Pro 27:23 | KingComments | STEP | These verses are like a short poem about a man’s responsibility to provide income to give the family and those who belong to it what they need. These verses show the importance of working diligently. They also speak of the satisfaction that diligent work gives and of God’s providential care. It is about being busy in the calling to which God has called us in daily life with the purpose of providing for the livelihood of all those entrusted to the worker ( ). God wants man to work and to do so diligently. If he does not, he and all who belong to his house will go hungry. To help him, God provides resources that man needs and that He alone can give. This should make man realize that he depends on God in all his work. We must know well what we are doing, what our work consists of, and how to do our work. Solomon tells his son that he must master his ‘trade’ well. He advises him to make sure he knows the condition of his flocks, his sheep, well ( ). This can only be done by giving each sheep personal attention, looking after them and taking good care of them so that they all have everything they need in terms of food and protection. He can only put that into practice if he pays attention to his herds and sets his heart on it, his heart must go out to it. One must set his heart on his business, otherwise in no time he will have no business to set his heart on. We can apply this verse to our family, to our children and our work. The same applies to the care in the church of God. Among other things, the church of God is compared to a flock ( ). God has given the care of it to elders. Peter was given the care of the lambs and sheep by the Lord Jesus ( ; ). “For” ( ) indicates the reason for the exhortation of the previous verse. In the case of negligence and laziness, riches or prosperity will disappear. There is no guarantee that prosperity ( riches) and kingship (crown) are permanent, that you can continue to enjoy them. You cannot automatically count on it. To benefit from it permanently, it must be worked on permanently. The believer has been given many spiritual riches and a royal position. These are eternal, but not transferable. Of these, too, the Lord expects us to work with them and serve others. In doing so, we must realize that the time to work for the Lord is limited. We can only work for Him now while we are on earth. To this end He also encourages us: “Do business [with this] until I come [back]” ( ). combines hard work by man with God’s work. God makes “the grass” grow, no man is involved ( ). He does so according to His wise policy in stages. When this first grass has come up, man can mow it and take it off the field as hay. Then it has disappeared from the field. But God’s work continues, “the new grass is seen”. God always provides new growth (cf. ). Man does not have to sow for it. God gives it and man may mow it. He has also caused “the herbs of the mountains” to grow and man may gather them in too. Mountains, among other things, are a picture of difficulties. Gathering in herbs on mountains requires extra effort. Mountains must be climbed, but then something of value is obtained. Extra money is made. Herbs make food palatable and are also sometimes used to manufacture medicine. Thus any extra effort in the Lord’s work is extra rewarded ( ). The lambs provide wool ( ). From that, clothing can be manufactured that the shepherd can use to keep himself warm ( ). His goats he can sell (cf. ). This gives him the opportunity to make new investments, such as buying a new field. Besides clothing, he also has “goats’ milk enough for ... food” ( ). That food serves both for himself and for his household and the maidens. From his care for his affairs all those around him benefit. The same is true spiritually. One who is faithful in the things of the Lord is a blessing to others.

‏ Proverbs 27:23

The Work of Man and the Care of God

These verses are like a short poem about a man’s responsibility to provide income to give the family and those who belong to it what they need. These verses show the importance of working diligently. They also speak of the satisfaction that diligent work gives and of God’s providential care.

It is about being busy in the calling to which God has called us in daily life with the purpose of providing for the livelihood of all those entrusted to the worker (1Cor 7:20). God wants man to work and to do so diligently. If he does not, he and all who belong to his house will go hungry. To help him, God provides resources that man needs and that He alone can give. This should make man realize that he depends on God in all his work.

We must know well what we are doing, what our work consists of, and how to do our work. Solomon tells his son that he must master his ‘trade’ well. He advises him to make sure he knows the condition of his flocks, his sheep, well (Pro 27:23). This can only be done by giving each sheep personal attention, looking after them and taking good care of them so that they all have everything they need in terms of food and protection. He can only put that into practice if he pays attention to his herds and sets his heart on it, his heart must go out to it. One must set his heart on his business, otherwise in no time he will have no business to set his heart on.

We can apply this verse to our family, to our children and our work. The same applies to the care in the church of God. Among other things, the church of God is compared to a flock (Acts 20:28). God has given the care of it to elders. Peter was given the care of the lambs and sheep by the Lord Jesus (Jn 21:15-17; 1Pet 5:1-4).

“For” (Pro 27:24) indicates the reason for the exhortation of the previous verse. In the case of negligence and laziness, riches or prosperity will disappear. There is no guarantee that prosperity ( riches) and kingship (crown) are permanent, that you can continue to enjoy them. You cannot automatically count on it. To benefit from it permanently, it must be worked on permanently.

The believer has been given many spiritual riches and a royal position. These are eternal, but not transferable. Of these, too, the Lord expects us to work with them and serve others. In doing so, we must realize that the time to work for the Lord is limited. We can only work for Him now while we are on earth. To this end He also encourages us: “Do business [with this] until I come [back]” (Lk 19:13).

Pro 27:25 combines hard work by man with God’s work. God makes “the grass” grow, no man is involved (Mk 4:28). He does so according to His wise policy in stages. When this first grass has come up, man can mow it and take it off the field as hay. Then it has disappeared from the field. But God’s work continues, “the new grass is seen”. God always provides new growth (cf. Amos 7:1). Man does not have to sow for it. God gives it and man may mow it.

He has also caused “the herbs of the mountains” to grow and man may gather them in too. Mountains, among other things, are a picture of difficulties. Gathering in herbs on mountains requires extra effort. Mountains must be climbed, but then something of value is obtained. Extra money is made. Herbs make food palatable and are also sometimes used to manufacture medicine. Thus any extra effort in the Lord’s work is extra rewarded (1Cor 15:58).

The lambs provide wool (Pro 27:26). From that, clothing can be manufactured that the shepherd can use to keep himself warm (Job 31:20). His goats he can sell (cf. Eze 27:21). This gives him the opportunity to make new investments, such as buying a new field.

Besides clothing, he also has “goats’ milk enough for ... food” (Pro 27:27). That food serves both for himself and for his household and the maidens. From his care for his affairs all those around him benefit. The same is true spiritually. One who is faithful in the things of the Lord is a blessing to others.