THOUGHT OF THE DAY - The Proverbs Project - Chapter 11

The Proverbs Project
Chapter 11

1 The Lord detests dishonest scales,
but accurate weights find favor with him.
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,
but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.
7 Hopes placed in mortals die with them;
all the promise of their power comes to nothing.
8 The righteous person is rescued from trouble,
and it falls on the wicked instead.
9 With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,
but through knowledge the righteous escape.
10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;
when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.
12 Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,
but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.
13 A gossip betrays a confidence,
but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
14 For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but victory is won through many advisers.
15 Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer,
but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.
16 A kindhearted woman gains honor,
but ruthless men gain only wealth.
17 Those who are kind benefit themselves,
but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.
18 A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. 19 Truly the righteous attain life,
but whoever pursues evil finds death.
20 The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse,
but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.
21 Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,
but those who are righteous will go free.
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.
24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
25 A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
26 People curse the one who hoards grain,
but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell. 27 Whoever seeks good finds favor,
but evil comes to one who searches for it.
28 Those who trust in their riches will fall,
but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
29 Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and the one who is wise saves lives.
31 If the righteous receive their due on earth,
how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

The Proverbs Project - Chapter 11

3/11/2022

The Proverbs of Solomon.

Solomon uses Chapter 11 as a continuation of Chapter 10. Those who are Wise and Listen to the word of God will receive blessings, those who are foolish or lazy are consumed and destroyed by their own iniquity.

As Solomon continues to articulate the contrast in the behavior and character of those who are Wise and those who are Foolish, I become concerned with confirmation bias. The Un-wise will continually look for justification of their Foolish actions and decisions. Those searching a text for rationalization or justification use a myopic lens to find evidence of confirmation.

Confirmation Bias leads the Unwise to search this (and other) text not to extract meaning, rather to select excerpts to substantiate their faulty understanding. Yesterday, we discussed the yammering monkeys and the chattering fools. These individuals are too preoccupied with "self" to learn from others. Their own understanding and growth is limited by pre-conceived and faulty notions. This is also true for someone who is only looking for reassurance in poor logic and decisions.
Mark Twain best sums up the dangers of confirmation bias:
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so"

As we study the text with an open heart and an open mind we welcome Wisdom into our lives. When we limit our understanding and put barriers on our learning, we are doomed to failure and ruin.

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