Economic Sureties (6:1-3)

"My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into they hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend." Proverbs 6:1-3

Long before Wall Street ever called for a controversial bailout from lawmakers in Washington, the notes of economic responsibility had been written by and for the monarchy of Israel. Divinely inspired, these notes warned against empty promises and blank checks for friends and neighbors. If such a pattern were to begin, the government would soon find itself indebted to strangers and kneeling at the feet of a liberal disaster. By liberal, this does not mean a political persuasion, but rather, a condition of excessive spending on behalf of others with no thought of conservative restraint.

When Solomon wrote of a "surety for thy friend," he was speaking as a king. And as a king, to give surety was to give an open promise of financial security to any who were lacking. The absence of any such generosity would, of course, signify a cruel government, but an excess of welfare spending would prove counter-productive. Alas, if the king were to take responsibility for the debt of his neighbor, whether domestic or foreign, he might quickly find himself drawn to make financial arrangements with a stranger in order to secure his own interest.

But as in all of Proverbs, the stranger comes with flattering words (2:16) and sweet lips (5:3) to cause destruction. In the last chapter, the stranger represented a sexual predator whose steps went down to death (5:5) and whose path was not reliable (5:6). Solomon maintains the image of a stranger as he talks about any king who might, in the future, "stricken [his] hand" financially with such a person. When Scripture uses the phrase "stricken thy hand," the concept is one of making a written or verbal contract (Job 17:3). If a king makes a contract with a stranger, he is obligated to fulfill his own end of the agreement. This foreign debt, whether financial or promissory, can often strangle the king and rupture his independent will.

Whether "snared" or "taken" by the words that constituted the arrangement, a monarch has only two options. He can either wander in the steps of financial disaster or deliver himself by returning to the origin of economic surety. When the king finds himself unable to fulfill the promises that he made to friends and neighbors, his only honest resolution will come in the form of a domestically humble confession. Indeed, when he "comes into the hand" of a friend or neighbor who has counted on the words of his security, the king is at the mercy of his friends first and his enemies last.

This double edged sword of human government has long proved that every empire and every kingdom will fall by the very things that once made them great. Economic sureties always lead to disappointed citizens. Yet, where nothing is promised, nothing is gained. And where excessive promises are made, true freedom falls prey to the strangers and foreigners who wish to usher in their own empires and kingdoms. Men, being neither gods nor angels, will continue this cycle of human insufficiency until the Lord establishes His own kingdom wherein Christ is the only surety (Hebrews 7:22). By the grace of God, we need not wait for that coming kingdom. Ours is a surety in heaven.

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Awake Out of Sleep (6:4)

"Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids." Proverbs 6:4

Among the lesser know, but previously hailed poets of American history was George Sterling, a real estate broker from San Francisco, California. One can only imagine what he was thinking when he wrote these oft forgotten words: "Let us be just with life. Although it bear a thousand thorns for every perfect rose, and though the happy day have mournful close, slumber awaits to house the mind from care." Impatient to find that slumber on November 17, 1926, Sterling took his own life with a vial of cyanide. Just two years later, Winston Churchill was visiting New York City when the stock market crashed and he recalled looking out his hotel window to see a man throwing himself from the floor above. Whether it was a lonely poet or a wealthy trader from Wall Street, suicide had become a disturbing option for those who saw no point in working through the thorns of human difficulty if there was no immediate solution. This life-ending tragedy that still presides over many families and communities today has proven that men are weakest when they have no hope.

In the previous three verses of Proverbs 6, King Solomon warned his son against making too many agreements with friends and strangers that were beyond his means. But if, indeed, a king were to become economically entangled and face the possible crash of his kingdom, all hope was not lost. In order to resolve the original surety owed, much work would have to be done. Any lasting sleep or slumber that might have been possible in a thriving kingdom would now be out of the question.

Biblical messages about sleep and slumber are usually indicative of human frailty and weakness. Hence, to push through many a sleepless night in order to make things right is to place conscious responsibility over subconscious resignation. Today, though we may not be laboring in the halls of government to achieve an economic solution for what ails our nation, our call is to labor in Christ for the building and edification of the Body. This worthy labor we've been called to engage is not without its own challenges.

"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." Philippians 1:21-24

All of us long to enter the place of rest where Christ has prepared our inheritance, but conditions on the ground dictate the obvious: we still have work to do. And where there is work to be done, an extended slumber is not ours to enjoy. May we know the time for which the Lord has given us a charge to labor.

