Proverbs 17:26

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about how we treat the righteous vs the wicked:

Proverbs 17:26 (ESV)

To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,

nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

In our society today we have an upside-down justice system. We have people who are wrong who are rewarded as though they are doing right.  We have those who are doing right who are chastised as though they are doing wrong.  Solomon must have observed the same in his day.  The above proverb tells us that we should avoid punishing the righteous.  This proverb might be pointing fully to Christ. He is the only one who is totally innocent who was struck in His righteousness.  The evil in this world has put suffering and hardship on all those declared righteous.  Christ was the forerunner to true suffering.  Peter, Paul, John and many others followed.  We have been declared righteous. And as we stand tall in a slouching world we will see this proverb violated continually.  We can see the same truth taught to us in these two proverbs:

Proverbs 17:15

He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous

are both alike an abomination to the LORD.

Proverbs 18:5

It is not good to be partial to the wicked

or to deprive the righteous of justice.

God condemned the nation of Israel in many of the prophets for doing the same thing.  When you get a chance to reward the righteous that is what you should do.  Encourage them to continue in their walk with God.   The world will do the opposite. Notice how God established human government:

Romans 13:1-4 (ESV)

Submission to the Authorities

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.