Proverbs 10:24 The FEAR of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the DESIRE of the righteous shall be granted.

I have heard it said that …

The Righteous person, saved by faith in Christ, fears God so he doesn’t fear the future. However the Wicked person who rejects salvation in Christ has no fear of God, but fears the future.

The Christian need not fear what tomorrow may bring, because we live our lives for the God Who holds tomorrow in the palm of His hand. It’s like that old hymn I rarely hear sung in Church anymore:

I don’t know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don’t borrow from its sunshine,
For its skies may turn to gray.
I don’t worry o’er the future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I’ll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.
Many things about tomorrow,
I don’t seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.

The Bible says:

Psalm 145:19 (ESV) He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.

God loves His Children, and do not want them living in fear over the things of this world. “Greater is He Who is in you, than He that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). This comes upon us who believe because God called us to salvation, and we answered. But to those who chase after darkness and mock God, the Lord says:

Isaiah 66:4 (ESV) I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them, because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight.

God will not beg a man to the Cross of Christ. He showed His great love for us by sending Jesus to die on the Cross for our sins. But if you choose wickedness and reject righteousness, if you choose darkness over light, God will BRING YOUR FEARS TO YOU. Because you have rejected salvation, “in prosperity the destroyer will come upon you” (Job 15:21). Or as we previously studied in the Book of Hebrews:

Hebrews 10:26-31 (ESV) … if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Proverbs 10:25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

The Whirlwind A Blessing To God’s People,
A Curse To The Lost

Word Study: The Bible uses the “whirlwind” (Hebrew sûp̄â, pronounced soo-faw’) to describe the storms of life (Job 21:18), the night terrors (Job 27:20), and the various trials that afflict every living creature. The WHIRLWIND is destructive, frightening, and PASSETH or lasts but a little while. Trials come to every person, whether righteous or unrighteous, holy or wicked.

Illustrate: Not too long ago a “whirlwind” came to Maury County, destroying homes and land. The Bear Creek area was particularly hit hard. The Office of Emergency Management will be using our facilities August 23-25, 2025 as they bring volunteers in to help clean up debris and restore homes to a livable condition. The whirlwind that hit us hit both Christian as well as non-Christian. To those who are Christians, the whirlwind is an opportunity to grow in our faith, and to share our faith with others. Though tough, the whirlwind is a blessing to the child of God by grace in Jesus. To those who are lost, maybe it will be a blessing to them as well – particularly if they heed Jesus in the aftermath of the wreckage.

God uses the WHIRLWIND to punish, as in:

Isaiah 66:15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a WHIRLWIND, (sûp̄â) to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

The WHIRLWIND can refer to the “wages of sin, which is death” (Romans 6:23), as in:

Hosea 8:7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the WHIRLWIND …

God controls the WHIRLWIND. “The Lord has His Way in the WHIRLWIND” (Nahum 1:3). A WHIRLWIND for the believer in Christ is a blessing. It strengthens our faith, draws us closer to God, and removes the dross from our lives. When Elijah was at the end of his ministry, and he had obediently called Elisha to take his place, the Bible says:

2 Kings 2:11 (AP) As Elijah and Elisha went on, and talked to one another, there appeared a CHARIOT OF FIRE that carried Elijah away from Elisha, and ELIJAH WENT UP TO GOD BY A WHIRLWIND (saʿar, pronounced sah’-ar)

When Job, at the end of his time of suffering, cried out to God for relief, the Bible says:

Job 38:1 … the LORD answered Job out of the WHIRLWIND (saʿar, pronounced sah’-ar)

God is in the WHIRLWIND. God is there in the trials.

Our God is always in the midst of every trial we may suffer, and the trials have the purpose of growing us. Just as Jesus calmed the storm of the Sea of Galilee, saying “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39), our God is the God of the storms. “He maketh the storm (WHIRLWIND, saʿar) a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.” We are told in the New Testament writings of …

James 1:2-4 KJV – My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers TEMPTATIONS (peirasmos, trials … like a WHIRLWIND); [3] Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. [4] But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

The trials, the whirlwinds that confuse us are times for us to look to our God, our True North. To focus on His power, and trust Him.

The whirlwind will destroy the wicked, but it will not destroy the righteous, the ones who keep their eyes on Jesus.

Jesus brought this great truth out in:

Matthew 7:24-27 KJV – Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: [25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. [26] And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: [27] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

The winds come to everyone. The floods come to Christian and non-Christian. The trials of life beat on us all. But to those who not only HEAR but DO the Word of Christ, their lives will be built on a solid foundation. The whirlwind will not destroy the believer focused on the precious Savior! But the flippant, the wicked, the apathetic and lazy, those who ride the fence of faith and unbelief, those will find the whirlwind removes all their gods.

God Wants Us To Have A Vibrant Faith

Proverbs 10:26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

The “SLUGGARD” is mentioned several times in Proverbs.

Proverbs 6:6 (ESV) Go to the ant, O SLUGGARD; consider her ways, and be wise.

Proverbs 6:9 (ESV) How long will you lie there, O SLUGGARD? When will you arise from your sleep?

Proverbs 20:4 (ESV) The SLUGGARD does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.

I am often struck by the young and otherwise healthy person who stands on street corners begging for food or money. There are so many jobs available now. It can’t be easy to stand out in the rain and heat, on a corner of a busy road, begging. Though I do give food packets to these people, I will never give money. They are, for the most parts, sluggards.

As bad as physical SLUGGARDS are,
the SPIRITUAL SLUGGARD is worse.

