Pondering Proverbs 22:1

 Pondering Proverbs – 22:1

“A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, favor is better than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1).

When we read Scripture Christologically, that is, when we read it looking for Jesus and allowing Jesus to reveal Himself to us, we never know what we might find. 

As we think about Proverbs 22:1, let’s also consider these two verses:

“There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).  

“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11). 

While we certainly do want to have reputable names that glorify God, the Name above all names that we should desire is the Name of Jesus. His Name is the best name of all, better than great wealth, and the favor we find in Jesus is far far better than silver and gold. 

Where our treasure is, there our hearts will also be. 

Proverbs – In Conclusion (For Now)

 

I’ve not posted for a while because I’ve been pondering whether to continue in Proverbs or to explore other facets of Christ – in the past few months we’ve considered witnessing, discipline and discipleship, and leadership, in Christ in Proverbs. There are many other passages in Proverbs, beyond what we’ve covered, that speak to us in Christ, and of Christ, regarding these things. I think that we will leave Proverbs for now, but before we go let me remind us that Proverbs is about Jesus Christ, it is not a self-help book, and that when we read and ponder Proverbs we ought to be looking for Jesus and asking the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to us.

 

With all our chatter about Messianic prophecy in what we call the Old Testament, the reality is that most of the professing church has lost the ability to see Christ in the Old Testament. As I said in a previous reflection, what good does it do us, or what glory does it give to God, to believe in Noah’s Flood and the Ark, or to go see a reproduction of the Ark, if we do not see that Jesus Christ is the Ark and that we are to live in Him and to call others to live in Him? What good does it do us if we do not see that we, His People, His Church, His Temple, are (in Him) the Ark? (He is the Head and we are His Body).

 

In the same fashion, if all we see in Proverbs are principles to live by, then we are missing the purpose and trajectory of this divinely – inspired book, for its purpose is to reveal Christ and its trajectory is Christ – to lead us deeper and deeper into Jesus Christ. And while I don’t mean to offend anyone, in the same way if we look at the Bible as “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth,” then as pithy as that may sound, we are missing the glory of Jesus Christ and the purpose of the Bible – which is to reveal Jesus Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, and to draw us into relationship with the holy Trinity and with one another (1 John 1:3).

 

When we ponder discipline in Proverbs, do we see that Jesus, “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation”? (Heb. 5:8 – 9).

 

Do we see that the Father is conforming us into “the image of His son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren”? (Rom. 8:28 – 30).

 

When we consider witnessing in Proverbs, do we see that just as Jesus has come to declare and manifest the Father, so He has sent us to manifest the Father and Son? (John 17:18; 20:21). Do we see that the Incarnation continues in us, His People?

 

Along this same line of thought, when we read about kings and others in authority in Proverbs, the root and genesis of what we read is the King of kings and Lord of lords – godly leadership flows from being under the authority of Jesus Christ – we are to be the His Incarnation, and therefore our leadership is to be His leadership expressing itself through us. (John 15:1 – 11).

 

We are to have no life but the life of Christ; in Proverbs we see Christ manifesting Himself through many images and teachings, and we see what our lives ought to look like as we live in Him and He lives in and through us.

 

Why, is not even the wise woman of Proverbs 31 an image of the Bride of Christ?

 

A Proverbs 31 Church is always looking for her Husband, in Proverbs and in all Scripture.

 

“I must arise now and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I must seek him whom my soul loves…” (SS. 3:2 a, b).

 

Let us learn to seek our Lord Jesus in Proverbs.

Pondering Proverbs – Leadership (11)

 

 

“In the light of a king’s face is life, and his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain.” Proverbs 16:15.

 

Verse 15 is a contrast with verse 14. I used to ask myself, when I was in business and traveling from location to location, “Are people glad to see me or do they hate to see me coming and are they glad when I leave? Am I building people up or am I tearing them down?”

 

I was once based in the regional office of a firm; we seldom had visits from the owners and top executives of our company, but when we did I observed behavior that puzzled me then and puzzles me now. These men and women could visit our office and leave without saying “Hello” to the few people who worked there. They would usually come to our office, meet with whomever they needed to meet with, and then leave without any interaction whatsoever with the rest of us – and at no time were there ever more than eight of us working in the office. They would not even look into our individual offices and say, “Hi, how are you today?”

 

This was not only rude, it was poor leadership, for as Proverbs 16:15 tells us, “In the light of a king’s face is life.” When we are in authority and leadership we have the opportunity to pay attention to others and to make their day just a little bit better with recognition and inquiry into their wellbeing.

 

The image of “the light of the king’s face” is powerful in a world in which we often do not make eye contact, often do not really look others in the face nor turn our faces toward them, and often do not really listen. How often have we seen folks out for a meal who are interacting with cell phones rather than those at the table?

 

I live in a community in which people often walk, there is little car traffic and walking is generally a safe exercise. There are two kinds of walkers, those who acknowledge you and make eye contact and then those who don’t - who walk right by you as if you are not there, as if you are invisible. This is particularly strange in that virtually all walkers are residents of our community, that is, we are neighbors.

 

I have often thought of listening to music when I walk, but I don’t because I don’t want to pass people by without being open to opportunities to meet them, talk with them, and pray with them.

 

Of course, the king’s face that matters most is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the light that His face gives us is indeed life, it is refreshing as the rain. If His face gives us light and life, then our faces ought to give others light and life – for He is the Vine and we are the branches and His life flows through us (John 15:1 – 11).

 

Our hope and expectation is that we will behold the face of our God in righteousness (Ps. 17:15), and indeed our Lord says to us, “Seek My face,” and our hearts respond, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek” (Ps. 27:8).

 

Consider these prayers:

 

“Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; save me in Your lovingkindness” (Ps. 31:16).

 

“God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us” (Ps. 67:1).

 

“O God, restore us and cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved” (Ps. 80:3, 7, 19).

 

God not only answered the prayers of the people who prayed them in the Psalms, but He answered them in fulness in sending His Son, our Lord Jesus, in the Incarnation and into our lives:

 

“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (Gal. 4:6).

