Proverbs 11:10-11 "When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked."
Some people love politics while others hate them but all of us are impacted by the politics of our world. What happens in Albany doesn’t stay in Albany. What happens in Washington doesn’t stay in Washington. In fact, what happens in our capitols always and eventually makes its way into our living rooms. Therefore, we should know how to best influence what happens in our capitols. We should know what the best form of politics is and what the worst form of politics is. We should know what to support and what to resist. We should know what to follow and what to reject. Furthermore, we should know how to raise a generation of good leaders or at the very least, know how to raise them to know the difference between good politics and bad politics.
When it comes to politics, there may be no greater authority than Solomon. He was around politics his entire life as the son of a king, as the instructor of a future king and of course, as a long-tenured king himself. His observation and experience coupled with his wisdom from God makes him most credible when it comes to the science of politics. In these proverbs, Solomon shares basic but foundational political principles for a successful society. These principles work for any people at any time in any form of government.
1. Reward the Righteous.
“When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth.”
The overwhelming majority of people in our world want a fair society. We want the same rules and rules that we know will benefit us. We want to know that green means green and red means red. We want to know that if we go on green, we’ll be safe from cars on either side of us and if we brake on red, we’ll be safe from cars behind us. Law and order are absolutely essential for any society to succeed. Rewarding those who obey the law is equally as essential for a society to succeed. When the best of society are treated poorly, that society will begin to devalue law and order. When the righteous of any society are treated as criminals, that society will begin to minimize law and order.
Sadly, such has been the case in our society in recent decades as law-abiding, tax-paying business owners have been treated as criminals because they cannot in good conscious support abortion or same-sex marriage. Law-abiding public school coaches have been treated like threats to society because they offer a prayer before or after a game. Law-abiding candidates for the court have been demonized because they hold religious values based on Scripture. “When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth” because adhering to good laws is good for people and for society. When it doesn’t go well with the righteous, the city is in turmoil because when it appears that being a law-abiding citizen is dangerous, law and order is threatened. When law and order is threatened, a society is in danger of no longer being just and fair. When a society is no longer just and fair, that society is no longer safe and stable. If green no longer means green and red no longer means red, who can be safe?
2. Sentence the Sinner.
“When the wicked perish, there is shouting.”
The human spirit longs for justice. The innocent plead for justice when victimized. Even criminals seek justice in their twisted circles of gangs and mafias. When blood is shed, blood is demanded. In any society, criminality left unpunished is a danger to that society but not just because criminals remain on the street. Criminality left unpunished rocks the confidence a society must have in its justice system. We soberly celebrate the arrest, conviction and sentencing of evildoers. We soberly shouted when it was announced that Bin Laden was executed. We celebrate when the wicked perish because it reinforces our trust in justice. We need justice to be carried out to trust the justice system of our society. If justice is not carried out, we will no longer trust our authorities. When we no longer trust our authorities, societal collapse is inevitable.
Sadly, such has been the case in our society in the past few years as criminals have been glorified and law enforcement has been villainized. While there has been clear wrong-doing in law enforcement, the average citizen in our country doesn’t want the criminal glorified and the police officer villainized. Law-abiding citizens don’t want law enforcement handcuffed while criminals increase in weaponry. No society can succeed when criminals are emboldened and law enforcement is disheartened. There is increasing uneasiness in the American air as well as a growing mistrust for the American government simply because the wicked are not being punished.
3. Revere the Righteous.
“By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted.”
When law-abiding citizens are advising politicians, sound policies will be born. When criminals are driving reform, unhealthy policies will surface. Crooked politicians craft policies that will benefit the companies and organizations that are funding them rather than the law-abiding citizens that are praying for them. A society governed by leaders who get their advice from the rich and famous will look very different from a society governed by leaders who get their advice from pastors and ministers. A city or nation will be exalted in our world if its leaders will listen to the upright. Presidents fill their cabinets with men and women who specialize in different areas of politics and presidents would be wise if they would make their right-hand man a man of God.
If our leaders ran every decision by a godly counselor, our policies would look very different. If our leaders ran every law by a godly advisor, our country would look and sound much better than it does today. As a recent President arrogantly declared, “America is not a Christian nation” and it surely shows. Scriptural policies would make this nation a much better nation. America would rise high above all the nations of this world if it had the blessing of the upright.
4. Silence the Sinner.
“But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.”
While an upright advisor can help exalt a city’s reputation, a wicked advisor can destroy a city’s name. Societies are broken by bad laws and bad laws are born out of bad influences. Whoever has the ears of the politicians has the most power in a nation. In the case of a democratic society where the people rule, the loudest and fiercest voices tend to get the ears of the politicians. When weak leaders are elected in a nation where the loudest and fiercest voices are evil, societal failure is imminent.
It saddens me to note the present state of our country and how Solomon’s wise observation applies. If our leaders continue to heed the mouth of the wicked in Hollywood, our great nation will be overthrown. If our leaders continue to bow to the obnoxious voices of the anti-Scriptural professors in our universities, our beloved society will be overthrown. If our leaders continue to close their ears to the upright in preference to the wicked, further laws will be passed that go against nature and if this happens, the laws of the land will lack sense and ultimately, credibility. Justice will eventually disappear and people will no longer embrace any law and order. When there is no law and order, there will be no society.
Despite being a developed nation and despite claiming to be a sophisticated and intelligent people, our society would be wise to return to the political basics of an ancient king. We all would be wise to focus less on political parties and more on spiritual parties. The key to a successful American society is not choosing Republican or Democratic parties – it is choosing Righteous over Wicked parties.
