Proverbs 20:26

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 the power of the king:

Proverbs 20:26 (ESV)

A wise king winnows the wicked

and drives the wheel over them.

Leadership has many important functions.  None may be so vital as what is spoken of in the above passage.  Godly leaders, wise leaders, have a strong responsibility to exact justice within their area of rule.   God ordained it.   He speaks of it, countless times.  In this chapter, alone, Solomon has already addressed this point.  Note the following:

Proverbs 20:8 (NASBStr)

A king who sits on the throne of justice

Disperses all evil with his eyes.

In verse eight Solomon tells us that the Godly king can exact justice simply with his eyes.  He is the best king who does not look away at evil.   The best king is the one who looks at evil for the purpose of dispersing the evil.   In our proverb here, 20:26, it is not the eyes of the king that disperses evil but the threshing wheel.  In Biblical times the threshing wheel was used to crush the wheat to separate the chafe so that the wind would blow the chafe away and the true grain would be left.   Solomon is telling us in this proverb that God wants the King to assure that he has a system in place to assure that evil does not win or corrupt the kingdom.  God wants us to make sure that, as His leaders, we do what is right and we set up a kingdom that will do what is right.   God is a God of justice and hates evil.   So, too, should someone who is leading in His stead.