Proverbs 28 ~ The Wicked vs. the Righteous

"The wicked man flees though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion."
Proverbs 28:1

Throughout this Proverb, the wicked are contrasted with the righteous. Examples of wicked men are brought forth in verses 13 through 27. The hypocrite (v.13), the hard-hearted (v.14), the tyrant (v.15-16), the murderer (v.17), the perverse (v.18), the chaser of fantasies (v.19), the greedy (v.20 & 25), the biased (v.21), the stingy (v.22), the flatterer (v.23), the robber (v. 24), the self-confident (v.26), and the callous (v.27).

Now that we have seen examples of the wicked, who are the righteous that are bold as lions? In Psalm 32:1–2 David says, "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him." Then at the end of the psalm David tells us what sort of person this is whose sins are forgiven and whose transgressions are not counted. Verses 10–11: "Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD'S unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!"

John Piper says, "The righteous ones are the ones who trust in the Lord—the ones who have faith and bank their hope on the mercy and power and wisdom of God. These are the ones against whom the Lord does not impute iniquity and whose sins are forgiven. They are righteous not with a righteousness of their own, but with the imputed righteousness of God. These are the ones who are free from fear. Their consciences are "sprinkled clean from an evil conscience" (Hebrews 10:22). Their hearts no longer condemn them (1 John 3:21). They are right with God, because of his grace, not because of their merit. And their boldness with God and with men shows the worth and the value of the gospel (Hebrews 4:2, 6) of God's grace."

Psalm 45:7 says that the Lord, "loves righteousness and hates wickedness."

Father, forgive me of my wicked ways. Thank you for your grace that has the power to make me right with You.