Meditationen am Gnadenstuhl: Wisdom for a King & His Subjects II-Proverbs 16:14-19

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Proverbs 16:14-19

[14] A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,

and a wise man will appease it.

[15] In the light of a king’s face there is life,

and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.

[16] How much better to get wisdom than gold!

To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

[17] The highway of the upright turns aside from evil;

whoever guards his way preserves his life.

[18] Pride goes before destruction,

and a haughty spirit before a fall.

[19] It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor

than to divide the spoil with the proud. (ESV)

Wisdom for a King & His Subjects II

v.14 This proverb follows the advice of verse thirteen and reminds those in contact with government officials that the anger of a leader can be directed toward those that surround him. The Wise will not contribute to this anger since his own death may not be far behind. The Wise will try to appease the leader in order to bring peace to the situation. The Hebrew word translated in the ESV as "appease" implies making amends and atoning for one's offense to the leader. This might be a hard verse for modern readers. Suffice it to say when a leader or boss is angry about something, he can have misdirected anger. The smart employee or adviser doesn't try to contribute to his anger by his words or deeds but seeks to diffuse the situation, and if he has given offense, makes an effort to make up for it, especially in light of the fact that the resulting punishment may not fit the offense because of the leader's already agitated state. This doesn't excuse the leader's behavior but advises the adviser on how to navigate it.

v.15 This proverb flips verse fourteen around. Having the favor of an official can be beneficial. Spring rain waters the crops in the weeks before the harvest so that they do not wither prematurely. Having the boss on your side aids you in performing your duties as well as advancing your career.

v.16 What is better to have, money or Wisdom? Money is nice, but Wisdom is beneficial even in those situations where money is of no value. In light of the previous three verses, Wisdom is especially valuable when the boss is angry. Your money is useless here—the boss has more than you! How much more valuable is Divine Wisdom—the Wisdom which leads to eternal life and eternal benefits?!

v.17 This proverb reminds us of the great theme which runs throughout the book: There are two ways—one of life and one of death. Righteous behavior is the morally correct path, and also the path of those Wise in the ways of the Lord, which leads to everlasting life by faith in the only Son of God, crucified and raised for his salvation.

v.18 "Pride goeth before a fall." All sinful people tend toward arrogance in one way or another. The absolute pinnacle of arrogance is to violate God's Word or to hold it in contempt. In the context of proverbs for a king and his subjects, it is a warning to those who deal with powerful people to avoid self-serving pride and putting themselves above others since the king has the power to check that attitude with extreme prejudice, knocking them down as many pegs as he feels like. God is the most powerful being of all, and we need to look no further than Lucifer or Adam & Eve to see how far the fall can be.

v.19 A king will not tolerate arrogance or criminal activity if he is a Wise ruler. Those who remain humble, even if their humility puts them in the ranks of the poor and lowly, will find themselves in a better station with a Wise ruler than the arrogant. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3 ESV).