Boasting, Praise, Anger, Jealousy, and Rebuke

 

 

 


[Proverbs 27:1–6]

 

 

What do you think is the appeal of us Christians?
Titus 2:10 says:
"Not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior."
We Christians have lost our appeal. We no longer have it. The church no longer has the power to attract the hearts of people in the world. What is the cause of this?
The reason is that we do not obey God's Word. We say with our lips that we obey, but by our actions, we disobey God’s Word (cf. Titus 1:16). We have a form of godliness, but we lack its power (2 Timothy 3:5).
If we want to be attractive Christians, we must obey the Word of God. Therefore, we must make God's teachings shine in this dark world.

Today, based on Proverbs 27:1–6, I want to reflect on five topics:
Boasting, Praise, Anger, Jealousy, and Rebuke.
As we meditate on these five topics from today’s passage, I pray that we may receive and obey the lessons God gives us.

First, we must not boast about tomorrow.

Proverbs 27:1 says:
"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring."
[Modern Translation: “Do not boast about tomorrow. You do not know what the day may bring.”]
When I meditate on this verse, I am reminded of the first verse of the gospel song written by the late Mrs. Ahn Hee-sook, titled “I Do Not Know About Tomorrow”:

“I do not know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day.
I can’t borrow from its sunshine, for its skies may turn to gray.
Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand,
But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.”

I also recall reading her book titled “If I Perish, I Perish.” While meditating on this passage again, I searched online to revisit her story and her faith.
In 1939, during the latter years of Japanese colonial rule, at the age of 31, she displayed unwavering faith by refusing to bow during the forced Shinto shrine worship held for all students. She refused to bow to any god other than the God of the Bible.
Later, during the 74th session of the Japanese Imperial Diet, she boldly proclaimed God's message: “Japan will be destroyed by sulfur and fire,” and was arrested and imprisoned for six years in Pyongyang prison.
In that prison, she not only practiced the love of the Lord but also evangelized to various inmates and guards. Her astonishing testimonies of restoring people to God are recorded in “If I Perish, I Perish.”

Interestingly, she was not only the author of “If I Perish, I Perish” but also the lyricist of the gospel song “I Do Not Know About Tomorrow.” She was released from prison on August 17, 1945, just hours before her scheduled execution, due to Korea’s liberation on August 15.
So we can see that the lyrics “I do not know about tomorrow… I live day by day…” were born out of her real-life experience.

Do you know what will happen tomorrow?
Can anyone truly know the future?
Ecclesiastes 8:7 says:
"Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come?"
(Modern Translation: “No one knows what will happen, so who can tell others what the future holds?”)

The Bible tells us clearly that no one knows what the future holds.
So when people who don’t believe this seek out fortune-tellers who claim to know the future, it’s truly foolish.
Personally, I also don’t believe it’s wise for Christians to blindly trust in “prophetic prayers” from other Christians who claim to have the gift of prophecy.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 says:
"When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future."
(Modern Translation: “When things are going well, be glad, and when times are bad, reflect. God gives both happiness and hardship, and no one knows what the future holds.”)

The Bible clearly says God has made it so that no one can foresee their future.
This is why God allows both prosperity and hardship.
One example that comes to mind is the character of Joseph in Genesis.
Genesis 39 says that God was with Joseph, and he prospered (vv. 2, 3, 23).
But even in that prosperous life, Joseph faced temptation (vv. 7–12), and when he resisted it, he was falsely accused and imprisoned (vv. 13–20).

So Joseph didn’t only have good days—he had hard days as well.
(Ecclesiastes 8:14)
More precisely, because God was with him, Joseph’s life was full of hardships.
At age 17, he was hated by his ten brothers, almost killed, and sold to Potiphar’s house in Egypt (Genesis 37, 39:1).
Then, at age 30, he became governor of Egypt, after 13 years of hardship.

Why did God, in His sovereign will, allow both prosperity and hardship in Joseph’s life?
Because God wanted Joseph, who could not know the future, to trust only in Him.
It wasn’t until Joseph was 39 years old—22 years later—that he finally understood why God had sent him to Egypt.
The reason?
"God sent me ahead of you to preserve life."
It was to preserve the lives of his brothers and their descendants by a great deliverance (Genesis 45:5, 7).

