Proverbs Chapter 25
Proverbs
Chapter 25
1. These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah. This seems to be a third division of this sacred book. The selection was probably made from the 3,000 proverbs that Solomon spoke (1 Kings 4:32). The New Testament fully authenticates this section of the book as a part of the inspired canon (compare verses 6-7 with Luke 14:7-10; verses 21-22 with Romans 12:20; 26:11 with 2 Peter 2:22; 27:1 with James 4:14). We are not reading, therefore, the maxims of the wisest of men; the voice from heaven proclaims that these are the true sayings of God.
The Holy Spirit mentions not only the author, but the men who copied these proverbs. Often good service has been done to the church not only by original writers, but by those who have copied and brought their writings into wider circulation. The world usually honors only the grand instruments and casts the humbler agencies into the shade. But God honors not only the primary but the subordinate instruments—not only the five, but the two talents, faithfully laid out for him. The blessing is not promised on account of their number, but on account of how they are used.
2-3. The great King of heaven and the puny kings of earth are here contrasted. The glory of each is compared. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
What glory indeed belongs to a God whose name and ways and works are open to the view and within the comprehension of worms of the earth. What he has brought to light only shows how much he has concealed. We adore the glorious concealment of his great work of forgiveness, of which Dr. Owen most truly remarks, "Were it not somewhat beyond what men could imagine, no flesh could be saved." This is so far from our sight that no human can comprehend the extent of this vast work.
God educates his children in mystery so that he may exercise them in the life of faith (John 13:7). We are to act and live on incomprehensible objects. We are to come to God's revelation without any mind or will of our own. But is not this shade of mystery our highest joy, as the dwelling-place of our adorable God and Savior? Are not the clouds of his concealment the effulgence of his glory as the most simple, yet the most incomprehensible Being, whom the mightiest intellect can never totally understand? "As there is," says Bishop Hall, "a foolish wisdom, so there is a wise ignorance. I would fain know all that I need, and all that I may. I leave God's secrets to himself. It is happy for me that God makes me of his court, though not of his council. O Lord, let me be blessed with the knowledge of what you have revealed. Let me content myself to adore your divine wisdom in what you have not revealed."
4-5. This is political wisdom in scriptural principles. If righteousness exalts a nation, the open acknowledgment of it is the sure path to national prosperity. And will not the throne of our great King be established by the complete and eternal removal of the wicked? In the great day of trial and decision, shall I be found reprobate or purified silver? Lord, let me, under the Refiner's hand, be purified, that I may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.
6-7. Our Lord applies this proverb more generally (Luke 14:8-11). Who does not need this caution against ambition? Loving to be preeminent is the bane of godliness in the church. Let each of us set about the work of throwing down our high tower of conceit. We must cultivate a deep sense of our own unworthiness. Think of Christ who made himself the most humble of men.
8-10. Dissension under any circumstances is a serious evil. The considerate Christian will concede his rights rather than insist on them to the detriment of his own soul and to the injury of the church (1 Corinthians 6:1-7). Many unholy arguments would be restrained by the practice of these rules of wisdom and love. Obviously the person most at fault should give way. But if, as is usually the case, he is too unreasonable to do so, let us by a generous and self-forgetting kindness deny ourselves the pleasure of a triumph instead of standing on punctilious forms or waiting for an acknowledgment from the offender. And if we find it easier to talk about our neighbor's faults to others than wisely and prayerfully to tell him about them alone, we must ask for self-discipline and for the mind of Christ (Colossians 3:15).
11-12. This alludes to special baskets in which fruit was displayed and served. The beauty of the basket sets off the fruit with additional charm. In the same way a lovely medium enhances the attractiveness of truth.
In our everyday meetings with people, much depends not only on the word . . . spoken, but on the occasion and spirit in which it is said. We must not only do good, but do good at the most appropriate moment. In times of affliction a word aptly spoken might be like the coming of our gracious Lord to the soul, which is like rain on mown grass. The plow enters most effectually when the earth is softened. The apples of gold in their beautiful settings evidently imply good sense and good taste for good things.
13. Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters. We know that snow is unseasonable at harvest time. But the coolness of snow would be most refreshing to the parched and fainting reapers. It is in this sense that a trustworthy messenger refreshes the spirit of his masters. Eliezer did this when "he returned with a true account and speedy dispatch of the important affair committed to him" (Poole). The apostle Paul often acknowledged this refreshment to his anxious spirit when he was burdened with all the care of the churches (1 Corinthians 16:17-18; Philippians 2:25-30; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-7). And may we not with reverence mark even God himself condescending to receive refreshment through the agency of his faithful messengers?
14. Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give. The previous proverb described an invaluable blessing. This proverb notes a destructive curse. Imagine a drought, as in the days of Elijah, that threatens to make the land desolate; and then a heavy cloud, apparently full of fruitful blessings, passes overhead, but it produces no rain. This is an accurate picture of a man who boasts. He is rich in promises but performs nothing. If it is bad to promise and deceive, it is far worse to promise with the intention to deceive. This was the very character of the Great Deceiver. Did he not, with a presumption that hell itself might almost be ashamed of, boast about gifts he did not give when he offered the world to his own Maker as a temptation to the vilest blasphemy (Matthew 4:8-10)?
How sad to find this character in those who stand in the place of God. The church has always been chastened by the presence of false teachers who minister delusion instead of instruction. Oh, let those who bear the Lord's message take heed that they do not corrupt the Word of God but speak of Christ, as in God's sight.
15. Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. The wise man had previously given a general rule for gentleness (15:1). Here he takes an extreme case and shows its power with a ruler, whose unrestrained anger may rise to immediate revenge. Yet submission and patience are strong and persuasive.
The general principle is most instructive. The gentle tongue breaking a bone might seem to be a paradox. But it is a fine illustration of the power of gentleness above hardness and irritation. Apply it to those who are set against truth. Gentleness is full of power and energy. Indeed, "among all the graces that adorn the Christian soul like so many jewels of various colors and lusters against the day of her espousals to the Lamb of God, there is not one more brilliant than that of patience" (Bishop Home).
16. If you find honey, eat just enough—too much of it, and you will vomit. Solomon had previously invited us to eat honey (24:13). Here, however, he imposes a restraint. The old proverb about "too much of a good thing" applies. Eat just enough. Then it is sweet. Beyond that it is nauseating. Cultivate in all things the wisdom of moderation, a thankful but temperate enjoyment of our earthly blessings (1 Timothy 4:4).
Remember that our affections can never safely flow out to any object unless they are primarily fixed on God. "Then we may be sure not to offend, either in the object or measure. No man can in God love whom he should not; nor immediately love whom he would. This holy respect does both direct and limit him and shuts up his delights in the conscience of a lawful fruition" (Bishop Hall). In earthly pleasure, however, we can never forget how slight the boundary line is between the lawful and the forbidden path. Sin and danger begin on the extremity of virtue. For does not the legitimate indulgence of appetite to its utmost point bring us to the brink and often hurry us to the allowance of gluttony?
But in eating the real honey of the Gospel there is no danger of excess. Never shall we know satiety in this delight. The increasing desire will be fully satisfied only in eternity. "O God, let me but taste and see how sweet the Lord Jesus is in all his gracious promises; in all his merciful and real performances. I shall desire no more to make me happy. This is not the honey whereof I am bidden not to eat too much. No, Lord, I can never eat enough of this heavenly honey. Here I cannot surfeit; if I could, this surfeit would be my health" (Bishop Hall).
17. Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house—too much of you, and he will hate you. No code of laws enters, as the Bible does, into minute regulations about the courtesies of life. Yet surely we do not mar the sanctity of religion by spreading it over the face of human society. Daily life is evangelized by the pervading influence of Christian religion's wholesome principles. This rule illustrates one of our own proverbs: "Familiarity breeds contempt." It is safer to err on the side of reserve than to incur contempt by the opposite mistake.
Blessed be God, there is no need of this caution and reserve in our approach to him. Once acquainted with the way of access, there is no wall of separation. Our earthly friend may be pressed too far; kindness may be worn out by frequent use. But never can we come to our heavenly Friend unseasonably.
18. Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor. We know that false testimony is universally condemned. But where except in the Word of God are its true character and deep aggravation of guilt adequately set forth? What a picture there is here of cruelty and malice. The tongue becomes the weapon of death. Open perjury, like a sword or a sharp arrow, pierces the fountain of life. And little better are those calumnies and unkind insinuations, all breaches of love, uttered so freely in common conversation. "Consider, you who indulge in such conversation, whether you care about those you gossip about. Do you think that you act as Jael did with Sisera, or Joab did with Abner? Would you shrink with horror at the thought of beating out your neighbor's brains with a hammer, or of killing a person with a sword or a sharp arrow? Why then do you indulge in a similar barbarity? Why do you seek to destroy others' reputation, which is as dear to men as their life, and so wound all their best interests by mangling their character?" (Lawson).
19. Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble. We know that a bad tooth and a lame foot are not only useless for their respective offices but are sources of pain and uneasiness. So are the unfaithful in times of trouble. The world abounds with instances of this disappointment. But though many may be unfaithful, God is true. Who ever trusted in him and was confounded?
20. Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. What could be more inhuman than to take away a garment on a cold day from a poor man? Such an act of cruelty was forbidden by the God of the poor (Deuteronomy 24:12, 17). Again, what could be more inappropriate than to pour vinegar on soda? All that would happen is that it would dissolve it. The soda of Scripture is not the salt that commonly goes by the name, but a soda or mineral alkali (the Roman natrum) that strongly ferments with all acids. Dr. Blayney remarks on Jeremiah 2:22, the only other example of the word, "In many parts of Asia it is called soap-earth, because it is dissolved in water and used like soap in washing." It would be just as inappropriate to sing songs to a heavy heart. Though no unkindness is intended, inconsiderate levity or even excessive cheerfulness is like a sword in the bones. The tenderness that shows a brother's tears, knows how to weep with those who weep, and directs the mourner to the mourner's friend and God—this is Christian sympathy, a precious balm for the broken heart.
21-22. In which heathen code of morals would we find this perfection of love? Every system gives way to selfishness. None of them go beyond loving those who love us, to which the true Lawgiver asks, "What reward will you get?" (Matthew 5:46-47). The corrupt Jewish teachers did not rise to this sublime standard. "They did not, it seems, perceive anything to be disapproved in hatred, more than in goodwill. And according to their system of morals, 'our enemy' was the proper natural object of one of these passions, as 'our neighbor' was of the other" (Bishop Butler). They could not come up to the law, and therefore, perverting the rule of justice to authorize private revenge, they brought the law down to their own level.
The agreement between Old Testament and New Testament teaching is complete. Both were given by the same Holy Spirit. Each stamps the other with divine authority. "The law of love is not expounded more spiritually in any single precept, either of Christ or his apostles, than in this exhortation" (Scott). We need not, therefore, disparage one system in order to exalt the other.
We are not bound to trust our enemies, but we are bound to forgive them. And yet too often our love for them only stops us from quarreling with them. "Love is of too substantial a nature to be made up of mere negatives, and withal too operative to terminate in bare desires" (South). If we do not give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, but we do not give him water to drink, our claim to love our neighbor is mere self-delusion. No man ever conquered his enemy's heart by revenge, but many have by love.
23. As a north wind brings rain, so a sly tongue brings angry looks. The tongue wounds four people at one stroke. The person harms himself, the object of his attack, anyone who listens to his words, and the name of God. Flee from this deadly disease. Keep your ears as well as your mouth from this poison.
24. Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. This proverb has been given before (21:9). Scriptural repetitions show the deep importance of the matter laid out. Christian woman, do not think these proverbs are unworthy of your attention. Be sure you do not fit the description of this dreadful picture. And surely the repeated exhibition strongly inculcates the cultivation of the opposite graces, the absence of which clouds the female character in painful deformity.
25. Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.
Solomon had previously spoken about the refreshment that the messenger brings; here he speaks of the message, the good news. Reader, if your light, vain heart has ever leaped within you at the news of some earthly advantage, have you heard and welcomed the Gospel as good news from a distant land? Do you know your need, that you are in danger of perishing? Then what refreshment can compare with the good news brought from heaven that to you a Savior was born?
26. Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked. Eastern springs and wells, where the rains were only seasonal, were greatly valued. The well is, therefore, a blessing or a curse, depending on the purity or the impurity of the waters.
When a minister of Christ apostatizes from the faith, and mournfully frequent have been such spectacles, or compromises his principles from the fear of men, the well of truth is polluted. In this way Satan uses God's people more effectively than he does his own followers. The gross wickedness of the ungodly passes in silence. But Satan makes the neighborhood ring with the failings of those who profess to be Christians.
27. It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor. We know honey is good, in moderation (24:13). It is not good to eat too much honey (compare 25:16). A man's own name and reputation is honey to him. Let him preserve it carefully. Yet there is danger in seeking fame and even the good name of one's church rather than godliness. Few ministers have not been severely exercised in this. They are tempted to cherish the desire for public approbation rather than to be content with unnoticed fruitfulness. It is most welcome to recall that what men esteem highly is detested in God's sight (Luke 16:15).
28. Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. A previous proverb declared, Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city (16:32). Certainly the noblest conquests are gained or lost over ourselves. The first outbreak of anger resulted in murder. A king's lack of watchfulness about lust resulted in adultery.
Many examples of this moral weakness are less shameful and yet scarcely less harmful to the soul. Every sign of irritation, every spark of pride burning in the heart, long before it shows itself in the countenance or on the tongue, must be firmly resisted. A man may talk about self-control as if the reins are in his own hands. But he who has been born of the Spirit and who has been taught about the plague that is in his own heart knows that effective self-control is a divine grace, and not a natural power.
So what should we do? Upon the first assault fortify the walls by prayer. Do not place your trust in the strength of the citadel. Have not repeated defeats taught us the need to call on better strength than our own? How could we enter into the conflict, much less win the fight, but for the promise that sin will not rule us (Romans 6:14). Oh, for the simple faith to draw out from this mighty source energy, perseverance, and triumphant victory!