Proverbs 29:1-4 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 29:1-4, which read,

v.1 - A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

Our proverbs today are about ruling or governing.  The first example is a ruler who is receiving reproof which could result in greater wisdom and God glorifying leadership but this one hardens his neck to it.  He has become stiff-necked.  He listens for a while but then shuts off his ears and refuses to implement what has been given to him.  Even though he has heard for awhile, he will fall because he is not walking in the wisdom.  

This reminds me of all those who taste God through the church but never devour Him as the sole source of nourishment.  They know about God but they halt the process of bowing to Him as their one and only God.  They hear the correction but instead of heeding to it they rebel against with refusal that leads to a stubbornness that keeps them in a broken state before God.  There is no remedy without God.    

v.2 - When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked man rules, people groan.

This is a very simple proverb.  When those who are righteous rule righteously, then people walk in joy.  These are leaders who are rewarding what is right and punishing what is evil.  It results in those who are being ruled to increase in living lives that honor God.  But those who wickedly rule make the people walk in sorrow.  These are leaders who think only of themselves and the results are oppression and the increase of Satan's ways.  

These proverbs were collected during the time of Hezekiah who was the king of the Northern Kingdom.  It was a time of good king and then bad king and many times it was bad king, bad king, bad king, kinda good king, bad king and so on.  They were seeing the proverb lived out as a good king brought rejoicing and a bad king brought turmoil.  

v.3 - A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth.

The man who walks in the ways and words of the Lord has an effect on others and especially those closest in human relationship.  The man who does not walk in the ways and words of the Lord connects up with those who are doing the same and loses what God has given him.  The harlot is working for pay and so the man's resources are being depleted that could have been used for family responsibilities that would have brought gladness to his loved ones.

What in your life is taking away from your responsibilities to your family?  What is your harlot that keeping company with does some wasting of what has been given to you?  The harlot doesn't have to be a person.  The harlot could be a bad habit or an unforgiven sin.  It could be a practice that went from good intentions at the start to bad devotion in the end in the form of idolatry.  The point here is to stop keeping company with it.  Go back to loving wisdom.

v.4 - The kings gives stability to the land by justice, but a man who takes bribes overthrows it.

The last proverb this morning takes us back to the ruler or king who is ruling justly.  The people not only rejoice when the righteous rule but they also experience the stability that justice brings.  The enforcement of godly justice is a showing of love to the larger community.  When we don't practice justice then the greater community suffers for it because we start to lose what is right and what is wrong.

The ruler who takes bribes starts to blur the lines for the general public and if not corrected will lead it down a path that results in a nation that doesn't know God.  Does this sound familiar?  This type of nation can be overthrown by whoever is offering the biggest bribe to the king.  Instead of justice ruling that offers love to the masses through the holding onto what is right, the ruling element is a bribe that serves the few through holding onto what is wrong for personal gain.  

Ruling is never me-centered but always others-centered.  Me-centered ruling is not ruling at all and ends but not without some destruction along the way.  Others-centered ruling endures but not without some tough love to keep on the path that glorifies God.  How are you ruling?  Are you still listening to the reproof?  Are you focused on righteousness?  Are you loving wisdom and keeping company with it?  Are you living by justice even when it is hard and makes you make hard decisions that keep stability?  Nobody said it was easy to be a ruler God's way.  Let us pray.

"Lord, we need good rulers and we need to be good rulers.  We need our ears continually open to You and not get sucked into the company of those who want to take rather than what they can give.  Help us to see the rejoicing and stability that comes from following after You and the groaning and stumbling that comes when You are taken out of the picture.  May we see as those of the Northern Kingdom the relevance of these proverbs today.  Amen."

Pastor Adam