What We Must Know

[Proverbs 28:21-28]

One day, during a dawn prayer meeting, I meditated on the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, as it is written in the Gospel of John, chapter 11. While meditating on this passage, I especially focused on verses 5-6:
"Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was."
Through this passage, I realized that the concept of time for Jesus was somewhat different from that of the others (Lazarus, Martha, and Mary). For Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary, time was very precious and valuable.

The reason I believe this is because Lazarus was sick, and that illness ultimately led to his death. Up until his death, every hour must have seemed incredibly precious to him. Moreover, from the perspective of his two sisters, Martha and Mary, time must have been incredibly important, valuable, and urgent as they watched their beloved brother, Lazarus, die. We can sense this urgency in the words of Martha, who went out to meet Jesus when she heard He was coming to Bethany after Lazarus had been dead for four days (verse 39):
"Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." (verse 21).
Her sister, Mary, said the same thing to Jesus: "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." (verse 32).

From these two statements, we can see that Martha and Mary believed that if Jesus had come sooner, if He had "been here", their brother Lazarus would not have died. For them, time was of the essence. This is why they sent word to Jesus, saying: "Lord, the one You love is sick." (verse 3). Yet, despite hearing that Lazarus was sick, Jesus stayed two more days in the place where He was (verse 6).

How could it be that, knowing Lazarus was sick, Jesus didn't immediately go to Bethany to heal him but instead stayed two more days where He was? It is clear that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (verse 5), so why, knowing that the one He loved (verse 3) was sick (verses 3 and 6), did He not go to Bethany right away to lay hands on Lazarus and heal him? Instead, Jesus told His disciples, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up." (verse 11, 14), and then said, "Let us go back to Judea." (verse 7).

Why did Jesus do this?
The answer is found in verse 15, where Jesus says: "For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe." (Contemporary Bible). Jesus stayed longer for the sake of His disciples, to help them believe in Him even more. Jesus wanted His disciples to see the power of God more clearly, so He allowed a delay to strengthen their faith.

As I reflected on this, I realized that even though we may not have that "two days" (verse 6) of time to wait, and even if we find ourselves on the edge of life and death, we must still trust in the Lord. Even when it seems that God's work is not happening as we hoped, we must endure in faith, trusting that God will fulfill His purpose. Even when the situation appears to be getting worse and our hopes seem to fade, we must believe that all of it is for the glory of God, and through it, the Son of God will be glorified (verse 4, Contemporary Bible). This is because the heart of Jesus is always with us (verse 15).

Recognizing that Jesus is with us gives me strength, even as I come to understand a little of His heart toward me. God's Word is a source of strength for me and for all of us.

In the passage from Proverbs 28:22, the Bible says:
"A person with an evil eye hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him."
[(Contemporary Bible) "A selfish person is in a hurry to accumulate wealth, but does not know that poverty will suddenly strike him."].

While meditating on this verse, I focused on the latter part: "does not know that poverty will come upon him" and realized that there are important truths we must know. Based on this, I want to reflect on eight key lessons from today’s passage.

The first truth we must know is that we can make mistakes by being led into wrongdoing through bribery.

Today’s Bible passage from Proverbs 28:21, in the Modern Translation of the Bible, says: “Although unfair treatment is not good, a person will commit a wrong for a piece of bread” [(Korean Revised Version) “It is not good to show favoritism to a person’s face, and just for a piece of bread, a person commits a crime.”].

There is a book I read while attending seminary titled “Confessions” by St. Augustine. In that book, I recall Augustine confessing that he considered stealing a piece of bread when he was hungry long ago to be a significant sin. When I first read this, I remember thinking to myself, “How could stealing just one piece of bread be considered such a serious sin?” And I thought, perhaps this could be something that might be overlooked. But when I think about why and how Augustine considered that small act of stealing a piece of bread as a great sin in his confessions, I believe the reason lies in the ‘presence of God.’

In other words, Augustine, being in the presence of God, became more aware of the gravity of his past sins. Augustine realized the depth of his sinfulness more profoundly because of God's holy presence. I believe this understanding comes from a sermon I once heard from an elder pastor about the Apostle Paul. The message in that sermon was that the more a person grows in their faith, the more they experience God’s holy presence, and the more deeply they become aware of their own sin. As a result, they become even more humble. The elder pastor referenced three Bible verses from the letters of the Apostle Paul: (1) (1 Corinthians 15:9) “I am the least of the apostles...” (2) (Ephesians 3:8) “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given...” (3) (1 Timothy 1:15) “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

In today’s passage from Proverbs 28:21, the Modern Translation reads: “Although unfair treatment is not good, a person will commit a wrong for a piece of bread.” The Korean Revised Version says, “It is not good to show favoritism to a person’s face, and just for a piece of bread, a person commits a crime.” What does this mean? What do you think the phrase “showing favoritism to a person’s face” means? Where do we typically see this unfair treatment? We see it in the courts. For example, if a judge is supposed to judge impartially but shows favoritism, what will happen? They will not render a just verdict. But why do such things happen in courts today? The reason is 'bribery.'

