The Rewards of Wisdom
3 My son, do not forget my [a]teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
2 For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good [b]repute
In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your [c]body
And refreshment to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, do not reject the [d]discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His reproof,
12 For whom the Lord loves He reproves,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
Multiple times in this passage, Solomon encourages us not to reject the instruction of the Lord (v. 11). Even further, we ought not to depend on our own understanding (v. 5), but trust what God tells us to do (v. 7). Sometimes that makes a lot of sense when we actually stop to think about what we’re doing. Other times, it defies human logic, and yet it still works.
In this passage, there are a couple examples of this. First, we see instruction to bind truth and kindness “around our neck”. That seems logical, no one enjoys being around a liar or a jerk. That said, there are plenty in our world that would tell you “nice guys never win”. And so, if we are tempted to believe that sentiment, we need to go back to what God says, “you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.”
In v. 9, Solomon tells us another thing we ought to do , or rather repeats something God had already told his children. “Honor the Lord from your wealth…” Well, it’s mine, I think, but sure, why not? First, it isn’t yours, or mine, we are just stewards of God’s riches. After all, our Father “owns the cattle on a thousand hills”. But I think we can come around to the idea of giving something back to God if it all comes from Him anyway.
However, Solomon doesn’t stop there, he continues, “…from the first of all your produce.” First? That doesn’t make sense! Shouldn’t we pay all our bills and then give from what is leftover? But what did we learn earlier? Don’t put your own understanding before God. He truly knows what is best for us. And the shocking thing is, many have found this to be true. When we give first, everything else works out, despite what we think, God knows it will work.
And that kind of sums up this passage, so I’ll say it again, “despite what we think, God knows it will work.” So remember Solomon’s words, and when God tells you to do something, and you don’t think it makes sense, do it anyway. Then, prepare to be amazed when God’s plan is the best plan, and it works out better than we could have hoped.