Proverbs 14:35 "The king's favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame."
Words always matter, but especially in the Holy Scriptures. When the Bible talks about a king, it isn't talking about just anyone. When the Bible speaks about a king, it isn't referring to the average person. When a king is mentioned in Scripture, a very particular type of person is being discussed and that needs to be taken into consideration, otherwise incorrect conclusions will be drawn. For example, when Solomon writes, "The KING'S heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will" (Proverbs 21:1), he is talking about the heart of a national leader; he is not talking about the heart of the ordinary citizen. God takes liberties with the heart of a king that He doesn't with an average person. When a man obtains power with the crown, he loses some power before God. When a man becomes a national leader, God takes liberties with him that He doesn't take with ordinary men and women. When the Bible speaks about a king, it is very literally speaking about someone in power. This must be factored into Bible study if we are to interpret it correctly.
This final proverb of the fourteenth chapter doesn't address the liberties God takes with people in power; instead, it addresses the responsibilities men and women have toward people in power. King Solomon tells us that a king loves a wise servant but gets very angry with one that causes shame. Based on those two scenarios, we can and must properly conclude that an UNWISE servant causes shame for a person in power. It is critical, however, that we recognize that the shame caused by the unwise servant is not the result of mere mistake. The shame of this servant is not the product of simply being human and being perpetually flawed. The shame of this servant is very specifically the result of foolishness. The shame that this servant brings to the kingdom is the direct result of not being wise, meaning he doesn’t have the sense to realize that what he did became a reflection on the king. He didn't have the sense to realize that his actions were a direct reflection on the king's kingdom. It was foolish of him to think what he did was only a reflection of his little world. Because he lacked wisdom, he just couldn't figure out why the king was so angry with him for performing so poorly as his servant in the public eye.
This proverb reveals the wisdom necessary when finding yourself a servant in another man’s kingdom. All of us will spend our lives in someone else's kingdom, meaning we will be under someone else's authority. We all start our lives as children in the kingdom of our parent’s home. As students, we are in the kingdom of our teacher's classroom. As athletes, we are in the kingdom of our coach's team. As musicians, we are in the kingdom of a conductor's band, orchestra or choir. As employees, we are in the kingdom of our employer's business. As citizens, we are in the kingdom of our politician's jurisdiction. If without wisdom in these kingdoms, we will see ourselves as independent contractors responsible for only ourselves. If we lack wisdom in these kingdoms, we'll see ourselves independent from the kingdom and it's king. We'll do what we think is best, not what our king thinks is best. We'll choose our actions, behavior, pace and mood based on how we want people to view us. We'll be widely unconcerned about how people view our king. How our performance reflects on our king never enters our foolish mind. Without wisdom, we'll be totally and only concerned with ourselves within the kingdom of another person. We'll perform our duties without anyone else in mind but not necessarily because we're selfish, but instead because we're FOOLISH and ignorant.
Foolish children don't understand why their father seems unhappy with them for being so wild at the restaurant. Foolish students don’t understand why their teacher gets so upset when the class is performing so poorly. Foolish athletes don't understand why their coach get so angry at halftime after a horrific first half. Foolish employees don't understand why their employers react so passionately when the company is underperforming. Fools don't realize that a king's success is hinged to the behavior of his servants. Fools don't have enough sense to realize that a leader's performance is directly connected to the performance of the people beneath him. A father's job is to raise good children and if those children are not good, that father is seen as a failure. It is the teacher's responsibility to teach students and if those students are failing, that teacher is seen as a failure. If a football team isn't winning, the coach is the one who gets fired; not the players. Only a foolish athlete would ask, "why is coach so upset?" Only a foolish employee would ask, "why is the boss so aggravated with me?"
