Pastoral Letters

Righteousness Exalts a Nation and You

February 5, 2017 Author:Rev (Dr) Andrew Tan
As a small nation, Singapore needs to maintain good relationships with countries both near and distant.  This is important for the survival and prosperity of people who live here.  Maintaining relations, however, is not a straightforward matter.  In 1994, American teenager Michael Fay was caned for vandalism despite pressure from the American President, Bill Clinton, and other US officials to drop the punishment.  There were also disagreements with Jakarta over transboundary haze emanating from Indonesia.  Recently, Singapore stood with the international tribunal’s ruling on the South China Sea that dismissed China’s territorial claims there.  Some Singaporeans were concerned that their business in China would be affected.  Senior fellow William Choong of the International Institute for Strategic Studies-Asia comments that “It’s not because we love confrontation.  We just stand our ground because we are a small country and need to hold on to certain principles.”

My purpose in writing this article is not to argue who is right, Singapore or countries who disagree with Singapore.  I’m not an expert in international law.  The guiding principle that Singapore takes, however, is right: we need to abide by ethical principles.

The Bible says in Proverbs 14:34:

Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin condemns any people.

The meanings of the two lines contrast each other and form an antithetical couplet (for a synonymous couplet, the two lines are similar in meaning).

If Singapore is going to be prosperous, we need to abide by ethical principles because God will then bless our nation.  Hence, I applaud Singapore leaders for doing what is ethically the right thing.  God will then watch over this nation. 

This principle that doing what is ethically right applies not just nations but also to individuals, you and me.  The Bible says, “A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward” (Prov 11:18).  Note the statement, “a wicked person earns deceptive wages.”  When a person does what is ethically wrong, it does not mean that he will not gain.  In fact, here, the opposite is true: he gains wages.  What advantage, then, does a person who do right gain?  The next verse explains: “Truly the righteous attain life, but whoever pursues evil finds death” (Prov 11:19).  The one who gains wealth by living a life that displeases God may seem to win, but his end is destruction. 

Dear brothers and sisters-in-Christ.  I urge you to live a life that pleases the Lord.  Do not, for the sake of wanting to receive some benefits, compromise with your Christian principles.  This applies to finding a life partner, doing business, your relationship with your colleagues or company, or spiritual responsibilities. 

Do right because “the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward” (Prov 11:18).