The eye that mocks a father And scorns a mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it. Proverbs 30:17
This proverb is one of those that seems a little harsh when you first read it - especially if you've ever been disrespectful to your parents. Your average kid might say, "You mean to say that if I scorn my parents, I'm doomed to have scavenger birds peck my eye out and eat it?" Since we know that not every rebellious child and teenager has had his eyes destroyed by a flock of ravens and eagles - we know that this passage has more to teach us than just a scary warning that probably would not work on kids anyway. But just what is this proverb trying to show us? The key comes in understanding why a bird - especially a scavenger would have any interest in an animal's eyes. You see both of the birds mentioned in this passage are scavengers. That means that they both eat dead things. But one practice that ravens have as they approach carrion is that they need to be sure it is dead. That can mean the difference in having a meal and being one to the raven. Therefore when a raven suspects an animal to be dead - he goes straight for the eye. The raven lands near the animal and sees if the animal makes any movements. Then when the raven detects that things are clear for the most part - he subjects the animal to the ultimate test as to whether it is alive or dead. He pecks at the animal's eye. If an animal does not move to protect the eye, it is dead. As the raven picks out the eye of the animal - it assures him that the animal is dead. Often early in the meal that follows, a larger predator - which is where the young eagle comes in - will arrive and take over the meal from the raven, who wisely knows when he is outmatched. Now, let's take what we've learned from nature - and apply it to what is said in this passage. When a young person feels his oats enough to begin mocking his own father and mother it is a very dangerous sign. The reference to the raven and the young eagle is not a direct threat - but rather a reminder. He is spiritually dead. This is not so much a threat of future aviary retribution - but of the spiritual reality of where this young man or woman is. God promises us that the one who honors his mother and father will live long on the earth. Great blessing is in store for the child who learns about respect, honor, and submission in subjection to his parents. These are vital lessons to learn if he or she is going to be successful in life - and after life is over. These come through properly relating to one's parents. If we don't learn them in the home - we will face learning them out in the world where the cost to learn them is far higher than it is with mom and dad. One last thing that we need to note here is that we are not talking about open rebellion here - but the "eye" that mocks father and mother. This is as much a look as it is an action. I remember my mother telling me not to look at her in that tone of voice. It was a little bit of a joke - but not really. She knew, and so did my father, when my eyes were revealing what was really going on in my heart. The eyes are the window to the soul - and reveal much of what is truly going on in our hearts. Thus we need to be careful to not only watch our words concerning our parents, but also the way our eyes function as well. Quite often we might be obeying in our outward members - but our eyes reveal another story altogether. Remember then, that when the scavengers come looking for the dead - they come looking for those who are dead in their eyes. When a wise man seeks to determine whether someone is spiritually alive or dead - he can learn much in how a person treats their parents.
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Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old. Proverbs 23:22
I have numerous times been asked the question of when a young person should stop obeying their parents. Many think that just because our laws state that a person is an adult when they are 18 that they have the luxury of no longer obeying their parents. I honestly see no such statement made by Scripture. I believe a child no longer needs to obey his parents when he or she is married. Once that has taken place the child no longer is beholden to do what his parents say. But, one wise thing a person should always do is to listen to their parents - even when they are old. That is because they are an excellent source of wisdom. Our society does not do much to honor the aged among us. Ours is a youth culture - and we value youth, beauty, and strength. Nowadays we see the older among us as people who tend to get in our way as they talk about the past - or they offer decidedly outdated advice from days gone by. Before I put that on anyone else - I will have to admit that I have been infected by those concepts over the years. I have noticed that much of the good advice that I was given by my parents - and by those much older than me would have blessed me and kept me from problems if I had listened and heeded it. Here we see Solomon telling his son to listen to his father. The natural flow of life should be for a father to offer godly advice to his son. This should be easy for the son to receive