Iron Sharpens Iron: A Brief Examination of Proverbs 27:17

                         "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." ~ Proverbs 27:17

As the title implies, I intend for this post to be a mere surface-level, and hence short, investigation of Proverbs 27:17. Having not consulted the Hebrew, observations made will be limited to what is apparent in the English.

With that said then, here are some nuances involved in the concept of "iron sharpening iron", which in turn is compared to "one man sharpening another".

1) Iron = iron

Neither piece of iron involved is said to be greater or lesser than the other, but both are made of the same material: iron. So?

        a) Don't assume that somebody is, or is claiming to be, superior to you or not in need of some sharpening themselves simply because they attempt to help refine you in some way. "I probably need this" is a much more helpful thought (for both parties involved) than "you are so arrogant".

       b) Don't think you need to 'arrive' before 'sharpening' anyone else. You're never going to be perfect, so don't try to wait til then. Just keep in mind that if you are a little dull yourself, you may walk walk away with more honing done than the first guy. :)

       c) Don't think that you yourself are cut from a higher stock than someone else just because you are involved in refining them somehow. You're there to help them, not establish yourself in some kind of pecking order.

2) Iron doesn't sharpen itself


You can't be your own 'sharpener' - a second party is required. If you isolate yourself from other people and/or from their help, you're inevitably going to lose your edge and get a little rusty. With that thought...

3) Iron left to itself gets dull

If you think you'll only need to receive so much help and then be sharp for good, be careful not to entertain that thought for too long. You're human. You're bound to need some resharpening throughout your whole life. So don't cut it off when you conclude you're 'alright now'. Remember, sharpening doesn't change iron into a flawless form of perfect metal - it just hones it down for the time being.

4) And finally, the process produces friction

When two pieces metal are brought together for the purpose of sharpening, some heat is inevitably produced in the process. Don't expect this engagement to feel good. It's not a back massage - it's a sharpening session. It's going to hurt, but don't bail out when things get hot. Trust that your pain is not permanent, and, as long as both pieces of iron 'hold themselves together', you'll each leave better off for it.

Well, I hope you found these few thoughts refining in one way or another, and I, in turn, welcome your 'sharpening'! 

Sincerely,
Joshua