On this chapter in context:
‘Proverbs 1 showed us the importance of seeking wisdom. Proverbs 2 instructed us in how to pursue wisdom and began to enumerate some of the benefits of wisdom. Proverbs 3 opens up the treasure house of wisdom. Waltke states, ‘This chapter will give you a finer education than you could receive from most colleges and universities.’ And, I would add, at a much cheaper price!’ (Newheiser)
Exhortations to Seek Wisdom and Walk with the Lord, 1-12
‘If you follow these rules, you will live a long, healthy, and successful life.’
Curiously, the word ‘wisdom’ does not occur in this section.
Do you want to live a longer life? Do you want to have better relationships? Do you want to make better choices in life? Would you like to enjoy better health? Would you like to be financially prosperous?
The overall ‘surface’ message is:
- If you keep God’s commands, you will live a long and prosperous life, v1f
- If you are loving and faithful, God and others will think well of you, v3f.
- If you trust God, your way through life will be smooth, v5f.
- If you fear God, you will enjoy robust health, v7f.
- If you give the first and the best to God, you will be rewarded with abundant wealth, v9f.
Note the pattern: odd verses indicate the required character traits, while the even verses point to the ensuing blessings:
‘When read together, the even-numbered verses announce that those who are shaped by wisdom will receive a long and peace-filled life, favour and success in the sight of both God and others, a straight path through life, physical health and healing, and abundant material prosperity.’ (Wilson)
3:1 My child, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
3:2 for they will provide a long and full life,
and they will add well-being to you.
My child – Lit. ‘my son’. This address is repeated in v11f, marking off this section with an inclusio.
The language of ‘my teaching/law’ and ‘my commandments’ ‘has resonances of God’s tôrâ and miṣwôt to Israel and so subtly positions the father in association with divine authority’ (Newsom). This connection between the teaching of the human father and the divine Father is yet clearer at the end of the present passage, v11f.
Many commentators have noted the echoes of Deut 8 here. That passage:
‘warns Israel that God will test the content of Israel’s “heart” (Prov 8:2) by whether they will “remember” and “not forget” (Prov 8:11, 14, 17–19) what God has done. This “not forgetting” in Deuteronomy would be evidenced by Israel keeping and doing his “commands” (Prov 8:1, 2, 6, 11). Keeping commands in Proverbs is also equated with “ways” and “paths” that are obedient, as well as people “fearing [God],” just as Deuteronomy enjoins Israel for “walking in obedience to him and revering him” (Prov 8:6). Of course long life (in the land) is what is at stake in both Deut 8 and Prov 3:1–12. Both passages, while using different Hebrew words, correspond in their intent for readers to accept the “discipline” of the Lord (Deut 8:5) and the “discipline” of the father (Prov 3:11–12). In sum, the father in Proverbs appears to take on the characteristics and teachings of God in Deuteronomy.’ (O’Dowd)
Schwab summarises:
‘Trust Yahweh. Know him. Fear him. Honor him with the firstfruits. Do not lean on your own understanding. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Turn from evil. Do not reject his discipline. Do not loathe his reproof. Do this, and he guarantees that he will make your paths smooth, keep your body vigorous and strong, fill your barns and vats to overflowing, and love you and adopt you as his own child.’
Vv1-10 celebrate what flows from the transformed character (Prov 2). (Waltke)
My child – vv 1-4 can be viewed as loving counsel from a father to a child:
‘God is speaking to us as his beloved ones, his adopted children. He was not stuck with us. He chose us, because he loves us, and now he is coaching us in how we can be fully alive, for his glory.’ (Ortlund)
By extension, here is a fitting example for Christian fathers of today.
Do not forget my teaching – We remember the things that are most important to us. (Newheiser)
‘Having told us to search for wisdom, he now calls us to put this into practice.’ (Bridges)
Let your heart keep my commandments – Not only obey them, but guard them.
On the central importance of the heart:
‘The heart is the center and seat of one’s inner life, including mind, emotions, and will. The word of God is to penetrate, subdue and rein in every cognition of our brain, every flame of passion and tongue of temper that leaps from the fire of our affections, and every choice both contemplated and embraced. Such unilateral submission of all I am to God’s word requires that constant vigil be kept over my heart.’ (Kitchen)
Augustine argues from this and similar Scriptures that humans must possess freedom of choice:
‘What of this fact, that God in so many passages commands that all his precepts be kept and carried out? How can he command if there is no free choice? And what of that “blessed man” about whom the psalmist says that “his will has been according to the law of the Lord”? Does he not make it perfectly clear that it is by the will that a man takes his stand on the side of God’s law? Finally, there are many commandments that in one way or another refer by name to the will. For example, “Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” And there are similar passages, such as, “Do not become like the horse and the mule, who have no understanding”; and, “Do not cast off the counsels of your mother”; and, “Be not wise in your own conceit”; and, “Do not fall away from the correction of the Lord”; and, “Neglect not the law”; and, “Do not refrain from helping the needy”; and, “Plan no evil against your friends”; and, “Mind not the deceit of a woman”; and, “He would not understand that he might do well”; and, “They were unwilling to take correction.” What do such numerous passages from the books of the Old Testament show, except that a person’s will is possessed of free choice?’ (ACCS)
A long and full life – Living to a ripe old age.
Long life as a reward for obedience to God is mentioned frequently – Prov 3:16; 4:10; 9:11; 10:27; 11:4; 14:27; 15:24; 28:16.
