Wow, the benefits of Wisdom seem pretty good in this passage! Long life, prosperity, sweet sleep, safety, no disasters, and others are all promised to the wise in this chapter alone. But what of the wise who do suffer disasters? What of Job? As I read this chapter, I'm reminded that Proverbs is part of the Biblical witness, but not the whole. In fact, Job is considered "Wisdom Literature" because it does admit that doing good things will not always result in having a life of prosperity and "good things." Suffering, it would seem, comes to us all and is not always grounded in our conduct.
But that's not to say that these proverbs are wrong. Proverbs are just different kinds of literature then, say, prophecy. Prophets were held to the standard of being absolutely right or they were considered false prophets. Proverbs are allowed some flexibility. For example, later on in the book we will read that we should raise up a child in the way he/she should go, and they will never depart from it. But how many situations do we know where godly parents raised children who are prodigals? Generally, if all works out, this proverb is true. But the fact that there are counter-examples does not threaten the integrity of the proverb. Just like if we make wise decisions, we should be free from the snares of wickedness. And sometimes, we can make all the right decisions, but someone else's unwise decisions threaten our prosperity (recession, anyone?).
In the end, I suppose that it why Proverbs are so focused on other people. This chapter concludes by urging us to do good today and to not place violent people as our heroes. Imagine a world where we all made wise and loving decisions. Let's pray that this day may come.
No comments:
Post a Comment