Chapter 22

Once again, Solomon asks us to examine our values and aspirations – and resist the temptation of thinking that money is the measure of all things.

When plans and decisions are being made, how do you balance financial and human factors? What criteria do you follow? What values are involved, and how do you establish your priorities? What part do values play in your work, and how is value created?

Rich and poor are both people, human beings made in the image of God, both living life and requiring food and air to stay alive. Both depend on the crops that grow out of the soil. Both have to bathe, trim their nails and go to the toilet. For some reason, however, one is rich when another is poor. Why?

Perhaps the rich man is wealthy and successful because of choices he has made, as in the previous proverb, and likewise the poor man with his poverty and failure. Perhaps they should both have made different choices.

People are people, and money does not impart immortality, buy happiness or provide deliverance from the emotional pressures of life – as the high divorce rate amongst movie stars may demonstrate. So be yourself, and be happy – but whatever you do, take charge of your life and be successful.

Perhaps the theme continues. Rich men are usually prudent and proactive, rather than passive. They usually become rich because they think and plan and take charge of their lives, take creative action and solve problems.

How much foresight do we exercise? Hindsight consists of seeing what we earlier over-looked, factors that we could have anticipated had we taken the time to think through and analyze every aspect of the situation. We should have known better! Why did we let it happen?

The simple-minded person is sleepy, not fully awake and alert. The prudent man, however, is fully switched on. Are our eyes open? Do we see trouble coming? Do we tend to ignore warning signs, and hope for the best -- or do we take evasive action? Do we take things seriously enough? Are we too happy-go-lucky for our own good? How can we cultivate the mindset of a prudent manager?

The theme continues. How do you get what you want in life, and what are the true riches? Humility is a receptive, teachable attitude of mind, a willingness to accept correction, coupled with a desire to learn and grow.

Some people stagnate and learn as little as possible, but successful people keep on increasing in wisdom, understanding and personal capability. Humility and righteousness together make a winning combination that leads to health, wealth and happiness.

The theme of cause and effect continues. Why do some people find life so difficult, when others sail smoothly towards their goals? The answer is that they have chosen different routes to success. The froward person is selfish, bad-tempered and unpleasant to deal with. As a result, he irritates and antagonizes other people instead of securing their cooperation and support. He is like a man walking along a path that is overgrown with painful thorn bushes and set with mantraps. He makes his life difficult for himself, because of the kind of person he has chosen to be.

The person who guards his soul, on the other hand, cultivates a pleasing personality and a positive attitude that wins friends and influences people – and smooths his path through life. Attitude can be far more important than ability.

The theme continues. Many of people are unwitting victims of their upbringing. The froward person probably had froward parents, and is "a chip off the old block". Habitual behavior patterns, picked up in childhood, may stay with us for the rest of our lives – unless we wake up to the harm they are doing and make a conscious and deliberate attempt to change them.

What are our weaknesses? How can we overcome them? What can we learn from observing other, more successful people? Can we smile like they smile? Can we speak to people the way they speak? Can we approach situations in the same positive way they do?

Perhaps the theme continues again. Why are some people rich and others so poor? Is it fate, or are there are attitudes, choices and actions that make a difference and shape their lives?

The rich man has power over the poor man, and makes him do his bidding. The poor man, however, only has power over himself -- but how well does he actually rule over himself? How wisely does he control the little money he does have? He has just as much time in a day as the rich man, but how well does he use it? How carefully does he manage his emotions and his mouth? How diligently does he train his mind? How creatively does he use his imagination? Does he think and plan for change, or is he content to be told what to do, and remain forever in the role of a servant?

Solomon’s metaphor here concerns a farmer sowing seed, and then using a rod to beat the grain out of the sheaves of grain that will be harvested later. A farmer reaps what he has sown, and so it is with life – so that the man who sows perversity will automatically reap vanity, nothingness. Angered by his failure he then tries hard to beat people down and exploit them, but his futile actions gets him nowhere. He has harvested only weeds.

What are the key factors for success in your job or business? Are you sowing the right seeds, saying and doing the right things to guarantee success? How does the law of cause and effect work in what you do? You know the effect you want, but do you yet identified the precise factors that cause that effect? What variables do you need to tweak to make money flow in your direction? Do you understand the emotional dimensions of the situation?

The theme continues. The foolish farmer reaps a sparse harvest because he is so miserly in the amount of seed he sows. Because the man with a bountiful eye is more open-handed as he scatters his seed, his ground yields a much bigger increase – and as a result he has food enough to share with those in need.

