THE BOOK OF PROVERBS
(“The Measure Of A Nation”)
Proverbs 14:34 (NASU)
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace
to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)
This morning we are stepping away from our current study of the Book of First Thessalonians (for one Sunday), in order to focus on a matter of national importance – in a sense, even a matter of national security – although you will not hear any of the news programs (liberal or conservative) talking about it.
The Book of Proverbs is filled with many pithy sayings – some of which occupy only one verse – and are able to stand alone, without any connection to the immediate (or larger) context in which they appear.
There is a theme, however, that ties all these various proverbs together – and that’s, “the fear of the Lord”.
For example, chapter one tells us that, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning (or basis, or foundation) of (all true) knowledge” (1:7) – while chapter nine tells us it’s also “the beginning (or foundation) of (all true) wisdom” (9:10).
In chapter eight we’re told that, “the fear of the Lord is to hate evil” (8:13) – indeed (according to chapter sixteen), it’s “by the fear of the Lord (that) one (learns to keep) away from evil” (16:6).
We’re also told (in chapter ten) that, “the fear of the Lord PROLONGS LIFE” – whereas “the years of the wicked (who do not fear the Lord) will be SHORTENED” (10:27) – a thought that ought to be kept in mind as we work our way through this morning’s message.
To put it simply, then, “the fear of the Lord” leads to holy living – in part, by motivating God’s covenant people to meditate on the various words of wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs, and then (by our Savior’s enabling grace) to adjust our lives accordingly – like the one found in this morning’s text that says: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (14:34).
(A) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!
(1) Today marks the 234th birthday of the United States of America.1 To give you a little perspective on that number, the ancient Assyrian Empire lasted about 247 years – the Roman Empire 207 – and the British Empire about 250 years (although Great Britain obviously continues to exist as a nation – albeit one whose power and influence in the world has greatly diminished). These and other similar figures indicate that, historically, the average lifespan of the great nations of the earth has been about 238 years2 – which means we are just four years away from that average.
(2) Scripture repeatedly tells us (although whether a person chooses to believe it or not is another matter) that the rise and fall of nations is in the hands of Almighty God – not just any God, but the One spoken of in the pages of the Old and New Testaments – the same God who created the heavens and the earth (c.f. Genesis 1:1) – even the God who is Sovereign Ruler over everything that exits, from the tiniest atoms to the greatest galaxies (c.f. Psalm 103:19).
The Psalmist says that, “God reigns over the nations” (c.f. Psalm 47:8) – the Book of Job says: “He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away” (c.f. Job 12:23) – while the Book of Acts says He has “determined the appointed times of each nation’s existence, as well as the boundaries of their borders” (c.f. Acts 17:26) – all of which means that God exercises ultimate and decisive control over the history of each and every nation,3 that has or ever will exist, including our own.
(3) The question before us this morning is: Why do nations cease to exist? Why does history show that EVERY great nation that has ever been has eventually collapsed – and either disappeared from the world scene altogether, or stopped being of any real importance or significance? If the bible is right (and it is!), that God is the One who ultimately causes nations to rise and fall (c.f. Daniel 2:21), does He do so arbitrarily – is 200/250 years some sort of magical number for greatness, after which nations automatically go off into obscurity or oblivion – or are there specific factors that play a role in His decision, to either let a nation continue to exist for a while longer, or bring its greatness (and that of its people) (sometimes its very life) to an end?
(4) Historians give numerous reasons for why nations fall – including (but not limited to) economic instability, brought on (in no small part) by excessive taxation, coupled with a national debt that grows out of control – plus, a weakened military, that often comes from a lack of resolve or weakness of character on the part of national leaders, which in turn eventually makes it impossible for a nation to defend herself against her enemies.4
Occasionally historians will admit that moral and spiritual decay often precedes the demise of a nation. But, since this kind of behavior usually goes on for decades (or even centuries) before a nation finally collapses, there’s a tendency among some historians to downplay these things as serious contributing factors.4 AND YET, this morning’s text tells us that: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but (that) sin is a disgrace to any people” (c.f. Proverbs 14:34).
(B) FOLLOW THE LEADER
(1) It’s interesting to note that in the Books of First and Second Kings (which we recently studied in survey fashion on Sunday nights), (in those two books) national leaders (and by extension, the nations over which they ruled) were evaluated – not in terms of their political accomplishments, or military victories – nor on the basis of how much wealth they accumulated, or how many advances in technology were made – or their political correctness, or the “greenness” of their society – but rather, on the basis of their spiritual leadership! To be more precise, kings and kingdoms were judged (by God!) on the basis of whether or not they had tried to follow His laws and commands – especially when in came to the choice between worshipping Him, or one of a plethora of competing idols.
