Judge or Plead?

Proverbs 31:9 (KJV) Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

When I read verses like this I tend to sit up and take notice.  I also squirm a lot.  We live in a day when a person with air conditioning, a cell phone and food on the shelf will cry “Poor” because someone else has more than they do.  I remember being exposed to a video clip where a young woman was in despair because she was too pretty to have to work.  She thought she should be able to sit around on a yacht and have money thrown at her just because she was so good looking.  She would claim to be poor and needy.

At the same time the phrase “plead the cause” is usually translated “judge”.

So?  For me this requires a lot of soul searching.  I need to make sure that my evaluation of others is done “righteously” and not be based on my own prejudices.  

Cut Through the Cultural Norms

Proverbs 29:7 (KJV) The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

The underlying point of this verse is a corrective we need today.  It involves the attitude we should have toward the “poor”.

When the Bible talks about the “poor” it is talking a different language than what we are using today.  Today we say poor as a comparative term in the light of the materialistic affluence of our society.  We consider someone poor if they have less than some arbitrary standard conceived by a social worker concerned about the latest grant request or politician out for votes.  It is a floating standard created for manipulation.

Those kind of poor are also addressed in Proverbs but the word used is sluggard.

Biblical poor are people who missed their last meal and don’t know where the next will come from.  The righteous are to used discernment in considering their situation.  The word used there is “yada”  which means to know well.  The phrase has the idea of judging.

So?  We are to be concerned for the genuine poor.  We are also not supposed to waste the resources which could be used to help them on people who just want someone to pay for their cable.  

Not Always

Proverbs 27:13 (KJV) Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

At other places we are told not to borrow or loan.  We are told to return someone’s coat at night so they can stay warm.  Here it seems to be totally different advice.  What is different?

The Bible differentiates between the deserving and the undeserving poor.  One is poor through no fault of their own.  The other has generally made of lot of bad decisions that put him in his situation.  Here we are confronting the one who has violated God’s directions and we are told to let him be cold tonight.  These two situations have people taking the resources that God has given them and turning them over to the undeserving.

So?  We are told be generous, yes.  We are also to be discerning.  We are not to be motivated by the touchy feely values of the world.  Share with those in need but not if you know they will use it for a life of dissipation and rebellion. 

The Business of Good

(Pro 11:26 KJV)  He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.

The Septuagint at this place says that the person “gives” the grain.  A quick rundown of the other translations has the word "selling" used consistently.  I think this is an important distinction.  I have no idea why the Septuagint does their own thing, but they do.

According to my tools of research, the word in Hebrew clearly means to buy and sell.  As I look down the way in which the word was used, I noticed that it seemed every time to also include the buying and selling of food.  I would say in our modern society of trying to weaken people and make them dependent on the government, the idea of giving things away has a certain appeal.  We ignore the fact that often by giving something to someone that they should have earned or paid for we just just weaken them and make them a ward of the court, so to speak.  It would seem that this is not a new idea.  It would seem that the translators of the Septuagint had the same problem.

So?  Be careful in your charity.  I know it feels good to do good by our definition, but we are called to do what is best for the other person not what makes us feel good.  They are not usually the same thing. 

Understand?

(Pro 28:11 KJV)  The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.

We live in a day of the oppressed.  Our cultural elites want to make us feel guilt over every good thing in our lives and make us give up our sense of self worth for the downtrodden and “poor” (1800b).  God also has a concern for the poor but His main concern, I think, is for the righteous poor.  That is why this modifier of “hath” (has NASB) is so important.  It isn’t enough to be poor.  You need to also have insight into the things of God and His principles.  Proverbs also teaches that this wisdom is available to anyone regardless of income or social status.

So?  Don’t get all weepy eyed over those who are down and out.  There may be something you can do to help but often their condition is a result of their own decisions and a refusal to live upright lives.  You also need understanding to have the discernment to know the difference. 

Got One, Thanks

(Pro 31:20 KJV)  She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

I am not in the market for a wife.  I have one and that should be enough for the rest of my life.  If I were looking I don’t think it would occur to me that concern for the down and out would be important, but evidently it is.  I think most people would think it is a good trait but how many would put it on the list.

