Proverbs 11:16-31

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.

Proverbs 11:28

I find it interesting that this proverb contrasts trusting in riches with being righteous. With a little life observation, I think most of us would fairly readily agree that trusting in riches is unwise (though the vast majority of us do it, at least to some extent), but I am not so sure that we would so readily conclude that trusting in riches is unrighteous. One needs a deeper understanding of righteousness to reach that conclusion (i.e., that only the Lord is rightly worthy of such trust).

We should again notice what this proverb does not say. It does not say that having material wealth is inherently evil. Wealth itself is not the issue. The downfall is in trusting in that wealth. It is all too easy (especially in our culture) to fall into the trap of finding security in wealth. That applies to both rich and poor alike. The rich trust in what they have; the poor look toward what they don’t have. But any such trust (or hope) in riches is misplaced.

I am no exception. It is easy for me, sitting in a position of relative wealth, to pontificate about such things. It is much more difficult to truly divorce myself from what I have and put my full faith and trust in the Lord alone. How about you?

Proverbs 11:1-15

A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,
but a just weight is his delight.

Proverbs 11:1

How is it that we all understand what is meant by a false balance or why it would be an abomination to the LORD? Why is it that we need laws governing weights and measures and product labeling? As we can infer from this proverb, the notion that in the sale of a commodity one person might cheat another by deceit is obviously ancient, yet it has not disappeared at all. We just come up with new and imaginative ways of doing it. (“Shrinkflation” comes to mind, which, though legal, still has the same goal of hoping you don’t notice that you are getting less than what you expect…)

I doubt any of us have intentionally miscalibrated a scale at the farmers’ market or fiddled with a gas pump so that it measures more or less fuel. But this proverb also presents a broader, more general principle beyond buying and selling: honesty and integrity throughout life. And there’s the real challenge. Are we truly honest? Do we maintain real integrity?

Proverbs 10:17-32

When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

Proverbs 10:19

Hmmm…

As you can see, we are back to Proverbs for the next few weeks. Before we dive back in, here’s a quick recap of Proverbs 1-9 : Wisdom is good; folly is bad. I think we can all remember and agree that the first nine chapters contain a good bit more than that, but if we come away from them with that much, we’re off to a reasonably good start!

Now we dive into the part of the book that truly consists of proverbs, those short sayings that convey nuggets of wisdom or observations on life. For the most part, each verse is a separate self-contained proverb. Perhaps that would be the best way to read them: one verse at a time. But no, we’ll be charging through about half a chapter at a time, giving us about 15 different proverbs to look at each day.

That goes to say that I am at a loss as to how our discussion might go. My guess is that I’ll just pick one or two verses to comment on each day — certainly not all 15 or so! But that should not constrain you. Feel free to comment on whatever verse or verses strike you. So here we go…

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Proverbs 10:1-16

A rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
the poverty of the poor is their ruin.

Proverbs 10:15

I do not think this is the most profound proverb from today’s reading. It does not tell us how to get rich or how to avoid poverty. (Pr. 10:4 says a little something about that, as does Pr. 10:5.) Nor does it tell us whether the rich should or should not trust in their riches. Nor does this proverb say that wealth is morally better than poverty — or vice versa. It is simply a (morally neutral) observation of life that wealth offers tremendous practical advantages, and poverty tremendous challenges. And it illustrates how we need to be careful in reading these proverbs, careful to see what they say — and what they do not say.

Psalm 75

Judgment.

What does that word mean to you? Is it filled with negative connotations? Do you think of a vindictive “God of the Old Testament” that goes around “smiting” people at the least provocation? Does that “God” stand in distinct contrast to the merciful “God of the New Testament”? I certainly hope not, because, as we know, the God revealed in the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. And His judgment is most certainly a good thing!

We have an inherent desire for justice. Naturally, our sense of justice is easily warped and corrupted in this fallen world, so we don’t do a particularly good job getting there ourselves. Fortunately, we have a God who does get justice right. The fact that we can trust God to execute judgment and set things right is what allows us to relinquish grievances and tolerate the injustices that we inevitably meet. When [Jesus] was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly. (I Peter 2:23)

Psalm 74:12-23

In yesterday’s reading, the psalmist painted a depressing picture, asking whether God has cast us off forever. Today we get an antidote to that perspective: recounting the Lord’s prior deeds and faithfulness while petitioning Him for His ongoing favor. Indeed, whenever we drift into thinking that God is absent or we start to listen to the enemy’s whispers of aspersions on His character, it is good to review what He has done and Who He really is. That is one of the many benefits of our practice of sharing “glory sightings”. We remind one another that God is good, and He is faithful, and His steadfast love endures forever. As He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5)

Psalm 74:1-11

O God, why do you cast us off forever? (v. 1) Have you ever asked that question? Or (perhaps better) how often have you asked that question? Are you currently asking that question? As for me, I have certainly felt “cast off” occasionally, and sometimes for extended periods. Calling out to God and hearing silence in return is by no means a pleasant experience, but it seems that God allows us to go through such seasons, and this psalm gives voice to those feelings.

I am also reminded of Revelation 6:9-11, where John sees the souls of martyrs under the altar in heaven, and they cry out, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And the answer? A little longer…

Psalm 73

Today the psalmist expresses his confidence in the Lord’s justice, that the wicked “get theirs” in the end. Note, though, that the difference between yesterday’s reading and today’s is entirely one of perspective and faith — a change in perspective that comes as the psalmist enters the sanctuary of God, not as a result of some cataclysmic judgment suddenly being poured out upon all the wicked.

If we just look at our circumstances — and the circumstances of others — we will almost inevitably be stuck in the first half of this psalm, embittered and envious of the apparent prosperity of those we deem to be more wicked than ourselves. We must look past those circumstances through the eyes of faith to discern that the Lord has more in store for us — and them. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (v. 26)

Psalm 73:1-17

Today we begin Book 3 of the Psalms. Of the 73 psalms for which David is noted as the author, only 18 are in Books 3-5, meaning that 55 of the 72 psalms that we have seen thus far are ascribed to David. So we can expect to see very different psalms as we move forward from what we’ve been reading.

Today’s Psalm 73 sounds a lot like Job, especially verses 3-12 where the author is decrying the (apparent) success of the wicked, even to the point of expressing his own jealousy in verses 13-14. But then he catches himself in verses 16-17: But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. I think there’s a message for us here. There’s something different about us going “into the sanctuary of God”. Today being Sunday, that’s a good reflection. I’m not suggesting that simply going to church is a be-all-end-all. But there’s something very different between “in-church” and “tv-church”. Being together in a body of believers fills us with a special grace that we just can’t get if we behave as isolated Christians.

I think these reflections are in me today because I will not be in our church building this morning. But also, I will not be an isolation Christian. I will watch our service on my computer, wishing that I were there, but also seeing multiple dozens of dear friends who will be praying for me this week. I cannot express to you all how important, how fulfilling that is to me. It’s open-heart surgery tomorrow and I’ll be in the surgical team’s hands for what my surgeon has said is a low-risk (1%) operation. But I will also be in God’s hands, His will to be accomplished as He chooses. I look forward to being with you again!!