On parents Proverbs 10:1
Have you ever thought about the pivotal place given to the command to honour thy father and mother? It is fourth, just after the commands about our relationship with our maker. It is not a coincidence. “Honor thy father and mother, so that your days on earth may be long and fruitful”. Our very existence stems from their union. How can you pay them back for your very existence?
Tissot - The paralysed man let through the roof Luke 5:17-39
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On Justness and wealth Proverbs 10:2
Obtain
wealth the right way, by staying within the commandments. Our moral life is a
zero-sum game, blessings for good, and punishment for wrongdoing. Yes, through
Christ we have grace, but we should not presume it.
On Grace and hard work Proverbs 10:3-5
Our
lord spoke the parable of the birds of the air and the lilies in the fields.
God through nature takes care of them, and divine providence does the same for
the righteous. He who does not work, cannot expect to eat. And he who
chooses the right time to sow and reap will have plenty. We work when we are
young, sowing so that when we are old we will reap. Look carefully at those
around you, and don’t be attached to the foolish who disregard the strength of
their youth and end up destitute in old age. Attach yourself to the wise who
see as you do.
Kussler- Immaculate heart of Mary Luke 1:26-28
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On the Fate of the wicked Proverbs 10:6-8
It’s
good to know that wisdom forgets the wicked. Their names are not esteemed when
they leave us. As for wisdom, spend more time listening to her, and only speak
when you must.
On righteousness Proverbs
10:9-12
St Augustine
defined love, as to actively will the good of the other. Thus to love one's neighbor,
is to actively will the good of your neighbor, and here neighbor is as our Lord
defined it, namely everyone besides yourself.
Ivanov- Christ cleanses the temple John 2:13-22
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On fools Proverbs 10:13-21
This is again a warning to too
much talking and little listening. The first sign of foolishness is simply
talking too much and listening too little. Wisdom suggests that we learn to
listen before we talk, and preferably only talk when the need to do so arises,
not when we feel we must speak for ego's sake. You will not burst from simply
keeping quiet politely.
Our ability to grow both in
wealth and wisdom lies largely with what comes out of our mouths. Wisdom keeps
repeating this and it will be a theme right through the book. Be careful what
you say, spend as much time as you can listening and enriching yourself with
knowledge, and speak only when you must. Speaking is how we express ourselves
in word and thought. Don’t post unnecessarily, don’t weigh in on every issue
online, and don’t speak when you don’t have sufficient knowledge. It’s a
spiritual principle, that if you listen long enough, you will begin to see
patterns and from those patterns, there is profit for both body and soul.
On The righteous and foolish contrasted Proverbs 10:22-32
Do not go about life without a
code of conduct firmly in your mind. Don’t be like an animal whose only
instinct is for food and drink and anything that can aid in this purpose as
prey. We are not animals; survival of the fittest cannot and will never be the
code of human beings. You are created in the image and likeness of God. You are
thus firstly a spiritual creature before you are a creature of flesh and blood.
Within each of us is an eternal spark, wrapped in a mortal body. It is why we
can have high thoughts, think about the heavens, plan for the future, empathize,
and so on. You must have a code. For Christians, we have the 10 commandments
and all that they teach us. Our Lord said that these are fulfilled in the love
of God and Neighbour. Let these be ensconced in your heart as your code.
What is a scoffer? A dictionary defines him as one... 'who jeers or mocks or treats something with contempt or calls out in derision".. the something they treat with contempt is wisdom. This is someone who refuses to listen, talks too much, and is one with his baseness. How can you explain that it is better to accept insults for what is right, than feast with the wicked for what is profitable and wrong? How can they understand that meekness and humility (accepting personal injury) far surpass bullying and intimidation? How can they understand sacrificing wealth and power for the treasure of wisdom? They choose the earth over the heavens. We can only pray that wisdom opens their eyes to her beauty.
On more wickedness and righteousness contrasted Proverbs 11:1-11
Here we have wickedness and uprightness contrasted. He who is wicked ignores the law and its two guiding principles, a love of God and a love of neighbor above self. A wicked person is only concerned with their own needs at the expense of everyone else, even God. The end in every instance justifies the means. It does not matter what stands in their way, they are simply an obstacle to be overcome. They are like carnivores when they spot prey; unless you are fast enough, they will devour you.