It seems that there are more people in this world than we might expect who believe in the motto “money can solve everything.” They seem to believe that “money is power.” Thus, they have no qualms about giving bribes to achieve their selfish goals and ambitions. An example of this is found in the Bible in Ezra 4. When the people of Israel, returning from their captivity in Babylon, sought to rebuild the temple of God in Judah, “the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin” heard about it (verse 1) and went to Zerubbabel and the other Jewish leaders (verse 2). They asked to join the rebuilding efforts, but Zerubbabel and the leaders refused, saying, “We alone will build the temple for the God of Israel” (verse 3). From that moment on, “the people of the land harassed the Judahites and made them afraid to build” (verse 4, Modern Translation). One of the ways they tried to stop the building of the temple was through “bribery” (verse 5). The adversaries of Judah “gave bribes to the officials to hinder the plans” (verse 5). In the book of Nehemiah 6, Tobiah and Sanballat, the enemies of the Judahites, bribed Shemaiah to give a false prophecy to Nehemiah. The prophecy stated that Nehemiah’s enemies would come to kill him, and that they should lock themselves in the temple to protect him (verse 10). When Nehemiah heard this, he replied, “How can I, a governor, flee? How can I, who am like this, save my life by going into the temple to hide?” (verse 11, Modern Translation). Nehemiah realized that Shemaiah was not receiving God’s word, but had been bribed by Tobiah and Sanballat to deceive him (verse 12, Modern Translation).

Why did Tobiah and Sanballat bribe Shemaiah to give such a false prophecy? See Nehemiah 6:13: “They were hired to frighten me, to make me sin, so that they might have an evil report in order to taunt me” [(Modern Translation) “They bribed Shemaiah to threaten me, to make me sin, to disgrace my name and slander me”]. Ultimately, the purpose of the bribe was to make Nehemiah, the leader of the Judahites, afraid, causing him to sin against God.

Now, what would happen if a judge in Judah received a bribe? The judge would never administer justice and righteousness, because it would be impossible for him to do so. The Bible records that in the Old Testament, leaders and judges among the Judahites received bribes: “Your leaders are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes, and chase after gifts; they do not defend the rights of the fatherless, nor the widow’s cause” [(Modern Translation) “Your leaders are rebels, companions of thieves, and all of them are fond of receiving bribes and gifts, but they do not solve the problems of orphans and widows”] (Isaiah 1:23), “With their hands they do evil diligently; the judge seeks bribes, and the ruler asks for gifts; the rich man’s desires are greed, and they conspire together” [(Modern Translation) “They are accustomed to doing evil, and the officials and judges demand bribes, while the rich conspire with them to fulfill their selfish desires”] (Micah 7:3). As a result, the bribe-taking judge “justifies the wicked and takes away the righteousness of the righteous” (Isaiah 5:23). In other words, he harms the innocent (Psalm 15:5). A judge who receives bribes will pervert justice (1 Samuel 8:3), and because of such flawed judgments, innocent people will suffer (Amos 5:12).

Think about it. From the perspective of the person suffering, how unjustly would they view a wrong judgment from the judge? Proverbs 28:21 tells us, “It is not good to show favoritism to a person’s face, and just for a piece of bread, a person commits a crime.” Thus, Proverbs 18:5 says, “It is not good to favor the wicked in judgment, nor to deprive the righteous of their rights” [(Modern Translation) “It is wrong to defend the wicked in court and treat the righteous as criminals”].

Bribery clouds our vision (Exodus 23:8, Deuteronomy 16:19, 1 Samuel 12:3) and corrupts our hearts (Ecclesiastes 7:7, Modern Translation), leading us to forget God (Ezekiel 22:12). It distorts our judgment (1 Samuel 8:3). As a result, bribery leads us to make unjust decisions and commit wrongs (Proverbs 28:21). Bribery leads us down the wrong path (Job 36:18). Therefore, we must not accept bribes. Just as God does not accept bribes (Deuteronomy 10:17, 2 Chronicles 19:7), we should not accept bribes or show favoritism to anyone (Proverbs 28:21). We must remember that “we can commit a wrong for a piece of bread.” In this way, bribery can lead us to sin against God (Nehemiah 6:13). Therefore, we must not accept bribes.

Secondly, the fact we need to understand is that those who harbor greed do not realize that poverty will inevitably come to them.

Everyone, do you know the Christmas story of "Scrooge the Miser"? This story, written by the English novelist Charles Dickens, is about the miserly character Ebenezer Scrooge, who has no compassion whatsoever. On Christmas Eve, he encounters the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, and through visions of his past, present, and future, he comes to realize his wrongdoings and repents, eventually finding a heart that is more humane (Internet).

When I was young, I learned a lesson from this story not to be a miser. But strangely, I remember another story more clearly. It’s the Korean folk tale “Heungbu and Nolbu” that I heard in elementary school. Even at that young age, after hearing this story, I learned the lesson that I should be kind like Heungbu and avoid becoming greedy like Nolbu.

However, after all these years, when I reflect on my life, I wonder whether I am really living according to the lessons I learned as a child. I have begun to think that perhaps I am living more like the greedy Nolbu than I would like to admit. At least the miser Scrooge eventually repented and found a humane heart, but I still have not found my true heart and am still fighting with myself. Specifically, I am fighting against the greed within me.

As the Bible says in 2 Samuel 12:14, greed leads to adultery, murder, and theft, and it causes God's enemies to blaspheme greatly. I am deeply reminded that we should be vigilant against such greed. Even today, the leaders of the church and Christian communities, driven by greed for wealth, fame, or women, commit the sin of idolatry by loving these things more than God (Micah 1:7, 2:2; Colossians 3:5). How can we resist the temptation of greed? I cannot help but pray and meditate on the Word of God to find an answer.

In Acts 20:33-35, the Bible teaches us that to resist the temptation of greed, we must always remember Jesus' words: "It is more blessed to give than to receive," and live by them.

Today's passage, Proverbs 28:22, says this: "The greedy person is in a hurry to gain wealth, but he does not know that poverty will come upon him" (Modern Korean Bible). The Bible states, "The one with an evil eye hastens to get wealth, and does not know that poverty will come upon him." Here, the "evil eye" refers to the eye of one who harbors greed (Park Yun-seon). In other words, the eye of one who has greed is evil (v. 22). The Bible tells us that a selfish person with this evil eye is in a hurry to accumulate wealth (v. 22, Modern Korean Bible).

