Da – Ten Sayings about Wealth 22:22 to 23:11

Ten Sayings about Wealth
22:22 to 23:11

A proverb is a short and memorable saying designed to be our blueprint for living in the world that ADONAI has created. It is important to note that proverbs are not promises; they are generally true principles, all other things being equal.

In his book Jesus and Proverbs, Reconciling the teachings of Jesus and Proverbs regarding money and business, Gary Miller states: If we are honest, we must admit there are major differences between Proverbs and the teachings of Yeshua. The overriding message in Proverbs is that a wise man works hard, plans ahead, saves for the future, is honest in his business dealings, and, over time discovers that the ways of ADONAI work. A man who continues down this path will eventually enjoy material prosperity, which is evidence that he is following God’s common-sense instructions.

In contrast, Yeshua repeatedly teaches the blessing of being poor and the foolishness of focusing on material things. He reminds us that material wealth is a great snare, and emphasizes the superiority of eternal and unseen treasures compared to temporal material wealth. If we do accumulate earthly wealth, we are to sell it and give it to the poor. In other words, we need to exchange earthly treasure for eternal wealth. Biblical financial counselors and business planners use both the teachings of Yeshua and the book of Proverbs. There is nothing wrong with this. But they (and we) need to be careful in reconciling their differences.

Although Yeshua’s perspective on wealth is different from Proverbs, notice that He never suggested that the truths in Proverbs are no longer valid. He didn’t say, “You have heard it said that he that plows the ground will have plenty of bread, but I say to you: Don’t get up early to work in the field. Relax, God knows you need food and will bring it to you.” The Master didn’t say it was impossible to accumulate earthly wealth by heeding Proverbs. He just taught that earthly wealth wasn’t worth accumulating.

A central theme runs throughout Messiah’s teaching regarding money and possessions: everything around us will soon be gone. And since that day is quickly approaching, a wise man will view life, money, and possessions from an eternal perspective. Yeshua wasn’t saying that having a good work ethic, saving for known expenses, or being diligent in our financial decisions isn’t beneficial. But He is saying that a man can do all of this and still be bankrupt at the end of his life. Actually, Solomon also hinted at the foolishness of focusing only on material wealth: A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life (13:7 MSG). Even in the TaNaKh there was a basic understanding that earthly wealth alone was insufficient, and Yeshua continually emphasized the folly of having an earth-bound vision.

Many of us have grown up reading and listening to the Sermon on the Mount. We hear what Yeshua said, we discuss and try to understand what He really meant, and we memorize many of the passages. But remember, the Master was talking to people who had been raised on the book of Proverbs and the Torah. I don’t think we can comprehend the powerful impact that His teachings had when they were first spoken. Imagine growing up in a time when you were taught that ADONAI materially blesses those who are faithful to Him. And then Yeshua comes along saying: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. No wonder the masses were astonished.⁴⁴⁶ So what are we to do with the differences in focus and message? Although Proverbs and the teachings of Yeshua have a different purpose and focus, they do not contradict each other. In fact, both are necessary. Let’s look at how both messages have powerful roles to play in our lives today (to see link click Do – Torah and Wealth).

The first saying (22:22-23): Do not rob the poor just because you can, or exploit the needy at the gate. For ADONAI will plead their case and take the life of those who rob them (22:22-23 Hebrew). To rob anyone is a crime, but to rob the poor, who are already in a difficult situation, is especially evil (Exodus 22:21-23 and 23:6; Deuteronomy 24:14-15). The same is true about the oppression of those who are already suffering. To do so publicly is especially humiliating. The reference to the gate points to a legal setting in court.

The second saying (22:24-25): Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul (22:24-25 NLT). The book of Proverbs teaches that we should associate with people of wisdom and avoid those who practice foolish behavior. Otherwise, as this passage states, their bad behavior will rub off on us and so will the negative consequences due them (see Al – Bad Company Corrupts Good Character). In this case, angry behavior is specifically named as something to be avoided. This passage is not talking about just an occasional outburst of anger, but rather about people characterized by their anger. This shows a lack of self-discipline and an absence of emotional intelligence.

The third saying (22:26-27): Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for someone else. If you can’t pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you (22:26-27 NLT). Proverbs makes it clear that the wise are generous. However, to be generous means giving money to the poor without the expectation of return. Here and elsewhere, however, we have a different situation. There is an expectation of return. Whatever the circumstance, giving a loan is a mistake, but it is even more of a mistake to cosign another person’s loan. Such people may lose everything (see below). This proverb not only gives good advice, but other proverbs provide an “out” if someone should pressure us to do so. We have Scripture to back us up (6:1-5, 11:15, 17:18, 29:16 and 27:13).⁴⁴⁷

This consequence of this teaching is especially painful for my family. In 1927 my grandfather foolishly cosigned a loan to enable a relative to buy a farm. But in 1929 the stock market crashed and America entered the Great Depression. My grandfather couldn’t pay the bank for the loan that he cosigned and lost the thousand-acre farm that had been in our family for 110 years, the land deed being signed by President James Monroe. My grandparents and my mother, a child at the time, were economically ruined as a result.

