Thank God for Publishers and Transcribers . . . Proverbs 25:1

These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed. Proverbs 25:1

Thank God for the men of Hezekiah!  Were it not for their diligence, we might not have a great deal of wisdom at our finger-tips today! 

This is probably a proverb you've never heard comment upon - and honestly - it is one I've not looked forward to dealing with as I do this study.  But as I read it and asked the Lord to give me insight in what good it is for us - I began to truly appreciate what these men did for us - and what people do for us even today.

The word for "transcribe" means to move forward, to proceed, or to grow older.  What it indicates here is that these men of Hezekiah took writings that were old - and brought them forward to a new generation.  They took what were old documents and they copied them so that another generation could enjoy them.  Seeing the spiritual decline that preceeded the reign of Hezekiah, these writings easily could have been lost - but these godly men of Hezekiah kept them from this fate. 

Did you ever think of all the Christian writings that have been preserved for us - generation after generation.  We have our Bibles because men faithfully transcribed things generation after generation.  We have wonderful books because of this same thing.  Men who were blessed and strengthened by something they read - transcribed it so that others could receive the same blessing.  Consider, for just a moment, the spiritual poverty that would be ours if the writings of Jonathan Edwards, A.W. Tozer, Leonard Ravenhill, A.B. Simpson, Andrew Murray, John Calvin, Charles Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, and a host of others were never transcribed or copied from one generation to the next.  One of the fears I have is that we will lose the writings of godly men of generations past because our current generation has such a disdain for older things.  We would be so impoverished if these writings were no longer available to us. 

So, I want to send a thank you out through the generations for those whom God used to give us the Scriptures.  Some did so at the risk of their very lives.  I want to also thank God for all the godly publishers and printers who might have made more money publishing "best sellers" but who chose instead to make sure that we have the works of our godly fathers and mothers available to us.  Your diligence has provided us with a wealth of Christian literature in our day.  May we be diligent to pass on to our children that same wealth from our past.  May we be the men of our day who transcribe works of wisdom and inspiration that will bless many generations to come.