Proverbs
24:19-20
Do not fret
because of evil men
or be envious of the wicked,
for the evil man has no future hope,
and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
I
think if we are honest we all “envy the wicked” some. Believing and following God is so much opposed to the value
system of the culture we live in. It is easy to find people who have no concern
for God yet live comfortable and seemingly blesses, peaceful lives. In this proverb we are warned not to
fret because of evil men. If you
aren’t used to reading the Old Testament you might miss the point here. The word “evil” is not simply a term
used for those involved in awful acts of sinful violence. “Evil” can refer to anyone who does not
carry a life-changing belief in God. The writer uses terms that intentionally polarize all people
into either a “for” or “against” category. I think this is very helpful for you and me. We need to see our lives as “for” or “against”
God.
The
direct point here is the contrast of Hope. Instead of looking around and becoming envious of those
apart from God we choose to find our hope in Him. Those without God have no hope. Their hope is purely related to what can be achieved here in
this life. This is far from true
for the believer. Our hope is not
in this life; our hope is founded in the saving grace of Jesus who has secured
for us an eternal hope not limited to what can be achieved here. That is our reason for not
fretting. We can take life as it
comes knowing that this life is not the end all be all. This is not to say we
wont have stress or trouble. That
would be foolish to purport. However,
because we have an eternal hope we can face the temporary struggles of life
with confidence that things will get better, if not in this life for sure the
life to come.
Finally,
this passage should cause our hearts to break for those who have no hope. This should light a fire of compassion
and evangelism in us to share the hope we have in Christ. Those without God will have their “lamp
snuffed out.” This is a picture of
their eternal life. People are not randomly sent people to Hell. Those who have
decided to place their hope in what this world offers are simply given what
they have chosen. The devastating
part of all this is that many will not know until it is too late. My prayer today is that Christians
everywhere are filled with compassion for the “evil” that have no eternal
hope. Let us share the hope we
have in Jesus. Let us not be
stingy with hope.
I
hope this makes sense. AS