“Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness.”
Not that we have a king in this country but the old saying “law makers should not be law breakers” still applies to those who govern. It actually applies to all of us. If you own a business or supervise staff the rule is a good one. The occasionally heard negative version is “do as I say not as I do”. That one never creates a healthy and respected environment. When I was leading staff I had a personal rule to never ask a staff member to do something that I wasn’t willing to do and had done at some point in my career. Over time a few tasks became physically challenging for me. I even hired staff who were physically capable of certain tasks I could no longer safely manage. In sharing this truth Solomon was acutely aware that he did not personify it. He also knew his father had not. He was instructing his son to set the bar higher than they had. Multigenerational legacies are seen clearly in the research done about the famous pastor Jonathan Edwards and his 11 children especially when compared to his contemporary Max Jukes and his family. Edwards legacy includes: 1 U.S. Vice-President, 1 Dean of a law school, 1 dean of a medical school, 3 U.S. Senators, 3 governors, 3 mayors, 13 college presidents, 30 judges, 60 doctors, 65 professors, 75 Military officers, 80 public office holders, 100 lawyers, 100 clergymen, and 285 college graduates. Max Jukes, a scoundrel, descendants included: 7 murderers, 60 thieves, 190 prostitutes, 150 other convicts, 310 paupers, and 440 who were physically wrecked by addiction to alcohol. The main difference between them was Edwards followed God and made it a point to live rightly and Juke didn’t. Today follow God and live rightly. #BeTheEdge
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV
