He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. Proverbs 22:16
How we treat the poor says a great deal about our heart. There is one thing God is very clear about throughout the Word of God - and that is that He desires for us to care for the poor in our society. One thing I need to differentiate before I continue is that God also makes a clear distinction between the poor and the lazy. Too often we view the poor as anyone who does not have enough - whereas God describes them as those who do not have enough, but who are that way not because they refuse to work. By saying this I am not saying that everyone who is poor is unwilling to work - but I am saying that among those who do not have enough are far too many who are that way because either they won't work - or because their lifestyle choices (i.e. alcohol, drugs, laziness) is what is the cause of their need. That being said, I want to turn to this proverb and make a few comments. The one who oppresses the poor to make more for himself is odious to God. The word "more" here is actually the word for having much. This person is abusing the poor not because he wants to make a living - but because he wants to be wealthy. His desire to have much drives him to not see people - all he sees is money. The word "oppress" has the idea of extorting money from someone. It also is used to speak of those who cheat their workers out of their wages. There is an acceptable way to earn a large amount of money in a business, but to do so on the backs of workers who are not paid properly is not the way to do this. God will not bless such a man. The second warning here is for those who give to the rich. These people shut their hearts to the poor - but instead give to a rich man to curry favor with him. They do so as little more than a sycophant who is wanting by his gifts to have the rich man give him something in the end. The Scriptures say that such a practice will only come to poverty in the end. There may be a temporary return for such a man's wicked investment, but in the end such practices only last as long as the gifts keep coming. Let someone else offer a larger or more impressive gift and the rich man will turn to him, forgetting the poor schlub who gave him a lesser gift last year. Our money belongs to God - and He desires that we use it wisely. This means that we do business honestly and wisely. Giving gifts to customers is not ungodly when the gifts are given with a true sense of gratefulness for their patronage. Being wise with wages so that a business continues to make a profit is not ungodly either. What the Lord is seeking to get across to us here is that when we do business and make a bigger bottom line our god - we are going to wind up serving money rather than God. When God blesses our bottom line, He wants us to always remember the poor. To forget them and see the rich as the only ones who can continue to bless us is to ultimately forget God - Who is the ultimate One to honor and please for future prosperity and blessing.
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One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed. Proverbs 19:17
How can anyone ever lend money to God? That sounds impossible since the Lord owns the cattle on the thousand hills and all the wealth that anyone could ever imagine. Yet the Scriptures make it clear here that when we are gracious to the poor we are leading to Jehovah. Let's take a closer look at this - and at the blessing that comes from being gracious and kind to those who are poor. When we give to the poor we are being very wise. We are making an investment that will bless us in the end. Lending to anyone is a risky endeavor because lending wisely is based on their ability to repay us. Yet when we are gracious to the poor by giving to them, we are told that we are giving a loan to God. His ability to repay is infinite - therefore this is an investment that will pay wonderful dividends. If there were ever a sure bet when it comes to lending policy - this is it. Being gracious to the poor means showing them mercy. The idea behind this word is that we are showing a kind act to someone in need. Since this refers to the poor, the idea of gracious giving is implied. We read in 1 John that part of the love of God in us is giving to someone who has a need instead of just wishing them well and leaving them to hope for the best. The promise here is very clear. When we are gracious in lending and giving to the poor, we will be repaid from the Lord Himself. The good deed of giving to the poor is noticed by the Lord. We are told that the man who is gracious to the poor will be happy (Prov 14:21). The one generous to the poor by giving him some of his food, God promises will be blessed (Prov 22:9). We are also told that the one who gives to the poor will never want (Prov 28:27). These are all very clear promises of God that we should take seriously when we face situations where we can either show mercy upon the poor - or close our hearts to them. The rich man in the gospels would warn us that shutting our hearts to the poor like Lazarus who sat at his gate is an act that will cost us dearly in the end. May God give us the wisdom to act on opportunities to provide for the poor. The benefits of such kindness are beyond our ability to comprehend. May we abound with such kindness and secure great blessing! Do not love sleep, or you will become poor; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food. Proverbs 20:13
