Proverbs 12:24, There’s Room at the Top!
June 17, Proverbs 12:24
Matt. 24:45-47; 1 Tim. 3:1-13 “Well done; enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:21).
There’s Room at the Top!
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule (v.24a). Diligent means sharp, strong and active. In the Greek Bible (LXX) it is eklekton, choice or chosen out. Joel 4:14 renders it decision. The Day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. It is the valley of strict decision, the day of destiny. In Amos the feminine plural form is rendered, They have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron (1:3). Both passages are dealing with God’s judgment on His people. In Job 14:5, where it is masculine plural, as here, it refers to the days of Job as determined or fixed in number. The diligent person is sharp, strong, active, decisive, and, therefore, comes to be chosen, by both man and God.
1. Decisiveness Produces a Life of Personal Mastery. How many proverbs do we need to convince us of this truth (18:16)? The Holy Spirit also persuades us that such diligence brings true success. Remember, he who serves God serves a good Master.
a. Rulership: The hand of the diligent shall bear rule. This simply means that the one who is prepared to bring himself under the yoke of obedience to God will know the blessing of God. It is the law of life that the diligent are recognised and rise to the top in their professions or community. The half-informed, half-skilled, in every business, out number the others, dozens to one. Daniel Webster once replied to a young man who asked him if there was any room in the legal profession, there is always room at the top. “The carpenter who would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” The better you know your business, the more likely you are to rise. The person who gives diligent service usually is exalted to a place of ruler. This is also true in the Lord’s work. Note carefully the qualifications for elders and deacons that Paul lays down in today’s reading. The throne from which a Christian rules is at the foot of the Cross of Christ, for only by dying with Christ can one reign in life by the power of the Risen Lord.
b. Leadership: Only a person who truly rules can lead others. Many born into royalty do not rule wisely and cannot, therefore, be trusted with leadership. The same applies to sports and rock stars whose lives disqualify them as role models for youth. Even in the home, parents must rule themselves if they expect to lead their precious children. He only is fit to rule who is willing to serve (Joseph, Gen. 39:21-23). Jesus calls on every man to deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Him (Lk. 9:23). That’s an order! Only those who follow Christ can lead others to Christ. Think of the hours spent in diligent study by William Carey in an obscure village in England, but he became a leader of a mighty movement for God from his cobbler’s bench! Many Christian professors should tremble at their responsibility for doing nothing, of living only for their own indulgence, while neglecting the great object of life, Eternity.
Thought: “A disciple is a person who learns to live the life his teacher lives” (Ortiz).
Prayer: “O God, stamp eternity on my eyeballs” (Jonathan Edwards).