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Proverbs 22:71NIV New International Version Translations
The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

Background

It is quite unusual for proverbs to make it into the mainstream selection process for congregational messages.  This specific Snapshot is created to support a celebration. The message preached here is for a US Holiday, the 4th of July. In 2018, the United States will be 242 years old.  It is our country’s birthday.  As with all births, there is a “birth certificate.” For America, it is “The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of American.” Proverbs were chosen because it comes from Solomon, not only the wealthiest man who ever lived but as Scripture tells us, the wisest.  Just one quick look at the world today and it is easy to see, we could all use some wisdom.

To the Jewish nation, wisdom was meant to reveal the will of God (the Law) and to observe the order which God placed into the universe. Evidence, visible evidence of God’s power and love. To understand a proverb, we must first understand that these are not commands from God. Proverbs are “wisdom” from God, directed to us through Solomon.

King Solomon ruled the nation of Israel for 40 years. He brought peace and wealth to the nation. Solomon’s workmen built palaces, and the great temple. The people of Israel learned arts, sciences and music. When he was young, Solomon obeyed God. He asked God for wisdom, and God gave it to him (1 Kings 3:9, 12). Other rulers, including the queen of Sheba, visited Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-13). She asked him many questions. His answers showed great knowledge of many subjects. He taught about plants, animals and fish. Solomon wrote and collected 3000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:29-34). The Book of Proverbs contains many of these proverbs. Solomon also wrote Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon in the Bible.

Proverbs:

  • Enable us to learn and apply the fear of the Lord to our lives
  • Provide skill for successful living
  • Grant us wisdom and instruction
  • Provide us teaching in wise dealing, righteousness, justice and fairness
  • and warn us to be cautious and, for our youth, an opportunity to gain knowledge and discernment

For Proverbs 22, if there was a nice short title, it might be “The Cure for Humanities Aliments Comes Through Discipline” and for Proverbs 13 it might be “To Walk With The Wise.”

Proverbs 22:7 means the following2https://www.easyenglish.bible/bible-commentary/proverbs-lbw.htm:

Solomon collected 3000 wise lessons and the section of Proverbs 10-22 contains over 400 proverbs. Here, Solomon is almost at the end of his list. As he finishes his work, he repeats the main principles.

  • Wealthy people are powerful, because of their money. They should use their power wisely. They should be generous. They should not cause poor people to suffer. A wealthy man should care about his servants.
  • It is not good to owe a debt (Proverbs 6:1). We should work hard and save money. We should spend our money wisely. We should not waste it on luxuries. Then we may perhaps avoid the need for a loan.

Proverbs 13:22 means the following3https://www.easyenglish.bible/bible-commentary/proverbs-lbw.htm:

  • A good man’s success helps other people. He will be able to help his children. He will even be able to help his grandchildren.
  • An evil man tries to copy this. He stores his money. He thinks that he is very wealthy. But he cannot benefit from his great wealth. When he dies, he will lose it all. In the end, everything belongs to God.

History shows us that the principle cause of the American Revolution was the burden of debt placed upon the colonies due to the French and Indian War. For Britain, this debt was 140 million Pounds Sterling, or about 6 billion U.S. dollars today4https://www.officialdata.org/. From the end of the French and Indian War in 1764 to the signing of the Declaration on July 4, 1776, many taxes were levied by King George III along with punitive rules and regulations. The colonies became enslaved to this debt. While the sermon will visit much historical detail, this study reviews issues concerning the borrowing and repayment of funds. A study of the American Revolution will always point to an important word, “unanimous.” It was the unity of our thirteen colonies that made the difference.

Items for Discussion

  • What are your valid reasons for borrowing money personally?
  • The Bible does not prohibit debt but warns against debt – what is the difference?
  • How does debt “enslave” someone?
  • Is there ever any moral rational that would overshadow the obligations of a debt?
  • Can you explain the obligations of a borrower and a lender and how they are different?

Discussion Challenge

  • In society today, how does the Christian Church help a society in debt?