Archive for the ‘Proverbs’ Category
The Causes of Wealth and Poverty
Why are some people wealthy while other people are poor?
There are several possible answers to that question, but the Book of Proverbs emphasizes this insight: Hard work leads to wealth, but laziness leads to poverty. Consider in this matter the following proverbs:
Lazy hands make a man poor,
but diligent hands bring wealth.
He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son,
but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son (10:4-5).
He who works his land will have abundant food,
but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment (12:11).
Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in slave labor (12:24).
The lazy man does not roast his game,
but the diligent man prizes his possessions (12:27).
The sluggard craves and gets nothing,
but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied (13:4).
All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty (14:23).
Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;
stay awake and you will have food to spare (20:13).
He who works his land will have abundant food,
but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty (28:19).
Each of these proverbs contrasts the effects of hard work and laziness. Hard work produces wealth, proceeds from wisdom, promotes self-reliance, and provides satisfaction. Laziness produces poverty, proceeds from folly, promotes dependence on others, and provides no satisfaction. If you want to be wealthy, then, you must work hard.
Of course, we all know hard-working people who are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. Cross California’s southern border and you’ll meet people who put in 50-to-60-hour work weeks in backbreaking labor and still don’t make enough to support their families. You can find Americans in similar situations too.
And, of course, we all also know lazy people who are rolling in dough. These people often come from wealthy families whose wealth has given them entry into celebrity circles.
A third category of people we might mention are hard-working people who wealth results from plain, dumb luck. The man who wins the lottery jackpot, the woman who picks the right suitcase on Deal or No Deal, the dual-income family who inherits a house from a long-lost uncle – these are people whose hard work has not produced the wealth they have.
These three categories of people are exceptions to Proverbs’ linkage of hard work and wealth. But they are the exceptions that make, rather than break, the rule. The fact of the matter is, in our own lives and in the lives of others, we routinely see that hard work leads to wealth. If the rule isn’t true, you should ask yourself why you’re working so hard.
Of course, wealth is a relative concept. Some people think of it as being able to buy what you want. Of course, our wants always outstrip our resources, so the want-standard is a just a formula for unhappiness. I think wealth is being able to buy what you need. And by that standard, I’m a wealthy man.
Laziness vs. Hard Work
My dad is the hardest working man I know. He’s 66 years old, but he can work men half his age under the table. Like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps going and going and going from dawn till dusk. Some people work hard, others work smart; my dad does both. I get tired just watching him.
I’ve never asked dad why he’s so hard working, but I think it has to do with his childhood. My grandparents were godly people. They labored hard in the fields of the Lord as missionaries and pastors of small churches. But they never rose above a lower-middle-class income status. From an early age, my dad had to work. He put himself through college, graduate school, and law school to boot. He had to; there was no alternative.
In the biblical world, there was no alternative to hard work either, unless you were rich, which most people weren’t. People eked out their living from the land. If they worked hard and smart, they might produce enough grain and produce for the coming year, together with enough seeds for the next planting season. If they slacked off, however, they would be sure to suffer deprivation through the winter, if they survived it at all.
This is the real-life background to Proverbs 6:6-11:
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
According to the Proverbist, ants are model workers for two reasons: First, they are self-motivated. They don’t need leaders and managers (or moms and dads) to motivate them to work. They are self-led. They do what they do because of an internal commitment to excellence, rather than an external conformity to pressure.
Second, ants are model workers because they make provision for the future. Some people work hard and spend harder. They throw all their earnings away on immediate gratifications. Ants, by contrast, store summer harvests for winter meals.
If ants model how we should work, sluggards model how we shouldn’t. While ants are self-motivated providers, sluggards are unmotivated nappers.
How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest —
and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.
Those last two lines let us know why hard work is so necessary: If you don’t work hard, you will be poor, and your resources will be scarce. This is true even in modern welfare states. Government relief programs dull the hard edge of poverty, but they don’t eliminate it entirely. And do you really want your financial well-being to be determined by politicians?
Growing up, my dad knew poverty. (So did my mom, who is another hard worker). My sister and I never did, however. Our parents worked hard to fill our house with things and our home with love. We strive to follow their (and the ants’) example.
Leadership and Self-Leadership (Proverbs 31:1-9)
The Book of Proverbs typically presents itself as a father giving advice to his son about how to live the truly good life.[*] But in Proverbs 31:1-9, it is a mother who speaks to her son. She is no ordinary woman, however; and he is no ordinary man. She is the queen mother, and he is the king. Let’s take a close look at what she says, for she teaches him (and us) several important lessons about leadership and self-leadership.