There are several ways that the Bible refers to laziness. Some are very pointed like when God speaks of the sluggard or the lazy man. This one however speaks of someone who loves their sleep - too much. As a result of this love of sleeping - they wind up lazy, poor, and possibly hungry. Do not love sleep. That is the command that is given here. It is not a sin to sleep - God even promises in the psalms that He will give sleep to His beloved. There is a difference between enjoying a good night's sleep and just loving to sleep whenever we can. One is necessary while the other is a sure sign of laziness. You cannot love sleep and love God at the same time. Two different times the concept of oversleeping or loving sleep is used to rebuke the laziness of the sluggard. Proverbs 6:9 tells the sluggard to get up from his sleep. Proverbs 6:10 and 24:33 both say that a little sleep, slumber, and excess rest and poverty and problems will come in like a robber and an armed man. Loving to sleep is a dangerous thing to embrace. God desires for us to be good, motivated workers. When we do not embrace work - we will most likely embrace sleeping and laziness. The other warning here is that when we become lazy - we will also be in danger of becoming poor - even the point of not having food to eat. Poverty is often the reward for the lazy - as is hunger. That is why a welfare system that does not require work of some kind for the benefits received is a blight on the work ethic of any country. If there are benefits - they must be tied to some kind of work. When we do not do this we are promising a lifestyle to those who receive it that does not require them to work. They can love their sleep - and be paid for it. They can be idle - and still receive money and benefits. This will build an entire class of society that will begin to expect something for nothing. That will be devastating to that societies ability to produce things and profit from them. It will also be a tremendous drain on the character of the society as well. God's answer to this is the call us to wake up and work. He calls us to wake up and work hard. He wants us to labor with our hands - not just to provide for the needs of our families and ourselves - but Scripture also says that our hard work is to be so that we can also have something to share with the ones who are in need. But the Word also states that in the times when we have abundance - it is to help meet the needs of others - but it also says there will be other times when the abundance of others will be given to provide for our needs. God's point here is that hard work is not an option - but a necessity for a society. Without it we will become lazy and undisciplined. Without hard work we will lack character and will most likely get in trouble with the abundance of free time we have. Why be poor and hungry - both physically and spiritually? Wake up - and work hard for your food, for your health, and for your character. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, for they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Proverbs 31:4-5
Mixing authority and alcohol is a very bad thing to do. As Bathsheba gave her counsel to Solomon her son, she made clear to him that this was the case. She said clearly to him that is was not for kings to drink wine or to desire strong drink. These two terms, wine and strong drink both describe alcoholic drinks. Wine refers to the fruit of the vine - grapes - but in the form of them squeezed and made into wine of a lower alcohol level. Strong drink refers to drinks that are much stronger - probably something akin to whiskey or some type of grain alcohol. It was usually used to get drunk quickly - and in some cases was used medicinally to act as a type of pain killer. Solomon is told that it is not right for a king to drink these things. The reason that she gives to him for this prohibition is that if he does, there is a chance that he will drink and forget "what is decreed." This is a reference to the Word of God. For Israel, the Word of God was also the place where their civil law was found. But either way the concern was that while in a drunken state, he might forget the civil law - or the law of God. When he did, he would then forget the rights of the afflicted. These are the less fortunate, the poor, and those who look to the king to defend their rights. Drunkenness causes us to function apart from wisdom. When a man is drunk he does not think normally. The alcohol leads him to excess in regard to his emotions. It can also have a deadening effect when it comes to his normal moral restraints. This is why it is not wise to mix drink and authority. When you do, the person in authority is more likely to abuse it - because he will not be thinking properly so as to make godly judgments. The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding sees through him. Proverbs 28:11
An interesting thing about men is that the wealthier that they are - the more that we tend to give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to intelligence and wisdom. We assume that because they have accumulated wealth that a certain amount of wisdom and knowledge were used in doing so. This may be the case, but when a rich man begins to be "wise in his own eyes," his wealth is only a facade to cover his foolishness. The rich are often wise in their own eyes. This is because wealth can buy you a lot of things - including a group of well paid sycophants who will tell you that you are a genius. This is the age old "yes-man" who follows about his benefactor telling him how brilliant he is publically, even though privately he man consider the rich man a moron. But while on the dole, this person gives the rich man a sense that he is wise. Unless his wisdom is gained from Scripture - this is only wisdom in his own eyes. The problem with being wise in our own eyes is that one, we can easily impress ourselves - and two, once we have impressed ourselves our pride can shut out any other evaluation others may try to give. But this proverb tells us that the poor man who has understanding can see right through the foolish rich man. The word for understanding here means the ability to discern. The poor man examines the rich man wise in his own eyes. He discerns the difference between wisdom gained of experience and God, and that paid for with money. He discerns that those who praise the rich man are all paid patrons of his supposed wisdom. He also knows that if the money flow stops, the truth concerning this man's foolishness will not be tolerated - and he will be abandoned by his fair weather pals. Wisdom knows others who are wise. Since that wisdom comes from God, there is no need to brag about it. Since it comes from God, there is also no price that can be paid for it. Such wisdom is given by grace - and gained by the teaching of the Holy Spirit as we daily search the Scriptures and learn to listen to God. Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:8-9 Here is the request of a wise man. It is a very wise request because it deals in two things that will derail a life that is seeking to be guided by God. It deals with deception and greed. As you seek to walk through this world in a way that pleases and honors God - you will find that these two things are snares that often will seek to trip your feet and make you stumble. The man who watches for them - and cries out for God to deliver him from them - is wise indeed. His first request deals with deception. He cries out to God to keep deception and lies far from him. If we are going to live a godly life, we are going to have to have truth. The wise man has come to know that there is an absolue truth that God gives in His Word. He will cling to it. Jesus prayed for His disciples, "Santify them in the truth. Your Word is truth." If we are going to be purified and preserved in this life - it will be because God has kept us from deception and lies. There is one sure cure for lies - and it is the truth. Why should we be in God's Word every day? Why should it dwell richly within us? Why should we hide that Word in our hearts? It is so that we know the truth - because it is only that truth that will set us free. The most secure prison in the world is nothing compared to a man who enslaves himself by believing lies and deception. The wise man's second request has to deal with the sin of greed. The best way to describe the danger of greed is by sharing the answer of a man who was very wealthy. He was asked how much money it would take for him to be content. His answer was telling because it did not refer to a specific, fixed amount. He sad, "Just a little more." There is the danger of greed. No amount is enough because we will be deceived into thinking that a little more will give us the illusive happiness that we seek from money. Our problem is that we were not made for money. Elsewhere in Scripture we are warned that when we set our eyes on wealth - it takes wings and flies to the heavens - always just a little beyond our reach. This pursuit will take forever - and will never end in contentment. The truth is that we were made for God - and until we find our contentment in Him - we will never be truly content. The writer of Proverbs cries out and asks for neither poverty or riches. He knows that both of those situations leaves him in want. Poverty in a want for enough - and riches in a want for just a little more. What he asks for is the food that is his portion. Ah, a wise man he is indeed. His words parallel those of Jesus in His teaching on prayer. "Give us THIS DAY our DAILY BREAD!" There is wisdom - give me what I need today - and keep me in need of only one thing constantly. Keep me constantly needing You, Lord! That is the prayer of the wise man. Next the wise man states why this request for enough for today is truly wisdom. First, he knows that too often the rich man thinks he does not need God. He looks to his riches and foolish thinks he does not need God. Such was the case for the rich farmer in the parable of the rich fool told by our Lord. He thought his bumper crop meant that he was set for life. His problem though was that he was not set for death. God came to him and called him a fool. That night he was to die - and he would suddenly have nothing. All his wealth was left behind - and since he did not prepare to meet God - he faced a horrific fate. He was about to enter into eternal poverty - having decided that storing up treasures in heaven was not a worthy pursuit. Here on earth his riches deceived him into thinking, "Who is the Lord?" The answer to that question is one that does not need to be put off until after death. It needs to be answered here and now - because the one who puts it off - or ignores it altogether - will spend all eternity in a poverty that will consume his flesh with fire forever and ever as the smoke of his torment will never cease to rise in an epitaph revealing his eternal stupidity. The second reason he asks God for enough is because he knows that hunger may deceive a man into thinking that stealing is a way of getting enough. Want often leads men to profane God's name by their thievery. They steal thinking that God has not provided and therefore they need to take things into their own hands. Here is a wise man - praying. He seeks God for what is necessary for that day. He also knows that the best thing for him is to have to do this each and every day. His stomach may be full - and possibly can be provided for well into the future. But - he knows that his need of the Lord will never subside. He needs God continuously. May it be the wisdom of that need that guides us to our knees daily to ask for God's mercy and grace to deliver us from the twin foes of deception and greed. He who increases his wealth by interest and usury gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor. Proverbs 28:8 Is God against all l ending that is done establishing a level of interest that is charged for the use of the money? Some would look at today's proverb and say yes. But before we decide to level wholesale accusations against the banking industry, let's take a closer look at what God is saying in this proverb. God says that those who increase their wealth by interest and usury - will only gather it for the one who will be gracious to the poor. What are the principles here - and how do we deal with the wisdom of this in today's world? First of all, God told Israel that they could not charge interest to their brethren (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:36-37; Deut. 23:19). They could, however, charge interest to a foreigner (Deut. 23:20). The question that we need to ask is whether this was in regard to the poor among the people - or in all matters of commerce. The passages mentioned here refer to the poor. The Bible speaks very strongly to the fact that we need to be gracious to the poor. What God is prohibiting is the use of interest to keep the poor mired in their poverty. This was expressly forbidden. The people of Israel were to be kind to one another - especially the poor among them. Thus, what we have here is the prohibition of interest put