The term "hurry" means that a person driven by greed wants to "quickly become rich" (v. 20), or rushes to become wealthy (v. 20, Modern Korean Bible). Proverbs 28:20 says, "A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished" (Modern Korean Bible). Even though a faithful person will be abundantly blessed, one who rushes to be rich will not avoid punishment.

If a greedy, selfish person desires to quickly become wealthy, they will not seek honest and lawful ways to gain wealth but will instead choose wrongful ways. And these wrong methods are deceit (lies) and violence (force), as Proverbs 21:6-7 says: "Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death; the violence of the wicked will destroy them, because they refuse to do what is just" (Modern Korean Bible).

The Bible warns us that accumulating wealth through deceit and violence is like "seeking death." It is like "mist and death's snare." Those who do not realize this are those who are deceived by the lies and rush to gain wealth through wrong methods. The end result of such actions is "poverty." The problem is that those who harbor greed do not know that poverty will inevitably come upon them (v. 22).

At first, these people may seem to succeed in amassing wealth through unjust means, and it may appear that their income exceeds their desires (Psalm 73:7). Their wealth grows steadily, and they live a comfortable life (v. 12, Modern Korean Bible). However, Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, realized the end of the wicked when he entered the sanctuary of God. What is their end? In Psalm 73:18-20, the Bible says: "You put them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise them as fantasies" (Modern Korean Bible).

In 1 Timothy 6:9-10, the Bible says: "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (Modern Korean Bible).

We must not become lovers of money like the Pharisees (Luke 16:14). We must not love money, for the love of money is the root of all evil. If we love money and covet it, we will be deceived and stray from the faith, leading to great sorrow and emotional wounds.

Therefore, we must remember that those who desire wealth fall into temptations and harmful desires, leading to destruction and perdition. We should not love money. We must also not store up wealth on earth. Why? Because, as Jesus says in Matthew 6:19, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal."

What does this mean? It means that whatever wealth or possessions we store on earth will either be destroyed by rust or eaten by moths, or stolen by thieves (MacDonald). In short, we should not store up treasures on earth because they will all disappear. As James 5:2-3 says: "Your riches have rotted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days."

We should not store treasures on earth in these last days. Rather, we should store treasures in heaven, just as Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:20. Dr. Park Yun-seon summarized the way to store treasures in heaven as follows: "The way to store treasures in heaven is to sacrifice all of my good things (not only material possessions but also effort, talents, and everything else) for the Lord" (Park Yun-seon).

We must live on earth while storing treasures in heaven. To do this, we must sacrifice what we have for the Lord. We must prioritize the Lord above all else, offering our material possessions, time, bodies, families, and everything for the Lord, His Church, and the gospel ministry. We must also share what we have with our neighbors, as Jesus said (Luke 18:22). This is how we store up our treasures in heaven (v. 22).

Thirdly, what we need to understand is that reproving someone will be more loved in the end than flattering them with the tongue.

How would you feel if someone who loves you pointed out your mistakes? I still remember when I was in college, I was receiving discipleship training with a few seniors and a pastor. At that time, the pastor said to me, "James still has a lot of temper." I didn’t feel good about it. However, I also remember saying to a junior I loved, "You are arrogant." Now, when I think about how that brother must have felt when he heard those words, I feel sorry.

Personally, I struggle with the verse from Proverbs 27:5. To put it another way, every time I face this scripture, I wrestle with it: "Better is open rebuke than hidden love." The Contemporary Bible translates it as "Rebuking openly is better than hidden love," and I find it difficult to openly rebuke anyone. I thought it was because of my personality, but perhaps I realize that I am not loving enough to reprove others with God’s love. For someone who struggles even with hidden love, I find it even harder to offer reproof in a loving way. So, when I read this verse, I wrestle with it and feel guilty.

Especially in my pastoral work, if I truly loved the flock that God entrusted to me, I sometimes feel that I failed to obey God’s Word by offering loving reproof when I should have.

When you think of someone who reproved another openly in the Bible, who comes to mind? For me, it’s the prophet Nathan, who reproved King David openly (2 Samuel 11). We all know this story: King David, after sleeping with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, tried to cover up the sin. Eventually, he even killed Uriah, his faithful soldier, committing murder. "David’s actions were evil in the sight of the Lord," (verse 27) and so God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David using a parable about a rich man and a poor man (12:1-4). David was enraged and said to Nathan, "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die" (verse 5). In trying to cover up his sin, David had even covered his conscience and did not realize that he was the one who deserved to die. Then Nathan directly confronted him: "You are the man" (verse 7). How shocking that must have been for David! He had no idea that he was the "man who deserves to die." When God reveals our sins, it should shock our conscience.

Proverbs 28:23 says: "Whoever rebukes a person will find more favor later than one who flatters with the tongue" (Contemporary Bible: "The person who points out a wrong will be loved more than the one who flatters"). This verse asks us what kind of person we are. Are we someone who rebukes others (points out their wrongs) or are we someone who flatters (says what people want to hear)? What about you? What about me? This verse encourages us to be someone who rebukes others, and the reason is clear: "those who rebuke will be loved more later" (verse 23b). However, in reality, our instinct is often to want to be loved now rather than later. We may prefer to flatter someone to win their favor instead of rebuking them for their wrongs.

For example, in the workplace, we might flatter our superiors, even though we know they’ve made a mistake. In my case, instead of reproving someone with love, I tend to cover up mistakes and move on. The biggest reason I do this, I think, is because I don’t want to hurt their feelings. Another reason might be the fear that the relationship will become awkward or break down if I speak up. Inside this fear, I might also worry that they might dislike me. So, when I let things slide, I sometimes justify it with Proverbs 17:9: "Whoever covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends" (Contemporary Bible: "The one who covers over an offense pursues love, but the one who repeats it separates close friends"). The Bible clearly says that "covering an offense promotes love," (17:9) but at the same time, it also says "better is open rebuke than hidden love" (27:5). I often wrestle with what it means to obey God’s will.

