Meditationen am Gnadenstuhl: Proverbs 22:26-23:3 Wise Words From Wise Men 1c

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Proverbs 22:26–29; 23:1-3

[22:26] Be not one of those who give pledges,

who put up security for debts.

[27] If you have nothing with which to pay,

why should your bed be taken from under you?

[28] Do not move the ancient landmark

that your fathers have set.

[29] Do you see a man skillful in his work?

He will stand before kings;

he will not stand before obscure men.

[23:1] When you sit down to eat with a ruler,

observe carefully what is before you,

[2] and put a knife to your throat

if you are given to appetite.

[3] Do not desire his delicacies,

for they are deceptive food. (ESV)

Wise Words From Wise Men 1c

v.26-27 These two verses repeat a warning we have previously heard three times in Proverbs (6:1; 11:15; 17:18). The new thought to consider here is that one may lose their own property through the pursuit of risky means of acquiring wealth. At the time of the deal (or scam), the danger may not be readily apparent, but the Wise take such possibilities into consideration and avoid such risks and traps. This is the first of six sets of proverbs in a row dealing with economic topics.

v.28 This proverb is very specifically about land fraud. Modern surveying was well-established in the ancient world. Though they did not have fancy lasers and GPS like we do today, the techniques were the same. Property lines were established with stone markers. Fraud was easily accomplished by moving the stones by stealth, thus gaining yourself extra land at the expense of your neighbor. This was difficult to prove in a court of law. The best deterrent for such a crime was fear of God, and this activity was prohibited in the Torah (Deuteronomy 19:14), and those who carried out such sins were condemned according to the covenant curses (Deuteronomy 27:17; see also Hosea 5:10).

v.29 This is another common sense observation about life. Competence in one's vocation earns recognition and reward. This is a proverb extolling learning one's craft well rather than focusing on the mere advancement of one's position. Those who seek advancement at the cost of honing their skills risk losing any benefits of their advancement when their promotion to a position of incompetence is exposed. This is not a promise from God that talent will always be recognized and rewarded, and we all know from personal experience that people gain and maintain positions for which they are not qualified all the time while the more skilled are passed over. However, on the last day, the believer in Christ can trust that his faithful service in his vocations will receive God's commendation and a much more glorious eternal reward (Matthew 25:21, 23).

v.23:1-3 This set of three verses warns about taking advantage of an employer's generosity. This proverb provides a counterbalance to the previous one regarding seeking advancement. Accepting what they offer may hurt one's chance for true promotion as well as harm one's spiritual well-being. A person can fall out of favor or even be demoted or fired if he appears too anxious to receive a superior's benefits for his own advantage. The "food of the ruler" is deceptive because he has brought the employee into his inner circle or confidence for his own unspoken reasons or under false pretenses and not for the employee's good. We have a fantastic illustration of this in action in the story of Saul bringing David into his service (1 Samuel 17–24).