Only God knows not just Joseph’s future, but also ours.
Therefore, we must rely on God alone and live each day by faith.

Look at today’s main passage, Proverbs 27:1:
"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."
The Bible tells us not to boast about tomorrow.
The reason is that we do not know what may happen in a single day.
Nevertheless, people seem to be quite foolish.
One example of this is the parable of the rich man found in Luke 12:16–21.
The parable tells of a rich man whose land yielded a plentiful harvest. When he had no place to store his crops, he thought to himself, “I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.”
This is similar to how corrupt wealthy people in this world, apart from their legal bank accounts, set up offshore paper companies in tax havens to avoid paying taxes to the government and satisfy their greed by amassing even more money.
After doing all this, the rich man planned to relax, eat, drink, and enjoy himself (verses 16–19).
But then God said to him: “You fool! This very night your soul will be required of you; then who will own what you have prepared?” (verse 20, Today's Korean Bible version).
God called this foolish man someone who stores up treasures for himself but is not rich toward God (verse 21).

Another example can be found in James 4:13–16:
"Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil."
[Contemporary Bible: “Listen, you who think, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to a certain city and stay there for a year and do business and make money.’ Hear me. You do not know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are just a mist that appears briefly and then vanishes. You ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ But instead, you are boasting in your vanity. Such boasting is evil.”]

From this passage, the lesson we must learn is that we should not make vain boasts (v. 16).
This teaching is especially applicable to Christian businesspeople.
What the Bible teaches them is not to boast of their wealth (Psalm 49:6; Jeremiah 9:23),
nor to put their trust in their riches (Psalm 49:6).
Instead, the Bible tells us to trust in God.

The Bible says this about “boasting”:
"Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord" (2 Corinthians 10:17),
"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness" (2 Corinthians 11:30).
We are not to boast of our strengths, but rather of our weaknesses.
And when we do boast, we are to boast in the Lord.

Look at what Jeremiah 9:23–24 says:
"This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom, or the strong boast of their strength, or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord."
So, we must boast only of knowing God.
This is what pleases God.

With this understanding, Christian businesspeople should of course make various plans to earn profits through their businesses,
but what they must not forget is that their lives are like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14).
This is why the Apostle James teaches us to develop the attitude and habit of saying, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (v. 15).

With such a mindset, we must not boast about tomorrow.
The reason is that we do not know what may happen in a single day (Proverbs 27:1).

Secondly, we must not praise ourselves with our own lips.

Look at today’s text, Proverbs 27:2:
“Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.”
(The Korean Contemporary Version puts it this way: “Let someone else praise you, but do not praise yourself with your own mouth.”)
When I meditate on this verse, I think of the Korean idiom “자화자찬” (self-praise). It literally means “praising a picture one has painted oneself,” and refers to bragging about one’s own accomplishments (Naver Dictionary).

How do you feel when someone you’re talking to keeps bragging about themselves?
Does it come across as prideful? Does it feel tiresome when someone keeps acting like they’re the only competent one?
I once read on a website that someone said, “Please stop. I feel an urge rising up in my throat to tell you to go back to your own little island where only you are great.”

So why do people act like they’re better than others? What’s behind this attitude?
It may come from a sense of inferiority. That is, a person who deep down feels inadequate about what they’ve done may try to cover it by acting superior.
Although someone who brags may outwardly appear confident, in reality, they are often more fearful and insecure than anyone else.
In fact, people who excessively praise themselves may be reacting out of anxiety or emotional fragility, using self-praise as a defense mechanism (Internet source).

Personally, when I think about the word “praise,” two things come to mind:

  1. Proverbs 27:21 says:
    “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise.”
    The Common Translation of this verse renders it: “Praise tests what kind of person someone is.”
    I believe this is an important verse, because I think we humans are especially vulnerable to praise.
    When we serve the body of Christ—His Church—it feels good to receive praise from fellow brothers and sisters. But there is a real danger (temptation) that such praise may lead us to seek our own glory rather than give glory to God.
    Furthermore, when we become conditioned to praise from other church members, we might start serving not to receive praise from the Lord, but to be praised by people.
    That’s why, whenever I think of “praise,” I recall the second half of Proverbs 27:21:
    “People are tested by their praise.”

