“Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.”

As we happened upon this signpost on the road to Wisdom’s house, I read a brief description of the Proverb and it confirmed my suspicions. This was a, “Don’t do this!” proverb; a stop sign, if you will. It was basically saying to not trust someone that puts their trust in a stranger. Be ready to be disappointed. Then hold them in even stricter distrust if they put theirs in a foreigner. This spoke to me of a common logic: If you don’t know them, don’t trust them, or people who do. A saying I grew up hearing that sounds similar is, “Don’t talk to strangers,” even though most abuses I’ve heard about don’t come from strangers but family members.

When we began to unpack this proverb in light of Jesus, I was left in wonder. First, my older translation read: “a wayward woman,” instead of the more updated, “an outsider”. We looked at Jesus and found again, like in 19:26, that He had fulfilled it in a most peculiar way. The Gospel of John displays a great retracing of this, beginning with John 8:1-11. Jesus clearly interceded for a wayward woman. His clothes, like in the proverb, were taken as it is written in John 19:22-23 as a fulfillment of Psalm 22:18.

Only Jesus could walk this path. Only He could accomplish and fulfill the road to Wisdom’s house. He paid the price for the wayward. He paid it for me and for you. Again, like in 19:26, this proverb exposed the building blocks of the Kingdom of God. May we follow in His footsteps.

“Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,
but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.”

As soon as we read this verse, my daughter cheered for her treasure room. She knew that this rare jewel was one she wanted! Gold and rubies are commonplace next to this jewel, especially in this time and place. Here was a Coin Proverb that didn’t contrast the plight of the wicked with the blessings of the righteous, but the form was used to display value.

When we thought of Jesus’ fulfillment, we recognized that the knowledge He came to give opened the door to our salvation, the rarest of jewels given to all who believe. Like the Pearl of Great Price in Matthew 13:45, it is worth more than all we have. Even as a child, it was written in the Gospel of Luke 2:52, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Again, God’s favor was on Jesus and on Him was placed the burden of our sins, 1Peter 2:24, that He might open the Way for us to be free from its price.

Now normally I would finish here, but my time among the charismatics revealed another understanding of this verse in regards to ‘words of knowledge’, 1 Corinthians 12:8. My limited understanding of this is that the Holy Spirit gives us words to bless others and encourage their faith. May these words do the same.