What happens in a place where there is no revelation (Proverbs 29:18)?

Answer

Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.” Without divine insight from the Word of God, a spiritual environment akin to the Wild West will inevitably arise.

The Hebrew term translated as “revelation” in this context is consistently linked to the visions that the prophets received from the Lord (see Daniel 8:13; Nahum 1:1). In ancient times, the prophets served as God’s chosen instructors to guide the Lord’s people in righteousness and truth. To cast off restraint means “to be set loose or freed from constraints.” When individuals lack knowledge or instruction in the revealed Word of God, it is as if they are given free rein to act recklessly and without boundaries. A similar concept is conveyed in Leviticus 13:45 as allowing one’s hair to “hang loose” see also Numbers 5:18. In Exodus 32:25, the language illustrates how the Israelites “completely lost control” (NLT) or “broke loose” (ESV) with the golden calf.

The Word of God offers the guidance necessary to navigate life “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.”, (Psalm 119:105). Without the direction provided by Scripture, people make grave errors, leading to being lost and facing significant troubles. In the absence of a revelation of His truth, individuals act according to their own desires, resulting in chaos. However, “those who hear the word of God and follow it are blessed!” “But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”, (Luke 11:28, HCSB).

The writer of the proverb acknowledges the significance of prophetic ministry and the teaching of God’s Word for the well-being of the community and the preservation of social harmony.

The Bible mentions times and places where there was no revelation. When God called the boy Samuel to minister as a prophet, “in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon” «And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. », (1 Samuel 3:1, NLT). A similar condition existed in King Asa’s day: “For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them” «Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. », (2 Chronicles 15:3, NLT).

The prophet Amos forewarns of God’s coming judgment, likening it to a famine in the land—“not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it” (Amos 8:11-12). When there is no revelation in Hosea’s era, the Lord says, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children” (Hosea 4:6;cf: Hosea 3:4).

Scripture laments the lack of prophetic revelation: “Jerusalem’s gates have sunk into the ground. He has smashed their locks and bars. Her kings and princes have been exiled to distant lands; her law has ceased to exist. Her prophets receiveNo more visions from the Lord” (Lamentations 2:9; NLT; see also Psalm 74:9).

The fundamental message of Proverbs 29:18 is that blessings of well-being and harmonious living come to those who receive instruction in God’s Word and obey it “He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: And whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.”, (Proverbs 16:20). “There is great reward” in keeping God’s law “Moreover by them is thy servant warned: And in keeping of them there is great reward.”, (Psalm 19:11). In contrast, where there is no revelation of truth and no obedience to the commands of the Lord, the fatal effect will be chaos, disorder, confusion, and rebellion.