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." Romans 13:11-14

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Deliver Thyself (6:5)

"Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler." Proverbs 6:5

Upon reading this passage over several times, a few visual terms pop out of the text, but I found one rather oddly distracting. These days, the word "roe" is rarely used unless we're talking about the sad result of a 1973 abortion case out of Dallas, Texas. In other circles, "roe" is an acronym for the Rules of Engagement. If that wasn't enough, lovers of caviar know their delicacy as a type of salted roe (fish eggs). Of course, as our language evolved by merging with other foreign words, "roe" began to sound and read like "doe." If memory can take you back far enough, you may recall the song "Do Re Mi" in which, as children, we learned to sing, "Doe, a deer, a female deer. Ray, a golden drop of Sun. Me a name I call myself…" Funny how targeted words can spark wandering thoughts of an irrelevant subject or two. Pardon the silliness.

In reality, our translation of Proverbs 6:5 teaches caution about the way in which similar words can be used for completely different meanings. In Proverbs 5:19, the wife of the king was likened to a "pleasant roe" for which he should be satisfied. The issue in the text was one of marital intimacy as a defense against marital infidelity. However, in the next chapter, the king is himself likened to a "hunted roe" for which speed is of the utmost importance. Based on the preceding verses, it's easy to picture a king whose debt and unfulfilled promises have put him on the wrong side of a collector. As many of us know, collectors will hunt down a debtor and squeeze out every penny.

As we learned in the beginning of Proverbs, kings are vulnerable to the traps and snares of hunters and fowlers. This is not the first time the Hebrew king has been likened to a hunted bird (Proverbs 1:17). Only in this case, we know one of the reasons that he and his kingdom could fall under attack. Too many political and financial alliances with friends and strangers can make a man believe, initially, that he is doing good, but in the end, he will prove himself a debtor on the run. And as he flees, the hunter only proves himself "greedy of gain" for something that is not really his (Proverbs 1:19).

Poetically, the roe is no different than the bird; just as the hunter is no different than the fowler. Whether it be a roe or a bird, both animals have been known to move with grace; one on the ground, the other in the air. This in mind, hunters and fowlers know to lay traps and snares that are less than obvious. Graceful as these animals may be in their movement, they are not always the smartest of God's creatures. And upon being snared, there is only one alternative for the roe and the bird when they go from the trap to the hand of their hunter: furious movement. Animals known for their beauty can be less than glorious when they get caught. For in their capture, all that matters is survival. So it is with a king who has fallen prey to his own failures.

Perhaps the most painful truth of this historic passage is that the weight of failure always fell on the king and it was his own responsibility to "deliver" himself from the impending disaster of his kingdom. Today, we've become familiar with another delivery method in the face of impending consequences. Christ Jesus was delivered for our offenses (Romans 4:25) and He has delivered us from the power of darkness (Colossians 1:13). Through humble admission like the first king of Israel, our delivery is not of our own doing; for we have an eternal Deliverer (Psalm 70:5).

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Ways of the Ant (6:6-8)

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8

Arguing in favor of the War on Poverty, former Vice President Hubert Humphrey once wrote that there were two opposing Biblical views on American welfare. The first, he said, was Proverbs 6:6-8 and the second was Leviticus 25:35. Humphrey believed that many Americans could be likened to the ant because they looked out for the long term needs of their own house and home without thought for the needs of anyone else. Pushing, of course, for Lyndon Johnson's war against poverty, he argued that the country needed to move in the direction of the latter Scripture. Humphrey suggested that it was time, as a nation, to give relief to the weaker brothers in our midst.

These welfare debates still engulf the American people, but it's always peculiar when we imagine political figures using Scripture to define the views of a domestic population. Indeed, one thing Humphrey may not have realized was that his contrast of Proverbs and Leviticus was very fitting because they both reflected a national issue about how the people of God should take care of themselves and their local communities. Dispensationally, these were passages spoken to the Nation of Israel; a people who had every reason to succeed if they could uphold their place as a godly and yes, fiscally conservative nation.

An overextended budget, whether in lavish spending or compassionate giving, would not allow them to last long as a dominate kingdom. Within the context of Solomon's lesson, Proverbs 6:6-8 was not being taught at the exclusion of caring for others. But when too much has been promised, one should consider the "ways" of the ant who, "having no guide, overseer, or ruler," takes care of her long term needs as a kind of self-preservation. Having over-extended the budget, a leader would be wise to resolve debts and save for the future before thinking of more ways to spend invisible money.