Just as God provides the sun and rain to reward the efforts of the farmer, so he prospers those of a bountiful eye who sow good deeds by sharing their bread with the poor and needy.

The Hebrew rendered as "a bountiful eye" means "a good eye", as opposed to "an evil eye" -- signifying a positive, generous, magnanimous attitude rather than one that is miserly, selfish, critical and mean.

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Many problems have human causes. Very often, when a consultant is called in to advise a company, the problems it has are quickly and easily resolved simply because his presence as an outside authority causes internal squabbling to cease and objectivity takes over.

In problem solving it is very important to explore the intangible, emotional dimensions of the situation. How does the problem affect people and how do they affect the problem? What do they feel about the situation? Is communication involved? How do factors such as patience, tolerance, fairness, prestige and willingness to accept change figure in the situation?

Some people are difficult by nature, it seems. In his letter to Titus, Paul says:"Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to so with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful" (Titus 3:10-11).

Do you often find yourself saying the wrong thing and making a bad impression? When we speak, we reveal our basic attitudes, our prejudices, our contentiousness, our reluctance to accept constructive change – and that could be the problem.

The king looks for people he can rely on to give him wise advice, honest opinions and valuable insights. He hears them from the gracious lips of the person who has a pure heart, a person who strives to be fair, open-minded and sweetly reasonable in assessing any situation. Do you love pureness of heart, or do you derive more pleasure from expressing your irritation and pique, from speaking your mind and airing you pet grievances? If you do, it shows.

God sees what happens in the world and takes note. He also hears the words of the wicked as they plan their evil schemes -- and will intervene and thwarts them when necessary to achieve his chosen purposes, to protect and bless those trust in him and keep his commandments. Be confident of that fact and be reassured. Have no fear of evil.

Are we really rational beings, or is our logic influenced by our attitudes? Do we let our imagination run away with our emotions and infuse us with all kinds of exaggerated fears and phobias? Does the lazy man really know there is a lion out in the street? Has he looked out of the window and seen it, or is he simply imagining the worst and making excuses for his inactivity? The literal scenario is very unlikely, because lions usually and stay out in the wilds, well away from human habitations.

"There might be a lion in the street! It might attack me! It might even kill me! I am scared!" The man may be conversing with himself, in his own mind. Self-talk can build us up or tear us down. Many highly successful people use repeated positive affirmations to conquer the fearful thoughts that so readily vocalize themselves in our minds.

We talk to ourselves all day long – but what kind of things do we say? Are the messages constructive or destructive, positive or negative? Listen and find out, then rewrite the script where necessary -- and keep rehearsing it until it sinks deep into your being.

We have just seen how the words we speak to ourselves, in our own minds, can cause us to act irrationally, but equally influential on a man can be the smooth, hypnotic words whispered by a wayward woman. Notice Solomon’s wonderful metaphor – her mouth is like a deep pit, like a well, perhaps. Water comes out of a well just as words emerge from the mouth, but the man who falls into that well will find it very hard to get out again – so don’t get too close.

All children are born with human nature, with an intrinsic inclination towards stupidity, which makes it vitally important for the educational process to focus on character development and wisdom, rather than mere academics. In a good school, of course, the latter can be made the vehicle for the former.

We saw earlier the importance of teaching and training a child in the principles of right conduct. If, for some reason, the child fails to respond, it may be necessary to apply the rod of correction – which Solomon says will not simply moderate his conduct, but actually drive the foolishness that has begun to dominate his behavior far away, and actually make him a better person. Psychologists please take note, before our permissive society finally destroys itself. Or are you wiser than Solomon?

Here is a rich man who dares to oppress the poor in order to make himself even wealthier. James describes such greedy and ruthless individuals, saying: "You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you" (James 5:5-6). He adds this chilling warning: "Weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you" (James 5:1).

Here also is a foolish man who gives gifts and bribes in order to curry favor and make deals with the rich. Much better to make a living by creating something of value and meeting the needs of the broad mass of people who are neither rich nor poor.

Solomon ends this block of proverbs with five verses of special exhortation. We have been reading the words of the wise that he collected and put in order for us, but are we taking them seriously, and actually applying them in our lives? Solomon speaks, but are we really listening? "Bow down your ear!" he says – in other words, tilt your head, lean forward, pay very close attention, make a deliberate effort to focus your mind on them, don’t just skim over them.

"Apply your heart," he continues – in other words, ponder his proverbs one by one, reflect on them when you sitting in armchair or lying relaxed in bed. Let them into your heart – mentally rehearse their application, make an emotional commitment, think like a wise man, feel what he feels, be a wise man. As you do so, you will gain "knowledge" – valuable insights into your own life that will come to mind as you meditate.