What do you think? Should we cover over the faults of those we love, or should we rebuke them? When is it better to cover up their faults, and when should we reprove them in love? My personal thought is that when the wrong is repeated, and it’s becoming a serious sin, we should reprove them with love at the right time to prevent it from going further, as Proverbs 27:5 suggests.

Proverbs 27:6 says: "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses" (Contemporary Bible: "A friend may hurt you, but this is a faithful expression of friendship, while an enemy may kiss you, but you must be cautious"). The Bible says, "Better is open rebuke than hidden love" (verse 5), and the reason is that even though a friend’s rebuke may hurt, it’s trustworthy, and that hurt is out of love. The Bible says this is better than the deceitful kisses of an enemy. Why? Because the enemy seeks to tear us down, while a true friend wants to build us up.

In Ecclesiastes 7:5, it says, "It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools." The "song of fools" here refers to "the false comfort of the wicked" (according to Park Yun-seon). The Bible warns us to beware of the false comfort of the wicked, because it is empty. We need to remember that the wisdom of a rebuke is better than the praise or encouragement of a fool.

In Psalm 118:18, the psalmist says: "The Lord has severely chastened me, but He has not given me over to death." We don’t know how severely God chastised him, but what we can understand is that God will surely rebuke His beloved children. But the Bible also says that God does not rebuke us forever, nor will He remain angry with us forever (103:9). And even the Apostle Paul told his spiritual son Timothy, "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Timothy 4:2). There is no denying that we must rebuke those we love with God’s Word.

Let’s not forget that "Rebuking a person will be more loved in the end than flattering with the tongue."

Fourth, we must understand that those who steal from their parents and claim it is not a sin are no different from thieves.

Have any of you ever stolen something from your parents? I have. I still remember it vividly. When I was in elementary school, my mother used to keep a wallet with coins in it inside a cupboard in the church parsonage kitchen. The kitchen was a bit deep, and the cupboard was high, so it wasn't easy for me to open the upper door of the cupboard and take out my mother's wallet to steal the coins. Haha. When I think about it now, I almost felt like Spider-Man, clinging to the cupboard to open the door carefully and take the money. I probably stole one 100-won coin. I likely did it because I really wanted to buy a 100-won pack of "sora" (snack) from a small store in front of the church. Hehe.

Stealing my parents' money was clearly theft, but I also think that not giving our parents what we should give them is a form of theft. Look at what the Bible says in Matthew 15:5-6: “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever you would have gained from me is given to God," he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God.”

This was a statement Jesus made to the Pharisees and scribes, as they were violating God's commandments with their traditions. Specifically, even though God's commandment clearly says, "Honor your father and mother," the Pharisees and scribes taught that if one gave to God what was supposed to be given to their parents, it was no longer necessary to honor them. If we think that giving offerings to God means we don't need to give our parents any pocket money, then we might be stealing from them.

The Bible in Proverbs 28:24 says: “Whoever steals from his father and says, ‘It is not wrong,’ is a partner to the one who destroys.” [Modern Translation: “Whoever steals from his father and says it is not wrong is no different from a robber.”]

Why does the Bible specifically talk about stealing from one's parents among all the things people might steal? Why does the Bible mention stealing from parents, rather than coveting and stealing from neighbors, like in the tenth commandment? Perhaps the reason is that the Bible says "Honor your father and mother," and yet some people, instead of honoring and showing respect to their parents, end up committing the unimaginable sin of stealing their parents' possessions. This is because, as mentioned in verse 22, there are those who are "hastily seeking wealth" or are greedy. And in verse 25, those with "many desires" might even fight with their parents and steal their possessions. Those who steal without feeling guilty and do not recognize it as a sin are no different from thieves, and such thieves could even exist within families.

So why might a child steal from their parents and not consider it theft? Why might a child steal from their parents and then say it is not a sin? I found the answer in Proverbs 14:8-9: “The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit. Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor.” [Modern Translation: “The wise person is wise because they understand their way, but the fool is foolish because they deceive themselves. The fool considers sin as unimportant, but the righteous person fears sin.”]

If a child steals from their parents and says it is not a sin, it is because they do not take their sin seriously (14:9). And the reason they don’t take their sin seriously is because they are deceiving themselves (8, James 1:22). The reason we deceive ourselves is due to a lack of knowledge (Proverbs 14:7). And the reason we lack knowledge is because of our pride (6). Our pride comes from our arrogance (3), and the root of our arrogance is that we have despised God (2).

Ultimately, the reason I thought it was not a sin to steal from my parents when I was younger is that I was despising God. There is someone in the Bible who also despised God, and his name was Micah, who appears in Judges 17. He stole 1,000 pieces of silver from his mother (Judges 17:2). But when his mother cursed the thief who had stolen it, he confessed to her that he had taken the money and returned the 1,000 pieces of silver to her (2-3). However, Micah’s mother, upon hearing him, said, “I will dedicate this silver to the Lord, to make an idol for my son.” (Judges 17:3). This is truly a dysfunctional family. How could a child steal from his mother, and then return the stolen money, only for the mother to use that money to make an idol for her son? Neither the child nor the mother considered their sin to be sin. The reason is that they both despised God (Proverbs 14:2).

