Heroes and villains

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(Proverbs 10)

Andy Nagahara

The Proverbs series has been on hold for a while, but starting today we will begin a new part both in content and format. The section we will be looking at today, from chapter 10 to chapter 22, is the second part of the book of Proverbs, entitled “The Proverbs of Solomon.” It contains 375 proverbs, each verse counted as a proverb. Although there are some unusual parts in the structure, most of the book presents two opposing ideas and encourages us to live a good life.
However, what we should understand is not so simple, and there is a risk of misunderstanding if we take it superficially, so we need to read it carefully. So this time, I would like to talk about what you should keep in mind while actually looking at the text, checking the patterns of contrast and the meanings of words.

A. It’s not as simple as choosing between A or B

Each proverb is made up of two lines in the original language, and at first glance they may seem easy to understand because they are short and contrast two opposing ideas, but there is a trap.

The first verse goes like this:

1 The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.

Most people would probably agree that’s true. But, we don’t need to ask Solomon to know such things. The same applies to the last verse, verse 32.

32 The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.

Of course, those of you who have read Proverbs up to chapter 9 will know well that it encourages us to “seek wisdom” and “try to live righteously.” Yet, if you take these passages out by themselves, they do not seem meaningful enough to be called proverbs.

On the other hand, there is a phrase like this:

3 The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

24 What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted.

27 The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.

This is the kind of thing that makes me think “Well, if it’s really true, that’s fine, but I doubt it actually is.”

By the way, if we read the Gospels, we will see that Jesus also spoke proverbs that use opposing binary terms like the one we are looking at today. Can you think of any passages? Today I’ll introduce three from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 7:13-14 states:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

And in verses 17and 18 of the same chapter, it says:

Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

And in 15:11, it says:

What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’

I challenge you to open the Gospels and look for proverbs spoken by Jesus.

In Jesus’ case, since it is spoken within a specific context, we can clearly understand what is actually required of us. However, Solomon’s proverbs are a random list of ideas, and as mentioned earlier, many of them sound too obvious or idealistic on the surface, so there is a risk of missing their true meaning.

In order to correctly understand the intention behind the proverb, it is helpful to know what opposing concepts it uses.

Let’s take a look at it bit by bit.

B. Key word set

We are gathered here today by people of different generations and backgrounds, but when you think of superheroes, who comes to mind? Your answer will reveal your age group. Please honestly answer who your hero was when you were between 5 and 10 years old.

I was born in the 1950s, when television broadcasting had just begun in Japan. The superhero of that era was “Gekko Kamen(Moonlight Mask).” The Adventures of Superman was also imported and aired, but Superman’s face was unmasked, which was so foreign that even as a child I felt embarrassed and couldn’t get into the role. So, I was the Gekko Kamen who ran around the narrow alleys of Nakano Ward, Tokyo, mainly wearing handmade sunglasses and a furoshiki cape.

The phrase “champion of justice” became widely known through that theme song. Basically, superheroes have always been “champion of justice.” They cannot ignore evil and must fight it.

The reason I say this is because the set of opposing concepts that appears most frequently in today’s passage is “righteous people” and “evil people.” Eleven of the thirty-two proverbs in chapter 10 are about “the righteous versus the wicked.”(3,6,7,11,16,20,24,25,28,30,32) But in reality is, we know that “right” is completely unreliable. The more someone insists that they are right, the more shady they are.

Even now, all over the world, “good” people are fighting against those they call “bad” people.

Then how can we discern true justice? It helps to understand the other opposing concepts in this chapter. Let’s observe for a bit.

First, there is only one word other than “the wicked” that is used in opposition to “the righteous”. That is “the fools.”

21 The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.

And on the other hand, there is something other than the “righteous people” versus the “wicked people.” That is, “those who fear the Lord.”

27 The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.

In addition to the conflict between “good people” and “bad people,” there is another major conflict. Can you guess it?

It is “the wise man and the fool” (8, 14, 23).

8 The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

Variations on the wise person include “a man of understanding” (13), “a wise son” (1), “an enlightened child” (5), and “one who keeps instruction” (17). Variations on the foolish person include “a foolish son” (1), “a son who brings shame” (5), and “the ignorant man” (21), who is contrasted with “the righteous man.”
Other contrasts include the diligent versus the lazy (4), the honest versus the perverse (9), and the evildoer (29).

From the above, we can see that a “righteous person” is “one who is honest, diligent, and controls the words of their mouth according to God’s wisdom.” On the other hand, the wicked person is shown to be foolish, ignorant, and lazy by ignoring God’s wisdom.

C. Proverbs are the keys to the relationship with God

A “righteous person” is not something that someone subjectively determines, but rather someone who uses the wisdom gained by walking with God to contribute to others in the place where they are. That wisdom is not something that can be measured by an IQ test. Diligence and honesty are also required as attitudes toward God.

As we have seen today, and as I have mentioned from time to time in previous articles, Proverbs is not a code of conduct for succeeding in society, but rather it questions our attitude toward God. For example, look at verses 4-5.

4 Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
5 He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

This seems like something a sales team leader or a sports team head coach could use to motivate their team members in a meeting, but that’s not what it was written for.

In verse 12, it says:

Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

Yes, you’re right. You might be tempted to say, “I already know that.” But there is something to know here too.

It is a picture of myself who, despite knowing it, cannot free myself from hatred, and who is completely lacking in love. It’s a fact we hate to admit, but only with this awareness can we begin to be transformed into the image of our Creator.

Our Lord Jesus was not dominated by hatred, but on the cross He revealed perfect love that covered all rebellion. No matter what our current situation is, there is hope. As long as Jesus is Lord, nothing can stop us from moving forward.

What we can do, what God expects of us, is to love God and love His wisdom.

The Proverbs are not just a guide to succeeding in society, but they test our attitude toward God. The starting point of the righteousness that God expects of us is to love God and His wisdom. Only by doing so can we love people and love one another. Fearing God, following His wisdom, and being honest and diligent are true righteousness.

(Prayer) God, thank you for loving us and becoming our Lord through Jesus Christ so that we can live better lives.
May your justice be manifested and peace be brought to the communities, countries, and world in which we live.
Please teach us what we need to do to achieve this.
Use us for your work.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

Summary

For Discussion

1) Please share the proverb that caught your attention most today and explain why.
2) What kind of person is a “righteous person”?