 

As wonderful as it is to see the face of Christ now, we shall see Him in greater fulness on that great Day. “There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bondservants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.” (Rev. 22:3 – 4).

 

John tells us, concerning this promise and expectation that we will see His face:

 

“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:2 – 3).

 

My point is that God’s Face matters, and that if God’s Face matters then our faces matter, for we, in Christ, are His sons and daughters. If we are entrusted with positions of leadership and authority then our faces especially matter; but since all of God’s daughters and sons have been given authority we can also say that all of us have faces that matter. What do people see when they see our faces? Do they even see our faces, or do we hide our faces?

 

Are we sending the light and warmth of the sun on others? Are we bestowing refreshing rain? That is, are we showing the light and life of our Father to others? For dear friends, as our Father is to others, so we in Christ are to be to others. (Mt. 5:13 – 16; 43 – 48). We are to live as the mature children of our Father, and this is particularly expressed in our dealings with others.

 

The fact that some people will choose not to receive what we have to give in Christ is not something we can control, but we can choose whether to fulfill our calling in Christ to be His Presence wherever we are (by His grace). Few people may be thankful for the sun or the rain of refreshing, but our Father continues to bestow these blessings on humanity.

 

Every person we will ever meet matters to God; do they matter to us?

 

Do the faces of others matter, or do we walk by others as if they all wear the same face?

 

O Lord Jesus, help us to allow your Face to shine through our faces, that others may come to know Your love for them, that others may come to know You.

 

 

Pondering Proverbs – Leadership (10)

 

“The fury of a king is like messengers of death, but a wise man will appease it.” Proverbs 16:14.

 

In my garage I have safety glasses, rubber gloves, face masks, and protection that covers my ears. I use this personal protective equipment when I do certain tasks and when I handle certain products. During my career in property management, employees were required to attend safety training throughout the year, and this included the proper use of PPE, personal protective equipment. Safety training never stopped, best practices in safety were insisted upon and failure to adhere to safety practices, the violation of government standards, could lead to termination of employment. Safety can be a life-or-death matter on the job, just as it can be a life and death matter in my own garage. I ought to handle muriatic acid differently than I do hose water. Products that can be helpful can also be harmful; actions that can be productive, such as splitting firewood, can also lead to injury.

 

I have been angry for good and bad reasons, I have displayed anger sensibly and stupidly, and I have responded to the anger of others wisely and foolishly. I have been more foolish with anger than thoughtful, and consequently I’ve learned much from my mistakes – thanks to the grace of God. I have also seen how obedience to Jesus Christ in volatile situations leads to the peace of God ruling in our hearts.

 

When we encounter anger, whether it is our own anger or that of others, it is helpful if we realize that we are dealing with something dangerous and that if we don’t have the equivalent of PPE (personal protective equipment) that we will hurt ourselves and others. Anger can be helpful, but it can also be deadly, it can poison our souls – and most of the anger we see around us and…I imagine…within us…is toxic.

 

I can only say so much in a brief reflection, here are two elements of Proverbs 16:14:

 

When a leader is angry, whether for righteous or unrighteous reasons, and whether the anger is expressed righteously or unrighteously, the effect is exponential and “like messengers of death." That is, the effect of anger coming from leadership, from the king, can shock the organization, the system, the team – for good or for evil. A leader’s anger can have an exponential effect – again, whether for building up or for tearing down.

 

I once worked for the owner of a company who was intelligent in many ways, and from whom I learned some positive things that helped me in my career; but who was stupid when it came to displaying his anger and criticism. In just a few moments he could destroy months of good morale with his anger and criticism – and considering that it was his own company that he was hurting this made no sense – his anger was costing him money and he couldn’t see it.

 

More than once I asked him to please relay his concerns to me and that I would communicate them to our employees. I tried again and again to help him see the damage he was doing to a fine group of people with his sarcasm and anger – but I don’t think he ever understood my point.

 

The greater our authority and position, the greater the potential effect of our words and actions. When I was a construction laborer no one really paid attention to any anger I displayed, but when I was leading a company, my anger grabbled everyone’s attention.

 

My own sense is that when anger does need to be communicated that we ought to first submit ourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ, asking Him to search our hearts and guide our words and emotions – we ought to fear the egotistical and self-indulgent display of anger. Submission to Jesus is the best PPE we can wear, akin to the armor of God described in Ephesians Chapter 6.

 

The reason electricity providers use transformers is that our houses and businesses would burn up if the electricity transmitted to them was not stepped down before entering our buildings. In the same fashion, raw anger is seldom helpful – it needs to be modulated and thoughtfully communicated.

 

There is much lying and cheating and inequity and stealing in this world; and people ought to have leaders who are angry about these things, who will not tolerate nor reward these things, but who will rather hold those who practice them accountable. However, such anger ought to be in submission to Jesus Christ, it ought to be thoughtful, and as redemptive as possible – when we engage with anger we are handling nitroglycerin.

 

Again, my sense is that anger ought to be seldom displayed and used because otherwise it will wear us out and wear down those around us. Leaders who are perpetually angry seldom have truly fruitful and productive teams – ruling by fear is not the Way of Christ.

 

As for the second part of our verse, “but a wise man will appease it,” I think of Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” When anger is directed toward us, we do not have to respond in kind. In fact, Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek and to bless those who curse us and to pray for those who use us (Matthew 5:43 – 48).

 

When anger is allowed to burn itself out, when fuel is not heaped on the fire of anger to keep it flaming, hopefully the person spewing anger will exhaust himself. In the meantime it is a good opportunity to pray and seek wisdom as to how to thoughtfully engage the person who is angry.

 

Anger from others need not threaten the son or daughter of the Living God, for our identity is in Jesus Christ, He is our Rock and our Refuge, and He is our defense. We are called to “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Col. 3:15a). Our confession is to be, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, what will man do to me?” (Heb. 13:6; Psa. 118:6).

 

While others are venting anger, we can be praying and communing with our Lord Jesus, seeking His wisdom in the situation.

