"The Proverbs of the King"

Proverbs 25-29

Proverbs 24:23-34 are the third collection of proverbs.

They are anonymous-simply "the sayings of the wise"--

a collection of four proverbs from unknown Hebrew wise men.

Since they continue the imperative mood from the previous collection,

they follow nicely from Proverbs 22-24.

It also connects back to Proverbs 6, with its conclusion:

"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,..."

is a quotation from Proverbs 6:10-11.

Or, as is perhaps more likely, the father in Proverbs 6 quotes this anonymous saying,

since it is likely that Proverbs 1-9 was composed

as the introduction to the collection of Proverbs.

Proverbs 25-29 then give us the fourth collection of proverbs.

And these are said to be

"proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied." (25:1)

Like the anonymous collection in chapters 22-24,

they are oriented around the wisdom of the king.

25:1-7 opens with reflections on the wisdom of the king,

while the whole of chapter 29 closes with the contrast

between the faithful king and the worthless ruler.

One feature of this collection is its use of comparisons.

The sheer number of times you hear the word "like" in this collection reveals this.

While the Hebrews does not use a word for "like" in these comparative proverbs,

still these 2 chapters contain more than 1/3 of the times the English word "like"

is used in Proverbs.

To put it another way,

no other chapter in Proverbs uses the word "like" more than four times,

but chapter 25 uses like 11 times, chapter 26 uses it 13 times.

This provides some of the most vivid sayings in the whole book:

Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give (25:14)

It is better to live in a corner of a housetop

than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife (25:24)

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,

a curse that is causeless does not alight (26:2)

Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly (26:11)

Better is open rebuke than hidden love (27:5)

Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home (27:8)

A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike;

to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in one's right hand (27:15-16)

As in water face reflects face, so the heart of a man reflects the man (27:19)

Chapters 25-27 use comparisons, contrasts, and vivid imagery to make points.

Chapters 28-29 return to the tone of chapters 10-15-largely antithetical proverbs, (lots of "buts")

which focus on the way things should be-

but now oriented around the king,

and the question of what makes a good ruler.

1. Wisdom in Vivid Contrast to Folly (chs 25-27)

Chapter 25 starts with an opening statement of the wisdom of the king:

It is the glory of God to conceal things,

but the glory of kings is to search things out.

As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,

so the heart of kings is unsearchable. (25:2-3)

We are perhaps so far removed from the days of kings and princes

that we may think of this as silly.

But for most of human history, the king was viewed as God's representative on earth.

John Calvin even argued that it was wrong to rebel against even the most wicked king,

because even a wicked ruler is ordained by God.

And while the fiery Scot, John Knox, disagreed with Calvin,

even he would only permit rebellion if the lower magistrates led it.

But the king is God's vice-gerent, a steward who rules as God's representative on earth.

And as God in his glory has concealed things,

so it is king's glory to search things out and unveil the wisdom of God in his rule.

Solomon did this when he decided to cut the child in half in 1 Kings 3.

The wise king understands the hidden matters of the heart,

and is able to judge wisely and well.

Of course, Jesus Christ is the great king of whom this is most emphatically true.

Verses 6-7 then speak to the subjects-

don't put yourself forward, lest you be thrust back.

Jesus echoes this when he tells us to humble ourselves and seek a low place.

Let another praise you, and not you yourself. (27:2)

Be content with a small place of usefulness-

and if others find you useful, then you will be praised.

And once again, Jesus is the one who fulfills this most remarkably,

when he says that the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,

and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus did not put himself forward, but humbled himself-even to the point of death--

and then was summoned by his father:

"Come up here!"

And was exalted above every name and made King of kings and Lord of lords.

And Jesus calls us to imitate him:

whoever would be great among you must be the servant of all.

Therefore, the one who would learn the wisdom of Proverbs 25-29,

the wisdom of the King,

must humble himself, even as our Lord Jesus Christ did.

The comparisons of Proverbs 25-27 are usually quite vivid and striking:

We only have time for a few,

but they illustrate the way of wisdom effectively.

25:26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain

is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

A spring or fountain is supposed to provide fresh, sweet water for those who are thirsty.

But a muddy spring only makes your thirst worse.

25:28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

This would happen to Jerusalem-

and all because Judah lacked self-control.

Self-control is your primary defense against sin.

If you lack self-control, then you are like a city without walls-

a city that cannot defend itself against attack.

Paul tells us in Galatians 5 that self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Chapter 26 is largely concerned with the fool:

26:3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.

I mentioned in the Sex and the City of God study last time

that we need to be aware that spanking has changed in function in the last 250 years.

