Archive for February 2008
Happy Presidents Day! No TDW Today
The Daily Word is on vacation today in honor of Presidents Day. See you tomorrow!
Bad Government
There is only one way for a government to go right: by doing justice. There are many ways for a government to go wrong, however. The Book of Proverbs offers an illustrative list of the practices of bad government.
The first practice is dishonesty.
Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool —
how much worse lying lips to a ruler! (17:7)
In this proverb, “arrogant lips” are parallel to “lying lips.” And since kings should not be fools, they should neither speak arrogantly nor dishonestly. Unfortunately, on the campaign trail, politicians are apt to both overstate the worthiness of their candidacy for office as well as lie about what they will accomplish when in office. What we should demand of government officials is modesty and truth-telling.
Proverbs warns us off dishonest politicians, but it also realistically portrays what happens when politicians are not held accountable to the truth.
If a ruler listens to lies,
all his officials become wicked (29:12).
Dishonesty is a rapidly mutating virus. It infects everything unless it is quickly and thoroughly destroyed.
The second practice of bad government is rage.
A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass (19:12).
A king’s wrath is like the roar of a lion;
he who angers him forfeits his life (20:2).
Both of these passages compare the king’s anger to a lion’s roar. And that’s what anger is, a loud, ravenous beast. In despotic governments, people who tick off the leaders often find themselves on the sharp end of a guillotine. Good government restrains its anger; bad government unleashes it. No wonder people living under tyranny and oppression live in constant fear. That’s not the way government is supposed to operate.
The third practice is tyranny.
Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people (28:15).
Once again, a wicked king is portrayed as a “roaring lion.” The key word is helpless in the second line. Bad government takes advantage of its power over other people, most often to advance selfish interests. Good government, by contrast, directs its energies toward helping people, not rendering them helpless.
The fourth practice of bad government is self-interest. Proverbs 28:16 contrasts the “tyrannical ruler” with a person who hates “ill-gotten gain.”
A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment,
but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life.
Proverbs 29:4 builds on that contrast with another:
By justice a king gives a country stability,
but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.
These proverbs contrast good government, which hates bribes and other forms of dirty money and leads to stability, with bad government, which loves them and leads to disaster for the country. Of every politician, we should ask: Are they in office for themselves or for others? They cannot be there for both.
There are more practices of bad government than dishonesty, rage, tyranny, and self-interest, but these are a representative sample of the kinds of ways that governments go wrong.
Good Government
The test of good government is justice. A government that makes and enforces just laws passes the test. A government that does not does not.
In modern America, the federal government is composed of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative branch makes the laws, the executive branch enforces them, and the judicial branch judges their application. In ancient Israel, however, the king embodied all three functions of government. He was legislator, executive, and judge. Because he was invested with such heavy responsibilities, the king had a unique responsibility to act justly.
According to Proverbs 16:10, this unique responsibility begins with his words:
The lips of a king speak as an oracle,
and his mouth should not betray justice.
It is unclear whether the king is legislating or judging in this proverb. Regardless, the main point is that what a king says should always take justice into account. He should not make unjust laws nor render unjust decisions.
His actions should also take justice into account.
Kings detest wrongdoing,
for a throne is established through righteousness (16:12).
Two proverbs use a harvesting image to describe what the king does when he decides cases of law:
When a king sits on his throne to judge,
he winnows out all evil with his eyes (20:8).
A wise king winnows out the wicked;
he drives the threshing wheel over them (20:26).
Once, while touring northwestern China, I saw a farmer winnow his crop. He laid the crop on the road and allowed trucks to drive over it in order to separate the chaff from the grain. Then he threw the crop into the air and let it blow the chaff away. That’s what a king does in his judicial function. He separates the grain of justice from the chaff of injustice.
Of course, a king cannot run a country all by himself. He needs a bureaucracy to oversee the day-to-day functions of government. And that bureaucracy must be governed by justice as well, as two proverbs show:
A king delights in a wise servant,
but a shameful servant incurs his wrath (14:35).
Remove the dross from the silver,
and out comes material for the silversmith;
remove the wicked from the king’s presence,
and his throne will be established through righteousness (25:4-5).