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As you apply the proverbs, your life will become more pleasant and enjoyable. As you study them, you will increase in understanding – and they will spring to mind in every situation and add wisdom to your words. You will actually experience wisdom, and it will no longer be merely an academic matter.

Can you, even you, become wise -- or is wisdom reserved for other people, individuals who are far more clever and capable than you? No, says Solomon, this is for you! Yes, even you, no matter what your social background or education, or how much foolishness and failure you may have endured up to this moment.

This day, today, is a new start, the first day of the rest of your life. Start trusting in God, and seeking Wisdom, and they will lead you along the path that leads to life.

Many scholars want to take liberties with the Hebrew text here and adjust it to read "thirty things" – simply because some of the 30 proverbs that follow bear a passing resemblance to some of the sayings of the Egyptian sage, Amen-em-otep -- who may in fact have been Solomon’s own ancestor Joseph, and no doubt one of the wise men whose writings he collected and analyzed.

However, the Hebrew actually says "the day before yesterday", an idiom meaning "three times", which can also imply, without wresting it, "three different ways" or "several times". Solomon may here be referring to the degree of repetition deliberately built into the collection, but also perhaps to the various literal and metaphorical levels of meaning contained in each individual proverb. Notice also the past tense, referring to what has gone before and in fact the complete book, not just what is to follow.

Repetition is one of the most fundamental principles of pedagogy. We have already seen one couplet repeated verbatim (14:12 and 16:25) in a different context, and there are seven such cases in total. There are also a number of single lines appearing in different combinations in different couplets. These are not mistakes, but evidence of the subtly patterned complexity of Solomon’s masterpiece.

A valid alternative rendering of the phrase is "excellent things" or "princely things", signifying wise things that would be said by a king. Notice that there are two kinds of proverbs – Counsel and Knowledge, which may correspond to the Goads and Nails mentioned earlier.

As just noted, the purpose of repetition is to promote learning, to make sure the lessons are learnt. Certainty also implies importance. As you grow in wisdom, so will your reputation and capability will grow, and people will start to value your advice and trust you with greater responsibility.

The proverbs up to this point have been couplets, two-liners that form a complete thought. The next division contains many quatrains, which are four-liners in which the second couplet supports and expands the first.

In ancient times, court was held near the city gate, and Solomon’s metaphor here is a legal one. If we take advantage of the poor or exploit those suffering adversity, God himself will plead their case and be their advocate against us.

God sternly warns the ruthless people who do such evil things that he will spoil their very souls.

Do not exploit a person’s weak position simply because you have a legal right to do so. Be kind, be generous, be helpful – be your brother’s keeper.

What kind of company do you keep? If you mix socially with the ruthless man from the previous proverb, you may well learn his ways, as he describes his conquests and the easy pickings to be made from those too poor and ignorant to resist. He is scornful of their weakness and dismissive of their pleas. Business is business, he says.

The angry man has been caught in a snare, like the wild animal he is, and marked out for death. Do not join him.

What kind of friends should you be cultivating? What kind of people should you be doing business with?

The theme continues. Do not let yourself get into the hands of the greedy and ruthless man we have been reading about either. If you do, he will take you for everything you have, even you bed. He will show no pity. Solomon is repeating the warning. It must be very important and a common pitfall.

Whatever you do, never assume responsibility for a debt you cannot afford. Never gamble with your security. Wise businessmen always quantify and minimize the downside risk in any venture.

Why would someone want to move a boundary stone, other than to expand his own property at the expense of his neighbor? Here again is the ruthless man who is driven by greed and never satisfied. He wants more and more – and quickly takes advantage of any weakness in those with whom he is dealing.

Do you know your legal rights, or are you an easy victim? Are you being taken advantage of in some way? How close a check do you keep to make sure nobody surreptitiously moves the boundary markers, be they real or metaphorical?

Are you too quick to change things and discard traditional values without really understanding the subtle values and principles they embody? How important is stability?

Are you as diligent and meticulous in your work as the ruthless and underhanded individual we met in the previous proverb is in his? Do you love what you do? Do you aspire to excellence? What is your business anyway – is it the right business, the kind of work you really should be doing, the career your were born to pursue? Are you a fish trying to walk, a mouse trying to swim, a horse trying to fly?

Agatha Christie, after having earlier sought success in several fields, concluded: "I can do the things, so to speak, that me can do. But I cannot do the things that me would like to do." Discover your personal gifts, and develop them. That way lies contentment, real success and satisfaction.