What Goes Around Comes Around – Proverbs 21:13

Moammar Gaddafi’s last words have been variously reported as “Do you know right from wrong,” and “What did I do to you?”  The strong man of Libya was overthrown in 2011 by his own people.  He was under arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court for murder and persecution of civilians as well as crimes against humanity.  He expected help when he was  unwilling to give his people help.

Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered. (Proverbs 21:13, ESV)

Our church once had a preacher who often spoke at our beach retreats and his message was always on hell.  It was designed to scare hell out of you, and move you to trust Christ as savior.  Many young people did just that but it was also evident that some didn’t really feel moved to trust and love Christ as much as escape the fire.  The motive for which you do the right thing should be a right motive.

It could seem like the motive for helping the poor that is being encouraged here is fear.  I’ll be afraid that I’ll one day need help and because I didn’t listen to the cry of the poor when I had means to help, I will be similarly ignored.  And that is a true concept of justice.

I don’t think this Proverb is intended to be the main motivation for helping the poor, or for sure the only motivation.  Other proverbs speak of how much God cares for the poor and how important it is to be generous for the sake of being righteous.  But the principle the proverb does affirm is a version of our proverb, “What goes around comes around.”  This proverb of ours only makes sense, of course, if there is a God who sees to it that justice is finally served.  Justice isn’t some magic principle that happens in a world with no Creator.  In a world with no Creator there is no such thing as justice.  That is a concept that can only be attributed to personality.