4 Lessons
[Proverbs 23:9-14]
Do you think there are Christians who view faith as a means of profit? I think there are. I looked for the basis in 1 Timothy 6:5 - “and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.” One of the reasons why the quarrels in the church don’t cease is because there are people who think of faith as a means of their individual gain. Then the question we can ask here is, 'Why are there people in the church who think of faith as a means of profit?' The reason is because they have depraved mind and deprived of the truth (v. 5). As a result, they are proud, have unhealthy interests in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people (vv. 4-5). Then why did their mind become deprave and deprive the truth? The reason is because they don’t agree with sound words, those of the Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness (v. 3).
I would like to think about the four lessons of God that the Bible gives us, focusing on the words of Proverbs 23:9-14. I hope and pray that we all humbly receive these four lessons and follow them.
The first lesson is, “Do not speak to a fool.”
Look at Proverbs 23:9 – “Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.” As we meditate on the Book of Proverbs, we have learned a lot about “the fool”. Let me give you few examples: The fool speaks carelessly (10:8). In particular, he hurts the other person's heart (18:8) because he carelessly speaks a harsh word in anger (15:1). Nevertheless, the fool doesn’t know how much he hurts the other person's heart with the words poured out of his mouth in his anger. And when he's angry, he only thinks about himself and doesn't care whether the other person is hurting or not. That is why the mouth of the fool brings strife (18:6). And his mouth invites a beating (v. 6). In other words, the mouth of a fool is his ruin (vv. 6-7). Especially the fool tells lies (19:5). Also the fool acts impatiently and rashly with zeal without knowledge (v. 2). And the fool does things and his heart rages against God (v. 3). The fool seeks ill-gotten treasure (10:2) and is lazy (v. 4). Even if the fool knows his fault, he continues to act foolishly without fixing it (14:24). As a result, the fool is bound to suffer in his heart (v. 10). Also, the fool is a selfish person who knows only himself because he has a closed mind. Yet he delights in airing his own opinions with his open mouth (18:2).
The Bible Proverbs 23:9 teaches us not to speak to the the fool. What is the reason? The reason is because the fool will despise our wise words. The fool who mocks at making amends for sin (14:9) doesn’t accept anyone's reproof (1:25). What can be said to the ears of a proud man, hardened by sin? No matter how wise you speak, he will not only listen to you, but will despise you. The reason he despises you is because his heart is proud. So he will look down on you from his proud heart. What is the reason? The reason is because the fool hates wisdom. Look at Proverbs 1:22 – “"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?” Therefore, the Bible Proverbs 9:8 says: “Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.” We must not rebuke the foolish and arrogant man. The reason is because he will hate us. Rather, we must rebuke the wise. The reason is that he will love us.
The second lesson is, ‘Do not go into the fields of the fatherless.’
Look at Proverbs 23:10 – “Do not move the ancient boundary Or go into the fields of the fatherless.” Here, regarding the phrase “Do not move the ancient boundary”, we have already meditated on the words in Proverbs 22:28, “Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.” In Deuteronomy 19:14, the Bible says, “Do not move your neighbor's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.” Here, the phrase “Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stones se up by your predecessors” means not to infringe on others' possessions (Park). The reason is because those who infringe on others' possessions will be cursed by God (Deut. 27:17). Dr. Yoon-sun Park said that it meant not to invade the territories of other countries by interpreting this word more broadly. Why should we not invade the territory of another country? The reason is because God divided the territories of the nations (32:8, 17:26). The reason why one nation should not invade another nation's territory is because it is a rule to respect others' possessions. Respect others' possessions, but especially in the second half of Proverbs 23:10, the Bible says not to go into the fields of the fatherless. That said, respect the possessions of the orphans and don’t invade their fields. What is the reason? The reason is because God, who is “A father to the fatherless” (Ps. 68:5), loves the fatherless and established their territory. Not only God has decided the boundary for the fatherless, but also the boundaries of the widows (Prov. 15:25).
However, if we look at the Old Testament, especially in the days of the prophet Isaiah, some of the Israelites didn’t love the orphans whom God loved, but tormented them. We can know this by looking at Isaiah 1:23 or 10:2 – “Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them” (1:23) and “to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless” (10:2). Can you imagine a bribe-loving judge who not only doesn’t judge the fatherless with truth, but judges them unfairly? Can you also imagine the judge not only deprives the orphan's rights, but also plunders them? How can they plunder the orphan’s fields that aren’t that much? In Psalms 94:6, the Bible says that they even slayed the widows and murdered the fatherless.
