Before God

[Proverbs 25:1–7]

One of the important guiding principles that governed the life of John Calvin, the Reformer from Geneva, Switzerland, was the phrase "Coram Deo." “Coram Deo” is a Latin expression formed from Coram, meaning “before,” and Deo, meaning “God,” thus together meaning “before God.” In English, it is translated as “in front of God” or “before the face of God.”

This means that instead of trying to appear good before people (coram hominibus) or to live honorably and successfully before the world (coram mundo), we should live before God (Coram Deo), seeking His good, pleasing, and perfect will (Romans 12:2). This phrase summarized the lifestyle that the Reformers wanted to teach Christians during the 16th-century medieval era, a time of great corruption, urging them to live under God's authority, in God, exalting His name, and giving glory to Him.

Furthermore, this phrase laid the foundation for the five slogans proclaimed by the Reformers, including Martin Luther, who led the birth of Protestantism:

• Sola Scriptura (By Scripture alone)

• Sola Fide (By faith alone)

• Sola Gratia (By grace alone)

• Solus Christus (Through Christ alone)

• Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone) (Source: Internet)

For us living today, true "Coram Deo" faith means always being aware of God’s presence before us, reverently fearing the God who is always in front of us, trusting the God who is always with us, and living a life of consistent faith both before God and before people (Source: Internet).

In today's passage, Proverbs 25:5–6, the writer King Solomon repeats the phrase “before the king” twice. Through this, he teaches the people of Israel how they should behave before the king. Reflecting on how we can apply this teaching, I came to think that we should apply this lesson before the King of kings—before God.

This interpretation is reasonable because in verse 2 of today's passage, Solomon compares God and the king. Let’s look at Proverbs 25:2:
“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”

What does this mean?

First, Solomon says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.” What does this mean? It means that God possesses knowledge far superior to that of any human, and His knowledge is so deep that we cannot comprehend it (Psalm 92:5; Ecclesiastes 3:11). God acts in ways we cannot understand (Job 5:9; Psalm 145:3). Because He needs no one’s counsel, He conceals matters (MacArthur).

For example, Job 5:9 says:
“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.”

Can we fully understand why God allowed Job to suffer so much? Can we really comprehend the heart of God?

That is why the apostle Paul says in Romans 11:33–34:
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?’”

This reminds me of the second verse of Hymn #620 in the New Korean Hymnal, which says:
"Even if I cannot understand the Lord’s will, I know that I am always within His will..."

Friends, who can truly understand the mind of God? No one can fathom God’s judgments. No one can measure the vastness of God's wisdom, whose understanding is limitless (Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 145:3). Therefore, God conceals His works. In other words, He keeps them to Himself—and this is God’s glory (Proverbs 25:2).

But what about the king?

Why does Solomon say in the second part of Proverbs 25:2,
“It is the glory of kings to search out a matter”?

Because the king is not God, but a human being, appointed by God. As a ruler of a nation—God’s people, Israel—he must search out and understand what is necessary to govern rightly (MacArthur).

An example of this is King David and his son Solomon. In 1 Chronicles 22:12, David says to his son Solomon:
“May the Lord give you discretion and understanding, so that when he puts you in command over Israel, you may keep the law of the Lord your God.”

Why did David pray that God would give his son Solomon wisdom and understanding? Because he desired Solomon to rule the nation of Israel well after him.

After David, when Solomon became king, God appeared to him at night and said,
“Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (2 Chronicles 1:7).
Solomon asked for “wisdom and knowledge” (v.10).

Why?
Why didn’t Solomon ask for wealth, riches, honor, the death of his enemies, or a long life (v.11), but instead asked for wisdom and knowledge?

Because Solomon sought to judge God’s people—the Israelites whom God had entrusted to him (v.11).
God was pleased with Solomon’s request (1 Kings 3:10) and granted him a wise and discerning heart (v.12).

Then, Solomon used that wisdom in the famous case of the two prostitutes disputing over a baby. His wise judgment led the people of Israel to recognize that God’s wisdom was in him to render just decisions, and they feared him (v.28).

Thus, Solomon asked God for wisdom to govern God’s people rightly.
In this way, “to search out a matter is the glory of kings” (Proverbs 25:2).

In Proverbs 25:3, Solomon goes on to say:
“As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.”

What does this mean?

