Proverbs 22:17–23:11

The collection of "the words of the wise" which next claims our attention is as different in character from the book of Psalms as one can imagine... the Psalms mostly present to us Jehovah — God in His nature rather than in covenant. Through the Holy Spirit they express His people's feelings and His own in their changing experience, in hopes and fears, joy and distress. The Proverbs present His wisdom in view of the difficulties and trials, snares and joys, and all other circumstances in the earthly path.

To give heed to the words of the wise is itself a wise thing — to apply the heart as well as the ear to those who know better than ourselves. How sad the self-sufficiency that doubts it!

Again, if instruction can be had, it needs application, and the application of the heart, without which the head is of no use. When right affection guides and governs, the ears profit by the words of knowledge, instead of knowledge puffing up.

The word "hearing" in Scripture means the ear that hears and obeys. This is always so... an obedient ear is an ear that takes in the truth, that obeys and takes hold of the message of the Spirit. This is the kind of attitude that produces blessing and progress.

The word must dwell in me before it can come out in teaching others... You see the words must be "kept within" first of all; only afterwards will they be "fitted in the lips." I must first make the word my own, so that it may come out from within. Then it flows out in teaching and correcting others.

But there is a better effect still, "that your trust may be in Jehovah." That is why such words are made known — for who otherwise is equal to them? And what good do we have that we have not received?

To know by this the certainty of the words of truth is a most wonderful benefit indeed (v. 21). Uncertainty and doubt are totally defeated by the pure truth of God. If we are equipped with this, we shall certainly be ready to answer any question others may ask. As 1 Peter 3:15 says: "always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

Let us not overlook the added value of "excellent things in counsels and knowledge" through their being "written" to us. However good oral instruction is, there is real danger the hearer will mistake it, and greater danger still that we let slip even what we understand. But we can read again and again what is written, and make it our own more fully. So we see the clear profit of Scripture as the permanent Word of God to our souls, as nothing else can be.

To give heed to the words of the wise is itself a wise thing — to apply the heart as well as the ear to those who know better than ourselves. How sad is the self-sufficiency that doubts it!

His word is to "dwell in you richly in all wisdom." The word must dwell in me before it can come out in teaching others… You see, the words must be "kept within" first of all. Only afterwards are they ready on the lips. I must first make the word my own, so that it comes out from within. Then it flows out in teaching and warning others.

A few will respond to this, but many will not, no matter how pleasant the result of doing so may be (v. 18). When the ear hears (v. 17), the lips will soon be affected too.

These words, if kept within, give satisfaction and pleasure. Everything else grows tiresome and distasteful, if not shameful. Nor is that all. They feed our own growth. They also help others, by the help they give and the confidence they inspire. So they become "together fitted to your lips."

There is nothing more dangerous than to use the word when it has not touched my conscience. If I go beyond what I have from God, I put myself into Satan's hands. That means going beyond what my soul actually holds, and then using it in ministry or in private… To talk with other believers about the things of God, beyond what I hold in communion with Him, is most harmful. I know of nothing that separates from God more than truth spoken out of communion with God; there is unusual danger in it.

But there is a better effect still, "that your trust may be in the LORD." That is why such words are made known. And who else could match them? And what good do we have that we did not receive? We do well to mark what each of us owes: "today, even to you."

Beginning with verse 18 we find another call to hear, and to apply the heart to His knowledge… This is the Lord's personal message to Solomon. He obeyed it for many years, and in the end disobeyed it.

But there is a better effect still: "that your trust may be in the LORD." This is why such words are made known. Who otherwise is equal to them? And what good do we have that we have not received? Surely we do well to note what each of us owes: "today, even to you."

Starting with verse 18 we find another call to hear, and to apply the heart to His knowledge... This is the personal message to Solomon from the Lord. Solomon listened to it for many years, and in the end disobeyed it.

To encourage trust in the Lord, the writer gives good instruction (v. 19). Anyone with the least wisdom will see how excellent that instruction is in its wisdom and knowledge (v. 20). To know by this the certainty of the words of truth is a marvellous benefit indeed (v. 21). The pure truth of God defeats uncertainty and doubt. If we have this, we shall be ready to answer any question others may ask, as 1 Peter 3:15 shows: "always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

True, only the gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit lets us grasp the word of God and hold it fast. But it is His word, and that word alone, that forms the ground of Christian certainty. That word is the true basis and authority for the Christian across the whole range of practical life and action. We cannot be too simple about this... It will not do to lean on human authority in any way. Thousands of God's people have tasted the bitterness of leaning on the commandments and doctrines of men. It is sure to end in disappointment and confusion, sooner or later.

Thousands of true believers live in uncertainty. They look at themselves instead of looking to Christ. They watch their feelings instead of listening to His word. The unhappy result is that they bear little testimony for Christ and do little service for Him... Oh, that we may always remember that all our blessing flows from the grace of God, and rests securely on His word! And that word can never be truer or plainer than it is now.

Let us not miss the added value that "excellent things in counsels and knowledge" gain by being "written" to us. Spoken teaching may be very good. But the hearer can easily mistake it, and can even more easily lose hold of what he did understand. What is written we can read again and again, and make our own more fully. So Scripture is of outstanding profit to our souls as the permanent Word of God, as nothing else can be.

The sweet psalmist of Israel said, "The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; His word is on my tongue." (2 Sam. 23:2.) "My tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe." (Ps. 45:1.) The wise man also exclaimed, "Have I not written to you excellent things?" (Prov. 22:20.) The prophet Hosea said, "I have written for him the great things of my law" (8:12); and the LORD said to Habakkuk, "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it." (Chap. 2:2.)

