Proverbs 24:21 Commentary and Bible Study

Let every human being recognise the two great authorities over their lives: the one heavenly and the other earthly. Fear God who rules over all things and under whose law we are born, and fear the king who is the God appointed authority to rule over the affairs of men on earth. The reason we are to fear the king is because he is placed over us by the Lord and the Lord commands us to respect him so that there can be law and order and that we may live peaceable with all men. The exhortation is not to imitate the rebellious in their rebellion, but instead revere authority. We are to have reverence for God and the king and to be in awe of them both, yet there is a difference, for while we must obey God in all cases without exception, our obedience to the king has limits: we must not obey the king if that leads us to disobey the Lord. The character of the Lord is perfect and we admire him always for who he is, but the king has a delegated authority given him by the Lord, and often he is not worthy of the authority he holds and must be respected for his office rather than his person (Matthew 23:2-3). God commands submission to human authority in the OT and NT (Romans 13:1) for human government is his way of preventing the world boiling over into a cauldron of iniquity. It is God who appointed in Israel various sanctions for breaking the civil law and all nations should be guided in their laws by these God given patterns. Submission to authority either divine or earthly is at odds with the sinful rebelliousness of the fallen heart and therefore we are warned in these verses to void the alternative, which is presented as one who is given to change. The Hebrew says, ‘changing ones’. Some change is obviously good and brings improvement to all society, but what is in mind here is the rebellious spirit of those who want change for change’s sake. For them, anything which is different to what those who are in authority prescribe is good, for they have within them a restless unwillingness to submit to anyone. The call for change is really a desire to do what they want and not to be subject to anyone. Who knows how catastrophic will be the ruin of them both – of those given to change, and of those who meddle with them?What destruction men and women store up for themselves in the future by their sins. Their conscience makes them uneasy, but gives them only a dim insight into what is coming. The real loss is incalculable and the horror of it will torment the soul of the lost forever. That word ‘forever’ is frightening beyond description.