Proverbs 22:16

I'll be the first to say that Proverbs isn't always meant to be applied literally.   Interestingly, many people today consider this book of wisdom to have been assembled after the Babylonian Exile rather than during Solomon's reign as it says.

And rather than discredit what it has to say, I think the intention of it becomes even clearer and more profound.   Likely these pieces of wisdom were around at the time of Solomon, but Israel had yet to learn something essential about putting them in to practice: it takes a discerning wisdom to use the proverbs.   Not every one applies in every situation.

It wasn't until The Exile that Israel began to wonder if they hadn't understood the role they played in the success and failure of their nation.

It is called a book of wisdom, because it is most effective when we learn to use it wisely - whether that means saving it for special occasions, or making sure to not ignore it.

That being said, what do we do with Proverbs 22:16 today?

“Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.”

Is this always true?   Definitely not in the short run, and definitely not in the past few years.   The housing collapse and the recession we are still climbing out of has had some interesting consequences.

There are more millionaires now than there were before the recession.

The unemployment rate is stalled at almost 10%.

Corporations have reported record breaking profits in the second and third quarters of this year - and this is being attributed directly to the cutting and outsourcing of jobs, "Streamlining," and "trimming expenses".

And so we are caught in a predicament.   The economy is recovering at the expense of the working, middle class.   Wealth is increasing, but only for a select few.

Warren Buffet is one of those people, and yet he stands publicly as an advocate for everyone else who isn't among the top 3% of earners.

Here is what he thinks needs to happen if we are to reverse this trend of disparity:

“If anything, taxes for the lower and middle class and maybe even the upper middle class should even probably be cut further...but I think that people at the high end -- people like myself -- should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we’ve ever had it."

I am so appreciative that he is saying what he is - especially in light of the coming extension of Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy.   He's not convinced they will even help.   Here is what he says in response to Republican fears that ending the tax breaks will slow economic growth:

“The rich are always going to say that, you know, just give us more money and we’ll go out and spend more and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you...But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on.” 

I'm afraid we are not, and I'm hoping it won't take the warning in Proverbs 22:16 coming to pass - for America as it did for Israel - before we do.

“Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.”