Silver

  Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. Proverbs 25:4-5 ESV

Silver isn't dug out of the ground as a beautiful vessel, but as a metal tarnished with the impurities of dross. It needs to be refined by fire. Only then, once the scum has been skimmed away, can the silversmith make a precious artefact.

Silver illustrates the reign of a ruler. The dross represents the wicked, and the silversmith represents the authority. Nowadays, we might have a separation of powers between executive and judiciary, but in Solomon's day, the king would deal with criminals as a judge.

One of the main purposes of secular authority is to punish criminals and to reward the great and the good. If a dominion starts calling evil good and good evil, it's on shaky ground. Authority isn't just about might, but about using that power to do what is right.

If authorities can deal with evildoers, that power will be established in righteousness. When ancient Israel had righteous, God fearing kings, it tended to have peace and prosperity as well. When evildoers are dealt with and the righteous are rewarded, it's good for the
nations.

"Righteous King of kings, we know that righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Please have mercy upon our nations and raise us up again in revival and
restoration. For Jesus' sake, amen"

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