Proverbs 19:1-14
1 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
2 Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge,
And he sins who hastens with his feet.
3 The foolishness of a man twists his way,
And his heart frets against the LORD.
4 Wealth makes many friends,
But the poor is separated from his friend.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies will not escape.
6 Many entreat the favor of the nobility,
And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.
7 All the brothers of the poor hate him;
How much more do his friends go far from him!
He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.
8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;
He who keeps understanding will find good.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies shall perish.
10 Luxury is not fitting for a fool,
Much less for a servant to rule over princes.
11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
And his glory is to overlook a transgression.
12 The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish son is the ruin of his father,
And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping.
14 Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the LORD.
The false witness harbors lies while the person of integrity exercises wisdom and understanding by truth and discretion. It is far better to have integrity and nothing else to your name than speaking perverse things with much wealth in foolishness. Without the foundational knowledge of God’s word to build wisdom upon, men run unwisely into trouble and sin against the Lord. Wisdom does not twist or pervert the way we walk through life nor fret in anger or confusion against God. Wisdom gains knowledge and understanding to find peace with God and the straight path forward in confidence. Some people buy their friends with their wealth, directly or by association, but poverty can separate friends because they have nothing to gain and lack the compassion to help or encourage them. They even bribe important people and give gifts to get assistance in return. The Lord reminds us that liars and slanderers without integrity will eventually be caught in their lies and deceit (Revelation 21:8), which gives us the understanding to wisely avoid them and their behavior ourselves. Even though poverty of possessions and positions leave many abandoned and ignored, we can be assured that the Lord give good to those seeking understanding and wisdom in skillfully applying that to living and loving life in pleasing Him. Liars and false witnesses who refuse to tell the truth and even slander others for gain will reap what they sow in the end if not sooner. That is comfort for the wise. We can see that money and power do not buy wisdom, but reinforce foolish behavior and as out of place as as a servant ruling over a prince. The wise man instead exercises discretion, his knowledge and good sense, to not rush into anger and even to let other’s sins against himself go, whether through outward or internal forgiveness as humble grace. If we enrage the authorities set over us by God (Romans 13:1-2, 3-4), we may feel the avenger’s due wrath on our evil behavior. But if we comply in humility, we find favor so refreshing as the morning dew covering the grass to start each day. Foolishness only disappoints our father as the contentious wife who constantly wears her husband down, and our riches of an eternal dwelling are the ultimate inheritance from Him (John 14:2), just as a prudent wife adorns the husband as a precious gift from the LORD with her wisdom and understanding. This is a lesson in the wisdom of integrity and the end of false witnesses and selfish liars.
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