Thursday, April 16, 2015

Reflections on Proverbs 21

 Proverbs 21 (Contemporary English Version)
  1. The LORD controls rulers, just as he determines the course of rivers.
  2. We may think we are doing the right thing, but the LORD always knows what is in our hearts.
  3. Doing what is right and fair pleases the LORD more than an offering.
  4. Evil people are proud and arrogant, but sin is the only crop they produce.
  5. If you plan and work hard, you will have plenty; if you get in a hurry, you will end up poor.
  6. Cheating to get rich is a foolish dream and no less than suicide.
  7. You destroy yourself by being cruel and violent and refusing to live right.
  8. All crooks are liars, but anyone who is innocent will do right.
  9. It's better to stay outside on the roof of your house than to live inside with a nagging wife.
  10. Evil people want to do wrong, even to their friends.
  11. An ignorant fool learns by seeing others punished; a sensible person learns by being instructed.
  12. God is always fair! He knows what the wicked do and will punish them.
  13. If you won't help the poor, don't expect to be heard when you cry out for help.
  14. A secret bribe will save you from someone's fierce anger.
  15. When justice is done, good citizens are glad and crooks are terrified.
  16. If you stop using good sense, you will find yourself in the grave.
  17. Heavy drinkers and others who live only for pleasure will lose all they have.
  18. God's people will escape, but all who are wicked will pay the price.
  19. It's better out in the desert than at home with a nagging, complaining wife.
  20. Be sensible and store up precious treasures-- don't waste them like a fool.
  21. If you try to be kind and good, you will be blessed with life and goodness and honor.
  22. One wise person can defeat a city full of soldiers and capture their fortress.
  23. Watching what you say can save you a lot of trouble.
  24. If you are proud and conceited, everyone will say, "You're a snob!"
  25. If you want too much and are too lazy to work, it could be fatal.
  26. But people who obey God are always generous.
  27. The Lord despises the offerings of wicked people with evil motives.
  28. If you tell lies in court, you are done for; only a reliable witness can do the job.
  29. Wicked people bluff their way, but God's people think before they take a step.
  30. No matter how much you know or what plans you make, you can't defeat the LORD.
  31. Even if your army has horses ready for battle, the LORD will always win.

Following are themes that emerge in Proverbs 21:
  • The Righteous - It is the righteous who desire justice, though justice is a terror to the wicked since they are the target of justice. The wicked do want justice when they have been wronged, but will tend to seek it in their own means and it will not look much like justice. It will be the righteous, though, who pursue and administer justice. Does one wish to find life and honor and to be acceptable to the Lord? Then they will pursue righteousness. Righteousness is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Religion that does not translate into right actions is useless.
  • The Wicked - In contrast to the righteous who are guided by the Lord, the wicked are guided by "haughty eyes and an arrogant heart." In other words, the wicked are guided by pride and arrogance. It follows, then, that the wicked person has no consideration for his neighbor. It is himself with whom he is concerned. Even if he should bring a sacrifice before the Lord, it will come with ulterior motives. Anything he does is aimed at profit for himself. But in the end, the wicked person is swept away.
  • The Lord's Hand - The Lord's hand is upon all man's ways. Even those in charge of man's affairs, such as kings, are directed in their ways by the Lord. The king's heart, says Solomon, "is a water channel in the Lord's hand. He directs it wherever He chooses." Man is naive when he thinks he controls his own destiny or that of anyone else. It is all in the Lord's hands. While man may be concerned mostly with achievements, the Lord is concerned mostly with motives. It is the condition of the heart that concerns the Lord. In the end, "No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel will prevail against the LORD."
  • A Wife - Solomon refers to a wife several times throughout Proverbs, often negatively, as with the nagging wife. Before thinking he picks on women in general or wives in particular, we should remember that Solomon is teaching his son, and he wants him to have a good wife. His statements about a nagging wife would certainly cause a son to think twice about his choice of a wife. There are two statements in this chapter about the nagging wife. Both are rather strong: "Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife." (21:9) and "Better to live in a wilderness than with a nagging and hot-tempered wife." (21:19) Furthermore, in 27:15, he says, "An endless dripping on a rainy day and a nagging wife are alike." Life in a house with a nagging wife is not pleasant.
But he also has very positive things to say about a wife. For instance, he said, "Let your fountain be blessed, and take pleasure in the wife of your youth." (5:18) Also, in 18:22, "A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD." In 19:14, he says, "A house and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a sensible wife is from the LORD."

Other topics in chapter 21 include: Lying, Mockers, and the Poor.

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