BE YE PERFECT

Proverbs 3:27-28 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. (28) Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

I pause for a moment this devotional approach to these Proverbs from King Solomon as I take you to behold the wonders of their literary constructions. Hebrew wisdom literature, as well as Hebrew poetry, works in sets of two verses. Two opposite concepts can develop an idea, or we can have what we have in these two verses: the first verse introduces the taught principle, while the second verse defines its application.

This may not seem very important but, and some may argue with me about that, I believe that God did not leave much room for guessing what He meant in His Word. If the second verse explains the first, then the person to whom good is due, is our neighbor. And to know who our neighbor is, we turn to the Messiah who, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, taught us that our neighbor was whoever we meet on our way that is in dire need, even if it is an actual oppressing enemy.

This is a simple proverb about giving, but it teaches more than generosity. It teaches us a form of generosity that is beyond the principle of ‘good deeds’. Mostly, it teaches us a generosity that makes us come near to the perfection Jesus talked about when He said,
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48