Proverbs 27

He who boasts “about tomorrow” (verse 1) greatly overestimates himself. To “boast” about tomorrow means that a person believes he has the ability to shape the future to his liking. But no one knows “what a day may bring forth”, that is, what a day will bring. This applies both to what can happen today and to tomorrow’s day. The future is God’s territory. Man has no disposal over it. Recognizing this will humble us. It will lead us to submit all our future projects to Him, the sovereign God, Who directs all things.

Making plans is not wrong, as long as it is done in humility. Making plans as if we ourselves have full disposal of our fate and power over the future does not suit us (Jam 4:13-16). The Lord Jesus makes this clear in a parable of a rich fool who planned to live many more years, but died the next night because God required his soul (Lk 12:16-21).

The proverb contains other teaching. We can learn from this proverb that we need not worry about tomorrow (Mt 6:34). We do not know if worries will still be there tomorrow. And if they will still be there tomorrow, God is also there to assist us. Another application is that we should not postpone until tomorrow what we can do today. This is especially true when it is about the conversion of a person. Then the call is: “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb 3:15). If conversion is postponed until ‘tomorrow’, ‘tomorrow’ has become a day in the calendar of satan that can be prolonged indefinitely (Acts 24:24-27).

Verse 2 connects to verse 1. Verse 1 says that a man should not glory in what he will do tomorrow, or in the future. Verse 2 says that a man should not boast (the same Hebrew word now translated “praise”) in himself, on what he has done today or yesterday (or in the past) or how he is. It is good to do things worthy of praise (Phil 4:8), but it is not good to boast yourself of them. Praise is like a nice-fitting coat. You may wear it as long as another person puts it on you and not you yourself, otherwise it will not be comfortable for long.

If other people praise you, that is good. If you praise yourself, that is a form of pride. The Dutch proverb ‘self-boast stinks,’ reflects this well. It is a common proverb, which makes it clear that even worldly people generally do not appreciate someone who speaks highly of his own achievements.

We can be thankful for a result achieved by us and find our joy in it. God looked upon His work of creation and saw that it was very good (Gen 1:31). However, there is a difference between us and God. God finds all satisfaction in Himself; we find it only in Him. He gives us the ability to do a certain work. When we have done something, we should say that “we are unworthy slaves; we have done [only] that which we ought to have done” (Lk 17:10).

Appreciation comes from the Lord. He says to each one who has served Him faithfully, “Well done, good and faithful slave” (Mt 25:23). The boast about ourselves is never objective. When we boast of ourselves, we greatly overestimate ourselves. When the Lord assesses us, it is an absolutely objective assessment. In this sense, His assessment corresponds to that by “another” and “a stranger”. Hypocritical elements play no role. It is praise without any ulterior motive.

“Stone” and “sand” are heavy and weighty (verse 3). Those who have to carry them feel that they weigh a lot and that the work is tiring and painful. A stone is a large, compact burden. Sand is made up of many small particles that together are a weighty burden. Something large can press down on us, making us feel like we are collapsing. There can also be countless small, daily irritations that make our life almost unbearable.

“But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.” The provocation of a fool is unbearable. It remains as a stone and sand on the inner being of one who has to deal with a fool. The spiritual effort it takes to deal with a fool is far greater than tiring physical work. Job uses the same picture to use it to describe the heaviness of his suffering (Job 6:2-3).

In the sphere of emotion, feelings as fury and anger can become uncontrollable and devastating (verse 4). A person can be so furious because of certain events that he comes to cruelty [the Darby Translation reads in verse 4a: Fury is cruel, and anger is outrageous] (Gen 34:13-29; 49:5-7) and that his is anger is excessive. These outbursts of wrath and anger are not to be condoned, much less the cruelties a person commits, but after the discharge there can be a certain calm.

But worse than these outbursts of wrath and anger is “jealousy”. Jealousy is more unbearable than wrath and anger. It continues to exist like a consuming fire. It devours around itself and also devours the one with whom it is present. An envious, jealous man is worse than a wrathful and angry man. Jealousy is never satisfied (Pro 6:32-35). No one can stand before it (cf. Jam 3:14,16). Abel fell prey to the jealousy of Cain and Joseph to that of his brothers.

