Peace Hill Podcasts
Proverbs 18:22-19:14 - Finding Favor
Favor: “friendly regard shown toward another especially by a superior - approving consideration or attention - gracious kindness” - Websters.
Friend: One who is attached to another by affection or esteem - a favored companion.
In a society like the one the proverbist lived in, wrote and collected his proverbs in, favor was a very important consideration of life. To enjoy the favor of a king meant wealth and prosperity
In our day of independence, favor has become a somewhat submerged concept. This is not to say that we all don’t deal in favor all the time, rather, favor has shifted. We don’t depend financially, so much on the favor of others, or for our rights in society on the favor of others. Favor is a much more personal issue -a relationship issue and a social pressure issue for us.
Nevertheless, favor still has a profound effect on us. Favor has become the way in which our society makes decisions (opinion polls), and conducts international relations (“Most Favored Nation Status”). And on a more personal level, favor tends to determine for us how we feel about ourselves (popularity - the favor of others) and how we make decisions (we are all prone to the opinion of the crowd). The favor and disfavor of others can easily become a bondage that drives what we say and decisions we make.
This morning, the passage we are looking at speaks about the drive to gain favor and how to approach this issue with wisdom.
Don’t Be Controlled/ Driven to Gain Favor.
Don’t let Zeal for Favor Overtake Wisdom: “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge nor to be hasty and miss the way”. Let’s begin by stating the obvious: Running after the favor of others and making decisions based on what is popular is not wise and will not lead to a wise or godly life.
It is one thing to know this - it is another to do it. Why do we have a zeal for gaining the favor of others? Isn’t it because we all have an internal pressure - an idolatrous, driving desire for love - almost at any cost? We love acceptance, peace, the affection of others. These are good things - but as with all idols, the good desire becomes corrupt when we pursue it beyond the bounds of what is proper and pleasing to God. Our pursuit of favor becomes foolish and destructive when we allow it to guide our decisions and actions beyond wisdom.
And our response, when our drive for favor has destructive effects on our lives, is to be angry with God. “A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord”.
Don’t Let the Drive for Favor Cause You to Speak Sinfully: Vs.5& 9 repeat the same statement twice, with an alternate ending in vs.9 - “A false witness will not go unpunished and he who pours out lies will not go unpunished... will perish”.
In context, these verses are a warning against speaking evil against another in order to gain favor and advantage over them. The emphasis is on punishment - they will not escape it! The statement is made twice for emphasis. God’s anger is particularly severe against those who speak lies about others in order to gain favor and sympathy.
Understand the Nature of Human Favor.
Human Favor is Shallow: You would think that we would all have learned this lesson in Jr. High and Highschool. Look at vs. 4& 7! The poor man is the perfect image to use here - he has nothing to offer. On the opposite side, three different images are used: The rich man - The giver of gifts - and the ruler, whose favor everyone is seeking. All of these are surrounded by friends, while the poor man’s single friend (vs.4) deserts him.
Human favor is shallow. Human favor is often driven by what we have to offer. In order to sustain the crowd you have to keep giving gifts - continue in a position where you have something to offer.
Vs.10 points out what a trap human favor can become - “It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, how much worse for a slave to rule over princes”. The king who is a slave to keeping everyone happy by means of favors is no fit ruler of a kingdom - his kingdom is an illusion.
Human Favor is Fleeting: This is the obvious result of the shallow nature of human favor - it is fleeting and uncertain. Prov.18:24, “A man of many companions may come to ruin...” Companions - friends whose favor we have - are no certain security. Why? Because favor can be lost - companions can dissolve.
But Let’s begin to turn the corner here - “... there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”. In its OT context, this verse refers to Yahweh, who called Abraham his friend - but in our NT context, this surely refers to Christ - who called his disciples “friends” at the last supper.
The passage draws a contrast between the poor man’s friend and the friend who sticks closer than a brother. The poor man’s friend abandons him because he is poor and needy and has become a burden. This is the way the world works, and it is the treatment we expect - even from Christ. We expect the poverty of our sin to be a burden that Christ does not expect - that Christ is not prepared to bear - that Christ finds disappointing and wearying.
But Christ is the friend who sticks closer than a brother. Christ is the friend who has come to us because of our poverty. Paul describes grace in just this way...
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he wa rich, yet for your
sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
-- 2Cor.8:9
He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.
--2 Cor.9:9
Receive Favor From the Lord.
The Favor of the Lord Blesses: The passage we are looking at today starts off with Prov.18:22 - “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord”, and ends with Prov.19:14 - “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord”.
The image of the wife as a sign of favor and blessing goes back to Genesis 2 and the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2 records how man had every good gift, but the one thing he did not have was a suitable companion1 . The creation of Eve comes at the end of Genesis 2 as the height of God’s goodness to Adam - the pinnacle of blessing.
Proverbs is comparing this level of blessing, (the wife who completes man and continues to bless him throughout his life), to the shallow, uncertain, idolatrous favor that men can give - which often leads us astray. In contrast, the favor of God truly does us good.
So Be Wise: “He who gets wisdom loves his own soul, he who cherishes understanding prospers”. There is a choice to be made here.
(1) Not to be controlled by - or to make decisions based on - or to put our trust in
the favor of men.
(2) To find our acceptance in the favor of God, given to us in The Friend, Jesus.
(3) To make our decisions according to what pleases the Lord, according to wisdom,
and to believe that God will bless us.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Prov.18:24
