V. 11 God is working through us even in our business dealings. If God is in our work then we need to represent Him in our business dealings. Solomon says that all the steps and procedures are His and representative of Him. Every weight and procedure is His and therefore needs to be fair and just. You can make extra money by taking advantage of someone when they are at a disadvantage. Much of business is set up this way. Charge what you can get,…not what is a fair profit. But, God is not in that. He will not bless the sale. One translation puts it ‘The Lord wants weights and measures to be honest and every sale to be fair’. God has ordained good and honest business and will bless honest practices.
V. 12 Some get to high office by deceit and trickery, but the establishment of a high position or office that is fully functional and practical occurs only by good and right practices. Kings that practice deceit and evil do not last long in office. Good kings would not think of running their office on evil principles. Doing so would be offensive to them.
V. 13 Anyone who is in a place of authority who is looking for answers wants only the truth. Don’t give me a song and dance…just give me the truth. It is extremely frustrating for someone looking for answers to be given a lot of words that mean nothing. Some advisers will speak a lot, but say nothing of real value. They want the truth, the full truth and nothing but the truth. A king or person in authority will seek out and collect good advisers that they have learned will be honest with them. In a higher place of authority having access to honest dependable resources is the only way to operate and make decisions. If you are found to be honest and straightforward in your answers maybe you will be one of their trusted advisers.
V. 14 In olden days you knew that you had better not make the king angry. If you did it usually meant your life. Dealing with a king was often like dealing with a boss in our day. It frequently meant you had to be careful what you said and how you acted much like walking on eggshells. However, a wise man who knew the lay of the land so to speak was wise enough to keep the king in a reasonable mood, staying out of the danger zone. Why anyone would want a job in such a precarious position in days of old is beyond me. But Solomon says that a wise man was smart enough to stay at least one step ahead of an unpleasant situation. V. 15 reminds us that if you were able to find the sweet spot in the king’s service you would be living life the best. Only the wise practicing good and wise principals had any chance of living there. The foolish would not have a chance of survival here.
V. 16 Gold and silver can sit in a drawer or occupy space in a secret place waiting for their opportunity to be used or needed. Sure they have value for essentials like food and shelter when other monetary currencies fail. But, knowledge and understanding are so much more valuable having a broader and more practical application to daily life. Knowledge and understanding have benefit and use even when gold and silver are found to be useless in a drawer collecting dust.
V. 17 The highway is usually referred to as being the most direct route. It is not meant for sightseeing and bypasses a lot of undesirable places. The reference in this verse has the impression of keeping our eyes focused directly on our destination and not getting diverted and snared by taking detours. You know how it goes. You get off on an exit sometimes for a good cause like getting gas and before you know it you are lost and cannot get back on the highway. An easy off of the highway is not always a easy back on. From experience you know that you can wind up in some pretty scary places. From experience we know not to exit in unfamiliar or undesirable places. The second part of this verse reminds us that we need to be diligent in keeping our eyes and ears focused on the goal before us avoiding alluring temptations that can cause us to become sidetracked and become ensnared in life not allowing us to reach our destination. The pay off in doing this is the keeping of our soul. Most translations refer to this as saving our life, but I think that Solomon meant more than that. I like the way the KJV translates this using the word soul, having the meaning of more than just the physical life, preserving our heart as well.
V. 18-9 Pride not only is thwarted by actions of God in judgment, but also is self destructive by its inherent effects and outcomes. The result of pride and prideful actions has a natural destructive outcome. Prideful actions allow us to take uncalculated risks putting us in situations or places that may have injurious consequences. A prideful spirit will prompt us to take a dare without counting the cost or calculating the risk. So often we come out of these situations with physical, emotional or relational injuries, sometimes coming out of them with substantial injury. Many a relationship, a career, marriage and ministry have been destroyed by prideful actions. Prideful thoughts fool us into thinking that we can get away with wrong deeds others have been shipwrecked with, encouraging and tempting us to do things we normally would not consider doing. Sometimes what drives us to be proud is perceived acceptance and attention we think that we will get by doing such things, being somebody. Solomon observed by watching the outcome of proud actions and a prideful life. He saw that this way of living had natural consequences. V. 19 gives us this advice, we are much happier and better off practicing God’s way which includes humility than we are to enjoy temporary spoils of the proud which are followed by the hazardous consequences of such a life.
V. 20 the wise take time to do things right. Quick solutions so often miss the mark and are no substitute for just the right answer. Sometimes searching out the right answer takes time. Again, Prov. 15:28 can be applied here. Finding the right solution may be a process. This often takes work in searching the matter out. However, Solomon tells us that it is worth the investment. The result and payoff is sweet. He also goes on to say that happiness is a natural result of trusting God. So often we see trusting God as almost agonizing work. But, Solomon says that the result of true trust is not a pain filled process, but is in actually a process that produces happiness or a happy spirit. Trusting the Lord is a freeing process, giving our cares to Him, making us happy! V.21 Because wise decisions prompt our actions we will be thought of as prudent people, dependable and of substance, someone to go to when others need advice, guidance or help. Our speech does not betray our actions. A wise person’s speech is sweet and persuasive, knowing what is appropriate and needed and is able to get what they want, wanting only good.
V. 22 Understanding that flows up from a heart like a fountain is truly a gift. Some of us get moments of this. Others get seasons of it. But, when we experience it it is nothing but pure pleasure. Solomon says that being in the zone of understanding is like cool spring water gushing up in our soul on a hot day. Refreshing! Life giving! Totally satisfying! But, the fool being void of understanding has nothing to fall back on to get them out of their trouble except more folly which is not sufficient to help them.
