The Fatherless

For Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Proverbs 23:10-11


Do not move an ancient landmark
or enter the fields of the fatherless,
for their Redeemer is strong;
he will plead their cause against you.


The wicked prey upon the weak and defenseless precisely because such prey have little risk. They have little to no influence with the powers-to-be; they have no money to "buy" justice. They have no kin - at least kin who can do anything - to stand up for them.


But such persons do have an advocate to plead their cause, an advocate who never loses his case. Their advocate is their Redeemer who buys them, thus making their property his own. The crimes committed against them are crimes committed against him.


Judgment will be rendered against all perpetrators. Almost all will experience judgment in their earthly life; all will experience complete judgment after death. It is this second death that the Redeemer said to fear the most. However terrible the lost of physical life may be, it is the casting of a soul into hell that is the great horror, a judgment from which the wicked cannot escape.


The only hope of such escape is to recognize that one is poor and an orphan. It is to acknowledge that you are the neediest of all and the most wicked of all. For to make such confession now will result not in judgment, but in being bought by your Redeemer. Confess now. Repent now. By acknowledging that you are fatherless, you will find your Father and know your Redeemer.

A Fool's Perspective

For Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Proverbs 23:9

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
for he will despise the good sense of your words.

This proverb repeats a recurring theme. A fool is a fool, not become he has yet to be taught wisdom but because he despises wisdom. His problem is not that he lacks education. Indeed, there are many well-educated fools. Nor is his problem a mere lack of understanding to be solved by someone patiently reasoning with him. He despises wisdom. He is offended by it.

The love of wisdom requires a greater interest in truth than in self, which the fool cannot give up. The irony is that his interest in himself works against him, as he regularly makes choices that make his condition worse. But he cannot see that. He cannot see what others see clearly because he cannot get outside himself to look. He certainly cannot put himself in the place of others and see from their perspective. He can only view others from his own self-interest perspective. Thus, what you might say to his benefit, he interprets as you acting from your self-interest.

How then will the fool ever learn? Experientially, he is more likely to learn through facing the consequences of his actions - receiving punishment, experiencing poverty or physical pain through his own abuse, seeing the pain he has inflicted on others, etc. Where reason fails, painful consequences can sometimes succeed. If not, they can at least curb behavior and restrain the fool to a degree.

He may never learn. He will never learn unless the Holy Spirit works in him to affect a change. After all, that is the only reason we turned from our foolishness to receiving the gospel.

After Dinner Effects

For Monday, July 16, 2007
Proverbs 23:6-8

Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy;
do not desire his delicacies,
for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.
"Eat and drink!" he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,
and waste your pleasant words.

We come back to the table of verses 1-3. The host, be he a ruler or not, is also observing you. He gives the impression of being generous but is not. He is calculating how much you are costing him. He says to eat and drink, but he is taking note of how much you actually are. He is seething that you are taking him at his word. He thinks you should know better, or else he is risking (in his mind) that you are worth the investment. For that is how he perceives you - a risk investment. He is hoping that his "generosity" will pay off and that he will get back from you more than he has had to put out.

Perhaps you will prove to be a good investment and end up doing favors that you find you cannot get out of. Perhaps you will be a poor investment, thinking that mere expressions of appreciation are enough, only to find you are no longer welcome in his house.

How do you know whether a man is truly generous or inwardly stingy and calculating? You have to do your own share of observation. You cannot let displays of wealth blind you. Observe the man. Observe the way he is with his servants, with his family. Are those who are constantly around him happy and at ease? Are they generous? A truly generous man will rub off on those around him, just as a truly stingy man will do so.

Be discerning. This is what all the proverbs are about. Look beyond yourself and pay attention to what is going on around you. Be a good listener and a good observer. Don't let delicacies cloud your seeing and impair your hearing. Don't let sensual pleasures befuddle your discernment. See through to the giver. Observe him. From him judge whether the delicacies are to truly enjoyed or turned away. It is the giver, not the delicacies who makes the feast.