Proverbs 27:18

The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of instruction on a lot of different subjects. One subject that can keep us in God’s wisdom is Godly Follower-ship. Who we follow; where we follow; how we follow are all spoken about in Proverbs. Here is one of them about tending to those who are over us:

Proverbs 27:18 (ESV)

Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

and he who guards his master will be honored.

Labor is tough.  Getting up every day to go to work is tough.   We don't like to work.  In Genesis 3 the penalty given to Adam for sinning against God was labor "by the sweat of the brow."  Until we sinned through Adam, work was not to be laborious. It was to be a pleasure to work in the garden ... Adam had that and lost it all for us.  You can't read the above proverb without that thought in mind. Solomon is telling us that "tending" the fig tree allows us to eat the fruit of the tree, but the implication is that the "tending" takes work.  It takes attention and effort to make sure the fig tree produces fruit.   Remember. Jesus cursed the fig tree that didn't bring forth fruit (Luke 11).  The labor to get the fruit is only worth it if you know the value of the fruit.  In this area the fig was used for so many aspects of life.  The farmer had to remember the value each time he attended the tree.  The same is true in the second line.  It is not easy working for someone.   Our "master" is not always in a place we can honor him.   But, when we "care" for him/her we do ourselves good.  We will be honored.  It is laborious to honor the master and tend the fig tree, but the result is that we have fulfilled God's Word and should be blessed and feed.   It should be noted that the proverb doesn't say to care for the master if he/she "deserves" honor.   We are to care for them and their needs, period.   Then we will be blessed.  God uses authority in our lives to give us wisdom.   God gives us wisdom through a variety of means.  Those might be "fig" trees in our lives.   We are to tend them so that we can glean the wisdom from them.   Abraham was the authority in his nephew’s (Lot) life.   Lot didn't listen to Abraham and lost that wisdom.    He neglected his "fig" tree.  Nathan, the prophet, was the fig tree in David's life.   When David was told by Nathan that God knew about the adultery with Bathsheba, David listened and we have his repentance recorded in Psalm 51.   Find your "fig" tree and "tend" it ... you will be honored with wisdom.