“Open rebuke” is a frank, direct word of honest criticism or disapproval by a friend (verse 5). This is “better ... than love that is concealed”, or a love that is too timid, too afraid or not trusting enough to admit that rebuke is a part of true love. A love that does not manifest rebuke is morally worthless. It is even questionable whether such love is upright. In any case, love that shirks its responsibility is incomplete.

Paul once had to openly rebuke Peter (Gal 2:11). But this did not cause any harm to Peter. He speaks later in his second letter about “our beloved brother Paul” (2Pet 3:15). It is false love, and in reality hatred, if we do not rebuke one of our children or a brother or sister when necessary (Lev 19:17). Love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with truth” (1Cor 13:6).

In other words, the proverb in verse 6 says the same thing as verse 5. We all need someone who loves us enough to tell us the truth about ourselves. He tells us not only things we want to hear, but also things we need to hear. Sometimes that can be painful and cause wounds, but it will always be wounds without scars. By “wounds” is meant especially wounds of the soul.

We may have to point something out to someone because we see that something is in danger of going wrong. The person addressed must make a correction in his or her behavior. This is sometimes hard to swallow. It may even cause a moment of estrangement because it is perceived as an unwelcome comment. But once the initial emotions are overcome and some thought is given to what has been said, on reflection one will reap his or her benefits and even consider it a favor that it happened (Psa 141:5; cf. Rev 3:19).

For example, grandparents may well see things in their grandchildren that elude their children, the parents of their grandchildren. It takes wisdom to say that to the children in the right way and at the right time. True love points out the wrong and does not wait until it is too late.

Opposed to the expressions of true love are the false expressions of love of the enemy. The enemy is not scanty with his “kisses”. He gives them “excessive” [as deceitful also can be translated] to cover his true intentions in this way. They are deceptive, hypocritical expressions. The most heinous example is the deceitful kiss with which Judas betrayed His Master (Mk 14:43-45).

This verse contrasts “a sated man” and “a famished man”. The former tramples on or abhors honey, while to the latter “any bitter thing is sweet”. Too much of a good thing does not make the good bad, but corrupts the user. The more we have of something, the less we appreciate it.

For a hungry person, it is exactly the other way around. Hunger makes the bitter taste sweet or as the Dutch proverb goes ‘hunger makes raw beans sweet’, meaning that everything tastes good when one is hungry. Hunger is therefore also called ‘the best cook’.

When it comes to food and drink for our bodies, increasingly the first line of verse applies to the part of the world we live in (Europe). We are much less familiar with the second line of verse. Spiritually, both lines of verse apply. Christians can feel elevated above others because of the spiritual riches they know, while despising those who – in their eyes – know far less than they do (cf. 1Cor 4:8). Nor do they accept anything from those “poor” believers when the latter present them with something from God’s Word, but ‘loathes’ it.

But those who hunger and thirst for God accept everything they can learn from God’s Word with great gratitude. That same hunger for God turns bitter trials into sweet experiences (Exo 15:23-25). Similarly, the bitterness of judgment becomes sweet when it is recognized as justified, for then faith sees its effects (Rev 10:8-10). Suffering gives a bitter taste, but the realization that after this comes blessing makes the bitter sweet (cf. Rev 10:9).

The parallel compares “a bird that wanders from her nest” with “a man who wanders from his home”. Both cases involve giving up a place of safety and security. The reason for both cases of wandering is not given. The connection seems to indicate that it is about an irresponsible action that does not consider what valuable thing is being given up.

The word “wander” gives the impression that someone can no longer cope with the circumstances and wants to try their luck somewhere else. Dissatisfaction with current living conditions is often a motive for moving away from somewhere. The lesson is to encourage people to protect their home and be grateful for it, even when more adverse times come.