because of the committment that he has seen over the years from his father. The son knows that the father has nothing in mind except the very best for his son. Having seen this over the course of his lifetime, the son has no great difficulty listening and even following his father's advice. It is astounding how smart our parents get when we have children of our own and begin being responsible for the financial decisions and family decisions that map out for us our future. In those hours we realize that we would joyfully listen to advice and counsel given from our father and mother. The second thing Solomon says to his son is for him not to despise his mother when she is old. The word for despise here means to hold someone in contempt and scorn. The one who acts this way is disrespectful to his mother. I think the reason we are counselled that wisdom is NOT to scorn or hold you mother in contempt is because mothers will speak the truth to you. They will always have that mother's instinct to protect and care for their children. But as children get older, they can come to resent this in their mom. Yet the wise son would never disrespect or dishonor his mom. He would listen to her - even when she is mothering him a little. The wise son realizes that this woman has loved him his entire life - and wants only the very best for him. We may not have to obey our parents once we are married - but a wise man never stops listening to what they have to say. And if the parents are wise, they will choose their words and their disagreements wisely so that their children are able to hear all that they have to say. This is the way that the relationship between parent and adult child can flourish - to the blessing of both parties. Luxury is not fitting for a fool; Much less for a slave to rule over princes. Proverbs 19:10
There are certain people who do not need to serve as a ruler over a people. We might think that it is a good thing for the "everyman" to rise to power, but if the "everyman" that does this is a fool - it will end badly. The fool who begins to enjoy luxury - will wind up being very difficult to live with in the end. He will view his luxury as what is due him - rather than a blessing and a priviledge that has been given to him either by others or through hard work and application of himself to a task. That is why such luxury is not fitting for him. It isn't right for him to have it - because he does not appreciate it. It does more harm to him than good in the end because he will begin to think he deserves it - everyone owes him what is necessary to live a life of luxury. I'm going to take the risk of offending some at this point in this proverb. This passage illustrates why a welfare state is harmful to a populace. I know there are cries made at this statement that we do not provide a life of luxury to those on welfare. True - their standard of living is not that of kings - but we are fundamentally harming them by not having them work or do something to get it. In order for us to develop properly in a moral sense, we need to work - we need to DO something. When we don't, we do not appreciate what is given to us. Then we begin building a mindset that people owe us something - and that will become toxic in the end. In time we will think they owe us more and more - and gratefulness for what we do have will be all but extinct in our thinking. When that way of thinking grows in our minds - we are quickly descending in wisdom and in any kind of spiritual growth. Just as luxury is not fitting for a fool - so also is it for a slave to rule over princes. We in America are not used to the whole idea of nobility. We fought an entire war to make sure that we did not have a king who could rule over us without the consent of the governed. But, there is a wisdom to having the wiser in society rule over us. To have a person rule who does not know wisdom - who does not know the matters of state - who does not understand the necessity for good economic policy - and most of all justice - is to invite serious problems in that land. It is also a historical reality that when a slave or a commoner comes into power - the problem is too often that they want revenge for the wrongs they suffered - rather than to govern all the people with wisdom and integrity. I do not support the ascendency of a king in our land - but I do fully support not electing fools to office. It is wisdom to elect the wise to rule over us. When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting. Proverbs 11:10
