SELF GOVERNMENT – Proverbs 16:17-25 – 3-22-2026

Our passage today is all about self-discipline. In light of the last section of Proverbs 16 specifically addressed to kings, one might be inclined to ask if these verses are directed toward civil rulers as well? And if so, how do they apply to those wielding authority?  Astute philosophers through the ages have recognized the importance of self-government as a precondition of responsibility.  In a recent interview, Canadian politician: Pierre Poilievre spoke to his own philosophy of leadership by citing Confucius who said: "How will he who does not know how to govern himself know how to govern others?" Before Poilievre there was Confucius, and before Confucius there was Solomon who influenced great kings as the testimony of his wisdom spread far and wide 1000 years before Christ. I Kings 4:29-34 documents the reach and influence of Solomon’s wisdom and renown. Timeless principles outlined in this chapter may well have spanned the inhabited world and endured for centuries, perhaps inspiring generations of leaders from the near east to China.