As Christians consider how to act righteously toward others, as we consider the right response to injustice, as we ponder matters of inequity, we have a book of the Bible that is meant to guide us. Or, if we step back farther, to even consider what defines righteousness and unrighteousness, what counts as justice and injustice, or what it means to treat people with equity or inequity, the book of Proverbs promises it will help us “know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight” so we can then act in ways that bless others and honor God. It is a beginner’s guide to gaining wisdom and, therefore, a beginner’s guide to living out wisdom.

In recent days the topic of social justice has received much attention within the church and without. As Christians we are committed to living according to God’s Word, and so we have rightly been turning to the Bible to learn how it would guide us. We have been scouring its pages to see what it says about matters of justice. That is well and good, but I have become convinced that even as we’ve done this, we may have overlooked one important resource. In fact, we may have overlooked the one book that is explicitly and specifically intended to give us wisdom for this very topic. We may have skipped over the best place to begin when learning about social justice.

The book of Proverbs is about training the mind in order to live a God-honoring life, for right living follows right thinking. It exists so the reader can “know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight” which will equip him to excel “in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity” (v. 2-3). Righteousness, justice, and equity: these are words closely related to at least some of what we today identify as social justice—the protection of the vulnerable, the distribution of wealth, equality of opportunity, and so on. They refer to the ways individuals relate well and wisely within a community.

Righteousness is acting proactively according to ethical standards to foster a kind of harmony between all people. Bruce Waltke points out that “The righteous are willing to disadvantage themselves to advantage the community; the wicked are willing to disadvantage the community to advantage themselves.” The righteous don’t merely do the occasional good deed, but live their lives in such a way that they deliberately pursue peace and the good of others.

Justice is perhaps similar to righteousness, but in the sense that it marks a response to a lack of harmony. Justice is good and necessary where there is injustice. Though it may involve legal actions, it doesn’t need to, for any person can labor to bring about what is good and fair for others. To behave justly is to behave with fairness when there is a dispute or a measure of disharmony.

Equity refers literally to straightness or flatness, but ethically to behavior that is fitting, that adheres to moral and social norms, and that especially closely adheres to God’s divine law. Where a moral or ethical standard has been set, equity is promoting it and adhering to it.

As Christians consider how to act righteously toward others, as we consider the right response to injustice, as we ponder matters of inequity, we have a book of the Bible that is meant to guide us. Or, if we step back farther, to even consider what defines righteousness and unrighteousness, what counts as justice and injustice, or what it means to treat people with equity or inequity, the book of Proverbs promises it will help us “know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight” so we can then act in ways that bless others and honor God. It is a beginner’s guide to gaining wisdom and, therefore, a beginner’s guide to living out wisdom.

Sure enough, even a quick look through the book will show that righteousness, justice, and equity are prominent themes. It will orient us to God’s concerns and emphases. Here is a brief collection of just some of the applicable proverbs.

• 14:31: “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.”
• 16:8: “Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.”

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