"Righteousness exalteth the nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."
Proverbs 14:34
Part 1
What is it that destroys a nation? Is it another nation with superior firepower, atomic weapons, devious biological weapons, more powerful ships, and countless soldiers? Not according to the Word of God. I suppose we should look at the opposite side of this question also. What is it that makes a nation great? All of the above? While these things may have their place, these are not what makes a country the idol of all other nations! No, it is not her armaments, leaders, or even her people that make her great. The greatness of a nation comes from the LORD God and who He chooses to bless.
“Righteousness exalteth a nation.”
King Solomon, with the pen of inspiration, wrote down for us a basic formula for making a nation great. It is promoting “righteousness,” and rejecting “sin.” According to him, it is “righteousness” that makes a nation-state great. Notice the word “exalteth.” The very thing that progresses a nation is their advancement of what is right.
Exalteth means, “to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted…be set on high…to be raised, be uplifted, be exalted…to be lifted, rise”[1] (BDB).
This definition, I know, is repetitive, but it brings out a simple truth. Do we, as a nation, exalt righteousness? I mean, is this the plan of our lawmakers and leaders? And when it comes right down to it, is this really what the majority of our people want? No, I am afraid that our national desires changed many years ago. Note what God promised to Israel before she entered the Promised Land. It has to do with keeping God’s law and His statutes and judgments.
“Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” (Deuteronomy 4:6-8).
In Israel, when God’s people did right before Him, He blessed the nation. But when the people sinned and walked away from her God, He brought judgment on their homeland.
“He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the water-springs into dry ground; A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein” (Psalm 107:33-34).
If this was true for Israel, is there any help for our country? Come back tomorrow and let us finish discussing this verse.
[1] Brown, Driver, Briggs. Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.