This proverb warns us to choose our words with care and to not just blurt out whatever comes to mind. If our words are well chosen and righteous they will bring us good things and a long life. If our words are poorly chosen, or designed to further our own interests at the expense of others, they will bring us violence and trouble.
I am convinced that this psalm is addressed to those rulers and government officials who believe that they are greater than those over whom they have authority, who believe, in a sense, that they are “gods”. Certainly it is addressed to those who believe that they receive their authority by “divine” right (whatever they consider to “divine”, whether God, themselves, or something else). The psalmist tells us that they are not wrong, but God has given duties and responsibilities to those whom He has given authority to govern others.
Give justice to the poor and the orphan;
uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
Rescue the poor and helpless;
deliver them from the grasp of evil people.
These rulers and officials may have been given authority by God, but they will die and face God’s judgment, just like all other mortals. If they abuse their God-given authority beyond certain limits, God’s judgment will come to them sooner rather than later.
I don’t believe I have ever heard a sermon or read a commentary on this passage which notes that it immediately follows the parable of the prodigal son, which in turn was in response to those who condemned Jesus for associating with notorious sinners. As such, part of its message is about why we should spend time with sinners. There are things we can learn about how we should act when we associate with such people. In this parable the lesson was to use our worldly goods to benefit others and make friends with them.
Further, the lesson of this parable is that we should use our material wealth to serve God. We have a choice in this life, either we serve God, and our material wealth is merely another tool in our toolbox to accomplish His purposes, or we serve wealth, and our religion is merely a tool for acquiring wealth. We cannot both seek to serve God and to acquire wealth (that does not mean that no one one who serves God will acquire wealth, merely that it cannot be their goal). One or the other will be our master. We must choose which we will serve.
I struggle with what to think about this passage. The only message I get from is that we need to examine ourselves individually and as a group to make sure that we are faithfully keeping God’s commands. If any one member of a group is hiding rebellion against God’s instructions, it may stymie the group in its efforts to follow God’s will.
We need to choose our words with care because they will provide the “food” we will eat. The type of life we will lead going forward will come out of what we say to others now. Those who say treacherous, dishonest things will find their lives filled with violence (probably a result which they desire). So, let us be careful not to say things which will lead to results we do not desire. Carelessly saying whatever comes to mind will lead to our destruction.
God will pronounce judgement on the rulers of this earth. He will hold them accountable for making unjust decisions. On the other hand, He will honour those rulers who give justice to the poor and the orphan. He will praise those who rescue the weak and the needy. All the nations on this earth belong to God. He has given authority to those who rule over them. He will judge those rulers if they fail to use that authority wisely. Those who use their authority for their own interests, at the expense of justice may seem to prosper for a time, but God is keeping score.
Jesus told the story of the shrewd manager. Upon being told that he was about to be fired summoned all of those who owed his master and cut their debts in half. Jesus holds this up as an example for us. He was not telling us that we should defraud our employer if we are fired. Rather, we should use our material resources in order to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Let us show others that we care about them by the way in which we use the material resources which God puts at our disposal.
A story I learned in my childhood illustrates this point. During the Revolutionary War a woman who lived near where I grew up refused to take sides. At one point she was arrested for having wounded British soldiers in her house, whose injuries she was treating. George Washington (or one of his commanders, I do not remember this detail) intended to execute her for treason. However, her neighbors came forward and begged him to not do so. They argued that she had always been generous to her neighbors, helping those in need. In fact, they produced evidence that she had provided care equally to injured soldiers from Washington’s army. In the end, she was not executed because the Army was satisfied that she had used her resources to help those in need regardless of which side they were on. Jesus concludes His teaching on this subject by reminding us that if we allow it, money will become our master, demanding loyalty which we should be giving to God.
Yesterday’s passage concluded with the account of how the Israelites were defeated when they attacked Ai. This defeat occurred because one of their number had failed to follow God’s command at Jericho and kept some of Jericho’s wealth for himself. The important lesson from this passage is that an organization can be defeated in its pursuit of God’s goals if even one of its number has allowed his personal desires lead him to disobey God. This passage reminds me of an event from my past.
When I was in my 20s and attending elsewhere, the congregation my parents attended was struggling. However, it seemed to have found a new mission and new life. It was being led by a team of three interim pastors. Men who were semi-retired from ministry and had other means of support (although they were receiving a stipend for this role). After several years, one of those men left his wife of many years. He went to live with a woman with whom he had been having an affair for many years. Within a matter of months the congregation had disbanded. To this day, I am convinced that the reason the congregation disbanded was because of this man’s sin.