There are also spiritual sluggards. If you have never noticed, life is not all a mountain or all a valley. Life goes in cycles. Sometimes you are on the mountaintop, and your life is at peace. When this is the case, like the ant in the proper season you should gather sustenance for the coming winter. Beloved, winter or the valley is always just around the bend. Those who are spiritual sluggards sleep when their bellies are full. In fact, many are, as the Apostle said, those who …

Philippians 3:18-20 (ESV) … walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven…

Your life is a stewardship from God – spend it wisely! Those who are true citizens of Heaven understand that this life and this time is a stewardship. Use it wisely. Draw near to God while you can. Get in a Bible study. Be faithful to your Church meetings, and bring a Bible with you. The sluggard counts on someone else to bring the shovel, because the sluggard does not want to dig. But we are encouraged to remember that …

Proverbs 13:4 (ESV) The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.

God blesses those who walk with Him, and treasure His commandments. But God will not reward the spiritual sluggard. The Kingdom of Heaven is not a welfare office, and Jesus is not the Social Security Administration. The spiritual sluggard irritates God.

Proverbs 10:26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

God has given to us, His Church, a Great Commission. We are SENT. We are to share Christ and the Gospel with others. In ancient times wine was made by natural processes, and was very low in alcoholic content. Those who drank wine often found themselves drinking vinegar, which is what spoiled wine is. Vinegar wine is sour and acidic, and attacks the teeth of the drinker. Smoke in the eyes is also an irritant. Ptahhotep an ancient Egyptian author and right hand of the Pharaoh wrote:

“if you are a man of trust sent from one great man to another, adhere to the nature of him who sent you, give his message as he said it…”

We are not to be spiritual sluggards, but are to deliver God’s Word as He has given it to us. “We are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Contrasts Between The Righteous And The Lawless

As one commentary notes:

“Though each is a distinct proverb, these four proverbs contrast the righteous and the lawless regarding both their present and their future condition. In this world the fear of the Lord prolongs life; whereas the indiscretions and iniquities of the lawless break their physical strength and shorten their days. In eternity, gladness will be the fulfilled hope of the righteous; while the expectation of the wicked will perish and his reward will be endless judgment.”

Proverbs 10:27 The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

There are some people who fear the Lord, but who die young. Some Christians die young for their faith. An early Christian woman named Perpetua died when she was 22 years old. Roman Emperor Severus offered to spare her if she would renounce Jesus, but she refused. Though still breastfeeding her child, she died in the stadium by a gladiator’s sword.

Lady Jane Grey died when she was 16 years old. Executed by Catholic Queen Mary Tudor for the sin of being Protestant, just before she died she told the watching crowd “I look to be saved by no other means but the mercy of God in the blood of his only Son, Jesus Christ”.

The writer of many hymns. Augustus Toplady died of tuberculosis at just 38 years old. He wrote the hymn we often sing:

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.”

There are many Christians who died young, others who died in their elder years. The Evangelist Billy Graham went to see Jesus at 99 years old. But whether young or old, the Christian has the promise of eternal life. Jesus said:

John 3:36 (ESV) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

And again,

John 5:24 (ESV) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Proverbs 10:28 The HOPE of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

The Bible often speaks of the believer’s HOPE. For the world, HOPE means “to be lucky, a WISH to get the best outcome somehow, someway”. But for the Christian, the word HOPE means:

“A confidence in and expectation of what God has promised, but we have yet to receive. Our confidence is based on the veracity and faithfulness of God our Savior.”

The world’s HOPE is anchored in NOTHING. Our HOPE is anchored in CHRIST. The Prophet said:

Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

Since our HOPE is based in the Lord, we have assurance that what He has said, He will do. Jesus is our “Blessed Hope” (Titus 2:13), Who was resurrected from the dead. Our hope is not dead, but is LIVELY (1 Peter 1:3). The world’s hope is a wish based on nothing – our hope a certainty based on His empty tomb.

Proverbs 10:29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

The way of the godless is to walk through this life in their own power, their own abilities. The way of the Christian is to walk through this life reliant upon God our Savior. The Apostle Paul, confronted by “a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan who beat him” (2 Corinthians 12:7), sought the Lord three times to have this thorn removed from his life. Three times the Lord told Paul, “My Grace is sufficient for you, for MY STRENGTH is made perfect in YOUR WEAKNESS” (vvs 9). Paul responded by saying,

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (KJV) … Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

It is in our weakness and in our surrender that we find the limitless power of God. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

Proverbs 10:30 The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.

One day we who are Christ’s by faith shall inherit a new Heaven and a new Earth. The wicked may temporarily own much, but in the end:

Psalm 37:11 … the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Our Lord Jesus repeated this truth in His sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:5 … Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

It is not the prideful that will inherit God’s Kingdom, but those who adhere to and honor God’s Word. The prideful or perverse – those who speak not God’s Word but evil and human tradition – they shall lose their voice. In the last two verses:

Proverbs 10:31-32 (KJV) The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the FROWARD tongue shall be cut out. 32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh FROWARDNESS.

Word Study: The word FROWARD is the Hebrew tahpuḵôṯ (pronounced tah-poo-kaw’), which means “that which is perverse or fraudulent”. Those who speak God’s Word will continue to speak in eternity, but the perverse who reject God’s Word are CUT OUT. We were given tongues to speak God’s Word, to glorify Him. The Righteous know what is acceptable to say. The wicked are inclined to speak crooked or twisted “truths”. Misusing their tongues, there will be a time when they lose their voice and their platform.

But God’s people will be blessed forever. As Matthew Henry’s Commentary notes:

“The wicked would be glad to have this earth their home for ever, but it cannot be so. They must die and leave all their idols behind. … A good man discourses wisely for the benefit of others. But it is the sin, and will be the ruin of a wicked man, that he speaks what is displeasing to God, and provoking to those he converses with. The righteous is kept by the power of God; and nothing shall be able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.”

May God touch your hearts with His Word.