Proverbs 25

Justice

More Proverbs of Solomon

1 These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah.

2 It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them. 3 No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth, or all that goes on in the king’s mind!

4 Remove the impurities from silver, and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith.

5 Remove the wicked from the king’s court, and his reign will be made secure by justice.

6 Don’t demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great. 7 It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace.

Just because you’ve seen something, 8 don’t be in a hurry to go to court. For what will you do in the end if your neighbor deals you a shameful defeat?

9 When arguing with your neighbor, don’t betray another person’s secret. 10 Others may accuse you of gossip, and you will never regain your good reputation.

11 Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.

12 To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry.

13 Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer. They revive the spirit of their employer.

14 A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it is like clouds and wind that bring no rain.

15 Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones.

16 Do you like honey? Don’t eat too much, or it will make you sick!

17 Don’t visit your neighbors too often, or you will wear out your welcome.

18 Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow.

19 Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.

20 Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound.

21 If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. 22 You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.

23 As surely as a north wind brings rain, so a gossiping tongue causes anger!

24 It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

25 Good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty.

26 If the godly give in to the wicked, it’s like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.

27 It’s not good to eat too much honey, and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself.

28 A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. (NLT)

insights

Proverbs 25:4

God promises that justice will be ours in heaven. If only we could remove the wickedness from the “kings court” and have the same kind of security here on earth that awaits us in glory. We may not be able to conform the world to the way we would like it to be, but we can allow God to purify us, so that we may have our eyes and our thoughts firmly set on where we are going.

We can also pledge our time, talent, and treasure to promoting justice here on earth. When we shine the light of the Lord on injustice, we take that ground back from the enemy in His name.

Proverbs 25:18-20

These three verses speak to common sense living. That they are wise, is not in question at all. If everything in the world were black and white, these would be easy verses to live by. The problem we encounter is that we live in a world filled with shades of gray, making justice sometimes difficult to discern.

In our hearts, we long for a simpler life, but we cannot turn back time. Of course there is a line to be drawn between absolute right and absolute wrong or evil, but with all of the choices we have in this day and age, with all of the worldly seductions we face, it is sometimes hard to keep a godly perspective and always act justly.

We struggle with our choices and we struggle with our relationships, and sometimes we hurt the ones we love deeply when we choose to follow a path we feel we have been called to.

Proverbs 25:28

Self control is the mastery of self.  It is a life long battle for most of us…controlling our thoughts, our eating habits, and our emotions to name just a few. 

There is a great danger in losing that self control, which is likened to a city whose walls are broken down.  In the time when the book of Proverbs was written, the city walls were the first line of defense.  If the walls were to be breached, the enemy could rush in.

In the same manner, when we lose self control, we are giving ground to the enemy, and every inch of ground we relinquish takes us farther from what we truly desire.

lynnibug