Jump Start # 275

Proverbs 25:20 “Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, is he who sings songs to a troubled heart.”

  One thing I’ve learned about Proverbs, I may not understand the full meaning of some of the expressions but if I can get part of it, generally I can understand all of it. This is true of our passage today. When you and I read the expression, “like vinegar on soda,” I tend to think of Pepsi or Coke. Those are sodas. I know that is not the meaning because those weren’t around back then.

• KJV: “as vinegar upon nitre”
• Zondervan  Encyclopedia of the Bible says that “nitre” is lye—a kind of soap

  I understand taking off a garment on a cold day. That’s easy to understand. Uncomfortable, miserable, unpleasant and something you just don’t do. On a cold day you reach for your garment, not take it off.

  The writer is giving us two illustrations of distasteful and unpleasant experiences to help us grasp the principle—singing to a troubled heart isn’t good. Now that seems odd to us. I’d think singing would put a troubled heart in a better mood, unless it was my singing they were listening to. We’d think that singing would help a person get their mind off their problems, change their mood and help them to see the brighter side of things. But that’s not the way it is. It’s like taking off your coat on a cold day. It’s like vinegar on soda. A newer expression would be, “It’s like pouring salt into a wound.” It doesn’t seem to help much and boy, does it burn!

  Don’t sing to a troubled heart. That’s the point. We are not told details. Why is the heart troubled? Has a love been lost? Are they grieving? Are they hurting over a broken marriage? Are they in trouble financially? Are they worried about the kids? Are there health problems?  Has someone wronged them? Have they wronged someone? Are they in trouble with the law or worse, with God?

  I expect the answer to all those questions could be “Yes.” All of those things cause a troubled heart. Now, we may not know just what the writer had in mind when he said that, but we do know what a troubled heart will do to a person. First, it just knots up the insides of a person. They have trouble eating, sleeping and focusing. The trouble consumes them. They can’t get it off of their minds. It seems to go with them everywhere. Can’t work effectively because of the trouble in the heart. Can’t go home and relax because of the trouble in the heart. Even worshipping God becomes a chore and being around others doesn’t help much. And please, don’t sing, that doesn’t make a person feel better. That’s the point of this Proverb. All singing shows is that you are happy and I’m not. You have your problems corralled and I don’t. You can smile and I can’t. Don’t sing. That won’t help.

  So, what do we do for a troubled heart? Proverbs says “don’t sing.” How about listening? Or, how about saying a prayer? How about sitting with them for a while? How about reading some verses to them?

  Next door to a troubled heart lives hopelessness and loneliness. Paul told the Galatians to bear one another’s burdens. Helping someone carry their load prevents loneliness and hopelessness from taking over. They realize that they don’t journey this dark road by themselves. You are there. You will help. They can count on you.

  Some troubles are hard to fix. Some are very complicated and they take a long, long time. We can sure make a mess of things. Cleaning up those messes, including hurt feelings, addictions, and broken promises takes more than we’ve got. You have to invite God into all of this. His word, His grace, His power can make a difference. He knows how to get us out of a ditch. He has a way of believing in us. It’s up to us to believe in Him and trust Him and follow Him.

 Troubled hearts are all around us—at work, in the neighborhood, in the church and even at home. Don’t sing them a song—help them out. That’s what they really need. A friend who cares. A parent who hasn’t given up on them. A mate who will forgive. And a God who is there.

Roger