The contrast is true for the
upright, they love and are keen on the commandments. They choose to love God
and to love their Neighbour as they love themselves. To love God is to follow
his commandments, and to follow his commandments is to love your neighbor.
These are still strong as Lions, but they act like sheep. In their case, the
end can never justify the means, but rather the commandments justify the means.
If it means exploiting one's neighbor to achieve wealth, then the wealth is not
justifiable. It cannot be done if it means ignoring God to succeed.
I for a long time failed to
understand how one can steal from public coffers, knowing that the government’s
primary role is to have a just society concerned largely with the poor. Is the
culprit not afraid of the curses of the poor, and God's all-seeing eye? In time
I have come to understand that they simply don’t care and are blinded by
wealth. They consider our stay on earth as final with there being no such thing
as an afterlife. I pity anyone so reckless, as not to consider their souls.
Tissot - Jesus wept John 11:35-45
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On The perverse against sensible minds Proverbs 11:12-23
The
passages contrast foolishness and wisdom.
-Gossip as opposed to keeping a
confidence
-Good counsel as opposed
to poor; remember Rehoboam and the split of Israel was a consequence of poor
counsel
-Guaranteeing debts of strangers
who have beguiled you
- Unrighteous Riches obtained
through violence (ignoring neighbor and God)
- Outward beauty, compared to what comes from within, in speech and thought. When these two are not congruent, what a tragedy.
On Selfishness vs selflessness Proverbs 11:24-31
These are encouragements to be
righteous and the promises of rich fruit in this world and the one to come. The
contrast between generosity and liberal kindness is an interesting one. Indeed some
keep giving, and somehow never seem to lack as they grow in their wealth. It’s
a spiritual principle, give liberally and wisdom will lavish you liberally as
well. Those who see wealth as an end in itself, wrap their very existence
around it. They do not see themselves as managing wealth on behalf of wisdom,
but they become Gods that own wealth. Remember the parable of the rich old
fool? All that we have belongs to God, including the very lives we lead. Wealth
is simply a test, to see if we understand that this gift is for us to share
with those that have been gifted differently.
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On fools Proverbs 14:1-6
Foolishness is a failure to observe the commandments of God. This leads to a compass regulated by the dictates of men, which generally tend to be self-serving. Being led by men means listening to no one but yourself. Relying on your own efforts to forge ahead, yet the gifts you have belong to Him who gave them to you. To arouse the goodwill of men, they must truly believe that you think of them as brothers; neighbourly love is what our Lord spoke of. Nothing in society will forge ahead properly without it.
On temperament Proverbs 14:7-19
Do not wear your temperament or thoughts directly on your sleeve. In everything observe, take in and arrive at a decision. If you are insulted, accept it for the time being and don’t blurt out in annoyance or defence; why expose yourself? The person has shown you his measure, why reciprocate?
On the poor, the rich and toil Proverbs 14:20-24
The way of the world is to place the rich on a pedestal and ignore the rest. This is not the way of Christ, who has taught us about heavenly treasure and the second commandment on neighbour. Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God and is deserving of dignity. Carry this with you at all times, and you will be at peace.
Be careful of building castles in the air. The English saying, "if wishes are horses even beggars would ride" has much relevance here. Concern yourself with what is probable and begin.
On the fear of God Proverbs 14:25-27
What is the fear of God? To obey the commandments, namely a love of God and a Love of Neighbor. Dare I say that doing the latter, automatically takes care of the former? And what is a love of neighbour? To actively will the good of all others even at your own expense. How can there be love if there is no cost to you?
On tranquility, wisdom, and righteousness Proverbs 14:28-35
A tranquil mind naturally comes from following the commandments. If you are at ease with your maker, you shall be at ease with the world. Anger is a sign of pride. Pride is disregarding the merits and ills of your neighbour and arrogating to yourself, a sense of superiority. Are you not a man, reliant on God for mercy, and being no more than dust and ashes? How dare you be proud and arrogant? Never forget that we are all condemned to share the earth with worms, mighty and normal alike.
