Proverbs 12:6-7 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. 7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.

The Words Of The Wicked Are Cut Down,
Whereas The Words Of The Righteous Are God’s

Word Study: The “wicked” (Hebrew rāšāʿ) are those who are spiritually dead and without Christ. There are several classifications of “wicked” people. Our Lord Jesus encountered the “religious wicked”, the Pharisees, who used their words as spears to drive people away from salvation. They “lay in wait for blood”, watched Jesus’ every move, and at the worst possible time attacked Him with lies. When Jesus healed people on the Sabbath Day, they struck out at Him for healing a suffering man when they themselves would have pulled an ox out of the ditch on the same day. We read:

Mark 3:1-6 {Jesus} entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

They “lay in wait to accuse Him”, seeking to take Jesus’ life. When Jesus healed the man despite their evil intentions, they took their spear-like murderous mouths out and conspired with the “secular wicked”, the Herodians, to kill Jesus. They lay in wait for blood, to murder.

There are RELIGIOUS wicked and SECULAR wicked. Both live lives divorced from Christ and God’s will.

The wicked have no respect for life. Though they claim to respect life with phrases like “my life, my body”, they care little for life. They just want their own way. The “religious wicked” and the “secular wicked” often conspired together to kill Jesus, because His righteous teachings revealed them as children of Satan and not children of God. They claimed that Jesus did His miracles by the power of Satan:

Matthew 12:22-28 (ESV) … a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

The wicked are marked by sharp, destructive tongues that speak evil against the Word and Will of God. Jesus told the wicked:

Matthew 23:13 (ESV) … woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.

The wicked do not, with their tongues, lead people toward the Kingdom of God but away from it. They are self centered, selfish, self focused, self affirming.

Proverbs 12:6 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

The upright or the child of God by faith in Christ cherishes not the word of man, but the Word of God. They store up God’s Word in their hearts.

Psalm 119:11 (NKJV) Your word I have hidden (ṣāp̄an, to store or treasure) in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

When Jesus was attacked, He did not respond with an attack in kind. Instead Jesus appealed to the Scripture. We can address the wicked from the flesh, and be as bad as they are. Or we can do as Jesus did, and address the wicked from the Word of God, the Scripture.

You Choose Your Legacy By How You Live

Proverbs 12:6-7 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. 7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.

The reason for following the pathway of the upright and not the wicked has to do with legacy. Dr. Thomas Constable wrote in his commentary:

“The wicked pass off the scene without leaving a lasting legacy—like houses washed away by hurricanes and floodwaters. But the righteous leave a legacy for good that outlasts them.”

Everyone knows the names of Enoch, who walked with God (Genesis 5:24), but have no remembrance of Jared or Mahalalel, the father and grandfather of Enoch. The name of David the Shepherd and King live on, whereas those who strove against him are little known in the mind of history.

The fifteen words written by Solomon in Proverbs 12:7 are actually a summary of what King David wrote in Psalm 37. What David wrote in 40 verses Solomon summarized in 15 words!

Let’s look at just a portion of Psalm 37:

Psalm 37:1-10 (NKJV) Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.

Rather than focus on the secular or religious wicked, David had learned to:

Not FRET (Hebrew ḥārâ, to burn or be kindled)
TRUST (Heb. Bāṭaḥ, to lay face down before) in the Lord
DELIGHT (Heb. ʿānaḡ, spend time enjoying) in the Lord
COMMIT (Heb. Gālal, to roll a burden on)to the Lord
REST (Heb. Dāmam, to become silent in meditation) in the Lord

The wicked may hold power over you momentarily, but only at the permission of God. Before Satan could attack Job, he had to ask permission of God (Job 1:12; 2:6). The Reformer Martin Luther rightly said:

“Even the devil is God’s devil!”