 

So as not to be misunderstood, I believe that we are called to protect others from evil, and that includes evil anger. It is one thing for me to bear the brunt of anger, it is another thing for me to witness others, whom I am responsible for, suffer as objects of ungodly anger. I have witnessed abusive situations both in church and in the workplace in which  those who were in authority did nothing to protect others, and then I have seen examples when those in authority did indeed protect others.

 

Well, these are some brief thoughts about a complex subject. If we will live under the lordship and authority of Jesus Christ we will live in a place of security and peace in Him, and hopefully we will be a blessing to others, no matter what our position may be in this world from time to time.

 

James 3:13 – 18.

Pondering Proverbs - Leadership (9)

 

 

“Righteous lips are the delight of kings, and he who speaks right is loved.” Proverbs 16:13.

 

I have a friend whose name is Alethea; Alethea means “truth” in Greek. I wonder what it is like to live with a name like that – is it a blessing or a burden? With my friend, since she knows our Lord Jesus, I trust it is a blessing – I trust that it is a reminder of who our Lord Jesus is and who she is in Him. I trust that it is a reminder of her calling in Christ – to allow the Truth to live within her and through her, to be the Truth in Christ to others.

 

In Ephesians 4:15 Paul writes that a characteristic and dynamic of the Body of Christ is that we ought to be “speaking the truth in love” to one another. Then in Ephesians 4:25 he again writes, “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.”

 

What hope do we have that we’ll speak the truth to the world, to those who don’t know Jesus, if we will not speak the truth within the Body of Christ – within that Body to whom we are organically joined? If our destiny is that transparent City of Light (Rev. chapters 21 – 22), ought we not to live in that City today?

 

Whether in the professing church, or in the world, how often do we see those in authority value righteous lips – lips that tell the truth and that are validated with lives that live the truth? How often do those in authority demonstrate their approval toward those who are truthful?

 

Men and women who tell the truth are not likely to last long in our vicious society – they will be devoured by one or more factions. And here is a principle that is true from generation to generation, those who tell the truth must be willing to lose for the truth – after all, the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life was crucified – are we better than He is?

 

How many people would invest in a firm that promised to always tell the truth?

 

How many boards of directors would stand by a CEO who promised to always tell the truth?

 

How many religious institutions would still be with us today if their hierarchies and leadership were transparent and truthful and accountable?

 

And for citizens of the United Sates, do we really care more about the truth than about seeing this side or that side winning the next election?

 

Are righteous lips really the delight of kings? Do those in authority really love men and women who speak right things?

 

Well, we know that righteous lips are the delight of our Lord Jesus – and He is the One who should matter to us, for our lives are in His hands. We know that Jesus loves those who obey Him (John 14:23 – 24; 15:10 -11).

 

I was once with a firm who had a very difficult client, we’ll call him Hector. Hector was not only wealthy, his family produced products that are household names around the world – which is to say that he was accustomed to not only wealth, but also power – to getting his own way one way or another. Because Hector was so demanding, his was a difficult account to service – he was detailed oriented and never forgot anything anyone said to him or wrote to him, he had an amazing mind and a driving will, he was exceptionally aggressive.

 

A time came when his account manager with our firm could no longer work with him, he was too much for the manager to work with – I can’t say whether he was unreasonable or not because I wasn’t close to the situation at that time, but I can say that he had high expectations and that he was not about to coddle anyone. I can also say that the account was not performing well financially, which means that there was high pressure to perform. (Isn’t there always pressure to perform?)

 

Our firm’s regional director asked someone else to service the account, we’ll call him Frank. Because I was close to Frank, I had a front row seat at what transpired with Hector and Frank, I also participated in meetings between the two men.

 

The pressure continued, Hector’s personality and approach didn’t change – he was unrelenting. However, Frank and Hector not only had a good relationship, the account stabilized and began to turn around, meeting the goals of Hector and his family. This was one of the most amazing turnarounds I witnessed in all my years in the property management industry. The reasons for this were many, including new local leadership which Frank recruited and encouraged, but the reason I’m telling this story is because of something Hector said about Frank, which I think was the foundation of their relationship and of Hector’s trust in Frank – without which there would have been no turnaround, without which the firm would likely have lost this important account.

 

One day I was in a meeting with Hector, Frank, our regional director, the president of our firm, and a few others. At one point Hector looked across the conference room table at our president and said, “Frank will always tell me the truth. If I ask him something that he doesn’t know, he will tell me that he doesn’t know and then he will find the answer. He will never make things up. He will always tell me the truth.”

 

At that moment I realized the key to Frank’s success with Hector, it was based on Frank telling the truth. Now obviously Frank had to perform, he had to provide Hector with sound advice, he had to manage the assets of Hector’s family in a responsible fashion, he had to make good decisions – but all of this had to be based on the truth. Frank had to tell Hector the good news and the bad news, the potential dangers as well as the upsides, Frank had to warn as well as encourage. Telling the truth carried with it always doing the right thing and saying the right thing – legally, ethically, and morally – Frank had to be this way with Hector, with Hector’s customers, with Hector’s employees, with government agencies…it had to be Frank’s way of life.

 

Looking back, I imagine that because of Hector’s experience in business and politics, that because of his wealth, that he knew that people often told him what they thought he wanted to hear rather than the truth, that others often caved into his strong personality and let him intimidate them, Hector was used to getting his way. On the other hand, Hector valued the truth even when it was not good news, he wanted to know facts so he could base decisions on them – and he respected Frank because Frank told him the truth.

 

Hector was a king who valued “righteous lips,” and while I don’t know that Hector loved Frank in the sense of Proverbs 16:13, he obviously appreciated him and honored him, giving him honor before our firm’s executives and within Hector’s own family.

 

I should also tell you that Frank’s life was rooted in Jesus Christ – the Way, the Truth, and the Life. For Frank, to tell Hector a lie would be to deny Jesus Christ. For Frank, telling Hector the truth, always the truth, was serving Christ and testifying to Christ.

 

When I read of the false accusation against Joseph by Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39, I believe the reason Potiphar had Joseph jailed rather than executed is because he knew that Jospeh was telling the truth and that his own wife was lying to him. Like Hector, Potiphar was a man in power and authority, like Hector, Potiphar knew the difference between truthtellers and liars, and Potiphar knew that Jospeh was a truthteller and that his own wife was a liar.