  2. I also think about how I should not be stingy with praise.
    About 15 years ago, when my wife and I were living in Korea, we were serving in a newlywed ministry. We once gave homework to the couples to each write down five things that the husband wants from the wife and five things the wife wants from the husband.
    My wife and I also did this assignment, and while I’ve forgotten almost everything we wrote, there’s one thing I still remember clearly.
    The very first thing my wife wrote down that she wanted from me was: “Appreciation.”
    That showed how much I had failed to express gratitude to her.
    I probably lacked not only the feeling of appreciation but also the habit of showing it.

    Looking back at myself, I think I’m not only poor at expressing thanks, but also not good at giving compliments. I’m quite stingy with praise.
    The excuse I gave to my wife was that I didn’t receive much praise from my father growing up.
    It’s understandable to some degree because people from my father’s generation believed in the principle of “주마가편”—whipping a fast horse to make it run even faster. That was their style of parenting.
    Even now, I feel awkward when my father praises me.
    Probably because I’m simply not used to receiving praise from him.

    However, having been raised in the United States, I’ve come to believe that, like American dads, praise is essential in raising children.
    For example, when a child does something well, it’s important to say: “Good job!”
    And when they don’t do something well, it’s important to say: “It’s okay. You can do better next time.”
    This kind of encouragement is vital.

    That’s why, though I tend to be stingy with praise, I want to become a husband and father who gives praise freely to my family.
    Especially in my relationship with my wife, I long to see in my family what is described in Proverbs 31:28:
    “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”
    I want to see this kind of loving and appreciative atmosphere in our home.

I still remember it clearly. When I was attending seminary in Korea, there was a day in our Practical Theology class when each student was to present a book they had read. At that time, I remember reading Pastor Lee Dong-Won’s book titled "Acts of the Family" and giving a presentation in front of the professor and my fellow seminarians.

After my presentation, there was a time for the other students to critique what had been shared. A pastor older than I was made a single comment about my presentation, and I’ve never forgotten that comment. It was something to the effect that my presentation came across as arrogant. After that, he did not offer any further critique. I assume he didn’t want to say more.

I was a bit shocked at the time. I had read Pastor Lee’s book, been touched and challenged by it, and wanted to share that with my classmates. I had worked hard on the presentation. But to have the very first critique be that it sounded arrogant—left me speechless. I don’t remember what happened after that.

What I felt from that experience was that it might have been a cultural difference. From my background of studying in the U.S., preparing well and presenting confidently in class doesn’t typically come across as arrogance. But perhaps in Korea, it could be perceived that way.

Even now, the way I think and speak about it suggests that I don’t believe I was trying to boast about myself. In other words, I wasn’t praising myself during that presentation. Perhaps I came across as overly(?) confident to others. But I would rather say that I had passion and conviction about the book I had read, more than just confidence. The reason is because I have a strong interest in family, and there were many parts of "Acts of the Family" that deeply resonated with me.

Still, I felt hurt when that pastor said what he did. It was likely because I felt misunderstood rather than understood.

Now, look at today’s main verse: Proverbs 27:2:
“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.”
[Modern Translation: “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth.”]
The Bible teaches us that we should let others praise us, and not praise ourselves with our own lips. In other words, we are to refrain from praising ourselves and let others do so instead.

There is one important thing to consider here. The word “praise” in Proverbs 27:2 is the same Hebrew word used for “boast” in verse 1. This shows us that we are not only to refrain from boasting about tomorrow (verse 1), but also not to boast (or praise) ourselves with our own mouths (verse 2).

Why shouldn’t we praise ourselves with our own mouths? I found the reason in 2 Corinthians 10:12:
“We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” (Modern Translation)
In other words, the reason we shouldn’t praise ourselves is that doing so means we are evaluating ourselves by our own standards, which is unwise.

