Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 471 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Sayings of the Wise - Proverbs 22:17-29

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 471 of our trek, and today is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the 2nd half of chapter 22.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. We continue to make good progress with both the outdoor fall cleanup and the indoor unpacking. It is good to have the time to accomplish all that needs to be done without being too rushed. Our client work requirements remain strong as we focus on the financial and technology work that keeps the back ends of their businesses running smoothly.

It is wise for every individual and business to make sure they have a solid financial foundation. As we break camp for our trek today, let us explore the nuggets of wisdom found in the second half of Proverbs 22. This section of Proverbs is referred to as…

Sayings of the Wise

Let’s start our trek with verses 17-21.

17 Listen to the words of the wise;

apply your heart to my instruction.

18 For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart

and always ready on your lips.

19 I am teaching you today—yes, you—

so you will trust in the Lord.

20 I have written thirty sayings for you,

filled with advice and knowledge.

21 In this way, you may know the truth

and take an accurate report to those who sent you.

A third major section of the Book of Proverbs begins with Proverbs 22:17. This is clear from several indicators. The proverbs lengthen out again from the typical one-verse couplet that characterizes Proverbs 10:1 to Proverbs 22:16. The emphasis changes somewhat in Proverbs 22:17 to Proverbs 24:34, which includes the fourth collection of proverbs and focuses on the importance of applying the instructions previously given.

 

22 Don’t rob the poor just because you can,

or exploit the needy in court.

23 For the Lord is their defender.

He will ruin anyone who ruins them.

These verses contain a strong warning about taking advantage of other people, just because you may have the power or resources to do so. This applies both to business as well as within our legal systems. God will ultimately be their defender, and anyone who takes advantage of others will eventually get their just punishment for doing so.

 

24 Don’t befriend angry people

or associate with hot-tempered people,

25 or you will learn to be like them

and endanger your soul.

The old axiom “Birds of a feather flock together” is certainly true. We become like those that we invest time with. My mom used to say “If you lie down with dogs, don’t be surprised when you get up with fleas.” We need to be very careful whom we invest time with because the return on our investment will reflect those choices.

 

26 Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt

or put up security for someone else.

27 If you can’t pay it,

even your bed will be snatched from under you.

Once again Solomon warns us about the danger of borrowing money, especially co-signing for another person’s debt. This is very unwise from every aspect. If the person you co-sign a loan for cannot pay, you will have to pay it. Or your credit will be ruined, and you will lose your personal property that is not even associated with what you co-signed for, so it will be a double loss.