Proverbs 14:19

Proverbs 14:19 "The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous."

Sometimes, Scripture can appear so basic and simple that it can come across perplexing to the spiritually-ambitious.  This proverb is one of those cases.  Because of its simplicity, this proverb provokes serious questions for the spiritually-ambitious.  Is the Bible declaring universal submission by the wicked to the righteous?  Is Solomon suggesting that the evil will always bow to the good?  Has this always happened and does it always happen in every scenario through human history?  Do the righteous always prevail in this world?  What about the martyrs like Stephen and the innocent murder victims like Abel?  How would Solomon explain all of the wicked rulers over the years that reigned and died in wickedness?  

While we know that Scripture is inerrant and without error, this proverb can be perplexing because its simple statement is made without context, exception or explanation.  History and reality appear to contradict it as there seems to be plenty of evidence in our world today that would contradict such a bold declaration.  The spiritually-ambitious want more out from Solomon in this proverb.  Why would God inspire him to say such a thing that so obviously doesn't always seem to be the case?  These appropriate questions help us move past the proverb's basic exterior and into its more important interior.  Beyond the apparent declaration of universal submission to the good is the more convincing truth that righteousness is worth revering.  Beyond the initial skepticism that all evil doers always bow before the good is the more accurate meaning that goodness is worth honoring.

Rather than seeing words in the proverb that don't exist, let us focus on the words that the Book of Proverbs emphasize - "good" and "righteous."  This book of wisdom is one that highlights the value and quality of virtue.  It is dedicated to identifying, describing and promoting virtue.  Therefore, this particular proverb is less about what the evil do or don't and more about what virtue is or isn't.  The existing words identifying virtue, "good" and "righteous" are much more important than the non-existing words describing the acts of the evil, such as "always" and "shall."  Because the proverb does not read, "the evil always bows before the good," we should rightly conclude that it isn't teaching that.  Because it does not read, "the evil shall bow before the good," we shouldn't focus on the evil since there are exceptions and variations of what the evil do in our world.  Instead of emphasizing the evil and the wicked, let us emphasize what the overall emphasis of the proverbs is - virtue.
 
Rather than see the exceptions to this proverb's declaration of evil kneeling before good, note who is kneeling and who is not.  Rather than dwell on the cases where the wicked didn't or aren't bowing at the gate of the righteous, note what is being bowed to and what isn't being bowed to.  This proverb isn't about the evil always bowing to the righteous nor is it about the wicked always bowing at the gate of the righteous.  This proverb isn't shining the light on the submission of the wicked or on the eventual surrender of the evil.  Solomon isn't attempting to comfort the good with some blanket statement promising eventual and ultimate victory over the evil.  He isn't trying to encourage righteousness with some bold promise that eventually and ultimately, the wicked lose and surrender.  This proverb is much more meaningful.  It is declaring the nobility and quality of goodness.  It is declaring the purity and power of righteousness.  Goodness and righteousness are powerful virtues that people eventually bow to.  Righteousness is strong and without flaw.  Goodness is powerful and without weakness.  The evil may fight it but over time, they will find no vulnerability in it.  The wicked may resist it but over time, they will find no contradiction in it.

The good bow to the good because goodness is trustworthy.  The righteous bow to the gates of the righteous because righteousness is just.  The evil eventually bow to the good because goodness is strong.  The wicked eventually bow at the gates of righteousness because righteousness is void of hypocrisy or contradiction.  Goodness possesses qualities that are worth bowing to, even for the evil.  Righteousness contains attributes that even the wicked eventually find irresistible.  The evil don't bow to the good with any joy but they surrender their knee out of respect to the power of goodness.  The wicked hate it but they eventually and ultimately know that righteousness is better than wickedness.  They want to rebel and resist what they know is right but righteousness isn't wrong.  This proverb may be better appreciated when we realize that no one is bowing to evil within it.  It may even be better understood when we note that no one is bowing to the gates of the wicked.  Evil doesn't possess any qualities that are worth bowing to.  Wickedness doesn't contain any qualities worth submitting to.  Both evil and wickedness are appealing and seemingly, thrilling but that doesn't make them worthy of anyone's knee.  Evil is that influential friend that gets you to push the curfew but goodness is the father that wisely establishes the curfew.  Wickedness is that popular coworker that suggests you don't work that hard but righteousness is that honest employer that signs your check.  There is authority and nobility in righteousness that merits our respect whereas there is weakness and injustice in evil that merits our disrespect.

A good example of this proverb is the story of Mordecai and Haman in the Book of Esther.  Haman was a wicked man full of evil intent towards the people of Mordecai, the Jewish people.  When the king demanded everyone reverence Prince Haman, Mordecai refused to bow to him.  The righteous Mordecai couldn't respect or reverence a man with such unjust, unkind and ungodly qualities.  Mordecai found nothing in the evil Prince that earned his knee.  On the contrary, Prince Haman would eventually bow to Mordecai.  Eventually and ultimately, the evil Prince bowed at the gate of the righteous Hebrew because there was virtue that could not be resisted and defeated.  Despite hating the goodness of Mordecai, Haman couldn't resist it.  He did everything he could to destroy his goodness but in the end, it was irresistible and he bowed the knee for there was no convincing argument or sound accusation against it.  Virtue is without accusation.  Goodness is without contradiction.  Righteousness is without weakness.
 
If you have goodness, you don't bow to evil.  If you're righteous, you don't submit to wickedness.  On the contrary, even the evil bow to the good and even the wicked bow at the gate of the righteous because righteousness is always respectable.  Righteousness is always respectable, even when it isn't likeable by the wicked.