But this verse also gives us another lesson: we should allow others to praise (or boast about) us. That means we should live as Christians who are worthy of praise from others. I believe this is emphasized in today’s passage, because the writer of Proverbs repeats the idea twice:
“Let another praise you … let a stranger praise you …”

Friends, we ought to be people who are praised in the church (2 Corinthians 8:18). We should also be those who are praised by the Lord’s servants (1 Corinthians 11:2). Especially, church officers should be “devout men” (Acts 22:12) who are praised by the members of the church. Like the seven deacons in Acts 6, they should be “full of the Spirit and wisdom,” and be people “well spoken of” by the believers (Acts 6:3).

We should seek praise not only from people in the church, but also from Jesus Christ when He is revealed. This requires a (genuine) faith—a tested faith—that can be praised by Christ Himself (1 Peter 1:7).
2 Corinthians 10:18 says,
“For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” (Modern Translation)

May we all become people not who praise ourselves, but who are recognized and praised by the Lord.

Third, we must not become foolishly angry.

Look at today’s main text, Proverbs 27:3:
"A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both."
[Modern Version: "Stones are heavy and sand is weighty, but the anger of a fool is heavier than both."]

Personally, when I meditate on this passage, I am reminded of several other proverbs we have already reflected on concerning “anger.”
For example, look at Proverbs 12:16:
"A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult."
Also, Proverbs 15:1:
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Besides these, when I think of “anger,” Proverbs 17:12 comes to mind:
"Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly."
Can you imagine coming face to face with a mother bear that has lost her cubs?

Not long ago, in the 2016 Oscars, Leonardo DiCaprio won Best Actor for the film The Revenant.
There’s a scene where a bear attacks DiCaprio’s character while trying to protect her cubs.
That bear is so terrifying and ferocious that the protagonist nearly dies.

Look at Hosea 13:8:
"Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and rip them open; like a lion I will devour them—a wild animal will tear them apart."
What a terrifying word from God this is!
That God would meet the Israelites like a bear robbed of her cubs, tear open their hearts, and devour them—how fearful this warning is!

Yet, Proverbs 17:12 says it is better to meet a mother bear robbed of her cubs than to encounter a fool acting in his folly.
Why is that?
Because a fool is more dangerous than a bear that has lost her cubs.
How can that be?
How can a fool be more dangerous than such a bear?

According to Pastor John MacArthur, the reason is this:
“Fools are less rational in anger than wild bears.”
Can you imagine that?
Can you imagine a fool showing irrational, instant anger (Proverbs 12:16)?

A fool not only displays irrational anger immediately, but also harbors twisted, long-term anger that eventually leads to murder.
One example is Absalom, the son of David, in 2 Samuel 13.
He held on to his anger for two years before killing Amnon, who had raped his sister Tamar.
When someone holds on to anger for too long, it inevitably leads to sin (as Pastor Yoon Sun Park noted).

Now, let us return to Proverbs 27:3:
"A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both."
[Modern Version: "Stones are heavy and sand is weighty, but the anger of a fool is heavier than both."]

What does this mean?
It means that a person who harbors anger makes others uncomfortable and unbearable to be around for a long time—especially the anger of a fool (as Pastor Park notes).

The Bible tells us that it is better to carry a heavy stone or a sandbag than to endure the suffering caused by a foolishly angry person.
This tells us just how much heavier and more painful a fool’s anger is compared to stones or sand.

Who in their right mind would want to encounter such an angry fool?
Therefore, we must avoid foolishly angry people.
In fact, we should not even go near such fools.
Why?
Because, as Proverbs 10:23 says, “A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct.”

A fool who takes pleasure in evil is one who continually rebels against the Word of God.
Such a person only harms others.
So we must not only avoid being close to them, but we should not even meet them.

Fourth, we must not be jealous.

Look at today’s passage, Proverbs 27:4:
"Wrath is cruel, and anger is a flood, but who can stand before jealousy?"
[Modern Translation: "Anger is cruel and destructive, but it is nothing compared to jealousy."]

