Proverbs 14:30

Proverbs 14:30 "A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones."

It would be hard to argue that any other Biblical author gets the mind moving more than Solomon.  The writings in each of his three books require concentration, meditation and serious contemplation to fully grasp the meaning of his words.  On the surface, a proverb like this may seem simple and obvious but when significant time is spent studying the exact meaning, it quickly becomes more complex and substantial.  In this proverb's case, one could quickly read its sixteen short words and simply conclude that virtue is good for us while envy is bad for us.  That initial interpretation would be accurate but is that precisely and deeply what Solomon meant?  That initial conclusion would be true on the surface but does that conclusion answer questions that lay beneath the surface?  For example, by declaring a sound heart the life of the flesh, was Solomon suggesting that a healthy moral heart improves the health of the body or was he speaking metaphorically about our being as a whole?  By assigning envy as a cause for the rottenness of bones, was he teaching a literal connection between envy and poor physical health or was he using bones of the body to symbolize some spiritual framework of our being?  What did he really mean when writing this proverb and what is God really teaching us in this Scripture?

Honestly, it would be easiest and frankly, safest to conclude that Solomon was speaking poetically and metaphorically.  If we conclude that, what evidence do we have to do that?  If we conclude that he wasn't connecting the state of the soul to health of the body, what evidence do we possess to do that?  More importantly, if we conclude that this was simply a dramatic and artistic way of emphasizing the importance of morality, could we be missing the true teaching of Scripture and therefore, lose out on a powerful truth?  What if Solomon, in this proverb, was referring to a person's literal flesh, or body?  What if he was referring to a person's literal bones?  Wouldn't that be a substantial teaching?  Wouldn't that be a motivating and enlightening principle?  Indeed, it would be and I think that is exactly what this proverb teaches.

While there are plenty of examples in Scripture where the word, "flesh" is applied to our humanity as a whole or to our natural human nature, it is almost always a word used to describe our literal body.  It is almost always a word used to distinguish the body from the soul; the visible from the invisible; the touchable from the untouchable.  We can be quite sure that it is a direct reference to the literal physical body in this proverb because of the usage of the parallel word, "bones."  The best evidence that Scripture gives us to conclude that Solomon is linking the morality of man to the health of man is the lack of the important words, "like" or "as."  This isn't the first time Solomon used the colorful and memorable picture of "rottenness of bones."  In Proverbs 12:4, he wrote of a non-virtuous woman, that "she that maketh ashamed is AS rottenness in his bones."  He used these important words often throughout the Book of Proverbs; over eighty times to be exact.  These words were and are critical for proper interpretation of Scripture.  Neither of these words are used in this proverb.  It does not read, "a sound heart is LIKE the life of flesh" nor does it say, "but envy is AS the rottenness of the bones."  Had it read that way or similar to that way, then we could conclude with absolute certainty that this proverb teaches us that virtue is AS good AS physical vitality and that envy is AS bad AS some bone disease.  Because it doesn't read that way, we must be fair with the text and embrace its precise meaning.  Whether we instinctively agree or not, this Scripture links morality to vitality.  Whether we like it or not, this proverb connects immorality of heart to rottenness of bone.

Solomon wasn't suggesting that wisdom and holiness alone bring good health nor was he suggesting that envy alone produces illness.  Such a conclusion would be insulting to the wisest man this world has ever seen.  Such a conclusion would be far more insulting to the Maker, Whose Spirit inspired this and all other Biblical authors.  Obviously, the physical body needs physical parents and physical body parts to have life.  Clearly, the physical body needs physical resources to maintain life.  In a cursed world where death is a certainty, the physical body deteriorates over time and is often cut short by disease, accident, crime or irresponsibility.  The end of our flesh is often unpredictable and out of our control.  In Ecclesiastes 9:11-12, Solomon said, "time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them."  This proverb then isn't disregarding genetics, time, chance or criminal activity as the reason for broken bones, illness or death.  Furthermore, this proverb isn't dismissing nutritional food, regular exercise or good genes as the reason for healthy bones, lack of disease or long life.  It is, however, teaching that virtue contributes to the vitality of a person and that envy contributes to the physical decline of a person.

This proverb, among other Scripture, connects the soul to the body.  It may not be a massive connection but it is a connection.  The state of the soul may not be as influential to the body as the genetics of that body but it still possesses influence on the body.  The condition of our spiritual hearts may not impact the physical heart as much as food, cigarettes and drugs impact it but the spiritual heart still has an impact on our physical body.  While hard to measure, there is a clear connection between the spiritual heart and the physical body.  

Modern science is catching on to this ancient truth.  Take anger for example.  Doctors and scientists now know that anger negatively impacts a body by increasing heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormones.  These increases to vital physical attributes can lead to long-term cardiovascular issues like heart attacks and strokes.  Anger in the spiritual heart can also cause or worsen autoimmune conditions, weaken immune systems, disrupt sleep, initiate digestive problems as well as create anxiety and depression.  Anger can even damage brain cells responsible for decision-making and memory.

When the body is under stress, it produces hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.  These hormones help us manage stress but they're unhealthy if entertained for a long time.  It is universally accepted that chronic stress contributes to untold health problems.  Take one look at the average president after one four-year term and eyes don't lie - chronic stress ages a person quickly and harshly.  Chronic stress deteriorates the physical body by weakening the body and exposing it more quickly to the curse of this world.  Herein is the precise application of the proverb since envy, like all evils, is stressful.  Virtue removes stress while vice invites stress.  Gratitude and contentment bring peace while envy and jealousy bring consternation.  Holiness and honesty bring calm while greed and deceit create anxiety.  Obedience and purity invite tranquility while rebellion and wickedness invite guilt.  Envy in particular is less an act that is committed in a moment of time and more a feeling that is experienced over time.  This sustained evil in the soul brings sustained anger towards others and sustained discontentment towards God.  These sustained evils in the soul will clearly and eventually have a negative impact on the body, one of which could be "rottenness in the bones."  Science has recently discovered people claiming to be full of envy also full of a particular hormone called oxytocin.  Any imbalance in the body's chemical makeup always has negative effects on the body.

Solomon didn't need a lab or a scientific study to know that the spiritual heart impacts the physical body.  Like it or not, who we are in spirit will have an effect on who we are in body.  Envy is more dangerous than Red 40, processed foods, Little Debbie's and pizza.  Envy impacts the spirit and the body.  It angers God and upsets the body.  It puts our lives and our bodies in danger.  It creates spiritual and physical problems.  It causes relational and medical harm.  On the contrary, a sound heart is good for the soul and the body.  Too many today are obsessed with good health and vitality while ignoring goodness itself and virtue.  Even too many Christian today are obsessed with good health and vitality while excusing the role their spirits are having on their health.  Our illnesses may be the result of genetics and unhealthy lifestyles but our illnesses may also be exasperated and sustained by our unholy feelings and thoughts.  Let us all embrace the powerful truth of this short proverb and give more attention to our spiritual hearts than our physical hearts.