8 He who increases his wealth by interest and usury
Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.
9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law,
Even his prayer is an abomination.
10 He who leads the upright astray in an evil way
Will himself fall into his own pit,
But the blameless will inherit good.
11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding [d]sees through him.
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
But when the wicked rise, men [e]hide themselves.
13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.
14 How blessed is the man who fears always,
But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.” And I’ve said before, that’s a bunch of bologna. This passage reminds me of that, and I would admit there are exceptions to the bologna standard, much like most rules. Two cases come to mind, and the first is, that you know without doubt that what you are doing is good and right.
Which kind of leads to the second, which is that the person who would grant permission is unreasonable and/or would just say “no” for the joy of exercising their power. We see this somewhat in v. 12, “when the wicked are in charge, men hide themselves.” No doubt, they would hide their deeds as well, especially if they are for good, and to circumvent the wicked who are in power.
We see the opposite of this in v. 8. While wicked people exact interest and usury, it is for greed and selfish desires, but Solomon tells us the righteous may collect interest as well. With a plot twist no one would see coming, the one who collects interest does so for someone who is generous to the poor. Once again, it isn’t the money, or the earning of money, or even the way of earning, that is good or evil.
Even evil deeds do not make one evil (v. 13). When one confesses and turns away from those deeds, Solomon says they will find compassion. Think of your kids (if you have them), how much less is the punishment when they confess it to you, and strive to do better, rather than hiding their mistake until you find out?
One more example is in v. 9, where we see one who forsakes the law. Even their prayer is an abomination, but why? Because their motive is not pure. They are not the exception to the bologna standard. When they ask for forgiveness, after their deeds have been exposed, there is no remorse, they only hope to get a lighter sentence by feigning sadness. As another old question goes, “are you sorry for what you did, or just sorry you got caught?”
Seems trivial, but it’s a massive difference, further illustrated in v. 14, “How blessed is the man who fears always, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” Not that we are to be constantly afraid, but the idea is one who fears God, and whose heart is still soft to the prick of the Spirit. Soften your heart today, stay far from thinking you have it all figured out, and be open to the leading of God.
It may only be a still small voice, but listen, confess, and obey. That voice will get louder the more you listen, and will be a guide to keep you from falling into a pit (or worse), a guide to be gracious to the poor. All that moves God’s heart will begin to move your heart, as you walk daily in His steps.