Proverbs 20:1-15

Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
I am clean from my sin”?

Proverbs 20:9

No one.

There is absolutely no way we can make ourselves pure. There is no heroic feat great enough to outweigh our guilt, no sacrifice we can make to atone. There is no self-help program that will instill 7 habits of moral perfection. We are natural-born sinners, and we are powerless against it.

Yet being cleansed from sin is exactly what God offers us in Jesus.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I John 1:9

Proverbs 19:16-29

Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

Proverbs 19:21

Last week we mentioned in passing a few verses about planning. Today we get another one. Here we are reminded that we do quite a lot of planning. We all do, all the time, so much so that it is hard to imagine what life would be like without planning. We have short-range plans and long-range plans. We plan get-togethers and set goals. We plan menus and sporting events. We have business plans and battle plans. Rarely do we get out of bed without some plan for the day, even if it is just following some habitual daily routine.

But every plan is subject to interruption and unforeseen circumstances. As the military saying goes, “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” Someone else’s plan collides with ours. Accidents happen. Illnesses happen. Weather happens. Some small cog in our grand plan breaks a tooth and the whole thing comes off the rails. The prudent anticipate such problems and create contingency plans, building in flexibility and alternatives, but even such contingency plans are subject to further contingencies.

In all our planning we must recognize the truth of the second half of this proverb, that it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. And that requires humility. He is the one Who is sovereign over all. He is the One Who sees the end from the beginning. He is the One Who makes all things work together for good. (Rom. 8:28) He is the One Who will set all things right. So when things go “wrong,” thank God! (Eph. 5:20)

Easy? Not at all! We do not like it when our plans are disrupted. And we are often completely blind as to what the Lord’s good purposes might be. With hindsight we may eventually see some good result, but often we never do — not in this life, at least. The disruptions we face run the gamut, from traffic delays to traffic accidents, from sniffles to pandemics. Perhaps we brush off the more minor ones (or maybe we don’t!) and perhaps we wrestle with the bigger ones (or maybe we don’t!). In all cases we need to cultivate humility and gratitude toward the One Whose purpose will stand. But it isn’t easy!

Proverbs 19:1-15

When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,
his heart rages against the LORD.

Proverbs 19:3

Does that not describe the human race? Ever since Adam and Eve we’ve shirked responsibility and shifted blame: “The woman whom You gave me… The serpent deceived me…” (Gen. 3:12-13) Whenever we make a mistake, our first instinct seems to be to look for someone else to point the finger at. (By the way, you do not need to teach children to do this. It comes quite naturally!) And the bigger the mess, the bigger the target of the finger pointing — until we screw up so badly that the only target “big” enough is the LORD Himself.

That is where most get stuck, but, thankfully, the Lord is not content to leave the entire human race in this lunacy. He provides us a way to escape through confession (i.e., accepting responsibility), repentance, and faith in Jesus, who carried all the raging of our hearts to the Cross.

Proverbs 18:13-24

The one who states his case first seems right,
until the other comes and examines him.

Proverbs 18:17

Remember that the next time you turn on the news and get only one side of the story. The initial story (especially from media that have a one-sided agenda and narrative to uphold) is rarely the whole story. Our judicial system employs cross-examination for this very reason, to get to a fuller understanding and an accurate presentation of the truth. Sometimes it turns out that the original accusation is on target. But sometimes it turns out otherwise, that the accused is not guilty after all. Does such cross-examination always produce justice? Sadly, no, but it certainly does a better job than just taking the first story at face value.

So, the next time you hear a reporter, commentator, or politician vilify someone on the basis of “clear” and “obvious” evidence, think twice and wait for due process. You may end up with a very different verdict when the whole truth is known.

Proverbs 18:1-12

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
and like a high wall in his imagination.

Proverbs 18:10-11

Two places of security. One is invisible, but outshines the sun. The other is in plain sight, but will fade away. One seems intangible, but is rock solid. The other can be easily touched, but will dissolve into nothing. One is eternal. The other is merely temporal. One is the ultimate Reality. The other is just imagination.

The rational choice of fortresses is quite clear — but it hinges entirely on faith. With faith, the rational choice is to run to the LORD. Without faith, the rational choice is to stick with the material world. So, which is real, and which is imaginary to you? Are you sure?

Proverbs 17:15-28

A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17

“Friend.” That is a word that gets used quite a lot in today’s world. We have even turned it from a noun into a verb, so we can readily “friend” someone on social media. And we can even more readily “unfriend” them — which should tell us something! So what is a “friend” really? And what is a “brother” really?

This proverb is more than just observational; it is definitional. That is, this proverb tells us what a true friend or brother is: one who loves at all times and who sticks by through adversity. Such friends (and brothers and sisters) are far more rare than the acquaintances or buddies that we usually mean when we toss the word “friend” around. What kinds of friends do you have? Perhaps more importantly, what kind of friend are you?

Regardless of those in your social circle, one thing is certain: there is One Who loves at all times and Who was indeed born for adversity, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

John 15:13 (NIV)

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.