What kind of leader do people love having rule over them? According to this proverb they love a righteous leader. They rejoice when it goes well with this kind of man - but when the wicked rule, it is a completely different matter. A godly leader is a blessing to a nation. If you have one, rejoice - because the reality is that due to sin and the fall - there are very few of them that come in the course of human history. When they do exist - the whole city rejoices over them. They are just because God's sense of justice rules in their hearts. They are not prone to abuse their power, because they know that ultimately they are ruled by heaven. They are wise and they bless a city by using the wisdom of God Himself to govern their actions and their choices. In the end, their godly ways are a blessing to the entire area - and makes way for God's prosperity to reign in a town. The Lord loves to bless His Ones who lead - and who hold positions of authority. He loves it because they desire to honor Him in how they give leadership to others. The wicked are a curse upon a city. When you look at the history of Israel and Judah - you see this time and time again. Kings rose up whose hearts were given to themselves and to their own desires. As they rule they abuse the people. Their desire is for their power - and they can use it ruthlessly to put out any kind of complaint or lack of support among the people. Many godless kings and leaders have brought destruction and devastation to their land because of wickedness and sin. In the end, when these wicked leaders die, the people break forth into rejoicing and praise. They shout for joy in knowing that their land will be no longer ruled by a fool. All throughout history horrible leaders have come and have gone - and every time they died or were killed - the people of their land wanted to dance in the streets. They did so because a wicked man would not longer rule over them. They would have the opportunity for a righteous and godly man to rise up and bring blessing to them by a much more godly rule. Here is a little tidbit of wisdom since at the time I write this - we are only a month away from a major election. Choose your leaders according to wisdom - God's wisdom. If you do not - you might choose someone who is a tyrant. Voting for those who will lead you is a precious and awesome responsibility. We need to choose righteous men who will lead us in God's way - and who will see the need for God to do a work in our land. May He gives us men of wisdom and character. May He gives us men who will stand up and be counted for our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what God desires for us to enjoy - a life ruled by men whose greatest desire is to please God. Oh, that we would look closely at each candidate and base our decision on a close examination of his character, choices, and whether or not he is a godly man. If we begin doing this - we will find great reason for rejoicing - because God will bless us once again with citizen legislators whose desire is for the longterm best that God can give our nation. A king who sits on the throne of justice disperses all evil with his eyes. Proverbs 20:8
What place does a ruler or leader have in making sure that the country he rules is not overrun by evil? In recent years we have had fools who have tried to tell us that leaders don't need to have character. We should only be concerned with their political decisions. To expect actual moral character from them is too much. Their personal lives are their own business. If they decide to commit adultery on their wives , t hat is their own business. Nothing could be further from the truth! The king, ruler, president, or any other person who has a high position of power and influence, needs to be a man of godliness and godly character. Here we read that he needs to be a man who sits "on the throne of justice." The word for justice here is very instructive. It means judgment, condemnation, cause or plea - and it refers to the legal realm. The king needs to sit on a throne that grasps and understands justice. He needs to make judgments so that justice will prevail in the land. Some say this refers simply to the legal seat he takes in a courtroom. They say it has little to do with what kind of judgment he has - rather that he just make decisions while seated there. But if that were the case - why does the second half of this proverb speak of how this action leads to evil being dispersed by this man's eyes? That contradicts itself. The king - at least the ones that God commended - were godly men who sat on a throne that stood for the justice of God. This was an interesting view of justice because it held both to a strong standard of what is right and wrong, but it also exhibited mercy to those who sought it. God's call for righteousness was absolute - and it was and is based on absolute truth. This has not changed - and will not change. But God also states that mercy triumphs over judgment. Those who see God as being too judgmental should consider seriously how God dealt with the ultimate judgment - by having His perfect justice satisfied by judging His own Son, Who paid the ultimate price for sin. God told the king to write out a copy of the Law for himself so that he would not forget to judge righteously. The king was instructed by his mother in Proverbs 31 that it is not for him to drink and get drunk because his judgment would be clouded - and he would not stand up for the rights of the poor and innocent. God warns His kings that they should not err in judgment - but that their judgment should be righteous judgment. To have a godly leader who understands and who seeks to administer righteous, biblically-based judgment is a blessing that unfortunately is rare in our day Honestly. it is rare in history. When the king sits on a throne of justice - he will "disperse all evil with his eyes." The word used here for disperse is