Day 803: In the King's palace - Proverbs 30 vs 21 – 28

21-23 Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up: a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food; an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.

24-28 Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces. Proverbs 30:21-28 English Standard Version

Things may happen in life to some people which can be a big upheaval for others. The writer uses a strong figure of speech for that and says “the earth trembles!” The examples he gives may surprise us, but they would've been easily recognized in the days when he wrote. A slave who became a king would perhaps be the same today as someone with little aptitude for the position who is voted as President or PM. That certainly causes others to tremble at what is to come!

The examples of a man with little sense who's eaten a big meal, an unloved woman who gets married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress, are pictures of people who get what they were longing for - but who may suddenly be full of pride and very hard to put up with. Before Abram's name was changed to Abraham, his wife Sarai had been barren. So she gave Abram her Egyptian servant, Hagar, as a surrogate to bear a child on her behalf. But we read that “When Hagar saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress!” (Genesis 16:4)

In contrast to the above, the writer then mentions some things which are seemingly insignificant, yet which demonstrate much wisdom. Looking at vs 24-28 again can you see ways we could apply them to being a Christian?

Like the lowly ant, believers are also called to prepare ahead. Jesus told a parable of some servants waiting for the arrival of the bridegroom who were wise enough to take extra oil for their lamps in case he was delayed and arrived late at night. And the apostle Paul wrote “the hour has come for you to wake from sleep, for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then, let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.” (Romans 13:11-12)

Like rock badgers, Christians may feel themselves weak and vulnerable to powerful enemies, yet we can find refuge in Christ, and in His many promises of protection, even through death. And, like the marching locust, Christians have no visible king directing them where to go or what to do. Yet true believers seek to keep in step with God's word and serve the Lord wherever and whenever they can. As Paul said of Christians at Thessalonica: “Concerning brotherly love you've no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. For that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia.” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)

Finally, there is the lowly lizard, small enough to catch in your hand, yet found in the palaces of Kings. So too, thinking of Christians, a paraphrased Bible puts Paul's words this way: “My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn't think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families. But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-27)

May the change God made in our life through Christ never lead to pride, or any behaviour that makes us hard to live with! May we be people who show wisdom in our actions, and humility in our attitude. May our lives point others to the One who can be a refuge for their soul, and bring them into the palace of the King of all Kings.