Proverbs 28:2
Leadership
1. In this part of the proverb, Solomon speaks of a land (country) is full of transgression.
a. Transgression: Rebellion; contrary to a standard.
b. Certainly in Israel’s later history, there were many times of rebellion.
c. Rebellion actually characterized Israel since their days in the wilderness. They rebelled against Moses, and thus against God.
d. God gave them the Law, and immediately, they SAID, “All that the Lord hath said we will do.”
e. Shortly after that, they began rebelling against it.
2. Inner rebellion results in “many” princes.
a. This means that because of the unstable nature of the country, they can expect a large turnover in leadership.
b. Turmoil within the nation manifests itself in the leadership.
c. When you see leaders continually being replaced in a land, it usually indicates chaos within.
d. I Kings 16:8-11; 15-18; 21-22 – That was certainly true in the northern Kingdom of Israel. Israel had 20 kings in nine dynasties.
e. The leadership kept turning over because the people themselves were fickle and unstable.
f. History has given us countless examples. Military coups change leaderships rapidly. Rebellion of serfs with their pitchforks rally against the aristocracy changes leadership. Political movements and their leaders rise and fall.
g. And through all this inner turmoil the leadership continually changes.
h. Instability within the country at a grassroots level inevitably results in instability at the top.
i. That means even more instability… and eventually leads to the toppling of the government or the regime.
j. In a sense, that chaos and instability is a built-in judgment on the land for their transgression and rebellion.
3. We need to pray for our country. America is divided.
a. Transgression has brought about social and political upheaval.
b. There has always been a left and a right, which is a good thing.
c. The two party system prevents one side from going to extremes in one direction and tends to keep an even keel.
d. But today it seems that the moral issues have arisen (like abortion and gay lifestyle) which has even further polarized the land.
e. This has led to a hostile environment of demonizing the other side (and both parties are equally guilty).
f. As Christians, we need to pray. Solomon tells us that hostile division within a land leads to more instability… and chaos could ensue.
g. And certainly as Christians, we should not add to the incivility by rhetoric that inflames and vilifies those with whom we disagree.
h. It’s a free country and we can speak our minds. However, talking about politics does not mean that we have a green light to be unkind and caustic.
4. This principle is true not only in a country, but it also applies to a city, a business, and even a church.
a. Rebellion, turmoil, chaos, and disorder from within will result in a rapid turnover of leadership.
b. Who wants to lead such a group? That kind of rebellion and turmoil will wear a leader out in no time.
c. Who wants to be the CEO of a company that is riddled with problems within? He may discover after he takes on the job that things were worse than he thought… and decide to bail out.
d. Or perhaps the inner division will cause the people to want to cast leaders out because the leader does not cater to their own way of thinking.
e. It is very difficult to lead a group that is torn from within.
f. This is what Paul dealt with in Corinth. They had various groups within the church that did not get along well with each other: “I’m of Paul; of Cephas; of Apollos.”
g. The church had descended into disorder, factions, and were biting and devouring one another.
h. If there were three different groups in the church headed in three different directions, the leader isn’t going to be able to lead them all. He can only lead in one direction, which means that 2/3 of the church isn’t following.
i. It is no wonder Paul dealt so extensively with this church (two lengthy epistles) in order to help resolve the inner turmoil so that they COULD have stable leadership in the future.
1. Now Solomon states the reverse truth: A good leader will prolong the state (country; city-state; etc.)
a. A divided, unstable, rebellious nation results in MANY leaders.
b. One stable leader results in a UNIFIED nation.
c. Here Solomon speaks about the value of a good leader.
2. A good leader is a “man of understanding and knowledge.”
a. The understanding and knowledge here refers primarily to wisdom in governing. (That’s the topic of the verse.)
b. Knowledge: Knowledge; information.
• A good leader should be well informed; he should have knowledge… especially, the knowledge needed to lead a country… or a business… or an organization…
c. Understanding: Skill; understanding.
• I Kings 3:9 – This is what Solomon asked God for: “an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discern between good and evil.”
• A good leader will be skilled in what he does.
• He will be skilled in dealing with people and with problems.
d. A wise and understanding leader will deal with the “transgression” or rebellion in the country.
• He will view the transgression as gangrene in the body and will attempt to remove it and replace the rebellion with a calm spirit… unity… a sense of respecting others—even those with whom you disagree.
• This should bring about a healing – like a soothing balm over the land.
• A wise leader realizes that ORDER is vital for the wellbeing of the land and he will seek to restore law and order.
3. A good leader will prolong the state.
a. Prolong: To be long; to lengthen; staying power; patience; be in a state of calm in the midst of a trying, upsetting experience.
b. A country governed by a leader with understanding and knowledge will not be plagued with constant military coups, treason, and uprisings.
c. It will not end in tragedy, but its existence will be prolonged.
d. Why? Because the people are content with the leadership and the way they are treated. He will have a unifying influence in the land.
e. Israel had 20 kings in nine dynasties and eight assassinations. However, the southern nation of Judah enjoyed a much more stable rule of David and his descendants. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but at least there were some good rulers in the south. There were none in the North.
4. And of course, this truth can be applied to countries, to businesses, to organizations, and to churches.
a. Good leadership will be skillful, knowledgeable, and will apply wisdom. In doing so, it will deal with the rebellion, and seek to replace it with unity… law and order.
b. I Tim. 2:1-2 – Let’s pray for our country, its leaders, and for unity and stability. Don’t assume that America as we know it will be prolonged forever. The chaos we see in other countries COULD strike here. Let’s pray that it doesn’t. Let’s do our part as believers to maintain civility and stability, not rebellion and chaos.