For those who are not satisfied with their circumstances, the grass is always greener next door. For economic reasons, Elimelech left Bethlehem for a while, as long as the economic malaise in Bethlehem lasted, to live as a stranger in Moab (Rth 1:1-2). Things did not go well there (Rth 1:3-21). In the parable of the prodigal son, we see that the youngest son left his father’s house for selfish reasons. He went away from his father where he had it so good and things went badly for him (Lk 15:11-13). Even a believer can ‘wander from his nest’ as Demas did (2Tim 4:10). A wandering foot follows a wandering heart.

“Oil and perfume” are pleasing to the body (verse 9). If someone has used them for his body so that he looks beautiful and smells good, it has a rejoicing effect on the heart. Beauty aids do something to a person. A similar beneficial effect has “a man’s counsel“ that someone gives his friend because of the affection he has for him.

The “soul’s counsel”, as it also can be translated, that is the heartfelt counsel of a friend is pleasant if it is a friend who puts God first and enjoys the same fellowship with the Savior that you yourself enjoy. We see a wonderful example in the counsel Jonathan gave his friend David (1Sam 20:9-23). The Lord Jesus always gives heartfelt advice. In doing so, He gladdens the hearts of those whom He calls His friends. One of His Names is “Counselor” (Isa 9:5).

Connected to verse 9, in verse 10 Solomon speaks of the value of a friend, specifically the value of a “family friend”. Solomon himself maintained a friendship with Hiram who was already his father David’s friend (1Kgs 5:1-10). It is a friend who has proven his trustworthiness for a generation. He warns his son not to forsake that friend, not to abandon him, but to cherish that friendship as something special.

A family friend is always close, both in literal and spiritual distance. He knows the family. If one day the son has an accident and needs help, he does not have to go to a brother who lives far away or with whom there is no spiritual contact, but can ask the family friend for help. He lives nearby and has known the son since childhood.

True friendship does not change. A true friend is a neighbor to whom you can always turn. For true friends there is no barrier due to a generational difference. This is especially true of the Lord Jesus Who in all generations is the reliable Friend of everyone who knows Him.

A wise son first and foremost gladdens his father’s heart. An additional important effect is that he enables his father to defend himself against his critics. Parents who raise their children according to clear rules sometimes get criticized for doing it wrong. They oblige their children to follow certain rules. Also, they deny them certain freedoms that other young people do get or take. This is accompanied by the warning that their children will go out into the world later because they have found the yoke of their upbringing too oppressive.

But an upbringing from fellowship with the Lord, with wisdom from God and tender loving clear rules, will generally have a good effect in children. Children who are wise justify their parents. Children are not called upon to behave well so that the father can defend himself against attacks on his upbringing. That would be coercion and manipulation. Spiritual truths are not heritage. The wisdom a son reveals in his life is not inherited, but acquired.

Children who go their way in accordance with what they have learned from their parents are the best recommendation of the value of the upbringing given by the parents. It also applies to God as our Father. We gladden His heart when we are wise, which is only possible when we listen to His teaching through His Word. His teaching manifested in us silences opponents. We can also still apply this to all who teach God’s Word to fellow believers, for example, in Bible classes and Bible readings. We also see this with Paul in what he says to and about the believers in Thessalonica (1Thes 2:19-20).

The contrast is between “a prudent man” and “the naive” (Pro 22:3). The first is the mature person who has developed prudence. The second are the inexperienced and untrained youth who are easily deceived because they are headstrong. The test that clarifies who is a prudent man and who are the naive ones is their response to the evil of judgment that is coming.

To escape announced evil, we must see the evil, recognize the evil. This is what a prudent man does, while the naive may also see the evil, but may not recognize it and may even ignore it or believe that it will all be fine. The reaction reveals whether someone takes the coming evil seriously or does not care. Indeed, a prudent man seeks a place where he can protect himself from evil, while the naive will have to pay the penalty.

David escaped Saul several times because he foresaw what Saul wanted. He hid himself and therefore stayed out of Saul’s hands. Noah is also a prudent man. He hid himself in the ark, while all the naive did not let themselves be warned and went on with their lives and had to pay the penalty for that (cf. Jer 6:17).