Proverbs 20:28 speaks of the king’s activities in terms of “love and faithfulness”:
Love and faithfulness keep a king safe;
through love his throne is made secure.
These terms are technical legal terms. They refer to a person’s willingness to honor covenants which he has entered into.
Where there is justice, Proverbs tells us, there is also peace:
By justice a king gives a country stability,
but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down (29:4).
When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order (28:2).
And peace leads to human flourishing, which reflects well on the government in charge:
A large population is a king’s glory,
but without subjects a prince is ruined (14:28).
In summary, the test of good government in justice, which includes love and faithfulness, and results in peace. May God bless us with such a government!
God and Government
Because 2008 is a presidential election year, it seems prudent to study what the Book of Proverbs teaches about government.[*] Here is an outline of my topics for the next five devotionals:
- God and Government
- Good Government
- Bad Government
- Good Citizenship
- Government and Self-Government
What role should the Christian religion play in American politics? The Book of Proverbs does not explicitly answer that question, of course. But it does provide some broad guidelines about that should guide our thinking.
The first guideline is divine wisdom is the basis of just law. Consider, in this regard, Proverbs 8:15-16:
By me kings reign
and rulers make laws that are just;
by me princes govern,
and all nobles who rule on earth.
The me in verse 15 is Woman Wisdom, which as we’ve seen, is the personification of divine wisdom. If government officials rule according to God’s wisdom, Woman Wisdom tells us, they will make just laws. One example of the connection between divine wisdom and justice can be found in the opening words of the Declaration of Independence. There, the Founding Fathers spoke of “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.” They also wrote that “the Creator” had “endowed” all people with “certain unalienable rights.” God-given rights cannot be taken away by any government without answering to God himself.
The second guideline is that government officials have a duty to shape laws according to divine wisdom. Proverbs 25:2-3 puts it this way:
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
God governs the universe by means of moral laws. Government officials have a moral duty to study how these moral laws apply to the cases under their responsibility. How, for example, does the commandment prohibiting theft apply to taxation, eminent domain, Social Security, Federal Reserve rates, etc.? God supplies the principle, but politicians must figure out its application.
Third, government officials exercise power under divine authority. According to Proverbs 21:1:
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord;
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
All too often, people in positions of authority begin acting as a law unto themselves. This proverbs reminds them (and us) that God is sovereign, that final judgment rests with him, and that he uses politicians to accomplish his own ends. How God does this is often a mystery; that he does this is a biblical fact.
Finally, God is the ultimate Judge of human affairs. Proverbs 29:26 says:
Many seek an audience with a ruler,
but it is from the Lord that man gets justice.
Government plays an important role in God’s plan, but not an all-important role. It should do justice at all times, but when it doesn’t, there is a Greater Judge who law will be enforced. Let us pray and work for good government, but let us put our hope in this God alone.
[*] See Tremper Longman III, Proverbs (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006), 559-560 for a list of proverbs related to the theme, “Kings/Authority.”
Healthy Decisions
This January, I resolved to eat right and exercise. I’ve been resolving to do so every January since I can remember, but this January was different. I finally admitted that I am not getting any younger and that my health is largely my decision. Eating cheeseburgers daily and sitting on the couch watching TV nightly are not the kind of decisions that make for a long or healthy life.
The Book of Proverbs outlines several decisions each of us must make that also contribute to healthy living.[*] These don’t fall into the realm of eat right and exercise, but they are insightful nonetheless.
The first decision we must make regards our relationship with God.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones (3:7-8).
Notice the logic of these two verses. The right understanding of who we are and who God is leads to correct action which results in a healthy body. The ultimate sources of health, in other words, are spiritual and moral in nature, not just physical—as if the good life were only a matter of calories, vitamins, and cardiovascular activity. The good life is first and foremost a godly life.
The second decision we must make regards our most intimate human relationship: our spouse.
A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones (12:4).