The fourth saying (22:28): Don’t move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors (22:28 CJB). Land was absolutely for ancient Israelites. After all, their society was predominately agricultural for much of their history. Not only that, but their land was distributed by divine choice to the tribes and then to individual families after settlement. The land was God’s gift in fulfillment of His promise to Abraham (see the commentary on Genesis Dt – I Will Bless Those Who Bless You and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse). Indeed, if for any reason a family was separated from its ancestral lands (perhaps for reasons of debt), their property would be returned to them during the Year of Jubilee, which occurred every fifty years (see the commentary on Leviticus Em – The Year of Jubilee).

The removal of a boundary stone would be an attempt to encroach upon, or even totally possess, the land of another person (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Dn – Moving a Boundary Stone). Not even a king could take the land of another person (see the commentary on Elijah and Elisha Az – King Ahab and Naboth’s Vineyard). Other passages that have to do with the ban of the removal of a boundary stone include Job 24:2; Proverbs 23:10; Hosea 5:10.

The fifth saying (22:29): Do you see anyone truly skilled at their work? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people (22:29 Hebrew). This proverb states that those who work hard and are skilled will succeed in their careers. They will work for the most powerful people in the society, while those who are not diligent will spend their careers working for people on the lower end of the social order. As always, it is important to note that proverbs are not promises; they are generally true principles, all other things being equal.

The sixth saying (23:1-3): When you sit down to dine with a ruler, think carefully about who is before you (23:1 CJB). Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive (23:2-3 NIV). This proverbial saying is composed of three related warnings and seems to be the most relevant for those who are in service, or at least have access, to a powerful ruler. Nonetheless, broader application may be derived from this teaching. This particular proverb helps to counsel an adviser for table manners. It may seem a trite thing, but dining is actually an opportunity for people to demonstrate the type of self-control they need to have. Just as the wise are able to control their emotions and their speech, they also need to control their appetites. And there would be no greater temptation than at the splendid table of a ruler. If he saw a potential adviser’s appetite get the better of him, then how could the ruler trust him to control himself in other matters. In this way, the food could be deceptive: it was a potential trap that could cause a prospective adviser to lose an opportunity. The image of a knife at the throat suggests that it would be better to slice one’s own throat than to overeat in the presence of the ruler.

The seventh saying (23:4-5): Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. Because in the blink of an eye, wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle (23:4-5 NLT). This proverb within the context of Proverbs is quite striking. After all, there are a considerable number of proverbs that support hard work and imply that wealth will come to those who are wise (3:9-10, 10:22, 14:24). But these proverbs do not tell the whole truth. There are times and circumstances where people can work hard and are still poor. There comes a time when enough wealth is enough, according to this proverb. And in any case, when wealth does come, it often doesn’t stay for long. Thus, this proverb helps us put riches in their proper perspective. As with poverty, being rich also poses dangers (Proverbs 30:7-9 and Ecclesiastes 5:13-17). Believers will recognize a similar statement toward fleeting riches in Matthew 6:19: Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.⁴⁴⁸ The Art Scroll translates this as, “Do not weary yourself to become rich; withhold from your own understanding. You cast your eyes upon [wealth] and it is gone, for it makes wings for itself.” Pirqe Avot 28 therefore notes, “The more flesh, the more worms. The more possessions, the more worries.”⁴⁴⁹

The eighth saying (23:6-8): Don’t eat with people who are stingy; don’t desire their delicacies. For they are always thinking about how much it costs. “Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it. You will throw up what little you’ve eaten, and your compliments will be wasted (23:6-8 NLT). Whereas 23:1-3 gave advice about table manners with a king, here we have advice about dining with a stingy person. A specific connection can be seen in the warning in both passages not to desire their delicacies. In both cases, though the food is tempting on the surface, it should be resisted. Stingy (literally evil eye) people are those who may seem to encourage you to eat, but are really not interested in your well-being or enjoyment. The delicacies are really a sham. The hosts are, after all, stingy, so the food that they serve will really be low quality. The food really tastes horrible, and like a hair in the throat, it will be vomited up. So any compliments will be wasted on them.

The ninth saying (23:9): Don’t waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice (23:9 NLT). The wisest advice will bounce off the ears of fools. Even worse, it will bring on their hostility. Fools are set against wisdom, especially if that wisdom involves any kind of criticism of their favorite sin. Yeshua made a similar comment to His disciples: Do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces (Mattityahu 7:6).

The tenth saying (23:10-11): Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary stone or take the land of defenseless orphans, for their Redeemer (see the commentary on Ruth Ax – Ruth and Bo’az on the Threshing Floor) is strong and He Himself will bring their charges against you (23:10-11 Hebrew). This proverb has to do with social justice. The first colon is identical to that of 22:28, and the discussion of land and boundaries there should be checked. The second colon applies the ban against raiding the property of others to orphans. Along with widows, orphans are a group that is socially powerless, not having parents to take care of them. This proverb lends the authority of wisdom teaching behind the charge not to take advantage of the weakness of orphans.⁴⁵⁰

Dear heavenly Father, praise You for being so wise! You so perfectly put together all the books in Your Word to complement each other. Both Proverbs and Messiah speak wise instructions about wealth. Messiah Yeshua spoke with a perspective for how wealth was to be used in His coming eternal Kingdom (Dani’el 7:13-14). Messiah told of how important it was to use money/talents for God (Matthew 25:14-30). How time and money is used, is a reflection of who the heart loves. Thank You for giving Your children Your Word with books such as Proverbs and the Gospels. To the One who sits at God’s right hand. Amen