Proverbs 23
“Surely There is a Future”
Look around you today. All it takes is one glance at the news or social media to tell that there are tensions in our world today. The world is full of political strife, viral pandemics, economic problems, inequalities, justice and injustice, and anxieties. The world certainly seems troubled.
That said, one of the greatest troubles seems to come over the way that people relate to each other these days about the previously mentioned tensions. It’s easy to see people coming to anxiety, defensiveness, and even anger over issues dealing with all our contemporary issues on all fronts. Who said what today? Who is trying to get revenge on them? What will they come up with next? It can be a little disheartening sometimes.
What’s surprising is that, in this current environment, some people previously never prone to speak an ill word otherwise can be pulled into harsh debates that drive them to say regretful things . What might be most on trial during our current moment is our ability to relate to each other.
The twenty-third Proverb speaks to one element of this problem. We understand that Proverbs has much wisdom to speak; after all, it is considered part of the wisdom literature of the Bible, along with Job, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes. And the first sixteen verses make several mention of the importance of words, integrity, and right relations. But verse 17 jumps out as a distinctive separation between the ways of the world and the way of the Lord.
Specifically, verse 17 warns us to prevent our hearts from envying “sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day” (Pr. 23.17, ESV). This verse warns us to prevent our desires from getting caught up in the ways of the world – the way of sin – and directs us to make the fear of the Lord our top priority.
Moreover, the author of Proverbs reminds us that, in the Lord, “Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off” (23.18, ESV). In a world full of tensions, anxieties, crises, and problems, wherein the way people relate to one another is in anger and sin, this is a much-needed breath of fresh air. Whereas it’s easy to get caught up in the anxieties, problems, and even the troubling ways of relating to one another (sometimes it’s temptingly easy to get angry with people!), the author of Proverbs reminds us that we are called to something different. We, as a people, as the Church, are called to not let our hearts fall into the ways of the world, which lead to death. Rather, we are called to continue in the fear of the Lord, which leads to a future, a hope that will not be cut off.
Really, the author of Proverbs here echoes the Lord’s command to not hold grudges or work vengeance against a neighbor, which is the way of the world – the way of sinners; rather, we must love our neighbors as ourselves (Lev. 19.18). We must love the Lord our God with all we have (Deut. 6.4-9). Insofar as we do that, following the command of Jesus (Mt. 22:36-40), “Surely there is a future, and [our] hope will not be cut off” (Pr. 23.18, ESV).