Proverbs 24:21,22,  My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

This proverb is addressed to a son from his father.

The teaching example of Proverbs is a personal 'one on one' instruction of a father to his son.

It is easy for a father to neglect the personal teaching of the word of God to his children because he relies heavily on others to teach his children.

Personal instruction by fathers to sons and daughters is needful if the word of God is to be foremost in the lives of children.

Children will learn the father's devotion and love of the word of God by personal instruction.

The proverb we are studying today is a prescription for holy and happy living for us and our children and it involves fear.

Solomon tells us, and he tells us in the proper order, to fear the Lord and to fear the king.

Fear of the Lord is the higher fear and fear of the king must be subordinated to the fear of the Lord.

We are to teach our children to fear the Lord, and we are also to teach our children to fear the king.

In our culture where we do not have kings we are to teach our children to fear the authorities that God has placed over them.

We are not to tear down authorities in the minds of our children by our speech or by our actions. We are to reverence authority.

All authority comes from God and all those in authority must be considered as ministers of God to thee for good, we are told in the book of Romans.

Do not let those confuse your thinking who wish to paint this subject in grays of varying shades.

That idea comes from a fool who explores his heart refusing to explore the word of God.

Think in absolutes, think in blacks and think in whites when it comes to authority.

Since authority comes from God, those who are given authority are expected to exercise that authority within the confines of the principles of God's word.

If they do not, those who are under authority do not have authority to pay evil for evil.

Both those who have authority and those who are under authority are responsible to God and the behavior of one is not to establish the behavior of the other.

The key is that both are responsible to the ultimate authority, who is God!

Romans 13:1-4 tells us plainly,   Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Titus in Titus 3:1, says,   Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

Paul in 1 Timothy exhorts us to pray for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

He says that this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;

We are not to buck authority but we are to pray for those in authority.

God values a quiet and peaceable life for his people so he gives authority to men for our good.

Letting all things be done decently and in order cannot be done without authority.

It just does not happen without authority.

God provides for us to live an orderly life and authority must be exercised in order for men to live decently and in order.

And in order not to buck authority we are told by this proverb to separate ourselves from those that do.

We are not to meddle with them that are given to change:

The word meddle in this proverb is from the root word which means to braid, to intermix, to mingle, it even means to mortgage.

So, not braiding, not intermixing, not mingling means to be separate from those who are given to change.

Now the word change is from an interesting root word.

It literally means to fold or to duplicate or to transmute which means to change something into a different form or nature.

In others words we are to separate from those who change the commands of authority into a different form or nature.

Those who disguise, pervert or alter the commands of authority.

According to this proverb this not only includes the commands of the word of God but it also includes the commands of the king or in our case the commands of authorities placed over us.

We are not to intermingle, or intermix, ourselves with people of this sort.

People who rebel against authority and distort the commands of authority. Peter says they are the ones that:

Jude calls them filthy dreamers who defile the flesh, who despise dominion, and who speak evil of dignities.

Men of this ilk propose change in order to intermingle themselves in change which may give an appearance of progress.

They propose ideas which tickle the ears of the foolish and attract a following for their own selfish purposes.

They are given to cause turmoil so that they may be the agent to calm the waters which they stirred in the first place.

Proposed changes to that which authority commands attracts a following and men, from the depths of their heart, desire a following.

And they will use change, natural dissatisfaction with authority, to gain a following.

The perfect example took place in the garden of Eden when the devil deceived the first woman in order to gain a following.

And what a following he gained because she meddled with him who was given to change.

Did he not disguise, pervert and alter the commands of authority?

Did not he say unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

And did not he say: Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

So, braiding, intermixing, mingling herself with the serpent she ate of the tree and came under the spell of change.

Remember in Mark 8:32 when Peter began to rebuke Jesus when Jesus said that he would be killed.

Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

Peter was playing Satan and Jesus called him by his right name.

We hear the devil in our daily relationships also. Did you ever hear?

Did your father really mean to be so stern?

I can't imagine your boss expecting you to do all that.

You mean your Pastor really said that?

The Bible may say that but nobody does it!

I can't believe your mother told you to do that

But be sure that the Lord and the king have plans for those who play the devil, for our proverb says:

The Lord and the king are ruiners of those given to changing the word of authority.