That should give us pause.  It reminds us that there are many qualities that we should have that are overlooked or ignored.  It might also point out some attitudes we exhibit that are worthy of praise but we had not thought of it.  I offer this not to encourage pride but a healthy awareness of how many things we do simply because the Holy Spirit is working through us.

So?  Be concerned for the poor.  Rejoice that you can give aid.  Rejoice that you want to.  One is God’s physical provision, the other is His character building. 

It Is All in the Details

(Pro 28:27 KJV)  He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

This is one of those places where a principle is presented that does not seem logical.  That is because it is an intersection between economics and morality.  In our modern thinking the two don’t go together.  As believers we need to get back to the concept of providence and providential.  When God gets involved He brings about results that you might not predict.  I don’t think I have ever played roulette.  I understand that the highest risk bet it to place your bet on a single number.  You have a 1% chance of winning.  Try to understand that God would have a 100% chance of winning and He could do it without violating any of the laws of nature that He put in place.

A simpler example is bowling.  A pro can on occasion achieve a perfect game.  That means that every ball he throws goes where he wants it to and when that happens the odds of all the pins going down is very high.  A slight variation in his grip or the finish on the lane can change the result.  God can compensate for that.

So?  God wants us to be generous to the genuine poor.  If we don’t know whether they deserve it then we are to err on the side of giving.  Let God work out the details. 

Poor Thinking

(Pro 19:7 KJV)  All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.

Keeping our mind engaged is always vital if you are going to follow Jesus and serve the living God.  This is true in regard to the “poor” (7326).  On the surface it seems obvious.  After all, we are constantly asked to donate and help those less fortunate than ourselves.  You will notice that this verse does not take that approach.  While it doesn’t say the attitude of the people that know him is a good thing, it also does not condemn them.

If you do a simple search on this Hebrew word for poor you find that both sides of the coin are dealt with.  In some cases they are poor because they are lazy.  At other places it does not seem to be their fault.  As so many teachings of the Bible it must be applied with the individual in mind and the circumstances considered.

So?  If you are at the lower end of the economic scale try to keep your attitude in check.  If you are higher up, the same.

Justice vs Judgement

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

This is a case where the KJV and the NASB have different spins on the translation.  The KJV translates two words as “want” (3808) of “judgement” (4941).  The NASB combines them into “injustice”.  The nod for accuracy goes to the... KJV.  This is important because the two translations leave totally different impressions on our modern minds.

The key is this word translated “judgement” or “justice”.  Although the KJV uses the English word “justice” 28 times, only once is it this word.  Usually it is a substitution for the basic word for “righteousness”.  The overwhelming translation is a form of “judgement” (297).  The NASB has forms of “justice” as the most common (122x), followed by the “judgement” family (103) and “ordinance” (108).  

Why do I go into this?  Because in the KJV we see that we are open to understand that the reason some people are poor is because they exercise poor judgment.  Obviously the wealthy elites stack the deck in their favor but we need to understand that there are more people living in destitution because of their own bad choices than could be sent their by the bourgeoisie.  The one sided argument putting all the onus on the rich is Marxism, not Biblical.

So?  Don’t accept the mindset of being a victim.  I see people claiming to be Vietnam veterans claiming victimhood and demanding handouts.  As a Vietnam veteran myself I have to realize that it probably wasn’t the war that made them put their hand out. 

Double Standards

(Pro 31:20 KJV)  She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

If you are like me you don’t have enough money to do all the things you want to get done.  God does not promise us enough to do what we want.  His promises tend to focus on our needs.  We don’t like that but God is not taking a poll.  We have a surplus.  If you don’t believe that then take a walk through your home.  How many TV’s do you have?  Do you have internet and/or cable?  Are there brand name groceries on your shelves?  Do you have a side by side refrigerator?  Do you have two cars?  You can see where this is going.

