Proverbs 11:30: “The fruit of the righteous is the tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise.”

 

Matthew 6:19-21: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

 

Every good Baptist knows Proverbs 11:30, at least the last part of this verse. It is the cornerstone of evangelism and in fact leave it to the Baptist to coin the words soul winning.  A Baptist just does not go out passing out tracts on a bus or subway to   witness, he is being a soul winner. It is usually the good Bible believing KJV Baptist who will stand up in a charismatic meeting and declare that everyone is taking Scripture out of context.  Talk of the pot calling the kettle black. At least that is the way I used to think about using Proverbs 11:30 as a backdrop for our modern day evangelism. Until I actually read this verse in my Hebrew Bible I once thought it was the ultimate in taking Scripture out of context and steering one away from an important spiritual message. But when I look at this verse again, I am beginning to think, “maybe not.”

 

About 47 years before Jesus was born a Jewish settlement in an area which is presently Kurdish Iraq was caught in the middle of a campaign by the Romans and the Parthians.  This little Jewish kingdom, known as Adiabene had been a very prosperous kingdom and was well known among the Jewish people in Jesus day to have been very generous to Jews in Judea and to the temple.   However, during the Roman campaign the kingdom was devastated by the war.  Monobaz, the King of Adiabene dispersed all his accumulated assets to purchase food for his subjects.  Jewish relatives in Judea sent a message to him saying: “Your ancestors stored up treasurers, and increased the wealth of their ancestors. But you have freely given away your treasures and those of your ancestors.”  King Monobaz answered by saying: “My ancestors accumulated wealth for here on earth, but I have stored up treasures in heaven, they stored up treasures in a place over which the hand of the thief can break in, but I have stored up treasures in a place where a thief’s hand can never break in.  My ancestors stored up treasures which bear no fruit (where interest does not accumulate).  I have stored up treasure where interest accumulates and bears much fruit.  My ancestors stored up treasures of money but I have stored up treasures in souls, which is taught in Scripture, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise.”

 

By the time Jesus began his ministry this story of the generosity of King Monobaz was legend among the Jews.  This was the story of a wealthy King who emptied his storehouses and distributed the treasures that generations of his family built in order to save the lives of his subjects.  A Jewish king who took Proverbs 11:30 very seriously.

 

Jesus may well have been referring to this popular story of King Monobaz in Matthew 6:19-21 when he tried to emphasize the fact that our treasures are in heaven.  King Monobaz gave a beautiful example of what Jesus was teaching, and what Solomon, the wealthiest king who ever lived, was teaching.   It is not what we accumulate here on earth, because that will pass in an instant, but what we accumulate for heaven’s sake.

 

The word used here for  fruit is piri which comes from a Semitic root meaning the result. Even today we call fruit produce. Produce has the idea of the result of some action. The result or actions of the righteous is the tree of life.  The tree of life has numerous applications.  Many rabbis believe the tree of life here represents the Torah or a blessing.  Some believe that it suggests that the righteous man is a seed.  That would make sense or the acts of the righteous is a seed for a blessing to others.

 

Right after this Solomon says: “He that winneth souls is wise.”   The word win is lekah which means to take possession of or to seize.  The word soul here is nephesh and it is singular.   Nephesh has many usages.  One application is fleshly desires.  I like that application.  He who takes control of his fleshly desires is wise. The first and foremost fleshly desire is how will it benefit me in the flesh. It would seem that would explain what Jesus is trying to teach us.  Our first question is not how will it benefit me in the flesh, but how will it benefit heaven.

 

You know for an average, normal every day sane person to start passing out tracts on a bus or subway either takes a lot of guts or a willingness to bury your own personal pride and fleshly desire to appear like a normal every day sane person.  If you are not crazy, and you swallow your pride such that you start passing out tracts on a bus or subway for the sake of the Kingdom of God, I guess I will have to admit that maybe Proverbs 11:30 real does apply to evangelism.  However, the fruit of the Tree of Life is not the person who receives Jesus as a result of your effort. It is your willingness to make a complete fool of yourself by passing out tracts on the bus or subway that ends up being a blessing to someone who discovers the love of God and invites Jesus into your lives as a result of your willingness to forget your silly personal pride for the sake of sharing the Gospel of Jesus.  For the real souls that you win is not that new convert but your own because you have lekah, won or seized control of your own nephesh, soul or fleshly desires for the sake of the Kingdom of God and that, Solomon says will makes you a wise person.

 

 

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