The next step in our journey with Proverbs 21 . . .

TODAY’S PROVERB: The wicked is a ransom for the righteous and the faithless for the upright. Proverbs 21:18

For the last two months, Daniah and I have been discussing a particular pericope* in Proverbs 21 (Proverbs LIVE Proverbs 21:16-19). We both felt there was more to discover in particular, verse 18.

Last month I “unpacked” in my blog (Wisdom’s Journey: Proverbs 21:16-19), how we look at a verse we feel led to dig into. It was a bit lengthy, but the long and short of it is, context. Anytime there is a passage we don’t quite understand, we have to look at it within the whole of Scripture — not just the pericope or chapter or book, all of the Bible. I was raised Lutheran, and loved Catechism with our pastor when I was in eighth grade. He would tell our class over and over again, “Scripture interprets Scripture.”

If we believe we have an interpretation of a particular passage, but it doesn’t jive with the whole of the Bible, then it’s not the correct understanding.

With today’s proverb, we see it has confirmation in other passages. Daniah mentioned several in our broadcast (Joseph and Simeon and Judah and Tamar). I found others, but in that process, I discovered — as is the case, especially in Proverbs — this verse has several interpretations:

1. The evil plot that is set for the righteous person, the wicked person must endure it instead.
2. When challenges befall the righteous, God may intervene through a faithless person to help the righteous person overcome it.

In case #1, the book of Esther speaks of Haman who built a gallows to execute Mordecai (Esther 5:9-14), but God intervened and Haman was executed on that very gallows (Esther 7:9-10).

In case #2, in the book of Daniel, the kings of Babylon were powerful, but fickle in their understanding of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Jewish people had been captured and made slaves, yet they had influence within the kings’ court. Kings Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus were influenced by Daniel. But it was a long process.

Those within the courts of these kings were not happy with Daniel’s influence and, in the early years, they sought to kill Daniel and his countrymen who served with him. When these challenges arose, God intervened and He had the faithless person execute those who tried to kill Daniel and friends.

So, what is our takeaway? What do we walkaway with?

First, God took all of us on a journey to understand this passage by showing us other passages — other Biblical stories — that confirmed this verse. Did He show you other passages and stories?

Second, this is one of those passages that remind us, God sees all. Sometimes the very plot designed to harm us is foiled by the ones who meant to harm us. I like that idea. I’d like it better that no evil plot was designed for me at all, but if that happens, I have to believe that God has a grander plan that I don’t see. Like when I was held up and when someone decided to help themselves to my checking account.

And that’s where faith comes in. The same faith that Esther had when she stepped before the king to plead for her people and said, “If I die, I die.” (Esther 4:16). The same faith that Daniel had when he refused to stop praying and worshiping the one true God, even though he was being thrown into the lion’s den (Daniel 6).

Or the faith that says, “Your will be done, my Father.”

May we walk in the faith of our Biblical fathers, my friends.

Proverbs 21:18 Tree of Life Bible Society, Tree of Life Version – TLV #tlvbible#tlvproverbs

*from the Greek:  a set of verses that forms one coherent unit or thought. Used by translators of the Holy Scriptures. Generally a heading is placed before it.