Proverbs 25:1-7 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 25:1-7, which read,

v.1 - These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.

We enter a new section of Proverbs today.  Here are another 137 proverbs of Solomon that were collected and preserved by the men of Hezekiah who was king of Judah around 715 B.C. through 686 B.C.  During the reign of King Hezekiah there was an attempted revival of the Israelite people to God and these proverbs which may have been forgotten were written down for use in public worship.

v.2, 3 - It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.  As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, so the heart of the kings is unsearchable.  

God and kings are compared here.  God, because He is God, knows everything and therefore what is not known by kings is known to Him.  Kings need counsel to know things.  They do have the resources at their disposal because of their wealth and their rank.  They can order others to search out the possible answers for why something is happening that God already knows about.

The heart of the king is not known by anyone but God.  We know that Israel had good kings and bad kings, mostly bad.  I am sure there were hometown Hebrews who were wondering what was going on in the heart of the king to act this way.  One would honor God and take down the foreign gods' idols and then the next would erect some more.  God's knowledge is higher than the heavens and deeper than the earth and what we don't know He knows and is still in control when it seems out of control.

v.4, 5 - Take away the dross from the silver, and there comes out a vessel for the smith; take away the wicked before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.

To take away the dross from the silver was to purify it.  The silver in its purified state is able to be fashioned into some type of vessel that can be used.  The impurities in the silver weaken it and make it less desirable.  So the purification process is very important with any of the precious metals.  

Solomon compares that process with the purification of a king.  A king needs the dross taken away.  He needs to be purified.  The wicked needs to be taken out of him and when this process happens then his kingdom will be established in righteousness.  Of course, God does this purification process of our hearts and it is necessary if we are going to live for the glory of Him.  The theological term for this purification process of taking away the dross is sanctification. 

v.6, 7 - Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men; for it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.

Solomon now gives us an example of this purification.  You go into the presence of the king and because you think you are hot stuff or God's gift to the king, you sit down right next to him.  Soon you are escorted away to a sit in a corner far away from the king.  God is purifying your pride.  Solomon says it is better to come into the presence of the king and sit far away and then be asked by him to come sit closer.  Does this sound familiar?  Jesus used this in Luke 14:7-11.

And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this man,' and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place.  But when you are invited, do and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

I give you this extra passage of Jesus because I want you to see how Jesus used the Bible itself in life and we need to follow suit.  He was teaching His disciples an important lesson on how to conduct themselves in public.  These proverbs are not just great to know but to actually use in our everyday life.  We need to let them purify us so that we can be vessels of righteousness that can be used by The Smith, capital "T" and capital "S," meaning by God.  Even in matters where we don't have all the answers and things are concealed that only God knows, we need to follow after Him and His words and ways.  Let us pray.

"Lord, how You show us how You used the Scriptures in everyday life and how necessary it is for us to do the same.  Continue to purify our hearts to be rid of wicked impurities that weaken us.  Purify our hearts of pride and replace it with humility so that we can be used of You in places we never dreamed of.  Amen."

Pastor Adam