Posted by Steve on May 3, 2008, 3:40 pm, in reply to "Re: A Sabbath Study...Proverbs 26 part one...."
Message modified by administrator Marie May 3, 2008, 4:40 pm
6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.
Choose your messenger wisely. Better to give a weak fool a sword, and send a strong man of prudence to carry a message, when faced with a fight, than to rely on a fool.
7 The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
A parable, in the mouth of a fool, is rendered, not useless, but as halt, crippled, less effective. Again...choose your messenger wisely.
8 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
Interesting language. Here, a fool is compared to a weapon.
Note that one who honors a fool, for the sake of honoring the fool, will set the stage for strife.
It should be considered that he that giveth honour to a fool, may full well be aware that he is doing so...and his motives my not be of honoring the fool at all, but rather loading the sling. In either event, what should be noted is the binding of the stone to the sling...this act would possibly turn ones weapon upon oneself, but at the very least...would render it useless.
9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouths of fools.
People don't intentionally seek to get thorns into thier hands. Hence the drunkard is introduced as one who stumbles and hurts himself...likewise, a fool who speaks parables will stumble into his own hurt. To them that have ears to hear...let them hear.
10 The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
Interesting that foolishness has a reward likened to that of transgressors. Something to consider when making inappropriate humor. My hand goes up...my head hangs low.
11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
You have to be a dog owner, or have spent time with dogs to appreciate this. A dog will get sick, eat grass to purge himself, knowing it will make him vomit and he will feel better. Only to, after having seen or smelled the vomit, or both...find some redeeming value...as if to say "Leftovers!" and will then eat once again into his body, the very thing that made him sick in the first place.
I guess the greater lesson here is not to the observer of fools, but the fool himself, having been delivered of his folly, to know his predispostions to the same, so as not to return to his folly...but then such reflection is not to the trully foolish, but the prudent who embrace wisdom. As a fool, returneth to his folly. Observation, prophecy or both?
12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
The state of the pridefull, those who do not recognize their own folly, or predispostions to the same...one has to wonder if the greater lessen here is does the emphasis here imply that such a person has less hope than a fool, or the fact that hope actually exists for the fool? What little there is...
Perhaps both.
13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
The dog ate my homework...the sky is falling, "A LION IN THE STREETS?" Look outside your window...see any lions?
The excuse of slothful is absurdity...the true embracement of the foolishness in such occasion is not the making of the excuse, but offering it, knowing it is absurd.
14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.
Snooze alarms anyone?
15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.
Now this is a powerful statement...a slothful person hides his hand...so that it not be exposed to the slightest opportunity for labor. And takes grief that he should have to work to feed himself. If he could eat without utensils...he wouldn't have to wash dishes...if he could eat without hands...he wouldn't have to move. Now that's lazy...actually it is the way of the slothful.
16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.
Note the numbers here...one who is wiser in his own conceit than seven. It useless to argue with a sluggard, you will never produce anything to his mind that is wiser than his own conceit. He is not open to counsel. Seven reasons and he will ever have one more absurdity to offer excuse to his laziness...ultimately if you could remove all such reason so as to leave him with only the truth, it would be his confession that he merely does not wish to work, but he will never remain silent when confronted with the same from another.
17 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
In my younger years, I saw the counsel of this verse as being to take note of what happens when one grabs a dog by the ears...if you do so...to investigate...might I recommend a poodle rather than a pit bull. Such action provokes a dog, and one will likely get bit, at the very least...the dog is almost certain to try.
Such is the peril of nosey people, who pass by and meddle with strife that they lack all the fact to, by virtue of their position "passing by," and ultimately those who get involved with disputes that are not their own. Such are likely to get hurt. And as the nature is strife, they are likely to get hurt by more than one party.
Now there is another aspect of such, if you enter into such a situation knowingly, you better be able to handle the dog!
18 As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?
A mad man? An angryman casting firebrands...websters defines firebrands as a piece of burning wood, also one who causes unrest or strife. Interesting, I recall a certain song by David Koresh about a mad man...one who had secured a piece of land in his quest to promote himself as a prophet. The good news comes in the next verse. Here we see in verse 18 and 19, a mad ma who castest burning logs, arrows and death likened to one who decieves his neighbor and makes light of his deception. In verse 20, we are given rest in the matter...sooner or later, one casting burning logs out of his own fire...is going to run out of logs...and when he does...
20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
Note here that the event of the fire going out, is likened to the passing of the talebearer...talebearing is one who spreads untruths about others...gossip or rumors according to websters...such as calling people "Maniacle Pervert" based upon the reports of actions alleged by others and offered second hand.
21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
The other aspect of such a situation is that as wood to fire, the situation will consume itself, and as coals retain heat when they are placed beside one another and burn longer as opposed to burning out when isolated...I consider Zechariah 13, and a flock scattered after the shepherd is smitten.
22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
Strange that this issue should continue, as in past weeks the words of one accusing others of worshipping a tree sink deep. But this will pass eventually. Likely much sooner that some would expect. Note that it is the words of a person known as a talebearer which wound, not merely his tale...all of his words come into question as hurtfull.
But I digress.
(Continued Next post...)
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