Proverb 26:17 reminds me of a time in the early 1980's when I lived in San Bernardino. One of my older brothers, Gene, was living with me and my first wife at the time. Gene was, and still is a small man. He stood about 5' 6" and maybe weighed about 130 pounds, if he was wearing wet cloths. He was a guy who never could, and never would get in a fight.
Jim was an air force mechanic stationed at Norton Air Force base. This was like 10 years before they closed it down. Jim was a big guy who stood about 6"4" and weighed a good 250 pounds or more. Jim wasn't a guy to get into fights either, but if he had to he could more than take care of himself.
As I said, my brother was not one to get into fights. However, when he was drinking he would start arguments and act all bold. Usually when he did the other guy would laugh at him since they knew he couldn't fight, and besides Gene would just as well fall down on his own before he took hit just to let the other guy know that he won.
Well, they were playing pool at a bar one night, and big Jim went to the men's room. While in there Gene bumped into a guy and spilled his beer. To his credit he apologized and offered to buy the guy another beer. However, Gene did not stop there. From what the witnesses said, Gene had a couple too many beers and began getting lippy with the guy. This really pissed the guy off.
So in comes Jim returning from the restroom, completely unaware of what transpired while he was gone. Jim sees this guy arguing with Gene next to the pool table. He figures that the guy is just upset over a pool shot and wanted to calm the guy down. He walks up behind the guy and taps him on the shoulder to get his attention. The guy turns around and Jim say's to him,
"Come on guy. It's just a game. get over it."The next thing Jim knows, he is waking up on the bar room floor with blood all over him and a terrible head ache. I guess the guy wanted to punch my brother, but knew he would really hurt Gene. So when Jim came into the picture, seemingly to defend his friend, the guy knocked his lights out with a sucker punch. Jim was left laying on the bar room floor feeling like he just go hit by Larry Holmes.
By the time he was told what happened the other guy was gone, because he was kicked out of the bar. Jim had a sore jaw for a few weeks, and refused to go drinking with my brother again unless he promised not to get cocky while he was drinking. What happened that night is a classic example of what Proverb 26:17 warns us about. Getting into other peoples quarrels before you know what the problem is, because you never know what may transpire.
Now it is OK to defend people, but be sure that you truly standing up for justice. Sometimes, justice comes by allowing a person to learn their lesson without others stepping in to save them. No one should get a busted jaw because a friend doesn't know when to shut up.
He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by the ears. Proverb 26:17
Proverb 26 (NKJV)
Proverb 26 (NKJV)
Honor Is Not Fitting for a Fool
01 As snow in summer and rain in harvest,
00 So honor is not fitting for a fool.
02 Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,
00 So a curse without cause shall not alight.
03 A whip for the horse,
00 A bridle for the donkey,
00 And a rod for the fool's back.
04 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
00 Lest you also be like him.
05 Answer a fool according to his folly,
00 Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
06 He who sends a message by the hand of a fool
00 Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
07 Like the legs of the lame that hang limp
00 Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
08 Like one who binds a stone in a sling
00 Is he who gives honor to a fool.
09 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard
00 Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 The great God who formed everything
00 Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.
11 As a dog returns to his own vomit,
00 So a fool repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
00 There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The lazy man says, "There is a lion in the road!
00 A fierce lion is in the streets!"
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
00 So does the lazy man on his bed.
15 The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl;
00 It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes
00 Than seven men who can answer sensibly.
17 He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
00 Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.
18 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 Is the man who deceives his neighbor,
00 And says, "I was only joking!"
20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;
00 And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.
21 As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,
00 So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,
00 And they go down into the inmost body.
23 Fervent lips with a wicked heart
00 Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.
24 He who hates, disguises it with his lips,
00 And lays up deceit within himself;
25 When he speaks kindly, do not believe him,
00 For there are seven abominations in his heart;
26 Though his hatred is covered by deceit,
00 His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
00 And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it,
00 And a flattering mouth works ruin.
The purpose of Writing the book of Proverbs was to reveal the mind of God in matters high and lofty and in common, ordinary, everyday situations. It appears that no topic escaped King Solomon's attention. Matters pertaining to personal conduct, sexual relations, business, wealth, charity, ambition, discipline, debt, child-rearing, character, alcohol, politics, revenge, and Godliness are among the many topics covered in this rich collection of wise sayings.
Without wisdom, knowledge is nothing more than an accumulation of raw facts, influenced by emotional feelings. Many highly educated people are in positions of power in the United States, but very few of those educated leaders have the wisdom needed to rule properly.
One can say that they have been educated well beyond their intelligence. A cursory look at the court system will prove my point that knowledge without wisdom will only lead to an immoral society that eventually crumbles from within. Judges are supposed to be above the fray, and immovable to emotions. Instead, the vast majority of judges today are Godless individuals who are vacant of wisdom. So their rulings are totally based upon emotional feelings.
We the people are to blame, because we ignored God's guidance in appointing our leaders. Instead of putting leaders full wisdom in power, we instead chose those who would scratch our itchy ears to lead us.
Of the 31 Proverbs, only the first 24 were written by Solomon. King Hezekiah wrote 5, Proverbs 25 to 29, Agur wrote Proverb 30, and Lemuel wrote Proverb 31. Now many believe Lemuel was in fact King Solomon and Lemuel was just a nick name his Mother, Bathsheba gave him. We are told that Solomon write over 3000 Proverbs and composed 1000 songs, but the only Proverbs God decided to preserve for us are Proverbs 1-24. Like the New Testament epistle by James, it is impossible to get a chronological outline for a study since they all bounce from subject to subject.
Along with my daily routine of reading the Bible, I try to read through the book of Proverbs once a Month. It's an easy task when you consider there are 31 Proverbs. So all you need to know is what day of the Month it is. In the Months that have 30 days, or in the case of February, I just double up by reading more than one two proverb so I can begin the next month with Proverb 1 on the first again.
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