Proverbs 11:15, Christ Our Surety

May 13, Proverbs 11:15

Rom. 5:1-11 “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament” (Heb. 7:22).

Christ Our Surety

An Apocryphal book has restrictions on suretyship, but allows “an honest man” can be surety for his neighbour. Solomon warns against this completely.

1. The Stranger: He that is surety for a stranger will smart. Re-read the extended treatment on suretyship in 6:1-5 (also 17:18; 20:16; 22:26, 27). Solomon condemns this practice except under very special and guarded conditions. The word stranger generally means someone who is a foreigner, an alien, because of birth, and also because he is far off (morally and spiritually, Eph. 2:12-13). Therefore, such a person has no hold on you. He can give no guarantee that he is a safe risk. You do not know him well enough. He could be a fly-by-night borrower with a smooth tongue. It would be folly indeed to go surety for a stranger. Solomon, however, is not trying to abolish help and sympathy for a true friend in need. His repeated warnings, while teaching special caution in lending money or being a surety, show that this is not an excuse for outright callousness.

2. The Smart: Shall smart for it. This special emphasis is a warning against being surety for a stranger whose character and trust-worthiness is unknown. One who would rashly do so will most likely smart (marg. be sore broken, destroyed, 13:20) for it. The root of this word means to be or become evil in God’s eyes (marg. Isa. 59:15). The warning comes in the strongest terms to hate such practices because of the terrible consequences of a bad or reckless deal. The watchword for every believer entering into a business transaction should be: Fear God and sin not.

3. The Surety: He that hates suretiship is sure. There are three different Hebrew words here rendered surety, suretiship, and sure. The first means to give in pledge or exchange places with another, to go bail for someone. The second is the custom of sealing bargains by striking hands, thus specifically pledging oneself to become a surety. Today it may be a handshake. The third word safe means security or secure (Job 11:18; Ju. 8:7). The Surety is a party to all that is involved. He must possess all that’s promised. Finally, he must be prepared for all that’s required. Was it not thus with the Suretyship of the Lord? It was no hasty bargain, but one sealed in the Counsels of Eternity. Yes, He was a party to it. Even this He undertook, not for friends, nor mere strangers, but for avowed sinners, for rebels! Yes, He, the sinless One, alone possessed the right to promise that He could be our Surety. And, O Yes, He was prepared to pay, and did in fact pay, all that was required! He was made sin for us, made a curse for us, suffered the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God. He indeed was sore broken for us (Isa. 53). He did smart for it, literally, He became evil [in men’s eyes] for evil men [in God’s eyes]! “In taking the sinner’s place on the cross, Jesus became as totally accountable for sin as if He were totally responsible for it” (Anon.). What a demonstration of God’s Love! If you have not taken Christ for your Surety, who will pay your debt on that future Judgment Day?

Thought: Settle your accounts with God before you die, you can’t do it in the Hereafter!

Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for taking my sins, my sorrows, for your very own.