We must not take theft or any other sin lightly. Rather, we must take seriously the sins we commit against God. Those who despise God consider their sins trivial (Proverbs 14:2, 9), but those who fear God take their sins seriously. If we do not honor our parents, and we do not give them what we should, but only give to God, we are breaking God's commandment. In a sense, that is stealing from our parents. We cannot honor our parents with mere words (Matthew 15:8). We must honor them with our hearts. Those who honor their parents with their hearts will gladly and gratefully give them what they should for their benefit. Therefore, let us be the ones who bring joy to our parents (Proverbs 23:25).

Fifth, what we need to understand is that greed causes disputes, but those who trust in God will be abundant.

Everyone, why do disputes arise in human relationships? Look at James 4:1-2, the first half of verse 2: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight…” The Bible says that the cause of our disputes is the “battling desires,” and that we fight because we “desire but do not have.” Don’t we fight and quarrel because of the desires within us? If we have greed in our hearts, we can never be satisfied. I’m reminded of Ecclesiastes 1:8: “All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.” This verse tells us that even though the eyes see and the ears hear, they are never satisfied, just as the sea can never be filled with the water flowing into it. Similarly, human greed never finds satisfaction (Park Yun-seon). Truly, human greed seems endless. We try to fulfill that endless greed by pursuing various things in this fleeting world, but in the end, we are never satisfied. Solomon, who wrote Ecclesiastes, explains to what extent he experienced this in Ecclesiastes 2:10: “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil.” He indulged in everything his eyes desired and everything his heart enjoyed. He thought that this was the reward of all his hard work (verse 10). However, he confessed: “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (verse 11). When we have greed within us, we fall into the same sinful behavior as the Israelites during the Exodus, complaining and grumbling in dissatisfaction. Discontent leads us to complain. Why do we complain and feel dissatisfied? The root cause is greed. Greed is truly scary and dangerous. However, contentment and self-sufficiency lead us to gratitude. And in a grateful heart, peace overflows. A grateful heart is a generous heart, and it does not desire. It cannot desire. We should live lives of gratitude to God, counting all the spiritual blessings we have received in Christ Jesus. In doing so, like the Apostle Paul, we should be content with Jesus alone. Whether experiencing poverty or abundance, we must learn the secret of contentment with Jesus alone. Only then can we avoid the sin of complaining in dissatisfaction.

Looking at today’s passage, Proverbs 28:25, the Bible says: “The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper” (Modern Korean Bible: “A greedy person stirs up conflict, but one who trusts in the Lord will be wealthy”). The Bible contrasts “the greedy” with “those who trust in the Lord.” When we think about “the greedy,” we can relate it to the “wicked-eyed person” mentioned in verse 22 (one who has eyes full of covetousness). In other words, the reason a greedy person causes conflict is that they are focused on accumulating wealth in their greed (verse 22), and in that process, they easily quarrel with others (verse 25). A greedy person will try to flatter others (verse 23) in order to get what they want. They might even argue with their own parents. The reason is that, as mentioned in verse 24, a greedy person may become so numb to their conscience that they would steal from their parents (verse 24). Greed can even dull a person’s conscience to the point where they no longer consider their actions as sinful. As a result, in this process, such a person could easily get into a quarrel with their parents.

Greed is harmful to us. The reason we fall into foolish and harmful greed is that we lack a contented heart that is satisfied with what we already have. Also, we do not truly understand in our hearts that we brought nothing into this world and can take nothing out of it (Ecclesiastes 5:15). Therefore, a greedy person loves money in their greed, seeking wealth (1 Timothy 6:6-10), and in that process, they cause disputes with others (Proverbs 28:25). In Genesis 16, we see how one woman’s greed led her to make her husband act in ways that went against God’s will. This is the story of Abram and Sarai. Sarai was unable to bear children (Genesis 16:1), so she told her husband Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my female servant; perhaps I can build a family through her” (verse 2, Modern Korean Bible). At that moment, her husband Abram should have not followed Sarai’s advice. He should have believed God’s promise, which said that God would give them Isaac, and lovingly rebuked and guided her. Instead, Abram followed her advice and slept with her servant Hagar (verse 4). As a result, when Hagar became pregnant, she became arrogant and despised Sarai (verse 4). Sarai then told her husband Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me” (verse 5, Modern Korean Bible). Isn’t this a bit ironic? Sarai, who told her husband to sleep with her servant Hagar, now blames him and says, “It’s your fault.” It’s a bit amusing, isn’t it? In this way, Sarai’s greed uses her husband as a tool to satisfy her desires. The result is that Hagar despises Sarai, and Sarai accuses Abram, which causes conflict.

We must be cautious about greed. The reason is that greed causes disputes and leads us to sin against God. Greed is a shortcut to unhappiness, so we must avoid it. Rather, as we see in the second part of Proverbs 28:25, we must be those who “trust in the Lord.” Those who trust in God rely on His Word and obey it. A good example of this is Simon Peter in Luke 5. Jesus sat in Simon Peter’s boat by the Lake of Gennesaret (verse 1) and taught the crowds from the boat (verse 3). After finishing His teaching, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (verse 4). Even though Simon Peter had worked all night without catching anything (verse 5), and despite the fact that he was washing his nets (verse 2), because Jesus said so, he responded, “Because You say so, I will let down the nets” (verse 5). He did so, and the result was that “they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break” (verse 6, Modern Korean Bible). In the end, Simon Peter became abundant by trusting in the Lord and obeying His Word (Proverbs 28:25). I hope that all of us will lay down our greed before the cross, rely solely on the Lord, and obey His Word, so that we may enjoy His abundant grace.

Sixth, the fact we need to understand is that we should not trust ourselves but act wisely.

