25 The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.
26 Many seek the face of a ruler,
but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice.
The book of Proverbs consists of many short sayings, many with little connection to each other. These two proverbs are different however. They point out the two mistakes we commonly make with people. Verse 25 teaches us not to make decisions based on how people will react. This fear of man has prevented many from speaking truth to lies and from rebuking sin. The other mistake is to put our trust in man, whether it is a politician or a pastor. Real justice cannot come from man because, in a broken world, we all seek power and it will always come at another’s expense. Both of these verses warn us not to take our eyes off of God and to trust him in all things.
We are called to trust God in all situations, not leaning on our own understanding or on the approval of others. We are called to rely on Jesus Christ to make all things new and not trust man to make anything right on earth. To seek justice is noble but to expect it from fallen humanity is a set up for disappointment. If everyone followed Jesus and trusted him, there would be justice. Sadly, we are all too willing to try to placate and please people instead of preaching the truth of the one true gospel, that man messed up this world and only Jesus can fix it. Without Jesus, you don’t want justice because we deserve Hell. With Jesus and his atoning sacrifice, it is from him…
That a man gets justice.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church