Proverbs 17:1-14

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
and the LORD tests hearts.

Proverbs 17:3

What does it mean for the LORD to test hearts? What does testing the heart look like? The first half of this proverb — the crucible and the furnace — suggests intense heat. Zechariah 13:9 and Malachi 3:3 similarly employ the refining of silver and gold to illustrate God’s activity. One thing is clear: testing is not passive observation; it is intensely active refining. And given that that is what God does, we should expect some heat. As Peter says:

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

I Peter 4:12

Proverbs 16:17-33

A worker’s appetite works for him;
his mouth urges him on.

Proverbs 16:26

Some people are just plain driven and work constantly, but they are the exceptions. Most of us gladly take advantage of paid time off. I’d even venture to say that if we were given unlimited paid time off, we’d take it, turning ourselves into the proverbial sluggard. (Pun intended.) The reason we aren’t all sluggards is that we are not given unlimited paid time off. Our appetite, particularly the possibility of real hunger (but even just the desire for better things), drives us to work so that we can get paid. And so we see the truth of this proverb.

We know from a variety of Scripture that care for the poor is close to God’s heart. Indeed we highlighted one such verse (Pr. 14:31) just a few days ago. On the other hand, little sympathy is given to the sluggard or to the wicked person whose own actions lead to their poverty. There is no suggestion that the sluggard should be rescued from the consequences of his laziness. (In fact, a couple proverbs would suggest no such rescue is even possible; see Pr. 19:24; 26:15.)

But what about public welfare? Our current system appears to ignore the truth of this proverb, paying trillions in excess unemployment benefits. Please do not misunderstand me. I am not advocating for oppressing the poor or just watching people starve — far from it. But perhaps we need to use a good deal more discernment in dispensing welfare. Sometimes we ought to let natural consequences yield their good results, allowing a little hunger to incentivize work.

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Finally,

Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is gained in a righteous life.

Proverbs 16:31

I guess I must be doing well… 🙂

Proverbs 16:1-16

Several of today’s proverbs explicitly mention “plans” (i.e., Pr. 16:1,3,9) — and Pr. 16:2 might as well have used “plans” instead of “ways”. So I thought I might focus on planning today, how it is good and prudent to plan, but that we need to hold our plans loosely, recognizing that the Lord may have other ideas. (See James 4:13-17.)

But the proverb that really sticks out to me is this:

The LORD has made everything for its purpose,
even the wicked for the day of trouble.

Proverbs 16:4

For a Calvinist or other adherent of predestination, this verse probably sounds perfectly reasonable. But for those who reject predestination in favor of full and complete free will, this verse probably sounds repugnant (but it is still there, so…). I am not at all qualified — nor do I have the time and energy — to really address the “predestination vs. free will” debate. That’s a debate that has been going on for a couple thousand years and hasn’t been firmly settled yet, so I don’t think we can settle it here. (Some of you may already know that I frankly ride the fence on this one. My position is that it is mysteriously “both-and” not “either-or”…)

So without really getting into predestination vs. free will, what can we take away from this proverb? Trust. We can trust that, regardless of circumstances or appearances, the LORD God Almighty is ultimately in control. All those random annoyances have their purpose in God’s plan. Every tragedy and heartbreak has its reasons. Every life and every death fits somehow into His plan. And He is good.

Proverbs 15:18-33

The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 15:33

I am sure most of us have heard teaching to the effect that the word “fear” in the phrase “the fear of the LORD” doesn’t mean “fear” at all, but rather “respect” or “reverence”. That’s a common teaching, and it is helpful insofar as it encourages us to approach God rather than flee from Him in terror. It recognizes God’s love and mercy alongside His holiness and power.

However, although I am by no means a Hebrew or Greek scholar, I am pretty sure that the original Hebrew word for “fear” here (and the Greek translation in the Septuagint) does indeed mean, well, “fear” — which is why the ESV still says “fear” (and not “respect”). So I think it is worth spending some time sitting with that word a bit, rather than instantly tossing it aside in favor of something we find more palatable.

The down side of watering down “fear” is that it tends to water down God Himself, turning Him into some Teddy Bear in the sky rather than the consuming Fire that He says He is. (Deut. 4:24; Heb. 12:29) It also elevates us and minimizes the intent of this proverb. That is, we have a tremendous capacity for pride (and shockingly little capacity for true humility), so we tend to think of ourselves as “almost God” (or even superior to God). Perhaps a little more real fear of the LORD would bring us down a notch and move us toward humility.

Proverbs 15:1-17

A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:1

So true. How many times have you seen the truth of this proverb play out? And how often has it gone down the positive (soft) path vs. the negative (harsh) one? My guess is we’ve all witnessed the negative version in effect far more often. I daresay we’ve all been there, not just as witnesses, but as participants, giving some harsh word that we’ve later (or instantly!) regretted, because the “conversation” then blew up into an argument or fight. Indeed, how many wars have been fought for lack of decent diplomacy?

