A Collection of Solomon's Proverbs

INTRO

Proverbs 25 is titled “Hezekiah’s Collection.” According to Nelson’s Commentary, “The proverbs collected in Proverbs 25—30 reflect important reforms enacted by King Hezekiah of Judah.”¹ Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, had turned away from the Lord by serving idols and practicing child sacrifice. As a result, Judah suffered devastating losses to the Assyrians and the Israelites of the Northern Kingdom. When Hezekiah assumed the throne, he removed all of the idolatrous practices and centers, restored temple worship, and resumed nationwide observance of Passover. Hezekiah would have found and copied these proverbs of Solomon, which were later included in the book of Proverbs.

TEACHING

Proverbs 25:1-5: All of the verses in this chapter point to the last verse. When you take away the impurities, you have silver (v. 4). When you take away the wickedness, you have a king (v. 5). Hezekiah removed all the impurities and wickedness his father had allowed in Judah.

Proverbs 25:6–7: Don’t exalt yourself because you think you’re important (v. 6). Instead, it’s better for the king to recognize you or call you up front (v. 7). Don’t claim honors for yourself; allow the Lord to put you in that position. That takes self-control.

Proverbs 25:8–11: Be slow in the process of taking others to court (v. 8). It’s not only a matter of speech but also a matter of self-control. Begin your talk with your opponent, but don’t reveal your hand (v. 9). It’s all about discernment and self-control (v. 10). “A word spoken at the right time” (v. 11a) indicates that when you release something at the right time—that text, email, phone call, communication—it’s “like gold apples on a silver tray” (v. 11b). This takes self-control, because when you wait to release a word, it might be the perfect timing.

Proverbs 25:12–15: Again, when you release a wise word, in the right season and at the right time, others can receive it as if it were a golden ring or an ornament of gold. Everything is about self-control. How can a gentle tongue break a bone (v. 15)? Words used wisely and with gentleness can break the atmosphere or the situation. Someone with a gentle tongue can do more good than someone who yells and screams.

Proverbs 25:16, 27: Consume only what you need. Too much of anything—even a good thing—can cause illness or harm. This is yet another example of the need for self-control.

Proverbs 25:17: Don’t overstay your welcome at your neighbor’s house (v. 17). Don’t be the one who is always borrowing something or lurking around. Nelson’s Commentary states: “Too much neighborliness becomes an imposition.”²

Proverbs 25:18–26: All of these verses build up to the statement in verse 28. Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:43–48, reinforce the teachings of these verses. Clearly Jesus was talking about how you love your neighbors and how you interact with your enemies. In summary, love on your enemies, be careful about who you marry, share the good news with others, and don’t yield to the wicked.

Proverbs 25:28: Without controlling your temper, you are exposing yourself to everybody and letting your guard down. Self-control comes from the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). If you have no self-control, then you’re functioning in your flesh rather than in the Spirit. The organization, Focus on the Family, stated these things about self-control: “Self-control is the discipline of delaying impulse or gratification for a greater purpose. The ultimate goal for practicing self-control is to choose Christ over the world. The power to overcome temptation and practice self-control comes from God’s Spirit.”³

Kristen Wetherell said, “We display our God and his gospel when we are self-controlled.”⁴ We show patience toward others. Our words become purer. We watch what we say. We’re not involved in evil or wickedness when we’re exercising self-control. Wetherell continued, “We protect our souls when we are self-controlled.”⁵ When we practice self-control, we are less vulnerable to temptation. The Greek word for self-control is egkrateia, which is defined as “the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites.”⁶ In other words, those desires are truly tempered. The ultimate example for us is Jesus, who had no sin in His life, though He was tempted (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus had to master those temptations; He had to use self-control. Luke 22:42 states that Jesus, before His earthly death, prayed for God to “take this cup away from Me.” Jesus didn’t want to go through with the crucifixion, but He submitted to the Father’s will.

CLOSING

An article compiled on the website, WikiHow, described steps to discipline or control the flesh.⁷First, go through a time of training (Hebrews 12:11). Second, put to death the lusts of the flesh (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5). Third, learn to love self-control (1 Corinthians 6:12). Fourth, keep the focus on yourself, not others (Matthew 7:1–3). Don’t worry about whether or not other people are using self-control. Fifth, deny yourself (Luke 9:23). Sixth, keep the end goal in sight (John 12:24). Finally, understand the necessity of self-discipline and self-control (Matthew 10:38).

If you’re not using self-control, you’re becoming more about yourself than about Him. Let’s not live in that place of functioning in the flesh. Instead, focus on functioning in the Spirit of God. When we are tempered and self-controlled, the Spirit of God can move freely.