Solomon

Proverbs 10:1 KJV
THE proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

Proverbs 10:32 KJV
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

Proverbs 11:2 KJV
When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

When the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, Solomon chose wisdom over wealth, long life, or the destruction of his enemies, as we see in 1 Kings 3 KJV. To add some context, Solomon was the son of King David, a wealthy ruler, and married an Egyptian woman, a bold move given that Egypt was likely an adversary during Moses' time, though decades had passed. While there were probably other enemies, making an alliance with Egypt through marriage was a strategic decision, shifting them from rivals to allies. As for long life, it’s something no one can predict. Still, it’s remarkable that Solomon, even with the best education a king’s son could get, chose to ask for wisdom.

Over the coming weeks or months, I’ll be sharing verses that the Lord brings to mind, which are relevant to this blog. A detailed study of Proverbs 20-29 could take years, so for now, let’s focus on three key verses.

There's a distinction between sons and daughters, even today. Sons often face a higher set of expectations than their sisters, and while the world is changing—especially in America and parts of Europe—many places still hold onto the belief that "it's a man's world." In the context of Proverbs, though, we could substitute "son" with "daughter" because no parent wants to see their child become foolish. As for me, I was like the Prodigal Son, making plenty of mistakes before coming to faith in my early thirties. My parents were at a loss, trying to figure out how to help me. Despite their best efforts, it was a journey I had to walk on my own. The good news is, they witnessed my transformation through Christ.

When you're walking with Christ, your words become gentle, kind, and soft. They’re not boastful, loud, or bitter. Your actions match your words, because they have meaning. Let me share an example.

A conservative newspaper once published an article about a diversity organization, accusing three founding members—two men and one woman—of embezzling millions of dollars. The three were Christian individuals. One day, while taking my son for a test, I ran into one of the founders. We ended up having a productive conversation about inclusion and how, ironically, the organization had excluded certain viewpoints, especially conservative ones. I told him that true inclusion can’t be exclusive. If you’re genuinely trying to be inclusive, you can’t shut out opposing views.

The organization sought diversity in both race and gender, which was their choice. But I warned the founder that if they started to include intolerant groups, especially those who are vile and disrespectful, it would eventually undermine their mission. Without wisdom at the helm, their organization would face opposition—exactly what happened, which led to this controversy.

The founder and another man, who is a friend of mine, shared their side of the story, speaking about the lies they were facing and the costly legal battles to defend their names. I responded by writing to the journalist, calling out the false witness in the article, and reminding him that he would have to answer for his actions before Jesus. What troubled me most were the hateful comments people made, often from those who claimed to be Christians. How could anyone speak with such vitriol about people they don’t even know?

This situation reflects the truth of Proverbs 10:32 KJV: "The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaks frowardness." The article and the comments highlighted the problem of guilty until proven innocent. It’s a sad reality that, in many cases, we have to prove our innocence to the courts and society, regardless of the facts. This inversion of justice is the death knell of any society.

Look no further than Brazil, where the former President was convicted of corruption and money laundering, receiving a 10-year sentence. However, the Supreme Court later commuted his sentence, citing that he was the only one who could challenge the current President in an election. Sure enough, the imprisoned former President went on to defeat the sitting President in the election. As expected, this led to a revolt, and now the defeated President is facing legal proceedings, with the possibility of being jailed.