DON'T BE LIKE
Proverbs 25:18-19, 28 NKJV
18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.
19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble
Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.
28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit
Is like a city broken down, without walls.
The visuals in Proverbs 25 are amazing. We think in pictures, and Solomon was on a roll with this chapter. He speaks of clouds and wind without rain, apples of gold in settings of silver and cold water to a thirsty soul. Solomon also warns of three areas to avoid.
Don't be like the person who lies about his neighbors. The NLT says lying about others is like "hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow." That is graphic, but the Lord takes a dim view of lying. He is truth, and Satan is the father of lies. We don't want to be like anything that opposes God, and lying is damaging.
Don't be like an unfaithful or untrustworthy person. That person is like a bad tooth or a foot out of joint. Now, I have never been shot with an arrow or hit with an axe, but I have had a bad tooth and a badly sprained foot. The thing about a bad tooth or a bad foot is that you can't put any pressure on them. You can't depend on them and have to chew around a bad tooth, if you can, or hobble along on the other foot. Just thinking about having a bad tooth brings back painful memories. Those things can hurt, and if you bite down on them, you won't do it twice. Someone who is not reliable is going to cause you pain if you depend on them. So we must recognize these people and not be like them.
This last don't be like is strong. The NKJV says, "whoever has no rule over his own spirit." That reads a bit blind to us, which underscores the wisdom of having different translations or a study Bible so we can gain a clearer picture. The NLT is a great alternate translation and reads, "a person with no self-control is like a city with broken- down walls." Now, that is a clear visual, especially for people who lived in walled cities. A walled city in Solomon's day was the best place to be because the walls were protection from enemies and thieves. If you lived in a walled city you were much safer than the person living out in the open. But if the city had broken-down walls, you were in trouble. A broken down wall provided access to enemies. By the same token, having no self-control provides access to the enemies of our soul. With no self-control, we are always giving in to the flesh nature, and nothing good comes from that. Paul said to not give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). No self-control gives our enemy easy access.
The good news is we don't have to be like any of the above categories of people. We don't have to lie, be unreliable, or lack in self-control. These characteristics do not have to define our future. And by the Lord's grace, we can put these things aside and live differently. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, and with the help of the greater One, the Holy Spirit, who lives in us. We are not at a disadvantage. We are on the strong side.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for Your grace that enables me to live differently. I am a person of truth, faithfulness, and self-control.