 

When professing Christians lie, we drink the up of Satan, we imbibe evil and wickedness, for God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, and Satan is the father of lies (1 Cor. 10:21; 2 Cor. 6:14 – 7:1; 1 John 1:5; John 8:44).

 

When we endorse liars we become partakers with them of their demonic activity, drinking with them of the devil’s cup.

 

The very idea that professing Christians should worship idols of lesser evils than those of perceived greater evils is akin to teaching that it is better that spouses should commit adultery with one or two or three other people rather than with twenty or thirty people – adultery is adultery.

 

John wrote, “I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.” (1 Jn. 2:21).

 

Could he write this to us today? Do we understand that “no lie is of the truth”?

 

John also wrote, “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19). When the Holy Spirit writes, “the whole world,” does He really mean “the whole world”? (See also 1 John 2:15 – 17).

 

John concludes his first letter with, “Little children, guard yourself from idols.” (1 John 5:21).

 

Idols are served by lies…in religion, in business, in politics, in education, in some branches of purported “science” – especially what passes for social science, in sports, everywhere.

 

Jesus Christ is served by the truth, always served and worshiped by and in the truth (John 4:23 – 24; 8:12).

 

Are our lips the delight of the one king who truly matters, our Lord Jesus Christ?

 

 

Pondering Proverbs – Leadership (8)

 

 “It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, for a throne is established in righteousness.” Proverbs 16:12.

 

Do we believe this? Do we believe the two components to this verse? Is it really an abomination for those in authority to commit wicked acts? Or is it acceptable for them to commit wicked acts if the acts achieve our goals?

 

Do we truly believe that a throne, a position of authority, is established in righteousness?

 

In Psalm 45:6 – 7, we read concerning the Messiah, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of joy above Your fellows.” (This is quoted in Hebrews 1:8 – 9).

 

Is unrighteousness found in the reign of Jesus Christ? Are wicked acts to be found coming from the throne of Jesus Christ and His Father? If the answer is “No,” then how can professing Christians justify wicked acts when they, or when others, are in leadership?

 

No matter where we are in life, any position of authority that we have been given ought to be a position in which we love and practice righteousness and hate and reject wickedness. And let’s be clear about this, Jesus Christ was rejected and crucified – Jesus says, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, because of this the world hates you.” (John 15:18 – 19; see 15:18 – 16:4).

 

If Jesus was rejected and crucified, we can be certain that there will be times when His people share the same experience – in varying degrees and dimensions. If Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords was rejected and crucified, we can be sure that His followers – His brothers and sisters – will know what it means to “know Him in the koinonia of His sufferings” (Phil. 3:10) – and again, this koinonia takes many forms.

 

My point in writing this is that when we read that “a throne is established in righteousness,” that the idea of being “established” does not mean that the throne, or position of authority and leadership, will necessarily continue, it does not mean that the person in authority will necessarily continue in his or her position. Righteous kings and queens, righteous national leaders, righteous local leaders, righteous academic leaders, righteous business leaders, righteous leaders in all spheres of life (including within the professing church) have been deposed from their positions through no fault of their own. Again, Jesus Christ was rejected and crucified.

 

However, Jesus says “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Rev. 3:21).  We are “heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Rom. 8:17b).

 

If we hold our positions of authority in trust, within Jesus Christ; if we serve under the authority of Jesus Christ, then we can be sure that we are anchored in the ultimate authority of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, we can be sure that our lives and our positions are melded with Christ and His Throne – for we are “coheirs,” “joint heirs,” “heirs together with Him.” Even now, in this present life, as we overcome in Christ, we can experience what it is to “sit down with Him on His Throne,” – while the fulness of this is yet to come, we can experience a measure of this in Christ today.

 

Life is not about our success or our self-fulfillment or our having “our best life now.” Life is about following Jesus Christ, loving Him and worshipping Him and loving others and serving them as we serve Him. The Cross of Christ is our nexus – as Paul writes (Gal. 2:20), “I am crucified with Christ…” A “throne established in righteousness” is a throne rooted in the Cross – it is laying down our lives for those we serve, it is dying that others might live (2 Cor. 4:12; 1 Jn. 3:16).

 

The book of Proverbs does not contain secrets or principles to advancement or fame or success – the book of Proverbs…as the entire Bible…reveals Jesus Christ and if we are not “seeing” Jesus then we are not “seeing” the Biblical text. The good is the enemy of the better, and the better is the enemy of the best, and Jesus is always and forever the best (Mt. 17:5). It is in Jesus Christ that we find “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3).

 

If we look at life in the short term, we will prostitute ourselves with the thrones and authorities and powers of this world – we will insist that the ends justify the means for our ends will be those of this present and wicked world system. We will worship at political and economic altars, we will conform to the world rather than submitting to the transformation of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God (Romans 12:1 – 2). If we are seduced by the thrones of the world we will align ourselves with wickedness for the sake of short-term gain, for the sake of sharing temporal power, for advancing ourselves and our agendas – and this is an abomination – we are called to be holy as our Father is holy. (See 2 Cor. 6:14 – 7:1; 1 Peter 1:13 – 25).

 

O dear friends in Christ, let us prove ourselves “to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life…” (Phil. 2:15 – 16). In living this way in Christ, we shall live with Christ on His Thone and offer hope to a dying world.

 

Pondering Proverbs - Leadership (7)

 

“A divine decision is in the lips of the king; his mouth should not err [be unfaithful] in judgment. A just balance and scales belong to Yahweh; all the weights of the bag are His concern [work].” Proverbs 16:10 – 11.

 

There are two dichotomies of death in the church, one is the clergy – laity dichotomy, the other is the sacred – secular dichotomy. While not to diminish the special vocational call of ministry in the Word to the Church, this special vocational call is to “equip the saints for the work of ministry,” it is not to do all the ministry in the Body – far from it! Does not the very notion of a body teach us this? See Ephesians 4:11 – 16, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12.

