Proverbs 24:21-22 Wise Words #30
Respect/Fear/Obey the authority placed over you and serve God with your whole heart. Don’t join up with those who don’t. Disaster awaits them!
I had a little trouble finding a way to give a ‘nutshell’ statement for our reading today. There is SO MUCH in the word “fear” that can’t be condensed down into a few sentences. I have a feeling that we have probably already covered the meaning behind “fear the Lord” but it bears repeating.
When we hear the word “fear” today we don’t give it the same meaning that those in the days of Solomon did. Maybe they had multiple meanings for this given word, just as we do. But this “fear” actually combines two different definitions of the word.
The first portion of the word “fear”, in this instance, invokes the third definition on the Marion Webster Dictionary site. Fear in this instance is described as “profound reverence awe, especially towards God.” This component is central to a belief in God and believing that He is ALL that He claims to be. You cannot read the accounts of all God has done, believe they happened, and not be in AWE of Him. NO other god has ever done even a fraction of the miracles God, and His Son Jesus, have done.
The second portion of defining the word “fear” points back to the definition that is most commonly used today. It is “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation and awareness of danger.” This is the trembling at the thought of what might happen if you don’t do as you are told. It is a recognition that someone or something has power over you, both for good and bad. It is what compels us to obey the laws of our society.
Put these two aspects together and you get a reverent AWE of God with an understanding that you do NOT want to be His enemy. It is recognition that God has power over your life and will do what it takes to bring you to the place He prepared for you.
THIS is the kind of fear that the son is being called to have, both towards the king and the Lord. He is not to hate one and love the other. Nor is he to obey one and not the other. God set the kings in their places for reasons only He fully understands. It is our call in following God to also follow the laws and rulers He has set up. YES. There ARE some leaders who God would not have us ‘blindly follow’. He probably calls us to stand on His principles, NOT man’s today. I cannot fathom Him calling men to follow in the steps of Hitler. He also had Moses and Aaron stand up to Pharaoh. The people were not to disobey their leaders in the waiting so much as they were called to hold tight to His promises and trust Him to work it all out. Israel DID NOT rebel against Egypt. They worked at their jobs until Pharaoh cried out for them to leave.
Even when we have evil leaders, we are to obey them as best as we can, without crossing the line into sin. We are to pray for them too, as they are His instruments and put in place by Him for a reason. By being subject to our leaders we are obeying God.
And we are to make friendships with those who also obey the Lord. There will be those in authority over us who don’t believe in God and don’t follow His rules. We will also likely have co-workers, teachers, others whom we work or serve with who don’t follow the Lord. Those in authority over us, we are to obey as so long as it does not stand in direct contrast to the Lord. But these people are NOT our inner circle of friends. They are not who we turn to in times of trouble.
Their foundation is not as ours is. There is no telling what kind of future they hold. Having them as friends is dangerous. We do not follow the same master/Master. And where they are going, we want no part of.
Yes, you may reach out and help them or tell them of the Lord but even Jesus drew the line when it came to ‘hanging out’ with His enemies. He reached out continually to offer them hope. But He surrounded Himself with like-minded men who knew Him as their Lord. These are the men He turned to for daily support in the work He was doing. They were His confidants, His truest friends.
Father God, thank You for the friends You have given me over the years. Looking back, I see that I was never alone. Even when I was so far removed from my family, You provided friends to come along and support me. Some only lasted for a season but they are dearly appreciated.
I was/am NEVER alone because You walk with me. You are my Rock, my Redeemer, and my Salvation. Even when friends were few, You stood watch over me.
One quick last note; we made it to 30! There will be more wise words
