October 5, 2017
Scripture reading – Proverbs 28
Our scripture reading this Thursday, October 5, 2017 is Proverbs 28. Remembering the Book of Proverbs is in a real sense, “sounds bites of wisdom”, brief statements of truth Solomon imparted to a son who would one day be king, it comes as no surprise that many of the statements in Proverbs 28 reflect on the reign of righteous leaders contrasted with the rule of wicked men who abuse the people. Two proverbs will be the subject of today’s devotional commentary.
Proverbs 28:2 – “For the transgression [sin; rebellion] of a land [nation] many are the princes [chief; commander; rulers] thereof: but by a man of understanding [discernment] and knowledge [by observation and experience] the state [rightness; well-being; preparation] thereof [the land, i.e. nation] shall be prolonged [lengthened].”
Solomon’s political proverb reveals one of the afflictions of a rebellious nation—many leaders! The implication is that a country, which turns its back on God, will be weak and divided by its leaders. An obvious illustration of a divided nation is civil war; however, the two-party rhetoric of our day portends to the same rift without taking up arms.
The vitriolic, venomous speeches of our leaders reflect the sins of a divided nation. We are a nation of many leaders, few of whom desire to see America on a righteous course. Our leaders have distorted life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; systematically taking the lives of nearly 60 million unborn and attacking the sanctity of marriage and family with a deluded definition of equal rights in the name of diversity, we are a rebellious nation!
Proverbs 28:2 also reminds us leaders with wisdom, insight and discernment are a blessing to a nation. It is the character of the leader, not the office he holds, that defines such a leader. His integrity and dependence on God imparts to the nation stability and security that prolongs the nation’s life and prosperity.
Proverbs 28:5 is the second proverb I invite you to ponder.
Proverbs 28:5 – “Evil men [wicked, sinful] understand [consider; perceive; discern] not judgment [rights; order; verdict; cause]: but they that seek [strive after; enquire; desire; search out] the LORD [Eternal, Self-existent Jehovah] understand [consider; discern] all things.”
The exercise of law and justice and keeping and preserving the law are subjects of this proverb. While the righteous consider God’s commandments and fear His judgment, the wicked have no immutable standard of right and wrong.
Such has become the malady of America’s judicial system. Once the envy of the world, our judicial system is corrupt and “Lady Justice” is no longer blind. Sadly, the weight of the law is often balanced in favor of the wicked and their cronies.
With rare exceptions, the day has passed when good men and women go into the practice of law driven by a passion for justice and dedicated to upholding the Constitution and laws of the land. For decades, our citizenry has elected corrupt officials who, once in office, appoint judges like themselves.
We are a nation in decline and have lost our role as the world’s leader and force for good. One need look no further than the character of the men and women we have elected to office and who sit in places of judgment to understand, a nation’s leaders are indicative of that nation’s character—they are who we are!
Copyright 2017 – Travis D. Smith