 

Service within and to the church is not the only sacred work of life, for all work ought to be sacred, offered unto God, be a form of worship, service to others, and be a place of our transformation into the image of Jesus Christ. In other words, the work of the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker ought to be a form of worship. As Paul writes, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” (Col. 3:23).

 

Every time well-meaning pastors speak to their people of secular work they unwittingly degrade the vocational callings of their congregation.

 

Now, why are we focused on this regarding Proverbs 16:10 – 11? Because the way we live and work is sacred, the way we treat others is sacred – whether we are kings or just getting started in our vocational lives. Whether we are pastors or evangelists or accountants or carpenters or farmers or computer programmers, we are called to serve God in our work and to worship Him. God is Creator, and our work is to emulate Him – are we not made in His image?

 

Proverbs 16:10 – 15 speaks to us of kings, of those in leadership and authority, of the way those in authority ought to think and act, and it begins by saying, “A divine decision is in the lips of the king; his mouth should not err [be unfaithful] in judgment.”

 

How might we think about the idea that “A divine decision is in the lips of the king”? Does this mean that it is always in the lips of the king? How can the second part of the verse help us think about this? “His mouth should not err…” We have the potential for being on the mark, as well as the potential for being off the mark. We also have the potential for getting some parts of a decision right and other parts wrong.

 

One of the ways we can strive for righteous decision making is by using a “just balance” in all that we do – not to be swayed by selfishness, favoritism, or a host of other elements that can distort our judgment. We want to learn to fly by the instrumentation of God’s Word as opposed to what we see, for our sense perceptions can deceive us and lead to spatial disorientation, which in turn may lead us to crash the plane with great loss. We don’t want to judge based on the way things appear to be, we want to judge based on the way things really are; and while our first impressions can be right, they are not always right. While the story people tell us the first time may seem like it is right, the story others tell us as we delve into a matter may bring other elements of a situation to light.

 

And…as smart as we think we are, we are nevertheless human, we have our limitations – we are not God, we are not omniscient and we cannot be omnipresent; often we will never know the entire truth of a situation – and so we look to our Lord Jesus for wisdom, we look to His Word for guidance, we listen to trusted mentors and counsellors as we grow in vocation and holistically as men and women – and hopefully we don’t look to our own understanding, even when we think we have understanding, but look to Christ in all things, acknowledging Him and allowing Him to direct our paths of thinking and action (Proverbs 3:1 – 12).

 

I’ll close this reflection by suggesting that there are (at least) two key elements to keep before us when we ponder decision making. One is that all of our decisions ought to be divine decisions, for we are the daughters and sons of the living God and our lives are in Christ Jesus, our elder brother. We are not to go off on our own and do what we want to do the way we want to do it, making up our own rules and principles and agendas – we belong to Jesus Christ and God is our Father. We have been “bought with a price” and we ought to clearly live as those who no longer belong to themselves.

 

The other key element is to live “under authority”. This dovetails with the above element. I cannot stress this enough in our lawless society and lawless professing church. The centurion (Matthew 8:5 – 13) saw that Jesus was “under authority” just as he, the centurion, was "under authority." I have never seen anyone understand this when reading this passage – never. Show me a man or women in authority who is not accountable to someone else, or to a group of people – and I’ll show you someone who is dangerous to himself and others. And let’s be honest, there are those who are accountable on an organizational chart but in reality, not only don’t think they are accountable, but often ensure that governing boards of directions or trustees are simply “yes” people.

 

And for professing Christians, we are always accountable to God and ought to live under His authority – and without submission to Him any authority that we may have is all the more likely to result in pride, selfishness, and ultimately abuse of power.

 

No matter the level of responsibility that we have been given, it is an opportunity to learn from Jesus how to use authority in our daily worship, in our service to others, and in our witness to Him.

 

Pondering Proverbs - Leadership (6)

 

“The king’s favor is toward a servant who acts wisely, but his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.” Proverbs 14:35.

 

What do you see in this verse? Have you known people in leadership who rewarded people of integrity and good work, and who also held those accountable who lacked integrity and performed substandard and shoddy work? Have you also seen the reverse? That is, have you seen people in authority who have favored those who lack integrity and who ignore, or even eliminate from their positions, people of integrity? Perhaps you have known leaders who are an inconsistent mix of these things?

 

Does integrity matter anymore? If it does matter, how much does it matter? Is money and success and power and position more important than integrity? Are dividends to stockholders and investors more important than integrity?

 

I am using “integrity” along with “wisdom” and acting wisely because the wisdom of Proverbs and the Bible is a wisdom of integrity – it is not a cheap pragmatic wisdom that trades eternity for the here and now, that barters away a relationship with God for immediate success and gratification.

 

One of our challenges is that we live in a world that insists on instant results and gratification, and that values the material and sensual above everything. The speed of life and the transmission and volume of noise demands that we participate in the insanity around us, responding with cooperation and participation…unless…of course…we choose to live in Christ; unless…of course…we learn to live in the One in whom we will find “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3).

 

We could ponder Proverbs 14:35 every day for a year and not exhaust how it might look in various settings; for now I’ll just make a few observations, certain that you have much to add.

 

A person in authority should encourage those who act wisely and help them to grow in wisdom and share that wisdom with others – to mentor others. At the same time the leader himself should always be growing in wisdom. The person in authority should, in word and action, send a consistent and clear message that integrity matters and is honored. This message ought to be communicated within and without an organization and it must be nonnegotiable – it cannot be sold or compromised. The leader must always be self-critical, asking the Holy Spirit to search his own heart to reveal anything that would poison his or her integrity and thus poison those around him or her.

 

Leaders and organizations must be willing to pay a price to maintain integrity and live in wisdom – and sooner or later it is likely that a price will indeed have to be paid.

 

Leaders ought not to expect others to live in wisdom toward others unless the leaders themselves model wisdom and integrity in their own relationships. It is not enough to tell people how to live, leaders ought to show people how to live.

 

Those leaders who have leaders above them, those who are directly accountable to others, ought to model integrity to those above them, as well as to their peers and to those below them. That is, godly leaders are called to model wisdom to everyone; they should model God’s wisdom to those above them as well as to those below them in an organization.

