August 13 ▪ Day 225

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 21:11
Ecclesiastes 3–4
Mark 5
Psalms 41

Verse Focus (Proverbs 21:11)

When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
     by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.

Meditation

Day 225. Tee hee! 🙂

Today’s verse focus, Proverbs 21:11, says, in the NKJV, “When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise; but when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.” This translation is very close to the transliterated Hebrew, which is one reason why I like it. It is similar to the NIV of 1984, which says, “When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.” Today’s NIV differs some: the second phrase says, “By paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.” It may have been an attempt to eliminate the pronoun “he” and to thus become more inclusive, but to me I find it muddies the meaning. Now, when I read the NIV, I think it’s telling me that the simple gain knowledge when they listen to the wise — which is not what the Hebrew text says.

So there are a couple of interesting things about this proverb. First — although I didn’t realize it right away — the first half of the proverb is talking about two different classes of fools. Mockers and scoffers versus the simple and gullible. The verse does not say that mockers learn wisdom when they are punished for their behavior; no, it is the simple who learn the lesson. The wise, on the other hand, do not need punishment in order to learn. You need only instruct the wise and they will gain knowledge.

The proverb makes me wonder if there is any hope for the mocker at all. Is there any method that will enable them to learn? Perhaps not. If you recall back on March 25th (Day 84), we looked at Proverbs 14:6, which says, in the NRSV, “A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for one who understands.” Indeed, it is the mockers’ very arrogance and pride that makes them unable to learn.

But even if the mocker can’t learn from his or her mistakes, the simple will learn from what happens to them. Punishment will deter the simple from going down the path of scoffers. And I’m sure there are others who will learn from the punishment of mockers, too. Most of us are not clearly in one camp or the other; we are partly wise, and partly foolish. Those of us who are only partly wise will learn from punishment and we’ll also hopefully learn by paying attention to the wise.

So, while punishment may not be effective for mockers, it is still necessary in order for the simple and the partially foolish to learn. Schoolteachers may find this to be valuable information for classroom discipline. And the proverb may inform strategy for those dealing with scoffers in other arenas, such as the church, the media, businesses, government, and politics — or even in our own families.

Father God, thank you for what this proverb teaches us. Keep us from being mockers and scoffers; help us to learn wisdom simply by being taught. If we are in a position to discipline mockers, help us to know what punishment is appropriate and what will help the simple to learn. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Ecclesiastes 3 is a favorite chapter in a favorite book. I love the poetry here! The Teacher begins in verse 1, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” It is comforting to read of these different times and seasons. When going through sorrow or grief, it’s good to know that the season of mourning will eventually fade or pass. This short poem gives us a sense of the fullness of life, and all the different seasons that may encompass us. As verse 11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

The Preacher also tells us that God “has put eternity into man’s heart (v. 11).” In our modern jargon, we might speak of the “God-shaped hole.” But even with the taste of eternity in our souls, the Preacher says that we cannot fathom what God has done. Our only recourse is to “be joyful and to do good as long as… [we] live (v. 12).” Thus, we should eat and drink and take pleasure in our work — “this is God’s gift to man (v. 13).”

Solomon also speaks of how — on earth — wickedness is found even in places of justice and judgment. But God has appointed a time for every matter and every work, and He will judge both the righteous and the wicked. Solomon speaks again of the inevitability of death. Keeping both death and God’s future judgment in mind, the Teacher repeats his message that “there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot (v. 22).”

Ecclesiastes 4 speaks of injustice and oppression. The Teacher has no solution for the oppression other than to say that the dead are better off. He quotes a number of different proverbs, returning to the theme of vanity. Toil and skill in work come from “man’s envy of his neighbor (v. 4).” This is “striving after wind (v. 4).” Yet the sluggard has a worse fate: according to verse 5, “The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.”

Verse 6 is a gem that speaks of contentment. “Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.” But many who toil have no contentment; in fact, they are always striving for more and their eyes are “never satisfied (v. 8).” For the Preacher, this lack of contentment is evidence of the vanity of life.