Remember, Proverbs is largely a book of fatherly advice to sons, so the husband-centered nature of these remarks shouldn’t surprise us. But they are true nonetheless, and equally true when roles are reversed. Whom you choose to marry—whether wife or husband—profoundly shapes your sense of wellbeing. So choose wisely!
The third decision regards our emotional life.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life (13:12).
A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones (14:30).
A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones (17:22).
A man’s spirit sustains him in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear? (18:14).
Philosophers debate the extent to which emotions are under our control. I believe our choices can shape our emotional well-being. For example, we can take action to fulfill our desires (and we should, as long as those desires are moral). We can work to eliminate envy from our lives. When depressed, we can watch the Three Stooges and laugh until we’re cheered up. While our emotions are not completely under our control, they are largely under our control, so we should make choices that lead to joy.
The final choice regards our choice of words.
A cheerful look brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones (15:30).
Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones (16:24).
How we speak to others affects their wellbeing. But I also think our choice of words affect our own. Praise uplifts, while criticism depresses. So, criticize others sparingly (and only if really necessary), but praise lavishly.
[*] I derived this grouping of Scriptures from Tremper Longman III, Proverbs (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006), 558-559.
Seven Principles of Good Planning, Part 2
Yesterday, we examined the first four of Proverbs’ principles of good planning:
- Who you are and what you plan form a continuum.
- Different plans have different outcomes.
- Good plans are built on sound advice.
- Good plans utilize processes.
Today, I’d like to look at three other principles:
- The best plans take into account God’s moral law.
Proverbs 29:18 contrast godless plans with godly plans:
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
but blessed is he who keeps the law.
God’s moral law, which is revealed in nature but most clearly in Scripture, is a moral compass for our plans. Without God’s moral law, we are tempted to pursue selfish ends. And selfishness leads to all kinds of mischief, both great and small. Apart from the revelation of God’s moral law, this proverb tells us, we cast off the restraints of love, duty, and conscience. By strong contrast, when we begin our plans with God’s moral law at the center of our attention and will, we experience the happiness that flows from obedience.
- The best plans seek that God’s will be done.
It is one thing to take God’s moral law into account at the theoretical level of planning. It is another thing entirely to actually let God determine the outcomes at the practical level of planning. Several proverbs teach us the role that God should have when we put our plans into action.
To man belong the plans of the heart,
but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him,
but motives are weighed by the Lord.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed (16:1-3).
In his heart a man plans his course,
but the Lord determines his steps (16:9).
The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord (16:33).
Many are the plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails (19:21).
A man’s steps are directed by the Lord.
How then can anyone understand his own way? (20:24)
Proverbs 16:33 is an especially instructive example. In Acts 1:12-26, the Apostles determined that they needed to replace Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed Jesus. So, after lengthy prayer, they came up with a rational set of criteria for who was qualified to be an apostle. When these rational criteria produced two equally qualified candidates, the apostles again prayed, and then they cost lots. Sometimes, after we have prayed and planned, we are stuck between equally good choices. At such a time, it is legitimate to flip a coin and let God determine the outcome.
- Humility is the proper mindset for the godly planner.
There are several reasons to be humble. First, we should be humbly obedient to God’s moral law, which outlines restraints on our behavior. Second, we should be humble enough to seek God’s leading where more specific guidance is required. But third, we should be humble simply because of the limitations on our power and knowledge.
Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring forth (27:1).
Creaturely boasting is always uncalled for. We aren’t powerful enough and don’t know enough to pretend that our plans control the future. Only God has that power and knowledge. Only he determines what the day brings. So, above all, be humble!
Dieting for Spiritual Strength
This past Sunday, I spoke about fasting. The title of my message was Dieting for Spiritual Strength, based on three biblical passages: Zechariah 7:4-7, Matthew 4:1-4, and Isaiah 58:6-7. You can listen to the message online here.
Seven Principles of Good Planning
A few weeks before New Year’s Day, I bought myself a Franklin/Covey day planner. At the end of 2007, I realized that I had not accomplished as much as I had wanted to, and I chalked up this failure to bad planning and time management. I determined that the same thing would not happen to me in 2008. My day planner helps keep me on track.
