chapter27

Boasting of tomorrow

Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth (Proverbs 27:1).

Do not boast of what you will do tomorrow because you do not know what a day may bring forth. You have not foreseen what would happen to you tomorrow or any day thereafter. Even prophecy does not reveal what will happen to you. God hids from your mind what will befall you .

Praising self

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips (Proverbs 27:2).

Do not praise yourself for what you have done or intent to do. Do not promote yourself through an advertisement. If you have done some good deeds or if you have benefited others through your ministry, do not seek praises from the people who have benefited from your ministry. Let those strangers who have been blessed by your ministry speak on their own what God has done through your ministry.

Fool's wrath

(Verses 3 and 4 are clubbed).

A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both

(Proverbs 27:3).

Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? (Proverbs 27:4)

Wrath is bad. If it is the wrath of a fool, it is worse. Wrath is different from anger. Wrath can be good because you incur wrath over some evil thing. Wrath is great anger that expresses itself in a desire to punish someone: Noah saw the flood as a sign of the wrath of God. Jesus exhibited His wrath when He saw the house of God in Jerusalem as a den of thieves. He drove away those who sold and brought in the house of God, called a house or prayer. Wrath can be cruel. However, it is justified to the extent that it is revealed for a good cause. But, wrath of a fool is not justified at any cost.

Anger is outrageous because It cannot be tolerated.

But envy is the worst. If wrath is tolerated, envy cannot be tolerated at any cost. When envy is manifested, it causes wide destruction.

Open rebuke

(Verses 5 and 6 are clubbed).

Open rebuke is better than secret love (Proverbs 27:5).

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful (Proverbs 27:6).

You should rebuke someone openly instead of having secret love for him. Many servants of God do not want to be rebuked but to be praised.

A friend can wound your heart by rebuke. His words revealed by rebuke to warn you or to correct you are faithful. But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. A true friend is known for his rebuke whereas an enemy is known for his outward expression of love when his heart is full of deceit.

Loathing honeycomb

The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet (Proverbs 27:7).

A man who is fully satisfied with his food loathes an honeycomb. One who has all the material needs fulfilled does not need any blessing in excess. But a hungry person eats even a bitter thing without any choice as it is sweet to his taste. There are many people in our midst who lack in such material blessings which would keep them satisfied. They use such material goods without wasting a small part of the same.

Do not give to those ministers of God who have all the resources at their command and who are full. But give to them who are hungry. There are thousands of poor saints who work in the vineyard of God. They acknowledge your charity and thank God from the depth of their hearts. Even if you send them a small amount of money which may appear bitter to those "rich" ministers, these "poor" ministers treat the same as sweet.

Wandering from nest

As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place (Proverbs 27:8).

A man should not wander from his place but stay in his place. Even if he goes to a foreign nation for livelihood, he should come back to his native land. His nest is in his native village or native land. The bird leaves the nest for food but comes back to the nest.

Hearty counsel

Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel (Proverbs 27:9).

A true friend gives hearty counsels to you. You need advices from your friends before taking any decision. The sweetness of your friend is revealed by his useful and timely advices. It is like ointment and perfume rejoicing the heart. Ointment and perfume are used for beautifying and preserving the body. A friend serves as ointment and perfume for your outward life by giving you counsels.

Forsaking friends

Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off (Proverbs 27:10).

Do not forsake your own friend and your father's friend. You have to help them in times of need. But do not go to the house of your brother in the day of your calamity because the nearby friend is better than a brother who is far off. This shows that friends who stay near as neighbours are preferred to real brothers who are far off. Have good relations with your nearby friends.

Pleasing father

My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me (Proverbs 27:11).

You need to make the heart of your father glad by listening to him and by taking care of him. If his hearty is happy, then he may be in a position to answer the one who reproaches or insults him. The son need not defend his father if the latter is mentally fit to face and bear any reproach.

Foreseeing evil

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished (Proverbs 27:12).

A prudent man by his foresight is able to see the evil coming his way. He does not entangle himself in any strife but keeps himself aloof and avoids the strife which he is able to foresee.

Surety for stranger

Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman (Proverbs 27:13).

When you give a loan to someone, a stranger, you have to take his possession as a surety. Then take hold of him as if he is a strange woman. The Law of Moses lays down conditions for giving loans by taking hold of the security's cloak (Exodus 22:26-27; Deuteronomy 24:10-13). If the creditor fails to return the loan, then the debtor can get hold of the surety by seizing his possession. Bankers follow this law in taking possession of the assets of the surety in the event of the debtor failing to return the loan. This is to prevent the debtors from escaping the law by declaring themselves as paupers.

Thanking becomes curse

He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him (Proverbs 27:14).

You should express your heartfelt thanks to your friend for his help but not with a loud voice to be heard by others. Every act of thanksgiving has to be in secret. It should not be done as a pretense to impress others. When you want to thank your friend, timing is very important. Normally, nobody will heartily accept his friend to disturb his sleep in the early hours. If your intention is to seek praises from others or bystanders, then it will be counted as a curse by your friend who has received your help. It will be treated as a flattery by your friend. Flattery does not result in a blessing but in a curse.

