Proverbs 22:17

The Bible says in Proverbs 22:17-21, “Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.[18] For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.[19] That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.[20] Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,[21] That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?” As is often the case in the book of Proverbs, these verses are the words of a parent or a teacher imploring a young person to accept their teachings. Of course, it is also the Spirit of God saying the same thing. God gives freedom of choice, and He hopes that the choice will be made to listen to Him and receive His truth. Learning will not take place unless the student wants to learn. People will not learn from God unless they want to learn from Him.

If you do learn from God, one of the most important things that you will learn is to “trust” in the Lord as it says in verse 19. Jesus said in the gospels, “Have faith in God.” It means the same thing. To have faith means to trust in God. Jesus wants us to put our faith and trust in God no matter what happens to us or what circumstance we are in.

One of the results of truly learning from the Lord is that you will accept automatically the true nature of the written Word of God. As it says in the first part of verse 21, “That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth…” God gave the words and used men to write the words down: “all scripture is given by inspiration of God…” And God somehow preserved the words so that every generation including our own generation has the perfect Word of God without error. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” And the Bible also says in Psalms 100:5, “…thy truth endureth to all generations.”

Once you learn the truth from God, then you are supposed to do something with it. That is why it says at the end of verse 21: “that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee.” Once you know truth, you have a responsibility to share it with others. When should you share the truth? According to verse 21, you give “the words of truth” “to them that send unto thee.” As it says to Christians in First Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

Proverbs 22:20 is a statement of acknowledgment of the excellence and greatness of the written Word of God. It says, “Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge.” The human writers of the Bible knew that God was using them to create the writings, and therefore the writings were extremely important. It would not do much good for God to speak His Word, but then not have writings to preserve it for all generations. The knowledge of God is the Bible. The best advice in how to live your life is the Bible, and the New Testament tells Christians how to be followers of Christ.

The Bible says in Proverbs 22:22, “Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:[23] For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.” In many situations in life those who have wealth have more power than those who are poor. That is one reason that almost all leaders of all countries are wealthy people, and those who influence the leaders are the wealthiest people of that country or of other countries. Some people hate the rich because of facts like this, but others understand the situation and are more practical. But also people, including rich people, take advantage of the poor because they know that the poor cannot fight back. The poor often have no power and have no voice. But these verses in Proverbs are stating that the Lord sees and the Lord knows how you treat those who are poor.

The Bible says in Proverbs 22:24-25, “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:[25] Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.” This is another of the many verses in the Bible on the subject of separation. Believers should have a certain type of separation from unbelievers. You have heard the old saying: one rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch. That is definitely true spiritually speaking. There is a difference between being friendly and having a “friendship” with someone. Christians should be the most friendly and loving people on the earth because we know the love of God, but a “friendship” implies a close personal relationship with someone that includes spending a lot of time with them and doing things with them. Human beings are social creatures. We are greatly influenced by those around us. If you want to be a stronger Christian, then spend more time around stronger Christians. On the other hand if you want to spend more time doing things that unbelievers do who do not serve God, then join in with unbelievers. But remember that unbelievers are supposed to see a difference that Christ has made in our lives. We want to influence unbelievers instead of them influencing us. It says in Second Corinthians 6:14-18, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?[15] And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?[16] And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.[17] Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,[18] And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

You definitely do not want to learn the habits of an angry man. Anger comes to humans too easily anyway. Christians are warned about anger. We are told, “The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” We are told, “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” In other words, if you do get angry, do not stay angry very long. Anger will lead to other sins, not the least of which is violence. Much of our anger comes from pride, and impatience, and selfishness, and lack of faith. Angry people will fall into more and more trouble: that is where their anger will lead them. Stay away from them.

The Bible says in Proverbs 22:26-27, “Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. [27] If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?” These verses are about avoiding debt. The Bible is a great book about freedom. God gives freedom. God gives freedom of choice. God wants human beings to be free in all matters including financially. You are not totally free if you owe someone something. Get out of debt when you can, and better than that, do not get into debt. If you can, follow a good savings program, and then pay for what you buy without debt. Whoever loaned you money is the real owner of what you purchased until you have it fully paid off.

The Bible says in Proverbs 22:28, “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.” The first part of this verse is telling us to respect other people’s property and possessions. People have their rights, and people in the past had freedom of choice from God also. These rights were given to them from God, and as servants of God we should respect their rights and their decisions. Beware of undoing or upending the decisions that were made by our fore-fathers.

An emphasis on honoring your parents and grandparents is made in the last phrase of Proverbs 22:28 that says, “which thy fathers have set.” Children should respect, honor, and obey their parents. That is the will of God for all children. Out of the Ten Commandments the only one that addresses the parent-child relationship, emphasizes the responsibility of children. If you have godly and loving parents, no one on this earth will ever love you as much as they do, except hopefully your eventual spouse. Therefore, always remember what your parents have told you and remember the family traditions that they established, especially that which is consistent with the Word of God. In many ways your parents’ lives are carried on and honored by how you remember them with your life. Your life will be a reflection of your parents.

The Bible says in Proverbs 22:29, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” The word “mean” means “average.” The Bible is a very practical book, and Proverbs is probably the most practical book of the sixty-six books of the Bible. Once again the book of Proverbs elevates and honors hard work. One of the benefits of being a Christian is that you can learn to be a hard worker. The closer that you are to God, the more that you will know how to do your work with diligence. And one of the benefits of being diligent in your work is that people will notice. Leaders want diligent people and they need diligent people under them. If you are a diligent worker in whatever is your career or work, the leaders will value your efforts. You will be respected. Your diligence will increase the possibility of more opportunity and rewards.

The Bible says in Proverbs 23:1-3, “When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:[2] And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.[3] Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.” This is a verse that is telling us to be careful when we are in the presence of politicians. Do not relax and let down your guard. Also, if they are giving you something including a meal, it probably means that they want something in return.

The Bible says in Proverbs 23:4-5, “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.[5] Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” God has promised to supply our needs, but not to make us rich. People have a fascination with being rich, but God gives a very clear warning to anyone who desires to be rich: riches tend to “fly away.” It is not uncommon for people to come into a lot of money and then eventually lose it all. If the Lord gives us each day our daily bread, that is better than being rich anyway. Another problem with being rich is that rich people will be held responsible for what they did with their riches. The judgment is coming. Make sure that you are ready for the judgment by turning to Christ.

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