The Book of Proverbs teaches us quite a bit about planning, whether for your day or for your life. Consider these principles:
First, who you are and what you plan form a continuum:
The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful (12:5).
So, before you ask, “What are my plans?” perhaps you should ask, “Who am I?” At the end of the day, God is more interested in good people than good plans, but by the same token, good people make good plans.
Second, different plans have different outcomes:
There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but joy for those who promote peace (12:20).
Do not those who plot evil go astray?
But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness (14:22).
The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked,
but those of the pure are pleasing to him (15:26).
The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty (21:5).
Notice the wide range of outcomes here. Some of them are social (evil vs. peace). Some of them are personal (going astray vs. finding love and faithfulness). Some of them are spiritual (thoughts which are detestable to God vs. thoughts which are pleasing). And some of them are professional (profit vs. poverty). In light of these contradictory outcomes, plan well!
Third, good plans are built on sound advice:
…for waging war you need guidance,
and for victory many advisers (24:6).
For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but many advisers make victory sure (11:14).
Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed (15:22).
Make plans by seeking advice;
if you wage war, obtain guidance (20:18).
A few years ago, James Surowiecki published The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations. American culture, which is very individualistic, tends to think the lone genius is smarter than the crowd. Sometimes he is; usually he isn’t. If you want to make good plans, ask lots of good people for advice.
Fourth, good plans utilize good processes:
Finish your outdoor work
and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house (24:27).
Too often, young people want to be wealthy without doing the kind of hard work that produces wealth. The father of a childhood friend of mine built a company worth nearly a billion dollars by owning and operating thousands of fast-food franchises. He started at the front counter and worked his way up. That’s the way of wisdom.
Tomorrow, we’ll consider three more principles of good planning. They are the most important principles by far, for no plan can ultimately succeed without seeking and implementing God’s guidance.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
In his poem, “Mending Wall,” Robert Frost tells a story about repairing stone fences with his taciturn Yankee neighbor. Frost thinks the fence is unnecessary. “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,” he says on two occasions. But to Frost’s objection, the neighbor twice replies, “Good fences make good neighbors.”
Both Frost and his neighbor are right, to a degree. On the one hand, building fences divides people, often unnecessarily. On the other hand, building fences makes each person responsible for his side of the relationship. The Book of Proverbs emphasizes this second truth, the one about the importance of proper boundaries in our relationships.
Proverbs 23:10-11 deals with actual physical boundaries.
Do not move an ancient boundary stone
or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
for their Defender is strong;
he will take up their case against you.
This proverb reminds us to respect the private property of others, especially if they’re socially marginalized. If we don’t, God himself will prosecute us for taking advantage of them.
Several proverbs deal with social boundaries, that is to say, neighborly etiquette.
Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house —
too much of you, and he will hate you (25:17).
If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning,
it will be taken as a curse (27:14).
These are humorous proverbs, whose basic message is: Don’t wear out your welcome, and don’t make too much noise!
Other proverbs focus on moral boundaries, what is right and wrong, especially in the area of speech.
With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor,
but through knowledge the righteous escape (11:9).
A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor,
but a man of understanding holds his tongue (11:12).
Like a madman shooting
firebrands or deadly arrows
is a man who deceives his neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!” (26:18-19).
These boundaries on neighborly speech extend into the courtroom.
Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor (25:18).
Do not testify against your neighbor without cause,
or use your lips to deceive.
Do not say, “I’ll do to him as he has done to me;
I’ll pay that man back for what he did” (24:28-29).
…do not bring hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame? (25:8)
One wonders how much time and money would be spent if people followed this advice rather than taking their neighbors to court.
Another boundary neighbors should not cross is enticing others to do evil.
A violent man entices his neighbor
and leads him down a path that is not good (16:29).
Rather than doing harm to his neighbor, or enticing him to do evil, the good neighbor helps him whenever he can.
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow” —
when you now have it with you (Proverbs 3:27-28).
Frost’s Yankee neighbor was right: “Good fences make good neighbors.” But Frost was right too. There should always be a gate between your house and mine, just in case you need to get through.