on the poor in Israel. If this were not the case, then we would ahve a huge problem in the New Testament in the parable of the talents. This is a story where God is represented as One who gives 10, 5, and 1 talent of money to three different servants. When the third tells him he hid his talent in the ground and is giving it back. The owner calls him a wicked slave - and says that he should have at least taken his money and given it to the bankers so that he woul have received his money back with interest. So what we see is that in regard to commerce interest can be charged for money lent for the purpose of doing business. But even in this regard God is definitely opposed to excessive interest being charged. This does not bode well for our friends at the credit card companies who charge 18-20% or those who give cash advances on people's paychecks at rates sometimes above 50% or more. God's promise to those who do this is simple. God will eventually take their profits and redirect them to the poor - or at least to one who will lend to them in the way God desires. Know this before you decide to try to get rich with disreputable people. God sees all things - including every business that is getting rich on ungodly principles. Among these are those who get rich on the backs of the poor and disadvantaged. God will even things out one day - and often is doing it without us even realizing it. It is better to make a little less - or none at all - if our other option is to become rich in an ungodly fashion. This is especially true for those who want to bilk the poor out of their money by burying them in debt. Beware - because while burying them under a load of debt - you are burying yourself under a load of judgment. He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor. Proverbs 22:9
Who would have thought that being wise involved the character trait of generosity and how we react to the poor? Yet that is exactly what we are dealing with today with the proverb of the day. The one who is generous will be blessed. The idea for generosity here is one that comes from the Hebraism. The actual phrase is that this one has a good eye. In Hebrew, to have a good eye is to be someone who is kind and generous. It meant that you looked with kindness on others. It was the picture of a man who was good, gracious, kind, and generous. A man with a bad eye would be one who is stingy and selfish. He would be seen as an evil, ungodly man. Jesus used these same Hebraisms when He said, "The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness." (Luke 11:34-35, NASB) In the same way Jesus was stating that if our eye is selfish and stingy - if we are tight-fisted and unwilling to give to others - it will yield a darkness in us. We will be selfish, ungrateful, and unkind men. But if our eye is good - it shows that we are gracious and kind as well. The man here with the good eye - he is generous and blessed. This is seen by the fact that he gives some of his food to the poor. This gracious and good man is concerned about those less fortunate than himself. Thus he takes his own food and gives some of it to the one poorer than himself - to bless them. This is something that is commended from Old to New Testaments. As early as Exodus and Deuteronomy God told Israel not to forget the poor. In Deuteronomy 15:7 we read the following admonition by God - that sounds like a rewriting of this proverb. "If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother;but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks." But there are not only commands to remember the poor, but also promises of blessing to those who do. Proverbs 19:17 reminds us that those who are gracious to the poor lend to the Lord - and God promises to reward those who do so for their good deeds. We even find in the New Testament at the Jerusalem Council that Paul is urged to remember the poor - which he states is the very thing he wanted to do. God wants so show His own gracious hand through how He leads His own people to be generous as well. That is why we want to be gracious and kind towards the poor. It is absolutely our duty - but it is also an important way that the world around us can see the character and love of our God as He works through us. The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, The wicked does not understand such concern. Proverbs 29:7
In a world where money speaks loudly it is important to have those who are advocates for the poor. The wicked know of no such concern for this as they see the poor as a perfect target for their abuse of power. But God makes it clear that the righteous are very concerned for the poor. The literal translation of the proverb begins with the statement, "The righteous knows the cause of the poor." This assumes that there is a cause for which the poor need help. The word used here to describe the rights of the poor is a legal word. It was used in the world of the courts and in lawsuits. What we have then is a situation in which the legal system and the courts are not working the way they should toward the poor. Thus they need for someone to be concerned and to know their plight. This is a situation that unfortunately has existed all through history - and even more unfortunately - exists today. I watched in disgust years ago when a man who had committed a heinous murder had his sentence reduced twice because his family had the money necessary to get his case reviewed again and again. The poor know nothing of these kinds of rights. They don't have the money to afford the high priced lawyers who can use the system both for justice and injustice. The poor pretty much face the system with justice alone. Thus we see the poor going to jail - while the wealthy and influential can work the system to avoid it. Our proverb tells us that the righteous is concerned about these things. They see the injustice and it bothers them. They want to see justice blind to money and blind to political influence. When that is not the case the righteous will fight for the cause of the poor. The wicked don't have any kind of concern here. In fact the proverb tells us that they don't even understand concern. Their worldview has them as most important. Thus, if a