Be Fair, Diligent, and Forgiving

Proverbs 24:23-34

23 These things also belong to the wise:

It is not good to show partiality in judgment.
24 He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous,"
Him the people will curse;
Nations will abhor him.

25 But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.

27 Prepare your outside work,
Make it fit for yourself in the field;
And afterward build your house.

28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
For would you deceive with your lips?

29 Do not say, "I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work."

30 I went by the field of the lazy man,
And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns;
Its surface was covered with nettles;
Its stone wall was broken down.

32 When I saw it, I considered it well;
I looked on it and received instruction:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest;
34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.

These wise sayings tell us to be fair and not false towards others, to be diligent in the work God gives us to do for Him and others before our own aspirations, and to be forgiving instead of planning vengeance when wronged.  Partiality is not just being unfair to give to some and not other based on their friendship or social standing (James 2:2-4), but also calling the evil person good and righteous when they clearly are not, just to gain personal favors or advantage in return.  Eventually others will detest the ones dealing so unfairly with blatant favoritism.  We are to be lovingly merciful, but also honest and true.  If we call out the sin for what it is instead of covering it, God will bless us, just as a fair and just account is like the pleasure of a kiss before God and men.  It is more pleasing to be honest than purposefully lie to deceive in covering someone’s intentional sin from an evil intent.  We are also told not to build our own house before working diligently in God’s field and doing the work outside ourselves for the good of others; our aspirations and efforts should not be kept as the highest priority in life, just as Jesus and the scriptures tell us to do (Luke 16:10-12, Philippians 2:3-7).  Our fairness in justice then does not allow our own goals in life to deceive others and defame our neighbors with false testimony with no other reason but our own profit.  We are furthermore not to seek vengeance when wronged to render to the evil of others just what they did to us in return as Romans 12:17, 19 say.  In a following verse, Romans 12:21 we are reminded never to return evil for evil done to us, but to give good in return for the evil we receive unjustly.  Christ gave the example as the just suffering injustice for we the unjust (1 Peter 3:18) in order to deliver us from God’s wrath of just judgment.  This is grace and mercy which we can never deserve or earn in any way; if God is so merciful to us, how can we be vengeful to others to hurt them back as they have hurt us?  We each and all answer to God.  Finally, we are given a clear command to be diligent and not empty of understanding as the example of a farmer neglecting the vineyard and reaping only thorns, letting the walls fall down in disrepair to allow animals to further destroy the work.  That has effect on our own lives as well if lived without discipline and hard work (Proverbs 25:28).  We are to consider this well to understand the long term effects of laziness and the poverty of possessions and spirit which follow.  May we be valiant and diligent for the Lord and His work therefore.