Proverbs 14:31-35
Prov 14:31 (KJB)
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
 
Reproacheth - Scoffed
Mercy - Compassion
 
Those who are in authority in government or those who are wealthy with power that have oppressed the poor people, have literally mocked or scoffed at God. It is God who raises up kings and it is God who gives wealth to people. There is no such thing as a self-made millionaire, those with wealth have been blessed by the Lord with temporary physical blessings. Normally, these are the unsaved who are megalomaniacs and think they are better than the poor. They do not realize that their wealth was given to them, not to oppress the poor but to make investments, help others, and create jobs, so the people can work, which is God’s method since the Garden of Eden.  Those who are truly saved and have been given wealth by God honor Him when they have compassion on the poor. If the rich use their resources to help the poor, not give them handouts, but to have compassion on those who need it, this honors and pleases God. God Himself has had mercy on all those He has saved. These were poor people who were on their way to hell. Poor in the area that they had no Savior nor were they saved but God in His great compassion saved them. Even those of us who do not possess great wealth can honor God with what He has given us by sending forth the Gospel into all the world and seeing those who have nothing become saved. Even those who are rich in material goods, really have nothing because they are going to lose it all on Judgment Day. If they become saved, then they will gain all the riches of Heaven for eternity.
 
Prov 14:32 (KJB)
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
 
Driven away - Pushed Down
 
The wicked will be pushed down in their wickedness. As they continue to live their lives in wicked fashion, the more they continue on in their wickedness, the more they are being pushed down. He has his heart set on the things of this world because physical reality is all that he knows and he tries to procure as much of this world’s goods that he can. This push for material goods in this world causes him to be driven farther away from the truth and when the final day of reckoning comes, he will lose everything. On the other hand, no matter what material possessions the righteous have, their hope is not placed in them but their hope is placed in the fact that they have become saved by the Lord Jesus Christ and when it comes time for them to die, they do not fear it because they know physical death is just the beginning of real life which is eternal.
 
Prov 14:33 (KJB)
Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.
 
Resteth - Settle down
Understanding - Discernment
 
True wisdom will rest or be settled in the heart of him who has become saved. They are the ones who possess true discernment because they have a heart which has been regenerated. By the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they will have the mind of Christ which will cause them to discern between the bad and the good. (1 Cor 2:16 KJV) For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. This is why true wisdom has a home in the believer because that wisdom is fed by the mind of Christ which He imparts to us at the time of salvation. The fool will also make known what is within him as he speaks or acts. The fact that he is a fool becomes obvious very quickly. Just as true wisdom finds a home in the believer, foolishness finds a home inside the fool. If the fool does possess any wisdom, it will soon be quashed by the foolishness of his limited understanding.
 
Prov 14:34 (KJB)
Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
 
Reproach - Disgrace
 
Here we see a good example to every nation in the world. As we read the blessings and curses of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, God was giving Israel very specific guidelines on how to order their country. If they obeyed God, then He would heap blessings upon them but if they chose to walk in opposition, then God would heap the curses upon them. We saw that under David and Solomon, the nation of Israel had flourished and even pagan kings sent gifts to Solomon. As soon as Solomon had died and his two sons took over, they turned to evil and the eventual downward slide of Israel and Judah, both of which were sent into captivity. The northern kingdom assimilated into Assyria and beyond and was never heard from again. Judah went back to the land because the line of the Messiah came through the tribe of Judah. Israel received its final disgrace in 722 B.C. when they were taken by Assyria and Judah received its final disgrace when General Titus razed it in 70 A.D. This should be a warning to all nations including the United States. We started out as a Christian nation founded upon Christian principles and now we are being disgraced. Here is one way we know we are under God’s judgment as a nation.
 
(Deu 28:12 KJV) The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
 
(Deu 28:44 KJV) He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
 
I am writing this on 10/9/09. The United States used to be the greatest lending nation in the world and now we are the greatest borrowing nation in the world. In fact, our own Secretary of State has to beg other nations to buy our debt. How close we must be to our final disgrace.
 
Prov 14:35 (KJB)
The king's favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.
 
This verse is related to verse 34. If a king understands the principles of righteousness, he will gather around him Godly counselors who will not lead the country into the way of wickedness. He will surround him with counselors who have only the good of the country at heart. On the other hand, if he is a good king and finds among his counselors, men who have been known for giving foolish advice, they will find that the wrath of the king will be against them. This is so, because bad counsel can plunge an entire country into a bad situation and lead to is downfall. This is why the king gravitates to those who are known for giving wise counsel which is beneficial for the country. If the country is running smoothly, then the king does not have to worry about unrest among the population nor does he have to worry about the wrath of God coming down on the country owing to decisions made by his administration. This, of course, applies to those countries who do not have Kings but Presidents, Prime Ministers, even Dictators. There is also a spiritual lesson here. God brings favor upon those who bring the true Gospel but His wrath will be against those who bring a false gospel and bring shame upon the name of Christ.

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