“Who is like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance. Obey the king's command, I say, because you took an oath before God. Do not be in a hurry to leave the king's presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. Since a king's word is supreme, who can say to him, "What are you doing?" Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him.”
Because God is a God of order, He ordained people to be used to maintain order. All authority comes from God. The concept of leadership and submission comes from our Creator. Solomon is sharing facts. There is a king; like him or not. He does what he wants; like it or not. It will go best if you obey him. When power goes to his head his authority may continue for a while, but the steps of the future are in the hands of God.
There is God; like Him or not. He does what He wants; like it or not and it will go best if you learn to obey Him. If any society is going to exist, it needs to have rules and someone to enforce those rules or there is chaos and anarchy.
When the news reports of violent protests along with abuse of authority, consequences must follow not only by courts of law, but also from God. It was absolutely foolish for people to try to defund the police recently. We are in a crisis of not enough people applying for law enforcement because of lack of respect for authority. The same is true for teachers in school.
God ordained government to protect, prosecute, and execute civil justice for the peace and welfare of its citizens. To the degree authorities seek to carry out that divine purpose we must submit.
Verse 5 & 6 remind us it is wise to obey. We will have an easier time of it. We see this not only in civil government, but also in schools, on the job, and in all organizations. A good worker seeks to do their work conscientiously, honestly, and quickly.
Verse. 6 reminds us there are also wise citizens who learn the right time and place to provide proper influence on those in authority. Seldom is it in confrontation, but in seeking solutions to make it go easy for all parties involved. Many wise employees know the times and places for negotiations in respectful and polite manners.
Application: As a Christian citizen, make your views known. Use your voice, write congressmen, attend local meetings, even protest ......with respect and reason.
Prayer: Lord, give me the combination of love and boldness to declare Your will for this world to the world.
