Bridges on Proverbs 25:19
 
 
Charles Bridges on Proverbs 25:19
 
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19.  Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
 
The broken tooth and disjointed foot are not only useless for their respective offices, but a source of pain and uneasiness. So is an unfaithful man in time of trouble. “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born to adversity.” (Chapter 17:17.) But many have the name only. Very friendly are they, when they are not needed; when we are dispensing, not receiving, our gifts; when there is no cost to pay. But in the time of trouble, “a faithful man who can find?” (Chapter 20:6.) Keenly did Job feel this to be a sinking confidence in his time of trouble. (Job 6:14-17.) David was sorely tried by this affliction (Psalm 55:12-14), even at the very last stage of life. (1 Kings 1:19, 25.) The brethren came out to meet the Apostle at Appii Forum. Yet he records a time when their support would have been specially cheering — “At my first answer no man stood by me, but all men forsook me.” Need we wonder at this appointed cross? His Master had endured it before him; and “it is enough for the servant, that he be as his lord.”
The world abounds with instances of this disappointment. Micah's Levite ungratefully repaid the trust reposed in him. Mephibosheth's trust in Ziba; — and Israel's dependence upon an arm of flesh; shewed the broken reed, not the staff of support. Truly, when has the world ever answered its fair promises? When has it ever given a faithful confidence in time of trouble? When has it failed to make the soul “ashamed of its hope”? A merciful correction to the child of God, when he turns aside from his true confidence to vain dependences.
But whoever be unfaithful, God is true. Who ever trusted in him, and was confounded? Who has ever built upon his sure foundation, and not witnessed its unshaken security? (Isaiah 28:16.) Though he has pledged himself never to forsake his servants (Hebrews 13:5), yet specially — “I will be with him in trouble — a very present help in time of trouble.”
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Proverbs 17:17
17 ¶ A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
 
 
Proverbs 20:6
6 ¶ Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? {goodness: or, bounty}
 
 
Job 6:14-17
14 ¶ To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. {is afflicted: Heb. melteth} 15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away; 16 Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid: 17 What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place. {vanish: Heb. are cut off} {when...: Heb. in the heat thereof} {consumed: Heb. extinguished}
 
 
Psalm 55:12-14
12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: 13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. {mine equal: Heb. according to my rank} 14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. {We...: Heb. Who sweetened counsel}
 
 
1 Kings 1:19, 25
19 And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called. 25 For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah. {God...: Heb. Let king Adonijah live}
 
 
Footnote:
Acts 28:15, with 2 Timothy 4:16.
 

 
Acts 28:15
15 And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.
 
with
2 Timothy 4:16
16 ¶ At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
 
 
Footnote:
Matthew 26:56, with 10:24, 25.
 

 
Matthew 26:56
56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
 
Matthew 10:24, 25
24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? {Beelzebub: Gr. Beelzebul}
 
 
Footnote:
Judges 17:7-12; 18:20-24.
 

 
Judges 17:7-12
7 ¶ And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. {as he...: Heb. in making his way} 9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. 10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. {a suit...: or, a double suit, etc: Heb. an order of garments} 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. 12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
 
Judges 18:20-24
20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. 21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them. 22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan. 23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company? {comest...: Heb. art gathered together?} 24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?
 
 
Footnote:
2 Samuel 16:1-4; 19:24-28.
 

 
2 Samuel 16:1-4
1 ¶ And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. 2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink. 3 And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. 4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king. {I humbly...: Heb. I do obeisance}
 
2 Samuel 19:24-28
24 ¶ And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace. 25 And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth? 26 And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame. 27 And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes. 28 For all of my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king? {dead...: Heb. men of death}
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Footnote:
See also Assyria, 2 Chronicles 28:20, 21. Hosea 5:13. Egypt, Isaiah 30:1-3; 31:1-3. Jeremiah 36:5-7. Ezekiel 29:6, 7.
 

 
See also Assyria,
2 Chronicles 28:20, 21
20 And Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. 21 For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not.
 
Hosea 5:13
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound. {king Jareb: or, the king of Jareb: or, the king that should plead}
 
Egypt,
Isaiah 30:1-3
1 ¶ Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: 2 That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! 3 Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.
 
Isaiah 31:1-3
1 ¶ Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! 2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. {call...: Heb. remove} 3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
 
Jeremiah 36:5-7
5 And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up; I cannot go into the house of the LORD: 6 Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD'S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities. 7 It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people. {they...: Heb. their supplication shall fail}
 
Ezekiel 29:6, 7
6 And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. 7 When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Isaiah 28:16
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
 
 
Footnote:
Hebrews 13:5
 

 
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
 
 
Footnote:
Psalm 91:15; 46:1. Jeremiah 17:5-8.
 

 
Psalm 91:15
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
 
Psalm 46:1
1 ¶ {To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.} God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. {for: or, of}
 
Jeremiah 17:5-8
5 ¶ Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. {drought: or, restraint}