How Stuff Works: “Life By Design – Law and Order” – Book of Proverbs

Pastor Guy McGraw shared this story with a smile: “An Idaho sheep rancher: was approached one day by a stranger in a suit. The stranger asked, “If I can guess how many sheep you’ve got, may I have one?” Thinking this to be impossible the rancher agreed. “You have 1,795 sheep!” Stunned by the correct answer the rancher told him to choose his sheep. The man selected an animal and slung it over his shoulder and started to walk away. The rancher said, “Hey if I can tell you who your work for can I have that animal back?” The stranger agreed. “OK, You work for the government!”  “How did you figure that out?” the stranger asked. “Well, put my dog down and I will tell you!””

 The truth is, that government hasn’t garnered a lot of respect in recent years – and that is a shame, since it was one of the primary institutions set up by the Lord to care for us. Let’s take a few short minutes and consider some of the wise words of a ruler of long ago, fed to him from the Ruler of all. Before we do,we should recall that the Book of Proverbs is not a book of promises, but a designer’s manual on how life was intended to work. It contains the normal formulas for happiness, success and contentment. Collected by Solomon and other ancient Hebrew sages, these ‘slice of life’ portions help fix a believer’s understanding of basic values.                                                         

What are five basic functions for good government mentioned in Proverbs?

Key Principle: God has established the principles and functions of good government.

With the barrage of constant “freedom to do what I want at all costs” amorality that has been so thoroughly indoctrinating our generation, we can no longer assume that even believers know what God intended government to do! As a result, it may be helpful to quickly glance at Solomonic wisdom and look at the functions that bleed through from his wise words.

1. One primary function of government is to provide guidance. The strongest method is to pull strength from a variety of well informed sources, and allow seasoned leadership to make choices based on the best recommendations.

Weirsbe: God has established three institutions (home, church and government) ordained means originated from God. In other words it was His idea as expressed in Romans 13:1 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” Yet, if you read Romans 13 further you will find the purposes were for GUIDANCE toward Him

• 11:14 Where there is no guidance the people fall,  But in abundance of counselors there is victory.
• 25: 5 Take away the wicked before the king,  And his throne will be established in righteousness.
• 21: 28 A false witness will perish, but the man who listens to the truth will speak forever.

A Republic such as ours allows democratic processes by representation. At the same time, certain core values were never up for a vote.

Though God has the ability to accomplish His will in spite of ungodly rulers – He desires us to have good government. (Dan 2:21 reminds: “He removeth kings and setteth up kings”; as well as Romans 9:17 “for this very purpose I raised you up to demonstrate My power in you, and that My Name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth”.) It is NOT a pre-requisite for much accomplishment by and on behalf of His people. Neither the Greeks nor the Romans were moral governments but God accomplished much for His purpose of reaching this world for Christ during their operations over His people.

We are at a different place now in American history. We stand or fall in heeding the warnings of our own founders. After 200+ years, we remember their words: “Our form of government is meant for the rule of a religious and moral people and is wholly inadequate for any other.”

Morality is intimately related to a nation’s government, for as James Madison wrote, “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people is a chimerical idea.”

“God… has formed us moral agents… that we may promote the happiness of those with whom He has placed us in society, by acting honestly towards all, benevolently to those who fall within our way, respecting sacredly their rights, bodily and mental, and cherishing especially their freedom of conscience, as we value our own.” –Thomas Jefferson to Miles King, 1814. ME 14:197

“The practice of morality being necessary for the well-being of society, [our Creator] has taken care to impress its precepts so indelibly on our hearts that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain.” –Thomas Jefferson to James Fishback, 1809. ME 12:315

2. A second function of government is specifically to guard injustice against the undefended and weak. The poor, the unjustly condemned and those who cannot speak for themselves are specifically marked for defense by rulers that would rule well.

• 13:23 Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor,  But it is swept away by injustice.
• 20:28 Loyalty and truth preserve the king,  and he upholds his throne by righteousness.
• 21:15 The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous, but is terror to the workers of iniquity.
• 24:11Deliver those who are being taken away to death,  And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.12 If you say, “See, we did not know this,”  Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?  And does He not know it who keeps your soul?  And will He not render to man according to his work? 8 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

There is an old story about Henry VIII, who once pardoned a man who had committed murder. Some time later, the man went out and killed another man. His influential friends asked King Henry to again pardon the man. “NO!” he cried. “He killed the first man and I killed the second man. We will not kill anymore!”

3. A third function of government is caring for the vibrancy and growth of the nation. The population size, growth and maintenance IS a governmental function. There are a variety of considerations, but in the end a good government is designed to bolster a vibrant population.

• 14: 28 In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,  But in the dearth of people is a prince’s ruin.

4. A fourth function of government is to encourage and uphold right acts while punishing bad ones.

1. It must decide issues of morality – or it cannot maintain a social conscience that binds people together.

• 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation,  But sin is a disgrace to any people. 35 The king’s favor is toward a servant who acts wisely,  But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.

The misguided attempt to reframe the separation of church and state has led our country in a wrong direction. That phrase is not only not found in our constitution, the idea has caused a corruption of the Constitutional ideal. It says: “Government shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion OR prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” A very clear intent of our founders was to have government stay out of the way of the religious exercise of our people. It was not to play any role in direct promotion nor of decline. Here is the problem: The moral system of the founders presupposed our rights were based on an unmovable set of principles that have now been deemed “religious” thereby pushing aside the logic of our framework.

2. Right choices morally set a standard and add long term stability.

• 28:2 By the transgression of a land many are its princes (instability and falling leaders), but by a man of understanding and knowledge, so it endures.
• 28:16 A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days
• 29:16 A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.

3. It must act above reproach and lead based on the good of all.
   

• 17:23 A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom to pervert the ways of justice. 
• 18: 5 To show partiality to the wicked is not good, nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment.
  

5. A fifth function of government is to encourage men to know the source of truth and morality.

• 28: 4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,  But those who keep the law strive with them. 5 Evil men do not understand justice,  But those who seek the LORD understand all things.
• 29: 18 Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law.

One historian noted that “France fell when the people saw the cow to be milked instead of a watchdog to be fed.” In
other words, people didn’t focus on the basic things that brought them protection, but on the things which brought them short term benefit and pleasure.

In the final analysis, God has not set a particular FORM of government as the “only way” but He has established the principles and functions of good government.