Proverbs 10

Study Guide 50: Proverbs 10-31 WISDOM’ S WAY Overview The Book of Proverbs is what is known as “ wisdom literature.” In Scripture, wisdom is a moral and practical quality: wisdom guides the individual of sound character to make decisions which are both right and beneficial. The Book of Proverbs begins with a section written in praise of wisdom (chaps. 1-9). The rest of the chapters contain brief, often unrelated sayings that sum up wisdom’ s way in a number of issues of human life. Here we find the writers speaking out on marriage, work, poverty, raising children, and a number of other topics that are relevant to everyone’ s life. Because of the structure of Proverbs, one of the best ways to study or teach this book is by choosing a topic and then locating each proverb dealing with it. When the observations of the writers are considered together we can gain considerable insight into issues that concern us all. Proverbs are not intended to be understood as promises or divine guarantees. They are general principles: descriptions of how things normally work out in this life not only for the believer but for all human beings. While each of us may experience exceptions to the general principles stated in this Old Testament book, we can still rely on the Proverbs for guidance in living our daily lives.

Commentary The Book of Proverbs typically makes a number of observations on its topics. While each individual proverb provides insight, the best way to see what wisdom suggests in such areas as child-rearing or interpersonal relationships or dealing with money is to draw together all the proverbs that touch on a topic. This characteristic of Proverbs suggests several teaching approaches which you can apply in working with your group. Each section in this unit will illustrate a different way to help your group members explore and profit from the wisdom shared with us in this special book of the Old Testament. But first, what are some of the things that are dealt with in Proverbs? The Bible Knowledge Commentary, also published by Victor Books, contains this comprehensive list. General topics include:

fear of the Lordgluttony, food wiveshusbands mothersfathers kings, rulerschildren friendshipslaves orphans and the needyprostitutes business dealingshypocrisy stealingrebukeIn addition the book identifies and comments on many positive, wise, or beneficial traits. Among them are:

wisdomlife knowledgework diligenceorderliness successself-control faithfulnessobedience honestyintegrity justicefairness truthhonor encouragementpurity lovepeace kindnessmercy joygenerosity good companyhope wealthfriendliness sobernessvirtue trustpleasure quietnesscontentment teachablenessOther traits are viewed as negative, wicked, or foolish (morally warped and harmful). Among these traits are:

follywickedness deathignorance lazinessdisorderliness failureanger unfaithfulnessrebellion cheatingdeceit injusticeunfairness lyingdeception dishonorcriticism impurityslander strifejealousy hatredcruelty greedsadness anxietybad company animosityenmity povertyshame drunkennessunfriendliness worrymisery talkativenessenvy unteachablenessprideWhile this list is not inspired, and thus others may organize the topics differently, it does suggest one good way of studying Proverbs. It’ s possible to look at this book of wisdom and go about listing those things which make a positive contribution to living the good life — and those things which have a negative impact on our experiences. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Divide into pairs, giving each pair one or two chapters of Proverbs to explore (use chapters 10-29). Ask each pair to read its chapter(s) to identify what is good, and what is bad. This may be morally good/bad or experientially good/bad (that is, desirable, undesirable). When the pairs have finished, work together to construct a group list of topics in Proverbs. But don’ t stop with the list. Have each pair select one of the topics listed, and spend about 30 minutes locating several verses that deal with that topic. Thus while poverty may be a bad thing, what does Proverbs say about it? Where does poverty come from? How are others to treat the poor? What is the poor person to do?

Poverty in Proverbs

Jesus commented at one time, “ The poor you will always have with you” (Mark 14:7). Today as in other ages what to do with and for the poor is a matter of debate. Does our welfare system really help the poor? Does it encourage rather than fight poverty? Are the poor to blame for their condition, or is society? What is the believer’ s obligation to the needy, and how is that obligation to be met? Questions like these are difficult to answer, because the issues involved are complex. Yet Proverbs — like the rest of the Bible — has much to say about the poor and oppressed in society.

Following is a list of proverbs from chapters 10-29 which deal with this issue. Look at them, and then note how they can be used to develop a perspective which can help guide us today in our approach to the question of poverty in our society.

First, Proverbs makes it clear that some poverty is a matter of bad choices. There are constant warnings against laziness, sleep, and a love of pleasure. Diligence leads to wealth, and hard work brings a profit. A person’ s financial condition is something for which he or she is largely responsible.

