Take the Lowly Route

by Jeremy Harrell

Over the next few weeks, Lord willing, we will examine Proverbs chapter 25.  This chapter is part of the collection of Proverbs of Solomon that were collected under the instruction of King Hezekiah.  This collection includes (Proverbs 25:1 – Proverbs 29:27).  These also were written by Solomon yet collected under the supervision of Hezekiah king of Judah – some 270 years after Solomon’s death.  We have come to verses 6-7:

“⁶ Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of the great;
⁷ For it is better that he say to you,
“Come up here,”
Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.”

In America today we don’t have a king “per-se” but the point being made is to not assume and exalt yourself.  We find a striking similarity to this in Jesus’s teaching in (Luke 14:7-11). Here we find someone assuming a more prestigious seat at a Wedding Feast than they ought to have assumed.  (Luke 14:11) states: “¹¹ For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

Preaching (Proverbs 25:6–7) as good sound advice for life in general very well may save you some embarrassment.  In light of the New Testament’s repeated call to humility, the Christ is the model for Christian behavior (Philippians 2:3–11) in every setting, and the hope of exaltation shifts now from time to eternity, from human honor to exaltation by God.