When I personally meditate on this verse, I think of King Saul.
First, when I think of Saul’s anger, I am reminded of 1 Samuel 20:30–31:
"Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, ‘You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!’"
[Modern Translation: "Then Saul exploded in rage and shouted, ‘You fool! Do you think I don’t know that you’re siding with that nobody, the son of Jesse? That’s a disgrace to yourself and your mother! As long as he’s alive, you’ll never be king. Go get him now—he must die!’”]

The background of this passage is when King Saul was trying to kill David (v.1).
Saul’s son Jonathan loved David as his own life (v.17), and told him, “Whatever you desire, I will do it for you” (v.4).
David then asked him, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king, but please let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the third day” (v.5).

David also asked Jonathan that if King Saul asked about him, Jonathan should say that David requested permission to go to his hometown of Bethlehem.
If Saul responded, “Very well,” then David would know he was safe. But if Saul became angry, David would know that Saul was determined to kill him (vv.6–7).

So when the New Moon came and King Saul sat down to eat, he noticed that David’s seat was empty (v.25), but said nothing (v.26).
However, on the second day, when David’s seat was still empty, Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?” (v.27).
Jonathan answered his father King Saul:
"David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. He said his family was gathering to offer a sacrifice, and his brother had summoned him, so I let him go. That is why he is not here at the king’s table.” (vv.28–29, Modern Translation)

Upon hearing this, King Saul exploded in fury. He shouted at his own son Jonathan,
"You fool! Do you think I don’t know that you’re siding with that lowborn son of Jesse? That’s a disgrace to yourself and to your mother!" (v.30, Modern Translation)

Let’s look again at today’s verse, Proverbs 27:4:
"Wrath is cruel, and anger is a flood, but who can stand before jealousy?"
Just as this verse says, anger is cruel and destructive.
But the Bible says that even this cruel and destructive anger is nothing compared to jealousy (Modern Translation).

In my view, the Bible speaks of two kinds of jealousy.

(1) The first kind of jealousy is a good kind of jealousy that we Christians ought to have.
That jealousy is God's jealousy.
A good example is the godly jealousy that Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, had. In Numbers 25:11, God says to Moses twice that Phinehas was jealous with "My jealousy."

While the Israelites were staying in Shittim, they not only committed sexual immorality with the Moabite women (v.1), but also bowed down to their gods when the women offered sacrifices to them, joining themselves to Baal of Peor. As a result, God’s anger burned against the Israelites (vv.1–3). Consequently, the leaders of Israel were executed in broad daylight before the Lord (v.4), and 24,000 Israelites died in a plague (v.9).

The whole assembly of Israel was weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. At that moment, an Israelite man—Zimri, son of Salu, a leader of a Simeonite family (v.14)—brought a Midianite woman—Cozbi, daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family (v.15)—into the camp in full view of Moses and the whole assembly (v.6).

Seeing this, Phinehas, filled with godly jealousy, rose up from among the congregation and, with a spear in his hand (v.7), followed them into the tent and drove the spear through both Zimri and Cozbi (v.8), killing them. As a result, God turned His anger away from the Israelites and did not destroy them (v.11).

This kind of jealousy that Phinehas had was "from above" (James 3:17)—biblical and pleasing in God's eyes.

We, too, must possess the godly jealousy that Phinehas had. And we must be jealous with God’s jealousy.

For example, a husband must be jealous in protecting his wife. In the book Reformed Marriage, the author Douglas Wilson lists six duties of a husband, and regarding the third duty, he says: “A husband must be jealous and must protect his wife” (Exodus 34:14).

The “jealousy” referred to here is a godly jealousy, not mixed with sin.

(2) The second kind of jealousy is the bad (sinful) jealousy that Christians must avoid and stay far away from.
This is a murderous kind of jealousy.
A prime example is the murderous jealousy that King Saul had.

In 1 Samuel 18:9, it says that Saul kept a jealous eye on David. While the Korean Bible says Saul “paid close attention” to David, the New International Version (NIV) says, “Saul kept a jealous eye on David.”

According to The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words, the Hebrew verb here means “to watch with a jealous eye.”

Why did Saul watch David with a jealous eye?

Because “on that day”—the day David killed the Philistine Goliath and returned—the women came out from all the cities of Israel (1 Sam. 18:6), dancing and singing, saying,
“Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” (v.7).