Scripture has a similar advantage, noted next here: "that I might make you know the certainty of the words of truth." Pure science has nothing moral in it. Still less has it any affection. Least of all does it make God known to the soul, and known in His true relationship to me. This is exactly what His Word does tell us, and tells with full certainty, for His Word is truth of that spiritual kind. Unbelief makes the truth of God the most uncertain of all things. It is like the pagan world with its many gods and many lords, while the one true and living God stays unknown.

Man pries into most holy things with unholy hands, while he neglects the things he is encouraged to look into and study. God commands him, "Search the Scriptures"; but in this, sadly, he has no interest. God says to him, "Have I not written to you excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make you know the certainty of the words of truth?" (Prov. 22:20). Yet man cares very little for this "certainty," while he shows a great appetite for the uncertainties of hidden knowledge and curious, profitless guesswork… There are "secret things" which belong to the LORD our God (Deut. 29:29), but there is much that He has revealed, and of this, sadly, we all know too little.

To encourage trust in the Lord, the writer gives good instruction (v. 19). Anyone with the least wisdom will see that such instruction is excellent in its wisdom and knowledge (v. 20). To know the certainty of the words of truth by this is a most marvellous benefit indeed (v. 21). The pure truth of God completely defeats uncertainty and doubt. If we are supplied with this, we will surely be ready to answer any question others may ask, as 1 Peter 3:15 shows: "always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

How good is the fruit this brings to others! "That you might report words of truth to those who send you" as a trusted messenger, or to those who "send to you" for advice when they are in difficulty.

Let us not overlook the added value of "excellent things in counsels and knowledge" by their being "written" to us. Spoken teaching may be very good. Even so, the hearer may well misunderstand it, and he is even more likely to lose hold of what he did understand. But we can read again and again what is written, and make it our own more fully. Here is the great profit of Scripture as the permanent Word of God to our souls, as nothing else can be.

Scripture has a similar advantage, noted next: "that I might make you know the certainty of the words of truth." Pure science has nothing moral in it, and no affection either. Least of all does it make God known to the soul, or known in His true relationship to me. This is just what His Word does communicate, in all certainty, for His Word is truth of that spiritual kind. Unbelief makes the truth of God the most uncertain thing of all. It is like the pagan world with its many gods and many lords, while the one true and living God stays unknown.

How like poor, foolish, meddling man! He pries into the most holy things with unholy hands. Meanwhile he neglects the things God invites him to study and ask about. "Search the Scriptures" is God's command to him, but in this, sadly, he has no interest. God says to him, "Have not I written to you excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make you know the certainty of the words of truth?" (Prov. 22:20-21). Yet man cares little for this "certainty." For the uncertainties of hidden knowledge and useless speculation he shows great appetite.

The writer of Proverbs gives good instruction to encourage trust in the Lord (v. 19). Anyone with the least wisdom will see that such instruction is excellent in its wisdom and knowledge (v. 20). To know by this the certainty of the words of truth is a marvellous benefit indeed. The pure truth of God completely defeats uncertainty and doubt. Equipped with this, we shall certainly be ready to answer any question others may ask, as 1 Peter 3:15 shows: "Be ready to give a defence to anyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear."

You cannot be too dogmatic if you have the truth. The grand point is whether we have the truth. And who is to bear witness to that? It must be God's record. Suppose it is not this Book in our hands, not the Scriptures, not the Word of God. You may then have the cleverest conclusions, the clearest arguments, the wisest thoughts imaginable. But without the Scriptures you have no certainty. If you have Scripture, you have certainty.

How good, too, is the fruit that results to others! "That you might report words of truth to them that send you" — as a trustworthy representative, or as one to whom others "send for advice" in their difficulty. Does not God give songs in the night? He teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of heaven.

Divine certainty is still possible to the humble soul.

There are some who are despicable enough to rob the poor because they are poor (v. 22). They take advantage of the fact that the poor cannot put right any wrong. If you rob the rich, they are in a position to retaliate. But the Lord will plead the cause of the poor (v. 23). So their oppressors will find their evil coming back on their own heads. They aim to plunder others, and they will be plundered themselves.

Gates protected a city, but "in the gate" was also the place where people settled many important matters. When Boaz wanted to settle the question about Ruth and the inheritance, he went up to the gate. There he debated the matter with a nearer relative, brought it to a close, and the elders witnessed it. To "sit in the gate" was a place of honour... It should have been the place of true judgement and justice, but was not always so.

It may seem strange to say, "Do not rob the poor," and in particular "because he is poor." But it is a warning we need, because human nature is now so base, selfish, and cruel. The rich might look like the more inviting prey for people without scruples. But they can take care of themselves in ways the poor would not or could not try. So bad men flatter the rich for gain, while they also rob or oppress those who ought to be objects of pity. But the LORD has His eye on such villainy, at the very gate from which justice should flow. He pleads the cause of the poor and the afflicted, and repays heavily those who plunder them.

In the essentials, how little the difference is! They come into the world alike, and they stand alike when the world passes away. "Rich and poor meet together; the LORD is the maker of them all." The poor man is entitled to remember this, and the rich man ought not to forget it. Job had it clearly before him: "If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant, when they brought a complaint against me, what then shall I do when God rises up? When He makes inquiry, what shall I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?"

James addresses the rich. They have possessions in this world, and they do not consider the poor. Yet "Blessed is the one who considers the poor" (Psalm 41:1). He who despises the poor because of his poverty despises the Lord Himself. "As for me, I am poor and needy," says the Lord in the psalm before the one I have quoted (Psalm 40:17). The Lord had pronounced His blessing on the poor. They were the ones who heard the gospel, and that was a sign announcing the Messiah. We all know a poor man may be just as wicked as anyone else. But riches are a real danger to us. They feed pride, and they tend to make the heart keep its distance from the poor. And the Lord associated Himself with the poor in this world.

