How to treat your neighbor right
Proverbs 3:27-34
Helping your neighbor
Do all you can for everyone who deserves your help. Don’t tell your neighbor to come back tomorrow, if you can help today (vs 27-28 CEV).
When we see someone in need it’s wise to help them. This is plain simple. But how many times do we turn away strangers who ask for money, and do nothing to help the homeless man we watch digging in the garbage can, or the older woman struggling with her groceries. Ya see, wisdom naturally helps people. The God in you should move you to help, if not, it says a lot about how selfish you are.
The proverbs mentions that we should do all we can. When you know someone’s in need and they ask for money, do you simply give them the left over change in your car? That’s pathetic! Would eighty-two cents buy someone a meal. You know that you can do better than that! Come on, what’s five, ten or twenty bucks to you who will receive this and more by the end of the week. Some of these people live on the street and go without food for days. Come on, don’t be stingy, do all that you can.
The proverb says to help everyone who deserves it. This takes understanding because everyone who looks like they have a need, or asks for help, doesn’t always deserve it. That homeless guy may be a drug-addict who doesn’t need anything but a prayer because the money you give him would only go up his nose. But you can’t append the label of “drug-addict” to every street person looking for financial help – people use that excuse all the time to justify not giving. But there are people who don’t deserve help, for instance: a person who frequently misuses their money. Why give them more to waste? Or, a lazy person – all the help a sluggard deserves is rebuke and correction for his sin.
The proverbs also says that we shouldn’t delay our help (vs 28). We should help as soon as possible. To delay is basically saying you really don’t want to do it. If you tell a person to return tomorrow, usually the person will, but you won’t be home. You knew in advance you wouldn’t be home, but it makes you look like a good Samaritan in the eyes of the person in need because you offered to help but were simply unavailable. That is phony and it masks your true selfishness! God knows what you’re doing and this is why he put that verse in Proverbs. Stop it! Either help them or not, don’t play games with people.
Also, if you intend to help, it’s arrogant to make another person wait on that help when you know you can do it now. God is against arrogance and he tells us not to be this way (Proverbs 8:13). What if the Lord decided to make you wait on your next breath to show you how much you need him? Choosing who to help or not takes discernment, but if we call ourselves “wise”, we will do all we can to help others, and without delay.
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Thank you for this word Neal.
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This is a CEV misinterpretation (I cant call it a translation). Which along side CEV Ephesians 5:6-9 is telling the believer to shun the unbelievers. This one because they dont deserve your help and the Eph verse just because they are sinners.
What the Proverb is actually saying is to not withold good from those who have earned it. Not those who “deserve” it. Because the first doesnt require a judgment but the second does. Its not my or your place to judge a man to see if he deserves our help or not.
KJV 27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
The Ephesians 5:6-7 verse is even worse
KJV 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
Which says do not join in with a sinner when he sins because of the “wrath of God”, it will not be pleasant.
But the CEV says
6 Don’t let anyone trick you with foolish talk. God punishes everyone who disobeys him and says [a] foolish things. 7 So don’t have anything to do with anyone like that
Which says basically, Shun the sinner.
Which we all know is wrong. Otherwise Jesus would have been known for his company of the elite, not his company of converted sinners.
You must invite the sinners to your church to be converted. Not shun them because you dont think they arent worty according to your judgement.
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Hi Joe,
As far as this article goes regarding the proverbs passage, I would have to disagree. I think my interpretation of the CEV and KJV translations are correct as explained in the article.
As Christians we are called to make judgements every day. Do you think it’s wise to give God’s resources to someone who you know will waste them? I think not. The examples I gave make sense and I stand by them.
As for the Ephesians passage, I can see how you would interpret it that way, but in light of all the rest of scriptures you gave regarding Jesus’ actions, it’s clear that God isn’t talking about shunning sinners. He’s saying NOT to take part in their works.
Isolating the text from the rest of scripture can lead to the bible sounding contradictory therefore leading to an assumption that the translators had it wrong. I don’t believe that to be the case with the scripture passages you cited.
However, I’m aware of some passages that have been flat-out translated wrongly and this is why I study with the Holy Spirit by my side, so he can show me the errors and give me a correct understanding.
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