Proverbs 25:13
Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
is a faithful messenger to those who send him;
he refreshes the soul of his masters.
Many of us struggle in the heat! My two favorite lifelines in the hot Philadelphia summer are shade and an Arnold Palmer. I will abandon all social and societal norms to procure both. It’s easy to understand, then, how this messenger “refreshes the soul of his masters.” It’s like getting out of the heat of summer and finding refuge under a tree while enjoying a refreshing beverage. In other words, the messenger is reliable; the masters don’t have to worry about the message getting to its destination.
Derek Kidner points out the connection between our proverb today with Proverbs 25:25 and Proverbs 26:6. Both a faithful messenger (Proverbs 25:13) and a faithful message of good news (Proverbs 25:25) are refreshing to the soul, while a message dispatched by a fool (Proverbs 26:6) is disastrous.
I certainly appreciate when a pastor preaches the message of the gospel in a precise and soul-refreshing way. But, they are mere shadows of the true messenger of good news which satisfies our souls eternally. The true Messenger bears witness to the gospel in every complete and perfect way because he is the gospel (John 6:25-40)! Jesus Christ was sent out by the Father to share the message of redemption and reconciliation through his own physical body as a man (Mark 1:9-11). His bodily death and resurrection, through faith, renews and refreshes our relationship with God bringing joy to both him and us (Romans 5:1-2)!
He is the most faithful Messenger because he is the Message.