He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
Interacting With: Our Neighbors 2: Proverbs 25:16-19
16) Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest
thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
17) Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of
thee, and [so] hate thee.
18) A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour [is] a maul, and a sword, and a sharp
arrow.
19) Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble [is like] a broken tooth, and a foot out
of joint.
This
section of Scripture is the second part of Solomon’s teachings on our interaction
with neighbors. The first part of his
teaching is found in verses 8-10…
EXPOSITION:
16) Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest
thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
Be
willing to share our blessings with our neighbors…
1. Have you acquired honey?
2. Consume enough to satisfy your needs (and
then stop)
3. or else (if we continue to eat) we will be
overflowing with it
4. and we will spue it out
When
we are blessed of the Lord, we must be on guard to not become selfish. When the Lord sees fit to give us more than
we need, instead of selfishly wasting the excess, we should be willing to share
it with our neighbors in need.
“And it shall come to pass
in that day, [that] a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep; And it shall come to pass,
for the abundance of milk [that] they shall give he shall eat butter: for
butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.” (Isaiah 7:21-22)
17) Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of
thee, and [so] hate thee.
Be
careful not to “wear out our welcome” with our neighbors…
1. We should remove our foot from the dwelling
place of our neighbors
2. if we do not, they will tire of our presence
and become our enemy.
When
we become self-centered, and do not consider our neighbors responsibilities, we
will over stay our welcome and not allow them to spend their time taking care
of their families’ needs and spending much needed time with them.
“Whensoever I take my
journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey,
and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled
with your [company].” (Romans 15:24)
18) A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour [is] a maul, and a sword, and a sharp
arrow.
Be
careful to always speak only the truth about our neighbors (refraining from all
speculation, gossip, and lying)
1. A man who is an untruthful witness against
his neighbor harms their neighbor like…
2. a maul – a tool used to break logs in pieces
3. a sword – a weapon used to cut an enemy
4. a sharp arrow – a weapon used to pierce an
enemy
When
we testify against our neighbors, it will result in much harm to them, their families
and all those who associate with them. But
many times, our words will come back to harm us and our testimony for Christ
when our deceit is found out.
“Thy tongue deviseth
mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than
good; [and] lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.” (Psalms 52:2-3)
19) Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble [is like] a broken tooth, and a foot out
of joint.
Be
careful to trust our neighbors only when they are trustworthy…
1. Placing our assurance in a man who is
untrustworthy during times of stress and trials is like…
2. relying upon a broken, decayed tooth or a dislocated
foot
When
we rely upon those who are untrustworthy in times of need are like trusting on broken
parts of our body that cannot be used, but cause great pain instead (like a
broken tooth or a foot out of joint)
“I say, [sayest thou], (but
[they are but] vain words) [I have] counsel and strength for war: now on whom
dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if
a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so [is] Pharaoh king of
Egypt to all that trust in him.” (Isaiah 36:5-6)
SUMMARY:
Four
basic principles to apply to our lives, concerning our relationships with our
neighbors…
1. Be willing to share our blessings with our
neighbors…
2. Be careful not to “wear out our welcome” with
our neighbors…
3. Be careful to always speak only the truth about
our neighbors (refraining from all speculation, gossip, and lying)
4. Be careful to trust our neighbors only when
they are trustworthy…
May
we all possess Godly wisdom and live our lives for Him.
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
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