Wise Government

Posted 9/24/2005 9:47:57 PM

Proverbs has much to say about many things, setting out multitudes of cause-and-effect and comparisons that reflect the true nature of man and God's wisdom.

Let's look at Proverbs and government from two perspectives: from government to people, and from people to government.

Government to People

What a government ("king" in the Proverbs) should be like:

• Encourage wise behaviour, and punish shameful behavior Pr 14:35
• Speak truthfully and justly Pr 16:10
• Place value in honesty and those who speak the truth Pr 16:13
• Humble and truthful Pr 17:7
• Good at weeding out the bad Pr 20:26,28
• Loathes ill-gotten gains Pr 28:16
• Is fair, especially to those who can't afford it Pr 29:14

There seems to be lots of emphasis on truth in government!
People to Government

Proverbs often don't seem to make sense when viewed in context of the way the world generally works. Nevertheless, they are more true than we might otherwise think:

• Truth and honesty will be values and enjoyed Pr 16:13, probably because those values are so rare (especially around tax time).
• Rebelling against the government is not only evil, it's a sure path to incarceration Pr 17:11; 24:21-22
• Purity of heart and gracious (not flattering!) speech makes friends in high places Pr 22:11
• Forsaking the law and wickedness go hand in hand Pr 28:4
• Ignoring government's laws will cut off your prayer with God Pr 28:9

Again, like the goverment, the people have a responsibility to be truthful, and also obedient. Especially since Proverbs 21:1; 8:15-16 make it very clear that goverment is in God's control, and therefore should be respected as His institution.

All verses in this article