Read Proverbs 13:1–6
Questions from the Scripture text: What does a wise son do (v1a)? But what doesn’t the scoffer do (v1b)? By what may a man eat well (v2a)? Upon what does the soul of the unfaithful feed (v2b)? Who preserves his life (v3a)? Who opens wise his lips (v3b)? What does the soul of the lazy man desire (v4a)? What does he have? What happens to the soul of the diligent (v4b)? What does the righteous man hate (v5a)? What is the wicked man (v5b)? What happens to him? What guards the man whose way is blameless (v6a)? What does wickedness do (v6b)?
How does a man image God? Proverbs 13:1–6 looks forward to the sermon in this week’s midweek meeting. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that one way a man images God is by fruitfulness in words and work.
Like the two sections that made up the halves of chapter 12, our passage begins with a restatement of the importance of teachability (v1), pointing us back to the teaching of the first several families. The passage concludes similarly to those sections, emphasizing the difference in outcomes between the righteous and the wicked (v6).
Just as in the first part of each half of ch12, our passage deals primarily with wise speech (v2, 3, 5). The remaining verse (v4) ties our passage backward to the sections on diligence from ch12, and forward to the next section in ch13, which treats the subject of wealth.
Although men at the time focused upon the work of their hands to put food on the table, v2 teaches us that when a man bears good fruit from his mouth, he will not ordinarily lack. The imbalance of the verb reminds us that, in order for good fruit to come from our mouth, we must first feed upon that which is good. The unfaithful is unable to produce good fruit from his mouth because of what he has been feeding upon: violence. When it comes to what will overflow from our mouths, truly “you are what you eat.”
v3 describes the mouth in the language of the city gate. If there is not a man guarding the gate, and making sure it only opens for that which is safe, the city will be in trouble. Good gate-keeping saves lives. That suggests the question, dear reader: is the gate of your mouth guarded? Or, does your mouth open wide and let just anything out? How much destruction can come by way of an unguarded mouth!
v5 adds the engagement of the affection, to the employment of the will, in the guarding of the mouth. We have heard that YHWH hates lying (cf. 12:22). Now, we are taught that it is not enough merely to avoid lying. We must positively hate what the Lord hates. The righteous man hates lying. Either you must hate lying (v5a), or you will find yourself hateful (v5b). Dear reader, why would you risk making yourself hateful to the Lord? Flee lying!
Finally, coming back to v4, we see the poverty of the lazy and the wealth of the diligent. But notice what is impoverished and what is enriched: the soul. We were created in God’s image, created to work. In order for our eternal soul to be fulfilled, it must be imaging Him Who created it for Himself. Laziness un-humans a man.
Just as we ought to be guarding our mouths like a city gate, so the Lord makes righteousness to guard a man. We know, of course, that this righteousness comes first as a right standing with God, which a man can only have in Christ. And those who are in Christ are then made to be more and more like Christ, so that they are overthrown neither by the guilt, nor the effects, of their sin. The Lord conform you to Christ, dear reader, both in the area of your words and of your work.
With what have you been supplying your heart, in order for your mouth to bear good fruit? What are some situations in which you ought to be setting a guard over your mouth? How is it evident to you that you hate lying?
Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for creating us in Your image, so that we might be fruitful in our words and our work. Grant that, by the grace of Christ, we would image You well, we ask in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP15 “Within Your Tent, Who Will Reside” or TPH400“Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me”
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