But possibly (not certainly) hinting at a life beyond the grave (Schwab).
1 Tim 4:8 For “physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.”
Of course,
‘Endless years without peace are a curse.’ (Waltke)
‘Only the LORD can give the reciprocal rewards of the even verses’:
‘long life and peace (v. 2), favor with God and people (v. 4), a straight path (v. 6), total healing (v. 8), abundant harvests (v. 10), and a heavenly Father’s love (v. 12).’ (Waltke)
‘A general principle and not a unilateral promise’:
‘We all know of a godly person who has died while still young or of the person who conducted himself by God’s word and yet bore great sorrows in this life. The basic pattern of life is that, if you keep God’s commands, you will avoid the pitfalls and perils of seeking to walk out of step with Him and will instead enjoy the benefits of walking in step with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.’ (Kitchen)
‘Study hard and you’ll get a good job.’ ‘Eat a good diet and you’ll stay healthy.’
Wellbeing – ‘shalom‘, peace. Not simply the absence if hostility, but
‘the wide-ranging biblical concept of peace, happiness, wholeness and fulness in this life’ (Goldingay, NBC).
‘a state of wholesome, peaceful well-being, primarily realized in relations among people’ (Quoted by Lucas)
Of the believer’s experience of this peace, Lawson writes:
‘Peace is enjoyed by the godly, even that of God which passes all understanding, and it keeps their hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. Outward prosperity is enjoyed by them, as far as it is consistent with their spiritual interests. Tribulations and enemies they may meet with but they live in peace. Though slaughtered by the hand of violence, or the sword of war, they die in peace. And when they die, they enter into everlasting peace.’
Proverbs furnish us with principles, not promises:
‘These statements are general principles, not promises….While some proverbs show the wise and righteous enjoying wealth (Prov 8:18; 13:22; 14:24), others show the wicked as wealthy (Prov 16:8, 16:19; 28:6). Overall, Proverbs emphasizes that wisdom and righteousness are preferable to wealth (Prov 17:1; 19:22; 22:1). The blessings ascribed to the wise and righteous in Proverbs are not guarantees. As other examples from Wisdom Literature demonstrate, at times the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper (Job 12:6; Eccl 7:15).’
Our obedience should be heart-felt:
‘Let your heart keep my commandments, as the ark, or chest, kept the two tables of the law put into it. This denotes a cordial affection for the commandments and ordinances of Christ, a hearty attention and obedience to them, and a constant and cheerful observance of them, flowing from love and gratitude to him (John 14:15, 21).’ (John Gill, An Exposition of the Old Testament)
The good life:
‘The benefits of long life and “prosperity” (šalom, 3:2) become the key motivation for the entire section. Descriptions of a good name (3:4), straight paths (3:6), bodily health (3:8), and overflowing barns and wine vats (3:10) are all variations on the theme of the good life. It is better to think of these benefits as results rather than rewards. Wisdom writers understood the life of šalom as a gift that Yahweh intends for the enjoyment of all. They also knew that some choose to depart from that path and therefore also pass up the fruits that grow along its way.’ (Koptak)
‘Believers today can make the mistake of taking the rich imagery of blessing in these instructions as promises rather than as motivations to learn and live by wisdom. These instructions do not promise that those who trust the Lord will find the right career or life partner or always enjoy success and prosperity. Rather, they urge their readers to let wisdom guide them in the way they go about enjoying the gifts of this life and to keep them from making the error of setting their own good life above that of others.’ (Koptak)
This is simply to live according to the grain of God’s universe:
‘The parental instruction is true and lifegiving even if obedience to it does not guarantee physical or material benefit. This is quite different from a parent who promises a reward in exchange for obedience. When promised rewards are extrinsic to the desired behavior, they threaten to become the goal of it all; obedience becomes simply the means to some independently desirable end like wealth or honor. For Proverbs right relation to God and neighbor is the end. Since “the LORD by wisdom founded the earth” (v. 19), it is right to expect that living according to the grain of the universe will make for human flourishing. The sages of Proverbs are hopeful but not naïve about the consequences of wise living.’ (Pauw)
3:3 Do not let truth and mercy leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
3:4 Then you will find favor and good understanding,
in the sight of God and people.
Truth and mercy – Or, ‘steadfast love and faithfulness’. These are characteristics of God himself:
Ex 34:6 – “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness.”
Here, they stand either as metonymies for the father’s teaching (Waltke), or as ‘ virtues that the son should display, virtues which flow from keeping the father’s teaching’ (Lucas).
Lawson writes that ‘God is greatly delighted to find in his children this his true, though imperfect image:
‘To the merciful, he will show himself merciful and those who deal truly, are his delight. He not only smiles upon them with the light of his countenance but gives them favor in the sight of men also.’
Steadfast love – love that is unfailing, love that is loyal – is at a premium today. Let Christians, of all people, display this in their attitudes towards their friends and loved one, and especially spouses. (‘For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health’). ‘This is love with velcro on it.’
What Ortlund writes about American religion is, sadly, true in many other parts of the world:
‘So much American religion is not about who God is. So much American religion makes us the immovable ones, the center around which God orbits. American religion is not about us changing and repenting and adjusting to who God is. It is about God making us feel better about ourselves without our having to change. But the truth is, God is who he is, so that we can become more like him. And after all, isn’t that what we want? A person of steadfast love and faithfulness can be trusted. You have nothing to fear from such a person. You have everything to admire in such a person. God is in that person. And he wants to make you more like himself.’
