Tuesday, October 16, 2018 – Proverbs 22
Introduction, How the Wise Discipline Themselves to Follow God
in Everything, Part 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3yaDvM21l4
Grace Fellowship Church
Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard
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.
The first sub-section, vs.
1-9, consists of an introduction asserting the priority of a good name
compared to wealth, vs. 1. In
support of this, the following verses combine the Lord’s sovereignty, vs. 2, with human accountability, vs. 3-4, with the assertion of the
Lord’s retribution, vs. 7-9. In the
middle of all of this, we see the importance of
education, vs. 5-6. Throughout we
see the assertion of equality between the rich and poor before the Lord,
especially in heaven, vs. 2-4, and
their inequality on earth, vs. 7-9.
Each, in its own way, seeks to heal the natural social rupture between the
classes that destroy the community’s peace.
The second sub-section, vs.
10-16, consists of three proverb pairs:
1. The
introduction, regarding the king’s friends, vs. 10-11, that indirectly motivates the youth to accept the
parent’s teaching by commanding rulers to evict mockers and by asserting the
pure and understanding have the king for a friend.
2. The body,
containing warnings against the deceptive speech of the sluggard vs. 12, and the unfaithful wife, vs. 13-14, with the warnings against easy
money and easy sex by asserting the Lord unfailingly protects the moral order
upheld by the ideal king, vs. 12a,
through frustrating treacherous words, vs.
12b.
3. The conclusion,
pertaining to wealth and moral instruction, vs. 15-16, implicitly instructs the father to drive folly, such as
laziness and promiscuity, from the son’s depraved nature.
1. How the wise
discipline themselves to follow God in everything, vs. 1-16.
Vs. 1
Prov 22:1, “A good name is to be more desired than
great wealth, favor is better than silver and gold.”
The key words here are “good
name,” SHEM, and “desired,”
BACHAR. In Hebrew, it reads from right to left: שֵׁם בָּחַר. The Noun SHEM
simply means, “name,” but has the connotation here of “reputation, held in high
regard or high esteem by others.”
The Verb BACHAR is used for “to be desired” but in its root
form means, “to choose or select.” It is in the Niphal stem that typically is a
simple passive meaning something that is received, but here it is in the reflexive
use for “to be desired.” It speaks of an action that goes back to the main
object. Therefore, this person is not choosing or selecting their name or what
their reputation is, instead it is something that is given to them as a result
of their Divine Good Production. It is something that we all should desire or
seek after. With the play on word of “chosen or selected,” it is a choice name
meaning one that is venerated or held with esteem or in high regard. It also
gives imagery of being chosen into the family of God, held in high regard or
esteem by the Lord, and therefore something we should strive for as we “walk
worthy of our calling / election,” as we noted recently in Eph 1:4; 3:15; 4:1.
Eph 1:4, “Just as He
chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and
blameless before Him.”
Eph 3:15, “From whom
every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.”
Eph 4:1, “Therefore
I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the
calling with which you have been called.”
So, this is speaking about having a good reputation, because
it is “better than,” (TOB), all the “great wealth” (RAB OSHER) in the world,
measured here by silver (KESEPH, “silver, money”) and gold (ZAHAB), as the
parallelism shows.
Having a “good name” is the result of a life that gains the
approval of others, rather than one that seeks its own fame, cf. Prov 25:6-7.
Prov 25:6-7, “Do not
claim honor in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great
men; 7For it is better that it be said to you, "Come up
here," Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, whom
your eyes have seen.”
In these words of wisdom, we see that the choice between
pursuing worldly wealth, which provides a certain type of fame, and doing that
which elicits a gracious, (“favor,”
CHEN, “grace or favor”), response from others, is an easy one for the wise
person, because he realizes the TRUE value and worth of each.
Although only the second line actually uses the words
“better than,” “more desirable” in the first half, it also shows that each line
contains a “greater than” type of saying, cf. Prov 15:16f; 16:32. Therefore, having a good reputation in the
world is far better than having great riches in the world.
What is in a good name? A good name represents a person’s
good character and his memory in others, cf. Prov 10:7; 18:10; 21:24, and depends upon his own wisdom in the
application of God’s Word in his life, Prov
3:1-4.
Prov 3:1-4, “My son,
do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; 2For
length of days and years of life, And peace they will add to you. 3Do
not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on
the tablet of your heart. 4So you will find favor and good repute In
the sight of God and man.”
At the same time, other passages tell us that wisdom is a
co-referential term for a “good name,” as having priority to riches, Prov 2:1-6; 3:14; 8:10-11, 19; 16:16.
Prov 3:14, “For its
(wisdom leading to a good reputation) profit
is better than the profit of silver, and its gain than fine gold.”
Prov 8:10-11, “Take my
instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choicest gold. 11For
wisdom is better than jewels; and all desirable things cannot compare with
her.”
In addition, according to Prov 13:15a, social favor is affected through good insight, “Good understanding produces favor,” cf.
Prov 11:27; 12:8; 18:3. In sum, a
good name is the outward expression of the person’s inner wisdom.
Prov 11:27, “He who
diligently seeks good seeks favor, but he who searches after evil, it will come
to him.”
Prov 12:8, “A man
will be praised according to his insight, but one of perverse mind will be
despised.”
In this positive comparison, material wealth is esteemed as
good but the social quality of a good reputation is far better, cf. Eccl 7:1; Sir. 41:11-13.
Eccl 7:1, “A good
name is better than a good olive oil (ointment), and the day of one’s death is
better than the day of one's birth.”
Sirach 41:11-13 (KJV Apocrypha), “The mourning of men is
about their bodies: but an ill name of sinners shall be blotted out. 12Have
regard to your name; for that shall continue with you above a thousand great
treasures of gold. 13A good life has but few days: but a good name
endures forever.”
Wealth can be obtained apart from virtue, Prov 11:16, 28, but not a good name.
And yet, wisdom gives both, Prov 3:14.
Moreover, wealth can pass away unexpectedly and quickly, Prov 23:4-5, but a good name endures, Prov 10:7; cf. 2 Sam 18:18; Luke 7:4-5; Acts 9:36-39. And, the
value of this social favor can be gauged by considering the value of gold.
As we will see, the rest of this section defines a good name
as being generous to the poor, not striving to become rich at their expense, vs. 2, 4, 7, 9, 16.
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