Comparing the righteous to the ungodly is a little alike comparing apples to oranges or daylight and dark or countries on the opposite sides of the world.  So different. In this particular chapter, the gulf between them is laid out plain and simple to understand.  I don’t know about you, but for my tired brain here  lately, easy is good. And so here we have it.  

The GOOD.

The BAD.

And the WORST.   

“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” verse 2

“A talebearer revealeth secrets:  but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” verse 13

“He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.” verse 28

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” verse 30

Distinction Between the Upright and the  Sinful  

Here’s a list of attributes from all 31 verses.  The turtle in the pic below, reminded me of the race between the tortoise and the hare.  I like to think of Tortoise as an humble sort of guy. (err…turtle lol) Pride came before the fall, and the rabbit lost the race.  Even though Tortoise wasn’t successful according to the world’s standards, he never gave up!  He kept his integrity and used wisdom to cross the finish line.  This Big Guy here was crossing our driveway, heading back to his den in a clay bluff.

This chapter refers to the righteous as:  

the lowly, upright, the perfect (mature), the just, of understanding, a faithful spirit, multitude of counsellors, gracious, strong, merciful, sower of righteousness, generous soul, a waterer, desirer and diligent seeker of good.

Next up is the wicked.  Let’s see how the verses brand this category:

transgressor, unjust, hypocrite, void of wisdom, talebearer, no counsel, hateth suretiship, (declines being a guarantor) cruel, deceitful worker, pursuer of evil, a froward heart, without discretion, stingy, seeker of mischief.  

The GOOD:

have humility, wisdom, integrity, moral courage, guidance, are rescued from death and trouble and by knowledge and discernment, their ways are kept straight, the city rejoices when it goes well with them and is exalted by the influence of the upright, keeps a matter hidden, has victory among wise counselors, attains honor, gets a true reward and attains life, a delight unto the LORD, descendants shall be delivered, desire brings only good, generous, sows blessings and is prosperous and reaps blessings, seeks favor and grace, flourishes in their trust in God’s provision, their fruit will be a tree of life and wins souls.

The BAD 

will fall, be caught by greed, lacks sense, tears the city down, the city shouts with joy when the wicked die and his expectation perishes by him, destroys his neighbor with his mouth, reveals secrets as a gossip, attains riches but not respect, does himself harm, earns deceptive wages, attains his own death, vile to the LORD, a lack of character mocks their beauty, brings wrath by their expectation, stingy and results in poverty, receives punishment of evil for evil, will fall when trusting in riches, troubles his own house and inherits the wind, (nothing) and will be a servant to the wise.

The ABOMINARI 

( Latin verb– abominat- ‘deprecated’, abomination)

ABOMINATION– anything greatly disliked or abhorred; intense aversion or loathing; detestation; vile, shameful. 

Two different abominations are mentioned in these verses:

“A false balance and dishonest business practices are extremely offensive to the LORD, But an accurate scale is His delight.”–verse 1 AMP

God hates cheating at work and loves when our work ethics are kosher.

“They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD:  but such as are upright in their way are his delight.”–verse 20 

Deceiving is something that God despises.  He loves it when we hold on to our integrity.   

The Word found in the Proverbs, shares a treasure trove of God’s glittering jewels of wisdom every one of us should strive for daily.  May we never find ourselves hidden among the rotten fruit of the BAD or the ABOMINARI! Let’s strive for wisdom and get it with all our might!

Heavenly Father, hear our hearts today.  Please help us seek after Your Wisdom and less of ourselves….much less of us.  Give us a heart after You.  We can’t do this walk alone.  Help us not worry how the world measures success, but help us measure our walk with You by Your measuring stick.  In Jesus Name we pray.  Amen.   

Thanks for joining me on another adventure with Blogging Through the Bible, where like-minded sisters share their thoughts on each chapter of the Bible. 😊 It’s a blessing to have you here! Feel free to join in the discussion in the comments below. 

More chapters in this series can be found in the Blogging Through the Bible Archives.