Health Goes Both Ways

Proverbs 11:17 (BES) A merciful man does good to his own soul: but the merciless destroys his own body.

As Christians, we are expected to reach out and help the needy.  We are supposed to be merciful to those who are going through hard times.  If we tithe we would expect that part of what we give would be forwarded to those who are down on their luck.  This approach is from a different angle.

Another reason for us to be merciful is because it is good for us.  It’s not just a matter of doing it for the other guy, it also boomerangs back and touches us where we need to be touched.  The LXX reminds us that it’s not just a physical reward.  This is reflected in the KJV, but not the NASB.  We can expect a spiritual reward.

So?  We’re not talking about doing things so that we get something back.  This isn’t about being selfish or self-centered.  This is one of those unexpected rewards that was promised to us if we live in love and obedience. 

Be a Holy Rivulet

(Pro 11:11 KJV)  By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

A straight reading of this verse seems to infer a type of prayer that we would call a blessing.  The mouth is involved.  I think there is a less obvious principle here and that is that our way of living makes the difference.

We are supposed to be a blessing by our very presence.  Of course that doesn’t mean much unless our presence reflects the holiness of God.  The way in which we do business reflects on our God.  The way we keep our property clean and orderly says something to people around us.  The behavior of our children is observed.

So?  Be a blessing.  Our cities need it.  Our country needs it.  You may only be a drop of water or a rivulet in a drain but it all comes together to fill the reservoir or cause a flash flood.

Fat Praise

Proverbs 11:25 (KJV) The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

Yes it really says this like it is a good thing.  Keep in mind the obesity has always been with us but historically the rolls of fat were an indication that you were doing very well in life.  Skinny was for poor peasants.

Don’t miss the point being made.  The concept being taught here is that we do not impoverish ourselves by being generous and sharing what we have.  The obvious application is in our finances but the principle extends to areas like investing our time and energy.

So?  Christian culture is rooted in the idea that we are givers.  Anything else is the residue of the expulsion from the Garden.  

Why Mention Righteousness?

Proverbs 11:5 (KJV) The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

As I read this chapter I was struck by the repeated reference to righteousness.  I started counting and came up with thirteen times some form of the word was used.  That does not include such words as “perfect” which is used in this verse.

The reason this gets my attention is that there are so many people who claim that it is impossible to be righteous.  If it is impossible then why is it referred to so frequently?  This chapter, and many others, assume that living an upright moral life is within our reach.  It is assumed that we make decisions to live this way.  Yet there are whole theological systems that say it is impossible.

So?  The older I get the more questions I have about some of the traditions and customs we have that we substitute for what the Bible actually says.  Read and absorb what God says before you consult the gurus.  

Bedrock Economic Principle

Proverbs 11:24 (KJV) There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

I don’t know if you would call it a principle of capitalism or laissez-faire economics, but there is an important foundation here for why some cultures work and prosper and others stagnate.  The so-called robber baron understood this.  For all of the criticism they receive the overall effect of what they did benefited the nation and mankind.

Why is it important to pay your employees an adequate salary?  The God-given principle is that when you distribute profits fairly it will benefit everybody including yourself.  An example of that it would be that a person like Henry Ford knew that if his employees could not afford to buy his car, then he wouldn’t sell many cars.

One of the features of Third World countries and one of the results of socialism is that most of the wealth ends up in just a few hands and everybody else lives in the gutter.  In free enterprise you still have the wealthy but everyone benefits.

So?  You may not run a big company, but you might employ someone to do some house work for you, to mow your lawn, to wait on you in a restaurant.  Make sure that you are sharing the wealth that God has blessed you with.  It will benefit everyone, including yourself.  

The Big Picture

Proverbs 11:22 (KJV) As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

The idea of putting gold in a pig’s nose seems really strange to us today.  Is it any different than the way in which people will put diamond studded collars on cats or dogs?  Is it any different than someone who is eaten up with disease caused by a dissipate lifestyle might be driving a very expensive sports car?

