PROVERBS CHAPTER 22 Reputation 22:1 A good name is a honorable reputation and is to be valued and appreciated far above having physical wealth. Riches are useless if in gaining them one ruins his or her character. Sadly, many people seem willing to sacrifice their reputation for instant gratification, but how can you be happy if you know that others don’t respect you? “Today people who go broke in one city move to another, unmarried mothers leave town to have their babies…Everyone is given so much leniency to start over that one wonders how important ‘good names’ really are” (Alden pp. 159-160). Sadly, even the above quote is out-ofdate, for how many unmarried mothers leave town to have their babies anymore? Our own times may well be summed up by the statement found on a popular bumper-sticker, “Does character matter… YET?” “Not the power we wield, but the love in which we are held, is our proper joy” (Kidner p. 146). Envy isn’t the same thing as respect!
Made At The Same Plant 22:2 “We might have expected line 2 to read ‘all go to one place’, in the manner of Ecclesiastes. But it is a more significant bond that we all come from one hand” (Kidner p. 146). This means that God is concerned about everyone (2 Peter 3:9). Since God cares for all, regardless of their social or financial status, we must do the same. “The central idea is that those who are well off must never forget that they, no less than the impoverished, are contingent beings who wholly depend on God for life and livelihood” (Garrett p. 186). The verse also may imply that the rich and poor are also inseparable in this life. Without wealthy individuals, the day laborer wouldn’t have a place of employment. But without cheap labor, many wealthy people could never bring their product to market and thus make a profit.
Staying Out Of Trouble
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22:3 “Scripture gives blind optimism its right name: not faith, but folly” (Kidner p. 147). This is much like the old saying, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread”. Wisdom will enable one to see pitfalls and potential dangers. It will also enable us to properly evaluate the latest popular secular or religious fad. But the naïve (untaught, simple-minded) tend to run away and jump on the bandwagon. Many people have perished for lack of Biblical knowledge (Hosea 4:6).
The Perks Of Piety 22:4 Here is another “fear of the Lord” verse. It is almost set up like an algebraic equation. “Obedience plus humility equal riches, honor, an life” (Alden p. 160). Good things in life proceed from humility before God. One can have a good reputation and wealth at the same time. In order to succeed in this world in a material sense, a person doesn’t have to compromise their moral principles. The verses also suggests that a person cannot be fearing the Lord and at the same time be filled with arrogance and pride.
The Way Of The Perverse 22:5 Compare with 15:19. The world argues that one must be sneaky and deceitful in order to get ahead. God contends that such a method only hinders a person. “Like thorns, their conduct keeps them from getting ahead, and like snares they are stopped like a trapped animal” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 952). We tend to always focus on the wicked person who “seems” to be the exception to this rule, without seeing all the people in life who are failing because they have been found out.
Formative Years 22:6 The words “train up” suggest: 1. Children aren’t born inherently knowing how they should live and conduct themselves, they do need training! 2. Parenting will take continual effort, and it must be hands on. We cannot simply hand our children over to a third party (the school, society, “the village” etc..) for such training. 3. We must start this training early in life, i.e. from the moment of their birth. The word “train” means elsewhere to “dedicate”. And so the training
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should be with purpose. The Hebrew literally is, “initiate a child in accordance with his way”. The phrase “in the way he should go”, suggests: 1. There is a way that all children should go, i.e. the path of reverence and obedience towards God. 2. When it comes to morality and character there is really only one way. 3. In the Hebrew, the expression is literally, “according to his (the child’s way). “Implying, it seems, respect for his individuality and vocation, though not for his self-will” (Kidner p. 147). Some have suggested that the verse is teaching that a wise parent needs to tailor the teaching according to the personality of the child he is rearing. While there might be some merit in that idea, the book of Proverbs has made it clear that there are only two ways a child can go, the way of the wise or the way of the fool. “Does it mean, as others have suggested, according to the demands of his personality, conduct, or stage in life? Since “way” in Proverbs does not mean personality or stage in life, it is preferable to say that “way” means proper way, the path of wise, godly living…basically the way of wisdom” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 953). Of course, if as a parent I have been apathetic and careless with my own spiritual growth, how can I then train my children in the path of wisdom? Concerning the end of this verse, “Even when he is old he will not depart from it”, remember that many of the Proverbs do have exceptions. Lazarus is the exception to 22:4. See also 22:11,16,29. This doesn’t mean that the Proverb is useless, for failure is basically guaranteed if we neglect this verse, “Train the child according to his evil inclinations (let him have his will) and he will continue in his evil way throughout life”. As adults we are very aware that despite wonderful parenting, we still have choice and free will. There are basically two common abuses of the above proverb. 1. Make godly parents feel guilty who have a rebellious child. 2. Excuse the failures of parents who do deserve a rebuke. It is probably a verse that should always make us feel uncomfortable, for it does remind us that we can contribute in some manner the eternal destiny of our children. In light of such a fact we should always be reevaluating how we are training them—for we are only given one chance.
