27Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. 28Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,” when you have it with you. 29Do not devise harm against your neighbor, while he lives securely beside you. 30Do not contend with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
The Book of Proverbs begins to turn to specifics. Up until now, Solomon has been writing in generalities; the concepts have been quite profound and lofty. Here we see a foretaste of practical wisdom that anticipates chapters 10-30. The writer returns to the general principles of wisdom in chapter 4 and moves into the grand metaphor of a young man’s choice between wisdom and folly in chapter 5. We saw the contrast beginning in Proverbs 1:20-22, where a female voice of wisdom calls out in the streets to a young man, and then the voice of the parents teaches wisdom (chapter 5) over against the invitation from the “lips of an adulteress [that] drip honey” (Prov. 5:3). The profoundly poignant illustration carries through the first nine chapters, sometimes overtly, sometimes subtly, but its shadow is always there.
In our passage today, we see four interrelated instances of practical wisdom, all having to do with how we treat others. The Bible often uses the term “neighbor” in a broad sense for those in our circle of acquaintance. This includes relatives, friends, associates, and anyone we rub shoulders with as we go through life. The common theme of these four wisdom statements is our fair treatment of others.
Our default posture toward others is to do good whenever we are able. Godly wisdom does not include a “live and let live” philosophy. We are wise to have as fundamental in our lives a posture of doing good for others. The principles of wisdom are solidly rooted in godliness. In Paul’s application of Christlikeness (leading up to extolling the humility of Christ), he wrote:
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (Phil. 2:3–4)
Secondly, we should not delay doing good to others if we can do it now. Promises for tomorrow can be hollow words. To use a popular phrase, “Just do it!” Thirdly, we must not be two-faced, pretending to be neighborly while undermining the other person. Finally, we must not start or continue a conflict without a good reason, especially if no harm has been done to us. We might add a corollary to this: we shouldn’t be easily offended and then claim as harm something that could be smoothed over by returning good to the other person.
Lord, help me grow in looking to do good for others and not being easily offended.
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