English: A hive of Apis dorsata (giant honey bees) I photographed whilst in Mt Abu, India. This hive was situated right next to a glass window of a building enabling me to get close enough. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bee hive honey bee colony swarm Verse 16 conveys an idea that is certainly not very pleasant, and we might wonder what it is that Solomon may be getting at exactly:

If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,
lest you have your fill of it and vomit it

But verse 17 makes the meaning clearer:

Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house,
lest he have his fill of you and hate you

Too much of a good thing – even something we enjoy very much – is often bad for us. Likewise, too much time in the company of friends can end up in strife and bitterness. But Solomon’s warning goes beyond honey, neighbors, and friends. When we find something we really enjoy, it is easy to become obsessive about it to some degree. This is more true of some people than others.

It is important for God’s people to remember what things are most important in the Lord’s kingdom, and not be carried away with diversion, pleasure, and entertainment to the detriment of those things that are of the most importance. When we allow that to happen, those things become our idols. honey bees and hives and honeycommbs

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

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