I am approaching the one year mark of doing this daily Bible study blog. I am getting excited about discovering what God has in store for me as I begin blogging about the passages that I blogged about last year. I am debating if I am going to go back and read what I wrote last year to compare it to what I write this year. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. As I said, I am excited to see what difference going through these passages for the second time makes.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
The next morning Joshua brought the tribes before him and Judah was selected. Then he had the clans of Judah brought before him and one was selected. Then the families of that clan and finally the individual members of the family that was selected. The man Achan was singled out. When Joshua confronted Achan, Achan confessed to taking some silver coins, a gold bar and a robe from Babylon. He had hidden these under his tent. The Israelites went to his tent and found the items just as he had said. The Israelites took all of Achan’s possessions and destroyed them and executed Achan for violating the command of God.
After cleansing the people of the sin of Achan, Joshua led the entire fighting force of Israel against Ai. Joshua divided his forces and sent one group around to the other side of Ai to hide and wait in ambush. He then took the main force up towards the main gate. When the forces of Ai came out Joshua had his force flee as if it was defeated just like the previous time. When the forces of Ai pursued them away from the city, Joshua signaled for the ambush force to attack the city. The ambush force entered the city and burned it to the ground. The armies of Ai were disheartened when they saw the smoke from the city. At that point Joshua stopped retreating and attacked the forces of Ai, killing all of them.
After destroying the city of Ai, Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal. Joshua copied the instructions that God had given Moses onto the stones of the altar. When he had completed this, Joshua divided the people of Israel into two groups. One group he placed on Mount Ebal, the other group on Mount Gerizim. He placed the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant between them. Joshua then had the groups follow the instructions which Moses had givenfor blessing and cursing the people of Israel. Joshua then read all of the commands which Moses had written in the Book of Instruction to the entire assembly of the people.
Having told the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost(prodigal) son to the crowds, Jesus tells a story to His disciples. The story is about a manager who has been misusing his boss’ money. The boss found it out and called the manager to a meeting to account for his management. The manager realized that he would be fired and did not want to end up doing manual labor or as a beggar. Jesus tells us that the manager decided to make it so that people would be grateful to him. He called in his boss’ debtors and reduced the amount they owed by a large amount. Jesus told His disciples that the people of this world are more shrewd at dealing with other people of the world than are the people of the light. We should use our wealth to benefit others so that when our worldly resources are gone we will be welcomed into heavenly homes. We should use our worldly resources to serve God’s purposes.
Jesus then says something that is very challenging to me. He says that if we have done poorly in managing the minor matter of the worldly wealth God has given us, why would God trust us with things of heavenly import? I have done a poor job of managing my money. I am striving to improve and pray continually for God’s guidance, but I have gotten myself into a difficult position which requires more stringent control over my impulses than would have been necessary if I had restrained myself earlier. We cannot serve two masters. We must choose to either serve God or material wealth. I strive to be a servant of God and not of material wealth, but I have allowed myself to get into a position where I need to spend more concern for my material well-being than I would like. I continue to strive to manage my money according to God’s will for me and have faith that He will give me guidance and provide for my needs, but it is a struggle I face every day.
God sits in judgment over those who rule. He asks them how long they will continue to render unjust judgments that favor the wicked? God will bring judgment against those who fail to defend the weak and the fatherless, who fail to uphold the rights of the poor and the oppressed. Those whom God has granted power on this earth must rescue poor and oppressed from the grasp of the wicked. IF they do not, they will face God’s judgment. As I read this psalm this morning, it reminds me of the trial of Dr. Gosnell, the abortionist who performed abortions for years, coldly murdering those infants which survived his attempts to kill them in the womb and causing the death or injury to many of the women who came to his clinic. He even forced an abortion on one young woman who changed her mind after entering his clinic. All the while, those who claimed they want abortion to be “safe, legal and rare” looked the other way. Who is weaker than the unborn and newly born? Yet those who hold power on this earth can not be bothered to protect them. God will rise up and hold those persons to account. He granted them power on this earth and they failed to use it to bring justice to the poor, the weak and the fatherless. O Lord show me where you have granted me the power to bring justice to those who are powerless.
Wise words will lead us to be well fed, but those who are treacherous seek violence (or perhaps one should read this as saying that those who enjoy violence are treacherous). Those who watch what they say live long and prosperous lives. Speaking rashly will lead to ruin.
This proverb comes as a timely reminder for me as I have a meeting with my boss over an issue where I became angry in response to his actions. This reminds me to choose my words with care and let the Spirit of God guide my actions.
