Proverbs 12:10

 The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of instruction on a lot of different subjects. One subject that can keep us in God’s wisdom is Godly Follower-ship. Who we follow; where we follow; how we follow are all spoken about in Proverbs. Here is one of them about compassion:

Proverbs 12:10 (NASV)

A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal,

But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

Solomon, no doubt, had many animals and had the opportunity to observe how many people within his kingdom cared for their animals.   Animals in Solomon's day were not "pets".   Animals were machines, food sources, or revenue streams.   In his observations, Solomon also had a chance to observe the many people and how they cared for others.    Blending these two observations together Solomon's produces the above proverb.   Solomon observes that righteous people show mercy.   They are kind and that kindness extends even to their beasts.     But, he also observed that wicked people are not full of mercy and, in fact, are cruel.    Even when the wicked tries to be compassionate it is cruel when compared to God's compassion.    In Matthew 12:7-21 we read Jesus adding the importance of this very thought.   God wants mercy and kindness.  He wants it over sacrifice.   When God produces righteousness in us because of the work His Son has done on the cross we need to know that He also produced kindness in our lives.  The fruit of the spirit is the outcome of God's compassion in us.  We can see it even in how we treat something as minor as our animals.  Today’s leadership needs to understand that Solomon is not simply talking about animals.  He is talking about those who bring production to your life and how to treat them.   Treat them with mercy and you receive mercy.   Treat them with cruelty and reap the same.