At this, Saul was very displeased and angry, saying,
“They have credited David with tens of thousands but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” (v.8)

From that day on, Saul began watching David with a jealous eye.

Just think about it. Saul was the main character of the story, but after David, a mere shepherd who wasn’t even a supporting actor, killed Goliath, he rose to prominence and became the center of attention and affection.

David was now the one everyone was watching and loving. Jonathan, Saul’s son, loved David as his own life (vv.1,3); Saul’s daughter Michal loved David (vv.20,28); and all Israel and Judah loved David (v.16).

So how do you think Saul felt?
Especially after realizing that the Lord had left him and was now with David (vv.12,14,28), Saul was tormented by “an evil spirit from God” that came powerfully upon him (v.10), and he continued to look at David with a jealous eye.

The terrifying thing is that Saul’s jealous gaze led him to try to kill David.

While David was playing the harp, Saul hurled his spear at him to pin him to the wall (vv.10–11). Though he failed, from that point on, Saul persistently tried to kill David.

This shows that jealousy can drive someone to commit the sin of murder.

Ultimately, Saul, having seen that God was with David, became “more and more afraid of him and remained his enemy for the rest of his days” (v.29).

Saul spent his whole life trying to kill David.
But as we know, David became king of Israel because God was with him, while Saul died in battle.

The one who tried to kill out of jealousy ended up being killed.
This is the end result of sinful jealousy.

Therefore, we must listen to Proverbs 27:4, our main text today:
“Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?”
[Or as the Korean Living Bible puts it:
“Anger is cruel and destructive, but it is nothing compared to jealousy.”]

While this verse shows that jealousy is more cruel and destructive than anger, I thought further about the relationship between the two.

One might be angry without being jealous, but a jealous person can easily become angry. That’s why I believe jealousy is more dangerous than anger.

Look at Proverbs 6:34:
“For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.”
[Living Bible:
“The husband’s jealousy makes him furious, and he will take revenge without mercy.”]

From this, we see that a jealous husband becomes angry and takes revenge.
And don’t we sometimes hear on the news about such jealous, angry husbands seeking revenge?

That’s why Song of Songs 8:6 says:
“Jealousy is as cruel as the grave. It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame.”
[Living Bible:
“Jealousy is as cruel as the grave. It flashes like fire, a most intense flame.”]

Dear friends, how can we overcome sinful jealousy like Saul’s?
I found the answer in Psalm 73.
The psalmist Asaph almost stumbled (v.2) because he was envious of the arrogant when he saw the prosperity of the wicked (v.3).
However, he overcame his sinful jealousy when he "entered the sanctuary of God" and "understood their [the wicked’s] final destiny" (v.17).
That is, Asaph fixed his eyes on God.
When he looked to the holy and righteous God, he came to understand how God would judge the wicked (vv.17–20), and he also realized that "on earth there is nothing I desire besides you" (v.25).
It was at that moment that he was able to overcome his sinful jealousy.

This is the key.
We must not look at others through sinful, murderous eyes of jealousy, but rather fix our eyes solely on the Lord through the eyes of God’s jealousy.
Only then can we overcome the worldly, lustful, and devilish jealousy that quietly seeps into our hearts.
Because God watches over us with His jealous eyes—He neither slumbers nor sleeps—we will be victorious.

Fifth and finally, we must rebuke in love.

Look at today’s passage, Proverbs 27:5–6:
"Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."
[Contemporary Bible: “Open rebuke is better than hidden love. A friend may hurt you with honest words, but an enemy will stab you with many kisses.”]

Personally, whenever I meditate on Proverbs 27:5–6, I feel troubled and even guilty.
That’s because Scripture says that “open rebuke is better than hidden love,” but I often fail to practice such rebuke, and I still fall short.
Since I can’t even express proper hidden love, I struggle even more to offer the superior love of open rebuke.
So when I encounter this passage, I feel conflicted and my conscience is pricked.

In my pastoral ministry, there were times when, had I truly loved the sheep God entrusted to me, I should have obeyed God’s Word and rebuked in love—but I didn’t.
Even as I reflect on those moments, I still catch myself thinking, “Even if I had rebuked them, they wouldn’t have listened.”
But perhaps God wanted me to rebuke in love whether they listened or not.
That’s why I continue to wrestle every time I encounter this passage.

