Do You Think This is an Odd Pair?

Quick! Fill in the blank…

The rich and _______________.

You might have though of a synonym like wealth: The rich and wealthy. You might have thought of something that compares with, or goes along with rich, like power: The rich and powerful. Or, you might have considered a contrasting idea, like poor: The rich and poor.

My simple point is that there are familiar ways that things are paired together. With that thought in mind, take a look at this proverb:

     Better is a poor man who walks in integrity

     Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool. 

     —Proverbs 19:1

What did you expect to be paired with ‘poor man’?

It might not be obvious at first, but the ’poor man’ is compared to 'the fool,' i.e. the 'foolish man.' The poor man’s way of life is described by the phrase, 'who walks in integrity.' The fool’s way of life is described by the phrase, 'who is perverse in speech.' Now that we have the parts of proverb matched up, how do we make sense of this saying?

The word 'poor' in this proverb comes from one of eleven different Hebrew words to describe the poor. It is used almost exclusively by Solomon and indicates destitution. How does it strike your mind that a destitute person would walk in integrity? In many ways poverty and integrity are odd partners. A man who is destitute lacks the basic needs of life. He probably does not have a place to live (homeless). He has nothing that resembles a wardrobe of clothing, but has only the clothing on his back. He does not have enough food. It is an understatement to say that he is in need.

Now, imagine a destitute man with integrity. That means that even though he has virtually nothing, he is a man of good character. He is an honest man, reliable and fair in his dealings with others. He is morally good. Judging him by his worldly possessions, he is empty and practically worthless; yet judging him by his character, he is complete.

Compared to the poor man of integrity is the fool who is perverse in speech. Used primarily in the Book of Proverbs the Hebrew word for perverse means to twist or to make crooked. It is used to describe sin. So, perverse speech suggests the sin of deception.

Perverse speech describes the way of the fool. It is curious that the Hebrew term used in this verse for fool literally means to be fat. It has a positive sense of strength, though it is usually used in a negative sense of heaviness and inactivity, therefore often translated with terms such as stupid and fool/foolish. However, the idea of strength appears to fit this context when compared to a parallel proverb (Proverbs 28:6).

     Better is the poor who walks in his integrity

     Than he who is crooked though he be rich.

     --Proverbs 28:6

In both proverbs crookedness or perversity of speech might even be the means by which the individual became strong/rich.

The lesson is simple, but so difficult for people to embrace:

We would all agree that it is better to be strong/rich than to be destitute. However, if strength and riches are accompanied by sin, they are of no real value. The man of integrity is better off even if he is destitute of the world’s goods.

So, “Do I have to give up my possessions to be a man or woman of integrity?” Wrong question!

Rather, we should ask ourselves: “Am I a man/woman of integrity?”

Do you value integrity???