We are often distracted by characteristics that stand out in our mind as being desirable.  We might look at the famous celebrity.  We see the fawning response of their fans.  We see the cheers and the waves.  What we don’t see is the inner loneliness or the children that are consumed by drugs.  We don’t see the liver eaten up by alcohol or the lungs rotted by tobacco.  We see the make up.  We see the carefully tailored clothes.  We see the glitter.  We see the gold in the pigs nose.

So?  God looks at the complete person.  We can only be truly complete when we live in Him and in His way.  Try to back off and focus on the big picture not just the glowing jewel. 

Self-Selecting

Proverbs 11:20 (KJV) They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.

There are two words in this verse which we don’t use much today.  One would be totally misunderstood and the other is just avoided.

We avoid the word “abomination”.  I doubt if it comes into our conversations very regular, but we probably have other synonyms we use for it.  Nowadays, with the way our culture is going, we just call somebody a Nazi or a fascist.  Maybe abomination would be better.  It would certainly be more honest because an abomination to one person might be the delight of the other.  But what causes something to be an abomination in God‘s eyes?

That’s where we get to the first word, “froward”.  No, that is not a misspelling.  I’ve actually seen it used in a book in the last 10 years.  I don’t know how old the book was, but I did see it used.  It means twisted, warped, perverted.  It’s talking about the condition of your heart.  What is not made clear here, but I think is clear other places is that this twisting is a deliberate choice that you make.  There are consequences for our choices.

So?  Are you seeking a straight heart or a twisted heart?  Both of them have long-term effects.  Make sure you consider that before you get too excited about getting away with something.  God knows your heart and He knows what happens in your secret rooms. 

How Is It Possible?

Proverbs 11:31 (KJV) Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.

Once again, this word “righteous” just keeps coming up.  This time it’s in Proverbs.  Other times it’s in Psalms.  The word is not isolated to these two books.  And yet we have people quoting Paul saying that there are none righteous.

A recurring problem we have when reading the Bible is that we are dealing with the translation.  This is common to many books.  It is especially a problem with the Bible when we take the meanings that we attach to our modern words and try to automatically transfer them over to the Bible without thinking about what the original Hebrew or Greek actually is trying to convey.  I think that’s part of what we’re dealing with with the idea of righteousness.

We tend to think of righteousness in a moral sense.  While the moral sense is included, the basic idea behind the Hebrew is justice.  It involves a straight up allegiance to the law.  It involves possibly fairness but not in our modern sense of fairness when we say, “That’s not fair”.  It is very possible to live a moral life in most areas and to be rejecting justice and thus rejecting righteousness.

So?  So live a righteous life.  Pay your bills.  Be quiet after 10 o’clock at night.  Don’t start up your jackhammer before eight in the morning.  Park between the lines.  Execute serial killers.  It has many applications. We can do this, because God makes it possible.  

Rejecting the Perfect

Proverbs 11:5 (KJV) The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

If it weren’t for serious blindness, I would laugh at people who get all uptight at the word “perfect” (8549).  We see it being used in the KJV on a regular basis.  It even shows up in other translations.  The problem comes because we take a word in the English language, apply modern philosophy and sociology to it, say it is impossible, and reject what God’s word says.

A lot of the modern translations that I have on my software substitute the word “blameless”.  In reality, that’s just kicking the can down the road and refusing to look the issue in the eye.  The point that Solomon is making here, and that the rest of scripture makes, is that there are two basic attitudes towards life.  You have those who desire to live the way God wants him to live, and those who reject that.  The Bible is consistent with the teaching that we are expected to live righteous lives.  You may to find it different ways, but the demand is there.

If the Bible says we are to do it, then there must be a way to do it.  You can then get into conversations about the grace of God and the power of the spirit.  You cannot reject the expectation.

So?  The difference is there.  The expectation is real.  If you aren’t on board already, maybe it’s time to look a little closer. 

That’s Righteous

Proverbs 11:31 (KJV) Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.

I often shake my head in amazement at how the youth culture who claims to not understand words will reach down into the broader world, pull out a word, and use it in a way that is interesting.  One of the words that I’ve heard used over the years is “righteous.”  Some degenerate person who rejects all the values of God would say, “Man, that’s righteous.”

