Proverbs 27:8 Commentary and Bible Study

In another picture of dissatisfaction, Solomon describes the restlessness that it creates. Here is a bird that has spent considerable time and effort constructing a nest. It is high in the tree out of harm’s way, a good place to rear young, but something happens to disturb the bird and it becomes agitated and goes away from a perfectly good nest to start the process of nest building all over again. When it leaves the nest it is no longer hidden and becomes a target to any bird of prey that sees it. Someone may have much good in their lives, but lack of appreciation creates a discontent which craves something new. The imagination is carried away by unrealistic ideas about how much better life will be elsewhere, how much greener the grass is in another field, over another hill. Lack of appreciation of our present state may arise out of ingratitude to God for what he has already given us, failure to trust his wisdom to determine our lot in this world. We may compare ourselves with others and measure our lives by the abundance of things we possess so that we are carried away with covetousness contrary to Christ’s warning (Luke 12:15). In spite of Christ’s words we are carried away with the ignorant idea that happiness can be directly equated to our earthly situation, and therefore when we see others with more than us our peace is disturbed. We fail to see that this world is a training ground and the wisdom of God has many reasons which we are not capable of understanding for choosing our present state. If we are called to suffer in this life, is it a great price to pay in comparison to our eternal reward? Is this life the measure of what is good, or is heaven a better measure? Nevertheless men and women try to create a nirvana on earth.