Audio Download

“The glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter” Part 3

(Know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God) (Pro 25:17-28)

[Study Aired February 5, 2026]

Pro 25:17  Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
Pro 25:18  A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
Pro 25:19  Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
Pro 25:20  As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.
Pro 25:21  If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
Pro 25:22  For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.
Pro 25:23  The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
Pro 25:24  It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.
Pro 25:25  As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
Pro 25:26  A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.
Pro 25:27  It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.
Pro 25:28  He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

For the most part this last section of Proverbs 25 is talking about the interactions that we have with others in this life, and the examples given reveal that our walk is our conversation and way of life at all times, whether in fellowship or at work, wherever the Lord has us we are called to “Know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God”, which is the temple that we are, going with us wherever the Lord leads us (Rom 8:14-16).

God is with us always, and so we are always from His perspective, raised in heavenly places together and therefore in the house of God. The world thinks the house of God is a place we build for God, however we know what the scriptures say regarding the things that we build versus the things that God is building within us (1Ch 29:13-15, Isa 66:1-2, Psa 127:1, Eph 2:6).

1Ch 29:13  Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
1Ch 29:14  But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
1Ch 29:15  For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

Isa 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Psa 127:1  A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Pro 25:17  Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.

Our “neighbour’s house” represents their temple, where they’re working out their own salvation with fear and trembling (Php 2:12-13), or where they’re living and moving and have their being in Christ (Act 17:22-28) unaware that God is working all things according to the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11). Paul’s approach was a gift from God as he was given the wisdom and discretion to know how to approach the men of Athens.

Act 17:22  Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
Act 17:23  For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
Act 17:24  God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Act 17:25  Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
Act 17:26  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
Act 17:27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

We have no dominion over the measure of faith the Lord has given anyone (2Co 1:24, 1Jn 5:4, Rev 14:11-12), and this proverb implies that when we don’t remove our foot from someone else’s temple we can inadvertently come across as wanting to have dominion over their faith. As always, it takes God’s spirit, His discretion and wisdom, to know the right balance in all things, both with those who are unconverted, and those who are superstitious as these Athenians were. The more we grow in the mind of Christ the better equipped we will be in knowing when to remove our foot from our neighbour’s house, and when to speak, and when not to speak (1Ti 4:16, Pro 26:4-5).

When we see that everything is dependent on the faith of Christ working within us (Php 2:12-13), the discretion we show when we witness to others, will be manifest in how we “Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.”(Luk 9:5, Tit 3:10, 2Jn 1:9-11)

2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Pro 25:18  A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.

Not withdrawing our foot at the appointed Godly time turns our witness into a “a false witness against his neighbour”. We are at that point becoming like Peter, “a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow” when using the word of God without discretion and cutting off the ear of those ‘other servants’ and thinking we are doing some great service (Luk 22:49-51). Thankfully God can repair the damaged ear for another day.

Luk 22:49  When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?
Luk 22:50  And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.
Luk 22:51  And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

Pro 25:19  Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.

We are of the generation who have no confidence in the flesh (Php 3:3) and do not know even Christ after the flesh (2Co 5:16).

Php 3:3  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.(“whose praise is not of men, but of God” Rom 2:28-29)

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

We are not looking to men any longer for deliverance in time of trouble, but rather are telling each other to ‘follow me as I follow Christ’, as we look to the Lord together, and resolve our differences through the multitude of counsellors, which is the way that God has ordained that we resolve conflict in the body of Christ.

Pro 11:14  Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Pro 15:22  Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

Pro 24:6  For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

The unfaithful man is you and me, our flesh, and it is Christ alone who can be Christ, and so we try the spirits in every situation to discern God’s will in any matter (1Jn 4:1), and in doing this we will do away with our trusting in the flesh which is akin to trusting in a “broken tooth, and a foot out of joint”.

You can’t eat spiritual food with a broken spiritual approach, and we can’t walk a Godly walk if we are leaning unto our own understanding, upon a foot out of joint, which is what all flesh is in God’s sight (Rom 3:10). When we acknowledge and accept our out-of-joint hip, and leg, or foot, or whatever physical infirmity God has placed upon us (2Co 12:8-10), we are then given His power to overcome by recognizing how to put our confidence in God alone.

2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Pro 25:20  As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

This is an admonition to know how to behave ourselves in the house of mourning, which is what the house of God is (Ecc 7:2). The garment we take away from others is their spirit of mourning that is needful and necessary for the time that that person is being exercised with the blueness of that wound that is actually bringing healing (Pro 20:30).

There is  right way to comfort each other is what this proverb is explaining, and as we grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2Pe 3:18), we will grow in becoming greater comforters as a result of the comfort that God gives us in our times of sorrow (2Co 1:3-4). With Christ’s mind growing in us we will not take away others’ comfort in cold weather, and with the best of intentions sing songs to an heavy heart, whose hearts’ heaviness does not need that song at that time.

Imagine coming up to someone in their hour of great grief and saying, “oh you’ll be okay, you can get over this”, no, that’s singing a song at the wrong time, putting vinegar in baking soda (nitre) so to speak. Lord willing we will always be given greater sensitivity toward each other and learn by God’s hand how to be the proper comforters that He can turn us into, knowing that the affliction of the widow is really a parable that speaks of the entire body of Christ’s need to be sensitive to one another’s dying daily mourning process that we are going through.

Pro 25:21  If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
Pro 25:22  For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.

In one instance if an enemy is having a change of heart, and bringing forth fruit meet unto repentance, they will have a hunger for the word of God, “If thine enemy be hungry”. We don’t turn away our enemy like the church wanted to turn Saul of Tarsus away, but by God changing our hearts, we are then able to give them bread to eat: and if they are thirsty, we give them water to drink: both symbols of the word of God.

