Proverbs 12:9 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Proverbs 12:9

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Solomon often adds an element of surprise. See how Solomon works in so many different ways. Here is a despised person. Actually the Hebrew is not quite as strong as that. The word translated despised is literally ‘he that is light’, he that is regarded as a lightweight, not quite a nobody perhaps, but a lightweight, nobody of any great consequence. And perhaps the person adds to that impression himself, because happily he is a modest man, and a quiet man. He does not seem to have great abilities and great gifts, just pressing out of him, and he also is quiet and modest. And so people do not highly regard him; they give little thought to him. But you know, he is successful enough to feed a servant, as well as his family. He has got a servant. His small-holding is run pretty well. And yet he does not seem to be bristling with abilities, and his own modesty compounds the fact that people do not greatly respect him.Here we would expect the man who is lightly esteemed to be contrasted with the one who is honoured by others, but instead Solomon compares him to one who honours himself. The search for praise from men starts with self-praise. One man cares little about his reputation, but conducts himself quietly and modestly and runs his affairs efficiently, and yet he is sufficiently successful to have a servant, but another values man’s praise above all else. Oh he thinks so highly of himself. He thinks he has got such great gifts, and he has got big dreams about the future, and what he is going to achieve. But though he rates himself so highly, his family are fairly desperate. He cannot cope with his farm; it has failed. His abilities are actually quite low, and he has not been diligent or applied himself properly. Now he has got to go and beg food from the man who has the servant.

Application

These two situations illustrate two attitudes to life which distinguish God’s people from worldlings. The Christian is content not to be held in high regard and does not parade his gifts or his knowledge before men, and he is not unduly concerned about his reputation. He is content to walk quietly and modestly through the world, and to focus on his service and obedience to God. He is not concerned about man’s judgment because he knows it to be flawed and based on an entirely different set of values to God’s judgment; in fact, he does not even judge himself. But the non-Christian is a slave to human praise and will even cause himself unnecessary distress in his attempt to obtain recognition in the world. This compulsive desire for esteem becomes the ruin of many, not only in this life but in eternity. The lost will find they have nothing left, for even the things they set some value on will be taken away from them.

In a church, if you want to find somebody who is just the person to help that ailing or wandering brother or sister, it is very often not the highly regarded person, but the modest person who is very effective at getting alongside who you will choose to use pastorally. And the person with all the airs and graces, I am sorry to put it this way, but you will often say, ‘Ah not him, not her.’ Let us stop thinking about ourselves, and what we imagine ourselves to be, or to deserve, and start thinking more about what are we doing. That is the attitude to the Christian life.

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Proverbs 12:9 Commentary and Bible Study