Hence, we’re told (for example) that King Hezekiah 3“DID RIGHT in the sight of the Lord … (by) 4… remov(ing) the high places … (breaking) down the sacred pillars and cut(ting) down the Asherah …” (c.f. II Kings 18:3-4) (all of which had to do with idol worship). On the other hand, we’re told that King Manasseh 2“DID EVIL in the sight of the Lord … (by) 3… rebuil(ding) the high places (that) had (been) destroyed … erect(ing) altars for Baal … (making) an Asherah … and worship(ing) all the host of heaven …” (c.f. II Kings 21:2-3).
(2) Moreover, in Scripture it was often true that as the king went, so went a majority of the people under his rule! There were exceptions, of course – but generally, that’s what happened (and what still happens today). Hence, the prophet Elijah bemoaned the fact that during the reign of King Ahab (who was one of the most evil rulers Israel ever had), he (Elijah) was the only one left who still worshipped the true God, instead of Baal (c.f. I Kings 19:14). Now it’s true that the Lord told him there were actually 7,000 people in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal (c.f. I Kings 19:18) – and even though that showed Elijah he was not alone in his worship of the true God – and that the Lord is able to preserve a remnant for Himself (which He always does) – still, 7,000 was a small number compared to the total population of the nation at that time. It would be like saying there are still 7,000 people in New Mexico who worship the true God – which may sound like a large number, but is actually less than one percent of the population!5
My point is, that a vast majority of the citizens of Israel had followed the example of their evil and idolatrous king – and abandoned the worship of the true God, in order to worship any number of false gods.
On the other hand, Second Chronicles chapter thirty-two tells us that when King Hezekiah humbled himself (this would have been after he sinned against the Lord, by not giving Him the glory He deserved for having spared his life from a deadly illness), (when Hezekiah confessed his sin and humbled himself before the Lord) all the inhabitants of Jerusalem followed his example – and as a result, we’re told that God’s wrath on the city and nation of Judah was averted (c.f. II Chronicles 32:24-26). Thereby underscoring the truth that doing what’s right in the sight of God (even if it’s just repenting of our sins) (doing what’s right) “prolongs life”(c.f. Proverbs 10:27) – even the life of a nation. On the other hand, sins that go unconfessed and unrepented of – both by national leaders and ordinary citizens – will “shorten” (c.f. Proverbs 10:27) the life of a nation, and hasten its downfall (even its extinction). As our text says: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (c.f. Proverbs 14:34).
(C) EXAMINING THE TEXT
(1) Let’s take a closer look at this morning’s text – and let’s begin by noting that many proverbs found in Scripture contains two lines, whose thoughts are interrelated. For example, sometimes the second line of a proverb expands on the idea stated in the first line – like in Proverbs 17:25, which says:
“A foolish son is a grief to his father
AND bitterness to her who bore him.”
Or Proverbs 21:1, which says:
“The king’s heart is like channels of water
in the hand of the Lord;
He turns it wherever He wishes.”
In both instances, line two essentially repeats (or develops, or enlarges on) the thought found in line one.
In this morning’s text, however, the relationship between the two lines is different – in that the second line contains a contrasting thought to the one found in the first line. Hence, we’re told that (c.f. Proverbs 14:34):
“Righteousness exalts a nation,
BUT sin is a disgrace to any people.”
In this instance, there is a contrast between “righteousness” (in line one) and “sin” (in line two) – and also between the “exaltation” (in line one) that results from the pursuit of “righteousness”, and the “disgrace” (in line two) that comes as a result of pursuing a path of “sin”. There may also be a lesser contrast between “a nation” as a whole (in line one), and the individual “people” (in line two) who make up that nation.
(2) Turning to the text itself, then, we find that line one says: “Righteousness exalts a nation …” (c.f. Proverbs 14:34).
(a) The “righteousness” of which Solomon speaks, however, must be distinguished from what people today sometimes call “a set of values”, or “a code of ethics”, or “a standard of personal conduct”. Everyone has a set of values they live by – even gang members and career criminals have codes of conduct. It may not be much of a code – but it’s still a code. It may be skewed and twisted (compared to biblical standards) – but it’s still a set of values.
Every society (indeed, every nation) has rules that govern the way its people are to behave. Institutions like colleges and universities have standards of conduct for their students (albeit sometimes minimal) – as do businesses – even professional sports teams have sets of standards they expect their athletes to adhere to. But none of these are what Solomon had in mind when he talked about the kind of “righteousness (that) exalts a nation” (c.f. Proverbs 14:34).