poor person is convicted of a crime they did not commit - or a lawsuit is turned against the poor - the wicked don't understand why anyone is upset. In the end the wicked got what they wanted - so why all the fuss? They just go on their way unscathed and unbothered by the legal problems of the poor. The reason this is important is because such things reveal the major differences between the righteous and the wicked. The wicked cares only about himself. He cannot see past his own desires and wants to concern himself with anyone other than himself. The righteous are concerned because they are selfless and want God's justice to prevail in all aspects of life. In the end - we see very clearly the contrast between the wicked and the righteous. But in the most important sense - what we see is a godly selfless lifestyle and that of a selfish wicked person. Knowing this we should do all we can to support the rightes of the poor. To do otherwise would be walking in the very ungodliness that we seek to avoid. The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, But the poor hears no rebuke. Proverbs 13:8
We see the typical scene in movie after movie. The wealthy man has someone in his family - even himself - taken captive. The FBI is in the home awaiting the fateful phone call. When it comes there comes with it the call for ransom. They knew he was wealthy - and therefore he was their perfect target. Now that they have his life in their hands - he must pay and pay handsomely if he wants to preserve his life or the life of a loved one. Who would have thought that thousands of years ago God gave this wisdom to Solomon to warn the rich that due to the sinful, selfish tendencies of fallen man, they would at times have to realize that their riches would be the ransom for their life? Here we have a proverb that simply states human nature. Very seldom do we read of a poor man who is held ransom for his good name and his hard work ethic. We don't see him held ransom for the simple way that he works and lives and loves his family. There is no demand for the happiness of a poor family who is content with the little they have - because they have each other. Men may covet such things when they realize that money really doesn't make a person happy, but seldom do they think that such basic joys can serve as a ransom for another's life. This is a problem for the rich and not the poor. They have spent a great deal to get what they have. But there are those who would take them captive, even threatening their lives, for the purpose of extracting as much money from them as they can. Sin and rebellion to God make evil men think that they will be happy if they get enough money. They think no matter how they get it - they will have it made once they escape. Fascinating that the movies don't really follow these crooks to their fateful end. They show us the really cool ways they do their crimes - and how clever they are as they get away. They have the closing scene where they toast one another with champagne and talk of what they'll do with their loot. They don't show us men and women who are hunted for life - and who are looking over the shoulder at every turn. But then again, that wouldn't sell in a movie would it? The rich have much - but they also have the struggle to keep what they have. Since their lives are bound up in their bottom line, they spend much of their lives protecting it any way they can. They do all they can do to protect their money - and they also have to spend a pretty penney on security to protect their lives and their families. When you look at all they do - and how they have to deal with fear of losing it all - you have to wonder, is it worthy it? The poor man hears no such rebuke. He does not live in fear of having his family, friends, or himself taken captive for ransom. Now I am not against wealth or riches - because there are many who are very godly to whom God has given riches. There are those who use their riches wisely - and to the glory of God. But then again, we see them making wise choices and seeing wealth through the eyes of God. They may have the money of the rich man - but they most likely have the values of the poor content man at their core. They live for simple things even though they are wealthy. In fact some of the most precious people I've ever known were wealthy - but did not come close to living like it. Just about everyone they knew had no idea how wealthy they were - because they chose a very modest lifestyle. Interestingly, they probably heard no rebuke either - since they did not flaunt their wealth. Makes you think about how you are living. It also makes you think in one more way as well. Even though the rich may have their wealth to pay their ransom here on earth - it will do them no good at the end of the age. Just a closing passage of Scripture that rings in my ears as I think about this proverb. It is from the Psalms . . . Why should I fear in days of adversity, When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me, even those who trust in their wealth and boast in the abundance of their riches? No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him—for the redemption of his soul is costly, and he should cease trying forever—that he should live on eternally, That he should not undergo decay. Psalm 49:5-9 There is NO ransom for a man's soul. There is only ONE acceptable price paid for sin. That price is what Jesus Christ paid with His blood at the cross. The redemption of a man's soul is indeed infinitely costly. Maybe money can buy "everything" here on earth according to sinful men - but the second a man passes from this life, he better not be deceived into thinking that his wealth can be the ransom for his eternal life. Thinking like that can cost you . . . literally everything! |
Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. Thank you for visiting our website! Everything on this site is offered for free. If, however, you would like to make a donation to help pay for its continued presence on the internet, you can do that by clicking here. The only thing we ask is that you give first to the local church you attend. Thank you!
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