Year 1, Week 45, Day 1 Bible Reading Observations

Year 1, Week 45, Day 1

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Proverbs 19-21.

Today’s reading continues the section of Proverbs begun in chapter 10 and ends in chapter 22. As we once again note, this section comprises proverbial sayings, which are short pithy statements, contrast wisdom and righteousness with folly and wickedness as practical life themes such as work ethic, money, speech, family relationships, friendships, and governmental matters are explored. One of the differences that begins in today’s reading that sets it apart from the previous days in this section of Proverbs is the increased frequency of better-than sayings. These better-than sayings are designed to teach the skill of discernment. Discernment is the ability to detect, often even among subtleties, the path of life that consists of wisdom and righteousness over folly and wickedness: “Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good” (Proverbs 19:8).

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading is the glowing affirmation for a poor person: “Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool” (Proverbs 19:1). One of the things that is intriguing about the superiority of being a poor person as stated in this verse is the tension that it creates about many of the things already said in Proverbs in reference to the poor: “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame” (Proverbs 10:4-5). Whereas being poor is often associated with being a fool due to lacking the diligence to work, not all who are poor are in such a state because of foolishness. There are some who are poor because they possess the wisdom to reject dishonest means for acquiring wealth. The wisdom contained in Proverbs describes a category of poverty that is driven by applied righteousness: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1); and: “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways” (Proverbs 28:6).

Comparing various proverbial sayings that touch on common themes serves to remind us that no one proverbial saying exhaustively states everything that can be said about a subject. The short pithiness of the proverbial sayings aid in our remembering them, but it should be kept in mind before we recite them, that they lack nuance. As it relates to the subject of poverty, no one proverbial saying explains everything. Some poor lack wisdom, while other poor possess wisdom. Some rich live and work righteously, while some rich are utterly void of any righteous intentions and actions. There are multiple possible reasons for the existence of both the poor and the rich. What is needed to sort things out is discernment—knowing how to sift through the layers of factors that comprise true wisdom: “What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar” (Proverbs 19:21). There is a correlation between diligent work and wealth; but there is also an acquisition of wealth that comes by means of dishonesty. It is good to acquire wealth through hard work; it is better to acquire wealth through honest hard work.

Another better-than saying in today’s reading pertains to marriage. Finding a wife is a good thing: “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD” (Proverbs 18:22). But there is something better than a wife—discernment is required: “It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife” (Proverbs 21:9, which is repeated in 25:24); and: “It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman” (Proverbs 21:19). Marriage is good, but some marriages are better. The difference is the kind of wife one marries. The problem is not a woman in general but a particular kind of wife—a quarrelsome one. Quarrelsomeness is a fruit of a prideful heart: “By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom” (Proverbs 13:10) [By the way, neither quarrelsomeness nor pride are evil qualities that are only associated with the female gender]. It is not advisable to live either on the corner of a housetop or in a desert; but both options are better than marrying the wrong kind of person.

Concerning the matter of marriage, perhaps the point of these proverbial sayings is that the nature of the conversation that a father needs to have with his son pertains to the kind of women that he should look for in the first place. A guy living on the corner of his roof already knows the relevance of these proverbial sayings, he would have been better helped to know of these matters beforehand. Discernment is to be deployed on the front end of the spouse selection process. A sober assessment that takes into account the possibility that you might end up wishing that you lived in the corner of a housetop or in a desert, would be more likely to take into account the seriousness of evaluating candidates on the basis of moral character. It is good to have a wife, it is better to have a wife that you can find enjoyment in living with.

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe