The Twin Pillars of the Throne Text: Proverbs 20:28
Introduction: The Architecture of a Just Rule
We live in an age that has forgotten what government is for. Our modern rulers, whether they wear the suits of bureaucrats or the robes of judges, believe that power is an end in itself. They see the throne, the seat of authority, as a prize to be won through political maneuvering, slick marketing, and the brute force of legislation. They believe a throne is upheld by polls, by budgets, by surveillance, and by the suppression of dissent. But God, who establishes all authority, tells us something entirely different. A throne is not made of iron and steel, but of character. Its stability is not a matter of political engineering, but of moral architecture.
The book of Proverbs is intensely practical, and it is intensely political. It does not separate personal piety from public life. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that wisdom is meant to govern not only our hearts and homes but also the halls of power. A nation that attempts to build its government on any foundation other than the character of God is building a house on the sand. When the rains of turmoil and the floods of judgment come, and they always do, that house will fall with a great crash.
This proverb, in its compact wisdom, gives us the two foundational pillars that make a ruler's reign secure and a nation blessed. These are not suggestions; they are non-negotiable principles of political reality, as fixed as the law of gravity. A king, or any civil magistrate, who ignores these principles is not just being immoral; he is being incompetent. He is sawing off the branch he is sitting on. This verse is a diagnostic tool for our own time. When we see thrones and governments shake, when we see nations consumed by chaos and division, we can be sure that one or both of these pillars are either crumbling or have been deliberately dynamited.
The Text
"Lovingkindness and truth will guard the king, And he upholds his throne by lovingkindness."
(Proverbs 20:28 LSB)
The Royal Bodyguards (v. 28a)
The first clause tells us what protects a leader:
"Lovingkindness and truth will guard the king..." (Proverbs 20:28a)
A king has a royal guard. He has soldiers, walls, and weapons. But the Bible tells us his true security detail is comprised of two virtues: lovingkindness and truth. These are not sentimental platitudes; they are spiritual armor. They are the twin sentinels that stand watch at the palace gates.
First, consider "lovingkindness." The Hebrew word here is hesed. This is a rich, covenantal term. It is not simply being nice or having warm feelings. Hesed is steadfast, loyal love. It is a love that is bound by an oath, a commitment. It is the kind of love God shows to His people, a love that says, "I will not fail you or forsake you." When a king rules with hesed, he is demonstrating a covenantal loyalty to his people. He sees his role not as a master over slaves, but as a shepherd over a flock. He understands that his authority is a trust, a stewardship given to him by God for the good of the people. This kind of love is not soft or weak; it is fiercely protective. It seeks justice for the poor and defends the helpless (Proverbs 29:14). A king who governs with hesed wins the fierce loyalty of his people. They do not obey him merely because they fear his power, but because they know he is for them. This is a far stronger guard than any army.
The second guard is "truth." The Hebrew is emeth. This means faithfulness, reliability, and objective reality. A king is guarded by truth when he is a man of his word. His decrees are consistent, his judgments are based on fact, not favoritism, and his public statements align with reality. A government that lies to its people is at war with its people. When a ruler embraces propaganda, spin, and deceit, he is dismantling his own authority. Why? Because truth is the currency of trust. Once that currency is debased, all transactions between the ruler and the ruled become suspect. The people become cynical, ungovernable, and rebellious, because they can no longer believe anything their leaders say. A king who is guarded by truth is a king whose people know where they stand. His "yes" is yes, and his "no" is no. This creates a stable and secure society where people can plan their lives and businesses, knowing the rules will not change on a whim. Truth is the bedrock of justice, and justice is the foundation of a stable throne (Psalm 89:14).
The Foundation of the Throne (v. 28b)
The second clause reinforces the first, but with a crucial emphasis:
"And he upholds his throne by lovingkindness." (Proverbs 20:28b LSB)
Notice the repetition. While both lovingkindness and truth guard the king, it is lovingkindness, hesed, that is singled out as the support structure for the throne itself. Truth is the guard at the door, but hesed is the pillar holding up the roof. Why the emphasis?
Because power without mercy becomes tyranny. A king could rule with a kind of cold, hard, mathematical truth, a justice devoid of compassion. He could enforce every law to the letter, without exception, without grace. Such a rule would be brittle. It would be technically "true" but relationally destructive. It would provoke resentment and rebellion. A throne built only on the cold stone of abstract justice will not stand for long. It needs the flexibility, the warmth, the relational glue of hesed.
A throne is upheld by lovingkindness because hesed demonstrates that the king's power is exercised for the good of his subjects. It shows that he is not a predator, but a protector. This is the very character of God's rule. The Psalms declare that righteousness and justice are the foundation of God's throne, but "lovingkindness and truth go before" Him (Psalm 89:14). God's justice is never separated from His covenantal love. He is a just God and a Savior.
This is why the ultimate King, the Lord Jesus Christ, establishes His eternal throne on this very principle. He is the embodiment of grace (hesed) and truth (emeth) (John 1:14). His rule is not the iron fist of a tyrant, but the nail-pierced hand of a servant. He upholds His throne not by crushing His enemies with raw power, but by laying down His life for them in an act of ultimate hesed. His authority flows from His sacrifice. He rules over a kingdom of willing subjects whose hearts have been conquered not by fear, but by a lovingkindness that is better than life.
The Gospel of the True King
This proverb is not simply good advice for earthly rulers; it is a signpost pointing to the King of kings. Every earthly throne is a dim reflection, or a distorted caricature, of the throne of Jesus Christ. Earthly kings are guarded by hesed and emeth, but Christ is Hesed and Emeth. He is the perfect embodiment of covenant loyalty and absolute truth.
The governments of men fail because they are run by sinful men who inevitably substitute their own self-interest for hesed and their own propaganda for emeth. They seek to guard themselves with coercion and lies. They try to uphold their thrones with power and intimidation. And this is why they are unstable. This is why they rise and fall in the dust of history.
But the throne of Jesus Christ is different. He is guarded by His own perfect character. His lovingkindness is seen in His atoning death for His people, a loyal love that holds us fast. His truth is seen in His resurrection from the dead, the ultimate vindication that His word is reliable and true. His throne is not upheld by the shifting opinions of men, but by the unshakeable foundation of His own lovingkindness. He did not seize power; He laid it down. He did not demand service; He became a servant. And for this reason, God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:5-11).
Therefore, this proverb is a call to every person, from the peasant to the president, to submit to the rule and reign of the one true King. His is the only government that will not fail, the only kingdom that cannot be shaken. When we bow to King Jesus, we are placing ourselves under the authority of a ruler who is guarded by perfect lovingkindness and absolute truth. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light, because His rule is upheld not by raw power, but by love. And that is the only throne that will endure forever.