Proverbs 25.14
“Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.”
Clouds and wind brought the expectation of rain, which caused hope and expectation in those who needed the water. But when the clouds and wind did not produce the desired and needed rain, there was great disappointment and grief.
A person who promises to give but fails to follow through on his promise is just as disappointing and frustrating. The admonition is to keep your commitments of helping others. Never let your offers or promises of giving exceed your actual performance.
Consider politicians. In this chapter of Proverbs, Solomon makes several references to kings and governing (Proverbs 25.2-7, 15). Politicians desperately want to be popular, so they are constantly tempted to make promises and offer favors to secure their popularity. It is easy to promise special benefits to a group of constituents and would-be voters, but as history has shown, the unfulfilled promises are legion.
If you are a leader in any domain, be careful about the promises you make. When you make a promise, be diligent about keeping the promise.
Proverbs 25.15
“With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone.”
This proverb has to do with the power of persuasion, especially when the one who is to be persuaded is someone in authority, like a ruler or a king. How is it that we persuade someone so high in office? The answer might surprise you, because the Lord says that it is not always the forceful person who is most persuasive. Patience and gentleness have much greater power to persuade than a blustery, arrogant person.
Forbearance is what is needed, according to this proverb. The Hebrew word here for patience is orek, and it means something long or lengthy. It describes physical measurements. The word used to describe the length of Noah’s ark as well as to describe things like large land measurements. But what is measured as “long” in this passage is the patience and willingness to stick with one’s cause before someone in authority.
The idea is that a person forbears the fact that the ruler has a different opinion – and seeks to bring the powers of persuasion to bear on him over time. Most rulers are not given to quick swings in opinion – and when they do – it has the danger of not lasting long. The influence of the wise man is applied to a decision over a long period of time. That is one reason he is effective in getting the ruler to think and reason as he does.
William Wilberforce spent his entire lifetime being patiently, relentlessly persistent with those who differed with him on the issue of slavery. Yet he held to his views and continued to persuade men by holding them no matter what the outcome of votes within Parliament. In the end, his willingness to remain in the fight and stay there for years won the day for him and the cause of abolishing the slave trade in the British Empire.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15.1)