Comedian Brian Regan joked during the 1990s that when human beings kick over an ant pile, the ants never seem to pause in disgust over their loss. None of the ants sit off to the side in search of their union rights. They just get right back to work. "The ants are a people not strong" (Proverbs 30:25), but they work tirelessly before the weather forces them into hiding. In other words, their strength is in their resilience. And by the time winter arrives, they have all they need to survive because they've made endless provisions for themselves.

In the case of an overextended budget, as King Solomon warned, the most favorable action was to look inward, resolve friendly debts, and begin storing up on the domestic front. The king who got entangled in the world's affairs would eventually pay a severe consequence if not for these secondary commandments. Had the son obeyed the first fatherly commandment and avoided making "one purse" with strangers (Proverbs 1:10-15), he wouldn't be in need of any secondary orders. But these are the words of a father who knows a son will still get himself in trouble no matter how many times he may be warned of the dangers ahead.

To the "consider the ways" of an ant is to consider the wisdom of making provisions for the future. There are times to save cautiously and there are times to give liberally (I Timothy 6:17-19; II Corinthians 9:13). In the case of a national crisis, the latter would be an unwise move. Better to save for the future.

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The Sluggard (6:9)

"How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?" Proverbs 6:9

English hymn writers are often, if not always, associated with another time and another place far removed from this present age. Among them was a man by the name of Isaac Watts, whose written works included Joy to the World and When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Watts composed a memorable series of "divine songs for children" with lyrics that spoke against idleness and slothful living. "Tis the voice of the sluggard… 'You have wak'd me too soon, I must slumber again…A little more sleep, and a little more slumber.' Thus he wastes half his days, and his hours without number, and when he gets up, he sits folding his hands, or walks about sauntering, or trifling he stands."

Naturally, there are days when we all engage in a modern form of "blah" because we've worked a long week, a long year, or even a long life. My own bouts with the flu can sometimes leave me strapped to a couch for several days, but occasional rest for the sick and weary is not the issue here. On the contrary, the Biblical sluggard is one who knows what needs to be done, yet chooses to lounge around in the midst of his responsibilities. His addiction to slumber is the primary character flaw for which the sluggard can always be identified.

When we speak of Scripture using the term "sluggard," we must confine that notion to Proverbs alone; for it is only Solomon who introduces us to this character. More frequently used by Solomon is the term "slothful man." If you're fascinated by numerical significance in God's Word (much as E.W. Bullinger might have surmised), the sluggard, or slothful man, is mentioned 14 times by Solomon (6:9; 6:9; 10:26; 13:4; 15:19; 19:24; 20:4; 21:25; 22:13; 24:30; 26:13,14,15,16).

Every mention, with the exception of the last (26:16) is an exasperated depiction of a man weakened by conflict who is unable to get past the thorns that may be in his path. Perhaps the most vivid image is found in chapter twenty. "The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing" (20:4). Watts went so far as to suggest that this is a man who could be doing much more, but he "wastes half his days" in slumber because the road seems too long and the thorns too sharp. Anything and everything is a cause for the sluggard to say he won't get out of bed; to say he'd rather not "arise out of" his sleep.

Some years ago, I awoke from gastrointestinal surgery to find that the doctors had rerouted my insides and left me wearing a colostomy bag at the age of nineteen. As one might imagine, my heart sank and my mind shut off. During the darkest period of unintended consequence, I saw life as something that could make do without my participation. Several days in, I penned these loathing words about myself: complaining much, denying all, eating little, thinking nothing, wanting less. Had it not been for the sure Word of God sitting near my bed over those next few months, I might have remained in a state of slothful depression. Most would have understood my trouble, but no one would have condoned sleeping through an absent life. Depression and sloth can be an addictive state of existence for many. Lest men of any age fall into the trap of living like a sluggard, let us remember there is still work to do (Ephesians 2:10).

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Poverty of the Sluggard (6:10-11)

"Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth, and thy want as an armed man." Proverbs 6:10-11

Centuries ago, one of the earliest Greek and Roman historians had written a series of biographies on scattered heroes from the classical world. One such hero, Sertorius, was a Roman general whose army was disciplined, but far too eager for violence. Barbarous as they were, Sertorius taught his men the dangers of being broken up by individual conflicts that might hinder the fuller army from accomplishing the greater good. "Perseverance is more prevailing than violence," he said. "And many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little."

Life can often be the same way. Men are quick to announce that they will never be broken or defeated by an enemy, but "little by little," still they are torn down by giving way to the subtle areas of personal weakness. The sluggard, as Solomon wrote, has an affinity for laziness and sloth. "A little sleep" becomes "a little slumber" and eventually turns into "a little folding of the hands to sleep." A little bit here. A little bit there. And eventually, a life meant for living is lost as a life given to sleeping.

