Posted on 12/11/2019 6:24:18 AM PST by Pilgrim's Progress
“The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness. When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth" (Proverbs 11:6-7).
“. . . but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness,” like Haman in the Book of Esther. He just got mad at Mordecai, because Mordecai wouldn’t bow down to him. Haman’s heart was all wrong toward him, so he determined that he was going to kill Mordecai. He built gallows for the purpose and Haman was the one that ended up swinging on it.
“. . . but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness,” you take Ahab. He plotted along with his wife Jezebel to get Naboth’s vineyard—and when he finally got it—and got rid of Naboth the joy and satisfaction of his acquisition didn’t last very long, because right around the corner came the prophet Elijah who put it on him pretty bad and told him that his days were numbered. He predicted the deaths of Ahab and Jezebel, which came to pass. Within ten minutes, Ahab was in sackcloth and ashes—repenting. He was taken in his own naughtiness. That little plot of ground—that vineyard—he wanted was his undoing.
“When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.”
“The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish” (Proverbs 10:28 KJV).
All the lost man has is in this life. When he dies, it is all said and done with. Their hope is not based upon anything real or eternal. They don’t have any eternal hope, only an eternal fear of destruction. We that are saved have an eternal hope:
“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2 KJV), and we have a blessed hope: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14 KJV).
We don’t have any doubt about it, when the Lord comes, we are going. Ours is a hope based on substance. Our expectations aren’t going to perish when we die. We are going to realize our expectations immediately upon death. Not so with the wicked man.
Let’s read a chapter of Proverbs a day and see what God might have for us. As the Lord leads, share with us what God has shown you in a special way and by His grace let us build up a devotional repository. Let’s keep our knives and forks handy for some daily bread!
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