Poor Judgement

(Proverbs 29:14 KJV)  The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever.

There are principles here that apply to us who are not kings and don’t have thrones.  We do have positions of authority and places of influence.

A leader “judgeth” (judges NASB) (8199), brings justice.  It is part of his role. 

Dealing with the “poor” (1800b) is always to be a two edged sword.  We are not to give them an unfair advantage, but we are to be fair and just.  Then, the tendency was to mistreat and ignore the poor.  Today we go to the other extreme.  In both cases there is often a manipulation of the poor to get them to adopt mob mentality and produce results that are wrong.  I also think that this refers to those who are poor emotionally and intellectually, not just financially. 

Keep in mind that the poor are sinners as much as the rich, they just can’t afford as many options.

So?  Treat all people with dignity and courtesy.  Don’t assume anything based on their apparent wealth.  Let God’s standards be your measure today, not the bank’s or social worker’s.