God’s Word for You
Proverbs 29:13-16 Poverty and ruin
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Wednesday, December 30, 2020
13 The poor man and the one who oppresses meet each other here:
They both have sight in their eyes from the LORD.
No matter who we are, no matter whether I am a poor man or the sort of man who oppresses the poor and grinds them into dust, we are subject to the same God, the same Creator. We will all stand before the same Judge on Judgment Day. How I showed my faith or my lack of faith will be what he looks for. How will I fare before my Judge on that day?
14 A king who judges the poor with fairness
always has a secure throne.
The way a king deals with enemies is what makes him famous. How he deals with the wealthy and powerful can make him many friends. How he deals with the poor and those who have no influence over him at all is what truly secures his throne and his place in the hearts of the people.
This is what we should think of when we think about the way God deals with every single one of us. We were his enemies, and by defeating sin rather than crushing us into pulverized dust, he won our hearts forever. We were not wealthy or influential at all. (How can a mortal impress the Almighty with a trinket, a bauble, or with any amount of money?) We were poor, needy, and helpless, and he invited us into his kingdom, washed us, dressed us, gave us everything we needed or could want, and he won our hearts for all eternity. Anyone who has been loved when they thought that they were unlovable understands this facet of God’s love. When I am loved when I should have been discarded or forgotten about is overwhelming. It is undeserved love, and that is the love God has for us all.
15 The rod of correction brings wisdom,
but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
The point here is that correction will benefit and guide a child, just as correction will benefit anyone with wisdom. A fool, of course, doesn’t gain much from correction. But when a child is never corrected, never disciplined, his sinful nature will run rampant, and this is the way he will bring shame to his mother. This is another way of putting Proverbs 13:24, “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.” In the verse before us, the emphasis is on what the child does to his parents. Of course, sometimes children don’t benefit from discipline. Sometimes those of us who are a youngest child have been given a little more leeway by our parents, and sometimes we regret things that we were permitted to do. But there is forgiveness for us all. God does not punish us for our sins in this lifetime. He punished Jesus for our sins, all of our sins, on the cross (Hebrews 10:10,12). When we need discipline, he might chasten us. This means that he may allow trouble to come to us in order to re-focus our attention on him and on the need for his forgiveness. But many Christians need to be reminded: God does not punish us for past or present sins in this lifetime. Our punishment was laid on Jesus: “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Grace and peace come to all of us with faith “from him who is, and who was, and who is to come” (Revelation 1:4). This is peace that will last for all eternity.
16 When the wicked increase, sin will increase,
but the righteous will see their ruin.
Here is a proverb that is no trivial saying. It comes close to many of the apocalyptic things normally reserved for the prophets and Revelation. But it is stated simply as a fact for our comfort. No matter how bad things get for Christians, Jesus will put an end to it. Whether things are bad for the whole church, or for you personally, you have a Savior who loves you, who knows what you are going through, and who has promised to bring you home to him in heaven. This is the true and simple meaning of obscure passages like Daniel 12:11-12. There the angel tells Daniel that there will be a difficult time of “1,290 days,” but that Christians will be blessed who reach the end of “1,335 days.” It means that the worst times for God’s people will indeed take place, but it will last only a short while. It will be a short time, and then maybe just a little longer, but be patient: God will come. The church of God will be persecuted, but it will never be fully destroyed. This is the spiritual meaning of Solomon’s words here: The wicked will increase, and so will sin, but the righteous (the Church) will see the ruin of the wicked in the end. Trust in Jesus. He promised: “Do not fear, little flock, for your Father is delighted to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.