But poverty isn’ t always a man’ s fault. At times poverty may be the result of others’ choices. “ A poor man’ s field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away” (Proverbs 13:23). Even hard work is no guarantee one will not become poor. At times the poor are exploited by others, and rulers (laws, social structures) can be oppressive. So poverty is a complex phenomenon. It is linked with an individual’ s personal choices, but all are also vulnerable to society and to the criminal behavior of others.

Proverbs seems especially concerned with the relational impact of poverty. It creates individuals and a class of people who are outcasts, ascribed little or no value by others. This depersonalizing impact of poverty is seen in the way the poor are shunned by their neighbors, plead uselessly for mercy, and are avoided even by their friends. The Bible universally teaches that each human is precious to God, of great personal worth and value. How tragic that we tend to measure our own value and the value of others by what they possess.

Still, there are compensations for the poor. For instance, it is better to be poor and honest, than to be a rich exploiter of others. The poor like the rich have eyes with which to see — and at least the poor man’ s children aren’ t likely to be kidnapped! (Proverbs 13:8) But there is more. The Lord has a special concern for the poor, and will take up their case against the oppressor. God intervenes to frustrate the desires of the person who misuses the poor.

What then is our attitude to be toward the poor? For one thing, “ The righteous care about justice for the poor” (Proverbs 29:7). The righteous are willing to be involved in issues that touch on the lives of the needy. In addition, the good man is willing to use his own resources to supply the poor with food, or to lend to the needy. This is done as an act of piety, knowing that “ he who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done” (Proverbs 19:17).

Each believer as an individual and as a citizen has a responsibility to God to love other human beings. Proverbs makes it clear this includes the poor.

LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT

Guide an in-depth study of this or another topic dealt with in Proverbs. Select or let your group members select topic(s) of interest. Use a concordance to find relevant proverbs. Then, from the selected proverbs, develop summary statements like the preceding discussion of poverty.

Topics that your group members might choose to study, and key words to look up in the concordance, are:

child-rearing: child, children, mother, father;

/wife relationships: wife, woman;

talk, words, tongue, lips;

rich, wealth, prosperity;

work, works, labor. Teams can work together on these or other topics. When relevant proverbs have been located and discussed, each team should write out a few paragraphs summarizing the viewpoint expressed in Proverbs, and suggesting how it relates to Christians today.

“ Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Proverbs 10:4). “ The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor” (Proverbs 10:15). “ One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty” (Proverbs 11:24). “ One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth” (Proverbs 13:7). “ A man’ s riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat” (Proverbs 13:8). “ He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame” (Proverbs 13:18). “ poor man’ s field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away” (Proverbs 13:23). “ The poor are shunned even by their neighbors” (Proverbs 14:20). “ All hard work brings profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23). “ He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God” (Proverbs 14:31). “ He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker” (Proverbs 17:5). “ A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly” (Proverbs 18:23). “ Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse” (Proverbs 19:1). “ Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man’ s friend deserts him” (Proverbs 19:4) “ A poor man is shunned by all his relatives — how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found” (Proverbs 19:7). “ He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done” (Proverbs 19:17). “ Better to be poor than a liar” (Proverbs 19:22). “ Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare” (Proverbs 20:13). “ If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered” (Proverbs 21:13). “ He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich” (Proverbs 21:17). “ The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). “ A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9). “ He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich — both come to poverty” (Proverbs 22:16). “ 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” (Proverbs 22:22-23). “ For drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags” (Proverbs 23:21). “ 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” (Proverbs 24:33-34). “ A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops” (Proverbs 28:3). “ Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse” (Proverbs 28:6). “ He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor” (Proverbs 28:8). “ A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him” (Proverbs 28:11). “ He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty” (Proverbs 28:19). “ A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him” (Proverbs 28:22). “ He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses” (Proverbs 28:27). “ The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern” (Proverbs 29:7). “ The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both” (Proverbs 29:13). “ If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure” (Proverbs 29:14). The Noble Wife: Proverbs 31:10-31One famous passage in Proverbs is the epilogue in Proverbs 31:1-31 which describes the “ wife of noble character.” It is a particularly fascinating refutation of the notion that it is “ biblical” for the wife to stay home and take care of the house while the husband works. In Old Testament times as in earlier days in our own country, families lived an agricultural life. The husband’ s work focused outside, in the fields. The wife’ s work focused around the household. But both husband and wife contributed through their areas of responsibility to the well-being of the family. In carrying out those responsibilities the woman often acted in just the same roles as the man, but in her area of responsibility. Proverbs 31:1-31 takes us back to that time, and in the description of the noble wife shows how fully the woman’ s potential as a person was used in biblical times. This section of Proverbs is reproduced here, so you can duplicate it for distribution and group study. A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “ Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. Proverbs 31:10-31What’ s so impressive in this description? Several things. First, the wife had several areas of responsibility, and in them she exercised a great deal of personal freedom. She was buyer of materials relating to the home and family, carefully examining them in making her selection (Proverbs 31:13). She also had purchasing discretion: her activities earned money, and she was able to spend it as she chose. Thus she “ considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard” (Proverbs 31:16). The wife sold the excess her household produced to local merchants (Proverbs 31:24), and was a good enough businesswoman to “ see that her trading is profitable” (Proverbs 31:18). She has total responsibility for her earnings, including the right to give generously to the poor and the needy (Proverbs 31:20). Like her husband, she feels a sense of concern and responsibility for those who are less fortunate. While the wife is engaged in these activities, she does not do all the work alone. In fact, she is an employer, supervising both her family and “ her servant girls” (Proverbs 31:15). In essence the noble wife is management, with all the responsibilities of management. She must hire and fire. She must supervise and plan. She must organize so that the raw materials and supplies needed for the work to be done are present. And she must also market the goods her staff produces! These are heavy responsibilities, and like other management positions can’ t be accomplished in an eight-hour day. So she gets up early (Proverbs 31:15) and often must work late (Proverbs 31:18). There are, however, many rewards. Her children appreciate her, and her husband praises her. When her husband takes his place among the men of the city, he is respected for his wife’ s accomplishments! (Proverbs 31:23) While he does not derive his identity from her, neither does she derive her identity from him. That is, she is not known as “ banker Jones’ wife.” Her own accomplishments have merit and she has the respect of all for whom she is as a person (Proverbs 31:31). And along with that respect she wins a reputation for wisdom, so that others come to learn from her, asking her advice and thanking her for her instruction (Proverbs 31:26). The picture of the wife’ s role here in Proverbs is striking. The woman, like the man, is expected to use all her abilities. The woman, like the man, has great personal freedom and great personal responsibility. The woman, like the man, is worker, manager, buyer, and seller. She is as much “ in business” as her husband, and she both has and uses all the mental and intellectual capacities that make for success. We cannot study this passage in Proverbs and support the notion some have that the wife is to stay at home and clean house, prepare dinner, and ask her husband’ s permission to make any kind of purchase! And we cannot support the idea that working is a violation of the woman’ s God-given role. In a fascinating way this passage in Proverbs invites us into an aspect of Old Testament life and culture which no other passage reveals. We need to study this passage carefully as we consider the question of women and their role in the modern world. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT List several statements about the role of women, and ask group members whether they agree or disagree with each. You may also ask: “ What other statements might we list that sum up viewpoints on women and their role?” Starter statements might include: Woman’ s place is in the home. Women are emotional, men intellectual. Women don’ t make good managers. Women need careers as much as men do. Women should find their satisfaction in taking care of their husbands and children. After your group members have discussed these statements and have suggested others, challenge them to study Proverbs 31:10-31 to find specific support for their opinions. Don’ t be concerned if members disagree heatedly. This is a controversial issue. But one on which the perspective provided here in Proverbs should be considered. The Book of Proverbs is unique in the canon of Scripture. Its collection of sayings are general, practical, and moral guidelines that anyone can apply to enrich his or her life. While its sayings do not constitute promises or guarantees from God, those sayings do give insights in how you and I can life happy and holy lives.

Teaching Guide Prepare Pick one topic that interests you personally, and see what the Book of Proverbs has to say. Do a concordance study, or quickly scan chapters 10-29.

Explore

1. Ask your group members to make up their own proverbs on a selected topic (poverty, child-rearing, etc.). Then go around the circle telling each other your “ proverbs.” Encourage both humorous and serious contributions.
2. Or if this is your first study of Proverbs, give a minilecture on how to interpret this book, drawing on material in the previous unit.

Expand

1. Launch an in-depth study of a theme in Proverbs. Use one of these “ link-to-life” suggestions: (a) Explore the content of Proverbs by dividing into teams to discover what this book considers to be wise/good and foolish/bad. See the “ link-to-life” idea above. (b) Or, focus on one theme developed in Proverbs, by leading your group in a concordance study. The discussion of poverty in this unit and the “ link-to-life” approach outlined above show how to conduct this kind of study.
2. Or lead your group in a study of the woman’ s role in biblical times, as outlined in the “ link-to-life” suggestion above.

Apply Have each group member write a single paragraph summing up what applying the wisdom drawn from your Proverbs study would mean for him or her. If you have time, let your group members read their paragraphs aloud.