Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Message: Out of God, out of man
Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God.
What the Lord is Saying: At first glance, this proverb seems obvious — the righteous are blessed while the wicked has problems. Six verses into Chapter 10 and also into the 375 Proverbs (10:1 to 22:16) to study -- 'righteous' or 'righteousness' is mentioned three times. This is a very common word in scripture and denotes the person that not only lives above board or above reproach, but it also conveys the idea of the person that God accepts. I quickly think of the verse, "The righteous shall live by faith" (Habakkuk 2:4) and also "For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God" (Romans 1:17).
Now in this verse the virtue highlights the "head" of the righteous. Head seems to denote the highest part of a person and so these blessings are coming from above or from God. John Gill (1697 – 1771), an English Baptist pastor, biblical scholar, and theologian stated that these blessings could be "pardon of sin, peace of soul, every sanctifying grace, the blessing of adoption, and a right to eternal life." As such these are blessings conferred by God by His mercy. In each of these we have received a blessing from God. It is nothing we earn. It is all His mercy. These blessings are a crown which sit on the head. They set us apart from others, but not because of something we have done, but because of what we have received.
The vice in this verse is the mouth of the wicked. The mouth is where the wicked wages their war. The mouth or the words that are said are the issue here. The mouth is active and is an outpouring of the man. The head rests on man as grace or mercy rests on man, but the mouth is active, coming forth out of a person. Righteousness is conferred upon us. We commit acts of violence through our words. We are responsible for our words.
James 3:16 says, "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." I always need to be careful about my choice of words and what I say.
This verse will be somewhat repeated in verse 11 - "The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence." The same vice will be contrasted with a mouth that speaks forth righteousness, but the contrast in verse 6 seems to be more what man earns versus what God gifts. In this way, the actions of God versus man are opposites. One gives blessing, the other violence.
Thus, my title for this verse, is "out of God, out of man." This seems to be the contrast here and what is to be emphasized.
Prayer: O Lord, I thank you for the mercy you have shown me - continually. You granted me life, creating this world and all that is in it. You give me great gifts of creation - the food I eat, the surroundings I live in, the beauty of your creation. You give me great people to be with each day - people that encourage me and that I enjoy being with and living alongside. Family is a gift from you. There is joy in being with one another. And then you bestow abundant life to me, both now on this earth as I live and walk and breath and see each day this hand of providence in my life. You bestow on me pardon for my sin, peace of soul, grace, adoption into you - the trinity, and the blessing of eternal life. You take care of my hope for the future. My responsibility is through my words that need to honor you and yet I know left to myself, I am a person of wickedness and violence. All that comes from you is a gift of grace and riches of kindness. I praise you. I thank you. I trust in you. I pray always and forever. Help me to be a person of grace and being the person you have called me to be.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
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