The Book of Proverbs
Study #13: Reputation
October 10, 2004
Jim Bordwine, ThD
Introduction

In his comments on this topic, Solomon tells us not only that a good name is to be desired, but also gives us insight regarding how to protect our reputations. And, as we will see, Solomon draws a connection between the concept of integrity and the idea of reputation. Reputation is what others think of you; it is their perception of you. Therefore, reputation depends directly on conduct and much of what Solomon teaches about having a good name or being thought of in a positive light is based on conduct. Your reputation is, if it is accurate, what you are; your reputation is a report concerning the kind of character you manifest. 

I think that perhaps the most important truth we'll learn from this study is the foundational principle upon which Solomon's writing about reputation rests. Solomon, borrowing from a truth that is stated many times in Scripture, relates to us the reason behind the importance of a good name or a respectable reputation. Solomon teaches this concept by referring to the name of the LORD.

Our Memory Verse

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;

the righteous runs into it and is safe.

(Pro. 18:10)

The only reason our names or our reputations are important is because of the truth found in this proverb. It is God who has revealed to us that our names reflect who we are and how we are perceived. This truth has been illustrated to us through what the Bible teaches concerning the name of God. In the Scriptures, God's names are revelatory--that is, they tell us something about His nature and, therefore, they help create a proper understanding of Him. The names of God are not just randomly chosen labels; they are individual declarations of some aspect of His character. Put all together, the names by which God has revealed Himself in the Bible give us a certain perception of Him. And, as a result, writers sometimes make references to the name of the LORD and declare some truth in the process.

Here, Solomon says that the name of the LORD is a strong tower. He means that God's name has revealed to us certain truths about His nature, as I just noted. When we think of God's name, therefore, we are thinking of what He is--not only what He is called, but what He is in terms of His nature and works. God has a reputation, if you will, and it is associated with the various names by which He has designated Himself. God's names are a source of truth about Him. His names accurately reflect what He is--and that is the principle behind what Solomon teaches us about our names or our reputations. When we think of God's names, certain ideas come to mind and that is what God intends.

Because a name or a reputation has this quality of conveying an impression about us, our names or our reputations have to be valued and, therefore, guarded. A man's reputation is not a small thing because God's reputation is not a small thing. Names or reputations reveal who we are, I'll repeat, and in this way, they serve us just as God's names serve Him. God is jealous for His name and He protects His name and He demands respect and reverence for His name. On a creaturely scale, we are to have the same regard for our name or reputation. We want how we are known to be an accurate reflection of who and what we are in reality.

Notice the significance attached to the name of the LORD in this proverb. It is called "a strong tower." What is a strong tower? It is a place of security, a place in which safety is found. And this is what Solomon says next: "the righteous runs into it and is safe." A man of God takes refuge, as it were, in the name of the LORD because that name means something--that name tells the man of God who the LORD is and what he, therefore, can expect from the LORD. It is the truth represented in God's name (or names) that provides a haven for the righteous. God's names are not just labels, as I said, they accurately explain who He is. That is why God's names must be guarded and that is why we, as Solomon says here, may find help in those names or, to be more precise, in the truth conveyed in those names, as I said.

The principle to keep in mind, then, is that a name--based on God's own example--is supposed to be an accurate reflection of character. This is why our names, or to use the broader idea, our reputations, are important. If we have little concern for our reputations, then we have little concern for how we are perceived by others, which means we don't care a great deal about how we represent God in this world. This is yet another area in which Christians need to stand against the prevailing belief and practice of our day. In spite of the way in which our culture celebrates a ruined reputation or flaunts a wicked name, we are called to protect our names and cherish our reputations. This bears directly, as I said in the introduction, on our conduct. It is by integrity of conduct that we establish a good name.

Additional verses

A good name is to be more desired than great wealth,

favor is better than silver and gold. (Pro. 22:1)

This is, of course, the main verse on this topic because it reflects the principle I just explained. Solomon tells us that a good name is of greater value that tremendous wealth. That is quite a statement to make about something that cannot be held, seen, or traded. The word translated "name" (shem) refers both to the literal designation by which we are identified, and to the notion of reputation. In the Hebrew mind, name and reputation were connected. Again, I think that view was created in that culture due to the way in which God spoke about His name.

