Proverbs 10:1-5 Wise Son, or Not

This first group of parables uses a wise and foolish son as bookends. The wise/righteous are not forsaken where the foolish fall into ruin.

We have come to the crux of my Proverbs Problem. There are no definitive breaks in the next 12 chapters. I won’t claim any wisdom as to how to break them into smaller chunks. My bible helps at least started me with a break point. I’m going to rely on them to break down the wisdom handed to Solomon into bite sized pieces.

When I read the first verse I already had a question because it could be read two ways. A wise son indeed makes his father glad but because of the position of the two final words a wise son could also become a glad father. Only by looking at verse two did I discover which interpretation Solomon had in mind. The foolish son brings sorrow to his mother.

I don’t think either verse is talking about a young child. It is most likely speaking one who is old enough to be expected to act in the young man to adult world. It could even be speaking of one who is older. It certainly is speaking of one who should know better and know the difference between right and wrong.

So let’s look at these two ‘sons’. After saying this I see that there is MUCH more to attribute to these ‘two sons’ in the verses to come. I suppose we will just have to keep building on the characters we meet today. Who knows how ‘fleshed out’ they will be by the time we exit Proverbs.

Today we see first off that the father is proud of his wise son. This isn’t a sinful pride but a just one. His son is living according to the Laws of Moses. He knows how to work and prepares for the future. Everything he gets is done honestly. Even when he was starting out and had little, he trusted in the Lord and He has blessed what this son has done.

The foolish son is lazy. He is also a thief. All that he has he gathered by trickery or outright theft. His schemes turn out just like Wile E Coyote’s. They end in disaster. He is always trying to find another ‘get rich quick’ idea and even the ones that succeed don’t satisfy his thirst for more. He never feels as if he has enough money, power, or status. Because of this, his pockets are empty. Everything he has he risks on his next venture. And his actions have brought shame on his family; especially the mother who bore him. I would bet that his father has turned away from him.

Thinking about these two sons I wonder about the characterization of the foolish one as lazy. It takes a lot of effort to keep coming up with schemes or trying to con just one more dollar out of everyone around you. I would say the son may be physically lazy but his mind doesn’t rest. He has no peace.

That right there is the big difference. The wise son has peace where the foolish one doesn’t. The wise son knows he has done all he can to follow the ways of the Lord and he is at peace with God. The foolish son keeps trying to find contentment but he is wrestling with the Lord so he finds no peace within himself.

As long as he continues to refuse to surrender his will to the Lord’s he will never know peace. Even if he became the richest man ever, it still wouldn’t be enough to give him the peace his soul is crying out for.

We get to choose to be the ‘foolish’ or ‘wise’ sons. It is not something we are born with or is forced upon us. Neither is it based of our circumstances. The richest man can choose to live by the words of the Lord or to try and gratify only his own desires. The poorest man has the same choice. It isn’t dependent on how full your belly is but how full your heart is and Who you have filled it with. A heart filled with things will forever be lacking and empty. A heart where the Lord resides is always full and running over.

Which son or daughter do you want to be?

Father God I want to be Your wise daughter. I want to bring You honor wherever I go. Forgive me for complaining today about others taking our time. It was not right to make Steve feel guilty. I need to ask his forgiveness when he wakes up again. Serving him too is what Your wise daughter does.

Thank You Holy Spirit for showing me the root difference between the two. I would not have seen that on my own. You put it there for me to find; to stumble over it. Help me find more of the treasures hidden in God’s words and the wisdom He gave Solomon. I know it is as valuable for me today as it ever was in Solomon’s days. No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.