Wisdom very clearly teaches the king’s servants that, who they are and what they do is a direct reflection on the king. A wise student realizes why the teacher is upset when the class is failing. A wise athlete understands why the coach is worked up when the team is losing. A wise employee gets it when his employer isn't happy with him for dropping the ball. A wise child eventually connects the big dots between his misbehavior and his father's displeasure as being less about the father's inconvenience and more about the father's responsibility. When a servant fails to take their reflection on their king's reputation seriously, he not only provokes the king's wrath - he also reveals his own foolishness. A foolish employee thinks his boss is vain for caring about his reputation. A foolish son thinks his parent is selfish to care about their reputation. A foolish student thinks a teacher is egotistical to care about his class's performance and success. A king's success hinges on national perception. For anyone in power, perception is power. No employer is seen as successful if his employees are incompetent. No coach is seen as successful if his athletes are undisciplined. No father is seen as successful if his children are unruly.
Shame brought by a servant speaks volumes about a king. That shame only needs to be brought by one of many servants for it to be a bold reflection on the king. A father knows that he may raise several children successfully but if one of those children chooses to be unruly, that children alone can bring shame and ultimately, destroy his reputation. An employer knows that he could lead countless employees successfully but if one employee chooses to embezzle funds, it could ruin his reputation and destroy his success. This is why a foolish servant, child or employee underestimates the wrath of the person in power. People in power know the power of perception, which is why public relations is so important to businesses and governments. Those not in power see it as a matter of vanity and insincerity but people in power understand its substantial influence and those who wisely manage it will wisely maintain power. God Himself knows this better than anyone and has instructed His Church to appreciate the power of perception. In Philippians 2:15, He commands us to be "BLAMELESS and harmless, the sons of God, WITHOUT REBUKE, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." It is a requirement for pastors, the leaders of the Church, to "have a GOOD REPORT of them which are without; lest he fall into REPROACH and the snare of the devil" (1 Timothy 3:7). Poor perception alone can undermine and undo all of the good of any kingdom, including God's. Any wise leader knows that and for that reason, takes any shame brought by any employee or minister very seriously.
Wisdom tells a servant that what he does and how he acts will be a reflection on the king. Wisdom tells that servant that the king understands and values the power of perception because it can make or break his kingdom. Knowing that, a wise servant embraces the opportunity he possesses to help his king succeed simply by what he projects to the public. A wise servant understands perception as much as his king. A wise servant understands the power he possesses in what he is communicating about the king. He realizes that, as a reflection of the king, he possesses great power. He is not ignorant of the influence he possesses. He is not ignorant of the value he has. If he is truly wise, he will use that influence and power to facilitate success for the kingdom because the success of the kingdom in which he is living and serving means more success for him. If his king succeeds, that will only translate to more success for him. Only a foolish employee wouldn't want his employer to succeed. Only a foolish athlete wouldn't want his coach to succeed. Losing doesn't help the athlete any more than the coach.
Solomon was a successful king and his success was directly connected to perception, specifically, the sincere appearance, behavior and performance of his servants. The Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's great kingdom but remained skeptical until she visited him and heard his wisdom firsthand. What the Bible says about her conclusion is critical to the understanding of this proverb. In 1 Kings 10, it reads, "when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom." She gaged his success by the appearance, manners and behavior of his servants. Had any of them looked miserable or disinterested in the kingdom, that would've been a poor reflection on him. Perception was crucial in her assessment of him and ultimately, in her conclusion of his success as a king. Since they listened to their king, those servants were wise and as a result, sincerely happy. Being wise, they knew that their king's success was connected to their duties. None of them were going to bring any shame to his kingdom for they knew that would provoke his wrath but also jeopardize the success of the kingdom. Only a foolish servant of the king wouldn't want him to succeed and only a foolish citizen of the kingdom wouldn't want the kingdom to succeed.