Just as the King of kings—God—does not reveal all His knowledge but conceals some of it, likewise, human kings may also withhold certain knowledge, making it unsearchable to others (Walvoord).

Then, what should we do before such a king?

Solomon gives us two lessons from this passage.
May we humbly receive these two teachings and live in a way that is pleasing before the King of kings—before God.

First, we must remove evil before God.

Look at today’s passage, Proverbs 25:4–5:
“Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the silversmith; remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness.”

Everyone, you probably have a general idea of how dross is removed from silver. Silver is placed in a furnace and heated to high temperatures so that impurities (dross) can be removed. But the impurities do not come off easily. To obtain pure silver, it must be refined several times with intense heat. For this, a silversmith must battle high temperatures and shed much sweat to obtain pure silver. Yet the silversmith does not shy away from this effort to get the desired pure silver (source: internet).

Proverbs 17:3 says, “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.”
What does this mean? Just as the silversmith refines silver repeatedly to make it pure, God tests our hearts by allowing us to go through “the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10). That is, when fleshly and worldly impurities still remain in us like dross, God allows trials and suffering—like a refining fire—to remove these things and lead us away from them (source: internet).

The best example of this is Job in the Old Testament. Look at Job 23:10:
“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

Why then does God allow us to go through the furnace of affliction to “remove the dross from the silver”?
Look at Proverbs 25:4 again: “... then out comes material for the silversmith.”
What does that mean? God removes the dross so that we may become vessels fit for use.

Likewise, God allows us to go through the furnace of affliction so that we may come out as pure gold.
And what is the purpose of this?
Look at 2 Timothy 2:21:
“If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.”

The reason is that the Lord wants to cleanse us and prepare us as vessels that are useful and precious to Him.

In Proverbs 25:5, Solomon commands, “Remove the wicked from the king’s presence,” and what is the purpose of this?
“So his throne will be established through righteousness.”

Think about it: What would happen if a king’s court were filled with wicked officials? Could his throne be firmly established?

When we watch historical Korean dramas, we often see scenes where the king is weak and powerless, and the officials are split into two factions—some loyal, some corrupt. Among them, the wicked officials act deceitfully, increase their power, and even control the king, preventing him from ruling the country properly.

Confucius is said to have categorized wicked officials into five types (source: internet):

1. Those who harbor hidden, opposite intentions,

2. Those who speak deceitfully with eloquence,

3. Those who are biased and stubborn,

4. Those who are foolish in will but knowledgeable,

5. Those who commit corruption while enjoying benefits.

If such corrupt types fill the government, what happens to the kingdom?
It becomes plagued by injustice and corruption.

That is why Solomon says in Proverbs 25:5, “Remove the wicked from the king’s presence.”
Also, Proverbs 16:12 says, “Kings detest wrongdoing.”
A wise king fears the Lord and therefore hates evil (Proverbs 8:13).

Thus, he avoids evil himself, stays close to God’s Word, listens to it, and obeys it.
Not only that, but he also does not tolerate evil among his officials. He removes the wicked, especially cunning and deceitful ones. Because if he does not, they will harm him—and if the king is harmed, the nation suffers.

So a wise king decisively removes such evil officials.
This way, his throne is firmly established through justice (Proverbs 16:12).
Moreover, a wise king surrounds himself with loyal officials and listens to their counsel.

Proverbs 16:13 says,
“Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth.”
“Honest lips” and “a man who speaks the truth” refer to loyal subjects—faithful officials who speak truthfully to the king.
A wise king surrounds himself with such people and listens to their advice, because their words are righteous and truthful (verse 13).

As I considered how to apply this lesson to us today, I realized: We must remove evil before God.
What kind of evil should we remove? One such evil is idolatry.

Just as the Israelites in Samuel’s time removed the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only the Lord (1 Samuel 7:4), we too must remove all things we love more than God—whether money or anything else—and serve only Him.

Another evil we must remove is the “heart of stone.”
In Ezekiel 36:26, God promises to “give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (see also Ezekiel 11:19).

We must hold onto this promise and pray that our hearts do not become hardened.
To do this, we must diligently cultivate our hearts (Ezekiel 36:34).
We must break our stubborn and hard hearts with the hammer of God’s Word and be transformed into soft hearts.

