Proverbs 25:1 says that chapters 25:1-29:27 are proverbs of Solomon that were copied by the scribes of Hezekiah. The proverbs collected in chapters 10-19 are individual proverbs organized into categories and collections. The Proverbs copied by Hezekiah’s scribes begin talking about something that was important to King Hezekiah, governmental administration and the establishment of the royal throne.

Just as the silversmith must first remove the dross and the impurities from the silver before he can craft a valuable, beautiful silver vessel, so wicked officials and evil philosophies must be removed from a government for it to be established.

“Wickedness” can refer to actions and “evil” can refer to those twisted philosophies and warped ideologies that justify the wicked actions and immoral legislation.

A basic principle of reality is that evil destroys itself. Wickedness and immorality are self-destructive. Thus, a government that wants to be more than a momentary flash in world history must avoid evil philosophies and wicked administrations. Self-serving leadership will only serve themselves for a brief time before their lack of integrity destroys them.

432 AD - Patrick to Ireland
• Patrick was captured in Britain by pirates and taken to Ireland as a slave in his youth.
• Patrick escaped back to Britain and went through monastery training.
• Patrick returned as a missionary to Ireland in response to a vision.
• The people Patrick converted were Celts. They had not been under Roman occupation and thus had not been influenced by the Roman way of life.
• Patrick had to overcome the Druid religion and the superstitions of the Irish.
• They had no cities or Roman order so the church that Patrick established did not look like the Roman Church. This became known as Celtic Christianity. It would continue successfully in Ireland until the Roman Church moved in two hundred years later.