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Proverbs – Chapter 27 –
Wisdom and Benefits in Friendship
Today’s selection is about friendship. The Old Testament Hebrew has two root words that have been translated as friend:
- aw-hab’ which means someone for whom we have affection and love. It can be sexually or otherwise.
- ray’-ah meaning an associate, neighbor, companion, friend
Proverbs 27:5-6
The word “faithful” could be translated “building up”, “fostering”, “trustworthy, “helpful”. The word translated as friend is “aw-hab’”. Here we learn that those who love us may tell us something that hurts us to help us because we need to hear it. Sometimes it hurts to hear the truth but it is necessary for our growth. Jesus warned his disciples to be wary of those who flattered them (Lk 6:26).
The distinction between the two words is clear in Pro 18:24 “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Here, first, “friends” and “friendly” are based on “ray’ah”, while the friend closer than a brother is translated from “aw-hab’”. The first part of this proverb shows us how to develop friendships. The second part refers to Jesus’ loving friendship for us. (John 15:13-15)
An example of this affectionate friendship is also that between David and Jonathan. (See 1 Sam 18:1)
Proverbs 27:9 – “Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend’s counsel that comes from the heart.” (Ampl)
Proverbs 27:10 – This proverb shows the importance of keeping our friendships even with older friends. Our family may be far off while our friends are near in times of need.
Proverbs 27:14 – Excess in praising by friends raises suspicion.
Proverbs 27:17 – When our friends (“ray’ah”) rub us the wrong way, they help us to grow.
We have seen other proverbs and Scripture warning us about choosing friends wisely because they will have an effect on us see http://mzchurch.org/biblerd/?s=friend.
[boilerplate application-prayer]
I thank you Father, for your instructions about friendship. We need friends and our friends need us. But the most important friendships for us should be with Jesus, our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. God is our friend and has created us to be His friends.
Thank you Lord, in Jesus’ name. Amen!
[boilerplate application-questions]
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There is “a way” to correct friends. When stated with a loving heart, it is more easily received and “digested”! It may happen that the friend giving advice does so in love and still, the message may be “on the rough side”. When we’re at the receiving end, we too, should be open and see “behind or under the rough side” of the comments or how they are delivered. We must consider the friend’s personality. Not everyone is a “smooth talker” (not that I particularly like “smooth talkers” which I tend to associate with sales people or politicians!).
I have a bit of a funny story of a friend’s comments rubbing me the wrong way. Several years ago, perhaps the 2nd year I cooked turkeys for the church Christmas Dinner, I had placed the sliced turkey in the trunk of my car which my sons were driving to church. Well, the turkey was there for longer than anticipated and when it was served, it was still cold….. OK, some of it may have been close to “frozen”!!! Anyhow, a friend made comments to me about the “frozen turkey”, not even thinking or knowing I had prepared it. I did not particularly like to hear it even though it was true. It`s just that I had worked very hard to cook the turkey, make the gravy, etc! Her comments annoyed me a bit but at the same time, I was never upset with her because that was just her personality and she said it as she saw it!
Proverbs 27:19 shows us that we are more that a reflection in the water but that our heart reveals who we really are. The following scripture from the NT expands on the scripture above. 2 Corinthians 3:18(AMP) 18 And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.
I agree with Peter Card in saying that we are more than a reflection in the water.
Looking at our image in the water is merely a view of our physical being. The focus should go beyond this aspect of reality so we can see with our spiritual eyes, the reflection from our Heart about our Spiritual Being being transformed by the glory of the Lord.
Is Proverbs 27:7 saying that when we are ready to grow further spiritually in the Lord, that we are able to receive constructive criticism?
Yes. What is inside us determines the way we will respond to what happens around us.