The prudent sees danger and hides himself,

    but the simple go on and suffer for it.

Proverbs 22:3 ESV

The message here is not to live in fear. Rather, it is to be aware of your circumstances. In this verse a prudent, or wise, person understands his circumstances and avoids the danger. The simple press on and suffer the consequences.

An example that comes to mind occurred in a children’s ministry area, which hosted 3-5 year old children. The church was doing some remodeling in this area, and my wife noticed some uncapped electric wires protruding from the wall in the play area. In this case, she was prudent. In other words, she recognized the circumstances and avoided playing with those open wires. On the other hand, it would be naive to think a 4 year-old would have the same understanding to avoid those wires. And, by not avoiding those wires, that 4-year-old would suffer the consequences.

This is a warning for our spiritual well-being as well. It is so easy to put our souls in danger by not recognizing the traps set by Satan. Or by simply pressing forward in an area of temptation, thinking “I can’t fall to this.”

Lord, help us to be more conscientious and wise about our surroundings that we may respond appropriately.

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

    and favor is better than silver or gold.

Proverbs 22:1 ESV

This verse challenges our cultural norms. A culture that is given to riches (a materialism) has a difficult time grasping the idea that something immaterial, like a good name, is more valuable. Unless that good name can create some material benefit, i.e., more riches.

Here, the reader stands at a crossroad, examining two worldviews; one says materialism is most important (e.g., “He who dies with the most toys wins.”), and the other says immaterial things like character and integrity and holiness and love are most important. This junction seems to be ever-present in Proverbs. For example,

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity,

than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

Proverbs 28:6 ESV

Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,

or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

Proverbs 22:6

Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity

than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

Proverbs 19:1 ESV

Each of us must choose this day, and every day, which path we will travel. Proverbs offers a clear picture of what lies at the end of each path. So, … which path will you choose today?

The rich and the poor meet together;

    the Lord is the Maker of them all.

Proverbs 22:2 ESV

How often do we size up those people around us, say for example at an amusement park as we wait in line for the ride. In such a setting, have you ever looked at an obviously poor family and wondered, “My heavens, how did they even afford the tickets much less the $6 bag of cotton candy?” Our culture evaluates the relative value of people on a variety of criteria, but wealth is one of the significant considerations.

Here, the writer makes the point that before the Lord, rich and poor have the same intrinsic value since God made them both. I’m not greater than that guy because I have more money than he does. And I’m not lesser than that guy because he has more money than I. However, that is not to say that God doesn’t distinguish between us. God focuses on non-physical considerations. In other words, God looks on the heart. For example,

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity

    than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

Proverbs 28:6 ESV

This is a reminder to me to examine myself more closely in terms of my heart than my bank account.

“Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;

  whoever guards his soul will keep far from them.”

Proverbs 22:5 ESV

A quick read of this proverb in English may give the wrong impression, which is that thorns and snares stand against the crooked. In other words, the thorns and snares act as defense mechanisms, similar to barbed wire. However, the writer is actually saying that the path of the crooked is littered with thorns and snares. Thus, the one who is not crooked (i.e., the one who is wise) will guard his soul.

I often tell my students that we can learn something from anyone. And by anyone, I mean anyone. “What about the meth head?” some might cleverly offer as if to say, “You can’t learn anything from a person so far gone.” There are different kinds of lessons in life, those things we should do and those things we shouldn’t do. Sometimes we can learn what not to do by understanding why a person is surrounded by thorns and snares (or destruction and disaster). Once we figure out what set that person on that path, we can avoid that path by avoiding the entry ramps that lead to it.

But we have to be careful that this avoidance is not simply a mental exercise. The temptations of the soul are heart matters. “I could never be tempted by that” can be a really dangerous statement that doesn’t seem to take into account the wiles of the devil or the human proclivity to sin. I, too, have a list of things that I don’t think could actually tempt me. But how many people who have found themselves sitting under a pile of disaster have said, “I never could have imagined being in this situation.” I’m reminded of an old saying,

“There ain’t no horse that can’t be rode, and there ain’t no cowboy that can’t be throwed.”

Beware. Beware. Beware. Guard your soul, lest your way be littered with thorns and snares.

“Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,

  or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.”

Proverbs 22:16 ESV

Many may say there is no way this proverb can be true even if you hold the position that proverbs are not iron clad guarantees, but rather generally true or good principles for life. And the reason the critics say this is “because it so contradicts what I see; there are so many obvious examples of rich people oppressing poor people to increase their own wealth and of rich people giving to other rich people, then dying with lots of money.” So, what’s the answer?

The reader must recognize that God looks at things differently than humans generally do. That is to say God recognizes, even values non-material things like integrity and character and soul. Those things are real, but you can’t reach out and touch them. This is illustrated in 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'” That God looks on the heart (non-material) and not on the outward appearance (material) is the reason Proverbs 28:6, for example, can certainly be true even though it feels untrue when the bills are piling up: “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways” (ESV). Understanding that we are both physical and spiritual beings is not only a challenge at times, it is an important key to understanding the book of Proverbs.

Now, back to our original verse: “Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.” It seems that this proverb is saying the person will come to a poverty of soul not necessarily a poverty of the pocketbook. This type of behavior leads to or reveals an impoverished soul.

Lord, please help me to see thing as you see them, to not be so focused on material things that I don’t give true consideration of matters of the soul.