Money’s Leverage 22:7 A simple economic fact of life and not the only one (10:15). Debt is a form of slavery. The borrower is limited by the amount he can borrow and by the wishes of the lender; he must pay the interest-rate asked by the lender; he must also pay it back in the time-limit set by the lender. “Verse 7 neither condemns nor condones money lending. Instead, it simply says that if you borrow you become a slave to the lender. That, in itself should be enough to make
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someone hesitate before asking for a loan” (Alden p. 161). So pay off those credit cards!
Sin’s Empty Harvest 22:8 The wicked will reap the consequences of their sins (Galatians 6:7-9; Matthew 13:30). The word “vanity” suggests that the sinner who reasons, “I know God will eventually punish me, but at least I can have a good time in this life”, will even miss out on that supposed good time. Sin not only will disappoint in the future, but it will turn out to be a disappointment also in this life. “And the rod of his fury will perish”, that is, the unrepentant sinner will no longer be able to unleash his fury. “What the wicked achieve through their fury and wrath will not last; their manipulative techniques will be exhausted” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 953). Eventually, the person who rails against God will be silenced.
The Cheerful Giver 22:9 Compare with Deuteronomy 15:9-10 and 2 Corinthians 9:7-8. This verse really answers the excuse, “but I cannot afford to be generous”, or, “Since I have little, God doesn’t require that I give”. The willingness to give food to the poor demonstrates that he or she is genuine. “He looks at others with the desire to help them, not to take advantage of them” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 953). “The irony is that because he is not the prisoner of his selfish desires, he achieves the highest degree of self-fulfillment” (Gaebelein p. 1063). Too many people have been convinced that happiness is found in gaining more for yourself.
Trouble Maker 22:10 “Disagreement and bad blood sometimes arise not from the facts of a situation but from a person with a wrong attitude….That is to say, what an institution sometimes needs is not reforms, but the expulsion of a member” (Kidner p. 148). Sadly, our society tends to tolerate and glorify the heckler instead of removing him. “Verse 10 lists three results of getting rid of a mocker: you spare yourself arguments, quarreling, and insults. An old rabbinic proverb says something like this: ‘When a fool leaves the room it seems as though a wise man entered’” (Alden p. 161).
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Grace And Truth 22:11 “It is the equal partnership of integrity and charm, the one not diminishing the other, that is the rarity” (Kidner p. 148). “What king wouldn’t love to have men of pure hearts and gracious speech serve under him? To much men this monarch promises actual friendship” (Alden p. 161). “Those whose minds and words are peaceable (and true) find themselves welcomed on the highest level” (Garrett p. 189). On the other hand, something is seriously wrong with an administration who doesn’t want sincere and truthful people. The person who loves purity in heart is one who strives to be free from deceit, lust, hypocrisy and so on. In addition, such a person doesn’t have a divided loyalty between God and the world (Matthew 6:24).
Truth’s Guardian 22:12 The phrase “preserves knowledge” is also translated, “keep watch over knowledge”. The point is that the Lord acts to vindicate the truth. “When truth seems betrayed, here is encouragement for its friends” (Kidner p. 148). Distortions of the truth will be shown for what they are. “The proverb is a forerunner of the later promise that someday all lies and the father of lies will suffer the sting and shame of defeat” (Alden p. 161). Christians need to read and embrace such statements, because it is tempting to believe that falsehood is beating the pants off the truth on a daily basis. It is very tempting to start believing that truth and being truthful gets in the way of being successful. How often do you hear people express the sentiment, “We won’t be able to convert anyone if we insist on preaching what the Bible says”?