V. 23 Learning what to say and when to say it for most does not come natural. Solomon asked God to instruct him in what to say when he went out before the people. It is an interesting concept to instruct your lips in how they should act and what they say, but in the Bible it is not a foreign concept at all. James talks a lot about the mouth and the tongue as being in need of being tamed and instructed as to how to act and what to say. He uses the figure example of a horse and a bit, taking control of our lips and instructing them or taming them, teaching them to be pleasant and productive. He makes the point that not all instruction is in the form of controlling bad conversation as important as this may be. But, he makes the point that we need to also teach our mouth wisdom, graciousness, politeness and etiquette. He continues in v. 24 reminding us that polite and gracious words spoken well have a pleasurable effect not only on those who hear but also on us. He uses words like ‘sweet’, ‘honey’ and ‘healthy’ to remind us just how satisfying gracious speech from a kind heart is. We could use a dose of this today.
V. 25 This is the second time that we see this verse in this book. It is also found in Prov. 14:12.
What a true and great verse verse 12 is. Have you ever been here? Solomon said that he could identify with this verse. He says that our heart is easily deceived. We can be wrong even if we are fully and confidently convinced that we are right. This verse relates back to v. 8 of chapter 14. This verse is often used and quoted when sharing the Gospel with others. We often really believe that what we are doing or thinking is the right thing at the time only to find out later that it could not have been any further from the truth. It looked right. It felt right. We say ‘I was so sure’. But in the end we find out that we were wrong. It is unfortunate that many go to their death believing that they were right in their beliefs about God and life only to find out too late that they were wrong when using the Bible as the authority on the subject. It is a wise person that realizes the truth of this verse. Feeling confident and/or convinced that a way is absolutely right can have negative far reaching effects if we were wrong. It is a wise person that realizes that the mirage that looks so real may in actually be an illusion and that they better take the time to investigate further to be sure that they are not wrong. One’s life and eternity may depend on it.
V. 26 We need a dose of this verse in our culture today. Solomon here was not talking about starvation hunger for those who are forced to starve due to famine or truly tough times. He was talking about the natural motivation to work and earn a living supplying the necessities when the cupboards are becoming slim or the stomach begins to get uncomfortable because it is hungry. One translation put this verse this way ‘Appetite is an incentive to work; hunger makes you work all the harder’. There are natural consequences to being lazy and in many societies these motivators for doing our part to pull our share of the weight are removed by making us to comfortable when we need to feel the pinch. This leaves more of a burden on those who are happy to do their part and pull their weight. Solomon was not advocating letting those who were truly unable to work starve. He talked a lot about the poor and the needy and our need to be helpful and sympathetic. But, he also talked a lot about the ‘sluggard’. The sluggard would be better served by letting them experience a little hunger than making them comfortable. It might motivate them to do their part.
V. 27 Some people are just plain mean. These next 2 verses deal with mean or strife seeking people. These people look for ways and actually get some form of pleasure from being mean to others. All of us possess some degree of this trait if pressed hard enough, but these people need no prompting to look for opportunities to be harsh to others. They are just mean. Lest we be too quick to judge others as being mean and not us, I am frequently reminded by a bumper sticker that I see that confuses me. It says ‘mean people suck’. That statement sounds pretty mean to me. Sometimes we are not aware of how mean we could be given the right circumstances. Before we judge others we need to examine ourselves. This verse also reminds me of Christ on the cross. The whole world turned ‘mean´ when it came face to face with a good man. If people are mean to us it may not be pleasant, but may be an indicator of the quality of our life.
The beginning of v. 28 is related to v. 27. Meanness and sowing strife are in the same arena. The end of v. 28 reminds us of just how damaging gossip and a gossip are. He says that it all too often makes the best of friends the worst of enemies. A gossip gets pleasure out of spreading dirt. The problem with a gossip is that the dirt that they spread may not have been dirt at all when they got wind of it. They put their spin on the news and blow it up to be interesting enough to get the response they are looking for from those they tell. To them it does not matter if the facts are exactly accurate. Gossips are looking for attention at someone else’s expense. Pretty soon the damage is done and is now irreversible. The best of friends are now arch enemies. How sad. Those who know that they are prone to gossip need to bite their lip literally when tempted to share stories or information about others.
V. 29-30 A violent person will entice his neighbor to do dangerous or damaging things that even they would not do. They use people for their purposes not caring what happens to them. Some translations use some pretty descriptive terms that do not paint such a pretty ending. The impression is that we should beware of situations of trusting those who may possibly be bent on violence. They would think nothing of putting their neighbor in harm’s way even if it endangered their neighbor’s life. V. 30 goes on to say that these people actually ponder evil and what extreme evil they can do and then are so bad that they actually begin the process of making their thoughts a reality. These people truly are dangerous.
V. 31 A wise person that has practiced righteousness all of their life becomes more valuable with age. He describes the graying of the head as a respected crown for those who have lived for God and God’s ways all of their life. The years add to the life of the righteous making them valuable all of the days of their life.
V. 32 What a verse! We often think of might as one of the most coveted human traits or gifts. But, Solomon tells that there are traits that are even mightier than great strength. He names two of these here. First, he that is slow to get angry and second, those that rule their spirit. He says that one who is able to rule their spirit is actually stronger than one that is able to take a city. I have to agree with him. At times it is near impossible to impossible to keep our self under control, even our thoughts. One who can rule his soul is truly great being stronger than a warrior.
V. 33 I like how the Message translates this verse. It says ‘Make your motions and cast your votes, but God has the final say’. The lot was used to help determine what God’s will was in certain circumstances. Solomon reminds us that God ultimately determines the outcome so we need to trust Him in outcomes that we do not understand or are out of our control.
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