Thursday, October 18, 2018 – Proverbs 22:2-3
The Rich and Poor are Alike.
The Prudent and Naive Differ.
The Prudent and Naive Differ.
Grace Fellowship Church
Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Proverbs 22
1. The wise
discipline themselves to follow God in everything, vs. 1-16.
2. Wisdom tells us when to speak and when to be silent, vs. 17-21.
3. The wise ones care for and protect the poor, vs. 22-29.
These proverbs present the argument that one can either
become a student of wisdom and be a gracious member of adult society or an
example of folly and a curse to society.
Vs. 2
Prov 22:2, “The
rich and the poor have a common bond, The LORD is the maker of them all.”
Reputation is to be preferred above riches, as noted in vs. 1, but there is to be no
preferences or preferential treatment between the rich and poor. To make this
point, this proverb asserts the Lord’s sovereignty over both the rich and poor.
It means that rich and poor have a common Maker / Creator / God and so, a common
humanity and value. Although the wealthy and the poor may appear far removed
from each other in society, they have the same God. Therefore, there should be
no preferences in our behaviors between the rich and poor. To make such
distinctions is to dishonor God, the “Maker
of them all,” cf. Prov 14:31; 17:5;
29:13; Job 34:19.
Job 34:19, “Who
shows no partiality to princes nor regards the rich above the poor, for they
all are the work of His hands?”
In addition, we see that neither the wealthy nor the poor
are anything other than human, which should humble the wealthy, who are
inclined to glory in their riches, cf. Prov
18:1, and should encourage the poor, who are sometimes treated as less than
human.
At the same time, the rich should not look down on or
despise the poor, nor should the poor envy or despise the wealthy. They will
each give an account to the same Maker for their own attitudes and deeds, cf. Rom 14:4.
Rom 14:4, “Who are
you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and
he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
Therefore, we are to treat one another, not according to
the flesh, but according to being fellow members of the human race who have the
same Maker and so, a common humanity and value, 1 Sam 2:7-8; Prov 29:13; 2 Cor 5:16.
1 Sam 2:7-8, “The
LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. 8He raises
the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit
with nobles, and inherit a seat of honor; for the pillars of the earth are the
LORD'S, and He set the world on them.”
Prov 29:13, “The
poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives light to the
eyes of both.”
2 Cor 5:16, “Therefore
from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have
known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.”
Therefore, we are to treat everyone, rich or poor, slave
or free, male or female, Jew or Gentile the same with brotherly love, because
we are one in God, and for believers, one in Christ, Rom 3:22; Gal 3:28; 1 Cor 12:13; Col 3:11; with Lev 19:18; Mat 19:19; Rom 13:8-10.
Vs. 3
Prov 22:3, “The
prudent sees the evil and hides himself, but the naive go on, and are punished
for it.”
This verse is identical to Prov 27:12, which precedes a specific example of someone who fails
to consider the consequences of foolish decisions and actions.
Prov 27:12, “A
prudent man sees evil and hides himself, the naive proceed and pay the
penalty.”
The theme of human accountability bind vs. 3-4 together as a proverb pair,
along with several nuances of the Hebrew language. Together they protect vs. 2 from misinterpretation. God does
creates both rich and poor yet, human folly leads to impoverishment, vs. 3, while prudence, humility, and
the fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and life, vs. 4.
“The prudent,”
is the Hebrew Adjective ARUM, עָרוּם used as a Noun here that means, “crafty,
shrewd, sensible, or prudent.” Outside of Proverbs it is used negatively for
scheming sinners, but in Proverbs it is used positively for “sensible or
prudent,” cf. Prov 12:16, 23; 13:16;
14:8, 15, 18; 27:12.
“The naïve,” is
the Hebrew Adjective PETHI, פֶּתִי also used as a Noun that means,
“inexperienced, simple, foolish, simplemindedness.” We have seen this word
throughout Proverbs. It refers to a person who is naïve concerning the
complexities and challenges of life, inexperienced, lacking insight, and those
who are just outright foolish in their thinking and behavior. In Ezek. 45:20, it refers to being
deficient in observing or understanding God’s Word.
“Pay the penalty,”
is the Hebrew Verb ANASH עָנַשׁ in the Passive Niphal stem that means “to
receive a fine or to be punished.” This tells us that the wise man will be able
to avoid the loss of goods, while the simple man will lose his money. If the
naive do not learn and develop moral astuteness when scoffers are fined, Prov 21:11, they too will suffer a
painful financial loss.