Ortlund continues:
‘So many people have been let down by Christians. They do not believe anymore, because they did not see the reality of God in God’s people. They saw people wearing crosses around their necks but without binding steadfast love and faithfulness around their necks. The fraudulence of that makes people angry. And they have a right to be angry. So the Father is saying here to his children, “My steadfast love and faithfulness to sinners—let that be your persona. Wear that reality in public, because it’s who Jesus is. I want you to be like him right out in the open, for other sinners to see and have hope.” When people see Jesus in us, we find favor and good success. There is no other way. We would not want it any other way.’
Bind them around your neck – Let them adorn your character like a beautiful necklace. Let everyone see and admire your good character. In other words, heart-obedience to the Lord is attractive and visible.
The language is, of course, metaphorical:
‘The literalism with which later Judaism understood the similar language of Deuteronomy 6:8, 9 is excluded by these verses, and indeed by Exodus 13:9.’ (Kidner)
Proverbs, like Deuteronomy, makes use of ‘memory metaphors’:
‘The images of adorning ourselves with teachings and “writing,” or “binding” commands on our “hearts,” signify a deep and permanent state of apprehension that is evidenced in consistent behavior, not simply from rote learning (Prov 3:3; cf. 1:9; 6:22; 7:3; Deut 6:8; 11:18; Jer 17:1).’ (O’Dowd)
Write them on the tablet of your heart – If wearing them round the neck is about public visibility, then writing them on the heart is about internalising them; about making them a permanent part of our make-up:
‘They are to be made an enduring part of your character.’ (Wilson)
The way of wisdom is not adherence to an external set of rules; it is, rather,
‘to internalize the principles in a way that produces character. In the OT the “heart” is the central core of a person, and it controls the thoughts, words, and actions of an individual much as a computer controls a system. A heart programmed with wisdom’s values produces thoughts and behaviors consistent with God’s order.’ (Apologetics Study Bible)
Godly behaviour and right thinking go hand in hand:
‘The serious practice of religion is an excellent means of getting a solid understanding of it. On the contrary, a life of vice exceedingly debases and darkens the mind and keeps people from the knowledge of the truth, which not only Scripture but even heathen philosophers have often observed.’
(Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible)
‘All obedience that is acceptable to God starts here’:
‘The heart is the first thing that wanders away from God, and it is also the first thing that returns to God. This is a crucial principle (4:23; Romans 6:17 [kjv]). All religion without this is only religion in name. Even if it is practiced in a thousand different ways, it is bound to fail (Isaiah 5:24). Even if you carried out kind deeds every second of the day, if your heart is not alive so that it can keep God’s commands, the following rebuke will ring in your ears: “The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me?” (Isaiah 1:11). Delight and perseverance in carrying out God’s will flows from God’s grace working in our hearts.’ (Bridges)
This pair of metaphors indicate that obedience to God must not be occasional, but habitual. (Bridges)
Also, taken together they indicate that there must be agreement between what one appears to be on the outside and what one really is on the inside. This is what we call integrity.
This is true:
‘For the scholar, who may be tempted to seek knowledge without having first submitted to God, this means that the search will be futile and the wisdom gained will be distorted if one has not first oriented oneself to the Creator in faith, humility, and obedience.’
‘For the religious person, this means that one’s alleged piety is hollow if it does not embrace the simple and indeed very earthy precepts of wisdom.’
(Garret, paragraphing added)
You will find favor and good understanding, in the sight of God and people – ‘Good understanding’ = ‘good repute’ (NASB), ‘a good name’ (NIV).
Wilson suggests that a person’s reputation in the eyes of God and man was more highly valued in that culture than in our own (‘probably to our loss’).
Bridges observes that we see this truth in the examples of:
(a) Joseph in Egypt:
Gen 39:2 – ‘The LORD was with Joseph. He was successful and lived in the household of his Egyptian master. 39:3 His master observed that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made everything he was doing successful. 39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant.’
(b) David in the family of Saul:
1 Sam 18:14 – ‘Now David achieved success in all he did, for the LORD was with him. 18:15 When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him. 18:16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back. ‘
(c) The early Christians with the people around them:
Acts 2:44-47 – ‘…praising God and having the good will of all the people.’
(d) Our Lord himself –
Lk 2:52 ‘And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people.’
(e) More generally, Paul speaks of serving Christ in a way that is:
Rom 14:18 – ‘pleasing to God and approved by people.’
2 Cor 8:21 – ‘For we are concerned about what is right not only before the Lord but also before men.’ (Possibly an allusion to this verse in Proverbs).
This is discussed by Ryken (Short Sentences Long Remembered)
Such proverbs include, in addition to examples in the present passage, the following:
“The upright will inhabit the land … / but the wicked will be cut off from the land” (Prov. 2:21–22).
“No ill befalls the righteous, / but the wicked are filled with trouble” (Prov. 12:21).
“Disaster pursues sinners, / but the righteous are rewarded with good” (Prov. 13:21).
“When a man’s ways please the LORD, / he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Prov. 16:7).
Ryken remarks that we should not regard such proverbs as absolute promises, admitting no exceptions. All proverbs set out what is usually, or typically true. We ourselves tell young people that in order to be successful they need to study hard. The fact that a person who studies hard is not always successful does not invalidate the general rule.
Proverbs does not usually specify when a given reward will be received. This leaves open the possibility that a reward may be spiritual rather than physical, or deferred until the life to come.