wonderful. It is the Hebrew word for sifting. It spoke of how one would sift wheat by separating the good wheat from the chaff. As one would sift like this - they would keep what is good, while breaking off the worthless chaff so that it could be discarded. The king was to have discernment and see what God considers good and wise - as well as what God identifies as useless and worthless. In the end, the sifting allows him to get rid of evil. This, the proverb tells us, he does with his eyes. When a king has evil pass before his eyes and he does not judge it or deal with it - wickedness will abound in his nation. But when a king makes it clear that he disapproves evil, there will be great blessing in the nation. Too often a bribe closes the eyes of the king. An official who is important and who has influence will cause him to blind his own eyes - or cast them down instead of staring wickedness in the face and condemning it. The godly king knows that if he does not deal with ALL EVIL alike - disapproving it and looking with disdain upon it - evil will grow and bring great problems to his kingdom. One of the things eventually destroys nations is a lack of these kind of leaders in the government. We have these odd things called "ethics panels" in our government. They were originally put into place to bring a proper disapproval to those who act outside godly, law-abiding ethics. But now they are used to wink at fellow party-members who disregard the law - and to crucify those of opposite parties who don't. There is no righteous standard any longer - just a flaunting of the law - and a vigilante status toward destroying opponents who make their mistakes while out of power. Both parties do it - and it is an affront to the laws of our land. What we truly need are men and women of integrity who will once again sit in the seat of justice in our land . We need those who will look evil in the eye and make sure that evil will not find a place in our nation. The first ones they should look in the eye every day is the one looking back at them in the mirror. They need to see justice and righteousness prevail in their own hearts and lives. Then they will be able to disperse and sift out evil in our land. May two things happen so this will be the case. First may we demand such things of our own hearts and minds. Then second, may we demand such leaders once again from both parties. Whatever we do we must do quickly - before justice in our land is just an afterthought. A divine decision is in the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment. Proverbs 16:10
Here is a verse that was greatly misused by kings and rulers throughout the middle or dark ages. They would slightly misquote this passage and state that they had what is called, "the divine right of kings." This they then used to rule over people in a way that was totally contrary to what Scripture stated. Let's look at this issue - but also look at a balanced view of rulers and how God uses them in a nation to accomplish His purposes. The misquote here was due to how the King James version rendered this verse. The KJV reads, "A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; his mouth transgresseth not in judgment." This was taken as meaning that the king cannot make an error in judgment - and that since a divine decision was in his mouth - he could not make mistakes. This bad doctrinal view was then used to state that no matter how wicked or ungodly a king was - his was a divine rite from God. The king was not to be questioned in any decision he made therefore, because it was God's decision when he said it. One can see how this bad exigesis led to horrific abuses by leaders. One can also see why so much resentment brewed toward the Roman Catholic Church because they supported this view. Part of their reasoning behind this was because if the king's decisions were divine, then that gave them the right to say that the church then would have to approve every king - and could depose them if excommunicated. Oh the power that was enjoyed unscripturally by so many who purported to be God's messenger. It was not until the reformation that this began to be corrected - and the divine rite of kings was reigned in by the proper understanding of this verse - as well as the whole counsel of the Word of God. In order to understand this verse, we first need to grasp that Solomon is writing to kings here. The Word of God clearly states that no authority exists except that which is from God. Yet, this does not guarantee that all rulers will be godly or Christian. If that were the case we would have to wonder why God couldn't even get that to happen in Israel and Judah. God is not interested in an earthly kingdom (Jesus said as much in the gospels) but in saving a people for Himself - and for His coming kingdom in heaven. Thus the natural flow of sin and rebellion will even affect the social institutions of this world and the governments that rule over the affairs of men. When Israel rejected God from being king over them - and cried out for a king, "like all the other nations," God warned them what this would bring. He warned them of the excesses and the danger of having one "man" over them. As a man, this king was just