The sayings of King Lemuel — an oracle his mother taught him:
“O my son, O son of my womb,
O son of my vows,
do not spend your strength on women,
your vigor on those who ruin kings.
It is not for kings, O Lemuel —
not for kings to drink wine,
not for rulers to crave beer,
lest they drink and forget what the law decrees,
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
Give beer to those who are perishing,
wine to those who are in anguish;
let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Notice the way the queen mother addresses her son. He is “my son,” “son of my womb,” and “son of my vows.” With these words, the queen mother reminds King Lemuel of her authority to advise him. She is his mother; she herself gave him birth; he is the legitimate offspring of a royal marriage. The mother-child bond not only gives her authority to advise him, but it also reminds him that leaders are not self-made. They are brought into the world through the choices of others. Leaders must remember their interdependence with, not independence from, others.
Second, the queen mother advises her son to avoid the temptations of adultery, alcohol, and abuse of power. “Do not spend your strength on women,” she says. “It is not for kings to drink wine,” she advises. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,” she counsels. Leaders have tremendous authority and power within their respective communities. The temptation is to use that power to advance their personal interests, rather than the interests of those under their care. Resisting that temptation requires enormous self-control. When self-control is not exercised, when prudence gives way to passion and parties and power hunger, leaders slowly lose their ability to influence others in a positive direction.
Third, leaders should use their influence to advance the interests of the last, the lost, and the least of society. As leaders rise through the ranks, the tendency is to become accustomed to power and privilege and to forget the people whose interests they’re supposed to serve. Self-controlled leaders are focused on their purpose. They serve the voiceless, the destitute, the poor, and the needy.
Citizenship
What does the Book of Proverbs teach us about being good citizens?
It teaches us, first of all, that good citizens have good hearts.
He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious
will have the king for his friend (22:11).
A citizen with a pure heart is a person of integrity. He or she is guided by the highest values and motivated by the best intentions. This integrity overflows into action, specifically speech but also action. The pure-hearted person speaks graciously about and to the people God has placed in positions of political authority.
I should add, however, that there are times when a person of integrity must also speak hard truths to those in political power. The Old Testament prophets are case studies of this. Precisely because they were men of integrity, they challenged the injustice their government was practicing. What matters most, then, is integrity. If the government is good, speak graciously about it. If it is bad, speak hard truths to it.
Second, good citizens are uncomfortable with the privileges of power.
When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well what is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive (23:1-3).
Henry Kissinger once remarked that power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. He was probably right, and that should make us wary. People in positions of political authority often become used to privilege. (One thinks of the nomenklatura in the old Soviet Union, for example, who had access to luxuries while their citizens waited in bread lines.) If you get to close to privilege, it may distort your ability to distinguish justice and injustice. In that sense, the food of rulers is “deceptive.”
Third, good citizens obey the law.
Fear the Lord and the king, my son,
and do not join with the rebellious,
for those two will send sudden destruction upon them,
and who knows what calamities they can bring? (24:21-22)
I suppose that there are moments where civil disobedience to and even revolution against an unjust government becomes permissible. (The Civil Rights Movement and the American Revolution come to mind in this regard.) But in general, obedience to the law is the default position of biblically minded citizens. Why? Because of the harsh consequences civil disobedience and revolution can bring about. Remember what Nazi Ernst Rohm said before he was purged by Adolf Hitler: “Every revolution eats its own children.”
Fourth, good citizens show deference to people in positions of political authority.
Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among great men;
it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”
than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman (25:6-7).
Of course, deference to government was a much greater virtue (and necessity) in a monarchy than in a democracy, but I still believe it is appropriate for citizens in a democracy to act respectfully toward their elected officials, if not because of the officeholder than at least because of the office.
Bad Government
There is only one way for a government to go right: by doing justice. There are many ways for a government to go wrong, however. The Book of Proverbs offers an illustrative list of the practices of bad government.
The first practice is dishonesty.
Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool —
how much worse lying lips to a ruler! (17:7)
In this proverb, “arrogant lips” are parallel to “lying lips.” And since kings should not be fools, they should neither speak arrogantly nor dishonestly. Unfortunately, on the campaign trail, politicians are apt to both overstate the worthiness of their candidacy for office as well as lie about what they will accomplish when in office. What we should demand of government officials is modesty and truth-telling.
