Proverbs 24:1-16: a reflection

1Don’t be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them; 2for their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about mischief. 3Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established; 4by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure. 5A wise man has great power. A knowledgeable man increases strength, 6for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors. 7Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate. 8One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer. 9The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men. 10If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small. 11Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter! 12If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not give to every man according to his work? 13My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste; 14so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off. 15Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place; 16for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

This stretch of Proverbs holds several threads of wisdom. It begins by warning against envying the wicked or wishing to be among them, however successful they seem, because their hearts are set on harm. It praises the wisdom that builds a house and fills it with good things. And it issues a piercing command: rescue those being led away to death, hold back those staggering to slaughter, and do not excuse yourself by claiming you did not know, for God, who weighs hearts, sees.

That call to rescue the perishing is striking. It refuses to let us stand by while others are led to ruin, and it strips away the excuse of ignorance. God knows what we saw and what we could have done. But the passage also offers hope to the one who stumbles: a righteous person falls seven times and rises again, while the wicked are brought down by calamity. The mark of the righteous is not that they never fall, but that, by God's help, they keep getting up.

Two things to carry. First, do not stand idly by when someone is being led toward ruin; God calls you to act for those in danger and will not accept the excuse that you did not notice. Look around at who needs rescuing. Second, if you have fallen, take heart from the promise: the righteous fall seven times and rise again. Your stumbles are not the end. Get up, by God's grace, as many times as it takes, and keep walking with him.

Lord, you call me to rescue those being led toward ruin and not to hide behind the excuse that I did not know. Open my eyes to those in danger, and give me courage to act. And when I stumble, remind me that the righteous fall seven times and rise again. Lift me up as many times as I fall, and keep me walking with you. Amen.