Lie On! 22:13 The idea could be that the sluggard comes to believe his own excuses (perhaps there is a lion out there), and the verse, “Includes such preposterous excuses for the lazy man who doesn’t want to work, that we almost want to laugh. ‘I can’t go to work because there’s a lion outside! ‘Someone might murder me!’” (Alden pp. 161-162). Any excuse, no matter how far-fetched is enough to keep a lazy man from working. And yet, this same lazy person wouldn’t be afraid of the ‘lion outside’ if they wanted to go down to the local tavern. There are a good number of modern day sluggards. Most of us have
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seen the shows in which some investigative reporter catches the supposed disabled person with a neck brace, who happens to be recreating just fine without it. Let us remind ourselves that our excuses for not serving God or sharing Him with others sound just as silly to God.
The Adulteress 22:14 Her mouth is a deep pit in the sense that she is full of lies and deceptive speech (see 2:16-22). To believe what she says is like falling into a deep pit from which there is no escape. The statement, “He who is cursed of the Lord will fall into it”, should shock us out of apathy and unfaithfulness. Those who begin to wander away from God, and men who don’t work on their relationship with God will be easy prey for this type of woman. God will allow apathetic and unspiritual men to fall into this trap. Adultery isn’t getting lucky, rather, God can use the adulteress to punish the unfaithful.
Knocking Out The Nonsense
22:15 Note, the verse doesn’t say that a child is born depraved (1 Corinthians 14:20), but children are born immature, ignorant and if not educated or disciplined they can easily become fools. In reflecting back all of us can remember the foolish, unwise, careless, and immature things that we either did or thought when we were children. The good news is that such foolishness can be removed by godly discipline. Any child can mature, and develop good judgment and self-control. To me this verse offers a good argument against people who try to excuse sinful behavior on the premise that, “they were born this way”. Clearly, Solomon is arguing that sin isn’t genetic. Be impressed that the purpose of such discipline is to remove folly far from the child. It isn’t enough to merely tell a child that something is wrong, we must convince them that they need to abhor such behavior. Contrary to the claims of Calvinism, a miraculous indwelling of the Spirit doesn’t drive folly from the child, rather, godly and diligent parental discipline which is in harmony with the will of God. "An inevitable struggle between the individual and the several powers that go to make his individuality, begins in every child at his very birth, and continues so long as his life in the flesh continues. On the outcome of this struggle depends the ultimate character of him who struggles. It is, to him, bondage or mastery, 6
defeat or triumph, failure or success, as a result of the battling that cannot be evaded...It is in a child's earlier struggles with himself that help can easiest be given to him, and that it is of greatest value for his own developing of character….hence it is that it rests with the parent to decide, while the child is still a child, whether the child shall be a slave to himself, or a master of himself....to leave a child to himself in these earliest struggles with himself, is to put him at a sad disadvantage in all the future combats of his life's warfare” (Hints on Child Training. H. Clay Trumbull pp. 53-55).
Expensive Tactics 22:16 And yet these are the very tactics that a good number of people are currently using. Squeezing money out of the poor man and buttering up the rich man—will only result in poverty. Such actions will only boomerang. “Poor people are the ones who need gifts, not rich ones. Giving to the poor, however, seems to reap no profit so gifts become not evidence of generosity as much as manipulative greed” (Alden p. 162). The verse is simply one more example of where sinners seem bent on trying to prove that God is wrong and that one can get around His moral laws which govern this universe. In many respects the manipulator or the deal-cutter is just as lazy as the man in 22:13. How many people today think that easy money can be had in taking advantage of the poor, migrant workers, the elderly, and those on fixed incomes?