Contentious woman

(Verses 15 and 26 are clubbed).

A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike (Proverbs 27:15).

Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself (Proverbs 27:16).

If it rains the whole day during a rainy season, people would not bear with this kind of continual dropping. Likewise, a contentious woman who disturbs the peace in a house is likened to the continual dropping that disturbs our normal life.

The contentious woman stands exposed and if her husband or anyone in the family who wants to hide her, hides the rageous wind. She is compared to the rageous wind that destroys the peace in the family. One who covers the contentious woman cannot hide the ointment on his right hand which was applied on the wounds sustained by the former due to the hurt caused by her conduct. Though the ointment can be washed off, its presence still lingers by its odour. Any mental pain caused by the contentious woman in a peaceful house cannot be erased from the mental slate of those who were affected by her conduct.

Iron sharpening iron

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend (Proverbs 27:17).

To sharpens iron, another piece of iron is required. Likewise, a man can shape the imperfect life of his friend by rebuking him. The true life of a person is revealed on his countenance. The friend who corrects his imperfect friend should be mentally and spiritually strong as iron. He thus ultimately sharpens the countenance of his imperfect friend which is seen by others.

Waiting on master

Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured (Proverbs 27:18).

When you wait on your master for service, the master will honour you. Similarly when we wait on the Heavenly Master expecting His blessings for a long time, the Master will serve and honour you. You need not serve Him to receive His blessings unlike one waits on his earthly master to serve the latter. One who nurtures a fig tree, he will definitely eat the fruit thereof. You may have a desire to be fulfilled by the Lord. You have been nurturing this like a fig tree for a pretty long time, waiting on the Heavenly Master to give you the fruit thereof. You will defenitely eat the fruit thereof in His time.

Heart of man to man

As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man (Proverbs 27:19).

When you look upon a pool of water, you see the image of your very face. Likewise, you should see the heart of another man by discernment. You should understand the pain or the joy in the heart of another person by your love. Discernment is a gift from God.

Hell and destruction

Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied (Proverbs 27:20).

Hell is always not full because it is wide open to swallow any number of people. Destruction in hell is never ending. Hell and its destruction are never satisfied. Likewise, the eyes of man are never satisfied. The sin enters our life through our eyes. We need to make a covenant with our eyes not to behold things that tempt us to sin. Job says, "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman (Job 31:1).

Praise causes pride

As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise (Proverbs 27:21).

The fining-pot and furnace test the metals put into them. Likewise, the praise tries a man. When you are praised by others, you feel pride in your heart. When others flatter you, you feel elated and covet this flattery though in your heart you know that you do not deserve this flattery. Nowadays, many servants of God allow themselves to be flattered in the guise of testimonies by those who have been blessed by their ministries. Such praises become a snare for these servants of God to fall into the sin of pride.

Fool and foolishness

Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him (Proverbs 27:22).

Even if a fool is grinded in a mortar, even along with the grain, his folly won't be driven from him. The folly of a man makes him take a foolish decision that goes to harm him or others terribly. A fool is known by his acts due to a foolish decision. Foolishness does not depart from a fool unless he becomes wise.

Knowing flocks

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds (Proverbs 27:23).

You should be diligent to know the state of your flocks, the people who are following you or who are being mentored by you, a pastor. You have to look after them in all respects, physically and spiritually. A pastor needs to guide his sheep individually in their personal lives.

Vanishing riches

For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? (Proverbs 27:24)

Riches do not last long as they are not eternal but finite. The money saved does get spent later. The assets acquired with money also get damaged or destroyed in the long run. Nothing is permanent in this world. The crown of a king does not endure to every generation. A generation will arise who will not inherit the crown.

Changing seasons

The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered (Proverbs 27:25).

The seasons of the world go as usual. The hay appears and the tender grass appears itself and the herbs of the mountains are gathered for use by human beings. The nature does not change but yields their products. But men die and disappear. This verse reminds us that the kingdom of the plants remains for ever but the kingdom of men changes or disappears.

Lambs and goats

The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field (Proverbs 27:26).

The lambs are used for human clothing and their flesh is meant for consumption. The quality garments are made of the skins and wools of lambs. But goat meat is considered to be a healthy meat. Hence, the high cost of a goat compared to that of a lamb. The goats of the field determined the price of the field during the Old testament days. The price of the field was dependent upon the number of goats reared in a particular place.

Taking care of maidens

And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens (Proverbs 27:27).

Goat's milk was considered good for health not only for the family but also for the maintenance of the maidens during the Old testament days. Nowadays, goat's milk is considered for its medicinal and protein nutrients. Maidens were also given goat's milk without any discrimination. Nowadays, we use to give inferior food or stale food to our servants working in our houses.

Next.....Chapter 28