Meditationen am Gnadenstuhl Proverbs 28:1-4 Better to be Poor & Maintain Your Integrity

Friday, September 15, 2023

Proverbs 28:1–4

[1] The wicked flee when no one pursues,

but the righteous are bold as a lion.

[2] When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,

but with a man of understanding and knowledge,

its stability will long continue.

[3] A poor man who oppresses the poor

is a beating rain that leaves no food.

[4] Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

but those who keep the law strive against them. (ESV)

Better to Be Poor & Maintain Your Integrity

v.1 This verse introduces a new set of ten proverbs and sets the tone. In them, we are encouraged to seek God as the source of our confidence. God has forgiven us and declared us righteous for Christ's sake through the Gospel's message. The wicked have no such confidence, so they have fear even when there is no reason for it. This fear arises from their subconscious or even conscious knowledge of their sin, for the Law is written on the heart of all men. The Germans have a word for everything, and a word that may apply to the unbeliever's sin-guilt here is Waldeinsamkeit, an idiom with no direct English translation but literally means "the feeling of being alone in the woods." In this proverb, a Wise leader is encouraged to do what is right despite the natural desire to make himself more wealthy or powerful and the constant pressure to please the powerful.

v.2 This proverb reminds leaders that understanding and knowledge are essential to a nation's stability. Without leaders with these attributes, a nation cannot stand. Those with the Divine Wisdom of God, both His Law and Gospel, have saving faith and the guidance of the Holy Spirit through His Word. This allows them to rule with Biblical wisdom and understanding with God as its origin. Those without God can rule wisely only insofar as the Law is written on their hearts. But people's natural wickedness soon overruns good in society without God's Wisdom as their guide. This is a caution for leaders to keep their wickedness in check because it both harms society and puts their leadership in jeopardy.

v.3 Compare this verse with Proverbs 14:31. Here, a poor person heartlessly oppresses another rather than have sympathy for him due to their common condition. This arises from someone trying to climb out of his own poverty on the backs of others. He is compared to a driving rain that beats down the crops, destroying the harvest and leaving no food for anyone. A Wise ruler diligently stops such destructive behavior, even when the rich and influential are not involved.

v.4 This proverb shows us that one's attitude toward God's Word informs one's attitude toward those who are opposed to God. Here, the word "law" does not mean only God's Law but also the Gospel—the entirety of the Word. The Law requires obedience, and the Gospel enlightens and saves those who hear, believe, and learn it.