September 16th
Proverbs, 25
1:
These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of
Judah copied out. 2:
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is
to search out a matter. 3:
The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of
kings is unsearchable. 4:
Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a
vessel for the finer. 5:
Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be
established in righteousness. 6:
Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in
the place of great men: 7:
For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that
thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine
eyes have seen. 8:
Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the
end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. 9:
Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a
secret to another: 10:
Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not
away. 11:
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 12:
As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise
reprover upon an obedient ear. 13:
As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful
messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his
masters. 14:
Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind
without rain. 15:
By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh
the bone. 16:
Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest
thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. 17:
Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of
thee, and so hate thee. 18:
A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and
a sword, and a sharp arrow. 19:
Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken
tooth, and a foot out of joint. 20:
As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon
nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart. 21:
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be
thirsty, give him water to drink: 22:
For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall
reward thee. 23:
The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a
backbiting tongue. 24:
It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a
brawling woman and in a wide house. 25:
As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
26:
A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled
fountain, and a corrupt spring. 27:
It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own
glory is not glory. 28:
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is
broken down, and without walls.
Proverbs, 26
1:
As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly
for a fool. 2:
As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse
causeless shall not come. 3:
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's
back. 4:
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto
him. 5:
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own
conceit. 6:
He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet,
and drinketh damage. 7:
The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of
fools. 8:
As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to
a fool. 9:
As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in
the mouth of fools. 10:
The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and
rewardeth transgressors. 11:
As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
12:
Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a
fool than of him. 13:
The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the
streets. 14:
As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his
bed. 15:
The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring
it again to his mouth. 16:
The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can
render a reason. 17:
He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is
like one that taketh a dog by the ears. 18:
As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, 19:
So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in
sport? 20:
Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no
talebearer, the strife ceaseth. 21:
As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious
man to kindle strife. 22:
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the
innermost parts of the belly. 23:
Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with
silver dross. 24:
He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within
him; 25:
When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven
abominations in his heart. 26:
Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed
before the whole congregation. 27:
Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone,
it will return upon him. 28:
A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a
flattering mouth worketh ruin.
Today we are reading in
Proverbs 25 & 26. Proverbs 25v1 – 26v28 are a list of proverbs
by Solomon. They are all spoken in the third person. Ch 25v1-28 Are
an admonition to fear the LORD Jehovah of Israel. They were uttered
towards Israel who were under the Law of Moses. In the first verse we
read that these proverbs were copied out of Solomon’s papers and
memoirs by the servants of Hezekiah. They were a sort of treasury of
Israel, in which the very best of the wisdom of Solomon was stored up
for future generations. They are very typical Jewish writings being
couplets of truth most of the time in contrast.
It
is the glory of God to conceal a thing:
but
the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
The
heaven for height, and the earth for depth,
and
the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Take
away the dross from the silver,
and
there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
Take
away the wicked from before the king,
and
his throne shall be established in righteousness.
Put
not forth thyself in the presence of the king,
and
stand not in the place of great men:
For
better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither;
than
that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom
thine eyes have seen.
Go
not forth hastily to strive,
lest
thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath
put thee to shame.
Debate
thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to
another:
lest
he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.
A
word fitly spoken is like
apples
of gold in pictures of silver.
As
an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold,
so
is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
As
the cold of snow in the time of harvest,
so
is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the
soul of his masters.
Whoso
boasteth himself of a false gift
is
like clouds and wind without rain.
By
long forbearing is a prince persuaded,
and
a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
Hast
thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee,
lest
thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
Withdraw
thy foot from thy neighbour's house;
lest
he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
A
man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul,
and
a sword, and a sharp arrow.
Confidence
in an unfaithful man in time of trouble
is
like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
As
he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon
nitre,
so
is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.
If
thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat;
and
if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
For
thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head,
and
the LORD shall reward thee.
The
north wind driveth away rain:
so
doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
It
is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop,
than
with a brawling woman and in a wide house.
As
cold waters to a thirsty soul,
so
is good news from a far country.
A
righteous man falling down before the wicked
is
as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.
It
is not good to eat much honey:
so
for men to search their own glory is not glory.
He
that hath no rule over his own spirit
is
like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Ch 26v1-28 is a section in which Solomon gives a series of warnings against the sins of men.
As
snow in summer, and as rain in harvest,
so
honour is not seemly for a fool.
As
the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying,
so
the curse causeless shall not come.
A
whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass,
and
a rod for the fool's back.
Answer
not a fool according to his folly,
lest
thou also be like unto him.
Answer
a fool according to his folly,
lest
he be wise in his own conceit.
The
point here is that you cannot reason with a fool. Because he does not
understand logic. If you do try to reason with him then you will
need to reason according to the level of his foolish thinking and
that makes you a fool too. And he will think he is wise like you.
He
that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool
cutteth
off the feet, and drinketh damage.
The
legs of the lame are not equal:
so
is a parable in the mouth of fools.
As
he that bindeth a stone in a sling,
so
is he that giveth honour to a fool.
As
a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard,
so
is a parable in the mouth of fools.
The
great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool,
and
rewardeth transgressors.
As
a dog returneth to his vomit,
so
a fool returneth to his folly.
Seest
thou a man wise in his own conceit?
there
is more hope of a fool than of him.
The
slothful man saith,
there
is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
As
the door turneth upon his hinges,
so
doth the slothful upon his bed.
The
slothful hideth his hand in his bosom;
it
grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.
The
sluggard is wiser in his own conceit
than
seven men that can render a reason.
He
that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him,
is
like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
As
a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
so
is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in
sport?
Where
no wood is, there the fire goeth out:
so
where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
As
coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire;
so
is a contentious man to kindle strife.
The
words of a talebearer are as wounds,
and
they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
Burning
lips and a wicked heart
are
like a potsherd covered with silver dross.
He
that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within
him;
when
he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations
in his heart.
Whose
hatred is covered by deceit,
his
wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.
Whoso
diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone,
it
will return upon him.
A
lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it;
and
a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
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