Meditationen am Gnadenstuhl—Proverbs 22:7-12 Wise & Foolish Behaviors 2c

Friday, April 14, 2023

Proverbs 22:7–12

[7] The rich rules over the poor,

and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

[8] Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,

and the rod of his fury will fail.

[9] Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed,

for he shares his bread with the poor.

[10] Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out,

and quarreling and abuse will cease.

[11] He who loves purity of heart,

and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.

[12] The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,

but he overthrows the words of the traitor. (ESV)

Wise & Foolish Behaviors 2c

v.7 This is one of those "fact of life" proverbs. There is no judgment of one or the other party or a moral evaluation. The rich are able to attain and maintain power because of their wealth; therefore, they rule over the poor. When one is in debt, he is the slave of the person he owes.

v.8 The metaphor of reaping and sowing is all over the Scriptures. Here, the sower sows injustice, and his harvest is his own ruin. Ultimately, his power will fail, and God's wrath for his sin will be his harvest. There is much debate about the exact meaning of this verse, but it makes sense in context with the previous and following verses.

v.9 You have heard of the "evil eye." Here, we see the phrase "good of eye" or "bountiful eye." God is the source of the ability to be generous. While those who receive the grace of the generous may bless their benefactor, ultimately, it is God who rewards the generous, for it is He who put the generous giver in the path of the poor to be a blessing to them. “Has not God chosen the poor of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?” (James 2:5; see also Proverbs 3:16; 8:18; Romans 10:12; 1 Timothy 6:17).

v.10 One who mocks everyone always shows contempt for others and their opinions. When he is around, there can be no peace. The only solution is to remove him from the gathering. We see this in all facets of life: When one is unrepentant and consistent in his disruptive behavior, there is no other solution than to remove him from his position until such time as he repents and is allowed to rejoin as a positive functioning member of the group.

v.11 This verse provides a contrast to the previous. When one repents, God creates a pure heart (Psalm 51). The new, pure heart then produces gracious speech rather than the division and strife of the scoffer.

v.12 This proverb points out a catch connected to the previous two verses. Humans cannot always perceive when speech comes from a pure heart or from insincere flattery. Here we are reminded that God sees into the heart and has a complete and unbiased perception of our words' intention. He will ensure that what is pure and true prevails and that deception is exposed and punished.