Proverbs 22 – Word to the Wise

Proverbs 22 – 

 

“Word to the Wise”

 

The twenty-second Proverb introduces a section in verse seventeen, which continues beyond chapter twenty-two itself, called the “Thirty Sayings to the Wise”.  The sayings closely parallel another Egyptian wisdom text called the “The Instruction of Amenemope”.  Despite the striking similarities between the two texts, the text of Proverbs differs starkly in its complete devotion to the Lord.  Proverbs twenty-two, like the first chapter of the book, seeks to impart some wisdom to the reader; however, the important thing to remember is that the purpose of its wisdom is to specifically serve the Lord.

 

That said, the previous section – verses 1-16 – consist of a tight section that give us a brief glimpse into what the Lord is concerned about: community.  Specifically, verses 1-16 showcase the importance of wealth, care for the poor, families, and children.  Notice that verse two equates the poor and the rich – they are both equal creations in the sight of the Lord.  What’s more, verse four notes that the fear of the Lord – a tight adherence to the Lord’s Presence and Spirit – is most valuable insofar as it leads to other things that we often value – riches, honor, and life. The important lesson here is that fear, or love, of the Lord must precede these other things that we so often seek first.  Moreover, the equal care of, and respect for, every person regardless of money or financial standing, is important to the Lord – we are all made in the image of God and cared for by the Lord.

 

Regarding children, verse six picks up the theme insofar as it instructs us to train up children in the way they are to go, for they will not depart from it later in life. There seems to be some truth to this; however, I’ve also known certain cases in which children did depart later in life from the manner in which they were raised.  What strikes me in this verse is the importance of raising children within the context of community.  Often, we let parents, teachers, and children’s volunteers shoulder the complete burden of raising of young people in our communities for various reasons.  But recent research has shown how damaging that can be – in fact, one of the factors that impacts the likelihood that a young person will stick with her/his faith in their twenties and thirties is whether or not the person had three or more meaningful relationships with older individuals at church.  The author of Proverbs doesn’t specifically mention parents in the raising of children; rather, s/he places the importance of raising children in the middle of wisdom regarding the life of the community!

 

To wrap verses 1-16 together, it is easy to see that the life and vibrancy of the community is important to the Lord.  Particularly, relationships across generations, the communal care for the future of young people, and the equal respect and care for community members regardless of financial standing are important in the eyes of the Lord.  May we all remember the importance of young people to Jesus, despite how “busy” or “important” the disciples regarded his schedule (Mt. 19.13-15), and to care for all members of our community.  Although riches, honor, and life may be good things, the love of the Lord, and all the Lord’s people, truly comes before any of them.

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