Proverbs 11
Have you ever seen paintings of rulers, queens or monarchs of old? One thing you often notice is they are somewhat overweight. Okay, fine, some were downright FAT! However, this was a sign of prosperity! Many of those leaders lived in times where food was a scarcity for most.
Interestingly, verse 25 tells us the “generous soul will be made rich.” Yet 'rich' in the King James Version is translated “fat” (The liberal soul will be made fat). In countries where people have little to eat, this metaphor ‘to be fattened’ connotes wealth, abundance and full satisfaction. How can being generous, that is, giving away your stuff, make you “fat” or prosper you?
I think of 1 Timothy 6:18-19: “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
The 2nd part of verse 25 says, “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” When we give, God knows how to give unto us! He not only promises us everlasting life, but He will water our souls and refresh us from the well that never runs dry. (John 4) So live generously and get fat! So be a blessing to others, there are great rewards waiting!
Blessings,
Pastor Adrian
Interestingly, verse 25 tells us the “generous soul will be made rich.” Yet 'rich' in the King James Version is translated “fat” (The liberal soul will be made fat). In countries where people have little to eat, this metaphor ‘to be fattened’ connotes wealth, abundance and full satisfaction. How can being generous, that is, giving away your stuff, make you “fat” or prosper you?
I think of 1 Timothy 6:18-19: “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
The 2nd part of verse 25 says, “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” When we give, God knows how to give unto us! He not only promises us everlasting life, but He will water our souls and refresh us from the well that never runs dry. (John 4) So live generously and get fat! So be a blessing to others, there are great rewards waiting!
Blessings,
Pastor Adrian
Posted in Proverbs Challenge
6 Comments
Ah, yet another lesson in how riches are not monetary. This is such a beautiful example of where our sights should be set. Thank you, Pastor Adrian.
Peoverbs 11:25 is one of my favorite verses as well, Pastor Adrian-I like your breakdown of it!
Another great proverb in this chapter is v. 30 - "The fruit of the righteous is like a tree producing life, and the one who wins souls is wise." Proverbs‬ â€11‬:â€30‬ â€NET‬‬
The lives of the righteous - those who follow Christ are meant to be fruitful and fruitfulness is wining souls-that is "helping people to find and follow Jesus" (Journey's mission statement). We are not just meant to exist, but to bear fruit, and fruit reproduces itself.
Verse 12 stuck out to me, "whoever belittled his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent"
In my earlier days (maybe occasionally now 🤪), I was very sarcastic, little filter, and outspoken.
After offending my husband a couple times with my behavior, I had to take a step back and see what the end goal was in this. Was I the only one laughing? Or worst, was I causing others to laugh at him? I am very careful with my words now and want to honor him in all I do. And sometimes it just means keeping my mouth quiet.
This also means being cautious when speaking about other people to other people. Am I gossiping?Am I venting?
Venting is healthy to a trusted friend if that friend can point you in a righteous decision and encourage a reconciliation.
Gossiping can lead to bitterness, anger, and fuel to the fire. It can lead others to dislike the person or encouragement to seek vengeance.
Verse 13 "whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered"
When a person confides in me, I always ask if I can share with others especially if I can share a prayer request. But if not, I always keep it general to not reveal someone's secret and betray trust. Trust is very special and precious to me. It can take a long time, if ever, to rebuild trust once it's betrayed.
Liz, this is a great reminder of how our words truly have the power of life and death. (Prov 18:21) Sadly, those closest to us are the ones we hurt the most when we don't use wisdom to filter our speech. Silence is powerful. "Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue." (Prov 17:28).
Vs 5 stuck out today as I was reading The Message paraphrase: moral character makes for smooth traveling; an evil life is a hard life.
My son's team lost today in their end of season basketball tournament. As you can imagine the entire team, including my son, were bummed. On the drive home I spoke a lot about what character means in victory and defeat. As we navigate life, things will not always go our way and it's in those moments that character steps in and helps for smooth travel.
This chapter hit hard. I've been doing many studies on childhood traumas recently. It's amazing how many wounds are never healed from our childhood. Our little brains can't make sense of it and then store them for years to come. I have many friends and family who have been successful in rising above the wrongs that have been done to them. I am in awe of their perseverance over this adversity. With this, verse 9 really stuck out to me: with their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.
Then as I read the study section of my Bible. They spoke about how our words have so much weight. We can either treat a person like a demolition site or a construction site. We all have a choice. Once words are said, they can't be unsaid.