It may seem odd to say, "Do not rob the poor," and especially "because he is poor." But we need the warning. Human nature as it is now can be so low, selfish, and cruel. A dishonest man might see the rich as the more tempting prey. But the rich can protect themselves in ways the poor would not or could not try. So bad men flatter the rich for gain, while they rob or oppress those who ought to be objects of pity. But the LORD has His eye on such villainy, at the very gate where justice should flow. He pleads the cause of the poor and the afflicted, and He repays heavily those who plunder them.

There are some who are despicable enough to rob the poor because they are poor — that is, taking advantage of their inability to get any wrong put right (v. 22). If you rob the rich, they are in a position to retaliate. But the LORD will plead the cause of the poor (v. 23). So their oppressors will find their own evil coming back on their heads. They aim to plunder others, and they end up plundered themselves.

Heartless dishonesty toward anyone draws out a far graver warning, and most of all toward the fatherless. It makes no difference what form it takes. It may be the sly move of shifting an old boundary stone. It may be the open boldness of walking into the fields of the fatherless. If they have no father, they need no lawyer any more than they need to take the law into their own hands. Their Kinsman, their Redeemer, is strong; He will plead their cause against the wrongdoer, high or low.

God has long been a patient Observer (v. 14), but patience is not indifference, as the world will learn by terrible experience. God will repay in perfect righteousness. The helpless who have committed themselves to Him will find Him a real helper. He is a Helper of the fatherless — of those who have no one on earth to depend on.

Nothing can be more painful to a tender heart than the lack of kindly consideration for the poor that the rich so often show. They can sit down to their lavish meal, having just turned a poor hard-working man away from their door. He had come seeking the fair reward of his honest labour. They never think of the aching heart with which that man goes back to his family to tell them of the disappointment to himself and to them. Oh, it is terrible. It offends God deeply. It offends everyone who has tasted His grace in any measure. Do you want to know what God thinks of such behaviour? Then listen to these words of holy indignation: "Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts" (James 5:4). "The Lord of hosts" hears the cry of the wronged and disappointed labourer. God will not let hard-hearted people toss the claims of the poor aside — people so hardened by wealth that no appeal to tenderness can reach them. The poor are the special objects of God's care.

A man who easily loses his temper is certainly not fit to be one's friend (v. 24). He may simply be present when that man's rage injures or kills someone. Even then, he will face the same accusation as the furious man. Or, he may find that he becomes the victim of the angry man's rage. Or he may learn the angry man's ways, and his soul be snared in such evil (v. 25).

With a man given to anger, it is hard to keep friends, and unsafe to make one. Go with a furious man and you risk learning his ways. So you get a snare instead of a deterrent.

Since the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, the heart values the company and advice of the wise, and walking with them teaches good lessons. But a companion of fools shows all too clearly where his heart is. He cannot escape being corrupted by their bad company, and unless someone rescues him he will be destroyed.

Choose only committed Christians as your friends. Make sure your companions are firmly on the Lord's side. A man is known by the company he keeps. Stay clear of people with loose opinions and lax morals. Your companions will influence you either for good or for evil.

He is "a man of great wrath," set off by any word or action that does not please his rash mind. What is the result? He "will pay the penalty." The sad thing is that neither he nor anyone else can say what will come next. Love him as much as you like: his hasty temper is a constant danger. "For if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again." Christ is the only Deliverer equal to the need, and not only through His redemption but through the power of abiding in Him.

A man may even have clear thoughts about right and wrong. Even so, his fierce anger against wrong will not correct it. It will stir up strife and cause worse friction than the evil he condemns. If a man has formed a character like this, the harm he will do cannot be measured. In fact his fury against what he considers wrong will cause him to "abound in transgression": his wrongs will be more than those he denounces.

"Do not let the sun go down on your anger," says the Apostle. To refuse him here is to give the devil an opportunity. Even when we have serious reason to be angry, the only right Christian feeling is to forgive. "If you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." You who are slow to let go of your wrongs — wrongs that may only be imagined — do you believe Christ's words?

With a man given to anger, it is hard to keep friends, and unsafe to make a friend. To go with a furious soul is to run the risk of learning his ways, and so to get a snare instead of a warning. "Do not let the sun go down on your anger," says the Apostle. Not to listen to him here is to give place to the devil. Even if we have serious reason, the only right Christian feeling is to forgive. And if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.

The lowest society you keep is what colours you. Many a person, I have no doubt, gets into low society, and he is corrupted and damaged before he knows where he is... A man or woman is spoilt by the company he or she keeps. I do not mean in business. There is no idea of company in business. That is not company. You are then on the alert. I mean social company, where you can relax; do you understand? In business you keep your eyes open.

A man who easily loses his temper is certainly not fit to be one's friend (v. 24). Suppose he is with such a man when the man's rage causes injury or death to someone. He will find himself under the same accusation as the furious man. Or, he may find that he becomes the victim of the angry man's rage. Or he may learn the angry man's ways, and his soul be snared in such evil (v. 25).

Anger and wrath can take possession of our spirits, even when sin is what provoked them. Our views and judgments turn fretful, and in the end we are trapped into something sinful ourselves. And what a tragedy that is! Sinning ourselves, because angry against something sinful!

Look next at one not accustomed to bear the yoke in his youth. He is "a man of great wrath," overcome by any word or work which does not please his rash mind; what is the result? He "will pay the penalty," and the sad thing is that neither he nor anyone else can say what comes next. Love him as you may, his hasty temper is constant danger. "For if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again." Christ is the only Deliverer who is enough, and not only by His redemption but by the power of abiding in Him.

Verse 26 warns us, as Proverbs has done before, not to copy the example of those who shake hands, making a pledge to be surety for another's debts. If we want to help someone, we can give to them, if we have the means, without pledging anything. If a person is not sure he can pay when his pledge falls due, making that pledge is folly. The creditor may not hesitate to take even your bed away.

