different Hebrew words that are translated “poverty” (7389) in the KJV.  In trying to figure out the differences I began to wonder if this one has to do with the class systems of the world.  Most cultures have them whether they admit it or not.  It can be based on the ethnic group you belong to.  It can be traced to religion.  In the case of Israel it was what we might call the peasants.  If you were born into it, you were it.  There was almost no chance of changing. 

A peasant class tends to stay “poor” (1800b) because of their attitudes as much as their lack of money.  We are seeing that in our culture.  We don’t actually have classes that are acknowledged.  We have a small group of people that think they have the right to run the lives of others but the others tend to reject that.  We do have what is becoming called an “underclass” that is getting locked into a poverty mindset. 

So?  As Christians we cannot embrace the concept of class.  We are all children of God and the ground is level beneath the cross.  That involves regarding others.  For ourselves we need to make sure that we don’t fall into the peasant mind set and give up on hard work and a healthy frugality. 

Long Live the King

(Proverbs 19:6 KJV)  Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

Unlike the Constitution the Bible is not a political document.  Both are covenants but have different parameters and purposes.  The Bible does not teach us about democracy.  It does not give clear responsibilities to specific political offices.  Yet it is full of principles and statements that give us important guidelines.  Some we have embraced.  Our idea of “all men are created equal” is a direct application of the ground being level at the foot of the cross and “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  That principle was what eventually led to the end of slavery.

Other assumptions of the Bible we reject as cultural or historical.  I am not sure that is correct, but that is the way it is.  One of those you find in this verse.  The NASB hides it here but the phrase “generous man” (5081) has the marginal reading of “noble”.  That is the most common translation followed by “princes”.  The KJV gets it spot on.  The Bible seems to assume a class system that we have rejected.  In fact the Constitution specifically says we shall not give “titles of nobility”.

So?  It isn’t a major issue for us now but we need to be aware that democracy and republics are not matters of doctrine and rejecting them is not heresy.  Keep that in mind if we ever lose the glorious liberty we have had for two hundred years. 

The Bottom of the Curve

(Proverbs 19:1 KJV)  Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

I am currently reading a book called The Bell Curve.  It has received a lot of bad press like anything does that looks at facts instead of political correctness.  It is a scientific look at intelligence and how it effects our lives.  It is criticized because it takes the actual data from research showing how IQ is different in different ethnic and socioeconomic groups.  One of their repeated points is how low IQ is very highly correlated with poverty, crime, illegitimate births, low birth weight, etc.  In almost every area of social concern they find low intelligence is a common trait.

What that has to do with today is that they are constantly repeating that even though you may have a lot of people with low intelligence in the poverty range, most of them are being responsible citizens.  Although they are at the low end of the IQ scale that does not mean they are failures.  They are still productive and living good lives.  This simply backs up what this verse is getting across.  There are things more important that the common measures of success.  Integrity is one of them.

So?  Don’t judge someone based on the snob appeal of their cars, clothes or homes.  Look at how their children are turning out.  Look at their moral positions.  God’s standards are not those of our culture. 

Happy Leach Day

(Proverbs 30:15 KJV)  The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

I have lived most of my life in Southern California.  It is semi-arid with no places that I know of where a “leech” (5936) would thrive.  I only heard about them on vacation and I am not sure if I have ever seen one in real life.  They are bloodsuckers.  They live by pulling the life blood out of other creatures.  My understanding is that they never let go, even in death.

We run into people like that.  They don’t want to give.  They make no contribution.  All they will do is demand and take.  Our modern welfare system has been guilty of creating a whole class of people who have developed an attitude that we have an official title for:  Entitlements.  I am in the process of signing up for Social Security and Medicare.  They are entitlements.  We think we deserve them.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Most of us have paid into the system for years and feel like we are entitled to some fulfillment of the contract.

Our welfare system goes beyond that.  It starts with the best of intentions.  The purpose is to help people in need.  That is good.  The problem is that it quickly moves from aiding the needy to rewarding sloth and indolence.  When charity was in the hands of the church there were natural safety features that encouraged people to get back on their feet.  In the government system the tendency is the other direction.  What would happen if the social workers of the world were suddenly successful?  They would all lose their jobs.  Can you spell “conflict of interest”?

So?  As Christians we need to find the line between giving people what they want and giving them what they need.  Rarely are they the same thing. 

How Long Is the Second Mile?

(Proverbs 22:16 KJV)  He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

How far are you willing to go in order to become rich and powerful?  This reflects on the tendency to manipulate and use people for your own ends.  On one end you have oppression and on the other bribery.  The goal is selfish achievement.  This is not God’s way and it cannot be our way.

We are to treat people as befits creations of God.  Things like wealth or social standing should not change the element of courtesy and consideration.  While it is true that their behavior may generate different responses from you, there are limits.  I have a student in mind.  He never brings anything to write with.  Every day he expects someone else to supply what is his responsibility.  I was helpful for a few days but after a time refuse to help any more.  It isn’t because he is poor.  It is because he is lazy and selfish.  By now the class won’t loan him anything either because he often breaks what they give him and rarely returns what is loaned.

