Proverbs 28:3 "I've been there"

A ruler who oppresses the poor
    is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food. 

I added the second translation of this verse, because after studying it, I believe it is closest to the meaning Solomon intended. (That is, however, purely my opinion, and I'm not a Hebrew scholar, so please don't fuss at me!)

A gully-washer.

A frog-choker.

These are terms that my grandparents used in the days that they cultivated crops on their farm. They were talking about extremely heavy rains; rains that would wash a gully in a newly-plowed field. Storms that came on fast, and so furiously, and poured down so much rain that it seemed it would choke a frog (and he is supposed to be used to the rain, right?). 
The end result of these storms is not pretty. You don't get lush fields and waving plants from this kind of rain. It happens so fast that the water is unable to penetrate the earth, soften the soil, and nourish the plant life. It actually runs off - goes downhill and into the streams so fast that it carries precious soil and nutrients along with it. This kind of storm will often strip roots bare of their soil covering, and leave the plants to wither instead of thrive.
Solomon is comparing people to this type of rainstorm. What kind of people? In this particular instance, he notes poor people who oppress the poor. In other words, a person who was poor at some point in his life, and who now is wealthy -- and uses his position to oppress, rather than to assist, people who are still in need. Someone who really ought to say, "I've been there" and give someone a hand up. Instead, they look down on the poor person, and perhaps even do things that cause the unfortunate person to wither instead of to thrive. . . just like the rainstorm we talked about.
We may not be wealthy, and we may not oppress poor people . . . but what about that Christian sister who confides to us about that sin she can't seem to shake? The one that we were able to overcome, by the Holy Spirit's help? Do we offer her encouragement? Do we think (and say) "I've been there" and give her the help she needs, the verses that helped us?  If we don't, we are just like that rainstorm that pulls the soil out from under a plant.
And, in reality, what about that Christian brother or sister who is struggling to make ends meet? Perhaps they don't seem "poor" to us, but they are searching for work while raising a family, and must minister to an elderly relative, as well.  Do we look down our noses at their noisy (hungry) kids because they don't have nice things, or do we offer to let them use our washer and dryer to clean their family's clothing? We can witness over folded towels just as easily as over a cup of coffee. Do we think proudly about the great job we did, finding a job, and "surely they can do the same...they just have to try harder."  Or do we think, "I've been there" and slip a gift card for groceries into their pocket? 
Many times after a driving rain, a farmer will go into the fields and gently use his hoe to pull soil back around the roots of storm-ravaged plants. The plants will survive, because of the gentle work the farmer does.
Let's try to be farmers, and help people, instead of being gully-washers, that tear them down!

Proverbs 28:2 "Too many cooks"

When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
    but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.

^{Did your grandma tell you that "too many cooks spoil the broth"? It's an old saying, but a true one. If cooking is done by a committee, or group of cooks, each one will have his or her own idea of what the dish needs . . . more salt, less salt, more sage, more thyme, more pepper, etc.  There's no telling what the finished dish will taste like!
Many commentaries deal with this verse and bring in historical applications and political notes -- both current and past situations. A more simple application came to my mind.
When we are rebellious in our relationship with our Father, we are opening ourselves up to being ruled by many "rulers." There is first the ruler named Rebellious, who instigates the trouble. He tells us that we have a right to run our own lives, and we don't really need any interference from anyone, even God.
Another ruler that wiggles his way into our heart is Resentful. We begin to resent the Holy Spirit as He tries to nudge us back to the right path. And we resent other people in our lives who may try to gently counsel us to change our ways.
The next to stick his spoon into the mix is Disobedience. Once on the slippery path with Rebellion and Resentment, it's a short slide into disobedience to our Lord's loving instructions. 
We end up being pulled this way and that, and are really a mess -- when all we needed to do was be single-minded and focus on what God would have us to do.
Let's look at James 1:8 . . .}

^{he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (NIV)} 

 And the New Living Translation puts it this way:

Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

I'm reminded of the words of Jesus in Luke 16:13 . . . "No servant can serve two masters . . ."

Let's be single-minded in our devotion to our Father. We don't need to be pulled in several different directions --- the only one that needs to be stirring the pot and perfecting the recipe is the Holy Spirit!  

Proverbs 28:1 The sound of a shaking leaf, Part II

Yesterday I asked if you could find examples of times that enemies of the Hebrew nation had been scared and run away, even though they may have had a numerical advantage in their favor.  I found a couple of examples that I thought you might like to look at, too:

One such example was that of the Midianites, whom Gideon vanquished with just 300 men (Judges 6-7). 

And what do you think the reaction of the enemies of Israel was, when they heard about the death of all of the Assyrian army, in II Kings chapter 19?