Modern (but less eloquent) advice to help in answering well is, “Count to 10.” The intent of that advice is to dissipate some of the emotion, providing the space to respond less rashly and more rationally. But it doesn’t really address the fundamental issue of what the response should be. It may just give more time to come up with a more penetrating, more devastating comment.

In our current political environment, harsh words are all too common (and soft answers all too rare) on both sides. Political leaders on both sides should step away from their heated rhetoric and find softer answers, or we risk serious violence. (If you are about to say that one side is worse than the other, count to ten…)

Proverbs 14:18-35

Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
but he who is generous to the needy honors Him.

Proverbs 14:31

Truly, I say to you, as you did [not do] it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did [not do] it to Me.

Matthew 25:40,45

Enough said.

Proverbs 14:1-17

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.

Proverbs 14:4

Or how about a Bluegrass equivalent: “You don’t win the Kentucky Derby without shoveling a lot of horse ____.” (I’ll let you fill in the blank with whatever term you like.) Yes, real success requires dealing with messes, a truth that is apparently lost on much of our modern society.

Many people today do not seem to have a clue about where their food comes from. For them, the answer is, “Duh! The grocery store!” They don’t understand (or want to understand) that the meat they eat was once a living animal, nor do they realize that their bread is made from grains that grew from the soil. Seriously.

They want low prices for their food, but vilify the petroleum industry that produces the diesel fuel that powers the farm equipment. And their supposed solution for lowering fuel costs? Produce more ethanol, which means using corn (requiring more diesel and increasing the price of corn), so we burn down the rainforests (simultaneously producing massive carbon emissions while eliminating the greatest scrubber of carbon on the planet) to clear land for corn and other crop production. Seriously.

Don’t get me wrong. I am very much in favor of a clean planet. I think I would also like a clean manger. But that would mean no oxen…

Proverbs 13:14-25

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Proverbs 13:20

It matters whom you hang out with.

But that begs the question: how is it that one “falls into” a given crowd? We do not always get to choose our associates. In particular, we don’t choose our family of origin, so for the first few years of life we have virtually no choice in the matter whatsoever. But insofar as we have a say, we should choose our friends wisely. (Of course, that presents a bit of a Catch-22 scenario, requiring at least some wisdom in order to choose wise friends so as to become wise…)

In any case, our associates tend to rub off on us, for good or ill, for wisdom or folly. And these days our associates are not limited to face-to-face physical encounters. We can be “friends” with people all over the world, and we are deluged with information through the media, mainstream or otherwise. So take some time and make the effort to evaluate your associations and sources of information. Which ones are wise and which are foolish? Which present a biblical worldview? Which present an anti-Christian worldview, even subtly?

It matters whom you hang out with.

Proverbs 13:1-13

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.

Proverbs 13:4

My guess is that Solomon primarily had material supply in mind here, where being a sluggard results in poverty, but diligent effort results in material gain. I think we can all attest to the truth of this proverb in that context. We have probably all known individuals who find every excuse to avoid work but who are always complaining about not having enough, always wanting what others have, but not getting it — and never acknowledging that their own lack of effort has anything to do with their lack of resources. And we have probably all likewise known folks who have worked hard all their lives and have done quite well for themselves — perhaps not billionaires, but comfortable nonetheless.

Note, though, that this proverb applies to just about anything, not just making a living. Success in anything requires at least some effort. Natural talent goes only so far. Show me an Olympic champion who never practiced his or her sport. Show me a concert violinist who performs but never practices. Michelangelo broke a lot of rocks before sculpting his “David”.

And, of course, the same is true in the spiritual realm as well, yet we often seem to think that knowing God should “just happen”. Just say “the sinner’s prayer” and that’s all there is to it, or maybe just go to church once a week. Never mind that the Church has advocated spiritual disciplines from the beginning to help equip the saints for the work of ministry. For example, most of you know that I am a fan of memorizing Scripture, which I have mentioned here a couple of times. But whenever I suggest it, the response is either silence or, “That’s too hard.” Likewise, I dare you to suggest fasting! (Just ask Deacon Todd about that…) The point is simply this: if we want to grow spiritually, we are likely going to need to work diligently for it.

As for me, I need to heed this proverb as much as anyone, for I am spiritually much closer to the sluggard than to the diligent.

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

Proverbs 12:15-28

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 12:15

We can probably all relate personal stories where we’ve seen the truth of this proverb, particularly the first half. How many parents have witnessed their children making stupid decisions, refusing to take any advice from their “know it all” elders? How many of us have been those headstrong fools ourselves?! And, of course, this proverb cuts across all social and political lines, from the common “man on the street” to national leaders, from rich to poor, from liberal to conservative, across all races, and across all time.

One of the problems of social media is the tendency to develop “echo chambers” where the only people anyone listens to (or even hears at all) are people of like opinion. When the fool is right in his own eyes, and he is in an echo chamber, he has little chance to get any real advice. So don’t be such a fool. If you are in an echo chamber, break out of it, and broaden your horizons. Change the channel. Listen to what others have to say, even (or perhaps especially) if it makes you uncomfortable.