 

What to do when someone acts shamefully?

 

Sometimes it is helpful to show anger, sometimes it is not. We need not show our anger for it may not be helpful. When we do demonstrate anger, it ought to be subject to our Lord Jesus Christ and we ought to be careful about it, lest we become self-righteous and self-indulgent and shameful.

 

When someone acts shamefully, how can we be redemptive and hold the person accountable? Consider how patient Jesus was with Peter on more than one occasion – though to be sure Jesus once said, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests but man’s.” (Mt. 16:23). Straight talk is often redemptive talk – people need to hear the truth; hopefully we speak the truth with care and concern.

 

Then there are times when shameful actions must result in dismissal from a position, the loss of a job or other position. Hopefully, in the long run, this will also work redemptively in the other person’s life. As we considered in a previous reflection, we are called to use just scales in our judgements and actions.

 

We also need to protect others from shameful behavior, we have a duty to all, not just to one or two or a few. In my own workplace experience, sexual harassment, stealing, violence to others, and discrimination were zero tolerance actions that led to dismissal.

 

While I had zero tolerance for falsifying business documents, lying is such a part of our society that I tried to teach people who lied to tell the truth. Of course I also noted those who lied, including those who lied about inconsequential things – for the person who will lie about a small thing will lie about an important matter. When many of our national leaders lie, when national and multi-national businesses lie, when much advertising and marketing is built on lies and deceit – can we expect these things not to affect our behavior as a people?

 

At the same time, as Jesus teaches, “To whom much is given, much is required.” The more responsibility and authority a person have the higher the bar, the higher the trust level, and the greater potential to do harm to others and poison an organization. Again, from the top downward in our society (and in the professing church) we see few examples of people in authority taking ownership and responsibility for their shameful actions – indeed, the shameful has been turned into the reasonable and justifiable and excusable in our world and in the professing church.

 

Those in authority are both gatekeepers and those who provide shelter and cover for others. Kings and those in leadership ought not to provide cover for those who practice shameful actions, while they should be a safe place for those who practice wisdom and integrity. Those in leadership ought to be careful about who and what they allow through the gates of their organizations and communities, and when it is necessary to have people leave through the gates, they need to make the decisions and take the actions to ensure it happens.

 

Wherever we may be, we are there as the servants of Jesus Christ, as sons and daughters of the Living God; we are to reflect the Life of Christ within us, to display that Life. When we are in positions of influence and authority, we are called to exercise that authority and influence under the authority of Jesus Christ – we are accountable to Jesus Christ before anyone or anything else.

 

Let us make no mistake, every child of God, in Christ, is in a position of influence and authority – therefore, every child of God should manifest the character and attributes of godly kingship and authority as taught in Proverbs, in the Bible, and in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pondering Proverbs – Leadership (5)

 

 

“The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slack hand will be put to forced labor.” Proverbs 12:24.

 

What does this mean? Do we see this consistently working out in life? Here is, perhaps, a verse that we would like to skip over when thinking about leadership and authority, but alas it does have the word “rule” in it; it tells us that the diligent will rule – so we ought to engage with this verse in our series on leadership in Proverbs.

 

Do we always see the diligent ruling? Do we always see the faithful and hard-working being recognized? Do we ever see slackers getting promoted and receiving positive recognition that they don’t deserve? Do we see people in positions of authority who are lazy and don’t work?

 

Well, of course we see these things, we live in an unjust world, in a world that isn’t truthful and fair – but we also live in a world that is ultimately under the authority of God and which is being judged by God, and which will in ultimate fulness be judged by God.

 

An element of our growth in Jesus Christ is learning to live in ultimate realities, or as Paul wrote, living by not looking at the things that are seen, which are temporal, but rather at the things which are unseen, which are eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). We see this orientation toward the unseen and its ultimate outworking in Hebrews Chapter 11, as indeed throughout Scripture. This is not to deny the suffering, injustice, and pain of the present world, but it is also to place these things in their ultimate perspective (see Romans 8:18 in its context) and to place them most especially and assuredly in the hands of our kind and loving heavenly Father and dear Lord Jesus.

 

When we know the Bible holistically, in an integrated fashion in Christ, proclaiming Jesus Christ, then our understanding of life develops in Christ and we gain some measure of clarity when we see injustices around us. More importantly, our vision of God increases and our trust in Him grows deeper – for seeing Him and knowing Him and trusting in His essence and character (if we may use that word) is the core of life.

 

“Theodicy” is a word that refers to how God works out His judgement and justice both in this world and beyond. When we have a Biblical framework for our theodicy we will still have unanswered questions and many things, I think, will still be mysteries to us – but we will have a framework in Christ through which to view justice and equity – and their counterparts – and we won’t have to reinvent the wheel every time we have questions about why the wicked seem to have their way and why the innocent and righteous suffer or are otherwise in difficulties.

 

So many professing Christians reinvent wheels of understanding over and over again because we are not grounded in the Bible holistically, we are not grounded in the Person of God – in His essence and attributes as He reveals Himself in and through the Bible. Our lives lack firm foundations in Jesus Christ. We want quick and easy answers to difficult questions – we will not sit still and learn at the feet of the Master and allow Him to develop His image within us, we will not submit ourselves to Him. We would rather complain than trust and worship Him.

 

Not every diligent hand will rule in this life, and not every slack hand will be seemingly held accountable in this life.

 

Many Psalms struggle with questions of theodicy. Where is God in the midst of wickedness and injustice? Why do the wicked seem to have everything? Why do the innocent suffer? Will no one help the oppressed? Is our faithfulness to God a waste?

 

I have long loved Psalm 73, with its raw honesty – a hallmark of the Psalms – and its sudden realization that, “I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You” (Ps. 73:22), and of course its conclusion, “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord Yahweh my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.”

 

Of course, Psalm 37 is the “go to” Psalm on theodicy, beginning with, “Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward the wrongdoers,” and concluding with, “But the salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh; He is their strength in time of trouble. Yahweh helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.”

 

Note that both Psalm 37 and Psalm 73 focus on God as our refuge – what can we learn from this?

