Proverbs 16:10-15 King’s Heart
We see the BEST King’s heart. The standards God asks kings to live up to. Oh how wonderfully a nation would fare with such a king!
Today Solomon focuses on a king’s heart and how he should rule. That is the unifying theme in these verses. My bible helps identified the end and beginning of this section for me but I’m pretty sure I would have been able to pick this out on my own. I really like it when the breaks are so well defined.
My Aunt and I were talking yesterday and she commented that when she reads Proverbs, she takes it as a whole. She reads it as Solomon’s stream of thought as they occurred to him. I said that if I had written this book I would have organized it by topic before releasing it. Thinking about this now I realize that even Solomon didn’t have free reign in what we are reading today. God provided the insight for Solomon and the Holy Spirit spoke God’s words through his pen. I have seen how He takes over my pen sometimes. I will let Him lead the way through what HE wrote the way He chooses. Let’s see where He takes us with it today.
The standards Solomon outlines here are look like he is speaking of earthly kings. NO king ever lived up to them 100% or 100% of the time. Even the best kings we read about in God’s word had failings. David had an affair and committed pre-meditated murder. Solomon allowed idol worship to be brought into the nation. Joash turned aside from following God and was assassinated. Uzziah served God only as long as Zechariah was looking over his shoulder. Hezekiah was a very godly king but when he was faced with a large army he turned to man to deliver him instead of God. Josiah was the godliest king ever to rule Judah. We are not told of any straying from the Lord during his reign and God blessed the nation for his sake. As he is human though we know that there must have been some instance where he sinned but he apparently came the closest to the words of Solomon concerning kings.
Jesus is “King of the Jews” and has been set in place by His Father. His Kingdom is not of this world though. It is not confined to one nation or heritage of people. His Kingdom is made up of ALL who would call him Lord of their lives. These people come from every walk of life; young and old, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, men and women. None are excluded except by their own choices.
There will come a day when Jesus rules physically on this earth. ALL will be subject to Him. He WILL fulfill ALL the words written by Solomon concerning the King. Jesus IS the King Solomon speaks of. His rule will be without stain of sin. His judgments always true, even if not all the participants agree with them. I’m sure someone sometime will say, “But that’s not fair.” That is the nature of man. Jesus will rule in righteousness and NEVER turn to the right or left, never accept a bribe of take part in a lie. Those on whom His wrath falls will face the sword. This happens at the beginning and end of His 1,000 year reign. He IS our source of life. He bought and paid for that life with His death on the cross. Even Josiah’s reign will pale in comparison!
We don’t have to wait until Jesus physically reigns on earth to serve Him as our Lord and King. We are to do that every day as God’s children. Stand and be recognized as His subjects. If you stand for nothing you will fall for anything. Don’t let the rulers of this world have more of your loyalty that your rightful King receives!
Father God, how I wish this world’s leaders would live up to even a portion of this example. I know though that this world is NOT going to serve You as a whole until after Jesus’ return. Even then, some will choose to side with Satan during his FINAL hurrah, or at least that is how I read it. I would be MORE than happy to be proved wrong. My heart would sing FOREVER if EVERYONE who lived under Jesus’ rule stayed true to Him.
I want to live my life with Jesus as my King. I want my conduct to reflect Him on the throne of my heart. Guard my heart as I live in this fallen world. Don’t let me buy into their ideas or ideals. The things being offered now as ‘acceptable’ are NO WHERE NEAR that line. Let others see Jesus in me.