Proverbs warns us off dishonest politicians, but it also realistically portrays what happens when politicians are not held accountable to the truth.
If a ruler listens to lies,
all his officials become wicked (29:12).
Dishonesty is a rapidly mutating virus. It infects everything unless it is quickly and thoroughly destroyed.
The second practice of bad government is rage.
A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass (19:12).
A king’s wrath is like the roar of a lion;
he who angers him forfeits his life (20:2).
Both of these passages compare the king’s anger to a lion’s roar. And that’s what anger is, a loud, ravenous beast. In despotic governments, people who tick off the leaders often find themselves on the sharp end of a guillotine. Good government restrains its anger; bad government unleashes it. No wonder people living under tyranny and oppression live in constant fear. That’s not the way government is supposed to operate.
The third practice is tyranny.
Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people (28:15).
Once again, a wicked king is portrayed as a “roaring lion.” The key word is helpless in the second line. Bad government takes advantage of its power over other people, most often to advance selfish interests. Good government, by contrast, directs its energies toward helping people, not rendering them helpless.
The fourth practice of bad government is self-interest. Proverbs 28:16 contrasts the “tyrannical ruler” with a person who hates “ill-gotten gain.”
A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment,
but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life.
Proverbs 29:4 builds on that contrast with another:
By justice a king gives a country stability,
but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.
These proverbs contrast good government, which hates bribes and other forms of dirty money and leads to stability, with bad government, which loves them and leads to disaster for the country. Of every politician, we should ask: Are they in office for themselves or for others? They cannot be there for both.
There are more practices of bad government than dishonesty, rage, tyranny, and self-interest, but these are a representative sample of the kinds of ways that governments go wrong.
Good Government
The test of good government is justice. A government that makes and enforces just laws passes the test. A government that does not does not.
In modern America, the federal government is composed of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative branch makes the laws, the executive branch enforces them, and the judicial branch judges their application. In ancient Israel, however, the king embodied all three functions of government. He was legislator, executive, and judge. Because he was invested with such heavy responsibilities, the king had a unique responsibility to act justly.
According to Proverbs 16:10, this unique responsibility begins with his words:
The lips of a king speak as an oracle,
and his mouth should not betray justice.
It is unclear whether the king is legislating or judging in this proverb. Regardless, the main point is that what a king says should always take justice into account. He should not make unjust laws nor render unjust decisions.
His actions should also take justice into account.
Kings detest wrongdoing,
for a throne is established through righteousness (16:12).
Two proverbs use a harvesting image to describe what the king does when he decides cases of law:
When a king sits on his throne to judge,
he winnows out all evil with his eyes (20:8).
A wise king winnows out the wicked;
he drives the threshing wheel over them (20:26).
Once, while touring northwestern China, I saw a farmer winnow his crop. He laid the crop on the road and allowed trucks to drive over it in order to separate the chaff from the grain. Then he threw the crop into the air and let it blow the chaff away. That’s what a king does in his judicial function. He separates the grain of justice from the chaff of injustice.
Of course, a king cannot run a country all by himself. He needs a bureaucracy to oversee the day-to-day functions of government. And that bureaucracy must be governed by justice as well, as two proverbs show:
A king delights in a wise servant,
but a shameful servant incurs his wrath (14:35).
Remove the dross from the silver,
and out comes material for the silversmith;
remove the wicked from the king’s presence,
and his throne will be established through righteousness (25:4-5).
Proverbs 20:28 speaks of the king’s activities in terms of “love and faithfulness”:
Love and faithfulness keep a king safe;
through love his throne is made secure.
These terms are technical legal terms. They refer to a person’s willingness to honor covenants which he has entered into.
Where there is justice, Proverbs tells us, there is also peace:
By justice a king gives a country stability,
but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down (29:4).
When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order (28:2).
And peace leads to human flourishing, which reflects well on the government in charge:
A large population is a king’s glory,
but without subjects a prince is ruined (14:28).
In summary, the test of good government in justice, which includes love and faithfulness, and results in peace. May God bless us with such a government!
God and Government
Because 2008 is a presidential election year, it seems prudent to study what the Book of Proverbs teaches about government.[*] Here is an outline of my topics for the next five devotionals:
- God and Government
- Good Government
- Bad Government
- Good Citizenship
- Government and Self-Government
What role should the Christian religion play in American politics? The Book of Proverbs does not explicitly answer that question, of course. But it does provide some broad guidelines about that should guide our thinking.
