What the wicked fears will come upon him,
and the desire of the righteous will be granted.
Message: Fear of Being Found Out
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: As I read through and study these Proverbs one by one, it is amazing the writer had the need to repeat some of these ideas over and over and yet in only slightly different ways. Each one with a slight variation. The contrast here once again is the wicked and the righteous and the differing outcomes of the two. I suppose in life or at least theater it seems there is this big contrast of good and evil, bad guys and good guys. We went to see Superman recently and his big nemesis is Lex Luthor. Lex wants to be in power and what is interesting is the way he appears to be a good guy by many, but eventually people discover the real truth of him. There was this slight deception and once it comes out everyone sees him for the rotten person he is really. And so this contrast continues - wicked and righteous.
The wicked person here has fears. The wicked person does have a conscience and so even though they are acting wickedly there is a concern possibly of being found out or exposed for what really lies at the heart of the person. The wicked person hopes that no one will notice. The wicked hope that they can get away with it, that they won't be found out. And often the wicked will also seeks to find as many people that will corroborate what they are doing, to help justify their deceit. We do this with sin. We run to it and yet we are nervous of being exposed. I see this on a small scale at work. At times, I will go to the internet to search for something personal during work ours. I will think it is harmless, and yet it amazes me how when someone comes in the office to ask me a question, I will try to cover up that I am doing something personal. I will feel bad at that which I am doing. I will have been found it.
The righteous person here seeks the will of God. The verse in Matthew 7:7-8 that many people like to claim is "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." It is the righteous though that can claim this verse. And this verse is speaking more of the bare necessities of life rather than simply desiring things that may be against the will of God.
Prayer: O God, guard me from my sin and how I often escape in that direction, pleasing my eye or my momentary need and yet knowing that I could be exposed. Keep me far from the evil. Help me instead to submit and surrender to You and accept what You provide.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
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