Proverbs 27 - Introduction

NOTICEABLE GROUPINGS IN CHAPTER 27

Comparisons using as

As a bird that wandereth from her nest, So is a man that wandereth from his place (Proverbs 27:8).

As in water face answereth to face, So the heart of man to man (Proverbs 27:19).

Friend

Faithful are the wounds of a friend (Proverbs 27:6).

Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; So doth the sweetness of a man's friend that cometh of hearty counsel (Proverbs 27:9).

Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not (Proverbs 27:10).

He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It shall be counted a curse to him (Proverbs 27:14).

Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend (Proverbs 27:17).

Praise

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; A stranger, and not thine own lips (Proverbs 27:2).

The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold;

And a man is tried by his praise (Proverbs 27:21).

Foot

A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; But a fool's vexation is heavier than they both (Proverbs 27:3).

The simple pass on, and suffer for it (Proverbs 27:12).

Though they shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with bruised grain, Yet will not his foolishness depart from him (Proverbs 27:22).

Speech

Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth (Proverbs 27:2).

Better is open rebuke Than love that is hidden (Proverbs 27:5).

He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It shall be counted a curse to him (Proverbs 27:14).

The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; And a man is tried by his praise (Proverbs 27:21).

HELP THE NEEDY

I like Proverbs 19:17: He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he (God) pay him again. In other words, when one GIVES to the poor, he is actually LOANING to God, and God always pays up! We can surely trust the Lord. We do not help the needy just to be helped of the Lord, but in our own limitations when it seems that we cannot do very much, it is comforting to know that if we help another, God Himself will bless us that we too might be able to make it through.

Proverbs 22:9 says, He that hath a beautiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

Proverbs 11:24-25 says, There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. It is like sowing. A farmer can take a bushel of oats, and scatter it over a portion of ground. It may look like he is throwing it away, but up comes the plants, and in a few weeks he has many bushels of oats. If the generous person shall abound, then he has not lost by being thoughtful of others. He who has watered others will himself be watered.

WISDOM

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her (Proverbs 3:13-18).

What a great passage that is! Man thinks of material gain. Proverbs is not blind to the place of material things, but it says the merchandise and the gain of wisdom are better than that of silver, gold, rubies, and all other earthly things that one can desire. That passage pictures Wisdom's two hands full of great blessings: length of life in her right hand and riches and honor in her left. It also points out that wisdom leads the way to pleasantness and peace and is a tree of life. No wonder, then, that the passage says, Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn. If you want the favor of God, you must live right, and nobody's favor should you desire to have more than the favor of God.

To the obedient child, the father in Proverbs assures, So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man (Proverbs 3:4).