Posted on 01/24/2020 5:55:38 AM PST by Pilgrim's Progress
“Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them” (Proverbs 24:1 KJV).
Watch the people you run around with.
“Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags" (Proverbs 23:17-21).
“Be not thou envious against evil men,” now, the word “against” here isn’t to be opposed to them, but to be “desirous of them,” to be over next to them, or to be companions of them-- “neither desire to be with them.” This connects with verse 2: “For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.” These evil men are figuring out ways to destroy others. We also see their purpose in 1:11 “If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause.”
Evil men study destruction. Evil men learn how to destroy other men for profit and personal gain or for revenge, and all that. “The companion of fools shall be destroyed,” Revelation 18:4 warns, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” One day judgment is going to fall on the evil system, and if you are tied up in that system, you’ll get it also. In other words, don’t be in the wrong fox hole when the grenades start coming in.
“For their heart studieth destruction,” compare to “He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person” (Proverbs 24:8 KJV).
Parents often laughingly refer to their child as “mischievous.” Just know that the Bible uses that term very badly. You really don’t want a mischievous child. It is not a cute expression in the Bible, in fact, it is a very deadly expression.
“When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall" (Proverbs 4:12-16).
“For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief,” that is deals, plans, escapades for personal gain, profit, or revenge. They are studying how to destroy others.
Daily Bible study is necessary if we are going to begin our day with the right attitude and the right spiritual diet. Proverbs has 31 chapters, and most months have 31 days, so 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! Ideally, a chapter or two of Proverbs will fit in nicely with a good plan of reading our Bibles through each year.
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