Scripture Daily

Context No. 1608 of 4322 · Proverbs

Context · Reflection

Proverbs 19:17-29: in context

17He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD; he will reward him. 18Discipline your son, for there is hope; don’t be a willing party to his death. 19A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty, for if you rescue him, you must do it again. 20Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter end. 21There are many plans in a man’s heart, but the LORD’s counsel will prevail. 22That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than a liar. 23The fear of the LORD leads to life, then contentment; he rests and will not be touched by trouble. 24The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. 25Flog a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge. 26He who robs his father and drives away his mother is a son who causes shame and brings reproach. 27If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28A corrupt witness mocks justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down iniquity. 29Penalties are prepared for scoffers, and beatings for the backs of fools.

Among the proverbs gathered here is one that dignifies mercy to the poor beyond anything we might expect. He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, it says, and he will reward him. Around it stand other sober observations: many are the plans of a heart, but the LORD's counsel prevails; the fear of the LORD leads to life; listen to counsel and be wise. But the proverb about the poor stands out for the astonishing thing it says about what our kindness to the needy actually is.

The proverb makes a remarkable claim: whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him. When we give to someone in need, scripture says, we are not merely giving to that person; we are lending to God himself, who takes the transaction upon himself and will repay it. God so identifies with the poor that what we give them, he counts as given to him, a loan he personally undertakes to return. This transforms how we see our kindness to the needy. It is not charity thrown into a void, not money lost, not effort wasted on those who can never repay us. It is a loan to God, and God is no one's debtor; he repays what is lent to him, in his own way and time, pressed down and running over. There is both dignity and encouragement in this. Dignity, because it means our smallest kindness to the poor is received by God as done to himself, elevated into something offered to the LORD. And encouragement, because it means such kindness is never wasted or lost; the poor may not be able to repay us, but God, who takes their debt upon himself, will. Jesus said the same in his own way: what you did to the least of these, you did to me. To be kind to the poor is to lend to the LORD, and the LORD repays. This frees us from the calculation that hesitates to give where there is no return; the return is guaranteed, by God himself, who counts our mercy to the needy as a loan to him.

Do I see my kindness to the poor as a loan to the LORD, who takes it upon himself and will repay, so that no mercy shown to the needy is ever wasted, or do I hesitate to give where there is no earthly return, forgetting that God himself guarantees the return?

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