(b) The “righteousness” he was referring to can only be found in the pages of the Old and New Testaments. The “righteousness” he speaks of comes from obeying the various laws and commands found in God’s inspired, written word (c.f. II Timothy 3:16). The “righteousness” Solomon had in mind comes from “loving the Lord with all one’s heart, mind, soul, and strength – and loving one’s neighbor as ourselves” (c.f. Mark 12:30-31). The kind of “righteousness” Solomon had in mind comes from “worshipping no god but the Lord – from remembering the Sabbath day to keep in holy – from honoring one’s father and mother – from not committing adultery, or stealing, or bearing false witness – and from not coveting what belongs to someone else” (c.f. Exodus 20:1-17). The kind of “righteousness” Solomon spoke of comes from being “meek and merciful” – from living a “salt and light” life in a world of decay and darkness – from “seeking God’s kingdom first”, before anything else – and from “treating people the same way we want them to treat us” (c.f. Matthew 5-7). THAT’S the kind of “righteousness” that will “exalt a nation” (c.f. Proverbs 14:34) – not some personal code of conduct – not some private set of values – not some human-based standard of behavior (no matter how well intentioned)!
(c) One of the primarily shades of meaning associated with the Hebrew word for “righteousness” (“tsedaqah”) is “justice”6 – which, in turn, reminds us that in Scripture “righteous” civil leaders and “righteous” nations strive to see that ALL their people are treated justly and fairly.
Scripture says that, “righteousness and justice are the foundation of (God’s) throne” (c.f. Psalm 97:2) – which means (in part) that they are the basis of His Sovereign rule over the lives of all His creatures. If this is true of God, then how much more should it be true of civil rulers – of kings and presidents, prime ministers and governors – and through them (by extension) of every nation as a whole?!
Scripture says that (as king) David did “what was just and right for all his people” (c.f. II Samuel 8:15, NIV) – indeed, we’re told that “to do righteousness and justice is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice” (c.f. Proverbs 21:3). When nations and national leaders pursue justice and righteousness, God will “exalt” them – i.e. He will “lift them up”7 – He will bless them in many wonderful ways. But when they don’t, unless they repent of their unrighteous and unjust behavior, and change their ways, He will eventually bring about their demise.
(d) In Scripture, the standard for blessing a nation, and its leaders, and its people, is always obedience to God’s laws and commands. For example, Deuteronomy chapter twenty-eight says, in part (starting at verse one), speaking to the nation of Israel: 1“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you IF you obey the Lord your God: 3Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. 4Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. 5Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. 7The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and … flee before you seven ways. 8The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you” (c.f. Deuteronomy 28:1-8). Nor does the list of blessings stop there, but goes on for several more verses. What’s more, this list should be viewed as representative of many other blessings (not mentioned in this passage) that the Lord will pour out upon any nation whose leaders and people strive to walk in the path of righteousness by obeying His laws and commands. “Righteousness (as described and defined in Scripture, truly does exalt) a nation …” (c.f. Proverbs 14:34)!
(e) One writer has noted that what’s true of God’s dealings with individuals is also true of His dealings with nations8 – in this regard, that blessings follow obedience, while curses inevitably follow on the heels of persistent disobedience. If that’s true (and I think it is), then it’s also true that no nation can ever hope to obey God’s laws perfectly – no nation can ever hope to practice the perfect righteousness God requires. Our best efforts as a nation will always fall short of perfection – the most altruistic endeavors of our national leaders will always be a mixture of good and evil – our noblest ventures as a people, will always carry the stain of sin.
Therefore, “we the people”9 (together with our leaders) must learn to walk by faith, in humble dependence upon our God and Savior – trusting in His enabling grace – and, always seeking the forgiveness of our sins, which He offers to us in infinite abundance! That kind of “righteousness (will always exalt) a nation …” (c.f. Proverbs 14:34) – not just the nation of Israel, or the nation of Judah in Old Testament times – but any nation (even today!) whose leaders and people are intent on obeying God’s laws and commands – and quick to repent whenever they realize they have failed to do so.
(3) The other half of our text says that, “Righteousness exalts a nation … but sin is a disgrace (literally, a shame or reproach)10 to any people” (c.f. Proverbs 14:34).
(a) Nations are always concerned about their security and survival – about protecting themselves from enemy attack – of fending off those who would like nothing better than to conquer them, or destroy them altogether. That’s why we currently have military personnel in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
Most nations, however, never realize (or have long forgotten) that the greatest enemy to their national security and survival lies within the borders of their own sinful hearts – that as long as they worship the Lord alone, and serve Him with their whole being, He will protect them – but if they ever stop doing those things, He will (if they don’t repent, after He has given them time to do so) (He will) remove His hand of protection from them, thereby making them vulnerable to all kinds of calamities (not all of which fall under the heading of military attacks).