Verse 9 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.” After mentioning a few more benefits, the Teacher concludes by saying, “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Solomon speaks of seeing vanity and futility in politics and government. A foolish leader is followed by a wise leader and everyone praises the new leader. But the people are fickle and when a successor comes, the people are no longer pleased.

Mark chapter 5 recounts several stories of healing. First, Jesus heals a man who had a “Legion” of demons inside him. Next, he heals a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. Finally, he raises a little girl from the dead. Each healing is truly remarkable in different ways.

The demoniac was spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and even physically unwell. He had no meaningful contact with the rest of society, or with his family and friends. He was out of his mind. He was overwhelmed by dark, spiritual forces. He was out of control and could not be be helped by any of the townsfolk. But once he was healed, he was clothed and in his right mind. He wanted to leave the area and follow Jesus, but Jesus would not let him. “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you,” Jesus tells him in verse 19.

The woman who had been bleeding for 12 years had a more normal life than the demoniac, but she was still chronically ill. And the bleeding means that she had lived as one who was unclean for 12 years. She wasn’t quite as bad off as a leper, but people might have avoided being near her, or avoided touching her because of her uncleanness. Imagine living on the edge of society for 12 years! Not by choice, anyway. But she is healed, her suffering has finally ended. Jesus confronts her, so she now has the opportunity to say how much the Lord has done for her.

And, of course, the little girl. Jairus’ daughter was raised from the dead. That’s pretty remarkable, too.

Today, as I read this chapter, I was really struck by what Jesus told the former demoniac in verse 19. “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you.” This is what each person who was healed that day had the opportunity to do — to go home or be at home and tell their friends what Jesus had done for them. Don’t you think Jairus and his wife did just that after they fed their daughter? They told all those that had laughed at Jesus that their daughter was alive and well — thanks to Jesus.

When God heals us, we want to serve him. We want to follow him, and go out and do something remarkable for him. But God’s first assignment may be, simply, “Go home. Tell your friends.” I wonder how many of us are failing in this first assignment? It is perhaps too humble for what we had in mind. We fail to see how very important it is to minister in the same place that we are when God meets us. And as days turn into weeks and weeks into years, our inaction turns into forgetfulness.

We may or may not have experienced a dramatic healing recently, but God blesses us all the time. There are still things that we can tell our friends about how much the Lord has done for us. The little things are worth praising God for as much as the big things. And today I’m grateful for having gotten to sleep earlier last night. It enabled me to get up earlier today, and will hopefully be repeated in the coming days. It may not sound like much, but this is actually a huge thing in terms of how productive my days are. So I’m grateful and thankful. And I hope that I will remember Jesus’ words to tell my friends how much God has done for me. After all, our most important mission field is where we are right now.

Psalm 41 begins by declaring, “Blessed is the one who considers the poor!” God blesses the person who considers the poor by delivering him, protecting him, sustaining him, and healing him. But then the psalm shifts, and David speaks of his own afflictions. He has sinned against God; he is surrounded by enemies who wish for him to die. Even his closest friend has turned against him. But David is confident that God will save him.

It is this first verse that struck me as I read the psalm today. But I was a little puzzled about how considering the poor (and its associated blessings) related to the rest of the psalm. Then I realized that it was because my definition of “poor” was too narrow. I was thinking of the impoverished, and those who are financially vulnerable. But the Hebrew word also means those who are poor in spirit, and those who are weak, sick, afflicted, and needy. And suddenly the psalm makes sense! David is the one who is weak and physically sick. Those who would be kind and considerate of him will be blessed.

I realize that I’ve been forgetting just who the poor really are. With that narrow definition of financial difficulties, I have blinded myself from seeing the poor who surround me — the brother who is sick, the friend struggling with depression, the friend overwhelmed with sudden and new demands in caring for a spouse, the colleague who is injured, and many, many more. Blessed is the one who considers the poor!

Father God, help me to remember the poor and needy in my own life. Help me to pray for them and also encourage them in practical ways. Help me also to remember to share the good things that you do for me. Remind me to “tell” my friends. Thank you that you have made everything beautiful in its time. Help me to walk with your Spirit and keep in step with you. May I find joy in the work that you give me, and also find contentment in the material blessings that you have showered upon me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.