Proverbs 17.23
“The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.”
There are always devious people working behind the scenes trying to gain an advantage or corrupt the ways of justice. Those that “accept a bribe” reveal that they are not committed to integrity and fairness; instead, they are committed to self-interest.
History provides plenty of examples. Most recently, a number of wealthy people around the country were indicted on charges of paying money to admissions personnel and athletic coaches to get their children into prestigious colleges, even though the kids had not qualified academically or athletically. Sadly, these parents were using their money and status to offer bribes to get something for their kids that their kids had not earned and did not deserve.
This is what Proverbs 17.3 is talking about. Two more verses in this section of Proverbs also speak to the importance of integrity, fairness, and justice:
“To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.” (Proverbs 17.26)
“It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice.” (Proverbs 18.5)
These verses are speaking to people in positions of leadership in business, academics, athletics, science, government, and the church. People in leadership positions in these institutions have power by virtue of their decision-making authority, and they have a responsibility to exercise that power and make decisions that are just and fair. Great damage is done when people in authority are “partial to the wicked” and when they “deprive the righteous of justice.”
Leaders have a moral obligation to uphold what is right and be fair and just in their decisions.
Proverbs 17.24
“The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.”
Wise people seek truth and wisdom. They recognize that God has created standards for how we should live, and they seek to understand and live by those standards. Foolish people, on the other hand, lack discernment. They don’t look for what is true; instead, they look for the most popular fad, fashion, or philosophy. That is what Solomon means when he says, “the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.”
How you see the world, and how you see yourself in the world, has a deep and profound impact on every aspect of your life. Every person operates from a base of assumptions or core beliefs about how things work. This is appropriately called a worldview.
A worldview is a belief system about reality — what is good, what is important, what is sacred, what is real. Worldview in a community or society is “shared belief,” and is therefore the foundation of the culture of the community or society. The values and behaviors of a culture stem directly from its worldview.
Given the importance of worldview, here are three important questions:
- What worldview is directing American culture in our generation? What reference points is our nation using for its decisions and actions?
- What worldview is directing the Christian community in our generation? What reference points is the professing church using for its decisions and actions?
- What worldview is directing you personally? What reference points are you using for your decisions and actions?
More tomorrow …
