Proverbs 20:2 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Proverbs 20:2

Comments

Here, Solomon switches the subject, but there is a link. Now the deceptive influence is peace and acceptance. It is about despot king, and he is used to getting his way, and he is a proud man and he does not like to be crossed. But he is crossed in some way, and insulted and aroused. And once that happens, his anger flares, and in those days, off with your head. The picture is probably to do with a courtier, and the king rather likes him, and so he receives a good deal of favour from the king. Unfortunately it goes to his head, and he over-estimates what he can get away with. He becomes very light in his conduct towards the king, even cheeky, impudent, and thinks he can get away with anything - is he not a favourite of the king? He behaves jauntily and rather proudly and carelessly, and the king flares up, and he is out, he is under punishment, he has had it. Go too close, you think you can get away with it. Once the lion roars, you cannot stop what he is going to do, he is already in action. The roar is part of his leap almost, and you have left it too late and you have gone too close. So it is a picture of peace and acceptance which makes us perhaps cocky and impudent and it applies in many ways. So that is the idea here. It is about deceptive influences: peace and acceptance. The lion is quiet and docile, but trust it in vain. Peace and tranquillity in your place of business or study or wherever you are, we are believers. We know the world is basically against us. Take care. You never know when it is going to lash out, and you will be unguarded, and you have forgotten you are the one who is marked. Also your own flesh is against you, the old nature, and the devil also. Take Christian warfare seriously. ‘Take unto you the whole armour of God,’ as the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6.

Application

Consider the lash of the anger of the world, the flesh and the devil. You toy with worldly things. You think you are strong, and you can go so far in pursuit of activities and involvement with worldly things, and it will not get you down, you will not go any further. You are living lightly as a Christian, carelessly, no spiritual warfare, not taking upon you the whole armour of God, and suddenly worldliness engulfs you. It does not just happen, there has been carelessness. The devil says, I will give him peace and tranquillity, and he will be light and unguarded, not examining himself, not fearing the spiritual warfare, and then I will pounce, and down we go. The lion roars.

It applies also to your own flesh and temptation. You indulge in things that are not quite right and you go so far, you allow yourself to. You think you are strong enough to keep it just there. But suddenly the flesh draws and there is a deeper temptation comes in, a desire, and you fall. There are great falls in history, in royal courts, in our British church history. People who one moment are exercising supreme power (you think of people like Cardinal Wolsey and others), and the next they have gone, and they are under humiliation, and they are in the Tower, suffering all kinds of indignities. They have gone too far, pushed the king too far.

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Proverbs 20:2 Commentary and Bible Study