Have you ever met someone in your life who says, "I never trust others. I only trust myself"? I remember a friend from high school who once told me that he was an atheist, that he didn’t believe in any gods, trusted no one, and only trusted himself. At that time, I thought it was possible for someone to be an atheist who denies the very existence of God. However, when I attended seminary and studied John Calvin’s interpretation of Romans 1, I came to believe, in line with Calvin’s perspective, that there cannot be atheists in this world. The basis for this belief comes from Romans 1:19-21, which says:

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Modern Translation: "It is because God has shown them what can be known about Himself, so it has become clear to them. Since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, namely His eternal power and divine nature, have been made evident through the things He has created. Therefore, they are without excuse. Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks to Him, but their thoughts became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened.")

Clearly, the Bible states that they knew God. How did they know God? Because God revealed His attributes, His eternal power, and divine nature through the things He made. Yet, people did not honor God or give thanks to Him. Instead, their thoughts became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Do you think we can trust such "foolish hearts"? While it’s difficult to trust others, I believe it’s not easy to trust our own hearts either. Why is that? The reason is given in Proverbs 28:25, which says that our hearts are full of greed (covetousness). Because of this greed in our hearts, we are eager to accumulate wealth (verse 22, Modern Translation). As a result, some even steal from their own parents (verse 24). In short, the reason we cannot trust our hearts is that the heart of a person is “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9, Modern Translation).

How deceitful and corrupt is the human heart? Jesus said in Mark 7:20-23: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of the heart of man, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” Also, Genesis 6:5 says: “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.”

Can we trust such a heart?

Proverbs 28:26 states: “Whoever trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be kept safe” (Modern Translation: “The one who trusts in himself is a fool, but the one who walks wisely will be safe”). The Bible is clear that trusting in our own hearts makes us fools. The Bible tells us not to trust our hearts. If we trust in our own hearts, the Bible says we are fools. Isn’t that natural? If we trust in a “foolish heart” (Romans 1:21), aren’t we naturally going to be “fools” (Proverbs 28:26)? The Bible says that the foolish heart of a fool believes that they are “wise in their own eyes,” but in reality, they are foolish (Romans 1:22). So, the foolish ones “do not serve the eternal God,” but instead worship idols (Romans 1:23). Moreover, they exchange the truth of God for a lie and worship and serve created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). Eventually, God gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done (Romans 1:28, Modern Translation). The Bible says that there will be disaster for such people (Isaiah 5:21). The Bible says: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil” (Proverbs 3:7). Therefore, we should not act as though we are wise in our own eyes (Romans 12:16).

Instead, the second half of Proverbs 28:26 tells us to “walk wisely.” To do so, we must “listen carefully to the words of the wise” (Proverbs 22:17) and “keep those words in our hearts” (Proverbs 22:18). When we do so, we will trust in God (Proverbs 22:19). This is why Proverbs 3:5-6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” We should not trust our own wisdom (verse 7), but instead walk wisely by the wisdom God gives us. Walking wisely means that we fear God and turn away from evil (verse 7). Just as when we love God and the truth (Proverbs 3:3), we turn away from hatred and lies, when we fear God, we turn away from evil, which we may foolishly consider wisdom (verse 7).

If we do not trust God and fail to acknowledge Him in all our ways, that is evidence that we are trusting in ourselves and acknowledging ourselves. This is proof that we think we are wise in our own eyes. It is a vain belief of a foolish person who does not fear God (Proverbs 14:16). The root cause of this vain belief of thinking oneself wise is pride, which sets one’s heart on high things (Romans 12:16). Why do we set our hearts on high things? The reason is that we do not know the high and exalted God intimately. When we lack intimate knowledge of God, we think ourselves wise (Proverbs 3:7) and act as though we are wise (Romans 12:16). When we fall into this pride, we fail to glorify God, we do not give thanks to Him, and our thoughts become futile. Our foolish hearts grow dark, and we end up thinking we are wise, but in reality, we are foolish (Romans 1:21-22). Therefore, we must not think of ourselves as wise. Instead, we must fear God and turn away from evil. We must not set our hearts on high things but instead humble ourselves. In short, the wise who fear God are humble. As we fear God, we will turn away from evil and humble ourselves. These humble individuals will be lifted up and used greatly by God.

Why does the Bible urge us to walk wisely? It is because “the one who walks wisely will be saved” (Proverbs 28:26). In the Modern Translation, it says that the reason we must walk wisely is that the one who acts wisely will be safe.

The wise person listens only to God’s Word. Those who listen to God’s Word will live in peace and safety, without fear of disaster (Proverbs 1:33). The wise person will trust in God, who is a strong tower (Proverbs 29:25), and they will run to Him and find safety (Proverbs 18:10). I pray that you will have such safety. May we all walk wisely with the wisdom God gives us, so that we may experience God’s salvation and safety.

Seventh, what we need to know is that those who help the poor will not end up in poverty.

Have you ever heard the term "relative poverty"? There are said to be two types of poverty: absolute poverty and relative poverty. Absolute poverty refers to "the lack of resources necessary for survival, such as food, clothing, shelter, and other essentials, which prevents an individual or family from maintaining physical efficiency." On the other hand, relative poverty refers to "a state of having relatively less compared to the average or a certain standard of living in society" (Internet). Until now, I had only thought of poverty in terms of absolute poverty, but I once heard on a Korean radio broadcast that there are increasingly more people in Southern California, where I currently live, who are in a state of relative poverty. What struck me about the news at that time was that even if someone earns $3,000 or $4,000 a month, if their expenses, for example, amount to $5,000, that person is considered to be in relative poverty. The reason this was so shocking to me was that I had only known the concept of absolute poverty up until then. So, I was surprised to hear that someone earning $3,000 or $4,000 a month could still be considered poor. But after that, through the news and talking with people, I realized that the cost of living in California is incredibly high, especially with apartment rents being so expensive, while wages are not rising at the same rate. As a result, more and more people are finding themselves in relative poverty, struggling each month to make ends meet.

