Proverbs 29:25 Commentary and Bible Study

Every man senses his vulnerability in this life for although mankind has been given certain strengths by the Lord, they are not so great that he can provide for all his needs, cope with all adversities, or overcome all his enemies. He knows that he is weak and dependent and that he does not have complete control over his world and the circumstances of life. He therefore instinctively looks outside himself for help and security. But where will he find it? To the natural eye the most readily available help comes from fellow human beings. They are near at hand, in the same state as us, and they can often be persuaded to find common cause with us, but their help comes at a price. Human beings seldom give anything for nothing. Not only so, but one man oppresses his neighbour and wishes to subjugate him. He intimidates his fellow human being in order to get his own way. He uses threats and force to bully others into cooperating with him. The response of the weak is to comply with the will of the strong, so that they not only look to the strong for help but they fear them far more than they should. But the fear of man goes further than this. Like the partner of the thief in the previous proverb, we can be intimidated by the sins of others. We then become ashamed of the standards of God and when faced with the choice of being loyal to fallen human beings or to the perfectly righteous God on high, we choose man because he is visibly present with us and we lack faith in God. This, warns Solomon, brings a snare on us and it is a snare which every Christian needs to be wary of. The fear of man leads us to be ashamed of Christ for we know that man does not acknowledge the Lord, and the way that our Saviour has lived and died adds to that shame. The cross is a stumbling block to those who are perishing and deliberately so, for God has put a barrier in the way of the wicked to prevent them ever turning to him for life without his effectual power at work in their hearts. Too often those who have some thoughts of finding the Lord begin to think how they will be viewed by unbelievers and they turn back from seeking the Lord out of shame. They are afraid to identify with him, to defend the gospel, to obey God when this will cause offence to the consciences of the wicked. But he who trusts in the Lord will be safe. The word means literally to be high, to be inaccessible, to be unattainable. They are safe because they are out of reach of evil men and evil circumstances.