To the Hebrew, a man's name was what He was in character and they often chose significant names to reflect circumstances or hopes they held for the future. But beyond the literal use of names, the Hebrew man understood that his reputation was a precious possession; and that is reflected in this proverb. Because God's name reflected His character, the people of God believed that their names or reputations, to speak in a broader sense, also reflected their character. They were called to be a holy people in belief and conduct; so a reputation as a lover of holiness and a doer of righteousness was a significant matter. It was far better to be thought of as a righteous man than to have great wealth and be thought of as a wicked man.

The term "desired" (bachar) refers to that which is chosen, that for which a decision is made. Solomon teaches that, if given a choice between a good name and great wealth, the wise man chooses a good name. And he repeats this idea in the second half: "favor is better than silver and gold." This is a remarkable proverb when you consider how foreign it is in what it teaches compared to how the majority of people seem to think today. How many people do you know who are zealous for their reputations? What do we normally do to a person who speaks of wanting to preserve his reputation? We often think that he is prideful or afraid to face the truth or unwilling to be criticized. But it is a Godly thing to desire a good name; it is honoring to the LORD to protect our reputation. On the other hand, of course, it is a terrible thing to disregard our reputation or behave in a way that harms our name.

The memory of the righteous is blessed,

but the name of the wicked will rot.

(Pro. 10:7)

Briefly, let me call your attention to this verse. It's such a good statement in light of what we are discussing. What remains after we are gone? Solomon gives us the answer. Notice how Solomon connects memory to name. Obviously, he is thinking of the reputations people leave behind. When a righteous man is gone, what do people remember about him--that he was a righteous man. During his lifetime, such a man demonstrates righteousness by his conduct toward God and others. In other words, he establishes a reputation. When he leaves, his reputation, or how he was perceived, remains.

When a wicked man is gone, the same thing happens only what is recalled about him is his wickedness. During his lifetime, this man demonstrates sin toward God and others. He also establishes a reputation and that is what he leaves behind. The reputation of the righteous man is "blessed," Solomon says, which means it is a pleasant thing; remembering a righteous man brings us satisfaction. The name of the wicked, or the reputation of the wicked, on the other hand, "will rot." That man's memory doesn't comfort or instruct positively after he is gone. With pleasure, people dwell on the memory of the righteous man, but they recall the memory of the wicked man with disgust.

This verse should help us understand the value of our names or reputations. That is what is left--people think first about how we behaved, how we treated them, whether we kept our word, whether we demonstrated love for the things of God. And we are establishing this testimony that we leave after us every day of our lives. Every day, we are building a name--the only question is: what kind of name?

The integrity of the upright will guide them,

but the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

(Pro. 11:3)

As I noted in the Introduction, and as has now been illustrated in the verses we've studied, the issue of integrity is directly related to the issue of reputation. In this proverb, Solomon indicates how important integrity is to a well-managed life (and, of course, a well-managed life is essential to a good name or reputation).

The word translated "integrity" (tummah) is used in only one other book in the Old Testament and that is the book of Job. God uses this word when He describes the character of Job to the devil; it is used by Job's wife when she tries to convince him to give up, curse God and die; it is used by Job himself when he refuses to accept the judgment of his friends and insists that he is not what they say; and it is used by Job again when he makes a plea regarding his desire to be scrutinized by the LORD (cf. Job 2:3, 9; 27:5; 31:6). When you put these uses together, it is clear that this word refers to what a man is in terms of character and conduct. His integrity is how he responds to God's laws. Every time it is used, this word refers to a positive and desirable type of character. Integrity, then, is closely associated with reputation, as I said.

Character--in this case, the kind of character that is associated with "the upright"--guides a man. The term "guide" (nachah) means "to govern." Solomon is describing the kind of man who lives by what a righteous character requires. This man conforms himself to a standard of straightforwardness or that which is proper, which is the meaning of the word "upright." His reputation is going to be established by such commitment to and manifestation of righteousness. A man with a good reputation will inevitably be a man who has concern for upright conduct and a man who has concern for upright conduct will inevitably be a man with a good reputation--at least among those who judge correctly in the matter.

There is another kind of person. The other kind of person is characterized by "crookedness" (celeph), which is a word meaning "perverseness, crooked dealing." It's the opposite in meaning from what is implied by that term "integrity." The man of integrity is a man who lives according to righteous principles, is convinced that is the way he should live, and he's known for that. But now Solomon describes a different sort of person. This person lives according to falsehood and, therefore, chooses such a path and is known for it. In fact, his reputation is clearly stated when Solomon uses the word "treacherous." There is a kind of person who fits into this category. The word (bagad) means "to act deceitfully, to act faithlessly."

