Christian Philosophy: How Christ Fulfills Proverbs 10:20

Image Credit: Media from Wix

After a long hiatus, we finally return to our tour of the Book of Proverbs, which the Holy Spirit has written to teach wisdom (Proverbs 1:1-2). And since Christ is the Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:23), we know that Proverbs makes Christ known to us.

Proverbs 10:20 says: “The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth” (KJV). So, what picture of Christ do we have here to receive by faith?

As we’ve done in the past, we’ll start by examining the first clause: “The tongue of the just is as choice silver.” Christ is the Just (Acts 3:14). So, the first clause essentially tells us that the tongue of Christ is like choice silver. Christ’s “tongue” here obviously doesn’t refer to His tongue as a physical organ, but to His speech. So, essentially, the first clause teaches us that Christ’s speech is like choice silver. In other words, Christ’s speech is precious, like precious materials. And indeed, Christ’s words INFINITELY surpass the finest materials in value (Psalm 119:72)! So, to sum up this clause, the words of Wisdom, Christ Himself, are precious like silver.

Now for the second clause: “the heart of the wicked is little worth.” Since wickedness is the opposite of righteousness (Ezekiel 33:12) and righteousness is a synonym for justice (Isaiah 58:2), [1] wickedness is the opposite of Christ, the Just One. So, this clause, in effect, says that the heart of the christless one is worth little. When you consider all the things that Scripture ascribes to the heart and consider this fact about the christless heart, you’ll learn that the heart without the Lord Jesus is worth little in all its faculties. Indeed, to say that this kind of heart is worth little is an understatement, because Jeremiah 17:9 calls the heart “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (KJV). So, to sum up this paragraph: the heart of the christless person is worth little.

Which one are you like, reader? The Lord Jesus Christ, or the christless man?

[1] This video also inspired this conclusion that “righteousness” and “justice” are synonyms: https://illbehonest.com/the-justice-of-god-tim-conway