6. Following Faithfulness
The word "faithfulness" may sound somewhat old-fashioned to our modern ears, but the concept behind this word lies at the heart of much of the wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Before we look at this important concept in Proverbs, however, we need to learn a little about its underlying meaning.
The Hebrew word emet that is often translated as faithfulness in English Bibles is interesting because it has several meanings, the main ones being "reliability," "faithfulness," and "truth." Older Bible translations such as the KJV often translated emet as truth in almost all cases, while most newer translations realize that faithfulness is often a more accurate rendering. As a result, although the NKJV (and other KJVbased versions) translates Proverbs 3:3 as "Let not mercy and truth forsake you," the NIV translates this same verse as "Let love and faithfulness never leave you."
In most cases, context makes the particular meaning of emet clear when the word is used. But keep in mind that while this word does sometimes carry the connotation of truth (for example, see Proverbs 12:19), it is more often used in the sense of reliability, trustworthiness, and faithfulness (Nehemiah 7:2; etc.). This means that if you are using an older translation such as the KJV (and even some modern ones) when studying the book of Proverbs, you frequently need to change the word "truth" to "faithfulness" in your own mind to better understand what the proverbs are actually saying.
Another aspect of this word that can help us better understand its use is that emet almost always has to do with relationships rather than ideas. In other words, even when the word is used with the meaning of truth, it usually means telling the truth rather than conceptual truth that we learn. Understanding these simple principles can make a significant difference in our study.
Now that we have this background, we can better appreciate the message of many of the proverbs. Going back to our example of Proverbs 3:3, we see why "Let love and faithfulness never leave you" is a better translation than "Let not mercy and truth forsake you," because the words love or loving kindness and faithfulness better convey the active expression of these qualities in our relationships with others.
Faithfulness certainly is vital to our relationships. There are few things in life that can seem more personally devastating than being betrayed. If you have ever experienced betrayal by a spouse or close friend, or even a business colleague or acquaintance, you know the importance of loyalty and faithfulness. Countless relationships between individuals, communities, and even whole countries have been shattered through unfaithfulness. That is one of the reasons Proverbs puts so much stress on the concept – faithfulness is needed for the smooth functioning of just about all relationships. When we realize that, we understand why Proverbs says so firmly that:
The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs. (Proverbs 14:14) It is also why Proverbs gives us examples of faithfulness, or the lack of it, from many areas of life that we might not always think about in this context. For example:
A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished. (Proverbs 28:20) At first glance this proverb might seem to be referring to two different things – faithfulness and avarice – but it is not. It tells us that those who are overly focused on getting money, or not losing it, are very likely to become unfaithful in their behavior because of this attitude. This single principle is one that can affect individuals in dozens of ways – from cheating on taxes to not paying those who are hired enough, or soon enough:
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. (Proverbs 3:27) When we realize that faithfulness is involved in every situation where we have opportunity to do good, we realize just how broad its application is. Examples like the ones we have looked at show us why it is so important to think through the possible applications of proverbs as we study them. In doing this we may find small ways in which we can become more faithful in our lives in areas we would not otherwise have thought about. But we should remember that even if the issues seem small, they are still important. Just as we find in the words of Jesus – given, incidentally, in the form of a proverb:
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16:10) There are many other reasons why faithfulness is stressed in so many proverbs. The book of Proverbs recognizes, for example, that our faithful behavior encourages a mirror-like response from others. For example, many modern studies have found that couples who doubt their mate's faithfulness are far more likely to be unfaithful themselves, while those who see even small indications of a spouse's loyalty to them are far more likely to be faithful in return. Proverbs uses an ancient but still viable example of just this principle of reciprocal faithfulness:
Love and faithfulness keep a king safe; through love his throne is made secure. (Proverbs 20:28) This proverb is simply stating that the love and faithfulness a king displays in dealing with his subjects elicits the same responses from them, and that this fact safeguards the king and the stability of his rule. But whether we are in a leadership role or not, the principle of faithfulness applies to us all in countless ways. It is the principle that lies behind dozens of proverbs such as :
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24) Who doesn't want friends, spouses, relatives, and coworkers who won't abandon us at the first sign of trouble or when we need their help? But that, of course, is how we have to be willing to live, also. Faithfulness to our beliefs, our relationships, and the commitments we make in life means steadfastly honoring them – even when it is difficult to do so. When we live in this way, Proverbs shows that we become known as being honest, dependable, and trustworthy. Faithfulness is just as much a part of being a Christian light as it is a matter of walking in wisdom that will prove beneficial to us and to others.
Spiritual Depth: A Small Case Study There are some important spiritual aspects of faithfulness that are touched upon in Proverbs. Consider this example:
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD evil is avoided. (Proverbs 16:6) This proverb cannot mean that we can somehow atone for our own sins through further actions of love and faithfulness – we cannot "earn" spiritual forgiveness, of course, as the Scriptures make clear. Equally, it cannot mean that we can somehow atone for the sins of others by forgiving them through our love and faithfulness. We can forgive others what they may have done to us (Proverbs 10:12), but we cannot actually atone for their sins. So it is clear that the first half of this verse is speaking of the fact that it is through love and faithfulness – God's covenant blessings of hesed and emet – that our sins are atoned for by God himself. The second half of the proverb shows that it is also our proper fear of God that allows us to avoid other sins and mistakes.
So God is involved in both aspects of this process of being forgiven and being transformed in regard to sin and evil. In theological language this means that we are saved through God's love and faithfulness and sanctified through our growing respect for him. This is more profound than we might realize. The Old Testament generally taught that forgiveness was through sacrifices, but this proverb foreshadows the New Testament message of forgiveness based not on sacrifice, but on repentance (in the second half of the proverb) and God's grace (in the proverb's first half). Repentant turning from sin is not the purchase price of the forgiveness God gives, but the seal or result of the forgiveness God has freely given.
This may seem like a lot of theology to pull from a single small proverb, but biblical scholars are virtually unanimous in understanding this verse to be one of true depth regarding God's intent and desire regarding forgiveness – a concept that we also see flashes of (though never more succinctly) in the Psalms (Psalm 51:7; etc.) and the prophets (Ezekiel 18:27-28; Micah 6:6-8; etc.). So, the idea is not unique to Proverbs 16:6, but that scripture is a very clear example of the fact that the book of Proverbs is not just about human wisdom!