Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. (24:13-14)
Proverbs 22:17-24:22 is a collection of thirty sayings that Solomon wants his children to remember. It is interesting to see what Solomon includes in this list. If I were to collect thirty sayings for my children, it would probably look a lot differently. Part of that is because I dwell in a different culture. Part of that is because I am short-sighted and lack the wisdom that Solomon had.
Solomon tells his children such things as…don’t mistreat the poor…watch your friendships…work hard but don’t wear yourself out to be rich…don’t speak to a fool…don’t eat the food of a stingy man…discipline your children…don’t envy sinners…don’t hang around with those who drink or eat too much…rescue the defenseless…don’t gloat when your enemy falls…and fear the LORD! It is a great list and would make a great study on its own.
But the one saying that really stood out to me was 24:13-14. One reason is because I like honey. Not just Honey Nut Cheerios and Honeycomb cereal but fresh honey poured over hot cornbread or buttered toast. Good stuff! (Of course, I am convinced that if chocolate were around in Solomon’s days, he might have referred to it in these verses.) Solomon tells his son to eat honey, to enjoy honey, for it is good and sweet to the taste. Then he goes on to say, “And get wisdom too for it is also good and sweet to your soul.”
What’s his point? His point is that following after God, living righteously, and avoiding evil is not just something we do out of duty so that we can check things off our list, impress God with our moral austerity, and earn a few brownie points from our Sunday School teachers. We live for God, avoid evil, and pursue wisdom because this is the best life! It is true life. It is sweet to the soul. And it gives us a “future hope” so that even when the circumstances of life throw us a curve we can still find joy in knowing that God is in control and can turn every trial ultimately into our benefit and that one day all our tears will be wiped away in the brilliance of His glory and in the sheer pleasure of His presence. That’s why Solomon tells his sons–”Eat honey and let the smile remind you to live for God.”
Lord, fill me with Your Spirlt. Fill me with Your joy. May You be honey to my soul today.
How true it is that we are to live for God, avoid evil, and pursue wisdom not just because it’s what we are supposed to do but because it TRULY is the BEST life. We not only bring glory and honor to the Lord by living this way we also receive God’s blessings in our life. God wants to give us the best and too often we sell ourselves short by not living the way we know we should. I often have said that their is one place I never want to be and that is out of the center of God’s will.
Lord may my focus be on you today and everyday so that I may bring glory to you and be in a place to receive all that you have planned for me. In Jesus Precious Name, Lori Plunkett
Comment by danplunkett — August 24, 2006 @ 11:16 am