Suppose a person truly faced the duty of having to pay. Then in any bargain he makes, or any suretyship he agrees to, he would think hard about whether God approves and leads the way. But the careless are like drowning men catching at a straw. They lose their own money, then try to draw in their trusting friends. Those friends may have little or nothing to spare. It is a trifle, they say, or a mere form with no risk, since it is certain to work out. Those who hope for too much, and those who never plan ahead, trap themselves this way into their own ruin.

Our strength and resources are very limited. Human life changes often and fast. So it would be hard to name a more dangerous mistake than a rash pledge or suretyship. Grace is free to lose without limit for another. But it is not free to dishonour the Lord by running up one's own debt, or to injure others, whether one's family or strangers. That would indeed be playing the part of a senseless man, not of a brother born for adversity.

Proverbs condemns becoming surety for another as unwise: "he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure." Proverbs condemns being surety for a stranger outright. Many a Christian has suffered by being surety for a friend. Refusing may be hard. Yet it is unrighteousness unless the person who becomes surety can bear the loss if it falls on him.

"Owe no one anything." These few words cover a great deal. They mean more than paying debts when they are due. They mean seeking to pay every demand as soon as it falls due. To do this, a Christian should always aim to live below his income and do his business within his means. This may take much diligence and self-denial, but what misery he will avoid.

Suretyship. He became surety of a better covenant (Hebrews 7:22). Solomon was both wealthy and wise. In his book of Proverbs he warns against suretyship: "Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm" (Proverbs 11:15). Yet the Lord Jesus Christ, in His matchless grace, took up our cause — and we were strangers indeed. He Himself assumed our liabilities and paid our debts. The sorrows and sufferings of the cross show us the price He had to pay for our redemption.

Suppose a person understood the duty of having to pay. Then, in any bargain made or any pledge agreed to, he would think seriously about whether God approves and leads the way. But drowning men catch at a straw for life. In the same way, the unwise lose their own money and then try to pull in their trusting friends, even when those friends have little or nothing to spare. It is a small thing, they say, or a mere formality with no risk, because it is certain to work out. The optimistic and the careless trap themselves into their own ruin. How plain and sharp the hint is! If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?

Verse 26 warns us, as Proverbs has done before, that we should not copy the example of those who shake hands, making a pledge to be surety for another's debts. If we want to help someone, we can give to them, if we have the means, without pledging anything. Is someone unsure of being able to pay when his pledge falls due? Then it is folly to make the pledge. The creditor may not hesitate to take even your bed away.

And so God kindly ordered that a garment pledged during the day had to be properly returned at night, so that no harm should come of it.

To stand surety for another is condemned in Proverbs as unwise: "whoever hates being surety is secure." Standing surety for a stranger is condemned outright. Many a Christian has suffered by standing surety for a friend. It may be hard to refuse, but it is unrighteousness unless the person standing surety can bear the loss if it should fall on him.

In our own way and measure we too may take the risk. But we should do it only where we are ready to stand the loss, and can do it thoughtfully and honourably. Otherwise it is right as well as safe to refuse. But risking money you do not have, or more than you have, cannot be justified. It is not kindness. It is dishonesty.

If we want to become surety for a stranger, we should be prepared to suffer the consequences. When the Lord Jesus became surety for us, He was fully prepared to bear all the consequences of our countless sins. And He did this perfectly. He had both the ability and the willingness for this. Even if we should be willing to be surety for another, do we have the ability for it? Generally, the answer is no!

We take Romans 13:8 in its plain, broad sense. We believe it teaches us to owe no one anything. If only it were more fully carried out! It is painful beyond words to see how little conscience professing Christians have about debt. We solemnly call on all who are in the habit of going into debt. Let them judge themselves in this matter and get out of a false position at once. It is far better to sit down to a dry crust and wear a shabby coat than to live well and dress well at our neighbour's expense.

Anything, such as a stone or stake, that marked the boundary of a tribe or of a man's possession. Moving one was forbidden by the law. Deuteronomy 19:14; Job 24:2; Proverbs 22:28; Proverbs 23:10.

"Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set" (v. 28). A landmark may be placed to mark off one person's property from another's, and no one should ignore it. Removing such a landmark may cause needless confusion.

The proverb then rebukes another kind of dishonesty. Here men tend to cheat by cunning rather than by open violence. Keep the ancient landmark your fathers set, with contentment, and without letting any greedy desire in.

Each one's portion was to stay untouched, along the boundary lines set up long ago. The LORD had given the land to Israel. More than that, He had assigned to each tribe and each family their own portion. He marked it off exactly. He showed it by landmarks so plain that there could be no confusion, no clashing of interests, no interference with one another, no ground for a lawsuit or dispute about property… Each one held his land as a tenant under the God of Israel, who knew all about his small plot. Every tenant had the comfort of knowing that the eye of the gracious and Almighty Landlord was on his bit of land, and His hand over it to protect it from every intruder.

These landmarks were sacred things for Israel. God staked out their possessions according to His will, so to meddle with the markers was a transgression. Israel, God's earthly people, had landmarks. God's heavenly people also have landmarks of the heavenly realm — the blessed doctrines of the Word of God. These make up the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. And how man removes these landmarks in our day!

He would have said, "We want nothing new here. We are fully content with those sacred, long-honoured landmarks which those of old set in our inheritance. By the grace of God we are determined to keep to them, and to resist any modern change with firm purpose." … Surely the Christian should be just as prompt and just as decided in answering all those who, under the plea of progress and development, remove the landmarks of the church of God.

From time to time we are told not to remove the ancient landmarks which our fathers have set. This verse is often applied to pet customs and patterns that have become traditional among gatherings of Christians. The ancient landmarks God prizes are the ones He has used our spiritual fathers, the apostles, to set for us in His Word.

