Proverbs 10 includes an interesting observation: “The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked” (v. 3). The NLT translates it this way: “The Lord will not let the godly go hungry, but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.”
This verse sparked an interesting discussion, and even some pushback, among our Grace@Work group—especially among the Christians. While our nation has been blessed and experiences limited hunger, the thinking went, the same can’t be said for the globe as a whole. Thus, several people wanted to read this verse as promising spiritual food rather than food food.
That same thinking applied to a section in Proverbs 11, where we read, “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered” (vv. 24-25). Those rightly warned against the idea that faith—if only faith is strong enough—will bring health and wealth got a little nervous about this verse. Again, then, this must be promising heavenly treasure instead of earthly treasure.
Is that right?
We all face the temptation to interpret the Bible to fit in with our preexisting notions and traditions. But it’s always a good idea to ask ourselves, “How would the original audience have understood this verse?” In this case, if you were an Israelite in 900 BC, how would you have understood these verses? I think you would have thought that God won’t let the godly go hungry and that those who are generous with the money God has blessed them with will continue to be blessed by God. In other words, without denying some spiritual application of these verses, I think the original audience would have taken them at face value as having earthly significance.
Is it true that God doesn’t let the godly go hungry? Let’s start by acknowledging that proverbs are generally applicable truths rather than hard-and-fast rules. They are principles to live by. So in saying God doesn’t let the godly go hungry, I don’t think this verse is promising that a believer will never miss a meal. And note that this refers only to physical hunger. It doesn’t say God will give the godly person everything he wants. If you’re like me, it’s easy to get those concepts confused.
Perhaps rather than questioning the validity of this proverb, we should ask ourselves: If I’m going hungry, am I godly? That forces us to answer the question, “What does it mean to be godly?” It doesn’t refer simply to belief but action. It means living in a godly way, living in obedience to the law of God. Or, in a New Testament sense, living in obedience to the law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21).
So if I’m a believer who’s nonetheless going hungry, rather than questioning God’s word as my starting point, maybe I should examine my obedience to the law of Christ. Am I a lazy Christian? The next verse in Proverbs 10 says that a slack hand causes poverty (v. 4). The apostle Paul said that if you don’t work, you don’t eat. I’m not against food pantries for those unable to work, but for able-bodied people, the apostle seems to think work should be exchanged for food. Otherwise, Proverbs tells us that we shouldn’t expect living off the food pantry to relieve our poverty. Am I a porn-watching Christian? Am I a lying Christian? Am I a wife-beating Christian? If so, I probably needn’t be surprised if I’m also a hungry Christian.
Will the generous grow richer? Even if you’re ok with the idea that God doesn’t let the godly grow hungry, perhaps you still stumble over the idea that the generous grow richer. How can this possibly make sense?
It will only make sense if you begin with the belief that there is a sovereign Creator who does as he pleases. If you don’t believe that, then there’s really no basis to trust in this verse. But if you do believe God is and is sovereign over all, then this verse makes total sense. Proverbs 19:7 says, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”
Lest anyone think I’m teaching people to trust in riches, not that Proverbs 11 just a couple verses later says, “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf” (v. 28). The person who gives generously isn’t trusting in his riches, he’s trusting in the Lord.
We see this principle again in verse 26, “People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need.” Think of Joseph and Egypt during the famine. God warned Pharaoh through Joseph that seven years of famine were coming, so they needed to store up grain during the years of plenty that would come first. When the famine came, Pharaoh didn’t hoard the grain, worried that his supply wouldn’t sustain his house through the famine, but sold it to those in need. And not just to the Egyptians but also to the surrounding nations. The Egyptian people ultimately sold themselves to Pharaoh in exchange for grain. We might think they’d grumble, but I expect that’s because we’ve never faced such a situation. They didn’t curse Joseph; they credited him with saving their lives (Genesis 47:25).
Takeaway:
God blessed Pharaoh for selling grain in a time of need. But what if he had withheld it? Proverbs 11:24 suggests that he would have himself ended up suffering want. Again, that may not make sense if you assume atheism and have nothing but your grain supply to trust in, but it makes total sense if you believe that God is and will do as he says. Do I believe God will do as he says?
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