A wicked messenger falls into adversity, But a faithful envoy brings healing. Proverbs 13:17

Recently we've watched as the "Wiki-leaks" betrayals have become public. These were betrayals because they were the release of secret government documents that should not have been released to the public. Their exposure - as the exposure of any message that a messenger should have kept to himself, or delivered faithfully only to those to whom he was sent - is a betrayal of the highest order. Let us take a closer look, though, at why such things happen in every generation.

We learn that it is a "wicked" messenger who falls into adversity. This is a messenger with a propensity for his wickedness. It is that wickedness that makes him fall into adversity - first with those who wish to use him for their own purposes. They know of sordid details of his life. Many who have been wicked messengers were involved in adulterous affairs with double agents - or had financial problems - or drinking problems. Whatever the case - their wickedness was a flaw that their enemies used to get information from them. They finish using them when they are eventually caught by their own government. Then their lives are filled with even more misery as they are jailed or even executed for their crimes against their nation.

Whereas this is true of nations, it is even more true of those who preach a false gospel. They are wicked messengers because they preach peace to people, when there is no peace. They preach a gospel of man's works, when man cannot be made righteous by his own works. They preach a gospel of self-effort when no amount of man's effort will ever make him right with God. It is either by God's grace - or man will face the wrath of God for his sin. This kind of wicked messenger falls into adversity because if nothing else - he will fall into the hands of an angry God in the judgment.

A faithful envoy brings healing instead. He is faithful with the message with which his superiors sent him. This is a blessing to those above him. In the case of the gospel he is a faithful messenger of the gospel. This indeed brings about eternal healing - as the breach between man and God is closed by the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This faithful envoy brings exactly what man needs. He speaks the truth about man's condition before God - sinful and rebellious. He speaks truth about God's nature - that He is holy and just - as well as merciful and loving. He speaks the truth about Jesus Christ - that He is the God-man who came to earth to pay for our sins. He speaks the truth about salvation by grace alone, through faith alone. He faithfully calls men to repentance and to put their faith in Jesus Christ rather than their works or in man-made religion. This man truly brings the healing of man's soul from his eternal malady of sin. The wise man is the one who embraces this role of speaking the truth - and who faithfully offers the healing of God to a world that desperately needs it.  

Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters.  Proverbs 25:13

How reliable and faithful are you when someone sends you with a message to deliver?  Today's proverb encourages us to be faithful messengers.  That means when our leaders or a friend - or even God sends us with a message, we need to deliver that message exactly as it was given to us.  The problems that come from people misunderstanding one another are myriad.  These misunderstandings can be the result of someone not grasping what has been said - but too many times it is because the original message has been changed in some way by the messenger.  The end of these misunderstandings can be small - but there are other situations that can mean the difference between life and death itself.

Our proverb today involves a practice that was distinct to the region of the middle east.  That practice was taking snow from the higher mountainous elevations and packing it very tightly to bring it to the lower, much hotter regions for the purpose of cooling water and other drinks.  This was done, according to this proverb, during the time of harvest - which was a time which was very warm in that region of the world.  Not only was the temperature hot, but this time of life involved very strenuous labor.  That is why having someone bring snow to cool water was such a wonderful thing.  It allowed someone to have a cold drink when they were very hot.

This wonderful cool drink is compared to someone who is a faithful messenger for his master.  He faithfully communicates what his master wants to be said - and therefore refreshes his soul.  The refreshing comes because the master knows that what he has said will not be misinterpreted or misunderstood because of a failure to speak the truth about what he has said.  It is easy to understand why this is important in business because proper communication in that area can mean the difference between a job done well vesus a job that is completely messed up - and which costs the company anywhere from hundreds to thousands to even millions of dollars.  Think about the recent recall of Toyotas that had defective brakes.  That cost the company millions of dollars in repairs - and additonal millions of dollars in lawsuits.  This happened because somewhere along the line someone did not pass the correct information along - and the brakes were defective because of it. 

Now consider for a moment the damage that comes when the gospel is not faithfully communicated for our ultimate Master, God.  Whether the error is because of a failure to understand the gospel, or because someone has added something they think is important to it, or because of a cult leader who twists the gospel for his own ends - all these scenarios are disastrous . . . eternally!  The gospel is the power of God unto salvation - and if communicated so that anything other than the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is our hope - that power is short-circuited.  How devastating it will be for those who have believed a false gospel that has only offered to them a false hope.  Yet on the other hand how refreshing and delightful it is to God to know that the message of His salvation through Jesus Christ has been communicated faithfully.  What a blessing it is to know that salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ has truly transformed another heart and life!  It blesses the heart of God (not to mention the heart of the one who has been saved) to know that the gospel has been shared faithfully and truly.

Precious saints of God, we need to be faithful messengers with whatever has been communicated to us.  We need to be those who take what has been entrusted to us - whether it is something small and seemingly insignificant or something as monumental as the gospel of God itself - and share it just as it has been given to us.  By doing this we will be a wonderful drink of cool water on a hot day to those who have sent us.