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By: Pastor Schlicht

The middle section of the book of Proverbs, ch. 10-29, is filled with hundreds of inspired proverbs which apply wisdom and the fear of the Lord to any topic you could imagine—family, work, friendship, sex, marriage, money, alcohol, debt, you name it. These proverbs are all quite short and easy to memorize. In fact, this large portion of the book can function as your wisdom archive, a reference that you return to time and time again. Certain proverbs will mean more to you at different points in your life. As I talked about in the first article of this series, these proverbs are not to be taken as absolutes but reflect general truths of God’s good will. So, this month, come access the archive with me and we’ll explore a few pearls of God’s wisdom.

Proverbs 10:5 Whoever gathers crops in summer is a sensible son. Whoever sleeps at harvest time is a disgraceful son. Here we have the contrast of a sensible son (literally ‘far-sighted’ in Hebrew) with a lazy son. Like Solomon’s observation of the ant in 6:6-8, diligence is a cardinal virtue in Proverbs. The antithetic pairing widens the gap between laziness and diligence. Solomon praises the sensibility of diligence, but also reveals that laziness, besides being foolish, also reflects negatively on our reputation—“a disgraceful son.”

Proverbs 10:15 A rich person’s wealth is his strong city. Poverty is the ruin of poor people. Sometimes people get the impression that the Lord is against the wealthy because of the many strong warnings that Jesus, especially, gives against those who find their eternal security in their riches. However, we see that wealth does certainly provide physical security, in general. Poverty is not just insecurity, but the ruin of the poor. Here in Madison, I have unfortunately seen this principal ratified multiple times. Meditating on such a proverb leads us to consider how we can use the ‘strong city’ of our wealth to shelter others.

Proverbs 11:22 The beauty of a woman who lacks moral judgment is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout. This proverb is reversed in the Hebrew and cast as a sort of riddle. It begins with the shocking and rather bizarre picture of a pig whose snout is pierced with a valuable golden ring. Then comes the punchline: In wisdom’s eyes, this pig is an immoral woman. ( This would, of course, also apply to a man who lacks morality, but Solomon speaks as a father to a son and therefore a woman is the referent.) This proverb echoes the biblical idea that God does not merely judge appearances, but looks at the heart. Our outward appearance should only adorn our inner beauty of faith and morality. Those who neglect inward virtue to focus on their looks may impress many people, but the Lord just sees a hog rolling around in the mud.

Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a beautiful crown. It is found on the way to righteousness. An old Amish saying goes ‘One gets too soon old and too late smart.’ Certain facets of wisdom only come by experience but unfortunately some people age more quickly than they mature. In ancient times, numerous factors led to fewer people surviving into old age. Those who did, however, certainly had acquired some level of wisdom. Solomon says of such people that their gray hair is a beautiful crown. However, this is tempered by the second half which reminds us that this crown is not acquired only by time’s passing, but by a life lived in the path of God’s righteous commands. Today, the elderly are often pushed to the margins of the public sphere and are not often sought out for wisdom. Each generation considers itself much smarter than those who have come before. This proverb reminds us to see the gray hair of God’s people as a beautiful crown—to respect and learn from the experience of a life lived in the righteousness of faith.

Proverbs 16:32 Better to be patient than to be a hero, better to control your temper than to capture a city. Solomon will make a similar point in Proverbs 14:29, and again compares self-control to warfare in Proverbs 25:28. This is quite a commendation, as military might was extremely important in his time. Physical prowess is certainly impressive in our times as well, indeed most of the “heroes” of our day are professional athletes. But, in God’s eyes, well-developed self-control is a much more valuable skill. A patient word instead of an angry outburst is worth more than a touchdown in God’s economy. Let us remember that what our LORD sees as worthy of applause is rarely what catches human attention.

As we continue in this series on Proverbs, I pray that you grow in appreciation for the pearls from wisdom’s archive. There are so many good ones, but I could only choose a few. Pick up the Bible and read some yourself! Which ones do you want to memorize? Which ones will you share with or teach to others?

Suggested Reading this Month: Proverbs 17–23