Proverbs is full of seemingly logic-resistant statements. We see two of
them in this passage: "If you find honey, eat just enough--too much of
it, and you will vomit" and "It is not good to eat too much honey, nor
is it honorable to seek one's own honor" (Proverbs 25: 16, 27). Are we
to infer some sort of direct correlation between tasty bee product and
self-aggrandizement?
"Direct correlation" might be going too far; honey is used primarily as a
metaphor here. But there's a deep truth to be embraced about the
seductiveness and danger of self-deification. We naturally thrive on
encouragement, but afflicted by sin as we are, we overdo it and begin to
crave our own honor in place of God's.
We may find, in various seasons of life, that honor comes our way
unbidden. There is nothing wrong with this in and of itself; God created
honey to be sweet, too. The important thing is to recognize all good
things as ultimately originating from God and to give Him all praise and
glory accordingly.
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