He Who Gives to the Poor will Not Lack

The collection of verses here encourages us to stay with doing the right things and not forsaking God's laws. It warns against trying to get rich using wicked means such as by hurting or oppressing others. A more severe warning is that those who causes righteous people to sin, will themselves be considered sinful and punished.

There are a number of verses of rich vs poor but this is more than the monetary status. Instead it refers to whether the people are doing the right things or not. For example, there is no point in being rich because the wicked things done will incur judgement. On the other hand, those who obey God's laws, whether poor or not to begin with, will incur blessings. There are encouragement to be generous and walk in integrity. There are warnings about being proud and causing strife.



Proverbs 28
1 The wicked flee when no one pursues,
But the righteous are bold as a lion.

2 Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes;
But by a man of understanding and knowledge
Right will be prolonged.

3 A poor man who oppresses the poor
Is like a driving rain which leaves no food.

4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
But such as keep the law contend with them.

5 Evil men do not understand justice,
But those who seek the Lord understand all.

6 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

7 Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son,
But a companion of gluttons shames his father.

8 One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion
Gathers it for him who will pity the poor.

9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
Even his prayer is an abomination.

10 Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,
He himself will fall into his own pit;
But the blameless will inherit good.

11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding searches him out.

12 When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory;
But when the wicked arise, men hide themselves.

13 He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

14 Happy is the man who is always reverent,
But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

15 Like a roaring lion and a charging bear
Is a wicked ruler over poor people.

16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor,
But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days.

17 A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit;
Let no one help him.

18 Whoever walks blamelessly will be saved,
But he who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.

19 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!

20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

21 To show partiality is not good,
Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.

22 A man with an evil eye hastens after riches,
And does not consider that poverty will come upon him.

23 He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward
Than he who flatters with the tongue.

24 Whoever robs his father or his mother,
And says, “It is no transgression,”
The same is companion to a destroyer.

25 He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,
But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.

26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

27 He who gives to the poor will not lack,
But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

28 When the wicked arise, men hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.

When Pride Comes, Then Comes Shame

Here is a collection of many sayings that make up this chapter. There is emphasis on a few virtues and also discouragement in a few other traits. The good virtues that would bring blessings and favour from God are righteousness, uprightness, integrity, merciful, generosity, trusting in God. The traits that bring condemnation, death and destruction to people are perversity, wickedness, pride, dishonesty, unfaithful, talebearer (gossiper) and ungodly.


Proverbs 11

1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight.

2 When pride comes, then comes shame;
But with the humble is wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.

5 The righteousness of the blameless will direct[a] his way aright,
But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.

7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish,
And the hope of the unjust perishes.

8 The righteous is delivered from trouble,
And it comes to the wicked instead.

9 The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.

10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices;
And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.

11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted,
But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

12 He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of understanding holds his peace.

13 A talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.

14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

15 He who is surety for a stranger will suffer,
But one who hates being surety is secure.

16 A gracious woman retains honor,
But ruthless men retain riches.

17 The merciful man does good for his own soul,
But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

18 The wicked man does deceptive work,
But he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.

19 As righteousness leads to life,
So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.

20 Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the blameless in their ways are His delight.

21 Though they join forces,[b] the wicked will not go unpunished;
But the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.

22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,
So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.

23 The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.

25 The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.

26 The people will curse him who withholds grain,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

27 He who earnestly seeks good finds favor,
But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.

28 He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like foliage.

29 He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind,
And the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who wins souls is wise.

31 If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth,
How much more the ungodly and the sinner.

David Walks in Integrity, Still Rely on God's Mercy and Lovingkindness

David expresses how he persevered to walk in integrity and keep on obeying God's laws, even at the face of great adversity. The adversity came from enemies, idolators around him, evildoers, the wicked and so on. David maintains his innocence by obeying God. As a result he is full of thanksgiving toward God and fully appreciates being close to God.

David pleads his case, that he should not be grouped together with sinners. Instead he continues to ask God for his mercy and he continues to bless the LORD. Some parts of this Psalm shows David very confident of where he stands, yet he pleads to God for mercy and inclusion with God and not sinners. Perhaps he also has a sense of his own continuing mortal sins that as much as he tried, he still know that he may sin again. But even so, he places complete confidence and trust in his LORD to deliver him, not for his own righteousness but because of God's mercy and lovingkindness.

Psalm 26

A Psalm of David.

 1 Vindicate me, O LORD,
         For I have walked in my integrity.
         I have also trusted in the LORD;
         I shall not slip.
 2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me;
         Try my mind and my heart.
 3 For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
         And I have walked in Your truth.
 4 I have not sat with idolatrous mortals,
         Nor will I go in with hypocrites.
 5 I have hated the assembly of evildoers,
         And will not sit with the wicked.
       
 6 I will wash my hands in innocence;
         So I will go about Your altar, O LORD,
 7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
         And tell of all Your wondrous works.
 8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house,
         And the place where Your glory dwells.
       
 9 Do not gather my soul with sinners,
         Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
 10 In whose hands is a sinister scheme,
         And whose right hand is full of bribes.
       
 11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;
         Redeem me and be merciful to me.
 12 My foot stands in an even place;
         In the congregations I will bless the LORD.

Job Maintains His Integrity

Job stands firm on his innocence in this passage and explains that there is no point for him to defend his innocence if it was not true. He goes on then to describe what happens to a hypocrite, showing that there is no point for him to be one.

In v2, he still attributes the calamities to God, but we also see his stubborness that he will not curse God or speak anything against the Almighty. In v6, he stresses his righteousness, not so much self-righteousness, but a knowledge that he did not bring punishment on himself. If Job was a hypocrite, he would not call on God, nor delight in him, hoping that his friends would understand this. FRom v14-23, Job describes how a hypocrite may seem to prosper on one hand, but often on the other hand, he will lose those benefits.

It's not clear how Job is arguing this since previously he rejected his friends assumption that the calamities befall Job because of his wickedness. In that case, Job pointed out that it wasn't his wickedness. In the passage here, Job seems to indicate that he understands that for hypocrites, their prosperity is not permanent. It appears that Job was trying to explain at length that if he was a hypocrite, he would accept it and that he wouldn't be crying out to God as he is doing now.


Job 27

 1 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
 2 “As God lives, who has taken away my justice, And the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
 3 As long as my breath is in me, And the breath of God in my nostrils,
 4 My lips will not speak wickedness, Nor my tongue utter deceit.
 5 Far be it from me That I should say you are right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
 6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.
 7 “May my enemy be like the wicked, And he who rises up against me like the unrighteous.
 8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, Though he may gain much, If God takes away his life?
 9 Will God hear his cry When trouble comes upon him?
 10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call on God?
 11 “I will teach you about the hand of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
 12 Surely all of you have seen it; Why then do you behave with complete nonsense?
 13 “This is the portion of a wicked man with God, And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:
 14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword; And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
 15 Those who survive him shall be buried in death, And their[a] widows shall not weep,
 16 Though he heaps up silver like dust, And piles up clothing like clay—
 17 He may pile it up, but the just will wear it, And the innocent will divide the silver.
 18 He builds his house like a moth,[b] Like a booth which a watchman makes.
 19 The rich man will lie down, But not be gathered up;[c] He opens his eyes, And he is no more.
 20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night.
 21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; It sweeps him out of his place.
 22 It hurls against him and does not spare; He flees desperately from its power.
 23 Men shall clap their hands at him, And shall hiss him out of his place.