These landmarks stand for truths that are basic to the testimony of the church of God — truths that keep us within the borders God has set for the order of His church. People may call them traditions, but true traditions are good. If they are only men's traditions, we must refuse them. But too often people try to cancel truths that Scripture teaches by calling them "traditions." That is removing the old landmarks.

Last, it is good to notice a man who is diligent in his work, in a world where so many begrudge their time, care, and labour. No wonder that a man who does his business with conscience, speed, and skill becomes in time someone the king wants to honour, or even needs. He leaves behind the obscure men he started out among. Those who rule value integrity in work.

We can well understand why a man who excels in his work comes to stand before kings. Most people are not diligent, and no employer admires that slackness.

The Greek word for habitual laziness occurs once in the Greek Old Testament: it is not fit that one diligent in business should attend on slothful men, Proverbs 22:29.

"The hand of the diligent will rule" (Proverbs 12:24). Only those who are willing to work are fit to rule over others, while a lazy man can expect to end up doing forced labour. Joseph is an example of diligence even in prison, and he was soon raised to rule in Egypt (Genesis 41:38-44).

As a result, these faithful men became witnesses for God, for we read they stood "before the king." God was true to His own word, "Those who honour Me I will honour" (1 Samuel 2:30). So in every matter of wisdom and understanding, the king found these faithful men ten times better than all the men of the world.

The work in our hearts and lives as believers is all God's work. Yet we must not turn that into fatalism, as though there were nothing for us to do. God is pleased to use human means in much of His working. He has appointed that the road to spiritual growth for each believer runs through that believer's own diligence. This is no surprise, for it matches what we see in natural things. In Proverbs, God applies His wisdom to natural things.

Mark's Gospel gives special prominence to the eager work of the Servant of the Lord. At the same time it shows how His labour ended. By ordinary human standards, it did not end as the careers of busy public men normally end. "Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men" (Proverbs 22:29). The Lord did stand before kings, but not for reward. He stood there to be unjustly condemned.

How much more important it is for those who know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to be wholehearted and diligent in the work of the Lord! His work deserves our deepest care. Faith that serves Him earns the commendation of the Lord Jesus, and He will reward it with eternal results.

In chapter 23:1-8 we have the cautions of wisdom against self-gratification and seeking the riches which furnish its means.

The opening proverbs of this chapter deal with self-restraint in curbing the appetite. They also teach how to behave in the presence of someone above you.

In Luke 16 our Lord describes the easygoing gentleman — not an unbeliever, but correct in his religion — who lived to please himself. He dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted in style every day. But once he was dead and buried, he lifted up his eyes in Hades, in torment. That was the direct result of living for self and not for God. Here, though, the danger is to a man who is not used to luxury. He is told to consider what, or who, is in front of him, and to put a knife to his throat rather than give in to self-indulgence. "Give us this day our sufficient (or necessary) bread," as the Lord told His disciples to pray. Fine food is deceptive even for a Jew — how much more for a Christian!

We may seldom get an invitation to eat with a ruler. Still, the instruction here applies to eating with anyone who holds a place of honor (v. 1). This is not the place to indulge your appetite! Instead, we should think about what food we take, and put a knife to our throat (v. 2) — that is, curb our appetite. The ruler may well have a gourmet menu, and we should not crave such food, "for they are deceptive food" (v. 3). In the long run they do not give the nourishment we credit them with, and simple, healthy meals are not expensive.

The danger of chasing riches, and setting the mind on being rich, is if anything even more subtle and gripping. Here it is not the plain appetite you have to guard against. You have to stop trusting your own understanding, which is so quick to find good reasons for an evil and selfish thing... For the love of money is a root of every evil. Some have reached for it and have wandered away from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Whatever money a God-fearing person has, self-indulgence is unworthy of him. He lives in a world where we have the poor always with us, and where many sudden losses call for special compassion.

When it comes to food, the Christian is told to eat — and to carry out every other bodily function — in a way that fits a person whose body belongs to the Lord, is a member of Christ, and is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:13, 15, 19). The glory of God should be our highest aim in keeping the body strong: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). On the other hand, lack of self-control and abuse of the appetites are real sins.

In Luke 16 our Lord describes the easygoing gentleman — not an unbeliever, but orthodox. He lived to indulge himself, clothed in purple and fine linen, feasting in splendour every day. But once dead and buried, he lifted up his eyes in Hades, in torment. That was the immediate result of living for self and not for God. Here, though, the danger is to one not used to luxury. He is told to consider what or who is before him, and to put a knife to his throat rather than give in to self-indulgence. "Give us this day our daily bread," as the Lord taught His disciples to pray (older renderings have "sufficient" or "necessary" bread). Rich food is deceptive even for a Jew — how much more for a Christian!

We may very seldom get an invitation to eat with a ruler. But the instruction here can apply to eating with anyone in a place of honour (v. 1). This is certainly not the place to indulge one's appetite! Rather, we should think carefully about what food we should take, and put a knife to our throat (v. 2) — that is, curb our appetite. The ruler may well have a gourmet menu, and we are advised not to desire such fare, "for they are deceptive food" (v. 3). In the long run they do not give the nourishment we may credit them with, for simple, healthy meals are not expensive.

This is a rare and admirable grace, spreading its holy influence over one's entire course, character and conduct. It bears not only on one or two or twenty selfish habits, but on self in all the length and breadth of that far-reaching and hateful word. Many a person who would look with proud contempt on a glutton or a drunkard may himself fail every hour to show the grace of self-control. … But self is a tree, not merely a branch of a tree or a cluster on a branch. We should not only judge self when it works, but control it so that it may not work.

