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. 20 As he that
taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that
singeth songs to an heavy heart. 21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him
bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: 22 For thou
shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee. 23 The
north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a
brawling woman and in a wide house. 25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country. 26 A righteous man falling down before
the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring. 27 It is not
good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. 28 He
that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and
without walls. (Proverbs 25:17-28)
In our modern day, common courtesies and etiquette seem to have fallen victim
to complacency and a cavalier disregard for the feelings of those around
us. Vulgar and profane words, so commonly spoken in public places today with
impunity, would have landed the speaker in jail only a short few decades ago.
Our present dilemma of gross disregard for all others and all values may stem
from the secular indoctrination that has pervaded all levels of society and,
particularly, public education since the US Supreme Court suddenly discovered
that the practice of prayer and Bible reading in school was unconstitutional
after 200 years of its practice. But the Holy Bible does take note of
even the most minute of personal matters relating to our treatment of others.
As a sixteen year old lad, George Washington composed 110 rules of etiquette
which reflected the value he placed upon the courtesy due to others. It would
never occur to us today to write such a book, and if we did, we might be
committed to an insane asylum so much have our values retreated into decadence.
WHAT NOT TO DO:
(The Intruder) 17 "Withdraw thy foot from thy
neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee."
An iron-clad rule of my mother's was that we avoid visiting our friends so much
that we "wore out our welcome." It was a good rule that expressed the
biblical principle contained in this opening verse of today's text. On the Seal
of the State of Georgia appears the motto: "Wisdom, Justice,
Moderation." This is a very commendable motto though it has often been
relegated to historical application only; but all three virtues mentioned are
also biblical virtues. The one virtue most often ignored is that of
"MODERATION." Too much wine, too much meat, too much physical
exertion - even too much water - can either kill or seriously injure of health.
By the way, in some cases, too much wealth can also destroy lives. So the
Proverb under consideration counsels against an over-familiarity with our
neighbors by constant and incessant visitation.
(The Slanderer)
18 "A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour
is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow." When I was
young my father had a business principle that had served him well through the
years of the depression and those immediately following the Second World War -
a man's word and his handshake was better than any written contract. As the
increasing effects of socialist policies in American government began to take
effect, my father realized that such a principle could no longer be sustained.
As it turns out, neither handshake NOR contract can insure decency in business
transactions. A false testimony is a deadly weapon against its victim. We must
be honest in our dealings and avoid gossip that, even if true, may
unnecessarily wound.
(The Faithless) 19 "Confidence in an unfaithful man in
time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint."
There is no greater hurt to our hearts than the betrayal of a trusted friend -
ask Julius Caesar how he feels about the traitor, Brutus. There were more than
one sword that mortally wounded Caesar, but the most hurtful was wielded by his
friend. We must cultivate our confidences in men by the little things they say
and do. Sly men are too clever to give their hand away by big circumstances of
character; so we watch for the small inconsistencies in their life to point to
graver shortcomings of character that will arise in time of trouble when
loyalty is most essential. General George S. Patton had a rule that served him
well: "If you have a luke-warm friend, make an enemy out of him as soon
as possible. That way, you will know where he stands." I'm not sure
how well that principle fits into our devotion, but I do know that confidence
in an unfaithful man is not that different from having a luke-warm friend.
(The Unjust) 20 "As
he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is
he that singeth songs to an heavy heart." Three traits of the
injudicious man is brought to light here: 1) depriving another of physical
essentials at a time of spiritual or emotional crisis, i.e., the foreclosure of
a home one day following the death of the father of the house. 2) speaking of
things, or taking actions, that do even greater damage to the souls of the
hurting - i.e. "Well, you are sad now at the death of your wife, but there
is always the coming summer for vacation!" How crude and hurtful to one
who has just lost the love of his life; 3) acting speaking in ways that do not match
the gravity of the moment. When a drowning victim has been drawn ashore, the
singing of "Shall we Gather at the River" might be a tad out of
place. Be considerate of the feelings of others. How do we know what to say or
do? We do NOT always know; however, if we exercise the compassion of placing
ourselves in the shoes of the despondent, we might have a better idea of how to
act or speak.
WHAT TO DO:
21 "If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if
he be thirsty, give him water to drink:" There
is one major cause that contributes to the animosity of the enemy -
misunderstanding. When governments mobilize for war, they always marginalize
the enemy's good intentions and magnify his bad habits. The belligerent armies
try to create an emotion of hate for the enemy, hate that is often baseless.
But, when opportunity presents, if we feed our hungry enemy, and give him
drink, his resolve to do us harm will be reduced or disappears. It is far
better to make a friend of a principled enemy than to sustain in trust a
faithless friend.
What effect does kindness have on our enemy? 22 "For
thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee."
If we conduct our acts of kindness in sincerity, and not an attempt to BUY the
enemy's loyalty, we shall succeed in, at least, confusing him of our intent.
But the Lord will not be deceived - He will reward you!
THE MISERY CREATED BY AN UNCONTROLLED TONGUE:
23 "The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry
countenance a backbiting tongue." In most continental land
masses, the north wind covers dry land, but the south wind brings the moist air
from over the seas and oceans. The north wind, like an angry countenance,
drives away rain as that anger does a backbiting tongue. Why so? A
backbiter is a coward who is fearful of speaking openly to a man's face; so he
slinks in the shadows with his whispered rumors and words of malevolence. But
if the man of whom he speaks is a man notable for his anger and retribution,
the cowardly gossip will forego speaking behind his back for fear of revenge.
The military rule holds true - the best defense is a good offense!
24 "It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop,
than with a brawling woman and in a wide house." The reviling
tongue, or the gossiping lips are far greater to be dreaded than simple
solitude. It is better to live a lonely life than to be daily afflicted by the
vicious tongues of the wicked.
GOOD
NEWS AND RESTRAINT
25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far
country." Good news is not a common experience from
abroad, therefore, to receive it from a far country is like raindrops on the
parched desert. It is both unexpected and refreshing. 26 "A
righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a
corrupt spring." There is only greater evil to be had by the
wicked in their defeat of a righteous man. Though healing waters flow from the
heart of the righteous, if the spring is stifled, the righteous flow ceases
with the flood. 27 "It is not good to eat much honey:
so for men to search their own glory is not glory."
Our motives and aspiration to do good for others may result
in great credit and honor being heaped upon our heads - that is the sweet taste
of honey we experience from the knowledge of doing God's will in helping
others. But the honey, acquired in profuse amounts, as when we seek after
glory, becomes a sickening ache in our stomachs. since we deserve no glory from
the start, our souls are emptied in shame when that supposed glory is taken
away. As the Roman conqueror returned with his spoils of war, he was welcomed
into Rome riding a chariot pulled by six white horses. The crowds cheered
wildly at his olive wreathed-head. But there was a maiden standing beside him
constantly whispering in his ear, "All glory is fleeting." And so it
is.
28" He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city
that is broken down, and without walls. " I will defy the
false notion of separation of church and state by saying something political.
Any student of American history will admit that the American Revolution could
never have succeeded apart from the voices of the righteous from the pulpits of
the Colonies. Our first several decades of Independence was sustained by those
righteous voices. The Founding Fathers who wrote our governing documents
understood better than the national socialist judges of our day what they meant
by the First Amendment, and one thing is certain: they did not intend to erect
a so-called "Wall of Separation" between church and state. The
government was inhibited from establishing a state religion in preferring one
religion, or one denomination, over another....that is ALL!
The government was not 'protected' from Godly counsel or interference, but the
church was to be protected from government interference into things religious.
The edifying counsel of Godly virtues were to sustain us in our new walk as a
Nation of Liberty among all the nations of the earth. The testimony of EVERY
Father of our country confirms this principle, and they each encouraged public
prayer in both government and education. What happens when we allow our Godly
foundations to erode? We become precisely as this last proverb suggests - a
city broken down and without walls. We no longer have the privilege to call
upon a God whom we have cast out of our public square unless we turn and repent
of our egregious sins. We have become a people subservient to wicked social
indoctrination, unable to speak clearly and plainly without fear of restraint
on our liberties. What has happened to the eagles that once soared over the
fruited plains and amber waves of grain of America. why has our land become an
infested swamp of every foul creature? Awake or perish, America! Return to God.
