Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 671 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
The Words to the Wise - Proverbs 22


Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 671 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails, we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore Proverbs 22 from The Voice Translation which will give us a fresh perspective on this book of timeless wisdom.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Since Paula and I will be traveling for business for a little over two weeks, and I will need to record all those podcasts in advance, we will be substituting our regular podcast with short Wisdom Nugget episodes for three weeks, except for our Wisdom Wednesday episodes. After that, we will return to our regular format.

Today in Proverbs 22 we will learn...
The Words to the Wise
This chapter can be broken into two parts. The beginning half of this chapter (verses 1-16) is the last of Solomon’s 375 proverbs. These final 16 in the collection talk about prosperity and challenge those with many resources to live by God’s view of wealth. God's favorite currency is justice! This truth is evidenced by the centerpiece of this 16-verse set in verses 8-9, a literary pair focused on generosity to the poor.

Verses 17-21 are an introduction to a new section in the book of Proverbs called “The Words to the Wise” (from 22:17-24:22). This collection will consist of thirty sayings. The first six are found right here in this chapter. These sayings are different from the two-line proverbs we are used to reading. The sayings are usually longer (4-6 lines) although some are one-liners (see 22:28).

Before the sayings begin, I will first read an introduction (verses 17-21), which reminds us of the voice of the father. If you don’t remember, he is the one with all the speeches to his son in chapters 1-9. He implores the son to listen to wisdom and apply himself to knowledge, or as he says in verse 19, “That your trust may be in Yahweh.”

Trusting in the LORD is the purpose of this ancient book of wisdom. Listen to this episode multiple times, or reread verses 17-21, investing some time meditating on the purpose of the father’s heart for you.

Listen intently as I read Proverbs 22.

1 A good reputation is preferable to riches,
and the approval of others is better than precious silver or gold.
2 Rich and poor have something in common:
both are created by the Eternal.
3 Prudent people see trouble coming and hide,
but the naive walk right into it and take a beating.
4 A humble person who fears the Eternal
can expect to receive wealth, honor, and life.
5 Thorny branches and traps lie ahead for those who follow perverse paths;
those who want to preserve themselves will steer clear of them.
6 Teach a child how to follow the right way;
even when he is old, he will stay on course.
7 The rich lord it over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave to the lender.
8 Those who sow injustice reap disaster,
and their methods of oppression will fail.
9 Generous people are genuinely blessed
because they share their food with the poor.
10 Expel a mocker, and watch the wrangling go with him;
rivalry and rude remarks will also stop.
11 Those who love a pure heart and speak with grace
will find that the king is their friend.
12 The Eternal keeps a watchful eye on those with knowledge,
but He subverts the words of the faithless.
13 A lazy person says, “A lion! Right outside!
I will surely die in the streets!