Proverbs 20:15

There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

This verse speaks of the rarity of wise teaching. Sadly, the world is filled with a cacophony of voices that provide every imaginable strain of falsehood. Libraries and bookstores are filled with all the forms of deceitful and foolish notions ever concocted in the wayward hearts of men. God communicates His wisdom in Scripture, yet men quickly wander from these truths, as evidenced by the Christian and Jewish apostasies that have risen over the last several millennia. When you find a man who roots his thinking in God’s inspired revelation, and he communicates this truth in fear and humility, this is a rare gift indeed. May God raise up these men to preach in our communities of brothers and sisters in the years to come!

Proverbs 20:16

Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

Previously, in the Proverbs the wise father warns his son to stay away from any long-term contract with strangers—that is, people with whom he has not lived in community with for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, most developed countries with cities exceeding a population of 100,000 are filled with strangers who hardly know each other. They move from place to place, and they take their reputations with them. It is as if we have become nations filled with gypsies and nomads. Yet the gypsies and nomads travelled as clans and maintained communities on the road. This is hardly the case with many of our people in modern cities today.

Now, here the book of wisdom takes this principle one step further, cautioning us to be careful with those who make it a habit to contract with strangers. At the very least, if we are to do business in this sort of a market (where almost everybody is in “bed” with strangers), we should be sure to hold some collateral for the loans. The current financial systems serve as prime examples of what happens when strangers do business with strangers and there is no meaningful collateral for the debts. People walk away from their mortgaged properties on a regular basis, taking whatever other assets they have with them. Within a few years their credit ratings are such that they will secure more debt, and once again they can live beyond their means on somebody else’s dime. The banks claim bankruptcy, and the taxpayers inevitably pay for the losses insured by the government’s deposit insurance programs. Unfortunately, all of us are bound up in this system where nobody feels accountable to anybody, and should the modern systems of finance collapse, all of us will pay dearly for it.

For related commentary, reference Proverbs 6:1 and Proverbs 11:5. 

Proverbs 20:17

Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

It is almost always “great fun” to get away with our sins, at least at first. When a child successfully lifts a cookie from the cookie jar against his mother’s wishes, he experiences the sweet taste of stolen cookies and the joy of “getting away with it.” But the consequences of his actions play themselves out over the next few hours or the decades of his life. Even if his mother is a poor detective and cannot trace the crumbs to the perpetrator, the seed of deceit planted in the child’s soul, unhindered, will grow into a large noxious weed that chokes his very life.

The child’s mouth fills with gravel when he suffers his mother’s disapproval and correction. But the lesson is far more painful for adults. For example, a man may “enjoy” an illicit affair for a season, but the disruption and destruction inflicted upon his family, his reputation, his character, and his life is simply beyond the power of words to describe. The wise will understand this principle and will not be taken by the sweet bread of deceit. Sadly, few are wise enough to make their decisions on any basis beyond the perceived, short term benefits of the contemplated action. May God help us to see through the thin veneer of deceiving temptations. It is wisdom that enables a man to taste the bitter flavor of the bread before he takes the first bite. Even our young children must learn that sweet cookies always turn into bitter, filthy mud when they are taken in deceit.

Family Discussion Questions:

1. Where might we find a man who communicates God’s truth in fear and humility?

2. What happens when somebody cannot pay their mortgage, at least in America today? Why is it a risk to lend money to a stranger?

3. Give some examples of sweet bread that turns out to be gravel later on. How might we put the bread of deceit far away?