God will one day judge the wicked for the evil they have done, and are doing. Rather than focus on them and allow ourselves to be drawn down to their level, we are to look upward, Godward. We are to immerse our minds and souls in Christ Jesus, in pleasing our Father. Another Pastor notes:

“… the Bible consistently reminds us to trust the long-term value of virtue and not to get deceived by the short-term pleasures of sin. Virtue is not a drug that provides immediate relief; it is a lifestyle that that leads to long-term vitality. Virtue is not a lottery ticket that cashes out the next morning; it is a way of life that builds long-term security. In this proverb, this wise son taught what his father taught …”

Those who love the Lord and abide by His Word have this promise, “the house of the righteous shall stand”. That which is right shall stand. It will have a legacy. But crookedness, evil devices, meanness, that which promotes the flesh and not the Holy Spirit, these things shall fade away.

And God can turn the actions of the evil to good, for our good.

Illustrate: There was an episode of the Andy Griffith Show (Season 7, Episode 23) that illustrated this. The town of Mayberry decided to raise up a statue to commemorate Seth Taylor, Andy and Aunt Bee’s ancestor, who built the first sawmill, organized the first Chamber of Commerce, and loaned the town of Mayberry money during an 1874 crisis. After the $1200.00 statue was carved they discovered that Seth Taylor (Andy’s great-great grandfather) was a swindler who bought and sold land to manipulate the railroad into building stations in Mount Pilot. When it was revealed they built a statue to a swindler, Barber Floyd Lawson reminded everyone that Taylor’s evil actually blessed Mayberry. Mt. Pilot has a high crime rate, and busy crowds, whereas Mayberry is a relatively crime free community, peaceful and quietly prosperous.

God is in control. Focus on Him even when it seems the evil are winning.

God Is Not Impressed By Sin Nor Sloth

Proverbs 12:8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.

Word Study: The word “PERVERSE” is the Hebrew ʿāvâ which means “twisted from the norm, distorted, drawn to commit evil or do wrong”. Those with twisted or perverted hearts are drawn to commit evil, to do that which is offensive to both God and man. They shall be “DESPISED” (Hebrew bûz) or “held in contempt”. Those who tout their sinful estate as honorable, and demand that others honor their actions, are “held in contempt” by mankind and by God. The Prophet Job said:

Job 12:16, 21 (KJV) With {God} is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his. …. 21 He poureth contempt (Hebrew bûz) upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

Interestingly King David gave the similar truth:

Psalm 107:40 (KJV) {God} poureth contempt (Hebrew bûz) upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.

It does not matter how “on top of the world” you think you are. If you celebrate your evil lifestyle, a lifestyle neither condoned nor ordained by God, then in time God will pour out contempt on you.

Proverbs 12:9 He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.

The person who has a “SERVANT” may be held in contempt for his treatment of sin and self, but even this contemptible person is better than the sluggard. The sluggard never wants to do anything, and yet expects everything. When the sluggard is hungry, it is not his fault, but the fault of another, be it a person or a government.

God calls His people to work for Him and His glory.

We will read in the next chapter:

Proverbs 13:4 (NASB) The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat.

Those who are laborers together with Christ – doing good as God has commanded – have enlarged souls, whereas the sluggard is always craving and getting nothing. The Tyndale Bible Commentary notes:

“A lazy person … has desires (craves refers to a deep-seated physical drive or appetite; cf. “craving” in 13:2), but his desires are not satisfied because he is not willing to work. However, diligence enables a person to be satisfied.”

Though Solomon at times departed from God’s will for his life (he had 700 wives and 300 concubines or sex slaves – 1 Kings 11:1-13), and at times even moved into idolatry, Solomon was never lazy or privileged. The Bible says:

Proverbs 21:25-26 (NASB) The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, for his hands refuse to work; All day long he is craving, while the righteous gives and does not hold back…

The righteous understand that life itself is a stewardship from God, a gift that He has given us to reinvest in others. The only riches you can take to Paradise with you are the souls of people that you have won to Christ. How destitute and how it will mar the joy of Heaven to arrive in that glorious place, but find your child or grandchild has gone to hell because you were spiritually lazy!