Does this person understand righteousness?  No way.  They would reject the concept that righteousness as defined even existed.  What they’ve done is they put their own definition on the word because it sounds cool and have used it to their own advantage.

I think we often do that in the church.  Instead of looking at words, and considering how they are used in the entire Bible, we will lift out a verse that reinforces our presuppositions and our theological system and give it that definition.  People love to quote Paul,

Romans 3:10 (KJV) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

The problem is they not only ignore the context of what Paul is saying, but they also ignore the context of the scripture he’s quoting.  Just look at the verse I’m referring to this morning, and that will give you an idea.  If you look back over the entire chapter and proverbs, you will see this concept of righteousness being used again and again.

So?  Righteousness and the possibility of living an upright life are a vital part of our faith.  We are not called to live in futility and wickedness.  We are called to holiness and sanctification.  It does not come through our strength or cleverness.  God will give us the power through His Holy Spirit. Trust Him for it. 

Mercy Checks In

(Pro 11:17 KJV)  The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

Earlier this morning before I got to Proverbs, I was reading one of the verses that keeps coming to mind in the book of Micah,

Micah 6:8 (KJV) He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

As I read in Proverbs I noticed the quality of mercy and I saw that it was contrasted with cruelty.  This made me sit up because I was wondering about the three divisions in Micah and this helped me to see that perhaps justice had to do with my civil responsibilities and larger social involvement whereas mercy has to do with my one-on-one relationships.

So?  God is concerned about every aspect of my life. 

Interesting Interpretation

(Pro 11:16 KJV)  A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches.

This verse has been a head scratcher for me.  It just didn’t seem to fit together.  As I have said, I am reading Moffatt’s translation this month, and he has an interesting way of parsing it.

    “A charming woman wins respect: high-handed men win only wealth.”

The first half is fairly literal, but the second half gives a spin which I find interesting.  It is a good interpretation that makes it work together.  It is a matter of priorities and values.  Honor is higher than riches.

So? Go for the best don’t settle for the least. 

It Will Make a Difference

(Pro 11:6 KJV)  The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.

Every time I pay attention to what is happening in our country I feel like God is readying His sword to give us a thrashing.  I don’t know if it will be the edge or the flat of the sword He will use but it is coming.  This verse reminds us that it makes a difference how we live.  Let’s not spend a lot of time debating whether we can be “righteous” (6666) or not.  That does not seem to be open to debate in this passage.  The theme we read again and again in Proverbs is that some people deliberately choose to be straight and some make a decision to be crooked.  God will treat both groups differently.

So?  Keep in mind that in the midst of every social upheaval there are people who come through it.  This is saying that God will have His eye out for those who are seeking to live in obedience.

A Life in Balance

(Pro 11:1 KJV)  A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

Put your discussions of the trinity on the back burner.  Let the substitutionary atonement wait for another day.  God is concerned about your scales.  We tend to forget this.  God is very practical.  Living a righteous life is very basic.  It comes down to simply not cheating in your daily life.

Obviously most of us do not use a balance beam scale on a regular basis, but I think you get the point.  God’s call to holiness touches every area of our lives, not just our doctrine.

So?  Take a moment to consider your day.  Look back for 24 hours.  Are you applying God to all you do?  Now is a good time to start. 

Yeah, But...

(Pro 11:22 KJV)  As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

Can extremes cancel each other out?  We have gold and pigs.  To the Jew one was of great worth and the other was an abomination.  How often do we try to work out deals with God?  You know the pattern, “God, if I do this will you do this?”  The problem we face is that no amount of precious metal can compensate for defilement.  This is not about grace and forgiveness.  It is about the ways in which we try to work it out our way instead of God’s.

There is nothing wrong with wealth or beauty in themselves.  The problem is when we get them out of balance and try to substitute.  Have you ever been in a restaurant and they have a special that tells you, “No substitutions”?  What that means is you take the whole deal or none at all.

So?  God wants us to walk in righteousness.  It isn’t a negotiation.  It is an offer of more than we have a right to expect.  Go for the gold. 