However, there is something they don’t know, that is the word of Proverbs 23:11 – “for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you.” Here, “Defender” refers to a person who is responsible for meeting the needs of those who cannot defend themselves (Walvoord). Then, who is the “Defender” the Bible speaks of here? He is God. God is the Defender of the fatherless. In Psalms 68:5, the Bible says, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” God defends the cause of the fatherless (Deut. 10:18). When the lonely orphans trust in the Lord, the Lord helps them (Ps. 10:14). The Lord commands us not to oppress or harm widows and orphans (Jer. 7:6, 22:3; Exod. 22:22; Zech. 7:10), but rather to help them (Deut. 14:29, 24:19-21, 26:12). This is pure godliness in the sight of our Heavenly Father (Jam. 1:27).
The third lesson is, ‘Apply your ears to the words of God.’
Look at Proverbs 23:12 – “Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.” Here, “instruction” or “words of knowledge” refers to the words of God (Park). Now the Bible is telling us to apply our hearts and our ears to His words. Then, what does it mean to apply our hearts to the word of God? That means to attach our hearts to His words. Since the hearts of God's children are devoted to the words of God, they are close His word all the days of their lives and meditate on them day and night. The Bible is with them and they read it all the days of their lives (Deut. 17:19). And they are committed to keeping and doing all the words and commandments of those words of the Bible (v. 19). As a result, they learn to fear God, and they don’t consider themselves better than others and turn from the God’s commandments to the right or to the left (v. 20). In this way, we must attach our hearts to the words of God and listen to it. And when we listen to His words, we must listen to them with an attitude to obey. What is the reason? I found the reason in Psalms 116:1-2: “I love the LORD, because He hears My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.” Since God is listening to our petitions, we are listening to His words. In particular, when we see the psalmist confessing that he loves God because He listens to his voice and petition, we also confess that we love God because God listens to our prayers. Then what do we do who love God? Look at John 14:21 – “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” Those who love God keep His commandments. Therefore, because God listens to our prayers, we who profess to love God keep His commandments. Therefore, if we love God, we will listen in an attitude to obey God's word.
The fourth and last lesson is, ‘Discipline your child.’
Look at Proverbs 23:13 – “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.” As the parents raise their beloved child, the Bible says “Do not withhold discipline from a child” (v. 13). But for some reason, it seems that many parents these days are trying not to discipline their children. In other words, these days the parents who love their children don’t discipline their disobedient children. Does this really mean that the parents love their children in the sight of God? Look at Proverbs 13:24 – “He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” The Bible says that the parents who truly love their children are faithful in disciplining their children. Of course, disciplinary action here refers to holding a rod. Why is the Bible saying that if parents love their children, they discipline their disobedient child with the rod or whip, even to the point of beating? Look at Proverbs 22:15 – “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.” The reason why we must discipline our children is because we can drive away the foolishness in their lives. Look at Proverbs 29:15 – “The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.” Another reason why we must discipline our children is to give them wisdom. Look at Proverbs 29:17 – “Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.” We must discipline our children because they will give us peace and joy to our hearts. Proverbs 23:14 tells us why we should discipline our children: “Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.” The reason we have to discipline our children whom we love is to save our children from death even by discipline (Walvoord). And it is also to make our children walk on the way of life (10:17).
In Hebrews 12:6-8, the Bible says about Heavenly Father's discipline: “because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.” Because Heavenly Father treats us as sons, He disciplines us when we disobey Him and don’t repent of our sins. He disciplines us for our good (v. 10). Here “our good” is that God disciplines us in order to make us share in His holiness (v. 10). Also, He disciplines us so that we may produce “a harvest of righteousness and peace” (v. 11). Therefore, the Bible says: “My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you” (v. 5).
Today we have received 4 lessons based on Proverbs 23:9-14: (1) “Do not speak to a fool,” (2) ‘Do not go into the fields of the fatherless,’ (3) ‘Apply your ears to the words of God’ and (4) ‘Discipline your child.’ Let us commit ourselves in applying these four lessons into action.