Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food.
Summary: How do we relate to people with servants? Actually, it is quite easy. If you have a toaster, you have an electric servant.
Before we begin today’s meditation in earnest, a bit of updating might be in order. In ancient times, life was relatively hard. Today we have an abundance of automation. As I am writing this, my computer is spell checking for me, dishes are being washed in the dishwasher and a dozen other machines stand ready to do my bidding. If I want to go somewhere, a machine called a car carries me there. In town, large pumps bring water up from the wells in the valley to my house on the hill.
In Solomon’s time, the average person had to carry their own water. Literally. If they wanted water for drinking, washing, cooking, or any other purpose, they had to go to a common well, haul the water up to the surface, and carry it home. Their water jug was no picnic, either. Where we would use a lightweight plastic jug of some kind, their jugs were heavy skins or ceramic containers that added to the weight they carried.
To have a servant meant you had someone to carry your water for you. Maybe they could do other chores as well, such as cutting wood for the fire. Each day, grain had to be milled into flour and wool made into cloth for clothing. Cleaning was, like today, an ongoing chore, and having a servant was a luxury.
So who were these servants?
Some were people from conquered nations. Others were poor Israelites who could not make a living. They would sell themselves into servitude as a way of surviving. Sometimes when we hire people to do a job, they do a great job, sometimes they don’t. Servants were no different. Some were very helpful, some were more of a burden than a help. Even so, having a servant was something.
To be a “nobody” is to be at the bottom of the social ladder. Yet even a nobody can have their integrity. Even a nobody can love God. How much better to be a nobody and have a servant? (That is a bit like having a house today with running water and a toaster. After that, everything else is just gravy.)
Solomon contrasts the “nobody” with someone we might call the “social climber.” We still have such people today. They put on airs, hoping to fool people into respecting them. There is more than one person who drives a new car and lives in a shack. Some own a mansion and can’t afford furniture. Pretending to be a “somebody” and not even being able to afford food takes social-climbing into the realm of obsession.
Humility allows us to live fully. Wasting time putting on airs is, well, a waste of time. Nobody is fooled for long, and when they discover the truth, it is hard to recover from the shame of humiliation.
Maybe Solomon is stating the obvious? Even so, some of us need to hear it.
Application: God has placed each of us where we are in life. What is our attitude about where we are?
Food for Thought: What is the difference between being a “nobody” and a “somebody”?
Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant, than he who honors himself and lacks bread.
This one is all about people perspective. The NASB makes that a little clearer than the NIV does. Lightly esteemed is that in general, people don’t take you seriously, maybe they even don’t respect you, and you certainly don’t have enough to pay everyone to like you. Yet someone is willing to serve this person, and their life is easier, burdens are shared with at least one other. It seems that we forget that a servant or slave gets benefits from this position. Sometimes we’re shocked when the Bible talks about us as being slaves or servants to God. Do we forget, that a good master gives more to his slaves than we’d imagine? Yet he went beyond this and adopted us. That part needs to remain an honor in our eyes, and we should always be thankful. It may be the correct application to ask if we’d be willing to be lightly esteemed by the general population yet have one or two who see and will work with you? But I want to ask, are we willing to be the servant to one who is good, but is lightly esteemed?
Being “somebody” or rather one who honors themself….. I’d rather be a somebody in someone’s eyes than just a somebody in my eyes, yikes …. Is all about the show. What do people see? This person is ripe with pride. Probably the ‘life of the party’ but they’re hiding how they live from others, well not just hiding, but lying about how they live. Literally starving themselves to appear worthwhile. How far would you go to appear okay? Is that too far?
A –
Thank you for your words this morning. You have taken today’s theme and expanded on it very nicely. Your thoughts bring to mind Mark 9:35:
“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.’“
Thank you, Jeff!! I appreciate your addition : )
I like A’s statement that we can be the ones who are a servant to someone who is good, but lightly esteemed. With this attitude we will be blessed to be able to serve one another unconditionally. We will also more likely be willing to serve the Lord.
Being a somebody is finding our value in Christ. Then no matter what our station in life we can be content in serving the Lord and pleasing Him rather than people.
Brother,
You remind me of Psalm 84: 10,
“ I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.“
07-08-2022, Proverbs 12:9, What is the difference between being a “nobody” and a “somebody”?
We all have a choice to make. Do we choose to play the game and try to be somebody according to the standards of this temporary physical world, and nobody according to the standards of our God. Or do we choose to be nobody according to this world’s standards and in humility, somebody according to God ?
Jesus ends Mathew 23:1-12 with, “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”
Amen, Brother!
One person has no bodies, and the other has some bodies.