Unfortunately, there have been times when the children of God have shown fear and faithlessness, instead of courage and fearlessness . . . and there may have been times in our lives as well.

Can you think of a time that your faith wavered? When you were frightened by the "sound of a shaking leaf"? I can. I'm not happy about it. But I know that next time, I can be as "bold as a lion."

Remember our passage in Leviticus? What was the prerequisite for blessings and fearlessness?  Obedience. Yep. We chafe against that sometimes, don't we? But the rewards are so huge, and the "yoke is easy - the burden light."  
The only thing we must do is obey His commands that we find in His word.  True obedience comes from a heart overflowing with gratitude for His grace.

He promises fruitfulness, peace, and His presence. 

Exodus 19:15
Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.

I John 5:2-3
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

(Lord, give me boldness. I covenant with You that I will follow your word and your commandments. I hold to your promise of blessing, and praise You for it, even before it happens.)  

Proverbs 28:1 The sound of a shaking leaf, Part I

The wicked flee though no one pursues,
    but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

You might be wondering about the title for this post . . . be patient, and we'll get there! Some commentaries treat this verse as an example of how people feel when they have a guilty conscience -- they get paranoid, and think that they see a pursuer behind every lamppost, and that the whole world is after them. While that is true, and we see it happen often, I was reminded of something different when I read this.

Way back in Leviticus (chapter 26, if you'd like to turn there), God told the Hebrew people that there were consequences to their actions and attitudes. He laid out rewards, and he noted punishments.
If they rejected Him as their creator and provider, and despised His judgements, standards, and leadership, then they could expect some pretty dire consequences. If, on the other hand, they obedient to Him, and followed Him in righteousness, He would pour out His blessings. Let me show you what I mean:

‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.
“‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
“‘I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.

Sounds awesome, doesn't it? Why in the world would they go against an almighty God who promised them so much?
But we all know the story -- they had their ups and their downs. And when they rejected Him, then verses 14-39 of that chapter came into play . . . that's a long passage, so I hope that you will look at it in your Bible, instead of my posting it here. There's a long list of "baddies" there, from disease, to fearfulness, to famine, to wild animals, to enemy armies.
One of the consequences noted is that they will be so fearful that the sound of a shaking leaf will cause them to shake and quake and run away. 
There are numerous examples of the enemies of the Hebrew children running away, even when they had an advantage on them --- can you tell me in a comment one of those examples?
We'll finish up this study tomorrow, in Part II.

Proverbs 27: 23-27 Work hard and work smart (Part II)

²³ Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
    give careful attention to your herds;
²⁴ for riches do not endure forever,
    and a crown is not secure for all generations.
²⁵ When the hay is removed and new growth appears
    and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
²⁶ the lambs will provide you with clothing,
    and the goats with the price of a field.
²⁷ You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
    and to nourish your female servants.

This is our second day on these verses, because there is so much here for us. Yesterday I noted that Solomon was telling us that " Whether our business is indoors or outdoors, large or small, we must apply our minds and our hearts to it." 
Let's look today at some Biblical reasons for that. 

I think the first thing that this group of verses says to us, is that we should have some business to do in this world, and not live in idleness. On this blog, we try to stay out of the political arena most of the time, but I think in our present day we can see that not everyone wants to work and provide for themselves and their families. Many people are indeed disabled, unemployed, or elderly --- these people need the help of family, friends, or the local church. For those who have not received help from these avenues, some sort of assistance is beneficial. However, we probably all agree that the "system" is being abused by many who are able to work but simply desire to avoid that responsibility; instead of working, they live a life of idleness and survive on government assistance. Christians have a responsibility to support their families, and when they are blessed with more than they need, to use some of it to give others a hand up.

These verses also speak to the issue of knowing our own business, and not meddling in someone else's business! It is wise and well for us to understand what is needed for our particular job to be completed, and to let others do theirs without interference from us. We may think we know the best way for them to complete their tasks, but we can be mistaken -- and the time we take to try to "set them straight," is time taken away from doing our own job well.

Thirdly, we should keep our own eyes on our business, and not turn it over to someone else. Who better to mind the particulars and "inspect our herds" than ourselves? We have the final responsibility for the outcome, so we should shoulder the task, as well.

We must take considerate and thoughtful care of our business, not allowing any opportunity to slip by. It's good to do each task in the proper time and order, and take every advantage that presents itself.

Lastly, we must be diligent and we must take pains with our business opportunities -- not just sitting down and thinking of ways to do things better and more efficiently, but getting up and doing the work that must be done. 

Are you tired yet? Sometimes we think and talk about "working" and "doing" and we get a little apprehensive that we'll not be "up" for the task at hand!  