In that struggle, my heart longs more for one word of loving rebuke than for ten thousand insincere praises.
When I sin beyond the bounds of God's written Word, I don’t want to listen to words that are like "kisses" from those around me.
I don’t want a friend who expresses love by covering up my sin, but a friend who will rebuke me in God's love to help me walk the right path.
Isn’t that what Proverbs 27:17 means when it says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”?

Once again, Proverbs 27:5–6 says:
"Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."
The Contemporary Bible translates verse 5 as, “Open rebuke is better than hidden love.”

Who in the Bible comes to mind as someone who offered such open rebuke?
For me, it’s the prophet Nathan, who openly rebuked King David.
We all know the story:
When David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then attempted to cover up the sin, he went so far as to commit murder by having her husband Uriah killed.
Because “the thing David had done displeased the LORD” (2 Samuel 11:27), God sent Nathan to rebuke David using a parable about a rich man and a poor man (12:1–4).
Upon hearing it, David became angry and said to Nathan, “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this must die!” (v.5).
Having tried so hard to cover up his sin, David had even silenced his own conscience—so much so that he didn’t realize he was the man deserving of death.
Then Nathan directly rebuked him: “You are the man!” (v.7).
What a shocking rebuke!
David clearly didn’t think that he was the man worthy of death.
Imagine his surprise when Nathan said, “You are the man.”
When we refuse to see sin for what it is, and the Holy God exposes our sin, wouldn’t our conscience be shocked?

Ecclesiastes 7:5 gives us a similar message:
"It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools."
Here, King Solomon warns us against the “song of fools,” which, as commentator Park Yoon-sun notes, refers to “the false comfort of the wicked.”
Solomon warns us not to be swayed by such false comfort.

Why?
Ecclesiastes 7:6 explains:
"Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless."
In other words, we must be on guard against the false comfort of the wicked because it is ultimately meaningless.
Solomon compares it to the sound of burning thorns.
What does that mean?

Think about the sound of thorns crackling in fire—it’s loud and dramatic.
But does it generate enough heat to boil water in the pot? No.
This image of burning thorns often represents the wicked (2 Sam. 23:6; Nahum 1:10).
Solomon is saying that though the false comfort of the wicked may offer temporary relief, it quickly vanishes—it provides no true comfort.
In short: the comfort of the wicked is empty.

Therefore, Solomon teaches that what we need to hear is not the “song of fools,” but the rebuke of the wise.
Through this, the preacher-king Solomon teaches us that “the lash of wisdom is better than the praise (encouragement) of fools.”

Dear friends, have you ever rebuked someone openly?
I think most of us are more accustomed to offering hidden love than direct rebuke.
But Scripture says that open rebuke is better than hidden love.

Why?
Look at Proverbs 27:6 again:
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."
Open rebuke is better than hidden love because, though a friend’s rebuke may hurt, it is trustworthy.
That’s what makes it better than the deceptive kisses of an enemy.
Why?

Because the enemy hates us and seeks to destroy us—even through flattering lies—whereas a friend loves us and desires to build us up with honest, loving rebuke.
We must recognize that when a friend rebukes us, it is because they love us.
We must also know that the wounds caused by a friend’s loving rebuke are for our benefit.
And we must be able to offer those same helpful wounds of loving rebuke to our friends.
Then we will be able to sharpen one another.

A wise person listens humbly to a loving friend’s rebuke and uses it as an opportunity to grow and become more like Christ.
May we all become such wise people.

In closing this meditation, let’s review the five lessons from Proverbs 27:1–6:

  1. Do not boast about tomorrow (v.1).

  2. Do not praise yourself with your own mouth (v.2).

  3. Do not act foolishly in anger (v.3).

  4. Do not be jealous (v.4).

  5. Rebuke with love (vv.5–6).

May you and I put these truths into practice:
Let us not boast about tomorrow,
nor praise ourselves,
nor give way to foolish anger,
nor harbor jealousy,
but instead, let us offer loving rebuke when needed.