Proverbs 22:29 ¶ Seest thou a man diligent in his business?
he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
The one word in this Proverb that might confuse
modern readers is the word “mean” which is defined Biblically as “the intention
and explanation of what has been said or done” as in “what do you mean?”
(Genesis 21:29). It can also refer to the current or the same time as in “mean
while” (1 Kings 18:45). Or in the case in this Proverb as in Isaiah 2:9 you
look at the contrasting words. Here, “mean men” is contrasted against “kings”.
In Isaiah 2:9 which reads;
“And the mean man boweth down, and the great
man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.”
…it is contrasted against “great man”. So, mean
refers to common or ordinary and humble as opposite to kings and great men. In
this verse it refers to a city;
Acts 21:39 But Paul said, I am a man which am
a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech
thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.
This plain Proverb gives the MEANing of telling
the young person that if they are diligent in business and work very hard and
smart they will come into contact with powerful people, not just ordinary men.
It is clear advice to be DILIGENT IN BUSINESS. Christians are commanded, among
other things in this list of commands separated by semi-colons, to be;
Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business;
fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
But, do we just leave this Proverb as worldly
advice to work hard and work smart and use your head and get noticed by the
rich and powerful? Is this just advice like you’d get from books like Orsen
Swett Marden’s 1904 Little Visits with Great Americans where the great
men of industry, arts, and government are interviewed as to what they imagine
to be the most important traits for a young man or woman to have to be
successful?
What about when you are doing the Lord’s
business? Whatever you think of the theology or errors of men like evangelist
Billy Sunday, it is most clear that as he preached to the best of his
understanding God’s word, fearlessly and tirelessly across America he certainly
came to the attention of the rich and powerful who eventually supported him.
Why did they? Also, Billy Graham received the support of the newspaper tycoon,
William Randolf Hearst. When these men spoke, they spoke with the authority and
confidence that they were speaking for God to a corrupt society and that
authority and confidence attracted the attention of the powerful men of their
age.
Notice, though, how John the Baptist came to the
attention of a local ruler whom he had reproved for sin. This attention
resulted in his death. (See Matthew 14 and Luke 3). Elijah the Prophet
struggled against wicked King Ahab and his vicious wife, Jezebel, in 1 Kings
19. It seems that in the Bible, when great preachers came up against the rich
and powerful they wound up being executed, having to hide, or being sent to
Rome as a prisoner as was done to Paul in Acts because he had appealed to
Caesar.
Men like William Tyndale were strangled and burned by the
order of kings and queens. Others had to flee for their lives. If you look at
history, powerful preachers who were diligent in their business for the Lord,
stood before kings and great men but were not applauded for their efforts. This
gives one pause when examining the careers of modern evangelists like Billy
Sunday and Billy Graham, who was the counselor of Presidents Johnson and Nixon
like Tony Campolo was to Bill Clinton.
The rich and powerful, the mighty men, don’t
have much of a reputation with the God of the Bible. Why is that you might
wonder as you look with enjoyment at the latest doings of the British Royals?
1 Corinthians 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how
that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are
called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are
despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought
things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
If you are going to preach the Bible, diligently
and truthfully, and if you are going to be diligent in your work for the Lord,
serving God in the way the Book tells you to, it is not likely that you will be
invited to either a Republican or a Democrat’s White House for dinner because,
as the world is under the operative control of Satan, who is the god of this
world (2 Corinthians 4:4) it is your job to reprove them of their sins and to
speak the truth about a risen Saviour, not to tickle their ears because ;
…..their mouth speaketh great swelling words,
having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. Jude 1:16
Remember, as you are in awe and respect of great
worldly power and wealth and those leaders who command armies and vast
fortunes.
The British Lord Acton or John Emerich Edward
Dalberg, said in a letter to Anglican Bishop Creighton, said, “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 or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is
no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it.” And this
from someone in the ruling class in “Great” Britain.
If you are diligent in the Lord’s business,
unlike the world’s business, you will stand before kings and powerful men, but
it will not be, as in the case of the world’s business, for approval and
position because of your cleverness with money, but to reprove and rebuke and
perhaps to suffer tribulation at their hands. Don’t expect to preach God’s word
truthfully and to have the local newspaper applaud you for condemning sin,
hypocrisy, and wickedness and don’t be disappointed when the local rich and
influential don’t seek to have their picture taken with you, and don’t be
surprised if you land in jail over your preaching. Also, be careful of praising
the preacher who stands on the White House lawn or the Governor’s Mansion steps
with some potentate of either party’s arm draped over his shoulder or shaking
his hand. At least from the Bible’s point of view, something is not quite right
with that picture.
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