DEVOTION
PROVERBS
TOGETHER
Prov 29:13
13 The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives
sight to the eyes of both.
NIV
In the Hebrew it is more like when the poor man and the oppressor come
together or meet, the Lord enlightens them both. It may be or may not be
implied that the oppressor is engaged on injuring the poor man. What is implied
is they have something in common. The Lord works within all men, whether they
are poor or are oppressive type individuals. But there is this idea conveyed by
the Hebrew they are meeting together. However there is some difference in the interpretation
of the words translated poor and oppressor. Some of the earlier manuscripts use
debtor and usuer, some use poor and lender, others use the poor and the rich.
But the idea is the same. The Lord has made them both and he gives insight to
anyone who seeks it. It matters not the station in life, God sees all men as
equal. He is not a respecter of persons, he does not show favoritism. A person
may be extremely wealthy and still have insight into the word of God. A man may
be extremely poor and also have great insight into the word of God. Where the
challenge is in the meaning of the words in common. In the Hebrew it means to
meet, to encounter, or to meet each other. This is more than just having the
same thing in common, as being of the same language, or country, or ethnic
group, or for that matter, saved. This is having some kind of business dealings
with each other, borrower and lender. Just because a man is of means and can
lend does not mean he is a mean or vicious character and lends with exorbitant interest. It merely is implied that the Lord may well use this person to
enhance the life of the poorer one. It also may mean the poor person by
borrowing enhances the life of the lender. God blesses both persons in the
common exchange. Is that God giving approval to the system of credit? Doubtful
as he also says we should owe no man anything. Of course that is difficult in
the modern era for we would never be able to buy a home or a car, or a college
education for that matter, without incurring debt. But the main point here is
that God blesses all people who come to know him. This should give us the
insight that we too should see all people as equal, not prejudging them because
of either their wealth or poverty. We all have one thing in common, that is we
all meet together in our humanity, created by God, and we all are sinners. It
is just right now some of us are sinners saved by grace, and other sinners have
not accept that grace yet. But we are all in common in the fact we are not
perfect, but rather sinners. God offers grace to all class of people and this
proverb tells us we all come together at the cross.
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