Proverbs 1:8-19

We see that Solomon's first piece of wisdom is to be careful regarding your friends. These are people who "lie in wait for someone's blood", who will fill their "house with plunder". On the face, this should be a fairly simple piece of advice to follow. I have made it through my young rebellious stage and behaving in a way so out of whack with social standards is no longer even slightly appealing.

But what if we read this passage more poetically. What is someone's blood? It is their life force. It caries nutrients throughout the body. With the loss of blood, the victim will become weak and lethargic. Solomon is saying that we need turn our backs on practices that victimize others, that might take from them resources they may need for their survival. This seems to fit well with the rest of the verse in which the miscreants sing of the plunder they will accumulate in their nasty behavior.

But it is more than possessions that we need for our survival. What of our personal integrity. When we slander an individual, we can cut them to the quick (which in itself is an analogy of bleeding). Gossip can turn the opinion of the community and potentially "waylay the harmless soul".

There is also the literal accumulation of another's wealth through underhanded means. We can steal via physical might. But, we can also plunder another man's possessions through mental trickery and deception. In our transactions with others, our tongue must be honest and forthright. Now we are getting into areas that are more difficult to control in our culture. To be successful in business, we might think that it is better to conceal some truths in a transaction. But this is a reaction out of FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real). We delude ourselves by thinking that if the individual knew the truth they would not be interested in the deal (this could be the selling of real estate, dissemination of scientific results, representation of one's political platform, etc.) As Solomon asks later in the verse: "How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!" You might catch one finch with your deception, but all the rest will see your scheme and you will be out of business. When we behave in a deceptive manner with our fellow men, we "waylay only ourselves".

This is the wisdom of Solomon: The easy rode to wealth and power via ill begotten means will only lead to our own destruction. But we say to this, what of all those people who have cheated their way to wealth, power, and fame (or infamy). Briefly I ask, do you know their state of mind? Are they happy? Or, do they lay in fear for someone to come and waylay them? I'm not saying that if you are always honest and open with your daily transaction, then you will not be attacked and waylaid by those who are not, see Job. Solomon doesn't say that either. We must diligently be on our guard for highway robbers and thieves in the night. But we can be sure, if we choose join ranks with those who deceive and steal, then our actions will bight us in the ass.

Peace