Proverbs 25:19

Confidence in an Unfaithful Man

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

The Illustrations

19b A broken tooth

1. In Solomon’s day it is likely that most if not all people had experienced a broken tooth.

2. Democratic Rep. from Ohio Dennis Kucinich has filed a lawsuit over a sandwich he bought at a congressional cafeteria. He sued for $150,000.00. He said it led to “serious and permanent dental and oral injuries.” Evidently, he broke a tooth biting into an olive. It can be painful. ($150,000.00 worth of pain!)

3. But there are lots of other ways to break a tooth. (falling on a rock; getting punched in the mouth; playing hockey; hit with a baseball; etc.)

4. Regardless of the means of the broken tooth, the result is that it is painful. The nerves in your teeth can cause excruciating pain.

5. And when your tooth hurts, you know it! Almost nothing else matters when your tooth hurts. You can’t think of anything else but the broken tooth.

6. Eating becomes a big problem with a broken tooth.

a. Everybody has to eat. There is no avoiding it… even if you do have a broken tooth.

b. The problem of eating with a broken tooth is that when you bite down on an apple or some other piece of food, and it hits the broken tooth, it is followed by unbearable pain.

c. This is especially so in the situation when you forget about your broken tooth and you bite down on a sandwich, expecting your teeth to work, and the broken tooth doesn’t work. It causes you to shriek in agony.

19c And a foot out of joint.

1. The second illustration is that of a foot out of joint. We have probably all had a problem with a foot at some point or other… perhaps a broken bone or a sprained ankle.

2. Just as eating is something we all do, so too is walking.

3. When our feet are working fine, we don’t even think about them. But if we had a foot out of joint we would sure think about it.

4. A foot out of joint may not be a problem when we are sitting in a chair. It only becomes a problem when we get up and start to walk.

5. Or imagine if your foot was out of joint, and you got up out of bed, not thinking about your foot—assuming that it would work—and stepped on it! Ouch!

6. It would be like biting into a sandwich with a broken tooth. Instant pain!

19a Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble

1. The main thrust of this proverb is to teach us something about putting confidence in unfaithful men.

a. Confidence: Trust; reliance; confidence; security.

2. Perhaps up front we should note that there are many verses in the Scriptures that teach us NOT to put confidence in men.

a. Ps. 118:8-9 – 8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

b. Prov. 3:26 – “For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”

c. This is a common theme in the Bible. We are not to put our confidence in men. Our confidence (faith) is to rest in the Lord and in Him alone.

d. Our present proverb does not deal with that issue at all. This proverb does not view confidence in a man along those lines at all.

e. Confidence in a man vs. confidence in God is not the point in Proverbs 25:19. Confidence in man is NOT a bad thing in this context.

3. The TYPE of confidence in man Solomon describes in Proverbs 25:19 is a situation wherein a person has been given a duty to perform, an errand to run, a responsibility to attend to, or a task to carry out.

4. In this sense, we put confidence in men every day.

a. When a parent gives their son a chore to do, they are putting confidence in him that the chore will get done, and done well.

b. When a boss gives one of his workers a task to carry out in the office, he puts confidence in the employee that the task will be completed… on time… and done properly.

c. In the community, town leaders put confidence in various town workers to fulfill their duties too.
• They have confidence the police will be policing the streets.
• They put confidence in the firemen that when the alarm goes off they will be ready and prepared for the fire.
• They put confidence in the city workers hired to fill the potholes that the potholes will get filled.

d. In the assembly, we put confidence in people to perform certain ministries.
• The nursery director puts confidence in the ladies who signed up to serve in the nursery to show up.
• The head usher puts confidence in his ushers to perform their duties too.
• The head of the cleanup crew puts confidence in the people who volunteer to clean the building that they too will show up and do the job.
• The Sunday School Director has confidence that his teachers will show up for class—prepared and ready to go.

5. Solomon speaks of putting confidence in a man “in time of trouble.”

a. Trouble: Distress; adversity; affliction; calamity; anguish.

b. In everyday, routine life it is necessary to put confidence in men to carry out their duties.
• In easy times, many a man will be friendly and seem helpful. They may say, “You can count on me! If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call. I’ll be there for you.”
• But then when a time of trouble comes and they are needed, are they really what they professed to be?
• Prov. 20:6 – “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness; but a faithful man who can find?”

c. But it is in times of crises and distress that confidence in a faithful man is vital.

d. For example, during wartime, the military leaders need to be able to put their confidence in those under them to carry out their duties. The lives of hundreds of people could depend upon his faithfully carrying out his duty.

e. During the busy season at work, the boss might especially be counting on his employees to do their job well. The bottom line depends upon it. Perhaps the existence of the company depends upon it.

f. In time of distress, when you put your confidence in a person to do their job, faithfulness is paramount!

6. Confidence in an unfaithful man.

a. This is most distressing of all… especially in time of trouble.

b. Unfaithful: Treacherously with; to be traitorous; to act unfaithfully; to betray. The verb connotes unfaithfulness in relationships like marriage.

c. During wartime, giving an important responsibility to an unfaithful man could be disastrous.

d. Putting confidence in an unfaithful man means that the task you ASSUMED was going to be performed—wasn’t!

e. The results could be calamitous.

f. It is a form of treachery; betrayal. One’s confidence was betrayed.

7. It is like a broken tooth.

a. When you bite into food, you expect that your teeth will faithfully perform their duty.

b. But when you have a broken tooth and you bite into food, instead of the teeth doing what they are supposed to do, you have an excruciating pain instead!

c. Instead of enjoying a nice sandwich, you are shrieking in pain.

d. The man whom you were counting on to do his job was unfaithful and did not do what he was supposed to do. That causes the one who trusted in him some serious pain and distress.

8. It is like a foot out of joint.

a. When you attempt to walk, you expect your feet will faithfully perform their duty, namely, keep you up and walking.

b. When your foot is out of joint, instead of walking, you will probably fall over in pain.

c. The unfaithful man who fails to do the job you were counting on him to do is like that foot out of joint.

d. It let you down. You were greatly disappointed. It caused you pain. You were confident that it would enable you to walk, but instead you fell on your face… and it was all because of the broken foot.

e. The unfaithful worker is like that foot out of joint. He is a person who lets you down; disappoints you; causing you pain; and can cause you to stumble.

f. Sometimes people fail you when you need them most. This proverb warns us to expect to be discouraged in that way.

9. Of course, confidence in the Lord will never cause us to be discouraged. He never lets us down.

a. Ps. 46:1 – “God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble.”

b. Rom. 10:11 – “Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” Putting our confidence in God will never result in our being ashamed of misplaced trust… or of a betrayal of confidence.

c. Men will let us down, but God is always faithful.