Proverbs 25

Proverbs 25

More Proverbs of Solomon

1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.

2 It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. 3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable. 4 Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; 5 take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. 6 Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great, 7 for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

What your eyes have seen 8  do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? 9 Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another's secret, 10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end.

11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. 12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. 13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters. 14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone. 16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it. 17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you. 18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow. 19 Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips. 20 Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda. 21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22 for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. 23 The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks. 24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife. 25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. 26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. 27 It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory. 28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Devotional

Introduction

Ahh, the weather - the epitome of awkward conversation. But we cannot deny the usefulness of weather as a metaphor. It has helped define moods in prose, in television, in drama, in poems. Weather can literally affect our emotions as well.

Solomon knows the value of using weather as a metaphor in many of this proverbs, and this is certainly true in Proverbs 25. It helps to explain the good and the bad, the wise and the simple, the sane and the stupid. In essence, it helps define the wisdom of the actions of those who are wise and those who are not.

Study

1) Cold of snow and the faithful messenger (vs.13)

"Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest  is a faithful messenger to those who send him;  he refreshes the soul of his masters." (vs.13)

I'm a fan of cold weather, it makes me feel so much more refreshed, and it is much easier to get comfortable. This is especially true when relief is found in a day of cold amidst many days of hot weather.

There was a practice in ancient times where the snow of the mountains in Lebanon would be mixed with wine or other drinks to provide refreshment to people during hot weather. This was usually for those who were wealthy, who could afford such a luxury, which Solomon would have been able to afford.

A messenger who offers a true account, and is faithful, and hastens to get the message back quickly is a refreshment to those seeking the message. You might say the same for one to preaches the good news of Christ. They are a messenger. Those who offer a true account, faithful to the word of God, is a refreshment to those who listen.

Thus Solomon offers a pretty helpful metaphor to explain this to us.

2) A cloudy, windy day and the man who boasts (vs.14)

"Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give." (vs.14)

You've seen many days like this. Where it is cloudy and the weather looks bleak and yet there is no rain that pours forth from the clouds. It's a let down for farmers all across the countryside. Rain is a necessary entity for agriculture. When it is not given, it means that there will be no nourishment for the soil and no growth of crops.

This kind of weather is similar to the man who boasts and yet does nothing. And you know of these people. They boast of having great skill, or having something amazing, but they offer no evidence of ever having this. He is unproductive.

He is lying and deceiving, as well as giving himself glory where it is definitely not due. He is actually unwise because what if he had to give someone an account of that which he boast.

We are unwise if we think on the day when Jesus comes back to judge the world, that we will have anything worth boasting about. "Oh, I lived a good life. I worked for a charity, I had people in my home, I took care of my kids. I was basically a good person". But all the good things we might do, or the boast we might have were blessings and graces bestowed upon us by a loving God. And it cannot save.

We have nothing to offer. Let's remember that as we approach the day when Jesus returns: the only person we can boast in.

3) Shedding clothes on a cold day and the man who sings to a mourner (vs.20)

"Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda." (vs.20)

It is one of the great ironies of life: why people try to make you feel happy when you are sad. Matthew Henry says in one of his commentaries that we are wrong to think that we "relieve those in sorrow by endeavouring to make them merry". It's just not helpful. We are better off sitting next to them as they weep, or holding their hand, or weeping with them.

Vinegar on bicarbonate or baking soda causes a reaction due to such irritation. Taking off a garment on a cold day can cause irritation to our skin. If cold enough, it could cause frostbite. In certain periods of our lives, we can go through mourning or sadness. When someone is in these stages, it is not loving, but rather abrasive to assume that cheering them up with a joke or singing will be helpful.

I cannot tell, because he was a perfect man, but I imagine that Jesus would not have been keen for a disciple to joke when he faced such agony in going on the cross. I can imagine in weeping for Lazarus, that he would not have wanted people to be laughing. It is not comfortable for someone to be forced to feel happy when they are deeply depressed.

However, it is always good to remind them of the gospel truth, but approach in wisdom on how you might do that,

4) North wind bring rain and a slanderous tongue will bring anger (vs.23)

"The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks." (vs.23)

The winds would cover the skies with clouds: dark, rain-bearing clouds. And such a metaphor is probably interpretable by anyone, not necessarily a English literature student. Indeed, this picture is not pleasant. It is quite dark and gloomy.

When someone slanders another person, it elicits a response from the victim - one of anger. Perhaps such anger is not always rightly displayed or perhaps even felt. But to feel anger to sin I would say is righteous. The way we respond needs to be godly, but there is not doubt that our sin can create a knee-jerk response.

And there is that assumption in the use the north-wind metaphor. The pattern is clear: when the north wind comes there is rain. When slander against someone comes, there is anger. In light of such a pattern, I think we should see the wisdom in loving one another and seeking their care, rather than inviting anger with our words and actions.

Conclusion

In light of this discussion, perhaps you will feel less awkward in talking about the weather. Weather is a very clear metaphor that is extremely helpful as Solomon presents the actions of each individual: the messenger, the boaster, the unhelpful singer, and the slanderer.

Solomon wants to make is extremely clear that there are certain ways of acting that are simply unwise and unwarranted. Likewise, there are steps we can take to ensure that we are acting wisely, and even loving one another.

Maybe next time you do something, think first about what kind of weather might depict that action. It might be cheesy, but hey! You've thought about what you are doing - haven't you! And wisdom doesn't rush, it thinks deeply.

Have a great day and thanks for joing #31daysofproverbs!