Impending evil should not make us nervous and lead us to an over-hasty action, but to a calm consideration of what to do to escape it, for it will surely come. A prudent man will hide in the right place, in a place that truly offers protection from evil. He will not seek to protect himself from the evil of God’s judgment by hiding in a wrong place or in a wrong way, such as by clothing himself with the works of the law.

After Adam and Eve sinned, they covered themselves with homemade loin coverings of fig leaves, a picture of their own righteousness (Gen 3:7-8). But this covering or hiding did not work. They remained naked before God (Gen 3:10-11). God provided the proper covering, that of an animal skin, meaning that an animal had been killed in their place (Gen 3:21). This points to the only place of hiding from the judgment of God, and that is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Isa 32:2a). He who accepts Him in faith is perfectly protected from evil. He who rejects that hiding and continues with his life will have to pay the penalty for his sins himself.

Connected to verse 12, becoming surety for a stranger (verse 13) is a matter that is announced as an evil. A prudent man sees the evil which is concealed in becoming surety for a stranger. He hides himself from evil by not taking part in it and in that way, he is kept from the loss of the pledge.

He who as a naive becomes surety for a stranger, runs the risk of losing his garment. His garment is the only thing that is left for him. If he loses it, he loses everything so that he is delivered to the cold of the night. He can never get it back, for it has fallen into the hands of “an adulterous woman”.

An application is, that we will lose the warmth of the Christian fellowship if we assume obligation which we cannot fulfill. We can recommend someone for a certain job and say that we will assist if the person that we have recommended does not comply. When the person does not comply, then we are to keep our promise. We cannot do more than what we were actually assigned for, but we have to do something which was not our assignment. In that way we lose a lot of warmth, for fulfilling our duties because of our own fault is much different than doing something out of love.

The lesson is that when we allow ourselves to be misguided to entering into obligation, we have to bear the consequences of it when it turns out that this stranger is unreliable. People must be held responsible to their obligations, no matter how foolish it was to assume them.

True friendship does not express itself in an exaggerated, inappropriate manner (verse 14). Anyone who nevertheless loudly wishes his friend all kinds of good things at an inappropriate time is not looking for his friend, but for himself. He wants to show how good his friend is, to boast of being friends with such a person. It is an exaggerated expression of praise for how good someone is.

The friend is clearly not keen on this. He doesn’t really need this kind of attention. His friend’s performance is a curse to him. Those around him constantly hear his name being called, associated with all sorts of fine, religious wishes. This evokes not respect, but annoyance. Whoever expresses himself in this way may want to give the impression of piety and friendship, but he is considered a curse. If someone is too highly praised, repugnance arises instead of admiration. The friend knows this and therefore is not at all pleased with such loud wishes of blessing.

It is fine to bless someone, that is, to wish him the good, but it must be done in the right way, the appropriate time and with the right motives. A good deed at the wrong time is reckoned a curse. It is better to speak to God early in the morning in silence and listen to Him by reading His Word than to spoil a friend’s day by such a beginning.

The comparison of “a contentious woman” with “a constant dripping” has already been before us (verse 15; Pro 19:13). It is now added “on a day of steady rain”, that is a day when you do have to stay at home, because the weather does not allow you to leave the house. But even inside he is not safe from the rain, for it is leaking. He finds nowhere to take shelter.

The husband is constantly exposed to his wife’s contention, without a possibility of escaping it. Incessantly she argues. It constantly goes on with the steadiness of dripping water through a leak somewhere in the roof that you just can’t discover. There is rain outside and there is rain inside, so you get wet everywhere and cold to your bones.

It is uncontrollable and unmanageable like the wind (verse 16). The wind is elusive and unpredictable; a gust of wind could come at any moment. You cannot grasp or hold oil either, even with your right hand, the hand of power. It slips right between your fingers. It outlines the hopelessness of the situation in which human resources cannot change the situation.

Man is not created to be alone, but with others. He is a social being and needs others to allow him to be human. One aspect of being together is sharpening each other’s understanding and thoughts by talking to each other. “One man” here stands for the personality or character of the person (verse 17). The comparison to sharpening iron with iron shows that it is about two equivalent materials. When two people talk to each other about a subject and also listen carefully to each other, it sharpens the understanding of both of them about that subject. It is a win-win situation.

