Meditationen am Gnadenstuhl: Proverbs of Righteousness & Discipline, Proverbs 12:1-4

Friday, September 9, 2022

Proverbs 12:1–4

[1] Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but he who hates reproof is stupid.

[2] A good man obtains favor from the LORD,

but a man of evil devices he condemns.

[3] No one is established by wickedness,

but the root of the righteous will never be moved.

[4] An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,

but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones. (ESV)

Righteous Behavior—Discipline

Chapter twelve is the concluding chapter of this section of Proverbs, 10:1-12:28, an introduction to wisdom and righteousness for the benefit of a wise son.

v.1 When we make mistakes, learning from the correction others have to offer us is of great value. One of the most important things in life is learning from our mistakes. Not all mistakes are sins; they are simply mistakes. When they are sins, however, it is most important to take correction to heart and heed its wisdom, whether that wisdom comes from others or God's Word. The fool is stupid to ignore and actively disregard such advice.

v.2 This verse connects to Proverbs 11:31 and forward to 12:3 by "he will condemn." This phrase has its root in the Hebrew language, shared with "wicked person" in 11:31 and "wickedness" in 12:3. In this proverb, the good person is contrasted with "a man of evil devices" – a schemer or plotter. A good man obtains the Lord's favor not by his outward actions but by the disposition of his heart. He is judged righteous by grace through faith (Genesis 15:6; Isaiah 53:11), and his outward good works are the fruit of this righteousness. God condemns the man of evil devices because his inward attitude also shapes his outward actions. This is plotting, scheming, and other evil ways that result from harboring jealousy and covetousness, for example.

v.3 Wickedness can never lead to true security, contentment, or peace. Sinful human nature is always focused on the world. Focusing primarily on what the world claims are comfortable and necessary leads to anxiety, consumerism, and all its associated stresses, and attaining and preserving an unnecessary lifestyle. The righteous have their roots in the eternal promises of Christ and the things eternal, not worrying about things temporal, as Jesus taught: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” (Matthew 6:25-31 ESV).

v.4 This proverb stands by itself in this section, with no connection to the proverbs before or after. It does have a strong thematic connection to Proverbs 31. This is not so much advice to a woman on how to be a good wife, but rather advice to a son in choosing said good wife. A shameful woman will probably not be worried about what effect her actions will have on her husband. This proverb instructs a wise son to find a Godly wife and a Godly woman to seek the same type of Godly marriage. Marriage is for the mutual benefit of both parties (Proverbs 31:11, 28-31; 1 Corinthians 7; Ephesians 5:21-33).