Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer,
but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.
Summary: People who ask you to put up money or security for something are in a different class than those who are simply looking for help.
This passage gives me the creeps.
It does! Really!!
There are some weird things going on here that I don’t fully understand. But since this is Three Minute Bible and not Three Second Bible I should probably soldier on.
What does it mean to “put up security for a stranger?”
The first thing that jumps out at me is the word, “stranger.” We are not talking about helping out your mother or co-signing a loan for your brother-in-law. Solomon has in mind someone you do not know who comes up to you and says something like, “Have I got a deal for you?!”
“If you can put up the money for Harry, here, to invest with, you can make a lot of dough. Harry has a sure-fire investment that will easily net him a three hundred percent return. Think about that! Three hundred percent!! All you have to do is…”
Do you think I am kidding?
Many years ago, I was the council president for a large mainstream church in the town where I lived. The church was saving money for a building program, and every penny was going to be needed for the project. (Certain people at the time were arguing about how much we should spend. Some wanted to spend more than we could afford.)
One Sunday afternoon, the phone rang. The person calling was a very well-connected member of the congregation. If I remember right, he was one of the financial guys for the church. He came to me with a “deal.” If I would authorize him to take the money on account for the building project, he knew of a sweetheart deal that was guaranteed to get us our money back plus a lot more for a better building.
Because of who he was, I held my tongue and did not blurt out what I thought of the suggestion. I tried to reason with him, explaining that the “good steward” (Luke 19: 11-27) would never do such a thing. Instead of seeing reason, he became frustrated and then angry. It was not a pleasant conversation.
It is bad enough to put up your own money for a stranger. (I knew the man but not well.) But to ask for the money held in trust for hundreds of fellow believers … well, maybe this story explains why this passage today gives me the creeps.
Application: Don’t be a creep. Be a faithful steward and a wise investor.
Food for Thought: How is “putting up security” different than being a good neighbor (Romans 15:2)?
In Romans 15:1-2 the Scripture talks about those who are strong in Christ should bear “with the failings” of the weak and help “build up our neighbor for their good.” I had to reread it because I kept reading “for their own good” which caused me a little moment of confusion. Romans 15: 1-2 is speaking to being patient and understanding, helping our neighbor, and building them up for Christ. Its not talking about shrinking and placating our neighbor in order to avoid conflict. Romans 15: 1-2 is talking about giving of ourselves to our neighbor.
Proverbs 11:15 is talking about trying to make a worldly gain from a stranger. It is, in a real sense, us taking from our neighbor. I think that the word stranger is important here because it signifies that one does not have a personal relationship with the other. The nature of our relationships (personal and transactional [(like putting up a security)] need to be Christ-centered.
Thanks Chris!
I always appreciate you sharing your thought processes with us. I appreciate your perspective and your insights.
Good one!
🙂
Good devotion and good thoughts Chris.
There is another angle for not putting security up for a stranger. It could be someone who does put up security isn’t trying to make money. They may really just want to help. But the one they are sincerely helping could be a scam artist and they could end up losing their investment.
As was mentioned in the devotion and by Chris, that this person is a stranger is important. You don’t know them, their motivations, etc. It is a set up for disaster.
I know of an elderly woman who keeps falling for scams and it is frustrating her family. She keeps being taken by strangers because although she is kind, she is not heeding wise advice and her savings are not secure.
We can do the same thing spiritually. We can invest time and energy helping someone who only wants to take advantage. We end up spending many hours that could have been invested in people who are sincere.
We need to be wise and discerning in such situations and God’s word in this Proverb is steering us to healthy investments that are both godly and fruitful for His purposes.
Thank you, Rich!
Oddly, I fell for a “scam” yesterday myself. I had never heard of this one, and it works pretty slick. A scammer got into the email account of someone I know and then sent emails to everyone on the list saying something to the effect, “I need to get an AMAZON GIFT CARD to a relation for a birthday today, and I am having trouble. Could you send it for me?” (They are a little more artful sucking you in, but that’s the gist of it.) I was distracted enough by other things that I went ahead and did it (I thought I was corresponding with my friend instead of scammers). The next thing I know a guy from Amazon called to check on my order. Did I know this person? Do you know where it is going? Who is the name that you said it was from? … (pause) … You are being scammed!
What? Me?
Yes. I called the friend and they had never sent me an email, but they had been getting calls from all kinds of people on their email list.
Sometimes you don’t really know the person you think you know!
It is so sad that people spend so much time and extend that much energy to steal from others. If they put the same amount of energy in legitimate work they would be fine. It tells you something about their worldview.
05-27-2022, Proverbs 11:15, How is “putting up security” different than being a good neighbor (Romans 15:2)?
As always. Great stuff!
Our primary purpose Is to be a good witness of the gospel.
To do this we are to not elevate ourselves over another, we do no harm to another, we are to be trustworthy and inclusive, care for others, desire others succeed. As a good neighbor we are to be generous, harbor no hatred in our heart, treat others as we would want to be treated, love others without hesitation because we are loved, and leave judgement to God.
Matthew 28:16-20, 22:37-40, Romans 13:8-10, Ephesians 4:25, 29
1 Corinthians 10:24, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Proverbs 14:21,
1 John 4:20-21, Matthew 7:12, John 15:12, James 4:12
There is no place in the Bible that tells us we should “ put up security “. Help another live beyond their means, and become burdened with a debt owed to us personally. We each thank God for who we are, all we have as we follow Jesus’ command to “ Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 6:33
Ron,
I appreciate the way you filter today’s question through the lens of “How does this serve Jesus?”
The Matthew 6:33 verse is a treasure: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
It’s my “GO TO” verse! Whenever I find myself in some kind of trouble, stop everything and in quiet prayer, meditate on what Jesus is saying to me.
Is a great question!
Testing!