April 27
Reading: Proverbs 24
1 Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, 2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble.
3 By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, 6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth.
8 Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer.
9 The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.
10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
15 Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; 16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, 18 lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.
19 Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, 20 for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21 My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, 22 for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?
23 These also are sayings of the wise.
Partiality in judging is not good.
24 Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, 25 but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them.
26 Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.
27 Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.
28 Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
29 Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.”
30 I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, 31 and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction.
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
Proverbs 24:1-22 contains twelve more sayings of the wise, filling out the thirty that began in Proverbs 22:17.
vss. 11-12 We are supposed to watch out for people around us, especially vulnerable people and those who might be suffering injustice right under our noses. Think about people who might be persecuted because of their race or religion, Jews in Nazi Germany, unwanted babies in America in the 21st century. God is watching.
vss.17-18 Do not wish ill upon others, even people who have hurt you. We are all in God’s hands. He is the only one who knows what true justice looks like.
vss. 21-22 “Fear the Lord and the king.” This is consistent with New Testament teaching to submit to governing authorities. (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:12-17) We don’t have a king, but still must obey the command. This is difficult because sometimes the government does things that are wrong, immoral, or worse. Many of the kings of Israel were disasters. Rome was in the days that the New Testament was written. And, yet, we are not to be rebels, but, rather, servants of the Lord God.
Proverbs 24:23-34 is another short collection of proverbs.
vss. 28-29 Do not take your own revenge. You can see that Jesus did not invent the moral teaching to turn the other cheek. It is a part of wise living. When a person has hurt us, it is tempting to get back at them with gossip, slander, or false witness. This is wrong and deadly. (Romans 12:17-21)
vss. 30-34 When I was in college and tried to sleep in, my roommate would read these verses to me as I lay in my bed. Of course, I then had to get up.
Did you know that God has made us to work? Even before there was sin in the world, God gave Adam a job. He was to care for the garden, “cultivate it and keep it.” Likewise, in the New Creation we will all have work to do for the glory of God and our own good. Work is good. A person without something to do often finds himself interfering in the business of others. God give us work so that we can provide for ourselves and our family, for our own self-respect, and as an opportunity to honor Him with our mind and hands. So, work hard at whatever God gives you. If you are retired, you’re not done. You have work to do in your family, church, and community.