This verse reminds me that I need to be finding ways to share with people who need help.  Since there are more people needing a hand than I have hands, God wisely gives us some criteria for narrowing down the scope.  They must be “poor” (6041) and they must be “needy” (34).  We don’t see the word “both” here so there is some flexibility but I think they are good measurements.  Many people who are poor are not needy.  They have food on the table and a roof over their heads.  They are good stewards of what they have and God honors that.  Some people are needy but not poor but you are not going to be much help to people who have not learned to manage what they have.

So?  Keep your eyes open.  There will be people to help.  Two things you need to do.  First, you need to soften your heart so that you can be sensitive to need.  Second, you need to sharpen your mind so that your thinking process will help you tell a real emergency from simple lack of planning.

Hidden Sloth

(Pro 6:11 KJV)  So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

Sloth.  The verse does not mention it, but it is the context.  We like to make up all kinds of excuses and phoney causes for “poverty” (7389).  Some of them may even apply some times.  We also like to ignore the ones that make us the responsible party.  We would rather blame someone else or society as a whole.  God wants us to look in the mirror first.

Yes, poverty can limit your options.  Bad choices can limit them even more.  

So?  Read, study, internalize the standards of the Bible.  It recommends hard work.  Actually it demands hard work.  Sloth is sin.  The neighbors are not going to come and mow your lawn.  The guy behind you is not going to dig your ditch until after you are fired.  Trust me. 

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. 

Poor Is Not Financial

(Pro 30:14 KJV)  There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

It bears repeating, there are bullies in the world and bullies tend to focus on the weak.  It is a mantra of gangsta types to depart with a courageous, “You better watch your back.”  The implication that they seem to miss is that they are too cowardly to face you in a fair confrontation.  This verse comes at the end of a description of this kind of person.  Notice that they go after the “afflicted” (6041).  The KJV has “poor” but you need to understand this is not the poor person who has his act together.  They are even more selective than that.  They go after the poor who are weak. 

It might help us to remember when we are concerned about the poor that their biggest problem is not lack of money but a lack of a strong core.  A person without money but with strong character will make it and eventually thrive.  Give a person who feels they are a victim a big check and they will still be afflicted.

So?  First, recognize the bully when you see him.  Second, help people by working toward what they need to stand tall not what will make them dependent. 

r and R

(Pro 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 many people today are living very well under the game plan of helping the poor?  I don’t know the answer to that question.  I do know that one reason religious organizations do better than government agencies at helping the down and out is the question of cui bono?  That is fancy Latin talk for “Who benefits?” 

I will accept that there are many people serving as social workers whom sincerely want to help their clients.  In today’s world they can make a habit of helping them climb out of poverty and go on their way.  It does not seem to happen often.  One reason is lack of genuine motivation.  If you are successful as a social worker you will eventually work your way out of a job.  Even if you never run out of clients the constant turn over will generate a lot more work for you. 

Churches, on the other hand, benefit by lifting people out of poverty.  They have a chance to add them to their fellowship where they can become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.  If you want to be crass, they might also start making contributions.  You benefit by lifting people from the mud.  And that doesn’t even factor in the fact that God has told us to do so.

So?  Each Christian has a responsibility to be a small “r” redeemer of the lost.  A big part is introducing people to the big “R” Redeemer, Jesus.  He is the one who will make the real difference. 

The Wisest Investment Strategy

(Proverbs 13:21 KJV)  Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.

My wife is watching a lot of videos that say something called a “reset” is coming.  It is a time of doom and gloom that sounds a lot like what we used to call depression and recession.  I wonder how much we should worry even if it happens.  That is double true when I read verses like this, and there are a number of them.  When hard times hit the “righteous” (6662) are supposed to come out still afloat.

I believe that is true because being righteous does not just mean following the Ten Commandments.  It also involves the principles that are set out in Proverbs about staying out of debt, not co-signing, working hard and I guess using a little common sense.  During the last housing bubble boom a lot of people lost their houses.  I am sure there are exceptions but my understanding is that most of the people who lost a house were living in houses that they should not have bought in the first place.  They were speculating and living above their means.  I remember when it hit and we didn’t even feel the air stirring. 

