Its my contention that, generally speaking, to limit yourself to a mere chapter in a quiet time is a mistake. There may be times when your devotional may require using a smaller portion of scripture. Perhaps you are doing a character study, and the devotional guide you are using focuses on a chapter, or even a smaller portion. But generally speaking, it really is important to work with larger portions of scripture.
Working with a larger portion gives you a bigger view of what’s important to the author of scripture. This is most plain when you are reading the narrative portions of scripture, such as in the Old Testament books of the kings, or in the gospels. When you see an important item or topic appearing again and again, this suggests that the topic in question is a key theme for that book. Take, for instance, the prevalence of the priesthood in the books of Chronicles. The priesthood, and their actions, and often times their inaction becomes an important thread that unlocks the deeper principles of scripture. Accounts of how the kings ended are key themes in both the Chronicles and Kings books, helping us to understand how God wants us to finish well, and to avoid finishing poorly.
Working with larger portions of scripture is no less important in Proverbs.
Many of us who come to read proverbs think of this book, primarily as being one and two verse ditties (chapters 1-9 and 31 excepted) that are not really connected with the others around them. In fact, the seeming randomness and lack of immediate connection between two given verses can be bewildering to we westerners to read. But taking a bigger portion of proverbs is important toward helping us understand the aims and goals of Solomon who has compiled these sayings for us.
When reading Proverbs, it is important to begin by a survey of the portion to be read for the devotional. Note puzzling proverbs with your own personal, brief shorthand (such as an ‘!’ or a ‘?’), but do not ponder long on them in this first initial survey. Your primary goal is to look for repeated ideas, subjects and topics.
One set of chapters may seem to focus heavily on the proper use of the mouth. Another set of chapter may seem to have numerous references to laziness interspersed with, among other things, references to obtaining wealth. Another passage may have a heavy salting of passages focused on child rearing. But one thing you will consistently find throughout the book are calls to be wise, and calls to fear God.
In the portion I had for my devotional time today (22-24), I had a number of passages that dealt with envy.
“Fret not yourself because of evil doers, and be not envious of the wicked,
For the evil man has no future, and the lamp of the wicked will be put out.”
Proverbs 24:19-20
Envy is that terrible monster that rears up in our hearts. And when it rears up it distorts our thinking and poisons our will. We may find ourselves beginning to be angry with those who have what we want, thinking that we have been robbed of what is rightfully ours. Or it may cause us to want to associate with those who have what we want in such a way that we may compromise our principles, or become their tools.
I can remember a number of times in my past when my wife and I did not have a lot. We sometimes felt resentful about that fact. It made us susceptible to get rich quick schemes, and foolish investments of our time and resources. Sometimes we were even encouraged to drive through the neighborhoods of others and look at their homes and, in their words, “Dream.” Actually, what these people were telling us to do was to go and covet what belonged to someone else. Envy. But of course, the people who were coaching us at the time in these matters were going to gain from our labor. So they had a vested interest in getting us motivated to want more and more.
“Be not envious of Evil men, nor desire to be with them,
For their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble.”
Proverbs 24:1-2
The current climate of class warfare is also fueled by envy. “The rich get rich and the poor get poorer.” I hear people say these kinds of things all the time. These statements have their source in people who want the so called “have nots” (who in reality, in our nation, have enough, just not as much as the next guy) to stay in tension with those who are the so called, “Have’s.” Votes and tax dollars and government dollars, union movements and protests are fueled by this monster called envy.
And that’s not all. The economy also has a significant basis in envy. Our tv programs and commercials often use the tool of envy to cause us to want more and more. Corporations have a vested interest in comparing ourselves with others, telling us that we deserve more and more, and that we are paling in comparison with those around us if we don’t have what they have. Banks and lending institutions prey on our envy to cause us to take out more credit then is prudent.
“When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you
And put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.
Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food…
Proverbs 23:1-3 (emphasis added)
Envy is a close brother to another terrible sin: Greed. And the Bible says that Greed is idolatry. Envy makes an idol out of what the next guy has, whether good or bad, and tells us that we have to have that, no matter the cost to ourselves and those around us. And our wills our warped and our minds become wrapped around that thing which is denied us, driving us to get that desired things at all cost.
That’s why Proverbs warns us against Envy. Its one of the more subtle sins. Yet it really is a master of much of what goes on in our culture today. The next time you are watching TV, and a commercial comes on telling you how need to have this product, or are watching that TV program which says your house is not quite enough, remember what the Bible says about Envy.
“Let not your heart envy sinner, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.”
Proverbs 23:17
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