as affected by sin as anyone else. This is why God also instructed the king to write out a copy of the Law by hand - so that he would be reminded to obey the Lord and do according to everything that was written in God's Law. We read about all this in 1 Samuel 8 and Deuteronomy 17. The reason this is important for us to understand is that God knew they would ask for a king - and therefore he gave command before it ever happened how the king was to live - what was allowed and what was forbidden. When you read through Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, you see clearly where the kings veered off God's course and subsequently turned evil. At this point the king was still in authority - but his actions were clearly outside of God's will. Thus for someone to quote this proverb and say that a king could never err in judgment or in what he says is patently outside the scope of Scripture. What is actually said here is that a divine decision is in the lips of the king and that he SHOULD NOT ERR in judgment. Solomon knew that great power came with the title of king. That power had tremendous consequences for individuals - but much more than that - for the future of an entire nation. He may have remembered the case of the two harlots who came before him. They argued over which of their babies had died, and which was alive. God gave Solomon great wisdom as he commanded that the living baby should be cut in half and a half given to each women. One agreed, while the other who was the real mother, had compassion on her child and said to give it to the other woman rather than killing it. Solomon, filled with the wisdom of God, knew that the compassion of the one woman showed that it was her child. He then gave the command to give it to her - for it was her child. Everyone was amazed at this decision and knew God's wisdom was in him. In many ways this strengthened his power and authority among the people. They knew God was with him - and that he ruled with great caution to make the right decisions. But Solomon also knew of his sins - how his heart was drawn away by foreign women. God commanded that His people not do this - because these women would turn them away from God to their false gods. Solomon ignored this command and did his own thing. He erred in judgment. The end of this was the eventual destruction of Israel. The more they turned from God the greater the judgment fell upon the nation. Truly as king he should not have erred in judgment. Every leader on this earth should have this verse etched into his psyche. We have those today who say that there should be a separation of church and state. I agree with them if they mean that Congress should not establish a national denomination - or a national church run according to the dictates of the government. But what they have done is enforce the establishment clause of the first ammendment, but have completely ignored the fact that there is also a protection clause. They are never to prohibit the free exercise of religion - and our founders meant the Christian religion in particular. They said that a man was not fit to run for office if he was not a Christian. Our founders said that this nation was predicated on our ability to obey the 10 commandments. They knew that if God's Law reigned in our hearts (realizing it needed to rein in our hearts) that a plethora of human laws would not be necessary. We've rejected such things - and as a result - our leaders have rejected God's ways and Word. It really should be no great shock to us that the nation has and is declining. The worst aspect of this is that our president and Congress no longer look to God's Word for leadership. They think that they know what to do from their own thoughts and ways. This can lead no where except to disaster in the end. Our President and Congress need to recapture what is said in this proverb. They have great power - and God tells His people to honor the power of their governing officials. But that power is not absolute. They are under the same Word of God as we are. They should not err in judgment as they rule over the people. When they do, they need to realize that their power is NOT absolute. God, who said we should obey them, is also the One who said that He raises up kings and overthrows them as well. In his divine providence He has seen nations rise up - and others destroyed and humbled. In the end we all will answer to Him. For some He may not do it as quickly as they want, but the fact remains that He ultimately rules over all the affairs of men. If only our current rulers would recognize this - our nation would turn around to a place of blessing under their leadership. But as long as they think they cannot err in their own judgment - we are probably not going anywhere good in our future as a nation. Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. Proverbs 2:9
