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

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Honey in honeycombs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chapter 24 concludes the “thirty sayings” portion of the Book of Proverbs that was begun in chapter 22 (see this previous post for more information). Verse 13 is one that is natural for the reader to just skip over:

My son, eat honey, for it is good,
and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste

When one is reading through verse after verse of some of the greatest wisdom, a verse stating that honey is sweet does not really register as being terribly wise. The lesson is in verse 14, which expounds on that thought:

Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
if you find it, there will be a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.

Wisdom is to the soul like honey is to the taste. The key is to find it; and what the writer has been telling us over and over again throughout this entire book is that the beginning of all knowledge is the fear of the Lord. The greatest source of wisdom is in God’s word. It is there that we find both our hope and our future, but the keywords are “if you find it.” Like finding the honeycomb, we must search the scriptures to find that wisdom. The writer is telling us to read our Bible – regularly!

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

/Bob’s boy

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Verse 17-19 of Proverbs 22 make up the prologue to what some call “The Thirty Words” or “Thirty Sayings” that will continue from verse 22 all the way through to the end of Proverbs 24. Here are the writer’s words that introduce them:

Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise,
and apply your heart to my knowledge,
for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
That your trust may be in the Lord,
I have made them known to you today, even to you.
Have I not written for you thirty sayings
of counsel and knowledge,
to make you know what is right and true,
that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

Solomon’s fame regarding his wisdom and wealth spread throughout the ancient world, even as far away as Ophir and Sheba. It is not certain where Sheba is exactly, but many scholars believe it may have been located along the Red Sea on the Arabian peninsula.
The Temple that Solomon built for the Lord drew upon the vast wealth of his enormous kingdom. Once it was completed, Solomon’s Temple was no doubt one of the great wonders of its time. Solomon’s reputation brought acclaim and riches from many nations, but he disobeyed God, marrying pagan women and worshiping their gods. So God raised up enemies like Hadad from Edom and Rezon from Zobah (modern-day Syria). Jeroboam from Zeredah was another enemy who would eventually divide this mighty kingdom.

These verses state the purpose of the “thirty words” – that the reader, or those who hear them, will apply them to their heart, know that they are true, and trust in the Lord.  Thus the reader will be able to communicate these truths to others with clarity and confidence. These thirty sayings are two line couplets admonishing the reader to pay heed to advice about many matters that are important to the Lord, and that are beneficial to one’s well-being in navigating life. They each also contain the desired and expected result that will come from heeding or not heeding these admonitions.

Saying one, in verse 22, begins with one that is most dear to the Lord’s heart – and hammered home again and again by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are expected (commanded) to treat the poor with dignity, love and respect – making it clear, as all scripture does, that the Lord values the poor, and that He abhors those who mistreat them.

“Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, for the Lord will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them.”

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

/Bob’s boy

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.