So?  Kindness, compassion, consideration are staples in our lives.  They are not offered because of class or self benefit, they are due.  They can also be abused and withdrawn.  Of course that is my humble opinion.  Many would disagree with me. 

Beware the Redeemer

(Proverbs 23:11 KJV)  For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.

I listen to podcasts by Alistair Begg as part of my morning worship and preparation.  The sermons I have listened to lately have a healthy dose coming from Ruth.  In that book you have Boaz who ends up marrying Ruth.  In the chapters moving toward that union he keeps referring to Boaz as the “kinsman redeemer”.  I cannot find those two words together in any translation I have but the Hebrew basis is the word used here for “redeemer” (1350). 

Part of the Jewish law provided for the weak and helpless in society.  The rich were instructed to deliberately leave crops in the fields so that any poor person willing to work could gather food.  Orphans and widows are given special protection.  This is a reminder that God is aware when we mess with those too weak to resist.  At that point He ceases to be the Advocate or Helper and becomes the prosecuting attorney.

So?  We need to be careful not to take advantage of people below us on the pecking order.  We need to refuse to take advantage of opportunities that are based on taking advantage of the weak.  Profit is good.  Illicit profit is damning. 

Crib Notes

(Proverbs 14:4 KJV)  Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

The Jews had a place for washing.  It was part of the law.  Because of that they had less disease than surrounding nations.  The practical purpose was quickly buried by the ritual and ceremonial liturgies that developed in the temple and daily life.  Washing separated the work from the worship.  It isolated the potential for disease by washing hands and isolation.

At the same time, work was important.  Labor was considered productive.  Profit was good.  Those good things required sweat and mess.  There are certain social expectations that develop that refute this.  Slavery gave people the impression that work was only for the inferior.  Victorian class expectations said that the genteel classes did no do work that required perspiration or dirty hands.  That is not Biblical.  The plumber is loved as much by God as the professor, probably more.

So?  Some of the best discussion I have at school are with the janitor that cleans my room.  Assume that those doing the dirty work know something you don’t.  Let the mess remind you to be productive.

Poor Conceptions

(Proverbs 13:23 KJV)  Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.

This morning I seem to be wearing the hat of a teacher and under that hat a figurative picture emerges for me in this verse.  How much potential is hidden in the “poor” (7326) classes?  One of the big stereotypes put out by politicians is the effect of income on success in school and other areas of life.  They like to act like being poor is why some people don’t achieve.  They blame crime and health on poverty.  The problem is that if poverty caused crime then the time of the Great Depression would have seen a crime wave to end all crime waves.  It didn’t happen.

Can the poor be helped?  How much could they do if they had an opportunity?  I think most of us are on board with the concept of equal opportunity but it is easily manipulated by nanny state people to mean special opportunity for chosen sub-groups.  If equal opportunity is the answer then how do you explain children from the same neighborhoods and families who go such different routes?

How much could they do if they had the drive?  Why do they lack the drive?  There are many questions.

So?  We should assume that since all human beings were created in the image of God that there is the potential for “much food” to be found in that quality.  It is crippled and destroyed by sin but with the application of grace and the attitude of repentance the fallow ground can blossom.

Poor Standards

(Proverbs 29:14 KJV)  The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever.

How does God judge a society?  This indicates that leadership will be judge on how it deals with the poor, not how it deals with the rich.  Historically we don’t have much record of the poor people.  They didn’t leave stone palaces or gold dishes.  They tended to live in structures that were made of light materials and eat with wooden utensils.  They didn’t tend to be literate and so left no written records.  At the same time they made up the majority of the population.  In spite of what the movies show about warlords and dictators, the ones who built and lasted were the ones who gave the “poor” (1800b) a square shake.

We should also look at the way in which our society deals with the poor.  We should do it with an eye on God’s standards.  The measurement is not how much we give the poor but are they dealt with on a standard of “truth” (571) and justice.  We need to ask ourselves if the current atmosphere of welfare and subsidies is really preparing the poor to stop being poor.  We should not have one set of scales for the poor and another for the rich.

So?  People need just enough help to succeed if they are willing to pick up the ball and run with it.  If we bend the rules they become dependent on our largesse.  If they need to work harder they learn to stand on their own two feet.  Truth gives a level playing field.

One on One

(Proverbs 29:13 KJV)  The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the LORD lighteneth both their eyes.

I struggle with the linking of these two groups of people.  Both seem to be standing before the “light” (215) of God without any discernible difference.  I am guessing that we are seeing that our assumptions about each group are not reliable.

We assume that the “poor” (7326) are the virtuous, wronged party.  Down through history that has often been the case but just as we are guilty of judging the rich with nefarious motive we can be guilty of judging the poor as helpless pawns.  One of the differences between the Christian view and the current post-modern attitude is that we view people as individuals instead of members of a class or group.  That is called identity politics. 

God deals with us as individuals.  It may be that you are part of a persecuted minority.  God does not give you a pass on righteousness because of that.  It may be that you are part of the wealthy class, God does not condemn you because of that. 

So?  God wants to meet with you where you are.  He is not looking for victims desiring special treatment.  He is seeking sinners who are looking for a savior.  Consider where you stand.