Pro 12:9 | KingComments | STEP | He who in humility is satisfied with what he has is better off than the braggart who is hungry ( ). This is about the fine appearance that someone can put on, when in reality he is miserable. It may be someone who has fallen on the lower ground, but wants by all means to hold his head up to the outside world. Some people turn their life into a hollow show. They pretend to be important persons. Simon the magician said of himself “that he was a great man” ( ). The lesson is to be content with the little comfort we have – having a servant is convenient anyway. First and foremost, it is about the mind of humility, about being lightly esteemed or lightly esteeming oneself. However, he who wants to live in opulence and provide himself with all the comforts and puts himself in debt for it, while he cannot provide for the basic needs of his family, is foolish. You cannot fill your stomach with a caravan bought on the cheap. The verse is a warning against grandstanding, boasting. God “regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar” ( ). The pride of life “is not from the Father, but from the world” ( ). God is close to the humble. With him He dwells, there He feels Himself as at home, as it were, as in heaven ( ). But there is a vast distance between Him and the haughty one, whom He sees in the distance. Just as God cares for the animals, for example the sparrows ( ; ; ), so does the righteous ( ). That God draws our attention to His care for animals is to show us that His care for man is even greater than His care for animals. The Lord Jesus, after speaking of God’s care for the ravens, says: “How much more valuable you are than the birds!” ( ). We must remember this at a time when people are doing all kinds of things to give animals a “human existence”, while killing babies in their mother’s womb. This kind of “compassion” characterizes the wicked, while they are ruthless toward the most defenseless there is. The so-called compassion of a wicked animal activist is cruel. This is evidenced by his destruction of property or even human lives of those who, in his view, mistreat animals and justify it by his claim to stand up for animal rights. That does not take away from the fact that God’s concern is also for animals. Compassion for animals shows one’s character. It is about “his animal” that is, his own animal, not animal welfare in general. Even less is it a call to establish a party for animals in order to give animals ‘a voice’. What we need to be aware of is that we share with animals that we and they were made by the same Creator. Animals are fellow creatures of man and that should define our attitude toward them. For example, God has established a day of rest for man, but in doing so He has also decreed that animals must rest on that day as well ( ). Animals were given to man to serve him and also for food, not to abuse them. The righteous not only cares for his animal, but he “has regard for the life of his animal”. He will take into account what an animal is capable of and needs ( ). If a beast of burden succumbs, even if the animal is owned by an enemy, we must help it ( ). When God spares Nineveh, He also considers the animals ( ). The righteous will feed the animal as it works (cf. ). In all this he shows the likeness to God Who also cares for His creation with the perfect knowledge that is belongs to Him, through which He knows what each creature is capable of and needs. The point of the verse is to point out that the righteous is good to all, even to his animals, how much more so than to his neighbor. In contrast to this is the cruelty of the wicked, even toward men, his neighbor. In his inner being there is no compassion, but his inner being is hardened. Tilling the land ( ) is not a consequence of the Fall, but is a command of God to Adam that predates the Fall ( ). After the Fall, the command to work remained, though the work became harder ( ; ). What also remained is the promise that work pays. There is pay for working the land in the form of bread. He who acknowledges this and therefore works will be satisfied with bread. This principle also applies to the work we do for the Lord. We are called to always be abundant in the work for the Lord and may know that it is not in vain, but will be rewarded ( ). Every believer has a piece of “land” to till ( ). If he has a family, that “land” is first and foremost his family. To that he will have to give attention and invest time. Work must also be done in the church. Whoever performs his task faithfully will be rewarded by the Lord. In contrast to tilling the land is to pursue what is “worthless” things or people. Worthless people are people who follow worthless things, i.e. fantasies or dreams or people who have such fantasies or dreams. All such people prove that they are ‘work-shy’. The company of idlers consists of empty heads, which are heads that “lack sense”. There is no regard for God and His Word. God has said that whoever will not work will not eat ( ). The pursuers of worthless things or persons will surely experience this to their shame one day.