It is about sharpening character and understanding. A character is largely shaped by contacts with others. Friends don’t always have to agree with each other, but by talking about something, both gain understanding. It sharpens them in their convictions while at the same time it removes the sharp edges.

That intercourse is formative is especially true in our dealings with our brothers and sisters with whom we share thoughts about God’s Word. Sharing what we have come to know of God’s truth sharpens the faith of all. It gives a sharper understanding of God’s thoughts, which also allows us to serve Him and each other with greater understanding.

In verse 18, it is about the care of working on our relationships so that there is not only better understanding and character (verse 17), but following on from that, fruitfulness and service. It’s not about sharpening, but about caring and serving faithfully. The tending of a fig tree is a matter that requires attention. Sufficient and appropriate tending have the result that the tending person will eat its fruit. That is his reward.

The comparison is drawn to one who cares for his master. Those who do so faithfully will not worry about whether their efforts will be recognized and rewarded (cf. Pro 22:29). Paul was a zealous and faithful servant who cared for all the truths his Master had entrusted to him. He did not give up any of it. He knew that for this the Lord would honor him with a crown (2Tim 4:7-8). Thus the Lord will appropriately reward each one for the faithfulness with which he or she has served Him (1Sam 2:30; Mt 25:21,23; Jn 12:26).

Just as clear water is a mirror that fully reflects a face when you look into it, so “the heart of man” reflects his true nature (verse 19; Mt 12:34). God’s Word, which is compared to water (Eph 5:26), is also compared to a mirror (Jam 1:23-24). It shows every person who looks into it his own heart. What is in his heart is what he is. When a man becomes aware of that, he will be startled by it and acknowledge his wickedness and beg God for mercy.

The same is true for the believer. By looking at the attitude of our heart, we come to true self-awareness. What is our heart set on? For example, when someone has retired, it often becomes clear where his priorities lie. Will he now devote all his time to traveling or fishing, for example, or will he see new opportunities to serve the Lord? We can often tell by the way a person spends his free time where his heart is, whether it is about his own pleasure and enjoyment or whether Christ is central.

After the heart of man (verse 19), our attention is turned to “the eyes of man” (verse 20). The eyes of man are as insatiable as “Sheol and Abaddon”, or grave and decay, are. The eye here represents man’s lust that is never satisfied (cf. Ecc 1:8a). The apostle John speaks of “the lust of the eyes” (1Jn 2:16).

There is a tremendous amount of supply before our eyes. We no longer just see the things happening around us, but because of television and the Internet, there is a limitless supply of things we can look at. Much of this influences us in our desires. Advertising flyers, which come through the mailbox in a ceaseless stream, also do their best to attract our eyes and arouse desire for what is on offer. Eyes devour everything they see just as Sheol and Abaddon devour all men. The lust of the eyes always continues.

When it is about the lust for the things of this life, we must learn not to give in to it, but to be content with what we have (1Tim 6:8; Heb 13:5; Phil 4:11). When it is about coveting spiritual things, believers may “see the King in His beauty” (Isa 33:17), by which they will be satisfied with His likeness (Psa 17:15).

Silver is melted in a crucible to test its purity. A furnace does the same with gold. The means of testing show whether there is something in the silver or gold that makes these precious metals impure. Solomon compares “the praise” or the “good name” a person has with silver and gold and also connects the submission of a test to that. Someone who is praised or has a good name must be tested to see if he is truly worthy of that praise or that name.

That test is fame. There is fame attached to a person’s praise or good name. His reaction to it reveals what he is really like. He can take the fame he receives as something he attributes to his own accomplishments, or he can be grateful to God for it, because he owes everything to Him. This is true when we are praised or have made name by what we have done, in whatever field.

Just as the crucible brings all impurity to the surface, so a praising public opinion brings out all the badness of a person. If it does not, he is worthy of his praise or good name. This will only be with one who realizes that he has nothing he did not receive, but that he owes everything to God (1Cor 4:7a).