Time to Apply

(Pro 11:17 KJV)  The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

There are many times when I wish I knew more Hebrew.  Maybe someday I will do something about it.  Today I was struggling with the word translated “merciful” (2617a) and how it had an interplay with “good”.  In the process I focused on the word “does” (1580) and noticed that it is a deeper word in Hebrew than English.  

In the KJV it is only translated this way a couple of times.  In both translations the most common translation is “weaned”.  The word has the idea of bringing to maturity.  From that my mind makes the jump that merciful behavior and decisions allow us to grow in our spiritual maturity.  Which comes first?  That is a pointless question because we are directed to be merciful.

So?  There is a time for theological nit picking and a time for obedience.  The first is on occasion and the second is always. 

Pick a Side

(Pro 11:27 KJV)  He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.

It is hard to believe that anyone “searches” (1875) for “evil” (7463), but such is the case.  The NASB is better here using “evil” rather than “mischief”.  Even the KJV translates the word “evil” the vast majority of times.  I am sure I have pointed this out regularly but we again seem to need the reminder that there are people out there looking for wickedness.  It is there default setting.  They may put on a good masquerade but the real person behind the facade is of the devil.

If you are paying attention to what is going on in our culture this comes as no surprise.  There is a conflict between evil and righteousness in our world.  The bad guys are on the attack.  They are seeing a lot of progress.  Much of that is because the church is huddled in their small groups not wanting to offend anyone.

So?  Start being offensive by being a righteous voice and a holy life.  You don’t usually have to go looking for trouble.  It will find you.  Praise God you are on the right side.

The Deceitful Path

(Pro 11:18 KJV)  The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

Who is fooled by the results of wicked behavior?  I would like to claim it is only the “wicked” (7563) but I am afraid that even the faithful fall into the trap.  Haven’t you ever wondered why it seems like evil people are running everything?  There seems to be a pattern in all organizations whether it be government, business or the church.  Take Walmart.  It started as a business run by a Christian and delivered a valuable service.  Then the founder died, the children took the money and ran to the dark side.  Look at the Methodist church, based on the teaching of John Wesley.  It is now ordaining homosexuals.  

How do we keep off of that track for ourselves and our families?  We all know believers who have had their children seduced by evil.  I don’t have an easy answer but it is not compromise.  We need to be constantly seeking personal revival and living what we believe.

So?  Walk in righteousness and trust that God is in control.  At the same time we must make allowance for free will.  Each person must make their own decisions.  That goes for us on a daily basis. 

Guaranteed Delivery

(Pro 11:21 KJV)  Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

One of the big differences between the “wicked” (evil NASB) (7451a) and the “righteous” (6662) is time frame.  Godly people live in peace because they take a long range view.  Here the reference is to their “seed” (decedents NASB) (2233) but the implication is the future, which is in God’s hands.  God’s people tend to think in terms of eternity not today.

Part of that is a natural based on the work of the Holy Spirit.  Part of it is in the discipline of study and learning to trust.  We live in troubled times but we need to remember that generations past have also lived in troubled times.  Sometimes that ends in persecution and martyrdom.  Other times it is the groundwork for miracles and deliverance.  

So?  We can live with both.  We can do that because we believe that the Providence of God is active now and forever.  We are blessed with having read the Book and we know who wins. 

Hold It

(Pro 11:12 KJV)  He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.

I have been involved in a lot of discussions lately.  Sunday School, bi-weekly Zoom meetings, family get togethers; the opportunities to share my wisdom and insight are plentiful.  I have been disappointed that no one seemed to want to listen to what I had to say.  They were too busy sharing their wisdom and insights.  I was a bit amused that they would often not pay attention to whether anyone else was talking.

There is a theme in this chapter of Proverbs and I am guessing you will find it other places.  The theme is, “Keep your mouth shut.”  I have a hard time with that when one lady suggests that a child with high lead levels might have been chewing on pencil lead.  On another day the teacher commented how the Bible never tells us to anoint with oil when we are praying for the sick.  To be honest I did not remain quiet either time, but I am working on it.

So?  Listen.  I keep telling myself I might learn something.