3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding.
3:6 Acknowledge him in all your ways,
and he will make your paths straight.
This section (vv5-12) emphasises devotion to the Lord, rather than abstract notions of right living (Garrett):
‘True piety manifests itself as intellectual humility (vv. 5–8), submission of material wealth to God’s rule (vv. 9–10), and patient acceptance of divine discipline (vv. 11–12).’
Trust in the Lord with all your heart – Commentators note that the word translated ‘trust’ has connotations of falling, face-first, before the Lord. Total submission and dependence is implied.
Schwab observes that the divine name is used five times in eight verses. Proverbs does not teach mere morality, but practical godliness.
- entirely, ‘with all your heart’
- exclusively, ‘do not rely on your own understanding’
- extensively, ‘acknowledge him in all your ways.’
Then you will know God’s blessing and guidance in your life, ‘he will make your paths straight’.
(Newheiser)
What this includes:
‘Faith in Christ for eternal life is included in this dependence on God, for by him we believe in God. But we are commanded to trust in God for everything necessary for us in this life also; for the Lord God is a sun and shield, he will give grace and glory, and every good thing.’ (Lawson)
Trust is to be with all your heart – It is to be entire, whole-hearted:
‘Too often Israel had a loyalty divided between the LORD and the false gods of the nations.’ (Newheiser)
Too often, we pick and choose between God’s commands and the world’s advice. Too often, we begin with good intentions to trust in God, but then make our own Plan B just in case God’s plan A fails.
By faith, having ‘a continual regard to God’s providence’,
‘we must repose an entire confidence in the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, assuring ourselves of the extent of his providence to all the creatures and all their actions.’ (MHC)
Do not rely on your own understanding – Or, by extension, the unsanctified understandings of others.
Cf. Isa 53:6 – ‘All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on his own path.’
Our decisions should be based on God’s words, not our feelings:
‘Many people make crucial life decisions in areas such as marriage, finances, and vocation not based upon God’s revealed Word but their feelings. Proverbs tells us that our feelings are unreliable: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov 14:12); ‘he who trusts in his own heart is a fool’ (Prov 28:26a).’ (Newheiser)
This is not, of course, to despise human reason and its achievements. But it is to recognise the limits of reason, and to seek to place it under the authority of God, whose wisdom and knowledge are limitless.
As Kitchen states:
‘This does not mean to imply that there is nothing to be trusted in ‘common sense,’ but simply that you don’t use it as your sole, or even primary, support in life. Rather, we should bank our all on God and the wisdom of His ways. His ways are above ours (Isa. 55:8–9; Rom. 11:33–34), and must be chosen when they seem to contradict our earthly, human wisdom.’
Academic arrogance is condemned, but intellectual enquiry is by no means excluded (Garrett).
Although God’s wisdom and human wisdom may sometimes overlap, they are often found to be in conflict. In that case, we must prefer God’s way as utterly reliable.
Matthew Henry:
‘Those who know themselves cannot but find their own understanding to be a broken reed, which, if they lean to, will certainly fail them.’
George Lawson:
‘When men reject the testimony of God concerning Christ, when they depend on their own righteousness and strength instead of Christ, or on creatures rather than on God for help in difficulty, or when they expect to obtain pleasure or profit by sinful means it is evident that they are departing from God, through an evil heart of unbelief, and trusting for the direction of their behavior to their own corrupted minds.’
Wiersbe views this pair of verses as:
‘a promise God’s people have often claimed as they have sought the Lord’s direction for their lives. And this promise has never failed them—if they have obeyed the conditions God has laid down in verses 1–12. God keeps His promises when we obey His precepts, because our obedience prepares us to receive and enjoy what He has planned for us.’
This, I fear, is too formulaic (If I meet certain conditions, then God will respond by giving me good things’). But Proverbs deal with general principles, not inviolable promises.
Wiersbe rightly says:
‘This warning doesn’t suggest that God’s children turn off their brains and ignore their intelligence and common sense. It simply cautions us not to depend on our own wisdom and experience or the wisdom and experience of others. Abraham did this when he went to Egypt (Gen. 12:10–20) and so did Joshua when he attacked the little town of Ai (Josh. 7). When we become “wise in [our] own eyes” (Prov. 3:7), then we’re heading for trouble.’
Following Koptak, we note five fantasies:
- independence (3:3–4),
- self-determination (3:5–6),
- moral autonomy (3:7–8),
- total ownership of goods (3:9–10),
- freedom from correction (3:11–12).
Following Ortlund, ask: Do I accept biblical teaching, so long as it agrees with me? What do I do with those passages I don’t like? Do I look for verses that will confirm me in my prejudices, or am I willing to have those prejudices challenged? Do I allow Scripture to overrule my own thinking?
Acknowledge him in all your ways – lit. ‘know him’. But not merely as an acquaintance, but in deep experiential knowledge. (Kitchen)
O’Dowd comments on the rich array of meanings of the underlying word:
‘Knowledge can mean everything from the intuitive understanding a bird has in knowing how to fly to the aesthetic sense received from seeing a magnificent natural scene to sexual intercourse.’
The implication here is that:
‘knowing God is not just obeying or submitting to him, but a calling to discover fellowship with and understanding of God in and through every single thing we do, say, and think (cf. Prov 2:5).’
This includes the vital, though mysterious, practice of prayer:
‘God is well acquainted with all our affairs and yet he graciously requires us to present them to him in prayer, and to ask from him direction in the management of them, that we may be guided by his providence and Spirit, according to his word. The saints have found much relief in their perplexities, by spreading their case before him, and petitioning this verse for their help.’ (Lawson)
To thus acknowledge him means not only believing
‘that there is an over-ruling hand of God ordering and disposing of us and all our affairs’, but coming before him in prayer accordingly. We must seek his permission, advice, and guidance, not only when we are confused and perplexed, but in every case. When the way is easy, we must acknowledge him with thankfulness. And when the way is difficult, we must acknowledge him with submission. (MHC)
What risks am I willing to take in my obedience to the Lord? Ortlund writes:
‘If you never surprise an unbelieving friend by your sacrifices for Christ, it is probably because what you are living for is the same earthly payoff he is living for. But if you trust the Lord entirely, you will also trust him exhaustively, across the whole of life. You will not be a fragmented person. You will not think piecemeal.’
He will make your paths straight – suggesting either (or both): (a) you will not go astray (contrast the crooked ways of the wicked, Prov 2:13,15); (b) you will find success:
‘It is not describing a smooth or easy path through, one free from obstacles or hardship, but rather a life that is righteous, morally straight and worthwhile.’ (Wilson)
‘The promise of ‘straight’ paths is a promise that the son will reach his goals in life. In the context of the ‘two paths’ metaphor of Proverbs this may be as much, if not more, a promise of living a morally good life as of material success. Of course the two are often inter-related in Proverbs.’ (Lucas)
But this is not a promise that our way will be free from hardship:
Acts 14:22 – “We must enter the kingdom of God through many persecutions.”
But it is generally true that habitual honesty (for example) leads to a straightfoward path through life, whereas a pattern of dishonesty makes for a very complicated life!
As the saying goes: God can make a straight line with a crooked stick.
‘Those that faithfully follow the pillar of cloud and fire shall find that though it may lead them about it leads them the right way and will bring them to Canaan at last.’ (MHC)
The example of Jesus tells us that a straight path is not necessarily an easy one. Isa 40:3 is quoted in Mk 1:3 –
“The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’ ”
We amy not infer from Prov 3:6 (or from Prov 3:9f) any support for the ‘health and wealth’ gospel (if you obey God, you will receive all you desire). O’Dowd notes that:
‘On the “straight” path to accomplishing his mission, Jesus suffered misunderstanding and opposition, was rejected by his followers, forsaken by the Father, and eventually murdered.’
Other parts of Scripture – Job, especially – will wrestle with the idea of a life guided and protected by God, on the one hand, and the reality of unexpected injustice and suffering. The present passage helps by inviting us to see adversity as coming from the hand of a loving Father.
These verses:
‘speak more about guidance in ethical behavior than particular choices such as career or mate.’ (Koptak)
Again, the safety that is promised is more moral than it is physical:
‘The parental wisdom teachers of Proverbs set out to correct the human tendency to pursue the fruits of wisdom as ends in themselves. They knew the dangers of putting the blessings of life, possessions, and status before all else, even in the place of God, and of making them into idols. They saw that without fear of Yahweh and the love of wisdom, the quest for the good life can go terribly wrong. They offered their instruction and correction to show us how to put first things first, to keep us from putting the cart of the good life before the horse of wise and godly living.’ (Koptak)
3:7 Do not be wise in your own estimation;
fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
3:8 This will bring healing to your body,
and refreshment to your inner self.
Do not be wise in your own estimation – Another blow to the modern notion of ‘believe in yourself; trust your instincts; follow your heart’. But true wisdom does not come from within, but from outside – from God.
This humility is rarely regarded as a virtue in today’s world.
Matthew Henry comments that there is no greater enemy to godliness than ‘conceitedness of our own wisdom’. The self-sufficient regard godly counsel as an encumbrance.
Lawson:
‘We are not indeed to pull out our own eyes, to renounce our own understandings, or to believe contradictions. But we ought certainly to keep our rational powers in subjection to the word of God, to be sensible of our great liableness to err, and of our absolute need of divine direction, especially in those matters that concern religion.’
Being ‘wise in [our] own estimation’ is the opposite of ‘the fear of the Lord’.
‘Certain scholars and ‘experts’ dare to sit in judgement on God’s Word, criticizing and correcting Holy Scripture. Many professing Christians want to be influential but are not teachable. Even children can tune out their parents and teachers because they think they have already heard all the stories.’ (Newheiser)
Turn away from evil – However attractive the godless way may seem, in the end it will bring only misery:
‘The God-fearing man or woman realizes that because the LORD is the just, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise governor of the universe, no one ever benefits from going against his ways.’ (Newheiser)
Healing to your body – ‘Body’ is lit. ‘umbilical cord’. This could refer the biological life generally, or the same with particular reference to one’s sex life. (Schwab)
The converse is also true:
Psa 32:3 When I refused to confess my sin,
my whole body wasted away,
while I groaned in pain all day long.
Godliness is good for the body:
‘The sense of the verse is that this wisdom or fear of God is not only useful to the salvation of the soul but also to the health and welfare of the body. It prevents those diseases and distempers that are often procured by sinful lusts and passions. It gives us an interest in all God’s promises and puts us under the care of his special providence.’ (Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible)
‘The prudence, temperance, and sobriety, the calmness and composure of mind, and the good government of the appetites and passions, which religion teaches, tend very much not only to the health of the soul, but to a good habit of body, which is very desirable, and without which our other enjoyments in this world are insipid.’ (MHC)
‘Religion has a natural tendency to impart health and vigor to the body, because it preserves a man from those distempers which proceed from unsubdued lusts, and diffuses over the mind that calm serenity and heartfelt joy, which even upon the body exercise a medicinal influence.’ (Lawson)
Waltke suggests the theological dimension:
‘As a result of sin, humankind is sick, on the road to death, and in need of healing, but by trust in the LORD, which is inseparably connected with turning from their endemic evil, people find healing toward eternal life.’