As far as taking food is concerned, the Christian is told to carry this out like every other bodily function. He must do it in a way that suits someone whose body belongs to the Lord, is a member of Christ, and is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:13, 15, 19). The glory of God should be our final aim in keeping the body alive and well: "whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). On the other hand, the lack of self-control and the abuse of the appetites are real sins. God sternly condemns both the glutton and the drunkard.

Let us be willing to give up anything of our own, if by doing so we can help someone for whom Christ died, or keep them from stumbling. … As we pass through this world and see its delicacies, let us put a knife to our throats, since we are men given to appetite (see Prov. 23:2). Surely we would not, just to please ourselves, do anything that might trip up our brother.

We may very seldom sit down to eat with a ruler. But the instruction here bears on eating with anyone in a place of honour (v. 1). This is certainly not the place to indulge one's appetite! Instead, we should think about what food we take, and put a knife to our throat (v. 2) — that is, curb our appetite. The ruler may well have a gourmet menu, but we should not desire such food, "for they are deceptive food" (v. 3). In the long run they do not give the nourishment we credit them with. Simple, healthy meals are not expensive.

In Luke 16 our Lord pictures the easygoing gentleman — not an unbeliever, but correct in his beliefs — who lived to indulge himself. He was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted in splendour every day. But he died and was buried, and in Hades he lifted up his eyes in torment. That was the immediate result of living for self and not for God. Here, though, the danger is to someone not used to luxury. He is told to consider what, or who, is before him, and to put a knife to his throat instead of yielding to self-indulgence. "Give us this day our daily bread" — or, as the words may be rendered, our sufficient, our necessary bread — is how the Lord told His disciples to pray. Dainties are deceitful food even for a Jew, how much more for a Christian!

The opening proverbs of this chapter treat of self-restraint in curbing the appetite and give manners to be observed in the presence of a superior.

Turning to the book of Daniel, we find that these four men purposed in their hearts to act for God. Consequences did not matter; they refused to eat the food from the king's table, or to drink his wine. This would have been "defilement." His luxuries were pleasant to nature, but they were only a bait of the enemy. The first step of faith is refusal.

Soft pleasures harden the heart. Prosperity has its honey, and also its sting. The spreading of a full table may be the spreading of a snare. Many have been sunk to hell with golden weights… What if we have less food we have less snare; if less dignity, less danger. As we lack the rich provisions of the world, so we lack the temptations. To give us Christ is more than if God had given us all the world. He can make more worlds, but He has no more Christs to bestow. If you have only enough bread each day to meet your needs, be content.

The chapter began with the evil of self-indulgence in eating, above all in a ruler's house. It ends with the even plainer danger of hard drinking, wherever it happens.

The danger of chasing riches, and of setting the mind on being rich, is if anything even more sneaky and absorbing. Here the thing to guard against is not simple appetite. You must stop leaning on your own understanding, which is so quick to find good reasons for something evil and selfish. The Apostle says that those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, even if they avoid the dishonest side-roads to it. They fall into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into destruction and ruin.

Yet we are told to "cease from your own wisdom." This means you cannot use wisdom well unless you "trust in the Lord with all your heart." Wisdom must never be cut off from real fellowship with the Lord and real dependence on Him.

So it is said, "Do not toil to acquire wealth." Chasing wealth may be what your own wisdom tells you to do, but it is pure folly. It brings a load of disaster on the unfortunate seeker, on his household, and on everyone who depends on him in any way.

Work has its place, and it is usually a good thing. Yet some people overwork themselves to become wealthy (v. 4). This can be very dangerous. A person should have enough understanding of his own to make him stop chasing selfish ambitions. Setting our eyes on greater things than we have will end in disappointment (v. 5)… On the other hand, riches can increase without overwork. In that case, "If riches increase, do not set your heart on them" (Ps. 62:10).

Wealth has its snares, as the Apostle shows a little later. But owning wealth does not necessarily ruin the soul. The ruin lies in the "desire to be rich"… Others have pointed out that this word "desire" carries the idea of purpose. The danger is that the believer, instead of being content to earn his living, sets himself with "purpose" of heart to be rich. So riches become his object instead of the Lord.

How good it would be if the great mass of professing Christians, and some true believers too, would take this instruction to heart: "Do not toil to acquire wealth." But this call is ignored, and so is the one in 1 Timothy 6:1-10. Many claim to have their riches in Christ, in the heavenly places and in never-ending glory. Yet they wear themselves out for earthly gain and aim to become wealthy. Riches have wings. They can fly away as fast as an eagle climbing into the sky.

Our wisdom is to set our mind on the eternal weight of glory where Christ is, and not to look at the things that are seen. These pass quickly, while the unseen things are eternal.

So both the truth and the experience of God's people prove this: piety is gain, and when contentment that trusts God goes with it, it is great gain. We brought nothing into the world. Whatever we gain on the way through it, we clearly carry nothing out. We have food and covering — even the slave had these — so let us be content with that.

Perhaps even more insidious and absorbing is the danger of seeking and setting the mind on being rich. Here the thing to guard against is not mere appetite. It is the need to cease from one's own understanding, which is so quick to find good reasons for an evil and selfish thing. The Apostle declares that those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, even if they avoid crooked paths to it. They fall into many unwise and hurtful desires that plunge men into destruction and ruin. For the love of money is a root of every evil. Some who have aspired after it have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. So the passage vividly pictures two things: how uncertain riches are, and how self-confident we are.

Again we see how wealth goes as it came. If it came by frivolous, unworthy, or dishonest means, how it flies! For in such a case it has wings, not weight, and it disappears through a vanity no less empty than the one that brought it for a while.

Confidence in riches is truly unsafe, as we are next told. Riches certainly make themselves wings and flee away like an eagle toward heaven. No wonder then that the one who trusts in them will fall. On the other hand, righteousness endures, whatever comes from outside. So the wise man can say that the righteous will flourish like the branch or green leaf.