Who knows the ruin that the Lord has planned? Who knows the ruin that the king has planned?

Whatever it is, it is a ruin planned by authority established by God and it is planned to happen suddenly.

Remember dissatisfied Korah?

God commanded the earth to open her mouth, and swallow them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

How suddenly did their calamity arise! How quick their mouths were silenced from changing the word of the Lord.

Prov 24:21,22, My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

This couplet of proverbs involves fear, yet it is a prescription for holy and happy living for us and our children.

Solomon tells us in the proper order to fear the Lord and the king.

Fear of the Lord is the higher fear, therefore fear of the king must be subordinate to the fear of the Lord.

We are not only to teach our children to fear the Lord but we are to teach them to fear the king.

Not having kings, we are to teach our children to fear the authorities that God has placed over them.

We are not to tear down authorities in the minds of our children by our speech or by our actions. On the contrary, we are to reverence authority.

The book of Romans tells us all authority comes from God and all those in authority must be considered as ministers of God for good.

Do not let those confuse your thinking who wish to paint this subject in grays of varying shades.

That idea comes from a fool who explores his heart refusing to explore the word of God. The Bible teaches absolutes when it comes to authority.

Since authority comes from God, those who are given authority are expected to exercise that authority within the confines of God's word.

If they do not, those who are under authority do not have authority to pay evil for evil. Both those who have authority and those who are under authority are responsible to God and the behavior of one is not to establish the behavior of the other.

The key is that both are responsible to the ultimate authority, who is God!

Paul in Titus 3:1, writes,  Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.

And in 1 Timothy he exhorts us to pray for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. He says that this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.

We are not to buck authority but we are to pray for those in authority. God values a quiet and peaceable life for his people so he gives authority to men for our good. Letting all things be done decently and in order cannot be done without authority. It just does not happen without authority! God provides for us to live an orderly life and authority must be exercised in order for that to take place.

In order not to buck authority we are told by this proverb to separate ourselves from those that do.

We are not to meddle with them that are given to change.

The word meddle in this proverb is from the root word which means to braid, to intermix, to mingle. So, not braiding, not intermixing, not mingling means to be separate from those who are given to change.

Now the word change means to fold or to duplicate or to transmute something into a different form or nature.

In others words we are to separate from those who change the commands of authority into a different form or nature.

We are to separate from those who disguise, pervert or alter the commands of authority.

According to this proverb this not only includes the commands of the word of God but it also includes the commands of the king or in our case the commands of authorities placed over us.

We are not to intermingle, or intermix, ourselves with people of this sort, people who rebel against authority and distort the commands of authority. Peter says they are the ones who, walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

Jude calls them filthy dreamers who despise dominion.

Men of this ilk propose change in order to intermingle themselves in change which may give an appearance of progress.

They propose ideas which tickle the ears of the foolish and attract a following for their own selfish purposes.

They are given to cause turmoil so that they may be the agent to calm the waters which they stirred in the first place.

Proposed changes to that which authority commands attracts a following and men, from the depths of their heart, desire a following.

And they will use change to promote natural dissatisfaction with authority to gain a following.

Remember what took place in the garden of Eden when the devil deceived Eve in order to gain a following?

And what a following he gained because she meddled with him who was given to change.

Did he not disguise, pervert and alter the commands of authority?

Did not he say unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

And did not he say: Ye shall not surely die.

So, braiding, intermixing, mingling herself with the serpent, she ate of the tree and came under the spell of change.

We hear the devil in our daily relationships also. Did you ever hear these questions and exclamations?

I can't imagine your boss expecting you to do all that.

You mean your Pastor really said that? That's unreasonable!

The Bible may say that but nobody does it!

I can't believe your mother makes you do all that!

But be sure that the Lord and the king have plans for those who play the devil, for our proverb says:

The Lord and the king have plans for those given to changing the word of authority.

Who knows the ruin that the Lord and the king have planned? Whatever it is, it is a ruin planned by authority established by God and it is planned to happen suddenly.

Remember dissatisfied Korah? God commanded the earth to open her mouth, and swallow them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

How suddenly did their calamity arise! How quick their mouths were silenced from changing the word of the Lord.