On Life and Conduct

Proverbs 22; I die daily devotional.

¹ A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold.

There is so much content with these proverbs that I think I bit off more than I can chew doing them a chapter at a time. So I’m going to spice it up a little differently for the remainder of our proverbs. Although, I will say that this exercise has expanded my horizon for the future because I do hope to have devotionals/commentary of each chapter of every book in the bible—Lord willing.

A GOOD NAME

What does a good name look like to you, I wonder? What is wisdom telling us here—A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold. I’ve noticed that wisdom compares the value of character to wealth, not just in this verse, but throughout proverbs; that how we develop our character is where our true value is, not in how much stock we have. What do you think of as favor? And how is it better than silver or gold? Favor is extended as … well … this is where I’d like to search out the science, but it’s an expression extended upon someone that meets the eye. It’s relational, it has everything to do with a person to person relationship; this type of transaction between people is not something that is bought. We are loved by a Good Name, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Some questions to think about:

• Where are the qualities that make for a good name supplied?
• How are these qualities obtained for character development?
• What about me do people favor?
• What about me do people disfavor, and is there something to be done about it?

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Resource

Proverbs 22 (NASB)—blueletterbible.com

² The rich and the poor have a common bond, The LORD is the maker of them all. ³ The prudent sees the evil and hides himself,But the naive go on, and are punished for it. ⁴ The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life. ⁵ Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards himself will be far from them. ⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. ⁷ The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave. ⁸ He who sows iniquity will reap vanity, And the rod of his fury will perish. ⁹ He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor.¹⁰ Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, Even strife and dishonor will cease. ¹¹ He who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend. ¹² The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man. ¹³ The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!” ¹⁴ The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; He who is cursed of the LORD will fall into it. ¹⁵ Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him. ¹⁶ He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. ¹⁷ Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge; ¹⁸ For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, That they may be ready on your lips. ¹⁹ So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you. ²⁰ Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, ²¹ To make you know the certainty of the words of truth That you may correctly answer him who sent you? ²² Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Or crush the afflicted at the gate; ²³ For the LORD will plead their case And take the life of those who rob them. ²⁴ Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, ²⁵ Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself. ²⁶ Do not be among those who give pledges, Among those who become guarantors for debts. ²⁷ If you have nothing with which to pay, Why should he take your bed from under you? ²⁸ Do not move the ancient boundary Which your fathers have set. ²⁹ Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.