(b) God gave both Israel and Judah several hundred years to repent of their sins, and return to the path of “righteousness” (c.f. Proverbs 14:34) – which tells us that, by God’s grace, sinful nations do not ordinarily meet their end immediately. For Israel, it was one long downward spiral – until God finally sent the Assyrians to carry the people off into captivity. For Judah it was also a long downward slide – only her slide was interrupted here and there by brief periods of repentance and revival. In the end, however, God sent the Babylonians to take her king and people off into exile.
Hence, Second Kings chapter seventeen (starting at verse six) says of Israel (in part) that 6“in the ninth year of Hoshea (king of Israel), the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried Israel away into exile … 7NOW THIS CAME ABOUT BECAUSE the sons of Israel (i.e. the people as a whole, not just their kings) had sinned against the Lord … (by) fear(ing) other gods 8and walk(ing) in the customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before (them) … 9The sons of Israel did things … which were not right against the Lord their God … 10They set for themselves sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations did which the Lord had carried away to exile before them; and they did evil things provoking the Lord. 12They served idols, concerning which the Lord had said to them, ‘You shall not do this thing.’ 13Yet the Lord warned Israel … through all His prophets and every seer, saying, ‘Turn from your evil ways and KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS …’ 14However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck(s) … (16)They … made … molten images … and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. 17… they made their sons and … daughters pass through the fire, and practiced divination … and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him. 18SO THE LORD was very angry with Israel AND REMOVED THEM FROM HIS SIGHT …” (c.f. II Kings 17:6-18). “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (c.f. Proverbs 14:34).
(c) Similar reasons are given for Judah’s eventual demise, which I will not take the time to read this morning (c.f. II Kings 21:10-14; 23:26-27; 24:20). Let it simply be said that sin is not only “a disgrace to any people” (c.f. Proverbs 14:34), it’s also a danger to their continued national existence!
(4) Given all this, the question naturally arises: “What, if anything, can be done?” Is there anything you and I can do, as ordinary citizens, to prevent the demise of our nation – or simply prolong her existence a little while longer?
(a) First some bad news. Toward the end of Judah’s national existence, there was a king named Josiah whom Scripture says, “did (what was) right in the sight of the Lord …” so far as following His laws and commands was concerned (c.f. II Kings 22:2; see also II Kings 23:25). And though the nation enjoyed a brief reprieve during his reign, we’re also told that, “the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath … against Judah, because of all the provocations with which (many of the people and many of their kings) had provoked Him” over the preceding years (c.f. II Kings 23:26). Hence, it wasn’t long after Josiah died that Judah was taken off into captivity, and ceased to be a nation.
Which tells us that, even though the Lord is compassionate and gracious and longsuffering, nations (like people) reach a point in their history where their fate is sealed (so to speak) – and though individuals within that nation may survive, the nation itself will not. For God has taken its measure, and found in wanting in terms of “righteousness” (c.f. Daniel 5:26; Proverbs 14:34).
(b) On a more positive note, it’s never too late to confess our own sins – as well as those of our nation (after the example of Daniel, found in Daniel chapter nine) (c.f. Daniel 9:3-19). Who knows, maybe God will choose to put His wrath on hold for a little while longer. What I do know is that national repentance always starts at a personal level – i.e. with people confessing their OWN sins. What’s more, national repentance always starts with those of us who are God’s redeemed covenant people, rather than those who are not. Hence, the oft-quoted verse from the Book of Second Chronicles says: 14“(If) MY PEOPLE who are called by My name humble THEMSELVES and pray and seek My face and turn from THEIR wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, (and) forgive their sin and … (even) heal their land” (c.f. II Chronicles 7:13-14).
Sins, especially those that go unconfessed and unrepented of, are a disgrace to the people of any nation. On the other hand, righteousness, even in the form of confession and repentance, exalts a nation (c.f. Proverbs 14:34). Indeed, it’s one of the ways God takes the measure of a nation.
1http://www.scribd.com/doc/33367751/Visions-of-Old-Glory
2http://groups.google.com/group/alt.culture.alaska/browse_
thread/thread/df9ac3c0c3bee0ba/00b9f1aa56473ab5?lnk=
raot&fwc=1
3The English Standard Version Study Bible: Footnote on
Acts 17:26; p. 2122.
4http://en.allexperts.com/q/General-History-674/demise-
nations.htm
5http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=uspopulation&met
=population&idim=state:35000&dl=en&hl=en&q=
population+of+new+mexico
6BCS: Strong’s Concordance; Word #6664 and #6666.
7IBID; Word #7311.
8The English Standard Study Bible: Footnote on Proverbs
14:28-35; p. 1159.
9http://constitutionus.com/
10BCS: Ibid; Word #9154.