A Sermon on Proverbs 3:21-35
The Bible continually brings up the subject of our fears and tells us not to be afraid. The opening verses of our text deal with this prominent pastoral concern of the Bible. Maybe God knows something that we don’t like to admit, and that is that we have fear, which is the opposite of trust. We say that we trust God to make happen what we want to happen, but we often fear what we don’t want to happen and worry about it.
The second half of our text talks about our neighbor. We might think that a new section begins in verse 27, but there is no direct address of the son at this point as there is in verse 21 or 4:1. Verses 21-35, then, are a discrete literary unit. What is the relationship between our fear and our neighbor?
The Bible often relates our fear to other people. We could say that a fear of humanity theme runs through the Bible. Because other people often do what we don’t want to happen, we’re afraid of them. We think that they control our happiness and our future. Our fear may take the form of a sleepless night full of imagined calamity, or it may lead us to take uncharitable steps to control the people whom we fear. That way, we try to insure that what we don’t want to happen doesn’t.
This fear and control, however, impede wise living. Remember that wisdom has to do with responding to the events of life with a concern for honoring the Lord Jesus in them. The wise person figures out in any situation how to do what’s best for Christ’s reputation and kingdom. Of course, most situations involve other people about whom God is concerned. Responding wisely to a situation includes figuring out how to do right by them and even minister to them for God’s glory. Why though, would we want to do this? We live in a fallen world among sinful people who typically act out of self-interest. Their motives are not always wholesome, and they may try to exploit us. In order to protect ourselves, shouldn’t we be suspicious of other people and keep our distance or else render tit for tat to keep the score even?
Look at verse 26, which says that Yahweh watches and protects his people. Yahweh, of course, is the covenant name for God. It has to do with his activity in history to redeem a people for his name. Yahweh is the God of the Exodus and therefore the God of rescue and deliverance. Moreover, Yahweh defends his people and even vindicates them. From a New Testament point of view, Yahweh so loved us that he gave his only Son to die for our sin and restore a broken relationship. Yahweh has made a new covenant in Jesus’ blood, and that covenant secures our forgiveness and reconciles us to God for eternity. Paul says that no one can bring any charge against God’s elect sons and daughters. If God is for us, then no one can successfully be against us. The sacrament of Holy Communion remembers and celebrates just how much Yahweh has done for us through his Son. It also assures us that God is still working out his plan for our lives.
The Hebrew in verse 26 says that Yahweh is at our side. In other words, he is with us every step of the way. He never leaves us, even for a minute, and he will not abandon us. He continually directs our steps for his good purpose and our best interest. Because a covenant-keeping God is with us, we have security. We can look back and see all that he has already done for us, and his track record is evidence of his future faithfulness.
The point is that we don’t have to do anything to merit God’s love and protection. There’s no fretting about whether we’re good enough for God. We are secure in his grace through Jesus Christ. God has promised to supply our every need according to the riches of his grace. He lovingly does for us what we cannot do for ourselves and creates the relationship between him and us. As our transformed hearts respond to his grace with obedience to his instruction, then verses 22-26 and 33-35 become reality for us. In short, our covenant God keeps his promise to take care of us. We don’t have to fear the future and worry about how to secure it.
What this means, then, is that we can give of ourselves to our neighbor. More precisely, we can share God’s blessing of us with anyone who crosses our path. No longer do we have to control other people to secure our future. Our fellow humans are not tools to be manipulated but opportunities for ministry. We are free in the acceptance with God that Jesus gives us to seek the welfare of others. Not doing so indicates that we don’t understand or appreciate what God has done for us. If we mistreat other people or try to take advantage of them, then we betray our lack of trust in God’s promises to care for us. Rather than being free to give of ourselves, we are in bondage to fear. We lack confidence that God will provide for us.
Verses 27-32 teach that wisdom includes doing good to others. The wise person has experienced the grace of God in Jesus, thereby understands his or her security in Christ, and so treats others as he or she has been treated by God. You cannot claim to be wise and practice unkindness toward others. No, the recipient of God’s grace is gracious and generous to his or her neighbor. He or she deals honestly and shows sincere regard for another’s well-being. Because of the security that we have in Christ, we can take the risk of cultivating healthy relationships and building community. How might you do that this week?