Is the worth of a man limited to what he has? There is a church teaching that says, everything that we have, beyond the needs of propriety, belongs to the poor. It’s a hard thing for someone who clings to wealth like it’s a god, but for one that sees everything as belonging to God, then it is easy. We cannot carry anything physical with us when we leave the earth, but we can certainly carry the spiritual benefits of helping all those that we can while we are here. The help is rendered due to the gifts that the almighty has granted us. It is His due. How dare you look down on flesh and earth, and you are no more than the same. The gifts you have come from on high, do you not realize that you are being tested? He gave them to you, and He can take them back.
The rise and fall of nations is a divine prerogative. The economy of the spiritual rewards righteousness and denigrates wickedness. Simply look down through history, what is wicked does not survive.
Salvator Mundi (Savior of the world), John 4:30-42
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On speech Proverbs 15:1-4
Our Lord said that nothing that we ingest can lead us to sin, but only what comes out in speech and thought. We as men and women forging ahead in life, rise and fall on what comes out of our mouths. If there is anything at all that you will learn about wisdom, let it be that you should hold your tongue, unless necessary.
If you must speak, to your seniors be respectful, to those you correct, be gentle, to those that are beneath you, be gentler still. Who is not attracted to a gentle and correcting spirit? It does not matter whether there is foolishness involved, be gentle and maybe the lesson will be learned. Be arrogant, and expect arrogance, insolence, and defiance in return.
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On the wicked and scoffers Proverbs 15: 5-14
Who is wicked? He refuses or ignores the commandments. They neither love God nor do they care for their neighbour. What is a wicked act to your neighbour? To treat another human being, as less than human. To love a neighbour is to will the good of the other, without expecting reciprocity.
Sheol is the grave, and Abaddon is a place of destruction. This is what waits for the scoffer. Repent and change before it is too late. The Lord's mercy is bountiful for those that seek it.
Who are the wise? Those that fear the almighty and are constantly praying for wisdom. If you humble yourself, you will not shy away from good counsel. Nobody has a monopoly on wise counsel. Pray, and seek wise counsel always.
Arrogance and pride suggest a know-it-all attitude; wisdom will hold no value for the proud.
The Eastern Orthodox Church has a short prayer I find useful in reminding me of my mortality and reliance on wisdom; it goes like this.."Jesus Christ, son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner" I occasionally add.. and fool, idiot, pompous twit, and so on. Keep the prayer on your lips at all times, as a reminder of your being just dust and ashes.
On the fear of the Lord Proverbs 15:15-20
Fear of the Lord is to obey and heed his commandments. Those that do so, should be the company that you keep. The English saying, “Bad company spoils good character” is very true. The proverbs are clear on those who are good. Use this as the basis to determine the company you keep. If you follow the commandments, you cannot ignore wise counsel from your parents; you are not likely to keep bad company; you are unlikely to allow your passions to drive you, and so on. It’s an easy enough solution; keep the company of those that seek the most-high and the wisdom that He imparts.
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On patience and greed Proverbs 15:21-29
Always be patient when decisions need to be taken. Some call it procrastination, I call it patience. Unless critical, always give yourself time to act on a matter. Pray about it, seek counsel, and delay as much as you can. The Lord should be prevailed upon for insight.
We may feel certain about a decision, but always refer the matter to the most high for guidance. Your initial thoughts may end up being very different from the end solution. Follow and heed the commandments and you will invariably be at peace with wisdom.
Greed is a terrible snare. First greed, then ignoring or setting aside the commandments, and then eventually perpetual wickedness, since your lenses are adjusted only from the perspective of greed. Pride is quickly built up where wealth is concerned.
Greed feeds wealth, wealth feeds pride, and ends up in wickedness (a complete disregard for God and your neighbour, all for the sake of feeding your greed). It just becomes a never-ending cycle of greed, wealth, pride, and wickedness.
On being open to learning Proverbs 15:30-33
There is no such thing as a cessation of learning wisdom. The practice of wisdom is something one does over the course of one’s life.
Remember that even the writer of these proverbs (King Solomon), failed to right practice in his old age and became an idol worshiper.
Pray to the Lord to keep you steadfast in the practice of wisdom. Pray to Him to always keep your eyes open and mouth firmly shut, in your never-ending search for His wisdom.
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