Proverbs 19
The two verses that spoke to me most clearly this morning are
7 A poor man is shunned by all his relatives—
how much more do his friends avoid him!
Though he pursues them with pleading,
they are nowhere to be found.
and
17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD,
and he will reward him for what he has done.
They almost appear contradictory. The former states a sociological law - poor people will be treated badly by their friends and relatives. The later suggests that the Lord will reward those who violate this law articulated in verse 7.
Verse 7 is good counsel. We should take care to avoid poverty because we can not (should not?) count on others to rescue us. Verse 17 suggests that we should give generously to those in need.
Are these in tension or is wisdom to be found in the way they fit together?
7 A poor man is shunned by all his relatives—
how much more do his friends avoid him!
Though he pursues them with pleading,
they are nowhere to be found.
and
17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD,
and he will reward him for what he has done.
They almost appear contradictory. The former states a sociological law - poor people will be treated badly by their friends and relatives. The later suggests that the Lord will reward those who violate this law articulated in verse 7.
Verse 7 is good counsel. We should take care to avoid poverty because we can not (should not?) count on others to rescue us. Verse 17 suggests that we should give generously to those in need.
Are these in tension or is wisdom to be found in the way they fit together?
Posted by William Clark on
Monday February 19, 2007 at 7:02am