Day 705: Why societies crumble - Proverbs 28 vs 1 - 5

1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. 2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.

3 A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food. 4-5 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them. Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely. Proverbs 28:1-5 English Standard Version

In a scene from a Christian movie a private detective knocked on the door of a man he hoped would be a crucial witness to prove his client's innocence. But the man in the house fled because he thought it was someone coming to collect payment for tremendous debts he'd built up. The guilty conscience of wicked people can make them flee even when no one's chasing them. That's one aspect of vs 1 of today's reading.

Another aspect can be seen in the Old Testament book of Leviticus where God said to Israel “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season and the land shall yield its increase, . . . you shall dwell in your land securely and I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down and none shall make you afraid . . . you shall chase your enemies and they shall fall before you by the sword . . . five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand”. (Leviticus 26:3-8) Just as guilt can lead to fear, so righteousness can give confidence. When the battle is a just one the fighter is often braver. In a similar way, what is it that leads to the crumbling of society and to a nation becoming unstable? (vs 2)

We usually like to blame a countries leadership when things go pear shaped. Verses 4 & 5 show that sometimes that is the reason for a nation's downfall. But vs 2 speaks of the land (nation) transgressing. In other words, the people of the nation despise God's laws and turn to wicked lifestyles. God's judgment may then be to give them leaders who come and go and don't last long. In other words, there's great political instability in the land. Do you think vs 3 could be a measure of when a nation has sunk really low?

Not dogmatic here, but we usually associate exploitation as something rich people do to the poor. That's a big political talking point these days. Imagine then if society is at a level when even poor people are beating up other poor people – people treating others like dirt. It's like a torrential rain that washes away the land's crops instead of making them productive as Leviticus promised. So societies crumble when a larger part of the population forsakes God's laws. What is it that vs 4-5 tell us which makes the whole situation worse?

It's when wickedness is not only accepted in the land, but people actually begin to praise those who break God's laws. This is especially true of nations who over previous centuries were shaped by His laws. Many western nations that once looked to God's word for direction have now abandoned it completely. Perversions become permitted, and even promoted. One example of this is how some Governments now fly the so called 'pride flag' on their buildings. But what do vs 4-5 say about those who understand and keep God's law?

They take a stand against the corruption and perversion of justice taking place in the land. They (as vs 1 says) are bold as a lion! In democratic countries they can do this with their votes, and by speaking out against evils in society. But essentially it is by seeking to live lives that honour God's laws, reflect the Lord Jesus Christ, and spread His gospel.