The first guideline is divine wisdom is the basis of just law. Consider, in this regard, Proverbs 8:15-16:
By me kings reign
and rulers make laws that are just;
by me princes govern,
and all nobles who rule on earth.
The me in verse 15 is Woman Wisdom, which as we’ve seen, is the personification of divine wisdom. If government officials rule according to God’s wisdom, Woman Wisdom tells us, they will make just laws. One example of the connection between divine wisdom and justice can be found in the opening words of the Declaration of Independence. There, the Founding Fathers spoke of “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.” They also wrote that “the Creator” had “endowed” all people with “certain unalienable rights.” God-given rights cannot be taken away by any government without answering to God himself.
The second guideline is that government officials have a duty to shape laws according to divine wisdom. Proverbs 25:2-3 puts it this way:
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
God governs the universe by means of moral laws. Government officials have a moral duty to study how these moral laws apply to the cases under their responsibility. How, for example, does the commandment prohibiting theft apply to taxation, eminent domain, Social Security, Federal Reserve rates, etc.? God supplies the principle, but politicians must figure out its application.
Third, government officials exercise power under divine authority. According to Proverbs 21:1:
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord;
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
All too often, people in positions of authority begin acting as a law unto themselves. This proverbs reminds them (and us) that God is sovereign, that final judgment rests with him, and that he uses politicians to accomplish his own ends. How God does this is often a mystery; that he does this is a biblical fact.
Finally, God is the ultimate Judge of human affairs. Proverbs 29:26 says:
Many seek an audience with a ruler,
but it is from the Lord that man gets justice.
Government plays an important role in God’s plan, but not an all-important role. It should do justice at all times, but when it doesn’t, there is a Greater Judge who law will be enforced. Let us pray and work for good government, but let us put our hope in this God alone.
[*] See Tremper Longman III, Proverbs (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006), 559-560 for a list of proverbs related to the theme, “Kings/Authority.”
Healthy Decisions
This January, I resolved to eat right and exercise. I’ve been resolving to do so every January since I can remember, but this January was different. I finally admitted that I am not getting any younger and that my health is largely my decision. Eating cheeseburgers daily and sitting on the couch watching TV nightly are not the kind of decisions that make for a long or healthy life.
The Book of Proverbs outlines several decisions each of us must make that also contribute to healthy living.[*] These don’t fall into the realm of eat right and exercise, but they are insightful nonetheless.
The first decision we must make regards our relationship with God.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones (3:7-8).
Notice the logic of these two verses. The right understanding of who we are and who God is leads to correct action which results in a healthy body. The ultimate sources of health, in other words, are spiritual and moral in nature, not just physical—as if the good life were only a matter of calories, vitamins, and cardiovascular activity. The good life is first and foremost a godly life.
The second decision we must make regards our most intimate human relationship: our spouse.
A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones (12:4).
Remember, Proverbs is largely a book of fatherly advice to sons, so the husband-centered nature of these remarks shouldn’t surprise us. But they are true nonetheless, and equally true when roles are reversed. Whom you choose to marry—whether wife or husband—profoundly shapes your sense of wellbeing. So choose wisely!
The third decision regards our emotional life.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life (13:12).
A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones (14:30).
A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones (17:22).
A man’s spirit sustains him in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear? (18:14).
Philosophers debate the extent to which emotions are under our control. I believe our choices can shape our emotional well-being. For example, we can take action to fulfill our desires (and we should, as long as those desires are moral). We can work to eliminate envy from our lives. When depressed, we can watch the Three Stooges and laugh until we’re cheered up. While our emotions are not completely under our control, they are largely under our control, so we should make choices that lead to joy.
The final choice regards our choice of words.
A cheerful look brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones (15:30).
Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones (16:24).
How we speak to others affects their wellbeing. But I also think our choice of words affect our own. Praise uplifts, while criticism depresses. So, criticize others sparingly (and only if really necessary), but praise lavishly.
[*] I derived this grouping of Scriptures from Tremper Longman III, Proverbs (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006), 558-559.
Seven Principles of Good Planning, Part 2
Yesterday, we examined the first four of Proverbs’ principles of good planning:
- Who you are and what you plan form a continuum.
