Meditationen am Gnadenstuhl: Proverbs of Righteousness, Proverbs 11:22-31

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Proverbs 11:22–31

[22] Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout

is a beautiful woman without discretion.

[23] The desire of the righteous ends only in good,

the expectation of the wicked in wrath.

[24] One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;

another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

[25] Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,

and one who waters will himself be watered.

[26] The people curse him who holds back grain,

but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.

[27] Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,

but evil comes to him who searches for it.

[28] Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,

but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.

[29] Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind,

and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

[30] The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

and whoever captures souls is wise.

[31] If the righteous is repaid on earth,

how much more the wicked and the sinner! (ESV)

More Proverbs of Righteousness

v. 22 What a vivid picture! The pig represents one who lacks Divine Wisdom and cannot discern between that which is God-pleasing and what the world considers wise but is contrary to God's will. The gold ring represents beauty. Remember that pigs are unclean. No matter how beautiful you make the pig, it is not worth keeping its company. It's still an unclean animal.

v. 23 Good for whom? The righteous or others? Left deliberately ambiguous, this proverb leaves one to think of the many ways in which God will use the righteous to work His will. The righteous person knows he is saved by grace and acts accordingly towards his neighbor in need. The wicked person is in the opposite condition and invites God's wrath on himself and others like him.

v.24 Generosity promises reward, not necessarily in the material world but in the world to come. To one who uses the gifts God freely gives in service to others, more will be given to do the same. (Matthew 13:12; 19:29; Luke 12:48; 18:22). The one who selfishly hoards much may seem rich in the eyes of the world but is headed for spiritual poverty.

v.25 This proverb follows the sentiment of the previous one. Jesus said, “For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.” (Mark 9:41). This is a proverb of encouragement to generosity and graciousness. Being a blessing to others bestows blessings, here and in eternity. Helping yourself in the here and now may help you right now, but only you and not in the hereafter.

v.26 Continuing the theme of blessing, this proverb examines the opposite of generosity. A common problem in ancient times, and even today, is hoarding food in times of scarcity. The one who is willing to sell his overstock runs the risk that he may find himself lacking food. This proverb encourages such selfless behavior.

v.27 The one who lacks Divine Wisdom does not have to look far to find evil—he already has it! The consequences of such living will follow and find him quickly. The one who seeks to do good seeks God's favor. Because he has Divine Wisdom and is secure in his salvation, he knows he already has it and rejoices in helping his neighbor.

v.28 Scripture certainly often warns us not to trust in worldly wealth. Again, not because wealth is inherently evil, but making it your focus—your god—leads to destruction. Jesus said no one can serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). Comparing the righteous, who knows the Lord and what He has done for him, to a flourishing plant is also a common Biblical theme: See, for example, Psalm 1:3.

v.29 This proverb is a warning to the foolish. In the first part, it cautions that one who vexes his parents risks losing his inheritance, leaving him only "the wind." We can expand this to understand that one who makes no effort in his familial relationships will be left with nothing but a breeze tickling his ears rather than the memories of a life lived together in Christ once his loved ones are gone. The second part warns that if one is such an incorrigible fool that he cannot manage his own life's affairs, he will find himself totally dependent upon the mercy of others who were not so foolish.

v.30 Who can read this proverb and not picture the tree of life from the garden of Eden? Here, life means not only mortal life but eternal life. The righteous is wise, and Wisdom transforms him into a tree of life—a tree from which others can pick the fruit the lads to eternal life for themselves. The Holy Spirit, through the words and actions of the wise, captures souls for the Lord's harvest in eternity.

v.31 Connected to the previous proverb by the word righteous, this verse promises God's reward for those who possess righteousness by faith in their life on earth. It then warns of the coming punishment for the wicked, unrepentant sinner on the last day (Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 2:6-10).