When it comes to politics, there may be no greater authority than Solomon. He was around politics his entire life as the son of a king, as the instructor of a future king and of course, as a long-tenured king himself. His observation and experience coupled with his wisdom from God makes him most credible when it comes to the science of politics. In these proverbs, Solomon shares basic but foundational political principles for a successful society. These principles work for any people at any time in any form of government.
1. Reward the Righteous.
“When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth.”
The overwhelming majority of people in our world want a fair society. We want the same rules and rules that we know will benefit us. We want to know that green means green and red means red. We want to know that if we go on green, we’ll be safe from cars on either side of us and if we brake on red, we’ll be safe from cars behind us. Law and order are absolutely essential for any society to succeed. Rewarding those who obey the law is equally as essential for a society to succeed. When the best of society are treated poorly, that society will begin to devalue law and order. When the righteous of any society are treated as criminals, that society will begin to minimize law and order.
Sadly, such has been the case in our society in recent decades as law-abiding, tax-paying business owners have been treated as criminals because they cannot in good conscious support abortion or same-sex marriage. Law-abiding public school coaches have been treated like threats to society because they offer a prayer before or after a game. Law-abiding candidates for the court have been demonized because they hold religious values based on Scripture. “When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth” because adhering to good laws is good for people and for society. When it doesn’t go well with the righteous, the city is in turmoil because when it appears that being a law-abiding citizen is dangerous, law and order is threatened. When law and order is threatened, a society is in danger of no longer being just and fair. When a society is no longer just and fair, that society is no longer safe and stable. If green no longer means green and red no longer means red, who can be safe?
2. Sentence the Sinner.
“When the wicked perish, there is shouting.”
The human spirit longs for justice. The innocent plead for justice when victimized. Even criminals seek justice in their twisted circles of gangs and mafias. When blood is shed, blood is demanded. In any society, criminality left unpunished is a danger to that society but not just because criminals remain on the street. Criminality left unpunished rocks the confidence a society must have in its justice system. We soberly celebrate the arrest, conviction and sentencing of evildoers. We soberly shouted when it was announced that Bin Laden was executed. We celebrate when the wicked perish because it reinforces our trust in justice. We need justice to be carried out to trust the justice system of our society. If justice is not carried out, we will no longer trust our authorities. When we no longer trust our authorities, societal collapse is inevitable.
Sadly, such has been the case in our society in the past few years as criminals have been glorified and law enforcement has been villainized. While there has been clear wrong-doing in law enforcement, the average citizen in our country doesn’t want the criminal glorified and the police officer villainized. Law-abiding citizens don’t want law enforcement handcuffed while criminals increase in weaponry. No society can succeed when criminals are emboldened and law enforcement is disheartened. There is increasing uneasiness in the American air as well as a growing mistrust for the American government simply because the wicked are not being punished.
3. Revere the Righteous.
“By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted.”
When law-abiding citizens are advising politicians, sound policies will be born. When criminals are driving reform, unhealthy policies will surface. Crooked politicians craft policies that will benefit the companies and organizations that are funding them rather than the law-abiding citizens that are praying for them. A society governed by leaders who get their advice from the rich and famous will look very different from a society governed by leaders who get their advice from pastors and ministers. A city or nation will be exalted in our world if its leaders will listen to the upright. Presidents fill their cabinets with men and women who specialize in different areas of politics and presidents would be wise if they would make their right-hand man a man of God.
If our leaders ran every decision by a godly counselor, our policies would look very different. If our leaders ran every law by a godly advisor, our country would look and sound much better than it does today. As a recent President arrogantly declared, “America is not a Christian nation” and it surely shows. Scriptural policies would make this nation a much better nation. America would rise high above all the nations of this world if it had the blessing of the upright.
4. Silence the Sinner.
“But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.”
While an upright advisor can help exalt a city’s reputation, a wicked advisor can destroy a city’s name. Societies are broken by bad laws and bad laws are born out of bad influences. Whoever has the ears of the politicians has the most power in a nation. In the case of a democratic society where the people rule, the loudest and fiercest voices tend to get the ears of the politicians. When weak leaders are elected in a nation where the loudest and fiercest voices are evil, societal failure is imminent.
It saddens me to note the present state of our country and how Solomon’s wise observation applies. If our leaders continue to heed the mouth of the wicked in Hollywood, our great nation will be overthrown. If our leaders continue to bow to the obnoxious voices of the anti-Scriptural professors in our universities, our beloved society will be overthrown. If our leaders continue to close their ears to the upright in preference to the wicked, further laws will be passed that go against nature and if this happens, the laws of the land will lack sense and ultimately, credibility. Justice will eventually disappear and people will no longer embrace any law and order. When there is no law and order, there will be no society.
Despite being a developed nation and despite claiming to be a sophisticated and intelligent people, our society would be wise to return to the political basics of an ancient king. We all would be wise to focus less on political parties and more on spiritual parties. The key to a successful American society is not choosing Republican or Democratic parties – it is choosing Righteous over Wicked parties.
Posted in Proverbs Commentary
Tagged with Solomon, Politics, Albany, Washington, Republican, Democratic, Upright, righteous, wicked, Law, Order, Law Enforcement, Criminals, Justice System, justice, Bin Laden, Obama, America, American, Hollywood, Judges, Candidates, Coaches
Tagged with Solomon, Politics, Albany, Washington, Republican, Democratic, Upright, righteous, wicked, Law, Order, Law Enforcement, Criminals, Justice System, justice, Bin Laden, Obama, America, American, Hollywood, Judges, Candidates, Coaches
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