Proverbs 22:17-24:22

"Hear the Words of the Wise"



Proverbs 10:1-22:16 comprised 375 proverbs (which equals the number of Solomon's name!).

Chapters 10-15 consisted largely of antithetical proverbs

contrasting the wise and the fool,

the righteous and the wicked,

and setting forth the principles of wisdom that characterize the kingdom of God-

the way things should be.

Chapters 16-22 then consisted largely of synonymous proverbs

describing the consequences of wisdom and folly,

often showing us that things are not always as they should be.



Now in chapter 22:17-24:22 we have a second collection of proverbs.



As 22:20 suggests, there are thirty sayings that comprise this section.

Verse 21 tells us the point of these sayings:

"To make you know what is right and true,

that you may give a true answer to those who sent you."

If you learn the wisdom of the wise, then you will be a wise and faithful counselor.



This collection is distinguished by the use of the imperative.

Proverbs 10-22 was describing the wise and the foolish-

explaining the results of wisdom and folly.

But in Proverbs 22-24 we hear commands!



It is not enough to know what is wise-you must do it!



1. 22:17-21 Introduction

There are some striking parallels between Proverbs 22:17-21 and the Wisdom of Amenemope,

an Egyptian treatise on wisdom-

so similar that it is quite possible

that Solomon may have even translated it from the Egyptian.

But he didn't just translate the Egyptian:

he added verse 19 in order to reorient the whole focus:

"That your trust may be in the LORD"



The whole collection is framed by the call to trust the LORD (22:19) and fear the LORD (24:21).

There are two references to Yahweh at the beginning (22:19, 22:23)

two references to Yahweh at the end (24:18, 24:21),

and one in the fifteenth saying-right in the middle (22:17).

So whatever connection may exist with Egyptian wisdom literature,

the collection plainly keeps focused on Yahweh and his wisdom

as the foundation of our wisdom and knowledge.



2. 22:22-23 Do not rob the poor-because the LORD will plead for them!

How you treat the poor is how God will treat you.

Many of the sayings in this collection deal with your attitude toward wealth.

Sayings 7-9 (Proverbs 23:1-8) warn against coveting the delicacies of the king,

or those of a "stingy man"-and caution against "toiling to acquire wealth."

Saying 15-at the heart of the collection, Proverbs 23:17-18-

warns against envying sinners (as does saying 20 (24:1-2)).

And a common theme that runs through the whole collection

is to remember that there is a future-

and that future is associated with judgment and hope.



Whatever benefit may come to the wicked in the present,

it is only temporary.

Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.

Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. (23:17-18)



3. 22:24-25 Don't make friends with an angry man, lest you become like him

A second theme is characterized by the third saying (22:24-25):

Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man,

lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

Envying and coveting the delicacies of the wicked is bad enough.

Making friends with them, and walking in the way of the wrathful man, is perilous.

Who are your friends?

Who are your close companions?

Are they drunkards and gluttons? (-the 16th saying in 23:19-21)

It is interesting that this is what they said of Jesus (Luke 7:34)--

that he was a glutton and a drunkard!

But, Jesus said that wisdom is justified by her children!



Look at the fruit-what is the result.

Proverbs is not saying that you should never associate with "unclean" people,

but rather that you should not take them as your closest friends.

Do not emulate them-do not model yourself after those who are headed for trouble.



4. 22:26-27 Don't put up security for debts unless you are prepared to lose it all

The 12th through the 17th sayings-the central sayings of this collection-(23:12-25)

return to the theme of Proverbs 1-9,

the father training up his son in the way of wisdom.

Verses 13-14 demonstrate how Proverbs are not "laws."

Do not withhold discipline from a child;

if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.

Just imagine a rigid application of this: if you hit your child with a stick, he will be saved!

Obviously that is not what this means!

It means that discipline is necessary to good parenting.

If you would train your children in wisdom,

then you must discipline them.

The father exhorts his son to learn wisdom and keep his heart in the right way.

And the son who walks in the way of wisdom and righteousness

will bring joy and gladness to his parents.

Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.



The 18th- 19th sayings (23:26-35) then give two examples of dangerous companions:

the prostitute and the drunkard.

A prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well.

The sexual imagery is both clear and vivid.

Go in to her and you will never climb out!

She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind.

The robber in Proverbs is one who preys upon the weak and helpless.

So in the first line-she lies in wait like a robber-the prostitute or adulteress

is portrayed as one who exercises power over her prey.

And yet she does so by seducing him to her side.

He is not innocent.

When a man yields to the prostitute or adulteress,

he becomes a traitor-he has betrayed his wife, and his God.

The drunkard is likewise portrayed as a slave to his addiction.

Those who tarry long over wine, who look at wine when it is red,

when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly,

will find that in the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

Again, notice the eschatological focus: in the end.

