Read
5Someone's thoughts may be
as deep as the ocean,
but if you are smart,
you will discover them.
6There are many who say,
“You can trust me!”
But can they be trusted?
7Good people live right,
and God blesses the children
who follow their example.
8When rulers decide cases,
they weigh the evidence.
9Can any of us really say,
“My thoughts are pure,
and my sins are gone”?
Reflect
In an age of information we are in great need of wisdom. The book of Proverbs provides us with something like sound bites” which can be a resource for righteous living. It is not a self-help manual. At its heart this book probes well beyond simple advice and instruction in calling us to “the fear of the Lord” and engagement in patterns of living honouring to Yahweh.
Practical wisdom is certainly about what we do, how we behave, our practices in relations to others. Our passage today however, alerts us to an important feature of moral living. There is an intimate connection between our character and our action. However because behaviour is an external matter we cannot always tell what is motivating the behaviour, what purposes are at work. Human purposes are like deep water – it is difficult to know what is below the surface of our actions. However a person of understanding can discern those purposes. Our inner lives are often not consistent with the mask of outer behaviour (v 6). The one who is righteous brings together God-honouring motives and purposes of the inner life and their expression in practical action. This is one meaning of integrity – where motive and action are in unity. In this way such a person is “blameless” as there is no inconsistency at work in their behaviour.
Evil or selfish intentions may well accompany action that is meant to appear as righteous. The King seeks to discern this kind of falsehood and expose it (v 8). It will come as no surprise that none among us is fully successful in practicing the integrity of heart and action (v 9). We are called to accountability and invited, indeed exhorted, to deal with this kind of moral failure, devoting ourselves by God’s grace to purity of heart.
Respond
Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me (Ps 51:10). By your grace help me to cultivate righteousness of heart so that my life may be an outshining of the indwelling Christ. You are my Rock and my Salvation. I put my trust in you. Lead me in the path of righteousness for your name’s sake (Ps 23:3). Amen.
John Franklin
John Franklin has served as Executive Director of Imago since 1998, a Toronto based initiative in support of Christians in the arts in Canada. He is linked with a large network of Christian artists across Canada and internationally through Lausanne and the World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission. Prior to Imago he was a professor of philosophy at Tyndale College and has taught courses in theology and the arts at Toronto School of Theology. He publishes Imago's quarterly newsletter and an occasional online IMAGO Reflection.