 

Joseph and Daniel provide examples of those with diligent hands ruling, but their lives were not without sorrow and conflict and they both patiently endured, making God their refuge.

 

In our Lord Jesus we see exaltation after crucifixion, (Phil. 2:5 – 11), and we are called to have the same attitude in ourselves that Jesus displayed (Phil. 2:5).

 

It is not unusual to see injustice and inequity in the workplace, and when we work in such environments it is important to keep Colossians 3:22 – 25 in mind. We are to be sincere in all we do, not simply putting on an outward show. We are to fear God, and we are to do our work heartily as unto the Lord rather than as unto men. And here we have theodicy, for in Col. 3:24 Paul writes, “…knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Our God can lift us up above the injustices around us, putting us in a place, in Christ, where we can be a blessing to others – even in the midst of inequity and unfairness and moral and ethical poison.

 

And so when we read a verse such as Proverbs 12:24, though we may not see the fulness of its outworking right now, we can be assured that ultimately we will witness its fulfillment – for as Paul writes, “…the saints will judge the world…Do you not know that we will judge angels?” (1 Cor. 6:2 – 3).

 

Ultimately, the hand of the diligent in Christ will indeed rule.

 

 

Pondering Proverbs – Leadership (4)

 

“A false balance is an abomination to Yahweh, but a just weight is His delight.” Proverbs 11:1.

 

I have a friend who owns and operates an auto repair business to whom I recently mentioned Proverbs 11:1. He said to me, “I think of that verse every time I bill a customer. I want to make sure that I am fair with everyone.”

 

In my business career I thought of that verse in my dealings with customers, vendors, clients, and employees. And yes, as a pastor I also knew that I was called to serve without favoritism or with regard to my personal benefit.

 

I have a friend who is a pastor who was once offered substantial money for his struggling congregation if he would change elements of his teaching and ministry. He replied, “I have been bought once by the blood of Jesus, and I’m not going to be bought again.” When we live under the ownership of Jesus Christ, He becomes our justice and equity, for He is Righteousness and Justice and Equity, and just scales are grounded in Him. Christ does not change, but is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8), and in Him we learn not to change – including not changing the scales by which we live.

 

On the other hand, I have sadly known pastors who evaluate others by their financial giving. These pastors have forgotten James’s admonition, “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.” (see James 2:1 – 7).

 

Not long ago I was in a self-service checkout line at a mega retailer when a man carrying a case, with a badge identifying himself with the state Bureau of Weights and Measures asked me if he could step in front of me for just a minute. Of course I agreed and then I watched him open his case and place various weights on the checkout scale to verify the scale’s accuracy. When I later mentioned this to Vickie she told me that the retailer in question had recently been caught overcharging their customers by using inaccurate scales.

 

O dear friends, if the Bureau of Weights and Measures goes about checking to see if we are using just scales in our businesses, are we so foolish to think that God does not know when we use unjust scales in our lives? Consider the man with the writing case in Ezekiel 9:1 – 11, to whom Yahweh says, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.”

 

The sons and daughters of the Living God are called to live righteously and justly, proving themselves to be “blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world…” (Phil. 2:15). Lying and cheating and playing favorites and using unjust scales may be the way of the world, but it is not the Way of Jesus Christ and it is not to be our way.

 

And this means that we apply just scales to ourselves, that we make no exceptions when it comes to ourselves. Psalm 15 begins with the question, “O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill?” Part of the answer is, “He who swears to his own hurt and does not change…” (verse 4c). This means that we tell the truth to our own detriment! We tell the truth even when it hurts us!

 

Now let me be quick to say that in the long run telling the truth never hurts us, for telling the truth is living within our union with Jesus Christ, telling the truth is confessing Him with our words and actions – whereas lying is repudiating the life of Jesus Christ within us. Do we want to live as children of the Light, or do we want to align ourselves with the devil – who is a liar and thief and murderer?

 

As far as I can tell, we all have opportunities to tell the truth to our own hurt – for none of us, as far as I can tell, are perfect. Telling the truth is using just scales, for I certainly want others to tell me the truth, and I certainly will take issue with others if they lie to me – so how can I expect others to tell me the truth if I will not tell others the truth? Would this not be using a double standard, an unjust scale?

 

When is the last time you heard a political leader, a church leader, an institutional leader, a business leader, say - “I was wrong”? Whether in government, politics, business, education, church, sports…in every sphere of life, we have “spin” and excuses and reasons to justify our ungodly and immoral and unethical actions – and it seems to always be someone else’s fault. We are masters at using unjust scales…which are an abomination to God.

 

Where do we see leaders, when confronted with their sin, say with King David, “I have sinned against the LORD”? (2 Sam. 12:13). Where do we see repentance, as we see in King David in Psalm 51?

 

In the political realm we are more interested in destroying the opposition and justifying our own thinking and behavior than in being truthful and honest with ourselves and others – for again, when do we see self – criticism and telling the truth and humility? When do we see just scales in politics, economics, in business? In education? In life? In the professing church?

 

Well, to live as citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20) means, in part, that we use just scales throughout life, in every facet of life – for again, just scales have their foundation in Jesus Christ.

 

Am I using just scales in every facet of my life?

 

What about you?

 

Pondering Proverbs - Leadership (3)

 

“A false balance is an abomination to Yahweh, but a just weight is His delight.” Proverbs 11:1.

 

Have you ever been in an environment, perhaps at work or in school or in a civic organization, or even in a family, in which people were not treated fairly, in which there were favorites to whom normal standards were not applied by those in authority?

 

What did you think in these situations? How did you feel? Had you been in charge, what would you have done differently? Have you ever played favorites, not treating everyone fairly?

 

Have you ever been cheated in a business transaction? Have you ever cheated anyone?

 

Have you known people who are examples of integrity in leadership, who are honest in their dealings and relationships with others and who treat others with fairness and equity?

 

When I used to interview prospective managers in the business world I would ask, “Without giving me any names, please describe two or three examples of good leaders you have worked for.” Then I would ask, “Now, without using any names, please describe two or three examples of poor leaders you have worked for.” One difference that often separated good from poor leaders was equity and fairness – some men and women had a deep sense that they ought to use their positions of authority to treat others fairly, others used their authority to display favoritism and create their own circles of power, privilege, and prestige.