This is not easy.
Just like taking care of the lawn at my house requires watering, mowing, and attention, so too does cultivating our hearts require wrestling with the Word.
We must do all this through prayer (Ezekiel 36:37).

In prayer, we must grieve over the sin in our hearts, depend on the blood of Jesus, and diligently till our hearts—like barren land—so they remain soft.

In addition, we must remove from ourselves all unrighteousness (Hosea 14:2).
Our Lord is a God in whom there is no injustice (2 Chronicles 19:7).
Therefore, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness (2 Timothy 2:19).

Secondly and lastly, we must not exalt ourselves before God.

Look at today’s passage, Proverbs 25:6:
“Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among great men.”
Have you ever met someone who acts arrogant in front of you? If so, how did you feel when they behaved that way?
I once read an online article that said:
“Being next to someone who constantly brags is exhausting. Listening to their endless self-praise is draining, and at times it becomes infuriating. You just want to scream, ‘Please stop. Go back to your own little island where only you are great.’”
Why do people boast in front of others?
While such behavior may appear confident, it may actually stem from deep insecurity, fear, and a lack of self-worth.
Some people may feel anxious inside and thus seek validation and recognition from others through boasting.
It may also be because they have lived a life feeling suppressed and unrecognized by others.
But why do people try to appear important in front of others?

Proverbs 12:9 says:
“Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food.”
This verse implies that even if someone appears insignificant to others, if they live humbly and without seeking recognition, they are better off.
The phrase “even if considered lowly” refers to someone who does not care for others' opinions and maintains a humble posture in life (see 1 Samuel 18:23, Delitzsch).
Such a person, though not outwardly impressive, has the means to have a servant.
They are better off than someone who acts important but is actually in poverty.
The phrase “pretend to be somebody” refers to a proud person who tries to elevate themselves in front of others (Fleischer).
Why do people exalt themselves in front of others?
The reason is pride—the desire to elevate oneself before others.
Isn’t it ironic to want to appear as if you have something when in reality, you don’t?
Excessively decorating one's appearance to look impressive when there's nothing substantial behind it is not only impractical but lacks integrity.

Proverbs 30:32 says:
“If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth!”
The Bible clearly teaches that exalting oneself is foolish.
Why is it foolish?
Psalm 14:1 says:
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
Those who exalt themselves are foolish because, in their hearts, they think there is no God.
As a result, instead of humbling themselves before God, they prefer to lift themselves up before others.
Psalm 10:4 says:
“In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”
Therefore, those who exalt themselves are not only foolish but also prideful.

In Proverbs 25:6, King Solomon says:
“Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among great men.”
This reminded me of two experiences I had while learning ministry in Korea.
One time, I visited the home of a church member with the senior pastor and other associate pastors.
As the senior pastor sat on the sofa, the associate pastors followed and sat in order of rank.
Thankfully, I sat at the kitchen table.
Another time, when we were taking a group photo at the church entrance, the senior pastor told a youth pastor standing next to him to move.
It seemed even photo arrangements were determined by seniority.

Why does Solomon say, “Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence”?
Look at verse 7:
“It is better for him to say to you, ‘Come up here,’ than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.”
Imagine sitting among high-ranking politicians as if you belong there, only to be told by one of them, “This seat isn’t for you. Please move.”
How embarrassing would that be?
It’s far better to humble yourself and sit at a lower place and then be invited up by someone in authority.

A similar teaching appears in Luke 14:8–10:
“When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.”

What do you think?

To conclude this meditation:
There is a praise song titled “I Stand Before You, Lord.” Let me read the lyrics:

"Lord my God, I stand before You
My Holy Lord, I worship You.
As I kneel before You, seeking Your face,
The Lord comes to me and touches me.
As I kneel and seek His mercy,
The Lord comes and renews me.
The unchanging love of the Lord
Washes away all my pain and tears.
As the hand of the Lord holds me,
I now rise and worship You."

On the day our Lord returns, He will completely remove all our sins, clothe us in glorious spiritual bodies, and lead us into His eternal kingdom.
Then, we will humbly bow before the throne of God and praise His salvation and victory:

“We gather before the throne
To praise the Lord together
God showed His love by giving His Son
Through His blood, we are saved.
The love poured out on the cross
Flows like a river through the earth.
People of every nation, tribe, and tongue
Are saved and worship the Lord.
Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne
And to the Lamb.
Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne
And to the Lamb.”