Proverbs 30:29-33 — Majestic Strut

READ THIS: Proverbs 30:29-33

29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: 30 a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; 31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt. 32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth! 33 For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

If you haven't noticed, this chapter has featured several groups of 4 things... 4 groups to be precise! In this case, he writes about 4 "stately" things. Another word for stately is majestic, so the author here is trying to give us 4 things that are wonderful and majestic in his eyes!

 

Verse 30 certainly makes sense... lions are powerful, majestic creatures that receive respect from all the animals around it! But what on earth is going on in verse 31? I don't know about you, but I wasn't so sure about the majesty of a rooster or a "he-goat," so I looked up some other translations of the Bible! The word "rooster" can be translated to "magpie," which is a type of bird, and it can also be translated to "greyhound," which is the fastest type of dog in the world! Lastly, the word "he-goat" is simply meaning a male goat. According to some commentaries, the flocks were always aware where the male goats were, similar to how animals would be with a lion!

Believe it or not, these verses (as well as 32-33) teach us two important lessons! The first is that when we are in positions of power, like a lion in the wild, people are often looking to us and are aware of our actions. We will all find ourselves leading others at points in our lives, and it is important to be the kind of leader that models Christ through all we do! The second lesson is that when we try to take leadership by force or raise ourselves up by our own power, it can be dangerous. Exalting ourselves leads to anger from both us and those around us, and anger leads to conflict! We must trust in the leaders above us and submit to their authority, trusting that God will call us to lead when He is ready.

THINK ABOUT IT:

 

1. In the places of life where you are the leader, how do you think people view you?

2. Have you ever longed to be a leader or complained about it in a space where you weren't one? How do you think that leader felt about you?

TRY THIS:

 

Practice your majestic strut at least one time today in front of another person. See if they say anything, and if they ask about it, tell them about this devo!