Thirty Sayings of the Wise (Sayings 1-6 for today)
Saying 1
“Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise—apply your mind to my knowledge—for it is pleasing when you keep them within you and they are constantly on your lips. So that your trust may be in the LORD, I instruct you today—yes, you. Have I not written for you thirty sayings about counsel and knowledge, to show you true and reliable words, that you may soundly answer those who sent you?
Saying 2
Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate, for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.
Saying 3
Do not make friends with an angry man, and do not associate with a hot-tempered man, or you may learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.
Saying 4
Do not be one who gives pledges, who puts up security for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?
Saying 5
Do not move an ancient boundary stone which your fathers have placed.
Saying 6
Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”
“Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise—apply your mind to my knowledge—for it is pleasing when you keep them within you and they are constantly on your lips. So that your trust may be in the LORD, I instruct you today—yes, you. Have I not written for you thirty sayings about counsel and knowledge, to show you true and reliable words, that you may soundly answer those who sent you?” Sometimes we forget that when Proverbs was originally being compiled, those collecting these sayings might have had a different means of organization than the chapters and verses we read today. The thirty sayings of the wise are spread over several chapters; that’s why we only see six of them appearing in Chapter 22.
Here in Africa, particularly in rural areas, the elderly are regarded as repositories of wisdom and young people listen to them. Unfortunately, many young people are being seduced by social media and radio and television to the point that they refuse to listen to the elders, and not everything the elders say is valid either. As a physician, I constantly have to battle against misbeliefs promulgated by the old ladies (and sometimes the old men) in the village. The fact that I too am elderly carries a tiny bit of weight; however, my skin color works against me. And I am not anybody’s auntie, another thing against me. But the elders still have a great deal of sage advice worth following.
Our General Manager at our hospital is the son of a chief from a northern Ghanaian tribe, and his father obviously spent a great deal of time pouring his wisdom into his son. Not only is our GM highly knowledgeable about administration, but he also makes wise decisions based on the wisdom his late father has imparted to him.
What does it mean to “soundly answer those who sent you?” This statement presumes that the person being addressed will be acting as a courier or diplomat at some point in the future. If this person behaves foolishly, he will embarrass those whom he is representing; on the other hand, when he behaves wisely, he will enhance their reputation.
“Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate, for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.” Want problems? Just start oppressing the poor and see where it takes you! God has had mercy on all of us and expects us to have mercy on others in return. The mention of “the gate” refers to the city gates where elders and leaders would sit to discuss and decide many matters concerning a town. Merciless men might be foolish enough to deride a poor man at the gate, in an attempt to destroy him while building up themselves. God has all sorts of ways of collecting moral debts; cheat the poor and the money you have gained will dwindle away or become a curse to you. God will not be mocked!
“Do not make friends with an angry man, and do not associate with a hot-tempered man, or you may learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.” We all know someone with a hair-trigger temper, someone who will take offense at the slightest provocation. No matter how sweetly you might speak to such people, they will still find a reason to be angry. Anger can lead people into saying all matter of foolish things and doing things they might later regret. Associate with such people and you might find yourself blamed for their thoughtless acts of anger. If the angry person does something truly contemptible, you may find yourself in court or even in prison.
“Do not be one who gives pledges, who puts up security for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?” Many people in ancient Israel had very few belongings, so someone standing surety for a debt might be forced to pledge his bed as security. Why would anybody be so short-sighted? Such an individual might agree to stand surety in hopes of gaining favor with the person taking out the loan; however, if that person reneges and skips out, the guarantor will now be left without a bed as he struggles to repay the debt!
“Do not move an ancient boundary stone which your fathers have placed.” From the time when the Israelites entered Canaan, God ordered Joshua to distribute the land to the various tribes and clans within the tribes as a perpetual inheritance. The strictures were so binding that if a man died without leaving any sons, the daughters were to marry within the tribe to preserve that heritage. The boundaries of these pieces of land were sacrosanct and not to be tampered with. When wicked King Ahab seized Naboth’s vineyard by cunning, he set in motion the forces that eventually toppled him as king. Naboth had refused to sell his ancestral land to Ahab and Ahab arranged for a kangaroo court trial that resulted in Naboth’s murder.
“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” I am a surgeon working in an impoverished rural area in a small struggling mission hospital. Does my remote location mean that I am unskilled? NO! Each day when I go to work, I stand before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the One who has given me the skill to save lives, the One who loved me so much that He sent His own Son to die a cruel death on a cross for my sins and the sins of the whole world. Each time I operate, I dip the wound in the Blood of Jesus and ask God to heal the patient without complications. Then I beg God to save the patient, every member of his/her family, everybody he/she knows, everybody in their town, everybody in their tribe, and to baptize them in the Holy Spirit and send peace to their area. I pray all this in the mighty Name of King Jesus. By these prayers, I am bringing these patients before the One who has created them and who knows their bodies far better than I do. That operating theater becomes God’s throne room.
I am writing these words as I wait for a lady on her 10th pregnancy who is bleeding vaginally to arrive from an outlying hospital. The medical officer there takes off every weekend, leaving our facility to pick up the slack. I know nothing about this lady; however, I do know this: God knows this lady and her baby and He loves them far more than I ever can. I am praying for a successful outcome for all of us.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that each day we are standing before You, doing the work You have called us to do. Help us to work heartily, remembering that we are working for You and not merely for other people. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment