Seek and Do

Proverbs 25 is heavy on practical living, and honey shows up twice as a metaphor of choice here. First, though, the chapter begins by comparing God concealing the matter (mysteries known only to Him) with kings (men) seeking out that matter. This is not to mean that it is bad for us to seek out God’s secrets. Consider that this chapter was written at a time when kings and rulers very naturally combined their political and theological lives, and so a highly educated ruler would rule wisely and study God’s Word, continually seeking answers, while still focusing on living righteously. That is, he would know it AND live it.


Back to the honey. Honey is great, but too much will make you sick. That is the gist of verse 16. This verse is actually coupled with verse 17, telling us that you can make good company for others, but don’t overstay your welcome. Then in verse 27, we are again reminded that it is not good to eat too much honey, much like seeking one’s own glory.

In between is where I spent the majority of my reading time this morning. Verses 18-20, specifically. The reality of life in this world is such that each and every day we will be presented with opportunities to communicate with people, and each day brings its own challenges, both in our mood and circumstances and those of others around us. With that in mind, watch out, either for these types of people, or to not BE these like these types of people.  A goal for a believer should be to make a positive difference, pointing others to God and the Savior.

The first mentioned is the perjurer, the false witness. Simply put, the tale-teller is dangerous.

Second is what we might call an unreliable person. The NASB uses the term “faithless”. So we could either see this as someone without faith or someone who is a believer but not relying heavily on that faith. Either way, it is not a good situation to surround oneself with these kinds of people (or to be one, either!).

Last here is the one who sings songs to a troubled heart. On the surface, this actually seems like a good person, singing and whistling all the time, “happy”, we would call him. However, the context points to someone who is insensitive to others and their troubles. If we can’t cry with someone who is hurting, thinking that outward emotional glee should suffice, someone who is hurting is not helped by our actions.

Wisdom learned along the way is displayed very practically, with rather simple rules to follow. Sure, there will always be challenges, and God’s Word has the sufficiency to help us deal with them.

The wise will keep “searching”, keep learning. The balance between learning and doing will always be necessary, and both should always be a work in progress. I believe one can never know too much about God, and likewise, one can never do too much for Him.