So?  Can hard times effect us?  Yes.  Will hard times destroy us?  Not is we are living in a righteous manner.  That is how I read this. 

Please and Thank You

(Proverbs 22:29 KJV)  Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Vocabulary can be interesting.  Words change.  I don’t know if you have noticed but even today the English spell words different than the Americans.  For instance in England you have colour and in the U.S. you have color.  I don’t know what the contemporary definition of “mean” (2823) is across the Atlantic but for us it has changed since 1611.  That is why the NASB has “obscure”.  We tend to think of “mean” as being deliberately cruel and enjoying inflicting pain.  It used to imply being limited as in being a “person of small means” was a phrase for poverty.

The implication is that poor people do not have the cultural foundation to know how to act properly.  That is a cultural understanding more than a Biblical understanding.  While poverty may keep you from having extra sets of dishes and limit you to used clothing stores it doesn’t keep you from saying “please” and “thank you”. 

So?  Practice the courtesy of Christ even if you have the bank account of the prodigal son.  It doesn’t cost anything but it says a lot about whom your master is. 

Common Oppression

(Proverbs 28:3 KJV)  A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.

One way in which the “poor” (7326) can oppress the “poor” (lowly NASB) (1800b) is by taking charity, free food or some type of welfare when they don’t really need it.  In the Hebrew there are two different words.  That is not reflected in the KJV.  Score one for the NASB.  I always liked the wisdom of the proverbial saint who said, “We were not poor.  We just didn’t have much money.”  The first word here represents what we would call the lower classes of America.  They don’t have big bank accounts.  They might live in small homes.  They might drive old cars.  In spite of that they are keeping the wolf away from the door.  They often have Air Conditioning, cable, internet and a second car. 

The second word is where most of the world is at.  They go without food some days.  They live in one room huts and have no access to medical care.  They are not able to work or there is no work available.  They are truly destitute.  When those who can work take what is intended for those who cannot, it is the poor oppressing the poor.  This type of oppression is more prevalent than the rich oppressing the poor.  Think how much would be available if we could do away with graft and fraud in the different social programs. 

So?  Often there is little you or I can do except act as watchmen.  We can report abuse.  We can vote for people with genuine 365/7/24 Christian values.  And of course, we can make sure that when we receive some help that we really need it.

Curse Magnet

(Proverbs 28:27 KJV)  He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

I should worry about “curses” (3994).  I say that because I have a tendency to rationalize and justify why others are going through hard times.  Because I am aware of it I am dealing with it.  The line between discernment and compassion should be drawn by grace and mercy, not my version of justice.  Or maybe I should say it needs to be erased. 

Are the “curses” (3994) verbal from the “poor” (7326), proclaimed by God or just the natural results of selfishness on our lives?  The paraphrases tend to side with the first. 

(Proverbs 28:27 GNB)  Give to the poor and you will never be in need. If you close your eyes to the poor, many people will curse you.

I think the Hebrew leaves it open.

So?  Any way you want to translate this the result is help for the poor.  It doesn’t promise blessings, just an absence of curses.  I think it is the same thing. 

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.

What if Nothing Is Behind the Door?

(Proverbs 28:19 KJV)  He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

Remember the game show “Let’s Make a Deal”?  It may still be running.  It appealed to the pursuit of big prizes.  To get the big one you had to risk what you had.  You had to trade what you had for what was behind the door.  Often the trade was in “vain” (empty NASB)  (7386).   He would risk everything on the turning of the stage.  Of course since the seeker starts with nothing, nothing is really lost. 

What about the person who watches the program?  What chance do they have to walk away with what is behind the door?  After thirty minutes what have they gained except a little bit of entertainment and escape from the frustrations waiting when the TV is turned off?  Entertainment has a place.  Escape can give us a chance to regain some juice.  But in the words of the pop song, “Is that all there is?”

So?  Watch your program.  Then turn it off and get back into harness with things that will make a difference in life.  Don’t let diversion divert you from the path that keeps you away from “poverty” (7389).  Keep in mind that poverty can be spiritual as well as financial.