Meditationen am Gnadenstuhl: Proverbs 19:7-12 Avoiding Fools & Foolishness Pt.6
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Proverbs 19:7–12
[7] All a poor man’s brothers hate him;
how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.
[8] Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;
he who keeps understanding will discover good.
[9] A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes out lies will perish.
[10] It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
much less for a slave to rule over princes.
[11] Good sense makes one slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
[12] A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass. (ESV)
Avoiding Fools & Foolishness Pt.6
v.7 Compare this verse to Proverbs 19:1. Poverty is to be preferred to sin, but poverty brings its own problems. His friends and family may shun him, despite whatever words he may use to keep them.
v.8 The one who searches for Wisdom loves his own soul. The quest for Divine Wisdom—the understanding of God that comes by faith in the Gospel of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins—is always a good pursuit.
v.9 This proverb describes false witnesses as those who breathe out lies. This type of liar will not be able to lie his way out of punishment by God. These liars will face everlasting punishment unless they repent and believe in Jesus Christ.
v.10 Living in luxury is wasted on a fool because he does not appreciate it. In his self-absorbed arrogance, he especially does not appreciate it as God's gracious blessings. Likewise, a slave should not rule over princes because he would be usurping God's authority granted to the princes. All Christians are equal members of God's kingdom (Galatians 3:26-29), but God also calls us to submit to those placed over us in Godly authority (Ephesians 6:5-9; Philemon 15-17).
v.11 It is better to forgive than to lose one’s temper. We glorify God when we overlook an offense. Our model is the forgiveness Christ has shown to us (Matthew 18:34-35; Luke 11:4).
v.12 A king’s aroused anger is like the growl of a lion. Whoever has provoked the king to anger will soon feel his wrath. Conversely, a king’s favor is like the dew that waters the grass. The dew of the grass is often used to describe God’s blessing of grace, especially the resurrection of the dead (Genesis 27:28; Micah 5:6; Psalm 133:3; Proverbs 3:20; Isaiah 26:19; Psalm 110:3).