Work, in its place, is good. But some overwork themselves to gain material wealth (v. 4). This can be very dangerous. A person should have enough understanding to stop his selfish ambitions. Setting our eyes on greater things than we have ends in disappointment (v. 5)… But riches may also increase without overwork. In that case, "If riches increase, set not your heart on them" (Ps. 62:10).

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth." The warning of the Lord Jesus, however — which was first of all directed to His disciples — does not refer to the blessing of God that we may wish for. It refers to something completely different: the greedy striving for wealth and earthly security. We read about this already in Proverbs 23:4-5.

Men may rob the Christian of what he has on earth. But they cannot touch the lasting riches that belong to heaven. How miserable is the state of those whose hearts are set on earthly riches! Such riches can easily take wings, or they must be left behind in this world, and their owners are "not rich toward God" (Luke 12:21). In the light of what the Lord Jesus said in Luke 12, we can easily understand Paul's charge in 1 Timothy 6:17: "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches." Those to whom God has given material riches in stewardship are to "do good, to be rich in good works," and so lay up for themselves treasure in heaven.

Verse 6 says not to eat the bread of one who has an evil eye. There seems to be a link between that counsel and verse 5, about setting the mind on what is not, in a covetous way... People want money far less often for its own sake than to enjoy the things of the world and of human life more easily. And the table forms no small part of these. But the point pressed here is this: beware of accepting hospitality from the insincere. Such a host begrudges the guest what he eats or drinks, while his lips urge him to eat freely of his store.

The evil eye mentioned in verse 6 has nothing to do with the superstitious belief that some person with an evil eye can cast a spell to harm others. It means a dishonest, insincere person, one who is pharisaical. While he urges you to eat and drink and puts on a friendly front, in his heart he entertains other thoughts.

In the Scriptures, the evil eye often keeps close company with covetousness, selfishness and envious jealousy. It disregards the sufferings of others if it gains something for itself. The Lord warned the people of Israel against having an evil eye towards a poor brother in need. They were not to withhold the help he was due (Deut. 15:7-9; Deut. 28:54-55). Men were told to avoid a stingy spirit and to cultivate the generous eye that gives freely to the needy (Prov. 22:9).

Among people who claim to be friends, can any discovery be more sickening than this: you were taken in by a welcome, and then found it was an empty show? Verse 8 puts it strongly. The bit you have eaten you will vomit up, and you will waste your sweet words. Those words were the thanks you expressed when you thought his invitations were as warm as they were kind. From ordinary life up to the most solemn acts of reverent faith and love, eating and drinking together counts as an act of hearts joined. So much the more painful when you find it wholly insincere.

If someone is a miser, he may invite you to eat with him, but he hopes you will not eat much (v. 6). Far better in this case to decline his invitation. How much better to eat with someone who has a generous spirit and is glad of our company!

How wise God is to say, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life" (Prov. 4:23). Again, as a man "thinks in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7). It is not what I do, or what I say with my lips; what I really am is what my heart is, what my affections are occupied with... God must have reality.

There seems to be a link between two counsels. Verse 6 says not to eat the bread of a man who has an evil eye. Verse 5 warns against setting the mind, in a covetous way, on what is not... People rarely want money for its own sake. They want it to enjoy the things of the world and of human life more easily. And the table is no small part of those things. But the point pressed here is this: beware of accepting hospitality from an insincere man. He begrudges the guest every bite and drink, even while his lips urge him to take freely from his store.

In the Scriptures, the evil eye is often a close companion of covetousness, selfishness, and envious jealousy. The evil eye ignores the suffering of others if it gains something by them. God warned the people of Israel against having an evil eye toward a poor brother in need, and against withholding the help he was owed (Deut. 15:7-9; Deut. 28:54-55). Men were told to avoid a stingy spirit and to grow the generous eye that gives freely to the needy (Prov. 22:9).

Among friends who claim to be friends, can any discovery be more sickening than this? You believed the welcome, and then you find it was an empty show. Verse 8 says it strongly: "You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words." The wasted words are the thanks you expressed when you thought his invitations were as warm as they were kind. From ordinary life up to the most solemn acts of reverent faith and love, eating and drinking together counts as an act of hearts united. So much the more painful when one finds it wholly insincere.

If a man is a miser, he may invite you to eat with him, but hopes you will not eat much (v.6). Far better in this case to decline his invitation. How much better to eat with one who has a generous spirit and is glad of our company! The miser cares only for his own welfare. After eating with him, you will likely feel like vomiting, whether you do or not! (vv.7-8).

An evil eye is the opposite of a single eye (Matt. 6:22-23), which shows simple, straightforward honesty. But a man grasping after riches is devious and crooked in his ways, and his eye will betray him. He is not fully honest or careful in his dealings. And he never stops to consider that he is defeating his own ends. Grasping eagerly for riches, he is inviting poverty! Let the believer take this to heart.

We should understand who it is that God calls a fool. Psalm 14:1 tells us, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" Scripture also calls a fool the man who questions the truth of resurrection (1 Cor. 15:35-36). More than this, God called a rich man a fool who piled up so much wealth that he thought he could live in comfort for many years (Luke 12:16-21). In each case the man who leaves God out of his life earns that ugly title, "fool." Such a man will always despise true wisdom, so it is hopeless to expect any proper response from him.

How true it is that "wisdom is too high for a fool!" He is self-satisfied. He does not know his own emptiness, and he does not ask God for what he lacks. So far, he does well to keep quiet where advice is wanted; for what could a fool say?

If grace has given us wisdom, that wisdom cannot be separated from Christ. He is God's wisdom just as much as He is God's power, and from God He is made wisdom to us. So it is useless and unfitting to speak its words in the ears of a foolish man. He needs to judge himself. His folly keeps him from understanding such words, and hearing them only draws him into the sin of despising them. The Lord put the same mistake even more sharply when He told His disciples not to give what is holy to dogs, or to throw pearls before pigs.

