Week 27 Proverbs 3
In chapter three there’s a bunch of Ifs & Thens. It made me wonder if there’s supposed to be an exact correspondence between them (for instance if I’m kind will I then be healthy?)
I drew up a table with two columns.
In the Left Column are the Ifs. If you…
• Remember the teaching
• Keep the commandments
• Are kind
• Are truthful
• Trust in the Lord
• Aren’t arrogant
• Fear the Lord
• Turn away from evil
• Are charitable
• Accept the Lord’s discipline.
In the Right Column are Thens. Then you’ll…
• Live long
• Live in peace
• Win people’s favor
• Have a good reputation
• Have a straight path
• Be healed / healthy
• Be financially enriched
• Know the Lord loves you
Unfortunately the Ifs & Thens didn’t line up nicely in tabular form. I couldn’t tell for sure that (let’s say) if I’m truthful then I’ll have a good reputation. The connection wasn’t that tight.
I thought about some bible characters: Job Joseph Jeremiah Peter Paul John. People who did the Ifs. But they also seemed to have been put-on-hold when it came to the sunny Thens. They just seemed to do the Ifs because the Ifs were the best way to live.
Do beneficial Thens really follow the Ifs? No doubt. But maybe not in direct or immediate or obvious ways.
Note: Proverbs 3:1-12. The items on the If list are in 3:1 3 5 7 9 11. The Then list is in 3:2 4 6 8 10.