Proverbs 28:28
“When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase.”
The book of Proverbs speaks clearly, directly, and frequently about the abuse of power in government. This tells us it should be a priority concern for the people of God. Chapter 28 has several passages that address the importance of godly leaders who act with wisdom and integrity, and the danger of wicked leaders who do not.
The message of Proverbs is very straightforward: When you have leaders in government who honor and respect God, good things happen. But when you have leaders in government who do not honor and respect God, bad things happen. So bad, in fact, that people will try to hide from those leaders.
People in positions of authority have power. The higher the level of authority, the greater the power a person tends to have. This is appropriate and necessary in order to carry out the role and responsibilities of leadership.
However, positional authority is also dangerous, because with power comes temptation. It has been noted throughout history that as the power of a leader grows, so does the temptation to wield that power for self-interest.
Lord Acton, the 19th century British historian, said it most eloquently: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority; still more when you superadd the tendency of the certainty of corruption by authority.”
At first this might seem to be a rather pessimistic view, but when you study history you will see it is quite an accurate observation. Scripture tells us that all people are fallen and subject to the impulses and desires of the sin nature (Romans 3.23). Thus when given the power that comes with positional leadership, people can be easily influenced by their sin nature to wield that power selfishly.
Lord Acton also observed that, “Despotic power is always accompanied by corruption of morality.” His point was that when authority is concentrated in one person (monarchy) or in a small group of people (oligarchy), there is no accountability, no checks and balances, and thus a strong tendency for those in leaders to abuse their power and act in corrupt and immoral ways.
For this reason, Acton emphasized that liberty required a limited, representative government organized around a strict separation of powers. “Liberty consists in the division of power,” Lord Acton wrote. “Absolutism, in concentration of power.”
In addition to limited authority and separation of powers, a guiding principle of good government is elected officials with integrity. A nation of liberty and productivity requires electing people of character and competence into office. Good government requires elected officials who say no to the temptations of power.
Having said this, the problem of man’s fallenness once again rears its ugly head. Frank Herbert recognized this dilemma. He wrote that, “All governments suffer a recurring problem: power attracts pathological personalities.”
Yes, this too sounds very pessimistic. But like the Lord Acton quote, even a cursory review of history reveals its accuracy. Just consider what has happened in American government in the 20th and 21st century.
Don’t be fooled by the narratives of politicians who are adept at campaign rhetoric and calculated messaging. Don’t be deceived by the manufactured promises and air-brushed personalities. Just look at the track record of expanded government power, deficit spending, ineffective policies, and choking regulation. If we want better government, we must elect better leaders.
In summary:
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” (Lord Acton)
“When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase.” (Proverbs 28.28)