If, being ‘wise in my own eyes’ I think I know best, then I will follow my urges and appetites by eating to excess, sleeping around, and so on, and probably do untold damage to my body. Then again, if I go through life thinking ‘I know best’, then I will carry around a burden of unresolved guilt and remorse. Unconfessed sin damages the body:
Psa 31 – ‘When I kept silent [about my wrongdoing], my bones wasted away.’
Refreshment to your inner self – lit. ‘to your bones’.
All this shows that spiritual and physical health are intimately connected:
3 Jn 2 – ‘Dear friend, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.’
‘The parental wisdom teachers of Proverbs set out to correct the human tendency to pursue the fruits of wisdom as ends in themselves. They knew the dangers of putting the blessings of life, possessions, and status before all else, even in the place of God, and of making them into idols. They saw that without fear of Yahweh and the love of wisdom, the quest for the good life can go terribly wrong. They offered their instruction and correction to show us how to put first things first, to keep us from putting the cart of the good life before the horse of wise and godly living.’ (Koptak)
3:9 Honor the LORD from your wealth
and from the first fruits of all your crops;
3:10 then your barns will be filled completely,
and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Honor the Lord from your wealth – Or, ‘Honour the Lord more than your assets’ (Goldingay).
The word translated ‘honour’ suggests heaviness. We honour a person when we give them their full weight.
When we honour someone, we give him or her first place. Do we give God first place when it comes to our money and possessions?
‘It is the end of our creation and redemption to honour God.’ (MHC)
‘Wealth’, in Proverbs, has both a negative and a positive connotation:
Proverbs 11:4 Wealth does not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from mortal danger.
Proverbs 3:16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
How may I know if I am trusting God and his provision, or relying on my own wisdom and resources? One test is my attitude towards money and possessions.
Let us honour God from our material wealth:
‘God needs nothing at our hands; but for our own benefit, he will have us to render back a part of all he gives to us, for the decent support of his worship, and for the maintenance of the poor. Is it any hardship to give a part to him, from whom we have received all? Can we make a better use of our wealth, which is often a snare and a trap to men by serving God, and thus making to ourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness? By this means we honor the Lord. He is the Creator and Redeemer of our souls and bodies, and therefore we are to glorify him with our bodies and our souls, which are his.’ (Lawson)
‘By the practice of this duty’, Lawson writes:
‘we show our faith in his providence and promises, our love to God, our gratitude for his goodness, and our preference for his service, to that of mammon. In this manner we justify our profession of the gospel of Christ, and others are made to glorify God, while they enjoy the benefit of our ministrations to this purpose.’
Conversely, ‘by the neglect of this duty’:
‘we are guilty of robbing God himself of that rent which he requires from us as his tenants. We dishonor him by showing that we love the world better than his service, and that we trust more to our money chests, than to his promises. Has he not assured us, that instead of being losers, we shall be great gainers by what we bestow upon him?’
The firstfruits of all your crops – A rare hint (in Proverbs) of the cultic life. But, as the present passage make very clear, spiritual life and daily living are inextricably linked. We are to love, serve and worship God ‘seven whole days, not one in seven’.
As Schwab puts it:
‘Although Proverbs is Wisdom Literature and does not argue from redemptive themes, it should not be read as separate from the religious life and rich faith of Israel.’
The firstfruits of the harvest were intended to be used:
‘to support the Levitical priests as well as resident aliens, widows, and orphans (cf. Deut. 26:12; Neh. 10:35–39).’ (Pauw)
The giving of the first and best guards against the illusion of self-sufficiency:
‘The besetting danger of wealth in any generation is that it can lead to self-sufficiency. The giving of the firstfruits is a thankful acknowledgment to God for his provision, set out in the law (e.g. Deut. 26:1–11) but also predating it (e.g. Gen. 4:4).’
We are to give first and the best, not the leftovers:
‘God, who is the first and best, must have the first and best of every thing; his right is prior to all other, and therefore he must be served first.’ (MHC)
God’s people are not their own; they were bought with a price:
‘The giving enjoined by the Mosaic Law was to be done in recognition that God had redeemed them from slavery in Egypt (Deut. 26:1–10). They were not their own. They had been bought with a price. They possessed nothing, but managed everything. They had nothing but what had poured out of the hand of God to them.’ (Kitchen)
Is my giving to God and his kingdom the first, or the last, call on my finances? –
1 Cor 16:2 – ‘On the first day of the week, each of you should set aside some income and save it to the extent that God has blessed you, so that a collection will not have to be made when I come.’
Your barns will be filled completely – A generalisation, of course:
‘The generalization that piety brings plenty chimes in with much of Scripture (e.g. Deut. 28:1–14; Mal. 3:10) and of experience. If it were more than a generalization (as Job’s comforters held), God would be not so much honoured, as invested in, by our gifts. Verses 11, 12 are therefore well placed to balance 8 and 10 (and to lead into 13ff.) with the reminder of other divine methods and better prizes than prosperity.’ (Kidner)
The rewards of such giving are frequently mentioned in Scripture:
Deuteronomy 28:8 – ‘The LORD will decree blessing for you with respect to your barns and in everything you do—yes, he will bless you in the land he is giving you.’