A distinctive characteristic of the prudent, as seen
throughout Proverbs, is his ability with keen moral discernment, Prov 13:16; 14:8, 18, to choose his
steps cautiously, Prov 14:15, including
taking cover to avoid evil and its consequences. He protects himself by not
participating in evil and by taking preventative action against receiving a
punitive judgment.
Prov 13:16, “Every
prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool displays folly.”
Prov 14:8, “The
wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools
is deceit.”
Prov 14:18, “The
naive inherit foolishness, But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.”
By hiding himself from evil, the shrewd protects himself
from serious loss, which the gullible could have avoided had they too hidden
themselves from evil.
The prudent, by faith, discern the connection between
generosity and enrichment and between tyranny and impoverishment. The naïve
fail to see these connections and so act impulsively without regard to moral
law, cf. Prov 7:21-23, and take no
precaution to find cover / salvation while they can, Prov 1:32; cf. Isa 26:11.
Prov 1:32, “For the
waywardness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will
destroy them.”
Those who are prudent and wise look ahead for potential
problems or risks because they want to avoid the negative consequences if they
can. When life is flashing red lights and warning signs that say, “Danger
Ahead,” they pay attention. Wise men sometimes avoid a painful future by
altering the decisions they make today. They do not want to be hurt or make
costly mistakes, so they change their course. Wisdom soberly looks ahead before
making decisions. As the sayings go, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure.” “Haste makes waste!” “Hindsight sees 20-20.” Cf. Eph 5:15.
Eph 5:15-17,
“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16making
the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17So then do not
be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Foresight is the viewpoint of the prudent and with God’s
blessing, many problems can be avoided. B Yet, the naïve or foolish, the hasty
one, is nearsighted. They carelessly live for the now and confidently rush head
long with little regard to the risk of their actions. Caught up and overwhelmed
in the moment, they fail to protect their future. The warnings they ignored,
materialize into trouble that punishes them often and severely.
“A prudent man
foresees the evil. It is the foolish general that marches on, with a grand
display of bravery, to the annihilation of his army. It’s the wise general that
sees a battle and its consequences and determines to withdraw to fight another
time under different circumstances. The enemy, his own men, and his heart may
call him a coward, but he knows discretion is better than valor. He wants the
odds in his favor before fighting. This is what Sam Houston did when he led the
Texas Army to the banks of the San Jacinto River.
After the Alamo had
fallen, General Sam Houston led the 800 man Texas army for five weeks, waiting
for the odds to be in his favor to attack the army of Mexico. He was pressured
by his leaders to attack, yet, he waited, not revealing his plans to anyone.
Finally, on April 21, 1836, the odds were in his favor. Approximately, 1500
Mexican soldiers were encamped with their backs to the flooded San Jacinto
River. Houston attacked with such surprise and swiftness, the army of Mexico
did not know what hit them. Nine Texans were killed and thirty were wounded. On
the Mexican side, 630 were killed and 730 were taken prisoner. The result was
Texas won its independence from Mexico. Houston won the battle on his own
terms. Those who thought he was a coward, realized his wisdom in his victory.”
(Mattoon's Treasures from Proverbs).
Therefore, those who are shrewd can avoid the dangers of
life. The prudent know where the dangers and pitfalls are in life; they are
wary. They are the product of training in wisdom and discipline. Yet, the naïve
person is unwary, uncritical, and gullible; he is not equipped to survive in
this world and so blunders into all kinds of trouble. The failure of the naïve
to spot danger arises from their arrogant refusal to submit to God and His
Word. In God’s exceeding love, He faithfully warns us of the terrible
consequences of refusing to obey Him and receive the grace He offers through
Christ Jesus. The man with God’s wisdom in his soul, sees the evil coming and
hides himself in the refuge God has provided, cf. Isa 32:2; Psa 32:7.
Psa 32:7, “You are my
hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of
deliverance. Selah.”
But, the simple harden their hearts and refuse to heed the
warning of imminent danger, thus ensuring their own self-induced misery, Cf. Eph 3:17-19.
Therefore, in our next verse, we see the reward for the
wisdom of submitting to the Lord.
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