..and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you . . . I Thessalonians 4:11 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters . . .  Colossians 3:23

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.  I Corinthians 15:58

We've been promised that our labor is not in vain . . . let's work harder AND smarter! 

Proverbs 27:23-27 Work hard, and work smart (Part I)

²³ Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
    give careful attention to your herds;
²⁴ for riches do not endure forever,
    and a crown is not secure for all generations.
²⁵ When the hay is removed and new growth appears
    and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
²⁶ the lambs will provide you with clothing,
    and the goats with the price of a field.
²⁷ You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
    and to nourish your female servants.

(There is so much good for us in this passage that it is pretty overwhelming. I hope that I can do it justice! )

I think that first we should review our knowledge of the people of the times . . . not the wealthy and powerful, like Solomon, but the everyday folks --- like you and me! Most of the everyday folks were farmers or tradesmen; you might say that they were self-employed. Farmers, whether they raised crops or animals, were almost entirely self-sufficient: they produced most everything that they needed to have in order to survive. They built their own houses, and furnished them with simple things. They made their own clothing and raised food in small gardens for their households, often having olive trees and vineyards  for their own use, as well. Picking their produce, pressing the olive oil, and making small amounts of wine for their own consumption were jobs that they willingly did, in order to provide well for their families. 
All of this was in addition to the labor that they did every day, to either tend flocks, raise crops for sale, or craft items for sale in the local marketplace.  Tradesmen carefully worked with their hands to produce items to sell or to barter, to provide for their families and for their later years, when working might not be so easy.

These verses appear on the surface to be directed at those shepherds, husbandmen, and dealers in cattle of the era; they encourage them to give "due diligence" to their callings.  But I feel that this encouragement is to be extended to all callings, great and small. Whether our business is indoors or outdoors, large or small, we must apply our minds and our hearts to it.  

In our day, there is a saying, "don't work harder, work smarter" but I think that Solomon had both in mind here. He gave three reasons for his commands:
          1. First of all, Solomon says, worldly wealth is uncertain. "Riches are not forever" is how he phrases it. He considered the lambs, the flocks, and the crops to be stable commodities, not like metals that can corrode, tarnish or decay.  Present day application? Anyone have any investments in the stock market? Enough said. (Grin)
          2. Secondly, he points out the graciousness of God's providence. "The hay appears," Solomon tells us. How does it appear? Can we control the rain, the sun, the growing season? Nope. Our Father does that.  And it is our responsibility to use those blessings of crops and vineyards -- not to let them go to waste.
          3. Thirdly, Solomon points out what his farmer listeners already knew: there is profit in wise husbandry. The shepherds and farmers would have been well aware of the value of the meat and the clothing that could be gotten from judicious usage of the flock animals. The masters (and mistresses) of families must provide well for themselves and their families, and must realize that plain food and serviceable clothing are sufficient and wise to be used. One need not have fancy or expensive clothing, or rich and dainty food, to be content with his blessings. 

All of these verses encourage us to be careful and industrious about our business, so that we can provide for ourselves and our families.
We'll continue with these verses tomorrow, OK?

Proverbs 27:22 Back to the grind

Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
    grinding them like grain with a pestle,    you will not remove their folly from them. (Proverbs 27:22)

Solomon is talking here about some tools that were very familiar to his hearers, but that we don't think about much, today. A mortar is a bowl, and it's typically made of very hard wood, ceramic, or hollowed-out stone. The pestle is a heavy object with one end larger than the other, which is usually made of wood (or porcelain for medicinal grinding). Whatever you wish to crush or grind is placed in the mortar and then the pestle is used to grind or crush the substance. Sometimes a mixture would be made by crushing more than one substance together in the mortar. This system was used in food preparation, as well, in removing the husks or hulls from grain, so that it could be ground for flour.

Though it is not impossible for a foolish person to be reached by the Holy Spirit, a fool will continue to do evil, no matter how he or she is pressed or punished. Solomon says it is the identifying mark of a foolish person. Look at what the prophet Jeremiah said:

Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?
    You struck them, but they felt no pain;
    you crushed them, but they refused correction.
They made their faces harder than stone
    and refused to repent.  (Jeremiah 5:3)

A foolish person is not willing to change. It is part of their nature to do what they do, and many times they do not even believe that there is a God. Jeremiah said that the people "hardened their faces and refused to repent."

Is there something in our lives that God has pointed out to us, that we need to correct, or get rid of? Has He nudged us and reminded us of that sin? Will He have to place us in a "mortar" of hardship in order to get our attention, or will we repent --- turn away from that sin and become more like Him?  Through prayer and study of His word, He can gradually change us into the person that we can become; we can reach our full potential, and be used by Him for His glory. Perhaps we need to pray and ask our Father to show us the "foolishness" that is lurking in our lives, and help us to root it out.