But the reverse is just as true. The principles of righteousness and sound doctrine, regardless of the age or dispensation, must always become the foundation of a godly man. Only, such principles are not learned overnight. Instead, righteous knowledge is learned "precept upon precept… line upon line… here a little, there a little" (Isaiah 28:9-10). Where the godly man searches the Scriptures little by little, the slothful man searches for a little sleep here and a little sleep there. The former gains much; the latter loses all.

Still, the moral lessons of a sluggard cannot truly be compared with the more literal object lesson that Solomon has prepared for his son. A kingdom run by a slothful and lazy king will never thrive and will instead face poverty "as one that traveleth." This point is easily overlooked if not considered seriously. Hebrews without a home or a kingdom would become "travelers" in the world just as they were before God gave them the promised land. The greatest poverty a kingdom can attain is to no longer exist as a home for the people who call themselves citizens. The scattered members of a broken kingdom will often turn to desperate violence as their only means of survival ("thy want as an armed man"). Alas, Solomon finds himself in the midst of the prophetic observation that first led him to utter Proverbs 6:10-11.

"I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth; and thy want as an armed man." Proverbs 24:30-34

No doubt you've explored and examined many of the prophetic Hebrew books and found yourself compelled by how much is lost and destroyed as a consequence of Israel's sin and laziness. Solomon's proverbial writing could, in this case, account for a sort of pre-prophetic warning to the future kings of Israel. And practically speaking, any nation guided by lazy people will be vulnerable to sudden poverty. Little by little.

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Seven Traits of the Wicked (6:12-14)

"A naughty person, a wicked man, (1) walketh with a froward mouth. (2) He winketh with his eyes, (3) he speaketh with his feet, (4) he teacheth with his fingers; (5) frowardness is in his heart, (6) he deviseth mischief continually; (7) he soweth discord." Proverbs 6:12-14

Most of us can still remember tales of the man in a big red suit who made a list, checked it twice, and found out if you were naughty or nice. Santa Claus had great success in the minds of young children because he embodied the notion of an arbitrary wickedness. Certainly no child would come to the end of their year and confess to being naughty. Instead, they would testify of all their good deeds and expect that in return, Santa would shower them with his benevolence.

No one ever wants to be branded the "naughty" one in the bunch, so most will fight tooth and nail against any such implication. However, perhaps my words came out too quickly. In recent years, naughtiness has become a staple in pop culture sexuality. Magazine covers, television programs (not to mention commercials), and internet websites have encouraged thoughts of a much naughtier and pleasurable existence than purity could have ever provided. This mixed up reality says that most children will do what they can to avoid being seen as bad (for fear of consequence) while grown adults take great pleasure in feeding their desire for naughtiness (without fear of consequence).

For all the years that "naughty" has seemed an arbitrary term for randomly bad behavior, Scripture doesn't beat around the bush. Today, the term we use for "naughty" has connotation of mischief and deception, but at its core, the issue has more to do with a worthless existence. This, of course, is in keeping with Solomon's message about he who lives in poverty as a traveler and arms himself out of desperation (6:11). The word "naught" is where we get the idea of nothingness. When used in reference to a person, naughtiness reflects an empty suit. This is the man whose mischief and deception is based primarily on the fact that he has nothing of substance to his name.

There ought to be little surprise that seven traits accompany such a figure, but there's a difference between the seven traits of wickedness (6:12-14) and the seven abominations that the Lord hates (6:16-19). The traits of wickedness are characteristics that men should be wary of associating. The abominations are issues that men should be wary of within themselves. In other words, the seven traits are external observations for men to notice about other men. The seven abominations are internal condemnations for men to avoid within themselves.

The next several lessons will equate (1) "a froward mouth" with "a lying tongue," (2) "winking eyes" with "a proud look," (3) "talking feet" with "a false witness who speaketh lies," (4) "teaching fingers" with "hands that shed innocent blood," (5) "a froward heart" with "a heart for wicked imaginations," (6) "deviser of mischief" with "feet that run to mischief," and (7) "a sower of discord" with "a sower of discord." Some of you may account that these comparisons are too far-reaching, but I consider such disagreement that within your right and responsibility as Bereans (Acts 17:11).

Suffice it to say that what we observe about the wicked (through seven traits) will amount to a very different responsibility than what God observes about the wicked (through seven abominations). As we pause to consider these seven traits, let us remember that no one is innocent of accusation without Christ (Romans 5:19).

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...To Be Continued...

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