The lesson about "the poor" has been something we have been continuously learning through our meditation on Proverbs. The most recent lesson I learned came from Proverbs 28:18: "The one who walks with integrity will be saved, but the one who follows crooked paths will fall." The original Hebrew translation of this verse means "The one who walks in purity will obtain salvation, but the one who deceives with two ways will fall once" (Park Yun-sun). What kind of person is the one who deceives in two ways? A good example of this is found in the second half of Proverbs 28:6, where it speaks of "the rich who walk crookedly" [translated as "false rich" in the Modern Korean Bible]. In Hebrew, it is translated as "the rich who deceive with two ways" (Park Yun-sun). What kind of person is the rich who deceives in two ways? On the outside, they pretend to walk a good path, but in reality, they are walking an evil path (Park Yun-sun). One of the evil paths that the rich follow is oppressing the poor (v. 3). A more specific example of this oppression is found in James 2:6, which says: "But you are dishonoring the poor. Aren’t the rich the ones who are oppressing you and dragging you into court?" (Modern Korean Bible). The rich who walk in two ways, in their oppression of the poor, not only despise them but also harass them and even drag them to court, causing harm. It’s hard to imagine this — that a person, who may seem to be doing good in public, is secretly abusing the poor behind the scenes. Because of the inconsistency in their actions — what they show in public versus what they do privately — these rich people, who deceive in two ways, end up accumulating wealth. And, they appear to be collecting wealth quite well.

In today's scripture, Proverbs 28:27, the Bible says: "The one who gives to the poor will not lack, but the one who turns a blind eye will receive many curses" [(Modern Korean Bible) "The one who cares for the poor will not lack anything, but the one who ignores them will receive many curses"]. From the Proverbs we have meditated on so far, the Bible says the following about "the poor": (1) (14:31) "The one who oppresses the poor despises their Creator," (2) (17:5) "The one who mocks the poor despises their Creator...", (3) (21:13) "If anyone shuts their ears to the cry of the poor, they too will cry out and not be heard," (4) (22:16) "The one who oppresses the poor to increase their wealth and the one who gives to the rich will become poor." These verses tell us that oppressing or mocking the poor is to despise God, the Creator of the poor, and that those who do so will become poor. But in the second half of today's scripture, Proverbs 28:27, the Bible says: "The one who ignores the poor will receive many curses" (Modern Korean Bible). Here, the phrase "ignores the poor" refers to not responding to the needs of the poor (MacArthur). In Proverbs 14:31 (Modern Korean Bible), it says: "... The one who shows mercy to the poor honors God." The Bible tells us that the one who shows mercy to the poor honors God, and the one who ignores them is the one who does not show mercy to the poor and does not honor God. But "the one with a good eye" (22:9) "shows mercy to the poor." This is like lending to God, and God promises to repay that good deed (19:17). The Bible says that those who have "good eyes" will be blessed by God (22:9).

The Bible, in 1 John 3:17-18, says: "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but shuts his heart against him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth" [(Modern Bible) “If you have great wealth and see a poor brother but do not help him, how can you say you love God? Children, let us not love just with words, but with actions and sincerity”]. If we say we love God, when we see a poor brother or sister, we should help them with the resources we have. It is not enough to just talk about how a certain brother or sister is suffering. We cannot end there. We must love them with actions, not just words. Proverbs 11:24 says: "One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty" [(Modern Bible) “Some people spend money generously for others and become richer, while others are overly frugal and remain poor”]. The Bible teaches that those who help the poor will not only not become poor themselves (28:27), but will actually become richer. With faith in this promise, when we see the poor, we should not turn a blind eye but rather approach them to help and support them. I hope that all of us, following the word of God, help the poor with sincere actions.

Finally, the eighth point to understand is that when the wicked gain power, people live in hiding, but when they fall, the righteous flourish.

On the afternoon of November 7, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a speech at the Korean National Assembly in front of over 550 South Korean lawmakers and diplomatic representatives from foreign embassies, marking his first visit to South Korea in 24 years. His speech, lasting about 35 minutes, was mostly focused on North Korea. Approximately 24 minutes of it were dedicated to condemning the North Korean regime. He began by mentioning the Korean War and the history of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, and even sent a warning to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Internet). After the speech, foreign media evaluated Trump’s remarks, and one of the comments stated: “By presenting the suffering and horrible realities of the North Korean people through the voice of the U.S. President, rather than President Moon, it greatly helped the South Korean people’s anti-communist education.” I decided to review the speech again to better understand the “suffering and horrific realities of the North Korean people.” He said (Internet):

“North Korean workers endure incredibly long hours in intolerable conditions without pay. Recently, the regime issued an order for all laborers to work 70 consecutive days or pay for a single day off. Families live in homes without plumbing, and less than half of those who use electricity have adequate power. Parents bribe teachers with money, hoping their children will not be forced into hard labor. More than a million North Koreans died during the famine of the 1990s, and even more continue to lose their lives. Nearly 30% of children under the age of 5 suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition. Despite this, in 2012 and 2013, the North Korean regime spent close to 200 million dollars, nearly half of the amount allocated to improve the living standards of the people, on building more monuments, obelisks, and statues to idolize the dictator. The meager harvest collected by the North Korean economy is distributed based on loyalty to the distorted regime. Instead of treating residents as equal citizens, this cruel dictator weighs, scores, and evaluates their loyalty to the state and assigns them ranks. Those who score high in loyalty are allowed to live in the capital, Pyongyang. Those with the lowest scores are the first to starve. A minor infraction, such as accidentally staining a picture of the dictator on a discarded newspaper, can affect the entire family’s social credit rating for decades. Additionally, an estimated 100,000 North Koreans are subjected to forced labor in prison camps, enduring torture, starvation, rape, and murder. In one known case, a 9-year-old boy was imprisoned for 10 years because his grandfather had been accused of treason. In another case, a student was beaten at school for forgetting a detail about Kim Jong-un’s life. Soldiers kidnap foreigners and force them to work as spies for North Korea. What was once a center for Christianity before the war is now a place where Christians and other religious individuals face imprisonment, torture, and often execution if they are caught praying or practicing their religion. North Korean women are forced to have abortions if the fetus is considered “racially unfit.” If these children are born, they are killed as newborns. One baby, born to a Chinese father, was dragged away in a basket. The guards said the child’s blood was impure and not worth saving. Given this, why should we feel an obligation to help China? Life in North Korea is so horrific that the people bribe government officials and are sold as slaves overseas. They would rather be slaves than continue living there. Trying to escape is considered a crime punishable by death. One person who successfully escaped said: "Now that I think about it, I was not a person, but closer to an animal. Only after leaving North Korea did I realize what life truly is."

