Proverbs 13, 14 - Personal vs. National Righteousness
Proverbs 13:6
Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.
Proverbs 14:34
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
On a personal level, righteousness has the benefit of guarding me. God credits me with righteousness, and I am guarded. Guarded against what? Well based on observation, I am still allowed to go through difficult, even painful, circumstances. However, I appear to go through those with some kind of protection. I don’t know what it is based on mere observation. However, based on my relationship with God and what the scriptures tell me, I know it is Him. Proverbs 13:6 tells me that to whatever extent I am righteous, I am protected, and I know from Abraham that believing God will result in God crediting me with righteousness. I know from Moses that obeying God acts out that righteousness. I know from Pheonheas that remaining pure for God is credited to me as righteousness, and I know from those scriptures that God is the one crediting me, and so in effect that righteousness is really His, being lent to me in some respect, like a coat to wear. And so when I am righteous, it is God’s righteousness that protects me.
On the other extreme is the person who disbelieves what is personally revealed to them by God, disobeys what God is telling them, and lives out an impure relationship with God… or at least not a pure one. Such behavior will be their end.
At a corporate level, or perhaps more appropriately, societal, righteousness exalts a nation. Here are some definitions of the word exalt from Webster:
to raise in rank, power, or character
to elevate by praise or in estimation
I believe both of these definitions apply.
Corporate righteousness is different than societal righteousness, because the obedience of a nation is a function of its rulers… which in a democracy is in the hands of voters – and majority rules. Therefore, groups within our nation may be guarded while others may be overthrown, and most I imagine will find themselves somewhere in the middle. You can look at any group that is blessed as a group or cursed, and you will find the righteous are guarded within that group and the wicked are (eventually) overthrown… though sometimes not until death.
A nation however is more than just the sum of its parts. It is the sum of its parts, plus its leadership, and a nation ruled in righteousness will be exalted. In fact, the United States has the highest rank, power, and character of any nation in the world. It’s been true for decades, and more so since the end of the Cold War.
But, that nation must continue being ruled in righteousness or else that nation will be disgraced, and neither side of America’s political spectrum has a monopoly on what it means to be righteous. Conservatives are better at protecting unborn life; liberals at preventing the spread of sexual disease. Conservatives are better at living out Christ’s model and prescription of marriage (one man/one woman); liberals at showing compassion and love to honorable God-fearing gays. Conservatives are better at giving prayer and God’s word a proper place in society; liberals at meeting people where they’re at. Conservatives show more faith in God’s role in creation; liberals are better at studying how God accomplished that creation.
And so here we are, a divided nation, and it makes me sad. America is living under a mix of righteousness and sin, and sin is catching up at all fronts. Not a partisan issue, but an American issue… a Christian issue.
Given how our country shimmies toward sin (pushed closer by the left, then the right, then the left, then the right), what can the Christian do? Continue to vote, and continue to live in righteousness… believe God. Obey Him. Live in a pure relationship with Him. Then, no matter what happens, you will be guarded through it… and to that extent you can help your country be blessed, perhaps even exalted.