Proverbs 25:6-10
 
Prov 25:6 (KJB)
Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men:
 
Put not forth thyself - Do not honor yourself
Great - Noble or honored
 
If there is one thing the arrogance of man will do is to promote himself in the sight of others. Here this verse is stating that we need to know our position in life. We may be saved but that does not mean we have the right to push ourselves into the presence of nobles and promote ourselves that we are something we are not. The Lord Jesus taught a principle on this in Luke 14:10. (Luke 14:10 KJV) But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. If we are invited to a place where there are important people, we must not push ourselves to the front. This is a lesson in humility. Now if you seek the lowest place to sit and then your bidden to sit with the nobles, then do it and if not, then just enjoy the evening as is.
 
Prov 25:7 (KJB)
For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
 
This verse is basically the same principle taught in Luke 14:10 which we saw in the previous verse. Never seek the best seats in the house. This is what the Pharisees did. (Mat 23:6 KJV) And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, If you are truly humble, then if it be the Lord’s will that you are to be promoted, it will happen by His hand and not by yours. We must always be patient in life because maybe we will never be anything more than we are now but the fact that you are saved, is everything, in this life and the next life. The nobles have their importance only for a fleeting moment but ours is for eternity.
 
Prov 25:8 (KJB)
Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
 
Hastily - Hurry or be rash
 
If there is one thing which characterizes many people today, it is acting hastily. This verse is teaching us that we must never seek to reveal or even to bring up in argument any bit of information that we may have. If we do not have all the information, then we could be adding fuel to the fire. We could also be acting rashly to our own embarrassment. If we bring information that is partial, and then the other person has all the information and proves us wrong on any allegations, we could suffer a liability suit. Basically, this verse is teaching us to ponder our actions with the information which is available to us. If we are not sure, then it is better not to volunteer any information and to keep quiet. It could save us much embarrassment and problems. If we are quick to make accusations with only partial information, we will be accused of slander or gossip, both can cause us to lose our testimony.
 
Prov 25:9 (KJB)
Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:
 
Discover - Do not reveal
 
This verse is dealing with tale bearing. If you have a situation which needs to be worked out with your neighbor or somebody else, and he divulges a secret to you, you must never pass that secret on to another in hopes of gaining an advantage over that person. They are sharing something in confidence with you and it is not being shared for you to spread it around. Maybe a member of his family did something to you and he is revealing a family secret as to why something happened. (Prov 11:13 KJV) A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. Proverbs 11:13 teaches that a faithful person will conceal or hide a matter. If you cannot conceal a matter, then that proves you are unfaithful. (1 Cor 4:2 KJV) Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. God requires His people to be faithful and if there is any wrong that is done to you, you are not to take personal revenge, for that realm belongs to the Lord alone.
 
Prov 25:10 (KJB)
Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.
 
Infamy - Rumor or slander
 
If you tell a rumor or slander someone, your accusations may always be part of your life. When someone mentions your name, they will mention your slander in the same breath. You will lose your testimony because who is going to trust anyone who divulges secrets or privately slanders another. If you slander someone to another person, that person is going to watch out for you because you are likely to slander them also. (James 3:8 KJV) But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. James 3 is a chapter which every believer should read so we do not get caught up in gossip or slander. One of the most easiest places to get caught up in gossip or slander is the workplace but we must be on our guard in all places, especially church where gossip runs rampant. If you are pegged as a gossiper, you may never lose that moniker for the rest of your life. Slander and gossip are simply not worth it. Walk away from it and tell the person you do not want to hear any gossip.
 
Back