Chapter 24

The book of Proverbs, it must be remember, is written by a king, and at least in part Solomon expects his readers to be people of influence. Thus it is that you get passages like this one which, although they are certainly applicable to everyday people, make the most sense when considered in the context of leadership.

Once again, there are several themes, and we’ll have a look at a few of them.

Wisdom vs Evil:
Found in: vs 1-2, 7, 8-9, 19-20, 24-25.

A running theme in proverbs, this duality (as we’ve seen previously) is different to the Good/evil duality we’re used to in our culture, or even the Wisdom/folly duality that is less familiar but still used. Put simply, Solomon doesn’t see much of a difference between folly and evil; evil IS folly, and evil people are fools.

This is important, because it’s fairly common for the Christian to look at the world and realize that the evil seem to do okay. It’s important for our faith that God bolsters our confidence by saying “It’s okay – they aren’t going to get away with it forever.” The evil ARE taking a foolish path ultimately, and you ignore God (and His wisdom) at your peril.

Wisdom in leadership:
Found in: vs 3-4, 5-6, 10, 11-12, 15-16, 17-18
This topic can be a little harder to find, because Solomon often couches his advice in metaphorical terms. For example, he talks about building a house; needless to say, Solomon is not a brickie!

Nevertheless, Solomon’s leadership advice is well worth the read for anyone who is in a position of leadership. Really, when it comes down to it, the advice he gives is covered under Christ’s later famous dictum, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” – but in this book, we are looking at specific scenarios. Sometimes it is hard to see the outworking of the Golden rule, but here we can see it nice and simple. For example:
- Don’t gloat when you see the fall of your enemy!
- Ensure that you leave good people to live their lives in peace.
- As a leader, be there for those who need you the most.
- Concentrate more on wisdom than on strength.

As we can see, much simple yet logical wisdom to be seen there.