Proverbs 27:1-6English Standard Version 27 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. 2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. 3 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool's provocation is heavier than both. 4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. Solomon's teaching sounds exactly like Jesus' teaching in Matthew, during the Sermon on the Mount, about neither boasting nor worrying about tomorrow. We don't know what the future will bring--only God knows that.
Don't be braggadocios. Let others praise you. Self-praise is revolting. It is better for praise to come from the lips of a stranger. Taking the bait of fools that are trying to get you to play in the filth with them is a heavier load than carrying around rocks or sand. The people of God are not to be baited by those who are evil. Do not be attracted to their evil deeds, do not join them in their evil practices, and when possible, stay far away from them. We already know how dangerous both anger and wrath are, and how they do not work the will of the LORD when we try to elevate ourselves to the role of judge, jury and executioner, but Solomon points out that jealousy is also a fierce emotion that no one should want to be the target of. This is probably a warning to keep from adultery and all forms of covetousness that might tempt you to take something or someone that does not belong to you. The LORD is also jealous of all those that belong to Him and His fierce wrath will be poured out on those who try to cause His little ones to stumble. It is better to speak praise openly and rebuke privately, but open rebuke (though it is shameful to do this) is better than secret praise. If something is worthy of praise, then the person should be praised in front of everyone. Finally, along these same lines, do not desire for others to always speak flattery to you which may be falsehood. Your true friends will tell you the truth, even if it hurts a little, but they will try to do it in a way in which it is for your good. Your enemy will use flattery to try to get close to you so that they might have a better opportunity to attack you, but the wounds of a friend are like the careful work of a surgeon to help remove something harmful. This is not to say that your friends should be constantly cutting you down or disparaging you in front of others, but you should listen to them when they have hard things to say to you. They know they will hurt you and it takes courage for them to say those things and risk your friendship for your good. Comments are closed.
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Daniel WestfallI will mostly use this space for recording my "journal" from my daily devotions as I hope to encourage others to read the Bible along with me and to leave a legacy for others. Archives
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