Tell a Person His Fault Alone
February 25, 2020
Commentary
About 250 years after Solomon wrote them, Hezekiah’s men grouped many of these proverbs in units of similar thoughts (v. 1). Man is constantly forced to confess the limits of his understanding (vv. 2-3). God’s thoughts are far above our thoughts (Rom. 11:33-34). God has not chosen to reveal everything about Himself and His plans (Deut. 29:29). He delights in our searching the sacred Scriptures for His mind and will. Just as undesirable slag is removed from … silver (Prov. 27:21), so wicked people are to be removed from the king (vv. 4-5). Getting rid of wicked assistants (Prov. 20:8-26) enables a king to have a righteous reign.
It is wrong for a person to try to promote himself (vv. 6-7). It is likely that he will rate himself far higher than others would. The man who is content with the lowly seat may be called to a higher one if found to be deserving of such recognition. A man must practice care in relationships to avoid conflict with others. We should never jump to hasty conclusions about others since our first impressions may not be true at all (v. 8). Much trouble could be avoided if people were careful to keep their discussions to themselves in place of spreading abroad their differences. In providing evidence against a neighbor in court a plaintiff may be forced to betray a friend’s confidence (vv. 9-10). As a result, the friend may shame him, and the plaintiff may have a loss of reputation.
REPUTATION IS WHAT PEOPLE THINK YOU ARE. REALITY IS WHAT GOD KNOWS YOU ARE!
Application
If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself. Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? How much kindness have I shown Him this past week? Have I been kind to His reputation in my life?
Proverbs 25:1– 10 (NET)
1 These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of King Hezekiah of Judah copied:
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and it is the glory of a king to search out a matter.
3 As the heaven is high and the earth is deep so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
4 Remove the dross from the silver, and material for the silversmith will emerge;
5 remove the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not honor yourself before the king, and do not stand in the place of great men;
7 for it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” than to put you lower before a prince, whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go out hastily to litigation, or what will you do afterward when your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 When you argue a case with your neighbor, do not reveal the secret of another person,
10 lest the one who hears it put you to shame and your infamy will never go away.
Illustration: William Booth Dealing With Criticism
During the early days of the Salvation Army, William Booth and his associates were bitterly attacked in the press by religious leaders and government leaders alike. Whenever his son, Bramwell, showed Booth a newspaper attack, the General would reply, “Bramwell, fifty years hence it will matter very little indeed how these people treated us; it will matter a great deal how we dealt with the work of God.” (The Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, W. Wiersbe, p. 185)