Proverbs 11:20-23 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 11:20-23, which read,

v.20 - The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but the blameless in their walk are His delight.

The word "abomination" comes up much in Scripture in relationship to sin.  It means that God hates what brings about attitudes, words, and behaviors that work against giving glory to Him.  One of those abominations deals with those who are perverse in heart.  It is those who twist the truth, make it crooked, as a part of their lives, their inner man, their will to do so.  Their actions are seen by God and He hates it.

But the blameless in their walk, those who are complete or sound in their journey, are God's delight.  He is pleased with them.  Their actions are seen by God and He finds pleasure in their walking in the truth rather than trying to twist it.

v.21 - Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished, but the descendants of the righteous will be delivered.

Here are two very different outcomes.  The evil man whose actions God hates will not just be that but it will have consequences that require actions.  God isn't just upset about the actions of the fool but He will bring about justice for what is wrong.  We have a God of love but He is also a God of justice for the two go hand in land.  God loves with justice and He is just with love.

On the other hand, the descendants of the righteous will reap the benefits of those who live lives honoring unto God.  Those holy lives will have an impact on their lives for the good.  They are not saved through them for salvation only comes from the Lord but they will have the benefit of godly examples to follow and see and hear from those who are following after God.  They will be delivered from much by being raised by those who love God.

v.22 - As a ring of gold in a swine's snout so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

The ring of gold is out of place when it is placed in the pig's snout.  What is also out of place is the lack of discretion to someone who is called a beautiful woman.  Beautiful in God's eyes is someone who has discretion and puts it on to use.  It is in its rightful place and not tossed to the swine.  Discretion is not to turn away from but rather to adorn the beautiful instead of it adorning what they deemed at the time as unclean.  We are beautiful in God's sight when we use discretion to walk in righteousness in this very evil and perverse world.  Keep discretion where it is suppose to be, on you and used by you, and not tossed aside to the pig sty.

v.23 - The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

The desire or the longing of the righteous, the just following after God, is only good or pleasing, joyful, beneficial and favorable.  The expectation or the looking for of the wicked, those acting wickedly against God's wisdom, is wrath or the alienation from God with justice from Him for the wrong.  

Strong terms are used by God of our attitudes and actions and followed by strong terms used of His attitudes and actions.  Those who are perverse, evil, lacking discretion, and wicked will receive God's abomination, just punishment, and wrath.  Those who are blameless in their walk following after God, righteous and beautiful in putting on discretion will receive God's delight, have descendants delivered, beautiful, and experience the goodness of God.  

God is giving us the idea that there is no "middle ground" on this issue.  You are either one or the other.  You are foolish and following after yourself or you are wise and following after Him.  You are going to experience God's justice for your foolish actions or you are going to experience God's goodness for your wise actions patterned after His instruction.  May we see that it is not possible to sit on the fence and really there is no fence available to sit on.  God has not provided it.  Let's pray.

"Lord, we so want to make that middle ground.  We so want to make a fence that we can sit upon in between what is wise and what is foolish.  May we see that we are one or the other and what makes us one or the other is our following after You or not following after You.  May we not look for some middle ground today because there is none when it comes to walking in Your footsteps.  Amen."

Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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