Proverbs 26:3 reminds us of this.

It used to be that any fool would be beaten.

Now it is just foolish children.

Today most people are horrified if adults are beaten in punishment for their crimes,

but I would submit that the public humiliation of a public beating

might be a good thing from time to time!

26:4-5 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

How do you know how to answer a fool?

You need wisdom to understand what kind of fool you are dealing with!

Likewise,

26:17 Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears

When you see a stray dog,

do you go up to it (well, you probably don't even go up to it!),

and grab it by the ears?

Then why would you meddle in someone else's quarrel?

It doesn't concern you!

Of course you need wisdom to distinguish this from 27:9-

Oil and perfume make the heart glad,

and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.

When do you stay out and when do you give counsel?

It takes wisdom to know the difference.

Then of course there is the motto of Wiley Coyote:

26:27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,

and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.

Have you ever noticed that cartoons are often visualized proverbs?

Chapter 27 then is especially concerned with friendship

27:5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

As Jesus discovered!

Domestic relations are included in chapter 27:

27:8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.

What happens to birds that stray from the nest?

The nest provides security and safety, as well as warmth and comfort.

If you stray from the nest, then you lay yourself open to danger.

Husbands, stay close to the nest!

But likewise,

27:15-16 A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike;

to restrain her is to restrain the wind, or to grasp oil in one's right hand.

Wives, there is nothing worse than a nag.

A nag can always find something to complain about.

You know your husband.

How can you bring your concerns to him in a way that he can understand and appreciate?

Are you more interested in getting what you want?

Or is your first desire for him to be a wise and faithful husband?

And timing is everything:

27:14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,

will be counted as cursing.

27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

This is often taken as a good thing-

and that's okay-

but literally it would read sharpens the face of another,

which may suggest more of a bruising than anything else.

2. Wisdom, Wealth and the Ruler (Proverbs 28-29)

We haven't seen a whole lot of proverbs about money and prosperity in chapters 25-27.

But that becomes more prominent at the end of chapter 27 and into chapter 28.

(You may have noticed, by the way,

that my outline doesn't stick neatly to chapter divisions-

there is often some overlap)

28:6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity,

than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

And

28:8 Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit

gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.

28:19 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,

but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

Notice the movement from the "better...than" of chapters 25-27

to the "but"s of chapters 10-15.

We are back to the antithetical proverbs,

reminiscent of the first part of the first collection.

And in this final section, there are increasing references to Yahweh:

28:5 Evil men do not understand justice,

but those who seek the LORD understand it completely.

28:13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,

but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

28:14 Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always,

but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

The one who fears the LORD will know what to do in times of difficulty.

If we say we have not sinned, we are liars, and the truth is not in us.

But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,

and to cleanse us from all iniquity.

And as this section continues, the focus turns more and more to the character of the king or ruler:

28:15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

28:16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,

but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.

29:2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,

but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

29:4 By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts [or heavy taxes] tears it down.

The wise king will refuse to heed the fool,

but will listen to wise counsel and faithfully judge the poor.

29:14 If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever.

The nations think that what makes a good king is simply whether he is good in battle,

and good in building.

Not so the Christian.

A Christian ruler is judged by how he treats the poor.

That is not the liberal test of how much money does he throw at the poor.

Neither is it the conservative how much does he try to get government out of social programs.

Rather, the question is how does he judge the poor.

Does he allow the rich to oppress the poor?

Or does he treat them equally?

I personally don't think that we have a good ruler in this country for generations by this standard!

29:18 is perhaps one of the most misunderstood proverbs:

Where there is no vision the people perish [or as the ESV says]

Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,

but blessed is he who keeps the law.

The word "vision" is the word for a prophetic vision (not simply "seeing").

Without the word of the LORD, the people will all turn to their own way.

We need God's word to guide and direct our path!

Conclusion:

The men of Hezekiah concluded their collection of Solomon's proverbs

with these.

29:25-27

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts the LORD is safe.

Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice.

An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,

but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

Even as you seek to live wisely in God's world,

even as you seek to be a wise ruler in God's world,

remember that justice, in the end, does not come from men.

Justice comes from God.

He will make all things right in the end.

In this life, the just and the unjust are an abomination to each other.

So do not fear man.

I think that it is safe to say that every time we have interpersonal difficulties in this life,

it is because we fear man more than we fear God.

We are more concerned with what others think of us,

than with what God thinks of us.

The key to Jesus' interactions with the Jews is found in John 2:24-25-

he did not entrust himself to man, for he knew what was in man!

May we have the wisdom to entrust ourselves to our faithful Savior,

and live in the fear of the LORD.