Solomon talks a bit more today about law and order, about judging impartially and about not bearing false witness. He also provides some practical advice about our finances.
"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. But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come on them." (Proverbs 24:23-25) The Lord gave this law in Leviticus 19:15, "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great. but judge your neighbor fairly." It is wrong to have a different set of rules for the rich and influential than we have for the poor and needy. This is not the type of judge our God is, and this is not how our court systems ought to work. "For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes." (Deuteronomy 10:17) We are to be careful to judge according to the law, not according to who a person is or how much money he might have. "Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery." (2 Chronicles 19:7) There can be no justice when the law is not applied equally to all citizens.
"An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips." (Proverbs 24:26) Our God values honesty, for He Himself is honest and cannot lie. (Titus 1:2) If we are His children we ought to look and behave a whole lot like Him, and this includes giving honest testimony. To bear false witness is to break one of the ten commandments. God will not be pleased with such behavior.
"Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house." (Proverbs 24:27) Solomon gives some practical economical advice. If we spend all spring and summer building our house, but neglect to sow our fields, we are going to be hungry when winter comes. There's nothing wrong with building a house as long as we have our finances in order first, and that includes getting our work done at the proper time. In our day the advice would sound more like this, "Go out and get a job before you take on the financial burden of a home of your own. Make sure your job offers a salary that can support your mortgage payments."
"Do not testify against your neighbor without cause---would you use your lips to mislead? Do not say, 'I'll do to them as they have done to me; I'll pay them back for what they did.'" (Proverbs 24:28-29) Have you ever had anyone say things about you that weren't true? Wasn't it hurtful and infuriating, especially when you knew you had never done anything to them to deserve such treatment? Solomon says not to speak against our neighbor without cause, then he goes on to tell us not to speak against our neighbor with cause. We aren't to say, "So-and-so has always been so rude and disrespectful to me. I can't stand him! The first time I get a chance, I'm going to get back at him. I'm going to say some things about him that will take him down a notch or two." Solomon's advice in verse 29 sounds so much like something Jesus would say that we can't help but conclude the king is speaking by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We aren't to testify falsely against our enemies. We are to trust God with taking care of the one who has spread rumors about us. He hates dishonesty and He will deal with it.
I've seen God's vengeance in action in just this type of situation in my own life. Someone who spread ugly rumors about those near and dear to me suffered a very public humiliation of his own. He became the talk of the town for several months, and rightly so, for he did and said some shockingly improper things in this community. I didn't lift a finger against him. I didn't have to; my God took care of it for me. God avenged me and all the others who were hurt (without cause) by this person. I can testify to the truth of God's word in such matters, having seen it happen before my very eyes. God will avenge us. Let's leave it up to Him.
We never have to wonder whether God is a righteous Judge. He will show no partiality to anyone. Our earthly justice system is often corrupted, with the wealthy and influential receiving special treatment. The poor have to rely on public defenders while the rich are able to hire a team of top-notch defense attorneys. We are far more likely to be found guilty if we are poor than if we are rich. We are far more likely to receive a harsh sentence if we are just another face in the crowd than if we hold a high status in the community. But no travesty like this will ever take place in God's courtroom. He knows the truth. He knows every secret hidden in the heart of man, and He will judge accordingly.
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