Every person who calls himself a Christian, after the ‘good name’ of Christ, will be tested on his confession. God can use all kinds of means or circumstances to do this. When people praise us because of our being a Christian, that is a test. Do we take that credit or do we give God the credit?

Foolishness cannot be removed by harsh discipline because foolishness is the nature of a fool. Even the most drastic discipline does not work a change in the fool. This is represented in the picture of grinding grain in a mortar with a pestle (a mortar is a cup with a pestle in which something can be pounded). However he would be pulverized, he is and remains foolish (cf. Jer 13:23).

Judgment alone does not change a man. Pharaoh was pounded again and again as it were with a pestle in a mortar by the plagues God sent upon him and his people and his land, but he did not change (Exodus 7-11). The grace of God must intervene if a man is truly to be delivered from his folly. Through repentance he receives a new nature and becomes a new creation.

These verses are like a short poem about a man’s responsibility to provide income to give the family and those who belong to it what they need. These verses show the importance of working diligently. They also speak of the satisfaction that diligent work gives and of God’s providential care.

It is about being busy in the calling to which God has called us in daily life with the purpose of providing for the livelihood of all those entrusted to the worker (1Cor 7:20). God wants man to work and to do so diligently. If he does not, he and all who belong to his house will go hungry. To help him, God provides resources that man needs and that He alone can give. This should make man realize that he depends on God in all his work.

We must know well what we are doing, what our work consists of, and how to do our work. Solomon tells his son that he must master his ‘trade’ well. He advises him to make sure he knows the condition of his flocks, his sheep, well (verse 23). This can only be done by giving each sheep personal attention, looking after them and taking good care of them so that they all have everything they need in terms of food and protection. He can only put that into practice if he pays attention to his herds and sets his heart on it, his heart must go out to it. One must set his heart on his business, otherwise in no time he will have no business to set his heart on.

We can apply this verse to our family, to our children and our work. The same applies to the care in the church of God. Among other things, the church of God is compared to a flock (Acts 20:28). God has given the care of it to elders. Peter was given the care of the lambs and sheep by the Lord Jesus (Jn 21:15-17; 1Pet 5:1-4).

“For” (verse 24) indicates the reason for the exhortation of the previous verse. In the case of negligence and laziness, riches or prosperity will disappear. There is no guarantee that prosperity ( riches) and kingship (crown) are permanent, that you can continue to enjoy them. You cannot automatically count on it. To benefit from it permanently, it must be worked on permanently.

The believer has been given many spiritual riches and a royal position. These are eternal, but not transferable. Of these, too, the Lord expects us to work with them and serve others. In doing so, we must realize that the time to work for the Lord is limited. We can only work for Him now while we are on earth. To this end He also encourages us: “Do business [with this] until I come [back]” (Lk 19:13).

Verse 25 combines hard work by man with God’s work. God makes “the grass” grow, no man is involved (Mk 4:28). He does so according to His wise policy in stages. When this first grass has come up, man can mow it and take it off the field as hay. Then it has disappeared from the field. But God’s work continues, “the new grass is seen”. God always provides new growth (cf. Amos 7:1). Man does not have to sow for it. God gives it and man may mow it.

He has also caused “the herbs of the mountains” to grow and man may gather them in too. Mountains, among other things, are a picture of difficulties. Gathering in herbs on mountains requires extra effort. Mountains must be climbed, but then something of value is obtained. Extra money is made. Herbs make food palatable and are also sometimes used to manufacture medicine. Thus any extra effort in the Lord’s work is extra rewarded (1Cor 15:58).

The lambs provide wool (verse 26). From that, clothing can be manufactured that the shepherd can use to keep himself warm (Job 31:20). His goats he can sell (cf. Eze 27:21). This gives him the opportunity to make new investments, such as buying a new field.

Besides clothing, he also has “goats’ milk enough for ... food” (verse 27). That food serves both for himself and for his household and the maidens. From his care for his affairs all those around him benefit. The same is true spiritually. One who is faithful in the things of the Lord is a blessing to others.