 

When we first read Proverbs 11:1 the image of scales and fairness in business transactions may be in our minds, but as we ponder what the image represents we will see that it applies to every area of life, it has to do with the way we live and who we are. We may also have an image of the “scales of justice” with a blindfold covering the eyes, an image that few pay even lip service to anymore – such are the inequities surrounding us.

 

Consider these words of God to the People of Israel before they entered the Promised Land:

 

“You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. You shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. For everyone who does these things, everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to Yahweh your God.” (Dt. 25:13 – 16).

 

How critical is it to treat others fairly? Not to do so is an abomination to God. It is bad enough when individuals cheat and practice inequity, but when organizations and businesses and nations adopt cheating and lying and deceit as a way of life (actually a way of death!) then we have Satan working his will in the collective mind and heart – then his evil toxin flows through the veins of a people.

 

Within the past couple of weeks two of the largest banks in the United States, Wells Fargo and Bank of America, have been caught cheating their customers. This is at least the second time in the past few years that Wells Fargo has been caught cheating; after the first time the bank assured regulators and customers that it would never happen again – this was a lie. Once a culture of cheating and lying and deception has taken root in a corporate culture, can it really be irradicated?

 

The banks will pay a fine and perhaps make restitution and nothing will likely change, customers will continue to do business with them because we have become accustomed to crookedness in society and business and politics – we have become a bent people, our souls are twisted and we bear the yoke of iniquity with our eyes to the ground…no longer aspiring to righteousness…preferring slavery…and this includes professing Christians who no longer will stand in front of the mirror of God’s Word but who rather insist that the ends justify the ungodly means they use to achieve their goals.

 

Yahweh’s words in Deuteronomy 25:13 – 16 were a warning to ancient Israel and they should be a warning to us; a nation of cheats and liars which has rejected equity and justice is an abomination to God…and all the glitz and glitter and wealth and material prosperity cannot, and will not, hide such a people from God and His judgment. The Law and the Prophets bear witness to this, but we don’t read them, and when we do we gloss over them.

 

But of course it begins with me, what does my life look like with respect to a just scale and righteousness and justice and equity? Do I treat others fairly and righteously?

 

What about you?

 

How is Proverbs 11:1 speaking to you?

 

Pondering Proverbs - Leadership (2)

 

“By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, all who judge rightly.” Proverbs 8:15 – 16.

 

In our previous reflection on this passage we asked, “Who is speaking here?”

 

Is there a similarity between Proverbs Chapter 8 and John 1:1 – 5? Indeed, we might ask whether there is a similarity between Proverbs Chapter 8 and John 1:1 – 18? After touching on the similarities, what are the distinctions?

 

And then, what affinity does Proverbs Chapter 8 have with John 17?

 

These passages display a Trinitarian Affinity, that is, they draw us into the koinonia of the Trinity and into the eternals, into the transcendent. In Christ, these passages allow us to say with John, “…what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have koinonia with us; and indeed our koinonia is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (1 Jn. 1:3).

 

Perhaps this excerpt from the Nicene Creed will help us (pay attention to Proverbs 8:24 – 25):

 

“I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.”

 

What do you see in this excerpt when you compare it to Proverbs 8 and John 1?

 

Here is what follows in the Creed: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.”

 

How does this compare with John 1:14 – 18?

 

In John 1:1 we see the Word, in Proverbs 8 we see Wisdom. In Proverbs 8 Wisdom calls to mankind and offers light and wisdom, in John 1, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” Throughout Proverbs, especially in chapters 1 – 9, we see the conflict between wisdom and foolish darkness, between righteousness and wickedness – we also see that conflict in the Gospel of John, and John gives us a taste of what is to come with the statement, “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend [or overpower] it.” (John 1:5). In both Proverbs 8 and John 1 we see God creating.

 

In Proverbs 8 we see “I was brought forth” which the Nicene Creed speaks of in “begotten not made.” In John 1:14 we see Him who was “begotten not made” called “the only begotten from the Father” and becoming flesh. We might say that we see two births – both beyond our comprehension, one in Proverbs 8:24 – 25, another in the Word becoming flesh in John 1:14.

 

We simply do not have language to talk about these mysteries, not in a comprehensive fashion – for they are beyond us; yet they can touch us and we can touch them, and as Peter writes, we can become partakers of the Divine Nature (2 Peter 1:4) and we can learn to live in the koinonia of the Trinity.  We encounter the same challenge when we ponder the Incarnation, and by extension the Lord’s Table. As I understand it, Luther once said when pressed about his understanding of Real Presence in the Eucharist, “You explain the Incarnation to me and I’ll explain Real Presence in Holy Communion to you.” (Or words to that effect).

 

Now, you may wonder, what does this have to do with leadership and authority?

 

It has everything to do with it, for all true power and authority and position and leadership is grounded in God, and the Second Person of the Trinity expresses this ground to us. Therefore the Son says, “By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, all who judge rightly.”

 

And we must not forget that the centurion saw this! “For I also am a man under authority, with solders under me…” (Matthew 8:9). And Jesus replies, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” (Matthew 8:10).

 

In other words, the centurion saw beyond the visible into the invisible, he saw into and through John 1 and Proverbs 8, and in doing so he touched the eternals, he approached the Throne Room – and this, Jesus says, was remarkable faith, far surpassing anything Jesus had seen in Israel.

 

The legitimate exercise of authority and leadership ought to have its ground in being under authority and leadership; to rule we must be ruled, to lead we must serve, to use authority we must be subject to authority; what this ultimately leads us to is the King of kings and Lord of lords, our Lord Jesus Christ. In Proverbs 8 we see Him before the foundation of the world (see also John 17:5, 24), in John 1 we see Him coming into the world, and in Revelation 19:16 we see Him returning in all of His glory. Of course, He continues in His Incarnation within us, His Body (1 Cor. 12:12), which is all the more reason for our lives to be grounded in Him.