“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” Proverbs 29:25
To really understand this verse, remember that the word “fear” in the Old Testament is understood to mean honor, respect, reverence … entirely different than our current understanding of that word.
The underlying message here is that God raises the humble and puts down the arrogant. Israel was not holy, or set apart, because of their own greatness but because of God’s extraordinary kindness in calling them to be His people, the people from whom the future Messiah would be born. By crushing the work of Satan, this Messiah would deliver the final blow to the catastrophic effects and consequences of sin upon all people.
For the righteousness of rulers and their subjects is borne out of the divine righteousness reckoned to people through faith in God’s promises. The righteousness that saves is a righteousness that only comes through faith in God’s promise; Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was substituted for our sin.
God’s blessings on your day…