From chapter 10, the contrast is between the righteous and the wicked. In today's passage, the wicked has more descriptions or more faces.
v.1-10
v.1 they are the dishonest in scales, which means they cheated in their business transaction. Usually the differences of the scale are very hard to be detected, but the LORD knows the smallest dishonesty that we have.
v.2 They are prideful. When I teach Sunday school I see a lot of smart and talented children. However, their pride is also very obvious. As a result, those children are very difficult to teach. I will not excluded myself from the sin of being prideful. I felt pride even in my ministry. "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. " The 2nd phrase does not say "with humility comes praise," (to be in contrast of "pride brings disgrace" in 1st phrase). Instead, scriptures said," with humility comes wisdom." That means, wisdom is something being praised. May we give up pride and be humble and result in gaining the best thing-wisdom.
The following is also used to contrast with the righteous. In other words, they are also a description of the wickedness v.3 crooked, unfaithful, v.4 wealthy (but unrighteous), v.6 faithless, and v.9 godless. Meditate and reflect on these descriptions and may God speak to your heart about your own sins.
v.11-20
In today's passage we see the extend of the affect of the righteousness/wickedness.
from v.11-15, the city is affected by the counsel of the upright/wicked, the relationship between the neighbor can be maintained when the discerning person keeps silent, the community is affected by the slanderer/those who can concealed the matter, and the even the nation can be succeed when there are abundance of good counselors.
If we want to have a good city/community/nation we need upright people, people who knows how to deal with neighbor, people who dont go around and slandering and we need many of them.
On the other hand, if we have the counsel by the wicked and people who denounces his neighborhood, and slanderers going around and reveals others secrets, we will end up with a very bad community.
Please pray for the church to have the upright people among us. Pray that we ourselves will become these kind of people.
v.21-31
I think this verse paints a vivid picture in our mind,
"Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who rejects discretion (Pr 11:22)."
Both the pig's snout and the woman are unfit for the good things (the gold ring and the beauty). "Rejects" means she turns it down or turns away from it. She is not ignorance, but she does not want to accept the discretion/wisdom/teaching from God. This is a good reminder for us. We can have a beautiful appearance but people will not think it fits you if you turn away from discretion.
From v.25-29, the theme is about money and generosity. "People will curse the one who withholds grain, but they will praise the one who sells it (Pr 11:26)."
(NET) "The proverb refers to a merchant who holds back his grain from the free market to raise prices when there is a great need for the produce. It is assumed that merchants are supposed to have a social conscience."
What about us? What role does God give us and do we play our role with a clear conscience? Is that any time that we need to put down our concern for making the most money and care about others?
Audrey
Comments