Malachi 3:10 – ‘“Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter,” says the LORD who rules over all, “to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room for it all.’
Luke 6:38 – ‘Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.”’
The wise father offers his beloved child ‘a long and full life’, ‘wellbeing’ (v2); ‘favour and good understanding’ (v4); full barns and overflowing vats (v10). Is this the prosperity gospel?
Goldingay is less troubled than many:
‘Living a wise and godly life pays (cf. Prov 15:6); the prosperity gospel has some truth in it. Amusingly, commentators worry about the passage in this connection, despite the fact that their own lives embody its truth (they are people who seek to be wise, they work hard, they are honorable, and they have salaried jobs with health care, vacations, and royalties from the commentaries they are writing). Yet Jesus affirms the prosperity gospel: people who seek God’s reign and righteousness will find they have food, drink, and clothes and can expect to live a long life and to be okay tomorrow (Matt 6:25–33). Paul likewise affirms that God not only loves cheerful and generous givers but provides for them (2 Cor 9). The dynamic of spiritual life that Proverbs lays out thus compares with that in Leviticus and Deuteronomy as well as the Sermon on the Mount and 2 Corinthians. There are indeed qualifications to make concerning the prosperity gospel. Proverbs, Jesus, Paul, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy are talking about having plenty of the things that make life possible, not about holidays in Hawaii or second homes. But there is a “robust earthiness” about Proverbs13 that encourages people to expect things to work out well and to enjoy it when they do. “This paean to wisdom in chapter 3 promises material blessings while at the same time relativizing their significance.”’
But, whatever germs of truth may be found in the prosperity gospel, there are significant dangers too:
1. The prosperity gospel is based on a selective approach to the Bible, in which verses are chosen to fit a theory of crass materialism. It does not want to love and serve God; it sets out to use God. The truly prosperous person is the one who knows Christ, even if all material benefits have been lost (Phil 3:7-11).
2. The rewards set out in Prov 3 are good, and our heavenly Father will not withold them from his beloved children. But to have uninterrupted comfort in this life would not be good for us. We would become spiritually lazy and complacent. Our loving God disciplines us, vv11f. He sends both earthly blessings and earthly sorrow. Jesus both suffered (at the cross) and prospered (in the resurrection). And when our health fails, our barns empty and our vats run dry, we can rejoice in the knowledge of God and the prospect of eternal life with him.
In sum: set your heart, not on the gift, but the Giver.
(After Ortlund)
Ask: what is my purpose in life? If my aim is prosperity, then my ‘faith’ is mere manipulation. If my aim is godly living, then I will welcome both its rewards and its (apparent) setback.
Pauw:
‘The poem in verses 1–12 urges a life of humble trust in God; the material blessings that may come are by-products of this relationship, not its goal. The center of faith is aligning ourselves with God’s love and intentions for the world, not realizing certain spiritual or material blessings for ourselves.’
Wilson notes that there is no promise here of wealth, health, popularity or longevity. A proverb describes part of life, not the whole. It is not, therefore, applicable all the time. Think of Jesus: he honoured his Father in every way, yet did not live a long life; he had no storehouses, let alone full ones. Moreover, the very character traits espoused in these verses are such as would keep a person free from the love of money.
Your vats will overflow with new wine – Either (a) the grape juice before fermentation (Murphy, WBC), or, (b) the first and choicest (fermented wine.
Adopting the first translation, Ben Sinclair argues that:
‘freshly pressed grape juice is referred to as wine. This cannot be alcoholic wine. This is another solid proof for the two-wine position, and reminds the reader that when God refers to wine that is a blessing, He is referring to new, nonalcoholic wine, and not alcoholic wine as the one-wine supporters claim.’ (Sinclair, Ben. Should Christians Drink Wine and Alcohol?)
We can agree with Sinclair’s premise – that the ‘new wine’ referred to here is unfermented grape juice – without agreeing with his conclusion – that Scripture unformly espouses teetotalism.
But Waltke (following Fitzsimmonds) says that the ‘new wine’ is made from the first drippings of the crop, and therefore especially potent.
Barns were for storing grain, and vats for wine. In that culture, these were necessities, not luxuries.
Matthew Henry comments:
‘He does not say thy bags, but thy barns, not thy wardrobe replenished, but thy presses: “God shall bless thee with an increase of that which is for use, not for show or ornament—for spending and laying out, not for hoarding and laying up.” Those that do good with what they have shall have more to do more good with.’
3:11 My child, do not despise discipline from the LORD,
and do not loathe his rebuke.
3:12 For the LORD disciplines those he loves,
just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.
These verses are quoted in Heb 12:5-6. They are unusual in that:
‘Proverbs never explicitly discusses the problem of adversity, but simply reflects the typical biblical view that suffering and sin go together.’ (Murphy)
My child, do not despise discipline from the Lord – Opinion differs as to whether this is (a) purely verbal discipline (admonition and rebuke) or, (b) discipline in the form of hardship and affliction.
Koptak says that it is alien to the Proverbs to regard it as suffering. There is nothing in the context to indicate that it is anything more than verbal correction and rebuke:
‘The stress in Proverbs 3 is on protection and freedom from evil’s consequences, not on coping with pain and suffering. If we find ourselves ready to say something like, “Perhaps this misfortune happened because the LORD wants to teach you . . .” we should hold our tongues, practicing another teaching of the book of Proverbs.’
