I was reading through Proverbs 14 today, and stumbled across a very interesting passage. Somewhat randomly, verse 10 says, "The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy." I would be greatly interested if people could comment on what they think this could mean, and it might be good to read the rest of that chapter to understand context. I have some thoughts on the verse, but wouldn't mind some input. Hopefully several people will offer suggestions, and then I'll do a follow up post in a few days!
Also, a passage that could possibly go with it is Ecclesiastes 7. Specifically, verses 2-4. I'd love to get some feedback, so please let me know what you think!
Wow man, this is definitely hard to interpret at first but I have been thinking about it since I read it this morning and I read the other verses that you suggested and the thing that stood out most to me is that only our own hearts and the spirit of the Lord that resides in our heart can truely understand the trials and challenges that we struggle with on a day to day basis. We all have things that we struggle with that we keep hidden deep down inside because we dont want others to know about them so at the end of the day all we can do is confide in the Lord and lay them at his feet. The same goes for the joy that we feel when we overcome these hidden challenges. Your friends might see a smile or an upbeat attitude and know that you are joyful but they cant fully grasp how joyful you truly are because it is joy that you experience through the Lord that is meant for your own heart.
ReplyDeleteI dont really know if any of that is right or not, but it has just been on my mind all morning so I wanted to share it.
This verse definitely stands out in this chapter. The rest of the chapter addresses how Godly wisdom/discernment should guide us. We know our own hearts and whether or not we are choosing the wisdom of God or, if we are not. If we are, the choices we make will reflect the love and faithfulness of God. I also see this verse as a warning against judging others; we don't know the hearts of others. One additional note: the writer chose wisdom over anything else God could give him. (1 Kings 3)
ReplyDeleteThe verse is in striking contrast to the rest of the chapter in that v. 10 seems to be more of a psychological observation concerning humanity, rather than a practical observation of the other proverbs concerning wisdom, productivity, or how it is best to act.
ReplyDeleteThe proverb concerns the heart (which in the Hebraic understanding means the true self - the center of one's individuality - rather than the seat of the emotions that we attribute to the heart today). So the first half is pretty clear. That the "heart knows its own bitterness" means that an individual knows what troubles him/her most (and most secretly) in his/her life. There are some things in our lives that are too complex to be fully shared with others (we know what's going on, but fully expressing that to others is impossible. There are also things in our life that are so delicate or "personal" that we hesitate to share them with others, instead we shut them up inside us because we have not found (and may not be able to find) someone who is so close to us, that has gained enough trust, to whom we desire and have the courage to pour out the depths of ourselves (with all of our own faults, flaws, and weakness that we don't like to admit even to ourselves).
This has interesting implications for the the concept of Biblical community. For we are called to live in unity and harmony together (Psalm 133:1, Romans 12:18, Ephesians 4:1-6). As part of that community, we are to bear each other's burdens (Galatians 6:2), confess to one another (James 5:16), Restore and reconcile with each other (Galatians 6:1), and share in both joys and sorrows (Romans 12:15). However, this proverbs seems to indicate that this sharing is never fully possible - part of each person remains guarded and hidden. This is significant because it shows the impossibility of perfect fellowship between people because no one fully understands and knows another. Perfect fellowship can only come to individuals who know each other fully. This means that true and total restoration/reconciliation of an individual cannot come through any woman/man or group of people, but only through someone who has perfect knowledge of that person. Because God knows us fully (Psalm 139:13-16, Matt 10:29-31, Jeremiah 1:4-5), even the parts of ourselves we would never share, we can find true and full restoration and fellowship in Him.
After reading the previous comments, I think maybe it was just a typo.
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