My dear readers,

Like to Climb?

Proverbs 16:19: “Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”

Climbing trees and ladders when growing up was a thrill for young children. Looking at the playground designs around us we can see all kinds of structures designed with climbing and sliding in mind. The idea of height is very appealing. Bungee jumping, sky diving, parachuting and all sorts of extreme sports involving great heights lure thousands and have been made into a “once in a life time” adventure. Then there are the air balloons that carry passengers up into the sky and even across continents. The helicopters and airplanes have made air travel the norm. Space travels have also captured man's imaginations for decades. Now man is considering space vacations that costs millions of dollars.

Climbing into unimaginable heights has always been in man’s DNA. This has crossed into the realm of pride and arrogance where spectacular tall buildings and multi-billion-dollar enterprises created by man are touted as great achievements by geniuses. There is no limit to elevating man's achievements. Topics such as great wonders of the ancient world and the tallest building in the world, the richest man alive, the biggest corporations of the world are interests in the world that will never die. This is the pride of life in man.

Therefore, man will gravitate towards people of wealth, power and distinction. By so doing, the latter’s power, wealth and distinction might rub off on them, or so they hope. If not, then perhaps by knowing these affluent ones or being seen with them, man might absorb some of their high and mighty aura and become like them in some ethereal way, albeit not in reality. This is the bane of every society, whether democratic or monarchic or dictatorial. It makes no difference. As long as there are men of power over their fellow men, there will be the hyenas slinking their carcasses nearby with their tongues hanging out, hoping that they might be chosen into the inner realm of fame and fortune. It matters not what the morality or ethics or lack of them might be, as long as they become wealthy and powerful, they could not care less. They will choose “to divide the spoil with the proud” (Prov 16:19)!

However, to God’s children, the LORD has proposed very seriously a godly alternative. The literal translation of Proverbs 16:19 is – “Better is a humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoils with the proud.” Both will have gains. But the gain of the “humble spirit” is better. The gain of the proud is in “the spoils.” Spoils are earthly things (tangibles and intangibles) that will either rust or get stolen or destroyed. They are gains obtained in battles. Spoils are the belongings of previous owners that are taken by force after the owners are either killed or destroyed or imprisoned. They are basically ill-gotten gains. The “battles” need not be understood exclusively in terms of warfare in battlefields, but must also include economic ones gained in schools and the offices of concrete jungles. All these gains are temporal and are only good for this world and lifetime.

But the gains of the one with a humble spirit are eternal. The Book of Proverbs is for believers who are children of God who already have Christ as their Lord and Saviour. They are already bound for heaven as they live on earth. They possess the Spirit of God who dwells in them when they were saved. They delight and desire to be identified with the lowly and the following are some reasons why.

• They possess eternal value – They measure their actions based upon an eternal yardstick. This eternal standard is from heaven. They themselves are eternal in Christ. This enables them to do eternal things. The things they do on earth are done with eternity’s values in view which is to be constrained by the love of Christ as their only motive. They reach out to strangers as witnesses for Christ. The souls of people around them are their focus.
• They possess the mind of Christ – They are humble in Christ. Christ’s humility is their humility. They are comfortable fellowshipping and identifying themselves with others who are lowly. The “lowly” refers to the ones who are afflicted for Christ’s sake. These are not the poor in society, as if by becoming poor equals entering the kingdom of heaven. They have been made poor for the sake of Christ. The humble in spirit are prepared to suffer with others who are suffering for Christ.
• They recognize eternal things – They stop measuring themselves by the abundance of what they possess on earth. This used to be their all-consuming measurement of self. But in Christ this carnal outlook of life has been transformed. Every believer sees the spiritual side of all things around them. This is the spiritual insight given by God to all His beloved children.
• They are holy within and without – Holiness is their new normal in life. They are able to see sin for what it is. They were not able to see it before salvation. They avoid places and people that are evil and sinful that will cause them to sin. Psalm 1:1-2: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

Believers are humble in Christ, and to be with the lowly is their new way of life. It is very frightening to hear a professing believer say that he finds greater joy in being with his unbelieving friends than with Christians. How can light say that he is at home with darkness? Can Christ have concord or fellowship with Belial?

2 Corinthians 6:14-18: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”