Proverbs 25

1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.

Solomon had a lot of wisdom, but there was one weakness that brought him down – he loved women to the extent that he married women that God forbade him to. Those women coaxed him sacrifice to false gods, and that destroyed Solomon’s relationship with God.

Let us not repeat Solomon’s mistake. Beware of that one thing that can separate you from God.

2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

One great thing about God is that He likes to make it difficult to find interesting things.

A good leader is a person who can discern the not-so-obvious things – things in the Bible, and things in another person’s mind.

3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable.

Some people try to figure out what their leaders are thinking so that they can curry their favor, but you can’t figure that out. Therefore, you have to look to God rather than be at unrest.

4 Take away the dross from the silver, and there comes out a vessel for the smith; 5 Take away the wicked before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.

If you want your ‘kingdom’ to be top-notch then you have to remove the mediocre and wicked people from it.

6 Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men; 7 For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,” than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.

Always take a humble posture or position. even when you know that you are really good at something, and better than most at it, understand that it is a gift from God and that you really have nothing to boast. Let God exalt you rather than you exalting yourself.

8 Do not go out hastily to argue your case; otherwise, what will you do in the end, when your neighbor humiliates you? 9 Argue your case with your neighbor, and do not reveal the secret of another, 10 Or he who hears it will reproach you, and the evil report about you will not pass away.

Whenever you have a conflict with someone, don’t immediately try to make it known or sort it out publicly. First try to sort it out privately. This is because in a conflict you will suffer damage even if you are correct.

11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.

If you can discern the need of another and speak to it you are a very valuable person.

Prov 25:11 just tells us that there are times, when you are in the presence of people, when there is something that you can say that can be most beneficial to them.

If you want to bless people, you will practice this skill, and learn and become better at it as time goes by, with God’s help.

Doing this first requires discernment - the ability to figure out what is going on in a person’s mind, and what his or her need is.

Let’s take some example from the life of Jesus. Consider Jn 4:7.

Jn 4:7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."

A woman with poor self-esteem felt needed.

Just that simple sentence began a chain of events that transformed the woman and saved many in that Samaritan city.

Those were words fitly spoken.

Another example is in Jn 1:47.

Jn 1:47 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"

A man’s strength was noticed and appreciated.

Just that one statement began a conversation that converted Nathanael from a doubter to a believer.

Jesus had the discernment to do that. We can have it too, if we ask God for that gift through His Holy Spirit, and then take the time to develop that gift.

12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.

If you find someone who is willing to learn and you teach them they will consider you precious.

13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him, for he refreshes the soul of his masters.

If you show yourself as someone dependable and able to do what is expected then you will be valuable to those who depend on you.

14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely.

Don’t try to appear to be smarter than you really are.

15 By forbearance a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue breaks the bone.

If you want to convince someone of something you need to be patient because you may not be successful at the first try. You also need to be gentle.

16 Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, that you not have it in excess and vomit it.

Whenever you find a good thing you need to control your use of it. This applies to a good TV series (e.g. Star Trek) or a good book series or chocolates.

17 Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor's house, or he will become weary of you and hate you.

Understand that people get tired of you after a while.

18 Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

19 Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.

Choose your friends wisely – don’t get tied up with someone you cannot depend on.

20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, is he who sings songs to a troubled heart.

Know the disposition of your fellow traveler and don’t be bubbly when he is sad.

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.

Always do good to all, and your enemy will suffer while you are rewarded.

23 The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.

Don’t speak evil of one person to another. If they hear that you did, they will be angry with you, and your relationship with them will suffer great damage. If you can’t tell them the same thing to their face, don’t tell it to anyone else.

24 It is better to live in a corner of the roof than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

A contentious woman is one who wants to argue about every little thing. She wants things done her way, and if she doesn’t get it then she will make an issue about it. It is very difficult to live with such a person.

If you are such a person, please try to change.

If you are about to get married to such a woman, think again! Try living in the corner of a roof for a while, and see if you can handle it. If you cannot, then take heed to this verse and don’t share a house with a contentious woman.

25 Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant land.

When you go to visit a faraway relative, give him good news – not news about how wonderful you are, but news that will make him happy.

26 Like a trampled spring and a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

Don’t compromise your standard just because a wicked man has power over you. What you have is more valuable than anything he can give you.

27 It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glory to search out one's own glory.

Don’t get into the habit of thinking about how wonderful you are, especially after you do something really super.

28 Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit.

Your spirit is your connection with God. You need to keep that connection strong and healthy. Your ability to control your flesh determines the quality of your spirit. If you can’t control your flesh then you can’t control the quality of your connection with God, and your eternal destiny is at risk. That is what this verse points out.

Understand your true state (of utter weakness) if you cannot control your spirit.