Koptak notes that this text in Proverbs is linked, in Heb 12:5f, not with personal suffering but with the suffering of persecution:
‘Hebrews was written to encourage the perseverance of Christians suffering the hardship of persecution, not illness or personal loss.’
Our relationship with the Lord is not that of a judge and criminal, but a father and beloved child.
As Kitchen remarks:
‘Wisdom is not only gained by receiving rewards for faithfulness (vv. 9–10), but also by receiving discipline for unfaithfulness (vv. 11–12). Wisdom is learned not only by prosperity and blessing, but also through hardship and suffering.’
The Lord disciplines those he loves – This is the discipline of the home, not of the school, and still less of the prison. (Bridges)
Lucas says that both instruction and training are involved:
‘Like a good father Yahweh’s primary concern for his children is not that they live an easy life, but that they live a good life. This requires discipline. Sometimes the discipline has to take the form of correcting errors. However, sometimes it is more in the nature of training for what lies ahead. Just as athletes sometimes have to undergo training that is painful in order to develop their physical muscles, so we sometimes have to go through painful experiences, unrelated to any mistakes or errors we have made, in order to develop our moral ‘muscles’. This is one biblical perspective on the problem of suffering. Deuteronomy 8 and Heb. 12 provide good commentaries on these verses. The imagery used in them is another reminder that education in wisdom is not a purely human endeavour. God plays an active part in it too.’
Wiersbe wisely says:
‘He acts in love and his purpose is that we might become “partakers of His holiness” (Heb. 12:10). Sometimes he chastens because we have rebelled and need to repent; other times he chastens to keep us from sinning and to prepare us for his special blessing. No matter how much the experience hurts us, it will never harm us, because God always chastens in love (Deut. 8:2–5).’
It is
‘folly to contend with a God of incontestable sovereignty and irresistible power’. But also: we should be content with the Lord’s chastening, ‘for we may be sure that a God of unspotted purity does us no wrong and that a God of infinite goodness means us no hurt.’ (MHC)
Schwab, too, links these verses with their quotation in Heb 12:5f –
‘Hebrews 12:1–13 argues that the Christian life is one of struggle against sin. In this struggle, Christians are called to remember Jesus on the cross—enduring shame and hostility from evil people. Christ suffered what is proper for those on the path of folly to suffer. His innocent blood was shed by a “gang” (see 1:11–12). As Christians follow Jesus, their willingness to bear pain for the sake of ultimate honor also inspires them to submit willingly to painful discipline. Christians are called to trust him and not their own understanding, to embrace his reproof and discipline and thus experience the love of the Father.’
Schwab further comments that ‘the unqualified guarantee of health and wealth is given in the context of the overall program of learning wisdom’. Difficulties and setbacks will be experienced – but these should be regarded as the correction of the Lord. In this, we follow the supreme example of Christ on the cross, who ‘learned obedience from the things he suffered’ (Heb 5:8). Material blessings are good insofar as serve the higher goal of knowing God. The long life that is promised points to sharing in the resurrected life of Christ, which he experiences after the travail of his soul (Isa 53:10).
This teaching regarding divine discipline:
‘tacitly acknowledges that simplistic forms of retribution theology, according to which God makes good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people, are wrong. Good people do not always enjoy good circumstances, or else this exhortation would not be necessary for such people to interpret their lives and respond rightly. Prov 24:16 provides even more obvious nuance about righteous suffering: “The righteous falls seven times and rises again, / but the wicked stumble in times of calamity” (ESV). So-called retribution, not always manifest in circumstantial moments, ultimately pertains to final ends.’ (Treier, Brazos)
‘We are here warned against despising divine rebukes, or fainting under them. The rebukes of providence are despised, when people do not regard the supreme hand that afflicts them; when they do not consider the design of God in afflicting; or when, through stupidity of mind or hardness of heart, they neglect to comply with it. This is a great affront to God. It is as if a child would say his father when he strikes him, “I do not care, do with me what you will, I shall behave no better than I have done.”‘ (Lawson)
God did not spare his own Son:
‘So true is it, after all, that he scourges every son whom he receives, that he did not spare his only Son but handed him over for us all. So fixing our gaze on him, who was scourged without any sin to deserve it, and who died for our offenses and “rose again for our justification,” let us not be afraid of being cast aside when we are scourged, but rather [let us] be confident that we will be received when we are justified.’ (Augustine, ACCS)
‘Because Christ has already removed our guilt (2 Cor 5:21), our suffering is not punitive, but corrective. Some lessons can only be learned through hardship and suffering. Even our Lord Jesus ‘learned obedience from the things which he suffered’ (Heb. 5:8). His suffering proves that not all suffering is due to personal sin. Nor does your pain mean that you are out of God’s favour. Instead, suffering proves your sonship. God is so committed to our good that he is willing to bring suffering into our lives so we might gain wisdom and good character.’
‘Some professing Christians become bitter and even angry with God when they endure physical and emotional pain. Others are tempted to despair, wallowing in their misery. Instead, we should remember that we are children in whom our heavenly Father delights (v. 12b) and that he is sovereignly allowing us to suffer because he loves us (Prov 13:24).’
(Newheiser)
‘The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world; but joy, pleasure and merriment he has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we all crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God; a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bath or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.’
(C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain)