Lions and Bears

For Friday, January 18, 2008
Proverbs 28:15

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

The ruthlessness of a wicked man can be measured by the amount of his power. A wicked ruler's evil is more devastating than that of wicked person with no or little power. The wickedness of a ruler over a poor nation is greater than that over a wealthy nation precisely because there are fewer rivals capable of standing up against him. Like a school yard bully, he is more ruthless when all the kids on the playground are smaller than he, than he would be if there were a number of strong kids standing about.

It is being among the weak and the poor that the nature of a ruler is tested. Does he use his position to nurture his people or take advantage of them? Does he act in their best interest when they are not a threat to him or unable to reward him? Or does he squeeze what he can from them?

A system of checks and balances are needed in the government and the workplace to help those in power curb their tendency to abuse power. And all of us have such a tendency because we are sinners. We desire power so that we may do good, but once we receive it; once we get into our position, we then face temptations we have not faced before - the temptation to use our position for our own advantage, and the temptation to use our power to exploit those under us and carry out our frustrations. A poor people can be just as difficult to rule or manage as those who are wealthy and strong. All the more tempting then, to use our power in sinful ways to "help" them become more manageable. It is easier to become a "roaring lion" than we may think.

Blessed Fear

For Thursday, January 17, 2008
Proverbs 28:14

Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always,
but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

The one who fears the Lord is blessed because he has the true perspective on reality and because God will bless him for his faithfulness. Fear of the Lord is not about living in terror of the Lord, but about knowing God for who he is - Creator, King, and Redeemer. To fear God is to understand (as much as a human is able) God's attributes - his holiness, his eternal nature, his power, his mercy, etc. It is understanding that one's purpose is to glorify him. As one grows in understanding, so his fear of the Lord enriches his relationship with his Lord, so that he is filled with awe and filled with love.

To harden one's heart so as to reject God, or to think of limiting who God is, will lead to calamity because of a skewed view of reality and because God will withhold his blessing. God will not be mocked. He is jealous for his glory. And the one who refuses to live for God's glory will inevitably stumble into the pit of destruction. He cannot escape it, for God will accomplish his purposes.

And hardening one's heart will be the verdict for all who do not embrace his redemption, specifically the Redeemer he has provided. Whatever protests anyone may give, whatever excuses they may offer, the verdict will be the same - hardening one's heart. There are only two options - to fear the Lord or to harden one's heart.

Obtaining Mercy

For Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Proverbs 28:13

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
For when I kept silent,
my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,"
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin (Psalm 32:1-5).

What can we expect of God when we confess our sin before him? Mercy. Why? Why not rebuke? Unlike us, God already knows the sin. He has already been dealing with it before we confess it. That is why we experience heaviness of heart and guilt. That is why we experience the discipline of trials and consequences. He is bringing us to repentance. Our confession is the result of his loving discipline. His forgiveness is the result of the work he has already done in stirring our hearts.

If in Christ, we can know that all discipline, including the grieving of our hearts, is done out of God's mercy that we may experience God's mercy.

Glorious Triumph

For Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Proverbs 28:12

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.

When the righteous triumph, it results in good being accomplished for others. A righteous ruler is a good ruler who blesses his people. Contrariwise, when the wicked rise to leadership, then trouble goes forth. The wicked ruler uses his power to oppress, to take advantage of others for his own gain.

As Jesus said, a person is known by his fruit. This is all the more evident in a leader. The less power, the less harm one does. But as a person rises in power, so the consequences of his actions - both good and bad - have a wider effect on others.

So we see this played out spiritually. Satan, the Prince of the World, has a deadly reign, bringing despair and death through his rule. And yet, we glory in the triumph of our King Jesus Christ who has triumphed over him, over sin, and over death. What glory, what joy flows from the triumph of our righteous King.

Found Out

For Monday, January 14, 2008
Proverbs 28:11

A rich man is wise in his own eyes,
but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.

Wealth can deceive the one who possesses it. Because he has money, he thinks he is wise, especially if he earned his wealth. His success with money gives him the illusion that he is wise in general. Thus, he may very well lose a case brought against him by a poor man. It does not occur to him that one who is poor could be clever enough to win.

It also does not occur to him that one who is poor could understand him. He thinks his wealth defines. He thinks his wealth conveys that he is wise and happy. As Proverbs 14:24 says, "The wealth of the wise is their crown." Therefore, he must be wise. Wealth can bestowed upon the wise, but wealth can also come to the fool who then is ruined by his very wealth. Wealth can be earned by the wicked who likewise will come to destruction.

It is not wealth itself that measures a person's wisdom nor his happiness. It is the fruit of his life - the blessing that he is to others - that provides a more accurate measurement. It is the joy in that fruit that measures his wisdom and his happiness.