Bird's-eye view
This proverb sets before us the great continental divide of human existence. There are only two ways to live in this world, two foundational trusts, two ultimate securities. A man will either trust in his riches, which is to say, in his own abilities, resources, and accomplishments, or he will trust in the living God, which is the foundation of all true righteousness. The proverb presents this choice not as a matter of degrees, but as a stark antithesis with two very different outcomes. The one who trusts in his wealth is building his house on sand; he has a rendezvous with a great fall. It is not a matter of if, but when. But the righteous man, whose trust is located outside of himself and in his covenant-keeping God, is like a healthy, thriving tree. He will flourish, not because of his own intrinsic strength, but because he is planted by the rivers of water. This is a proverb about ultimate allegiances and their inevitable consequences.
The core issue is idolatry. To trust in riches is to treat them as God, to look to them for the security, significance, and sustenance that only God can provide. This is a fool's bargain, because riches are inherently unstable. They have a way of sprouting wings and flying away. The righteous man, in contrast, has his trust anchored in the unchangeable character of God. This trust is what constitutes him as righteous, and the result is a life of stability, vitality, and fruitfulness. The green leaf is a picture of life, health, and resilience, a stark contrast to the sudden collapse of the wealthy idolater.
Outline
- 1. The Great Spiritual Divide (Prov 11:28)
- a. The False Trust and its Consequence: The Fall of the Wealthy (Prov 11:28a)
- b. The True Trust and its Consequence: The Flourishing of the Righteous (Prov 11:28b)
Context In Proverbs
Proverbs 11 is a chapter full of contrasts between the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish. The chapter opens with the contrast between a false balance and a just weight (11:1), which is a commercial application of the broader theme of integrity versus deceit. Throughout the chapter, Solomon contrasts the outcomes of these two ways of life. The wicked are overthrown by their wickedness (11:5), while the righteous are delivered by their righteousness (11:6). The wicked's hope perishes at death (11:7), but the righteous finds a refuge (11:8). This proverb, verse 28, fits squarely within this pattern. It is another iteration of the fundamental choice that Proverbs continually sets before the reader. It follows verses that discuss the blessings of generosity (11:24-26) and the sureness of reward for the righteous (11:27). Therefore, trusting in riches is presented as the ultimate form of stinginess and self-reliance, while the flourishing of the righteous is the ultimate outcome of a life of open-handed trust in God.
Key Issues
- The Nature of Trust
- The Deceitfulness of Riches
- The Definition of Righteousness
- The Metaphor of Flourishing
- Idolatry as Misplaced Trust
Two Ways to Live
Every man is a truster. The question is not whether you will trust, but rather what you will trust in. You cannot be neutral on this question. You are either leaning the full weight of your life, your hopes, and your future on something, or you are a fool who thinks he is standing up straight on his own. This proverb lays out the two options available in God's world. You can trust in created things, with riches serving as the prime representative, or you can trust in the Creator. One path leads to ruin, the other to life.
Notice the parallelism. It is not "he who trusts in riches will fall, but he who trusts in poverty will flourish." The contrast is not between having and not having. The contrast is between two different foundations for life. The righteous man may be wealthy or he may be poor, but his trust is not in his financial statement. The unrighteous man is defined by his trust in his assets. He believes his portfolio is his savior. This proverb tells us plainly that his savior will fail him, and the fall will be great.
Verse by Verse Commentary
28a He who trusts in his riches will fall,
The first clause identifies the idolater. His trust, his confidence, his ultimate security is located in his riches. This does not just mean the man with a hoard of gold coins. It refers to anyone whose functional security rests in his assets, his earning potential, his 401k, his real estate, or his own cleverness in acquiring these things. To trust in riches is to believe that they can deliver what only God can deliver: a secure future, a stable identity, and ultimate peace. The Bible is clear that this is a profound delusion. Paul warns Timothy to charge the rich "not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God" (1 Tim. 6:17). Riches are, by their very nature, uncertain. They can be lost to inflation, to theft, to foolish decisions, or to the simple fact that you cannot take them with you when you die. To trust in them is to build your house on a foundation that is actively crumbling. And so the verdict is simple and stark: he will fall. This is not a possibility; it is a certainty. The laws of the spiritual universe are as fixed as the law of gravity. If your trust is in the creature, you are headed for a crash.
28b But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.
The contrast is absolute. The righteous man is defined not by his bank account but by his trust. He is righteous because he is rightly related to God through faith. As Habakkuk says, "the just shall live by his faith" (Hab. 2:4). His trust is in the living God, the one who gives richly all things to enjoy. And what is the result of this trust? He will flourish. The image is that of a vibrant, healthy, growing plant. A green leaf is a sign of life, of sap flowing, of vitality. It is a picture of resilience. A tree with healthy leaves can withstand the heat of summer and the storms of winter. This is the life of the believer. Because his root system is sunk deep into the soil of God's faithfulness, he thrives. This flourishing is not necessarily financial, though it can be. It is a comprehensive well being, a spiritual vitality that produces fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither (Ps. 1:3). This is the life that is truly life.
Application
We live in a culture that is almost entirely dedicated to the proposition that trust in riches is the only sane way to live. Everything from our advertising to our retirement planning is geared toward the accumulation of wealth as the ultimate security. As Christians, we must be diligently counter-cultural at precisely this point. This proverb forces us to ask the hard question: What am I really trusting in?
When the stock market tumbles, does your heart tumble with it? When you get an unexpected bill, is your first reaction panic or prayer? When you think about the future, is your peace derived from the size of your savings account or from the sovereignty of your God? This is intensely practical. To flourish like a green leaf means cultivating a moment-by-moment dependence on God. It means recognizing that every dollar, every possession, and every skill is a gift from His hand, to be managed for His glory. The man who trusts in riches is anxious, because he knows, deep down, that his god is unreliable. The righteous man, who trusts in the Lord, can be generous, joyful, and at peace, because he knows that his God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and has promised to never leave him nor forsake him. The fall of the self-reliant is certain, but the flourishing of the righteous is just as sure. Our task is to believe it, and to live like we do.