I’ve posted a few days ahead. Don’t skip a chapter.
April 22
Reading: Proverbs 19
1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.
3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD.
4 Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
6 Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
7 All a poor man’s brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them.
8 Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.
10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, much less for a slave to rule over princes.
11 Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
12 A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.
14 House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.
16 Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die.
17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.
18 Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.
19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.
21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar.
23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach.
27 Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.
29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools.
Proverbs 19 continues Solomon’s collection. Each of these insightful sayings are meant to be pondered. Don’t let my thoughts distract you from thinking about them yourself. Moreover, take time to think about the ones that I fail to comment on.
vs. 2 Everyone wants something, but no one knows why. Jacques Ellul writes that we are “a civilization committed to the quest for continually improved means to unexamined ends.”
vs. 3 It is our sinful human nature that, when we disobey God and make a mess of things, we blame God for our mess and even get angry at Him. Our society is filled with people living in complete disobedience to God who are “raging” against God who tells them how to live. People hate God for being right, but they will never admit it… until the end.
vs. 5 This saying is repeated in verse 9 but with “perish” instead of “not escape.” It is a doubling down on the warning against false witness.
vs. 11 “Slow to anger” is when you choose not to get angry at someone even when they might deserve it. You wait, hoping for a change. To “overlook and offense” is to choose to not count someone’s sins against you against them. It is to do to others what we would want them to do to us. When we overlook an offense we are excusing the injurious behavior of another person just as we would like to be excused of our own bad behavior. A person who overlooks offenses has great humility and capacity to love.
vss. 13-14 Do not be an argumentative wife. Instead, be a blessing from God. Martin Luther wrote, “Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.”
vss. 16, 23 Proverbs presents the two ways, paths for living. The path of wisdom leads to life. The path of the fool leads to death. Also Proverbs 11:19, 12:28, 13:14, and 14:27.
vs. 17 Generosity to people in need is central to walking with Jesus. He said that when you show love to “the least of these My brothers” you are showing love to Him.