May the mumbling commence!
Now that we’ve been reading from Proverbs for a little over a week, we can start asking the question – What is the purpose that drives these seemingly random bits of wisdom? The answer lies in Proverbs 22:5 “So that your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you.”
So, where else do we put our trust? As I read from Proverbs 22-23, I began to think about the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor in the US. I began to think about the near extinction of the middle class. These thoughts made some of the wisdom of these chapters stand out. Read from the beginning and the end of chapter 23:
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.
Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
have the wisdom to show restraint.
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
for they will surely sprout wings
and fly off like an eagle. (Verses 1-5)
Who had woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Those who linger over wine,
who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly.
In the end it bites like a snake
and poisons like a viper.
Your eyes will see strange sights
and your mind imagine confusing things.
You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
lying on top of the rigging.
“They hit me,” you will say, “but I am not hurt!
They beat me, but I didn’t feel it!
When will I wake up
so I can find another drink?” (Verses 29-35)
In the first passage, we see that the rich trust in their wealth to provide for them – not a good thing because eventually it will sprout wings a leave them high and dry. In the second passage, the poor often drown their worries in alcohol. Or they drown it in another cheap drug or spirit.
Neither is a great place to put trust. So, who is at fault for the widening gap between the rich and the poor in this country? Fault can easily be found anywhere. But who has more power for change? Sometimes I wonder. Read from Proverbs chapter 22:
Rich and poor have this in common:
the Lord is the Maker of them all. (Verse 2)
Only the Lord has the power for change!
The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is servant to the lender. (Verse 7)
He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and he who gives gifts to the rich – both come to poverty. (Verse 16)
Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
and do not crush the needy in court,
for the Lord will take up their case
and will plunder those who plunder them. (Verses 22-23)
But, in a human sense, the rich have power to exercise over the poor; and the rich must pay someone to keep their status.
Remember: Trust in the Lord. This trust is the bottom line in Proverbs.
Enough mumbling for today…
Peace Out
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