a constant dripping on a rainy day;
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind
or grasping oil with the hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one man sharpens another.
18 He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and he who looks after his master will be honored.
19 As water reflects a face,
so a man's heart reflects the man.
20 Death and Destruction are never satisfied,
and neither are the eyes of man.
21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but man is tested by the praise he receives.
22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
grinding him like grain with a pestle,
you will not remove his folly from him.
23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;
24 for riches do not endure forever,
and a crown is not secure for all generations.
25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats with the price of a field.
27 You will have plenty of goats' milk
to feed you and your family
and to nourish your servant girls.
Questions to consider:
- Relate verses 2 and 21.
- Relate the comments of verses 23-27 with Israel’s situation during Solomon’s time1.
- Why, do you think, are these remarks necessary?
Possibilities for prayer:
It consistently strikes me how relevant and poignant these proverbs are for our lives today. I really like verse 19--because the metaphor is both true and beautiful. Our hearts reflect who we really are, much in the same way the surface of water can reflect our outward appearance. Today, let’s ask that God would be working on the condition of our hearts, that what they reflect would be the good things of God--wisdom, patience, justice, humility--and less and less of the things of ourselves.
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