The Bible, in Proverbs 28:12, says: “When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves” [(Modern Bible) “When the righteous win, everyone rejoices, but when the wicked take power, the people live in hiding”]. Is this not the case in North Korea? Has not the wicked taken power, causing the people of North Korea to live in hiding? Proverbs 29:2 also says, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan” [(Modern Bible) “When the righteous take power, the people rejoice, but when the wicked take power, the people groan”]. In reality, the people in countries like North Korea or Syria, where the wicked have taken power, are indeed groaning, aren’t they? In today’s passage, Proverbs 28:28, the Bible says: “When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous increase” [(Modern Bible) “When the wicked take power, the people hide, but when they fall, the righteous prosper”]. We have already meditated on a similar verse in Proverbs 28:12: “When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves” [(Modern Bible) “When the righteous win, everyone rejoices, but when the wicked take power, the people live in hiding”].

The meaning of the words about the righteous is that God uses the righteous, and the righteous rejoice because God greatly bestows grace and blessings upon them (Park Yoon-seon). In particular, when God sets righteous leaders over a nation and allows them to govern, there is order and justice in that nation, and the citizens have no choice but to rejoice (Walvoord). Look at Proverbs 11:10: “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices…” [(Modern Bible) “When the righteous do well, all the citizens rejoice…”]. However, when the wicked rise, that is, when the wicked take power, the people hide (28:12b, 28a). The reason is that the wicked who take power are proud and oppress the people (Park Yoon-seon). Look at Proverbs 28:15: “A wicked ruler over poor people is like a roaring lion or a hungry bear” [(Modern Bible) “A wicked ruler to the poor is like a roaring lion or a hungry bear, a dangerous threat”]. Imagine a roaring lion and a hungry bear. Why does the lion roar? It roars because it is looking for food (Park Yoon-seon). We already meditated on Proverbs 17:12, where the Bible says, “It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly” (Modern Bible). This means that the fool is more dangerous than a bear robbed of her cubs. How is that so? Why is a fool more dangerous than a bear robbed of her cubs? The reason is that when a fool becomes angry, his anger is more rational (MacArthur). Therefore, when the foolish and proud wicked take power, the citizens have no choice but to hide. However, when that wicked one perishes, the righteous increase, as today’s passage in Proverbs 28:28b says. When the foolish and proud wicked who hold power fall, the righteous will increase and prosper. The reason is that when the wicked increase, sin also increases (29:16), but when the wicked perish, sin decreases. Naturally, the righteous, who had been hiding, will increase and prosper.

For example, during the time of the judges, the wicked Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites had to live in caves in the mountains and in safe places (Judges 6:2, Modern Bible). When the wicked rise (take power), people have no choice but to hide (Proverbs 28:28). However, after God appointed Gideon as a judge and allowed his 300 soldiers to defeat the Midianite army, there was peace in the land for 40 years during Gideon’s rule (Judges 8:28, Modern Bible). In such peaceful times, there is no longer a need for people to hide. The reason is that in those peaceful times, the righteous will increase. Proverbs 28:12a says: “When the righteous triumph, everyone rejoices…” [(Modern Bible) “When the righteous win, everyone rejoices…”]. Also, Proverbs 11:10a says: “When the righteous prosper, the whole city rejoices” [(Modern Bible) “When the righteous prosper, the whole city rejoices”]. What does this mean? It means that when the wicked perish and the righteous triumph and prosper, everyone (the whole city) rejoices and is glad.

Personally, though I am lacking, I pray thinking about the people dying in Syria due to the civil war, and I hope that the dictator of that country steps down, so that the citizens of that nation may have freedom. The same goes for North Korea. I pray that the dictator steps down soon, and that our brothers and sisters in that country can live out their faith freely and no longer suffer in poverty and persecution. Honestly, at times, like the psalmist, I pray that the wicked leaders in power fall. I hope that the citizens of those nations will no longer die or suffer, but will rejoice and be glad.

I would like to conclude with a reflection on what we need to understand. We have meditated on the 8 key lessons we should learn from Proverbs 28:21-28:

1. First, we need to understand that we can commit wrongs through bribery (v. 21).

2. Second, we need to understand that a person with greed does not realize that poverty will come upon them (v. 22).

3. Third, we need to understand that rebuking someone is more loving than flattering them with the tongue (v. 23).

4. Fourth, we need to understand that someone who steals from their parents and claims it is not a sin is no different from a robber (v. 24).

5. Fifth, we need to understand that greed causes strife, but those who trust in God will be rich (v. 25).

6. Sixth, we need to understand that we should not trust ourselves but act wisely (v. 26).

7. Seventh, we need to understand that those who help the poor will not be poor (v. 27).

8. Finally, the eighth lesson is that when the wicked take power, the people hide, but when they fall, the righteous prosper (v. 28).