God’s elect will be giving bread and water for a thousand years to the world who end up rebelling against the camp of the saints. Our love toward the world is being demonstrated by those actions of giving food and drink, sometimes very physically, or with the word of God, just as Christ loved us while we were yet in our sins (Rom 5:6-10).

Rom 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

In feeding our enemies we have obeyed God’s command to love our enemy, and those very actions may be the turning point for them to acknowledge that God is indeed in this place. Your kindness and love toward your enemy heaps coals upon their head, coals being the word of God that end up destroying the enemy’s false doctrines in his head, if God will permit this (1Pe 4:7-8, Heb 6:3).

1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
1Pe 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

The reward will come from the LORD, “and the LORD shall reward thee”, for such ordained actions and is explained this way in the books of Jude and James (Jud 1:23-24, Jas 5:19-20).

Jud 1:23  And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Jud 1:24  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

Jas 5:19  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Jas 5:20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins [that is our reward, that is our joy 1Th 2:19-20].

Pro 25:23  The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

Pro 25:23 A north wind travails forth a downpour, And a clandestine tongue makes a menacing face.” (CLV),
Pro 25:23 As surely as rain blows in from the north, anger is caused by cruel words.  (CEV)

Judgement comes from the north (Jer 50:41, Psa 75:6-7), and its wind comes with driving rain that physically hurts and stings. The wind and rain in this instance typifies the damaging use of God’s word that results in unmerciful judgement, using cruel words instead of a “soft answer” (Pro 15:1, Pro 25:15).

Pro 15:1  A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Pro 25:15  By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.

Positively, when God receives us we are received through his chastening judgement (Heb 12:6) that comes from the north and brings with it spiritual increase from God (1Co 3:6).

Psa 75:6  For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
Psa 75:7  But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.(Eph 1:11, Rom 8:28)

Pro 12:18  There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

Pro 15:2  The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

A backbiting tongue is a tongue that speaks maliciously or slanderously about someone. It is a sure way to create discord in the body of Christ and something that God considers an abomination (Pro 6:16-19)

Pro 6:16  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19  A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Pro 25:24  It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.

The brawling woman in a wide house is clearly Babylon, whose ecumenical house is very broad or wide and not the narrow way that is only achieved by our communion in the upper room (Luk 22:12), the housetop where we are raised in heavenly places and resting on the corner stone Jesus Christ who God drags us to so that we can achieve that blessed spiritual rest in Him (Joh 6:44, Heb 4:10-11).

Luk 22:12  And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.(1Co 10:16)

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Pro 25:25  As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

The far country is the heavenly places that we are now blessed to be together in (Mat 25:14), and ultimately the fullness of the country that we seek is going to be realized in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye (1Co 15:52). The “good news” is the gospel of the kingdom of God, a kingdom that is now within, and one day going to be revealed to all the world both within and without (Rev 11:15).

Mat 25:14  For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Pro 25:26  A righteous man falling downH4131 before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.

It’s true these things ought not to be so (Jas 3:10-11), but we live by every word of God and therefore we are going to stumble or fall seven times in the wilderness (Pro 24:16) and bring forth the bitter waters of Marah (Exo 15:22-23) that need to be made sweet by the body and blood of Christ (Mar 8:24, Exo 15:25).

Jas 3:10  Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Jas 3:11  Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

Exo 15:22  So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
Exo 15:23  And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
Exo 15:24  And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
Exo 15:25  And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
Exo 15:26  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. [this is how the waters can be made sweet within the body of Christ via the holy spirit that washes and cleanses the bride of Christ and delivers us from all our spiritual diseases].

Our prayer is that God will hold us up in His ways.

Psa 17:5  Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slipH4131 not.

The second encampment of the Israelites was ElimH362, which symbolically represents a witness of where God is taking the elect spiritually in this life as we ‘come out of her my people’ (Exo 15:27).

H362 ‘êylim BDB Definition:
Elim = “palms”
1) second encampment of the Israelites after the Exodus
Part of Speech: noun proper locative
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: plural of H352 (From the same as H193; properly strength; hence anything strong; specifically a chief (politically); also a ram (from his strength); a pilaster (as a strong support); an oak or other strong tree: – mighty (man) lintel oak post ram tree.)

Exo 15:27  And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

Pro 25:27  It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.
Pro 25:28  He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

In last week’s study we reviewed verse 16, “Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it”, which speaks about the measure of faith that we need, and being grateful for what God supplies, knowing that He knows our needs and is teaching us to be content whether we have a little or a lot (2Co 8:15, Exo 16:18, Rom 12:3, Php 4:12). Honey is the symbol for the word of God (Rev 10:10), and we are to eat such as is sufficient for us, operating in the measure of faith that the Lord gives us, lest we find ourselves with this spirit of wanting more honey to glorify our own selves in those things which God says we are to receive in the right measure (Rom 12:3-4).

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Rom 12:4  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

God will always provide what each joint needs to supply in love (Eph 4:16), so that we learn how a many-membered body works together for the church to grow (1Co 12:18), in order that we may “know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1Ti 3:15, Joh 13:35).

Together we are learning how to rule over our own individual houses, by the grace of God that teaches us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lust in this age (Tit 2:12).

Having no rule over our spirit is another way of saying the Lord is not working in our heavens, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls”. God’s elect are called to learn to hold fast to the crown of life that God has given unto each of us who love His daily appearing in our heavens, an appearing, or visitation, that gives us the ability to have rule over our spirits, and proper spiritual defenses, the “walls” that keep us safe (Rev 3:11-12, 2Ti 4:8).

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

2Ti 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.