The lazy Christian is worse to God than the active pervert!

Proverbs 12:10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are CRUEL.

The righteous person – a person who is born again by the Blood of Christ – realizes the value of all life. Yet the wicked person has no regard for life. You can see this in the pro-life vs pro-choice movements in America. Comedian Bill Maher recently said on his television show:

“I don’t understand the 15-week thing, or Trump’s plan ‘let’s leave it to the states.’ You mean, so killing babies is OK in some states? I can respect the absolutist position, I really can. I scold the Left when they say, ‘oh you know what? They just hate women. People who aren’t pro-choice.’ They don’t hate women.

[The Left] just made that up. [Pro-life absolutists] think it’s murder. And it kind of is. I’m just okay with that. I am. I mean there’s 8 billion people in the world. I’m sorry, we won’t miss you. That’s my position on it.”

On the horrible show called “The View”, Actress Anne Hathaway said:

“My own personal experience with abortion and I don’t think we talk about this enough, abortion can be another word for mercy.”

How can abortion be merciful? In the first trimester, abortion is by vacuum aspiration. The child is broken up and drawn from the womb with a type of vacuum cleaner, like so much trash. In the second trimester, abortion is likely by dilation and evacuation (D&E), where the child is cut up into pieces and extracted. In the last trimester, abortion can be partial birth where all of the baby but the head is delivered. A knife is driven into the brain, killing the child before the head is delivered. Or some babies are delivered, but put on a gurney to lay crying until they succumb to death.

None of this is merciful to the child, who is a human. In heard another comedian joke about abortion, and described at as making a cake. He said, “If I make a cake and put it in the oven, and you come along and pull it out of the oven and throw it in the trash, I’d be mad at you. I’d say, ‘Why did you destroy my cake?” You’d say, ‘But it wasn’t a cake yet!’, to which I’d reply, ‘It would have been if you’d have left it alone!”. Again, this man was fine with abortion, but he was honest about it. Abortion is murder, not mercy. Life is sacred because it comes from God.

A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast

Though the Bible gives us allowance to eat meat, the righteous person, the child of God, does not torture a beast to death. The child of God does not eat an animal one piece at a time, keeping it alive. Such a thought is horrible! The beast is slaughtered quickly and as humanely as possible. But a child is not a beast, an animal. A child is made in the image of God!

The lazy person cannot impress God. The mentally lazy person does not impress the Lord either!

Proverbs 12:11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth VAIN (Hebrew rêq, empty, without substance) persons is void of understanding.

The person that works for his living is satisfied with what he has earned. But the person given everything, the person who lives with a silver spoon in their mouths, or depends on others for everything, that person is never satisfied. When I was growing up all children did “chores”. We received a small allowance for doing our “chores”, and were grounded or “whipped” if we refused to do our “chores”.

The word “chore” or “chores” is not found in the Bible, but it’s concept is there.

The Oxford English Dictionary tells us that “chore” is borrowed from the Latin “chor” which meant “chorus”. Those who learn to work and earn are best able to live in harmony with society itself. Too often we see spoiled grown up children who were given everything but earned nothing. These grown up children spend their days protesting, defacing, and generally doing anything they can do to disrupt civilization. The Bible says:

Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

The child given everything will grow up to be “vain” (rêq) or empty of substance. They will be like the idiom “amount to nothing”. As Bible Scholar F.B. Meyer wrote about evil King Amon:

“Amon’s reign was short and inglorious, and was ended by assassination (2 Kings 21:26). He was not stayed by the example of his father’s sins or regrets from following the sinful courses to which from childhood he had been inured. “He forsook the Lord, … and walked not in the way of the Lord” (2 Kings 21:22). As the twig is bent the tree grows. Oh parents, remember that example is more decisive than words. You may adopt for yourselves, in maturer life, a holier and better course; but you can never eradicate the evil influences exerted on your children.”

May God cause us all to draw closer to Jesus every day. Amen & Amen!