- Different plans have different outcomes.
- Good plans are built on sound advice.
- Good plans utilize processes.
Today, I’d like to look at three other principles:
- The best plans take into account God’s moral law.
Proverbs 29:18 contrast godless plans with godly plans:
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
but blessed is he who keeps the law.
God’s moral law, which is revealed in nature but most clearly in Scripture, is a moral compass for our plans. Without God’s moral law, we are tempted to pursue selfish ends. And selfishness leads to all kinds of mischief, both great and small. Apart from the revelation of God’s moral law, this proverb tells us, we cast off the restraints of love, duty, and conscience. By strong contrast, when we begin our plans with God’s moral law at the center of our attention and will, we experience the happiness that flows from obedience.
- The best plans seek that God’s will be done.
It is one thing to take God’s moral law into account at the theoretical level of planning. It is another thing entirely to actually let God determine the outcomes at the practical level of planning. Several proverbs teach us the role that God should have when we put our plans into action.
To man belong the plans of the heart,
but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him,
but motives are weighed by the Lord.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed (16:1-3).
In his heart a man plans his course,
but the Lord determines his steps (16:9).
The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord (16:33).
Many are the plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails (19:21).
A man’s steps are directed by the Lord.
How then can anyone understand his own way? (20:24)
Proverbs 16:33 is an especially instructive example. In Acts 1:12-26, the Apostles determined that they needed to replace Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed Jesus. So, after lengthy prayer, they came up with a rational set of criteria for who was qualified to be an apostle. When these rational criteria produced two equally qualified candidates, the apostles again prayed, and then they cost lots. Sometimes, after we have prayed and planned, we are stuck between equally good choices. At such a time, it is legitimate to flip a coin and let God determine the outcome.
- Humility is the proper mindset for the godly planner.
There are several reasons to be humble. First, we should be humbly obedient to God’s moral law, which outlines restraints on our behavior. Second, we should be humble enough to seek God’s leading where more specific guidance is required. But third, we should be humble simply because of the limitations on our power and knowledge.
Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring forth (27:1).
Creaturely boasting is always uncalled for. We aren’t powerful enough and don’t know enough to pretend that our plans control the future. Only God has that power and knowledge. Only he determines what the day brings. So, above all, be humble!
Seven Principles of Good Planning
A few weeks before New Year’s Day, I bought myself a Franklin/Covey day planner. At the end of 2007, I realized that I had not accomplished as much as I had wanted to, and I chalked up this failure to bad planning and time management. I determined that the same thing would not happen to me in 2008. My day planner helps keep me on track.
The Book of Proverbs teaches us quite a bit about planning, whether for your day or for your life. Consider these principles:
First, who you are and what you plan form a continuum:
The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful (12:5).
So, before you ask, “What are my plans?” perhaps you should ask, “Who am I?” At the end of the day, God is more interested in good people than good plans, but by the same token, good people make good plans.
Second, different plans have different outcomes:
There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but joy for those who promote peace (12:20).
Do not those who plot evil go astray?
But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness (14:22).
The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked,
but those of the pure are pleasing to him (15:26).
The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty (21:5).
Notice the wide range of outcomes here. Some of them are social (evil vs. peace). Some of them are personal (going astray vs. finding love and faithfulness). Some of them are spiritual (thoughts which are detestable to God vs. thoughts which are pleasing). And some of them are professional (profit vs. poverty). In light of these contradictory outcomes, plan well!
Third, good plans are built on sound advice:
…for waging war you need guidance,
and for victory many advisers (24:6).
For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but many advisers make victory sure (11:14).
Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed (15:22).
Make plans by seeking advice;
if you wage war, obtain guidance (20:18).
A few years ago, James Surowiecki published The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations. American culture, which is very individualistic, tends to think the lone genius is smarter than the crowd. Sometimes he is; usually he isn’t. If you want to make good plans, ask lots of good people for advice.
Fourth, good plans utilize good processes:
Finish your outdoor work
and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house (24:27).
Too often, young people want to be wealthy without doing the kind of hard work that produces wealth. The father of a childhood friend of mine built a company worth nearly a billion dollars by owning and operating thousands of fast-food franchises. He started at the front counter and worked his way up. That’s the way of wisdom.
Tomorrow, we’ll consider three more principles of good planning. They are the most important principles by far, for no plan can ultimately succeed without seeking and implementing God’s guidance.
