Proverbs 13:13

Proverbs 13:13 "Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded."

While it is always more important to remember that the Bible was written by men whom God inspired, it is still important to appreciate the type of men whom God inspired.  In the case of the proverbs, God inspired a wise king to write these timeless truths.  When reading these proverbs, it is helpful to keep the background of their author in mind.  Let us remember that the author of this proverb is a man who specialized in authority.  As the son of a king, he learned about authority early and intimately.  As the husband of many wives, he understood how authority worked.  As the father of countless children, he was no novice when it came to authority.  Most importantly, as the successful king and greatest ruler of his world for forty years, Solomon was an expert on authority.  According to this wise and Divinely-inspired monarch, how a person feels about a command is crucial.

When Solomon wrote about “despising the word,” he was writing about an authoritative word such as the word of a king or a father.  This “word” is equated to a commandment in the proverb and elsewhere in Scripture.  Ecclesiastes 8:4-5 uses these words synonymously when reading, “Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing.”  John wrote similarly in his first epistle, “Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning” (1 John 2:7).  When Jesus cast out a devil with eight of His words, Luke tells us that His apostles, “were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this!  for with authority and power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out” (Luke 4:36).  Generally-speaking, this proverb is dealing with our response to the words of our authorities - both Earthly and Heavenly authorities.  More specifically, this proverb is addressing our feelings about the orders our authorities give us.
 
It matters how we feel about our authorities.  It matters how we feel about the rule of law we’re beneath.  It matters how we feel about the commands our parents give us.  It matters how we feel about the policies our employers subject us to.  It matters how we feel about the legislation our politicians pass.  It most certainly matters how we feel about the commandments God speaks to us through His word.  How we feel about these things is a big deal.  How we feel about what we’re told to do by any legitimate authority is a big deal.
 
This proverb is not about submission, obedience or compliance to any God-given authority.  This proverb is not about following an order or keeping a commandment.  This proverb isn’t warning against withholding taxes or some unlawful act.  An experienced and divinely-insightful king is informing us all that how we feel about what we’re told to do is more important than what we actually end up doing.  How we feel about an order or a command is what ultimately determines what will be done to us by the ones giving the command.  Hatred for a command will lead to certain punishment.  Generally-speaking, hatred for a law will lead to conflict over that law and as a result, the authority giving that law will eliminate the hater of that law.  Solomon wrote here what Paul wrote in Romans 13:2 when he wrote, “Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”  God has given authority to mankind and both good men and bad men use that authority to destroy resistance to that authority.  Resistance and submission both begin in the heart.

A child who hates a parent’s rules will eventually resist that parent and most of the time, that parent will prevail regardless of how appropriate the parental rule is or isn’t.  A child who hates a parent’s rules will refuse to see any good in those rules and will soon hate that parent for those rules.  A child who hates a parent’s rules will fail to demonstrate a reasonable spirit for which to discuss those rules with his parent.  This is true for an employee with hatred for company policies, for a citizen with hatred for government laws or for a soul with hatred for God’s word.  This proverb is not suggesting that rules are always right nor it is suggesting that subjects should always like the rules they are subject to.  Furthermore, Solomon is not suggesting that we would be wrong to seek clarification or even adaptation of rules.  He is addressing our feelings about the things that we are subject to.  Hatred for rules always leads to resistance from the rule-giver.  

On the contrary, respect for the authorities above us will almost always lead to reward and compensation from those authorities.  Healthy fear of disobeying the commandments we’re given will result in a cooperative spirit and ultimately, a compliant life.  Every governing power appreciates compliance.  Parents appreciate respectful children.  Employers value compliant employees.  Governments need compliant citizens.  Most importantly, God is pleased with compliant souls.  Respecting orders, regardless of how convenient or inconvenient they are, eventually brings a person into favor with the one giving those orders.  Reverencing rules, regardless of how easy or difficult they are to follow, eventually brings a person into favor with the ones setting those rules.
 
When it comes to rules and regulations, how we feel is a big deal! Hatred in the heart over a law, policy or command is going to be the demise of that person in that organization.  A teenager’s hatred for a parental rule in the home will eventually be the reason for that child’s absence in the home.  A church member’s hatred for a pastoral position in the church will eventually be the reason for that member’s absence in the church.  An employee’s hatred for a company policy will eventually be the reason for that member’s dismissal from the company.  A citizen’s hatred for government rule will eventually be the reason for that citizen’s demise in that community.  A person with hatred in his heart for a rule can only comply so long.  A person with disdain in his heart for some policy can only submit so long.

When it comes to rules and regulation, how we feel is a big deal!  We don’t have to like laws, policies and commands but we can’t afford to hate them.  We don’t have to understand all of the things we’re told to do or not to do by our authorities but if we’re going to experience any success in life, we must learn to respect them.  Learn to give your authorities the benefit of the doubt.  Learn to find the good in the rules your authorities give you.  Learn to see your respect for the rule of law as a form of reverence to God Himself.  God resists those that resist Him and the authorities He has established in our world.  How we feel about “the word” we hear from our authorities is a big deal.