Proverbs 24:16-23 – Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous, do
not plunder their dwelling place; for though the righteous fall seven times,
they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. Do not gloat when
your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and
turn his wrath away from them. Do not fret because of evildoers or be
envious of the wicked, for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the
wicked will be snuffed out. Fear the Lord and
the king, my son, and do not join with rebellious officials, for those two
will send sudden destruction on them, and who knows what calamities they
can bring? These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in
judging is not good: Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,” will be
cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
Romans
13:3 – For rulers hold no terror for
those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from
fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.
Jeremiah 22:16 – He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so
all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord.
Proverbs 18:5 – It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so
deprive the innocent of justice.
Application:
- · Submission to civil authority is commanded.
- · Paul is not stating that this (“do what is right and you will be commended”) will always be true but is describing the proper, ideal function of rulers. When civil rulers overstep their proper function, the Christian is to obey God rather than human authorities.
- · “To know me” means to love God fully, which results in living a pious life and serving those in need.
- · Favoritism of any kind was condemned in the law.
All Scripture verses taken from NIV
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