How do you know when you are doing the right thing or going in the right direction in life? Here is a question that everyone would love to be able to answer. The fact is that God says that we can know this. The way that we know it though is definitely outside of the mainstream of ideas that exist today. Let's take a look today at how we can know whether we are on course or not. Solomon tells us here that there is a time when we will be able to discern some very important things. The first in his fourfold list is righteousness. Before we jump into those four things, we should see that discernment is involved. The word discern means that we are able to look at things and distinguish between them. We see differences between two or more things - and use that knowledge to understand them from God's vantage point. Here is our first very important lesson - things differ - and you can tell the difference. Most would agree with you on this truth - until you begin stating what you can distinguish between. The last thing we should address before we go into our list is that Solomon is stating what he does in verse 9 as a conclusion to all he has said before. What is it that allows us to have this discernment? It is the Word of God. All through this chapter he is calling for us to receive the Word, store up the Word in our hearts, cry out for God's work in teaching it to us, and to seek for the Word as one would buried treasure. The discernment of which we speak here is a discernment that comes only because of the way the Word works in our hearts. As I said earlier, the first in his fourold list if righteousness. We will be able to discern when something is right or not. Now is the moment when the postmodern among us throw up their red flags. They assert someone might know right and wrong for themselves - but consider it the height of arrogance to think or state that anyone might be able to discern right and wrong for everyone. But that is exactly what Proverbs asserts here - and more by the time we finish with the four things Solomon says can be discerned. The second in our list of four is justice. Our society cries out for justice - but unfortunately the justice they want ignores the Word of God. It ignores what God calls just in many cases - and completely ignores the problem of how we can be just before Him. Whereas the world cries for social justice - God offers absolute justice. These are not always opposed to one another - but - God ultimately wants us to be able to stand before Him just and righteous - and that requires the person and the work of Jesus Christ to happen. The third thing we will be able to discern is equity. Here, my friends is a loaded word. "Meysar" is the word the Hebrews used to describe equity. It means rightness, correctness, and fairness. The word meant something smooth and level. Communism is man's way of trying to make everything equitable. Pure communism takes from everyone and then redistributes it so everyone gets an equal share. It does not take into account work ethic or whether someone has truly earned their share with hard work. And since pure communism would require pure hearts to work - we see that in practical communism - the ruling class takes and redistributes so everyone is equally as poor - while they live in the lap of luxury and take care of those who most honor and support their rule. When God speaks of equity He is speaking of how a state should judge fairly and honorably. He is speaking of how His promises are available to all. To "discern" equity we need to see things as God does - for fairness and correctness begins with what is fair and right in God's eyes. When we bring God into this equation - we have serious trouble for mankind. Man is sinful and rebellious - and what is fair for him is God's wrath and judgment. What we should find amazing about God's equity is that He chose to pay the price of equity for us - and instead of giving us what is fair, He gave us grace instead. Finally, through the Word, we can discern every good course. We will know the right ways to walk - and God will indicate to us wrongs ones as well. This right and wrong will correspond to what He says in His Word. Thus we have the ultimate aggravation to the modernist. We assert that through God's Word we have an "absolute standard" upon which all things in life is to be measured. If actions and choices and lifestyles do not measure up to what God calls good, right, just, and equitable - they are wrong. And thus begins the clash of worldviews. True Judaism and Christianity will always find themselves at odds with the rest of the worldviews that come from men. They end up at odds because they have the audacity of claiming that God's Word is a revelation of THE truth. For those who reject this claim - the world is a mish-mash of conflicting morals and ideas. We all get along by ultimately stating that both everything is right, as well as everything is wrong. It might be right for us while at the same time being wrong for others. The resulting public moral quicksand creates a world in which all things are to be tolerated except the arrogance of Judaism and Christianity who assert that their worldview is absolute. That view - that view that states that there is absolute truth and it is found in God's Word - is the one that absolutely cannot be tolerated. Too bad though - because it is the only worldview that creates the stability of actually knowing whether the path you are taking will ultimately lead to blessing or destruction. The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender's slave.