If you pursue your own pleasure now, you will discover yourself enslaved to it.

Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things.

You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,

like one who lies on the top of a mast.

"They struck me," you will say, "but I was not hurt;

they beat me, but I did not feel it.

When shall I awake?

I must have another drink!"

Such is the nature of sin.

Are you enslaved to your pleasures?

The addict denies that there is a problem.

As the drunkard does not even feel the beating that he is given,

but longs for another drink,

so every addict is willing to endure scorn and reproach

so long as the source of his happiness is not taken away.

I don't care if I am scorned and derided-beaten and mocked-

so long as I can have another drink!



The 20th - 26th sayings (24:1-14) then contrast wisdom and folly,

moving from the plans of the heart to the hope in the end.

The wicked devise violence-their lips talk of trouble

But wisdom plans that which is good:



By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established;

by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

A wise man is full of strength and a man of knowledge enhances his might,

for by wise guidance you can wage your war,

and in abundance of counselors there is victory. (24:3-6)



The two main characteristics of a successful king are

1) victory in battle;

2) success in building.

And Solomon here suggests that wisdom is the key to both.

Certainly our Lord Jesus Christ is the epitome of the warrior king

who defeats his enemies,

and the king of peace who builds his house.

But wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth. (24:7)

The fool plans to do evil; and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

But planning is not the whole of wisdom.

It is not good enough to have good intentions!

You have your wise plan,

but if you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. (24:10)

24:10-12 call us to diligence in doing good.

Jesus, of course, is the wise and faithful Son who has done this-

and so you are called to follow now in his footsteps:

Rescue those who are being taken away to death;

hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

If you say, 'Behold, we did not know this,'

does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?

[In other words, don't pretend that you don't know what is going on!

If it is in your power to prevent the death of the innocent, then you must act!]

Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,

and will he not repay man according to his work?

Jesus speaks in like fashion when he says,

"For I was hungry and you gave me no food,

I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

I was a stranger and you did not welcome me,

naked and you did not clothe me,

sick and in prison and you did not visit me....

Truly I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these,

you did not do it to me!" (Mt 25:42-45)

The wise man not only knows what is right,

but also does what is right-even (and especially) in the day of adversity.

My son, eat honey, for it is good,

and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.

Know that wisdom is such to your soul;

if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.



Your future depends entirely upon whether you find wisdom.

If you find wisdom, there will be a future.

If you do not, then you have no future!

Because wisdom is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ.

To find him is to find life.



The 30 sayings conclude with two sets of couplets.

Sayings 27-28 (24:15-18) talks about stumbling.

Saying 27 warns against lying in wait against the righteous,

because though he fall seven times-he rises again.

Verse 16 is not talking about the resurrection.

It is talking about someone who fell down getting up again.

And yet, verse 16 is all about the resurrection.

Because the righteous keep falling down!

And it is only when Jesus Christ is raised from the dead that 24:16 comes true.

And it is only when Jesus Christ brings the final judgment

that the wicked finally stumble in the times of calamity.

Saying 28 then warns us not to rejoice when your enemy falls,

and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,

lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.

Many times in the Psalms and Prophets we are called to rejoice

at the destruction of the wicked

But verses 17-18 make it clear that we are not to rejoice for our own sakes.

If God sees you smug in your self-righteousness over the plight of the wicked,

then he may well turn the tables on you!



The 29th saying reminds us that the wicked has no future-

the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Therefore, do not fret.

Don't worry.

God will deal with all that!

Rather, as the 30th saying says,

My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise,

for disaster from them will rise suddenly,

and who knows the ruin that will come from them both.

The "them" is the LORD and the king.

The disaster is the judgment that the LORD and his king

will bring suddenly upon their enemies.



It may not look like Yahweh and his King Jesus are doing much right now.

Just like it didn't look like God was doing much in the days of the kings of Israel!

But it is folly to think that because it doesn't look like God is doing much,

that therefore God will never do much!



In the days before the flood, it didn't look like God was doing much.

The wicked prospered,

and the one righteous man was building a large "useless" boat.

Even so today, it might seem foolish to worry about building the church.

After all, God isn't doing much.

We've got time.

Nothing important is happening right now.



The wicked prosper,

and the righteous?



The one righteous man is building a large "useless" boat.

Jesus Christ, the wise and faithful Son, is building his church-

the ark through which his people will be saved in the day of wrath.



The wise man will not faint in the day of adversity.

He will shun the prostitute, the adulteress, and the lure of the wine in the cup.

And he will be diligent in building God's house-

in rescuing souls from death.

My son, fear the LORD and his King, Jesus, and do not join with those who do otherwise,

for disaster from them will come suddenly,

and who knows the ruin that will come from the LORD and his King?



Or, as Jesus put it, depart from me-I never knew you!