‏ Proverbs 12:9

Humility, Care and Diligence

He who in humility is satisfied with what he has is better off than the braggart who is hungry (Pro 12:9). This is about the fine appearance that someone can put on, when in reality he is miserable. It may be someone who has fallen on the lower ground, but wants by all means to hold his head up to the outside world. Some people turn their life into a hollow show. They pretend to be important persons. Simon the magician said of himself “that he was a great man” (Acts 8:9).

The lesson is to be content with the little comfort we have – having a servant is convenient anyway. First and foremost, it is about the mind of humility, about being lightly esteemed or lightly esteeming oneself. However, he who wants to live in opulence and provide himself with all the comforts and puts himself in debt for it, while he cannot provide for the basic needs of his family, is foolish. You cannot fill your stomach with a caravan bought on the cheap.

The verse is a warning against grandstanding, boasting. God “regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar” (Psa 138:6). The pride of life “is not from the Father, but from the world” (1Jn 2:16). God is close to the humble. With him He dwells, there He feels Himself as at home, as it were, as in heaven (Isa 57:15). But there is a vast distance between Him and the haughty one, whom He sees in the distance.

Just as God cares for the animals, for example the sparrows (Mt 10:29-31; Psa 147:9; Job 39:3), so does the righteous (Pro 12:10). That God draws our attention to His care for animals is to show us that His care for man is even greater than His care for animals. The Lord Jesus, after speaking of God’s care for the ravens, says: “How much more valuable you are than the birds!” (Lk 12:24).

We must remember this at a time when people are doing all kinds of things to give animals a “human existence”, while killing babies in their mother’s womb. This kind of “compassion” characterizes the wicked, while they are ruthless toward the most defenseless there is. The so-called compassion of a wicked animal activist is cruel. This is evidenced by his destruction of property or even human lives of those who, in his view, mistreat animals and justify it by his claim to stand up for animal rights.

That does not take away from the fact that God’s concern is also for animals. Compassion for animals shows one’s character. It is about “his animal” that is, his own animal, not animal welfare in general. Even less is it a call to establish a party for animals in order to give animals ‘a voice’. What we need to be aware of is that we share with animals that we and they were made by the same Creator. Animals are fellow creatures of man and that should define our attitude toward them. For example, God has established a day of rest for man, but in doing so He has also decreed that animals must rest on that day as well (Exo 20:8-11).

Animals were given to man to serve him and also for food, not to abuse them. The righteous not only cares for his animal, but he “has regard for the life of his animal”. He will take into account what an animal is capable of and needs (Gen 24:32 ; Gen 33:13-14). If a beast of burden succumbs, even if the animal is owned by an enemy, we must help it (Exo 23:5). When God spares Nineveh, He also considers the animals (Jona 4:11). The righteous will feed the animal as it works (cf. Deu 25:4). In all this he shows the likeness to God Who also cares for His creation with the perfect knowledge that is belongs to Him, through which He knows what each creature is capable of and needs.

The point of the verse is to point out that the righteous is good to all, even to his animals, how much more so than to his neighbor. In contrast to this is the cruelty of the wicked, even toward men, his neighbor. In his inner being there is no compassion, but his inner being is hardened.

Tilling the land (Pro 12:11) is not a consequence of the Fall, but is a command of God to Adam that predates the Fall (Gen 2:15). After the Fall, the command to work remained, though the work became harder (Gen 3:19; Isa 28:23-26). What also remained is the promise that work pays. There is pay for working the land in the form of bread. He who acknowledges this and therefore works will be satisfied with bread.

This principle also applies to the work we do for the Lord. We are called to always be abundant in the work for the Lord and may know that it is not in vain, but will be rewarded (1Cor 15:58). Every believer has a piece of “land” to till (2Cor 10:13). If he has a family, that “land” is first and foremost his family. To that he will have to give attention and invest time. Work must also be done in the church. Whoever performs his task faithfully will be rewarded by the Lord.

In contrast to tilling the land is to pursue what is “worthless” things or people. Worthless people are people who follow worthless things, i.e. fantasies or dreams or people who have such fantasies or dreams. All such people prove that they are ‘work-shy’. The company of idlers consists of empty heads, which are heads that “lack sense”. There is no regard for God and His Word. God has said that whoever will not work will not eat (2Thes 3:10-12). The pursuers of worthless things or persons will surely experience this to their shame one day.