The Right Use Of Proverbs 22:17 First, be willing to listen! Many people will never end up saved for the very simple reason that they never were willing to take the time to listen (Matthew 13:19). This section is meant to cause the disciple to review his response to all Scripture. Does he read with alert attention? How much is retained and ready for passing on (18)? Does he receive it in the spirit in which it is given—to deepen his trust in God (19)? Does it guide his decisions (20)? And strengthen his grasp of the truth (21)? Does he see himself as the virtual envoy of those whose knowledge of the truth depends on him? The expression “apply your mind” suggests that learning the truth takes effort and that some truths may not initially make us feel good. 22:18 Life will be pleasant and truth will be pleasant when we memorize and dwell upon such truths (Psalm 119:11). Often it will take time and dwelling on a truth to truly appreciate what God has given us or is telling us. In addition, we
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should be able to tell such truths to others, God’s message should be on the tip of our tongue 22:19 Faith comes by hearing! (Romans 10:17) The person who seriously listens, meditates and memorizes what he has learned, is the person who will increasing become more convicted concerning the wisdom and goodness of God’s truths. The expression “I have taught you today, even you”, should remind all of us that the Bible isn’t merely directed at the masses, it is also directly specifically at us. This book applies to everyone, but it specifically applies to me! How often do we sit back and contemplate the wonderful thing that as happened in our life, “we have been taught the truth!”? 22:20 We need to appreciate what has been given to us! Prophets longed to know what would be revealed to Christians (1 Peter 1:10-12). This verse says something about the person who isn’t impressed with the material in this book. I haven’t even started on the path to wisdom, if I can’t see that this book contains “excellent” things. 22:21 Truth is certain and absolute. These teachings are reliable. They work in the real world and this isn’t some kind of untested philosophy. In addition, God expects those who learn the way of wisdom to share it to others, and correctly answer those who ask questions of the disciple (1 Peter 3:15; 2 Timothy 2:2). The person who sent this student, “to him who sent you”, may be the learner’s teacher or employer. Be impressed that there are correct answers to life’s questions! “This probably means that, when the time comes, the student will give the same answer as the teacher might have given” (Alden p. 166). Verse 22 begins a section of wise sayings which will run through 24:22.
Protector Of The Poor 22:22-23 “To be ruthlessly ‘on the make’ is to make, above all, an Enemy (God)” (Kidner p. 150). This is one of those passages which God makes it clear that He is the champion of the defenseless. In modern terms, people who try to run scams on the elderly, or abuse the alien will find that God is hunting them. Note, the oppression in this verse might be legal in a society, but morally out of bounds. “Here the text warns the powerful not to use legal devices to exploit the poor, lest they find themselves arraigned before a much higher judge” (Garrett p. 194).
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Bad Company 22:24-25 Even friendship must be governed by wisdom. “For all this, his kindness must not overbalance into sentimentality: he must be able to keep his distance from some” (Kidner p. 44). Like it or not, it is easily to become like the people with whom you associate. Evil tends to rub off on us much quicker than righteousness. Such an association is particularly dangerous, when we start admiring such an angry man, because it appears that his anger enables him to get his way! This verse and others gives every parent the right to be concerned and vocal about the type of companions which are chosen by their children.
Reckless Promises 22:26-27 Compare with 6:1-5. There is a warning here about becoming foolishly entangled in other’s financial problems. The verse reminds us that when people get into financial trouble, the cure isn’t another loan, but rather, a change in spending habits. And if we cosign on an unwise loan, we may be the one who will lose our shirt. “Paying back the money may leave you so destitute that your very bed will be snatched from under you. You will have to live up to your cosigner commitment” (Alden p. 167).
Betraying The Past 22:28 The likely motive for such an act would be greed (23:10-11). “A farmer could easily increase the extent of his own land and decrease his neighbor’s by moving the stones at the boundary lines” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 955). Obviously, this was a common problem even among God’s professed people (Deuteronomy 19:14; 27:17; Job 24:2; Hosea 5:10). The verse also reminds us that there are some things which are not the property of a single generation. In addition, “No law will protect people when integrity is absent” (Kidner p. 150). Laws become meaningless when we accept the statement that character doesn’t matter.
The Craftsman
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22:29 A good and thorough job is one way to influence kings or impress employers. Gifts, bribes and boasting may succeed for a while, but those in charge generally know who is really being productive. Over the long haul, the man who does his job well will rise to the top. On average, the diligent worker is more often prompted than the smooth talker. In addition, such a skillful worker will find the proper setting where his skill will be appreciated and not have it wasted on an ignoramus. “Quality work deserves recognition. This is a verse for those unwilling to stop at what seems good enough in job performance and push on to doing it right” (Garrett p. 195).
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