Proverbs 22:7 Proverbs is an interesting book in that it is presenting wisdom to us. But as we read it there are times when we struggle with what is being said. Here we read about how the rich rules over the poor - and we wonder about the wisdom of this statement. But before we make the fatal mistake of questioning an all-wise God, let's take a moment to look at this proverb without the liability of the class warfare that has too often been used to color our thinking about such things. The rich does rule over the poor. This is too the advantage of both if they are wise in how they conduct themselves. The rich often become that way because they have learned how to manage things and deal with them so that they are profitable. These sound like the kind of skills needed to be a leader. Solomon is saying that this is the case - that the ones who rule over others are usually those who have worked hard to accomplish something. Ones who have used their abilities to manage and accumulate wealth and influence. that influence naturally puts them in a position to exercise even greater influence over a larger and larger number of people. For those who are offended that the Bible speaks of the rich ruling over the poor also need to consider the things the Bible says to protect the poor. God has said numerous things to make it clear that He bring judgment upon the man who oppresses the poor. He warns the rich again and again not to put their hope in riches. He also warns about how riches can deceive a man and destroy him if he decides to pursue wealth about pursuing the things of God. God may say that the rich rules over the poor - but He does not in any way condone the rich abusing the poor. In fact, God promises that He will rise up to defend the poor and needy. The second thing we learn from this passage is the dangers and evils of living on borrowed money. We learn that the borrower becomes the lender's slave. When I read this statement I remember the rendition of a Disney song that goes, "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go." The borrower owns the lender - or at least he owns whatever was purchased with loans until they are completely paid off. Things become worse for the one who owes an exorbitant amount to the lender. More and more interest is charged the larger the amount - and the worker suddenly is working to pay off the interest without even touching the loan amount itself. Then the borrower becomes the lender's slave. He will never get out of debt and spends a lifetime paying for something he will never own. When I read this particular proverb I fear for our nation. We are no longer a lender nation - but a debtor one. Our leadership on both sides of the aisle have mortgaged our future trying to buy our votes. The sick reality of our situation is that they've bought our votes promising things they've bought with our money as they enact more and more confiscatory tax policies. Thus we've been bought using our own money - and those who have used it have done so to further enslave us to government programs and promises to save us. In the end, this house of cards will come crashing to the ground. Our greed to become rich with loans will come home to roost as our currency and our economy become worthless. The wise man does not seek riches through becoming a lender's slave. Instead he uses industry, sacrifice, and saving to purchase what he wants - and greater wisdom to have what he has saved be used to increase his ability to earn more. And if he is truly wise, he will use the wealth God has given him the ability to earn to bless others. He will not allow riches to use him, he will use riches to bring glory to God. Take away the dross from the silver, And there comes out a vessel for the smith; Take away the wicked before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness. Proverbs 25:4-5
How important is it for a national leader to be surrounded by godly counsellors? According to what we read here in Proverbs 25, it is absolutely vital! When a king, chancellor, or president is surrounded by the wicked - there is a much greater chance that his rule or administration will be visited with problems. The picture that is given for us first is a silver vessel that is being made by a smelter or silver smith. If he is making something valuable and something that will last, he will take the time and the effort to remove the dross from the silver. This requires a crucible and a lot of heat. It requires watching over the silver to make sure that he scapes off all the dross that comes to the surface as it heats. Dross is the junk and impurities that are in the silver ore. As it heats up this rises to the top and can be scraped away. It is what will make the silver polluted, less valuable, and more liable to be brittle and break. If he takes the time to properly take the dross out of the silver - he will have something he can properly mold - and something that will both last and be very valuable. The dross in any governmental structure is the wicked who are trying to influence and counsel the king. We read next that if the wicked are taken from before the king - his throne will be established in righteousness. The wicked are constantly trying to gain the king's ear - so this is often a matter of wisdom in the king himself - and how he views his power. If he sees power as something he himself has - and something he uses to do what he wants - he will be far less likely to take away the wicked from before him. The reason this is the case is that men will use flattery and his own ego against him. Consider the story of Daniel and the lion's den. The king's greatest ally and wise advisor was Daniel. But because the king was liable to be led astray by his own ego, he listened to men who wanted to declare a day where no one could pray to anyone except him. When he made the fateful choice to enact this law - he learned that any real honor to him was the farthest thing from the minds of his advisors. They lay in wait for Daniel to pray - knowing he would. Then they brought the