Proverbs 16:10-15

Proverbs 16:10-15
English Standard Version
​10 An oracle is on the lips of a king;
    his mouth does not sin in judgment.
11 A just balance and scales are the LORD's;
    all the weights in the bag are his work.
12 It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
    for the throne is established by righteousness.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of a king,
    and he loves him who speaks what is right.
14 A king's wrath is a messenger of death,
    and a wise man will appease it.
15 In the light of a king's face there is life,
    and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.

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These verses mostly have to do with God's wisdom for kings and those with power and authority.  When the king's mouth is busy speaking the words of the LORD, his mouth cannot be speaking things that would be sinful and lead him into judgment.  

The "scales" which the LORD uses to judge by are fair-He does not use fake weights that given an inaccurate reading that is to the advantage of either party.  He speaks the truth and the consequences that are given will fit the crime that was committed.

We sin against the king of heaven, not only our own government authorities when we do evil.  The LORD's throne is established in righteousness and therefore He is required to do justice and punish the wicked.  The same should hopefully go for all kings and those with authority that was delegated by the LORD.  The purpose of government is to promote and reward righteousness and discourage and punish evil.  Laws don't necessarily make wicked people moral, but the punishment required by the Law might make them think twice before engaging in evil activities that could be punished by fines and/or imprisonment.  The king therefore hates those who do evil and make his life harder.  He has a hard enough time governing the righteous without the wicked making life difficult for him.  The wicked will fear the king because he must punish them, but the righteous will love the king who rewards and protects them.

Those who speak right things with their lips have good hearts from where those words come.  James reminds us in the New Testament that from the abundance of the heart, the mouth overflows.  If the king governs a people who are in control of their speech and their speech is righteous, it will bring a smile to the king's face.  It makes his job easier to govern a good and godly people that are already self-governed by the Law of God.  However, a man that speaks curses because his heart is evil as a thorn in the side of the king because the one whose heart is full of wicked words will also more likely give into wickedness and commit wicked actions.

The king is just in executing his wrath to punish the wicked to give them a warning of the kind of consequences and punishment that await them in the judgment that comes to the wicked after death.  There is still a chance for them to repent while they are still alive, and the king justly executes capital punishment on those who are threat to others he reigns over to put the ultimate judgment and justice in the hands of God.  The wise man will do what he can to live in such a way to appease the king's wrath and never have to personally experience it.  Only a foolish man wants the king's anger to burn hot against him.

When the king (and specifically God) turned his face towards someone, that was an idiom related to showing that person favor and having blessings poured out on them.  It is only by the blessings and favor of God (His mercy) that we live day after day.  If He were to execute justice and judge us rightly for the sins we commit every day, we would all be under a death sentence each and every day.  Jesus took the penalty for our sins for those of us who are in Christ, and He mediates, makes atonement, and intercedes on our behalf in front of the Father as our Great High Priest.  Even His general, unmerited favor like the rain that falls on the righteous and the unrighteous is something that we should recognize as part of his lovingkindness and mercy.  For it is the rain from these storms that makes the plants grow and the wind from these storms that makes their roots strong.  So too are the storms of life that we endure that actually cause us to grow and deepen our faith.  These too are good thins that come from the hand of the LORD.