The fact that Solomon can categorize people proves that reputation is tied directly to conduct. Conduct is what is seen by others and reputation is what others think of us. Conduct, then, and reputation are interconnected. This is why a man who doesn't obey Scripture or doesn't submit himself to Scripture shouldn't complain when people think badly of him.

A righteous man who walks in his integrity--

how blessed are his sons after him.

(Pro. 20:7)

I include this verse because it underscores the truth of the previous verse. I imagine that we all want to see our sons blessed after us. If that is the case, then you should have great concern about your reputation. The character of the life you live does bear on the character of life your children will live. Godly character in a father is a blessing to sons. And it isn't difficult to understand why--Godly character is about behavior, not just words. Godly character is demonstrated in faithful living and faithful training. Sons with a father who is seeking to be a man of integrity are going to be affected by that situation. Solomon describes it is as being greatly blessed.

Obviously, at least in my opinion, we need to work on what we value as fathers. And we probably need to work on what our sons value, too. Do our children know the value of a good name? Are they thankful for a father who walks in his integrity? What are we teaching them to seek after in their own lives? This verse takes us to one of the most fundamental issues in Scripture and the life of God's people and that is simple faithfulness. We don't value simple faithfulness as we should. But it is faithfulness that constitutes integrity and integrity produces a good name and a good name is a blessing to us and those who come after us.

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

(Pro. 31:30)

I'll comment quickly on this verse because it speaks directly to women concerning integrity and reputation. Solomon means to make a point about the importance of walking rightly before the LORD. Ultimately speaking, fearing the LORD, that is, living according to His commandments and living by faith, is what is most important in this life. He names two things, charm and beauty, and dismisses both in terms of their relative importance to fear of the LORD. Solomon isn't saying that charm and beauty are things to be avoided by women--he's saying that, by comparison, fearing the LORD, that is, walking rightly before Him, keeping His word, living is such a way that your life is honoring to Him, is more important. Solomon is teaching that a woman should not ground her life in charm and beauty, though those characteristics may be found in her.

This takes us to the matter of integrity and reputation. If you're going to be known for something, be known for your fear of the LORD, not your charm or beauty. Charm, as Solomon observes, is "deceitful." He doesn't mean it's better to be boring or uninteresting, he means that, by comparison and in terms of what is best, fearing the LORD is to be preferred. Likewise, beauty is vain. Again, Solomon isn't lobbying for ugliness, he's observing that beauty is unpredictable and it fades. So, it's better to pursue fear of the LORD than that which will, in time, depart.

I think this verse ties in nicely with this study on reputation, especially in light of what we see these days. The emphasis for females in our culture is on exactly what Solomon says should be way down the list of priorities for any woman wishing to honor God. Of course, how you respond to what Solomon teaches will depend on what you wish to establish in terms of a reputation. What do you, as a young lady, for example, want to be known for? How do you want others to think of you?

The remainder of the verses I picked for this study may be examined at your convenience.

A trustworthy witness will not lie, but a false witness utters lies. (Pro. 14:5)

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool. (Pro. 19:1)

He who walks blamelessly will be delivered, but he who is crooked will fall all at once. (Pro. 28:18)

Practical Responses

We live in a day when people think far less of their reputations than in previous generations. Today, what used to be considered embarrassing is now flaunted like a perverted badge of honor in a culture that is losing its sensitivity to shame. And there is a very troubling consequence when men give little regard to their reputations--when men think little of their own reputations, they think even less of your reputation and so they readily destroy what the Bible says is to be guarded.

Men who have a low regard for how they are perceived, a low regard for their reputations, in other words, will lie about you and engage in other activities that bring harm to your name--this is because, once again, in their minds a good name is not a thing of value. In their minds, other things, are more important to them. So, if you encounter a man who takes little care to protect his reputation, watch out because you are encountering a man who will not hesitate to destroy yours.

To the young men, in particular, I would say: value your reputation; care about what others think of you. Don't let this culture deceive you into thinking that a good name is not all that important. In God's estimation, few things are more important than a good name. That is because your reputation is how you are perceived and how you are perceived reflects on Him.