king's most trusted advisor before him - demanding that he pay the price for his evil prayers to God. Even though the king hated the action - he did so - and were it not for God's intervention, Daniel would have been torn to pieces. This is why it is so important for a king to know WHERE he got his power - and HOW he is to use it. Kings and presidents get their power from God. Ultimately He has allowed them to come into a position of power - and the king and president would be wise to use that power to advance God's agenda in that nation. We read that "righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. Therefore it is a wise king who removes wicked advisors from his presence and seeks to advance his kingdom on godly, righteous principles. Consider the advice of Ahithophel, who counselled Absalom when he robbed David of the kingdom of Israel. He told Absalom to rape the king's concubines in public view - to strengthen his kingdom. This was foolishness - because he was not strengthening anything but wickedness. God was not going to advance such a man - and it is no surprise that he was killed soon afterward in battle. There is one misnomer I need to correct in commenting on this particular passage. The Bible does not say that this course will keep a king from trouble. Sometimes it puts a king in the crosshairs of the ungodly when he does this. But what is does do for a godly leader is place him in the safest of all places - the center of God's will. If a kingdom has previously been run by godless men and has been filled with godless leaders, there will be much opposition to this kind of rule. In the end, though, that king will be blessed, because historically, God rises up and brings wonderful deliverances to such a leader. Something built with dross can look good upon first glance. It may even be useful for a time. But in the end - in a time of stress and testing - it will fail because it does not have inner strength upon which to draw in difficult times. It is far better to withstand the heat of becoming pure - because the heat (which is usually pretty unpleasant at the time) will in the end ensure greater strength and stability in the end. Therefore - pray for our president and for all our leaders. Do not be cowered into a corner by the separation of church and state crowd. Not only are they wrong constitutionally in their assertions, but more importantly - they are only seeking to lay a foundation that will NOT stand. Our forefathers understood much better that a nation built upon righteousness will stand. Any other foundation is only paving the way for failure in the end. Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked, is sin. Proverbs 21:4
Two things that God hates are haughtiness and pride. They are actually two sides of the same sin - but nevertheless God really despises these things. We learn from this proverb that these two things are the very lamp that shines within the wicked - it is what they think gives them light and guidance. It should be a no brainer then why they are so blind to the things of God. Haughty eyes are the first thing mentioned here. The word for haughty here means something having height - and actually refers to the physical height of the heavens. In the oriental culture it was considered a good thing to cast your eyes down before a superior. It showed respect. To this day orientals show their honor and deference to someone by bowing to them and lowering their eyes. Thus to have lifted eyes - even eyes raised to the heights - is to be a very disrespectful and arrogant person. It is a way of saying that you recognize no greater authority in life than yourself. Everyone else is "below" you. A "proud heart" is also mentioned here. The word proud means something wide, spacious, and broad. When put with the word "heart" it came to mean someone arrogant - of a broad and prideful heart. One of the ways this speaks to us is that in biblical times someone who held a "broad" view of their morals and choices was someone who ignored the Scriptures and the Law - and chose rather to walk in the pride of their own desires (broad as they may be - yet still wrong!) rather than submit themselves to the Law of God and the boundaries it put on their actions and attitudes. When a man has arrogant eyes that refuse any authority but their own, and a heart that refuses God's Law - that person is wicked. This proverb tells us that this is the "lamp" of the wicked - these arrogant eyes and proud heart. The lamp refers to the light by which this person seeks to live. The psalmist prayed, "Send forth Your light and Your truth, let them lead me." This was his request - that the light and the lamp that shone within him would be in agreement with God's Word - God's Law. Thus, as this light shone within him - he would see to know where to go and what to do. But for the wicked, their light is their own arrogance and pride. The light that guides them utterly rejects God's authority over their lives - and God's Word that speaks what is truth and light. The result is that their lamp shows darkness and not light. They are blind as a bat when it comes to any kind of vision or any kind of ability to walk in God's ways. Oh, how we as believers need to reject in us eyes that are arrogant and lifted against God's authority in our lives. How we need to reject a heart that says that God's Word has nothing to say to us. If we want to be spiritually blind, these are the things we need to embrace - but if we want any kind of spiritual vision whatsoever - we need to reject anything that has to do with arrogance or prideful attitudes toward God or toward His Word. |
Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. Thank you for visiting our website! Everything on this site is offered for free. If, however, you would like to make a donation to help pay for its continued presence on the internet, you can do that by clicking here. The only thing we ask is that you give first to the local church you attend. Thank you!
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