Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
    is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
    but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.
Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
    will seek refuge in the grave;
    let no one hold them back.
The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe,
    but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit.
Those who work their land will have abundant food,
    but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
A faithful person will be richly blessed,
    but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
To show partiality is not good—
    yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.

• Proverbs 28:15-21

Proverbs 28:16 ” The tyrannical leader who is covetous (implied) is foolish and short-lived.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

The Message

Proverbs 28:15-16 talk about bad rulers.  First a wicked ruler is like a roaring lion or charging bear.  That spreads the threat from an implied threat to an imminent threat.  And the wicked ruler reigns over helpless people.  Then the greedy ruler extorts money, but the ruler who does not seek ill-gotten gain has a long reign.

If you look at the good and bad kings of Judah, Uzziah and Asa were good kings with long reigns.  The relative length of reign is fairly true to this proverb.  A proverb is a wise saying, not a hard and fast rule, but for the good kings that had a statistically insignificant longer reign, they made bad decisions late in their reign.

Proverbs 28:17 mirrors the eye for an eye Levitical Law.  But it could mean that people guilty of murder will betray themselves or lead a self-destructive lifestyle that ends in their death, with or without the judicial system getting involved.

The next proverb falls short of murder, but it points to the self-destructive lifestyle of those doing wrong.  You do not see a pit if you are constantly looking over your shoulder.

The next proverb points to a sluggard in the time of Solomon, but today, the fantasies are lottery tickets, gambling, and even daydreaming.  You are not guaranteed a bountiful harvest with bad weather at the wrong time, but you are guaranteed a poor harvest if you do not work the fields.

The next proverb again mentions the person trying to get rich quick.  It is better to be faithful, faithful to God, faithful to the family, to the job, and to the community.

And Proverbs 28:21 looks at blind justice, being impartial, but it hints that if you are hungry enough, you can give a false testimony just for bread.

And now let us sing.

The following song is That’s My King.  This is sung by CeCe Winans.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord,
We need Your wisdom.  Help us to value wisdom.  These proverbs talk a lot about kings and judges, in many countries we elect the officials that decide who appoints those people.  Yet, we can be leaders of small groups.  We may have a say in our families.  We should be faithful to You in the decisions that affect others.  We should be just.  And we should be diligent in doing our job well.  Others in the family count on that.  Lord, help us to remember these things.  In thy Name we pray.
Amen

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.