Meditations at the Mercy Seat Proverbs 27:19-22 Dealing With People, Part 4

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Proverbs 27:19–22

[19] As in water face reflects face,

so the heart of man reflects the man.

[20] Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

and never satisfied are the eyes of man.

[21] The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

and a man is tested by his praise.

[22] Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle

along with crushed grain,

yet his folly will not depart from him. (ESV)

Dealing With People, Part 4

v.19 Just as a man's face is reflected in a clear, still pool, the heart of a man reflects the man. There are many ways to think about this line. One interpretation is that when one examines his own heart and sees God's Law written upon it, he sees his sin and is moved to repentance. Another is that thoughts that originate in our sinful hearts are reflected by our outward actions. Similarly, the heart of a believer will reflect the Holy Spirit, which dwells there as evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit, showing evidence of God's redeeming and sanctifying work. (Galatians 5:16-24; Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26-27; Psalm 51:12; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 4:6).

v.20 Death and hell are never satisfied as long as this world remains. Death will remain a constant until the last human dies, and the devil is never content with those he claims, always seeking to devour more souls. Likewise, our human desires are never satisfied. We always want more, better, bigger, etc. Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor, said we begin such coveting with what we see around us every day. It grows from there. Scripture warns us about wanting something simply because it is new and tells us to curb our desires that seek to satisfy greed, lust, and materialism (Mark 7:21-22; Luke 12:15; Romans 1:29; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5). We often think that if we have just a little bit more, we would be happy. But if we lack appreciation for what God has already given us, we will never find true contentment (2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Philippians 4:11-12; 1 Timothy 6:6-11; Hebrews 13:5).

v.21 The refinement of metals with fire to purify them is a common metaphor for Christians' life in Scripture, particularly regarding faith and how we ought to live our lives. Whether one receives praise from others reveals that person's true nature, just as refining ore in fire reveals the valuable metal within. A wicked person may not receive any praise for others, or if he does, he may self-congratulate himself to boost his ego. A Wise and humble follower of Christ will deflect the praise from himself and give God the credit. A wise man seeks praise from God in the life of the world to come rather than the praise of people in this broken world.

v.22 A fool and his foolishness cannot be separated, even if he were to be crushed in a mortar like grain, which separates the wheat from the chaff. This proverb points out that a stubborn fool cannot have his mind changed by anyone. Those who try will be rewarded only with frustration. Only the Word of God has the power to make a fool Wise (Hebrews 6:4-8; 1 John 5:16).