Young person, if you get upset when your father gets upset at you for bringing any shame to your family, wisdom is needed. Older person, if you get upset when your employer gets upset at you for making the company look bad, wisdom is needed. Christian, if you get upset when the Holy Spirit seems angry with you for bringing reproach to the Church, wisdom is missing. The boss loves workers who wisely protect the reputation of the company. Parents appreciates the child who wisely avoids bringing shame to a home. Most importantly, our King favors those who wisely recognize the need to protect the perception of the Kingdom by not contradicting the Scriptures with unholy living. This proverb isn't just telling us that a king in a distant land likes wise servants; it is teaching us that wise people understand the heavy-duty responsibilities of leadership and that they wisely protect the public perception of that organization or institution.
This final proverb of the fourteenth chapter doesn't address the liberties God takes with people in power; instead, it addresses the responsibilities men and women have toward people in power. King Solomon tells us that a king loves a wise servant but gets very angry with one that causes shame. Based on those two scenarios, we can and must properly conclude that an UNWISE servant causes shame for a person in power. It is critical, however, that we recognize that the shame caused by the unwise servant is not the result of mere mistake. The shame of this servant is not the product of simply being human and being perpetually flawed. The shame of this servant is very specifically the result of foolishness. The shame that this servant brings to the kingdom is the direct result of not being wise, meaning he doesn’t have the sense to realize that what he did became a reflection on the king. He didn't have the sense to realize that his actions were a direct reflection on the king's kingdom. It was foolish of him to think what he did was only a reflection of his little world. Because he lacked wisdom, he just couldn't figure out why the king was so angry with him for performing so poorly as his servant in the public eye.
This proverb reveals the wisdom necessary when finding yourself a servant in another man’s kingdom. All of us will spend our lives in someone else's kingdom, meaning we will be under someone else's authority. We all start our lives as children in the kingdom of our parent’s home. As students, we are in the kingdom of our teacher's classroom. As athletes, we are in the kingdom of our coach's team. As musicians, we are in the kingdom of a conductor's band, orchestra or choir. As employees, we are in the kingdom of our employer's business. As citizens, we are in the kingdom of our politician's jurisdiction. If without wisdom in these kingdoms, we will see ourselves as independent contractors responsible for only ourselves. If we lack wisdom in these kingdoms, we'll see ourselves independent from the kingdom and it's king. We'll do what we think is best, not what our king thinks is best. We'll choose our actions, behavior, pace and mood based on how we want people to view us. We'll be widely unconcerned about how people view our king. How our performance reflects on our king never enters our foolish mind. Without wisdom, we'll be totally and only concerned with ourselves within the kingdom of another person. We'll perform our duties without anyone else in mind but not necessarily because we're selfish, but instead because we're FOOLISH and ignorant.
Foolish children don't understand why their father seems unhappy with them for being so wild at the restaurant. Foolish students don’t understand why their teacher gets so upset when the class is performing so poorly. Foolish athletes don't understand why their coach get so angry at halftime after a horrific first half. Foolish employees don't understand why their employers react so passionately when the company is underperforming. Fools don't realize that a king's success is hinged to the behavior of his servants. Fools don't have enough sense to realize that a leader's performance is directly connected to the performance of the people beneath him. A father's job is to raise good children and if those children are not good, that father is seen as a failure. It is the teacher's responsibility to teach students and if those students are failing, that teacher is seen as a failure. If a football team isn't winning, the coach is the one who gets fired; not the players. Only a foolish athlete would ask, "why is coach so upset?" Only a foolish employee would ask, "why is the boss so aggravated with me?"
Wisdom very clearly teaches the king’s servants that, who they are and what they do is a direct reflection on the king. A wise student realizes why the teacher is upset when the class is failing. A wise athlete understands why the coach is worked up when the team is losing. A wise employee gets it when his employer isn't happy with him for dropping the ball. A wise child eventually connects the big dots between his misbehavior and his father's displeasure as being less about the father's inconvenience and more about the father's responsibility. When a servant fails to take their reflection on their king's reputation seriously, he not only provokes the king's wrath - he also reveals his own foolishness. A foolish employee thinks his boss is vain for caring about his reputation. A foolish son thinks his parent is selfish to care about their reputation. A foolish student thinks a teacher is egotistical to care about his class's performance and success. A king's success hinges on national perception. For anyone in power, perception is power. No employer is seen as successful if his employees are incompetent. No coach is seen as successful if his athletes are undisciplined. No father is seen as successful if his children are unruly.
Shame brought by a servant speaks volumes about a king. That shame only needs to be brought by one of many servants for it to be a bold reflection on the king. A father knows that he may raise several children successfully but if one of those children chooses to be unruly, that children alone can bring shame and ultimately, destroy his reputation. An employer knows that he could lead countless employees successfully but if one employee chooses to embezzle funds, it could ruin his reputation and destroy his success. This is why a foolish servant, child or employee underestimates the wrath of the person in power. People in power know the power of perception, which is why public relations is so important to businesses and governments. Those not in power see it as a matter of vanity and insincerity but people in power understand its substantial influence and those who wisely manage it will wisely maintain power. God Himself knows this better than anyone and has instructed His Church to appreciate the power of perception. In Philippians 2:15, He commands us to be "BLAMELESS and harmless, the sons of God, WITHOUT REBUKE, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." It is a requirement for pastors, the leaders of the Church, to "have a GOOD REPORT of them which are without; lest he fall into REPROACH and the snare of the devil" (1 Timothy 3:7). Poor perception alone can undermine and undo all of the good of any kingdom, including God's. Any wise leader knows that and for that reason, takes any shame brought by any employee or minister very seriously.
Wisdom tells a servant that what he does and how he acts will be a reflection on the king. Wisdom tells that servant that the king understands and values the power of perception because it can make or break his kingdom. Knowing that, a wise servant embraces the opportunity he possesses to help his king succeed simply by what he projects to the public. A wise servant understands perception as much as his king. A wise servant understands the power he possesses in what he is communicating about the king. He realizes that, as a reflection of the king, he possesses great power. He is not ignorant of the influence he possesses. He is not ignorant of the value he has. If he is truly wise, he will use that influence and power to facilitate success for the kingdom because the success of the kingdom in which he is living and serving means more success for him. If his king succeeds, that will only translate to more success for him. Only a foolish employee wouldn't want his employer to succeed. Only a foolish athlete wouldn't want his coach to succeed. Losing doesn't help the athlete any more than the coach.
Solomon was a successful king and his success was directly connected to perception, specifically, the sincere appearance, behavior and performance of his servants. The Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's great kingdom but remained skeptical until she visited him and heard his wisdom firsthand. What the Bible says about her conclusion is critical to the understanding of this proverb. In 1 Kings 10, it reads, "when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom." She gaged his success by the appearance, manners and behavior of his servants. Had any of them looked miserable or disinterested in the kingdom, that would've been a poor reflection on him. Perception was crucial in her assessment of him and ultimately, in her conclusion of his success as a king. Since they listened to their king, those servants were wise and as a result, sincerely happy. Being wise, they knew that their king's success was connected to their duties. None of them were going to bring any shame to his kingdom for they knew that would provoke his wrath but also jeopardize the success of the kingdom. Only a foolish servant of the king wouldn't want him to succeed and only a foolish citizen of the kingdom wouldn't want the kingdom to succeed.
Young person, if you get upset when your father gets upset at you for bringing any shame to your family, wisdom is needed. Older person, if you get upset when your employer gets upset at you for making the company look bad, wisdom is needed. Christian, if you get upset when the Holy Spirit seems angry with you for bringing reproach to the Church, wisdom is missing. The boss loves workers who wisely protect the reputation of the company. Parents appreciates the child who wisely avoids bringing shame to a home. Most importantly, our King favors those who wisely recognize the need to protect the perception of the Kingdom by not contradicting the Scriptures with unholy living. This proverb isn't just telling us that a king in a distant land likes wise servants; it is teaching us that wise people understand the heavy-duty responsibilities of leadership and that they wisely protect the public perception of that organization or institution.
Recent
Archive
2025
January
April
October
November
2024
January
September
2023
January
February
March
April
October
2022