Proverbs 21 - Evil and good

Back to Proverbs for several days. 

Let's look first at what this chapter tells us about the wicked and foolish. Verse 4 tells us that pride and haughtiness are the map of the wicked, they are what guide the path of evil men, and will ultimately lead to their downfall. Hasty actions lead to poverty (v5). Any gains from deceptive methods will at best be fleeting (v6). Moreover, the violence of the wicked will in the end be their downfall (v7). The soul of the wicked desires evil and contains no mercy (v10). We do not realise how terrible sin is. Wandering from good sense leads to death (v15). Seeking after pleasure leads to poverty( v17). Lazy people only want, never giving back anything (v26).

Now let's look at the way of the righteous. Righteousness and justice mean more to the Lord than sacrifice. Their conduct is pure. The plans of the diligent lead to abundance. A wise man gains knowledge (v11). If we pursue righteousness and kindness we will find life (v21). A wise man can take a city (v22). Guarding our tongue helps us keep out of trouble (v23).

In fact there are more warnings about evil in this chapter than there are promises for goodness. There are also two other themes. One is that it is better to be "worse off" and upright than to have wealth with unrighteousness. Evil may seem to pay for a time but we should not be fooled.

The other theme is that it is God's will that will ultimately prevail (v1, 31).