Proverbs 28, verses 8 to 10, unjust gain

 

Proverbs 28:8 ¶ He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

This is a heavy Proverb and one of those verses that crosses Christians up when they try to use it. This was written under the Law given to Moses for the Hebrews. Under that Law it was wrong to charge interest to impoverished fellow Hebrews or foreigners on a loan.

Leviticus 25:35 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. 36 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

Here we see that usury is increase or profit charged on a loan, which is what we know as interest.

A stranger is a foreigner.

Exodus 22:21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

A stranger and a sojourner are synonymous as a person who sojourns in a place is foreign to it and just passing through, abiding only temporarily.

Genesis 23:4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

An example of a sojourner today might be a migrant worker, a foreigner or stranger from another country, or you, a sojourner on this earth, just passing through, whose home is a far country.

The Holy Spirit, in this Proverb, is saying how a person who gains wealth dishonestly and oppressively might one day see it taken from him by someone who will show mercy on the poor. It would be ironic justice if the money he took from people were used to help that same group of people impoverished by him. Perhaps one might argue that the tax man takes from the person who makes gains dishonestly and gives it back to the poor in terms of welfare.

 

However, this is unlikely to happen today as the ill-gotten gains of a criminal would just go into the coffers of the state who would spend it quicker than you could say “Jack Spratt could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean,” on all types of bogus projects that don’t really benefit anyone but the party in power. I doubt any money Bernie Madoff paid in fines will go to show pity on the poor. It’s even doubtful the investors he scammed saw much money.

However, there is a principle here. If a Christian is one of those who would make a dishonest profit and charge exorbitant interest God might well take his money and give it to someone who would show mercy on the poor. Do not make your money dishonestly or unfairly.

 

Proverbs 28:9 ¶ He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

Proverbs 21:4 told us that even the plowing of the wicked is sin. Here, under the Law given to Moses for the Hebrews, even the prayer of someone who turns his ear away from the law, is an abomination.

Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Because of Christ and the Holy Spirit, God will never turn away from hearing us. This is a great tragedy, though, to think of a blood bought born again Christian who does not care to hear God’s words and by the use of to hear in the Bible, obey God’s words written for Christians. What a shameful thing. There are many people who believed on Christ, who still claim to be His, and yet, neither care to unite with the body of Christ in fellowship and worship, nor care to hear God’s words of grace from the New Testament about God the Son dying for our sins, and rising from the dead for our hope of eternal life, about loving each other, not getting revenge, not envying or coveting, living in peace with all men, and how God would that all would be saved if they would only hear; such sweet, gracious words of peace with God and man.

We have been shown such mercy as God has washed us from our sins in His own blood. How can we neglect the hearing of His word either plain from the Scriptures, or preached? They will not hear God speak to them but they will pray when they are in trouble. Their prayer, indeed is an abomination.

Ask yourself if your child was at death’s door or perhaps your spouse, if you would not plead with God for mercy, and yet, you, right now will not darken the door of a church building nor read or hear His word preached. Ask yourself if you expect someone to talk at your own funeral about how you have “gone to a better place” or are “at rest in the Lord.” How sickening it is that you don’t care anymore for the One from whom you will beg for mercy than to ignore what He has said in His Bible. You’d rather be anywhere on Sunday morning than at worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ; sporting events, work, or some entertainment, perhaps a dinner. I understand that there are reasons why people who are sick or those caring for the sick might not be able to unite in worship with others likeminded but at least they could take the time to read His word each day and fellowship with Him. But when the time comes they who refused to hear or obey or even read will cry for His mercy. How dare you.

 

I’m not spiritual enough to judge whether or not you are saved and I’m certainly far less of a decent human being than most of you are but, at least I know my Maker and I thank Him, praise Him, and worship Him every day and not a day goes by that I don’t read or hear His word. You so-called Christians who treat the One who made you with such contempt when you aren’t in pain, grief, or afraid are abominations. You should be ashamed.

 

Proverbs 28:10 ¶ Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.

The Christian is only righteous by virtue of having the Holy Spirit living inside of him, something which happened at the new birth when he or she first trusted in Christ. A Christian knows he has no righteousness of his own no matter how spiritual and holy he THINKS he is. You may be genteel, have been taken all sorts of business-oriented sensitivity training, watch your speech very carefully, and just be an all-around polite person but you are only righteous because Christ is righteous and you have Christ’s Spirit inside of you.

This Proverb can very easily be applied to Christians. The person who would seduce and deceive a Christian into committing sin, that person who delights in wrong doing and in convincing people who should know better to follow them will fall into the pit he digged himself.

The upright, a synonym for the righteous, who is only upright because Christ holds him upright, has eternal life, a relationship with his God, and God’s very words to read and to hear, to comfort and to exhort him each and every day. He possesses all things in eternity in Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:21 ¶ Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Do not be deceived, Christian. Anyone who tries to seduce you into sin is not your friend. Who tries to make you go astray either with unbelief or doubting or wickedness is a fool and to be avoided. And you, who think it amusing to get a believer to do wrong or to doubt his faith or his salvation. Beware.