Proverbs 27:17
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Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
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The noun "countenance" may mean a person's face and appearance (25:23; I Sam 16:7,12; Dan 1:13-15; Matt 6:16); it may mean the expression of feeling toward another person (16:15; Gen 31:2; Ps 4:6; 44:3; Acts 2:28); and it may mean the spirit, demeanor, behavior, or conduct of a man (15:13; Deut 28:50; Ps 10:4; Eccl 7:3; Dan 5:6,9).
Our proverb addresses the spirit, demeanor, behavior, and conduct of a man. If we limit our word to improving a man's facial appearance, we mock Solomon's wisdom. A file doesn't just make a knife look better; it makes it better! If we limit the word to showing feelings, it makes little sense, for friends already express approval of each other.
The Preacher promoted good friends - they will make you better (27:9). A good friend will make you brighter, sharper, and more useful. But not any friend will do. Only wise friends make you wiser (13:20), so the best men love other good men (Tit 1:8). Weak and foolish men will dull and corrupt your life (13:20; I Cor 15:33). If a man is good enough to be your father's friend, it is your wisdom to keep him as your friend (27:10).
Two are better than one, because they sharpen and improve each other in several ways (Eccl 4:9-12). They can share successes of labor, help each other up when they fall, find complementary abilities, and defend against mutual enemies. What a great blessing!
Loners never amount to much, for they cannot grow (a knife cannot sharpen itself). They become dull and rusty with ignorance, poor habits, and depressed spirits. Loners are always the weakest members of any group, for they continue to rust and decay without the sharpening steel of noble friends. Our proverb's wisdom cannot be overthrown.
Let them spend more time with holy brethren, and they would be sharpened into useful men; but lazy habits of self-indulgence are hard to break. Selfishness, laziness, and pride keep a man from seeking friends: he is happy rusting by himself in solitude. Foolishness, ignorance, and bad habits hinder a man from keeping friends: for he drives them away.
Successful athletic training requires competition with those better than you, otherwise your skills are never tested, you never learn the best techniques, and you deceive yourself regarding your ability and techniques. Being a loner and limiting friends is like preparing for Wimbledon by playing tennis on a computer. Absolutely guaranteed to bring failure!
God declared in Eden we are social creatures (Gen 2:18). A wife and children provide valuable society, but they are not enough. Rarely do wives sharpen a man like another good man, for that is trying to sharpen iron with a weaker metal. Women may be sharpened by men and in turn sharpen one another, but seldom do they provide the collision of equal or superior metals that results in a bright, shiny, sharp edge.
David described the love of Jonathan as exceeding that of women, though married at the time to the very wise Abigail (I Sam 25:3; II Sam 1:26). Jonathan sharpened David by strengthening his hand in the LORD with spiritual provoking and covenant promises of loyalty and service a woman could not and would not make (I Sam 23:16).
Job was this kind of sharpening influence among his companions (Job 4:3-4). The brethren from Rome sharpened even the great apostle Paul (Acts 28:15), for there is mutual comfort in believing brethren (Rom 1:12; 15:24). Paul loved Timothy for this effect (II Tim 1:3-5). And our Lord sent teachers out two-by-two (Luke 10:1; Acts 13:2).
Jesus Christ had the tongue of the learned from His Father, and He knew how to speak a word in season to those who needed it (Is 50:4). He could and did sharpen many. The hearts of two burned within them when they had Him but a short time (Luke 24:32).
For this reason the Lord Jesus Christ ordained churches of saints, where they can help, support, exhort, warn, and rebuke each other to the profit of their souls (I Thess 5:14; Heb 3:12-13; 10:23-25). We are to bear one another's burdens and convert one another from errors (Gal 6:1-2; James 5:19-20), which is the sharpening purpose of the church.
The first church, under powerful influences of the Holy Spirit, showed great zeal toward their fellowship and society of saints (Acts 2:42-47). Look at the close relationship of the members and be convicted to make greater efforts yourself toward this end.
We have two lessons from our proverb. We need noble and godly friends to maximize our growth, and we need to be such friends to others to maximize theirs. Dear reader, are you diligent in fulfilling your role in improving the lives of your brethren? Are you a sharpening influence to make them more useful and productive in their lives? And do you value and promote your relationships with other good men for your own perfection?
It takes iron to sharpen iron. A knife is not sharpened by cloth, bread, wood, plastic, or even copper. A knife may cut and shape these things to be more useful, but they will only dull the knife. Sharpening a knife requires iron at least as hard as the knife. Once sharpened, a knife is bright, sharp, and ready for much more productive service.
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