July 19

Jul 19 - Today from Proverbs 19 we look at verse 12
"A king's rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass."

'Question authority!' It was the banner cry of a generation that was determined to break itself from the bondage of the establishment in the sixties and seventies. It succeeded to a great degree, and now our children and grandchildren are suffering the consequences. The greatest consequence is the residue it left in our culture. A culture that has all but abandoned the understanding of the purposes for authority and continues to question and mistrust authority. There are consequences to challenging authority.
The USA has been the bastion of freedom and liberty. Our fathers and uncles and grandfathers – and now our sons - have shed their blood all over this planet because they valued liberty and freedom for their children and for other nations more than they valued their own lives. There may always have been subtle ulterior motives and undercurrents of political manipulations, but in the end they died for freedom's sake. The USA has never moved in and occupied or colonized any nation that surrendered to her. On the contrary, she poured billions of dollars in aid and did all she could to see a people restored under their own self-rule. It hasn't always worked perfectly, but the premise was always clear. With great authority comes great responsibility, and that's what this proverb is about - authority.
I recently heard a great message on authority. The Pastor said legitimate authority comes by three means; it can be inherited, it can be bequeathed or transferred, and it can be earned. Legitimate authority ultimately comes from the Supreme Authority - God. Romans 13:1 states, "Everyone must submit himself to governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." This was written to the church in the day of oppressive Roman rule! To challenge governing authorities outside of prescribed means is to challenge God. Jesus Himself lived under Roman rule, and He never hinted at forming a challenging uprising against their governing authority. His mission was of a far greater scope - and so is ours. As individuals and as the institutional church, we would do well to submit to governing authorities and seek their favor rather than challenging them at every turn. The mission organization I served with for ten years worked with and through some of the most corrupt governing authorities in this world because rather than condemning them, they served with integrity to help alleviate the suffering of their people. And, in these instances, they served within the prescribed means of that authority. This made the government look good, and actually expanded the privilege and ability of the organization. It's called grace - an attribute that should be dominate in the church. The organization never intended to support an oppressive government. Rather, they ministered to the people who suffered because of the oppressive government. But because they respected the authority, they received favor with the authorities and were able to move much more effectively than if they stood on the border and pointed their finger, denouncing oppressive authority.
I think that is the spirit of this proverb. Solomon is teaching (under the inspiration of the Spirit), that we can get more accomplished by being gracious with authorities than we can by judging authorities. Judging is not the task of the church in this age. There will come a time, but that time is not yet here. The church of Corinth was a church much like the church of the USA. They were prosperous, they lived in an affluent culture and they were in an area of great power and influence. They began to take on an arrogant attitude, and Paul chastises them with sarcasm when he writes in 1 Corinthians 4:8, "Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings - and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!" You can read the following verses if you want to know how the church's posture is really to be in this age. We are not yet 'kings' - Paul is referring to dominant authority. Authority to judge and rule the nations. The church is here to serve, and to be an example unto the world of the meaning of God's love and grace. The time of judging has not yet come. We must recognize and honor the authorities in place with the only exception being if the authority demands that we compromise God's values. Then we are to humbly state our testimony and convictions, and possibly suffer any consequence with rejoicing (Matthew 5:10, 11 - Acts 5:40, 41 - 1 Cor. 4:12, 13 - 1 Peter 1:6, 7).
Wisdom seeks to honor and appease authority in order to carry out God's greater eternal purposes, and understands that we live in an age of grace and not judgment.