14 For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but victory is won through many advisers.
Election Season
Nations rise and fall because of the quality of their leadership. There are those who verge on anarchy who would rather that a nation have no leadership except the will of the individual. These people either believe that all people are naturally good enough to resist dominating and manipulating others, or they believe that we have the capacity to make it by ourselves. In reality, when left to themselves, people choose dark paths. We all have fears and anxieties that we mismanage by controlling others, fighting with them, and hiding from them. There will be national leadership because the majority know that we can not survive well alone. While we have a mass of people coming together with common interests, we will have an administration. The question is what makes a nation great and who can preserve that?
Proverbs would advocate a leadership that brings godliness and righteousness. A leadership that takes us further into godlessness and wickedness will bring disaster on a nation. We are slow to recognise wickedness, though, when it is couched in nice words and dressed in nice clothes. Washington addresses many evils, but some great evils in America go unaddressed. The rising gap between rich and poor is evil; the destruction of human life in the womb is evil; the destruction of the Creation to quickly grasp at resources is evil; the destruction of marriage by heterosexuals and homosexuals alike is evil. National government can’t address all of these issues equally well. In other words, we can not look to Washington to save everyone from destroying God’s Creation. However, we can look for national leadership that will provide godly and wise counsel. Is such a person available?
Questions
- Why do nations fall?
- How do nations win victory?
- Who do the many advisors advise in this verse?
- Does the Bible advocate autocracy (rule by one person)?
- How do those managing your home, work, church, local government and national government seek advice? How should they?
Going Deeper
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/07/romney-god-wants-us-to-lead-not-follow/
Plymothian 