This has nothing to do with the gospel. The gospel has to do with every creature, no matter how bad they are. God's grace goes out to the most unlikely and the most unworthy. But we must be careful not to put what belongs to believers in particular before those who are not saved.

The Christian still has the gospel to press on those who will not listen. The gospel is the good news of what God has done in Christ for such a man, however wicked he may be, to bring him to Himself. So it all fits together. Correction and reproof are for those who have an ear to hear, so that their lives match what they claim to be. That is why we are told here, "reprove a wise man, and he will love you." A wise man may not always pursue the path of wisdom; he may need reproof. A fool is one who never hears, though always ready to find fault. A wise man listens and weighs; when he recognises what is of God, he will love you.

To man's mind it is a contradiction. No wonder, since he avoids a divine Master. That Master accepts a man who may be called to act rightly, yet He sets a standard like Himself, and He deals with the senseless in ways that only seem inconsistent. In one case he leaves folly alone, as it deserves. In another he exposes it, hoping to convince even a fool of his folly, or to warn someone else who is too easily taken in. That is common enough in this world.

Anything, such as a stone or a stake, that marked the boundary of a tribe, or of a man's possession. The law forbade moving such a marker. Deuteronomy 19:14; Job 24:2; Proverbs 22:28; Proverbs 23:10.

Second, the law against removing landmarks comes in here, no doubt, as people commonly see, because the land was their life and kept them alive. They were to be a nation of farmers. Each man would work the soil of that good land for himself. That is a much-needed lesson about what God wants His people to be spiritually now.

Heartless dishonesty toward anyone brings a far more serious warning, and most of all toward the fatherless. It does not matter whether it is sly, like moving the ancient landmark, or bold and open, like walking into the fields of the fatherless. If they have no father, they need no lawyer any more than they need to take the law into their own hands. Their Kinsman, their Redeemer, is strong; He will plead their cause against the crook, high or low.

The book has already told us not to remove the ancient landmark (v. 10). Truth is as ancient as creation. If we move truth out of its proper place of dignity, how can others find their way? In this verse, entering the fields of the fatherless plainly means taking over an orphan's property. This kind of oppression will certainly bring on the displeasure of the mighty Redeemer. He pleads the cause of the fatherless, and He will not spare the oppressor from punishment.

These landmarks were sacred things for Israel. The Lord's own will decided how their land was marked out, so meddling with it was a transgression. Israel, God's earthly people, had landmarks. God's heavenly people also has landmarks of the heavenly realm: the blessed doctrines of the Word of God. These make up the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. And how people remove these landmarks in our day! How true it is, "Some remove the landmarks" — the things our fathers cherished, believed and trusted in. Those who trust reason, those who trust ceremony, and those who follow delusions do it constantly, and so they destroy the foundation on which everything rests.

Here Moses speaks not merely of God's doings and dealings and ways, but of Himself, of what He is. He is high over all, the great, the mighty and the terrible. But He has a heart for the widow and the fatherless. They are helpless, stripped of every earthly and natural support: the poor grieving, broken-hearted widow, and the orphan left all alone. God thinks of them and cares for them in a very special way; they have a claim on His loving heart and mighty hand.

The same Hebrew word means kinsman, redeemer, and avenger.

The Kinsman-Redeemer (Goel) of Israel and Judah is "strong; the LORD of hosts is His name" (Jeremiah 50:34). He is the "Mighty One of Jacob" (Isaiah 49:26; Isaiah 60:16).

Heartless dishonesty toward anyone brings a far more serious warning, and toward the fatherless most of all. It makes no difference which form it takes. It may be the crafty move of shifting the ancient landmark. It may be the open boldness of walking into the fields of the fatherless. If they have no father, they need no lawyer any more than they need to take the law into their own hands. Their Kinsman, their Redeemer, is strong; He will plead their cause against the rogue, high or low.

No one was to meddle with the landmarks. Each family's portion was to stay intact, along the boundary lines set up by people long ago. The LORD had given the land to Israel. More than that, He had assigned to each tribe and each family their proper portion. He marked it off with perfect precision, and showed it by landmarks so plain that there could be no confusion, no clashing of interests, no interference with one another, no ground for lawsuit or dispute about property... Each one held his land as a tenant under the God of Israel, who knew all about his small holding. Every tenant had the comfort of knowing this: the eye of the gracious and Almighty Landlord was on his bit of land, and His hand over it to protect it from every intruder.

The same Hebrew word means kinsman, redeemer, and avenger.

The Kinsman-Redeemer (Goel) of Israel and Judah is "strong; the LORD of hosts is His name" (Jer. 50:34). He is the "Mighty One of Jacob" (Isa. 49:26; Isa. 60:16). And when "the year of His redeemed" has come, He will appear, "marching in the greatness of His strength," "mighty to save."

He is high over all — the great, the mighty, the One to be feared. But He has a heart for the widow and the fatherless. They are helpless people, stripped of every earthly and natural support: the poor, grieving, broken-hearted widow, and the orphan left all alone. God thinks of them and cares for them in a very special way; they have a claim on His loving heart and mighty hand. "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in His holy habitation" (older translations read "a Judge of the widow").

In this verse, entering the fields of the fatherless clearly means taking possession of an orphan's property. This kind of oppression will bring down the displeasure of the mighty Redeemer. He pleads the cause of the fatherless, and He will not hold back from punishing the oppressor.

While Israel, God's earthly people, had landmarks, God's heavenly people also has landmarks... the blessed doctrines of the Word of God, which make up the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. And how man removes these landmarks in our day! How true it is, "Some remove the landmarks" — the things our fathers cherished, believed and trusted in.