After considering the value of wisdom, the rewards of wisdom, and the deliverance from evil that wisdom provides, we will next consider the perils of wickedness to further reinforce what we have already learned: embracing and following the wisdom that comes from above is for our good.
The perils of wickedness can be divided into three categories: hardship in life, lack of hope for the future, and the inevitability of judgment.
“Good understanding produces favor, but the way of the treacherous is hard” (13:15).
The first peril of wickedness is hardship in life. People often complain about the way of God being difficult to follow. In one sense it is (cf. Matthew 7:13-14), but the path of wickedness contains hardships that would be avoided if one would simply follow what was right. The hardships that come as a result of one rejecting God’s wisdom are unnecessary and avoidable.
“His own iniquities will capture the wicked, and he will be held with the cords of his sin. He will die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he will go astray” (5:22-23). One of the lies of sin is to convince us that we are still in control, rather than sin becoming master over us. But sin (iniquities) capture, or bind, us. Paul later wrote, “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). When we pursue sin, rather than righteousness or divine wisdom, we become slaves of sin. The end result is that we “die for lack of instruction.” This shows us that God’s instruction teaches us to repudiate sin. Many believe that sin is tolerable because it cannot cause a child of God to be lost. This idea is false. The word of God plainly teaches us to avoid sin (cf. Titus 2:12). Therefore, if one ignores this instruction and chooses to live without it, he will be captured by his iniquities, which will ultimately result in death.
“A worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who points with his fingers; who with perversity in his heart continually spreads strife. Therefore his calamity will come suddenly; instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing” (6:12-15). The actions described here refer to one who is a troublemaker and intent upon spreading strife among brethren. When one acts corruptly like this, the wise man says that his calamity that will result from his wickedness will be unexpected, coming suddenly and instantly. He may be able to deceive himself into thinking there is no cause for concern – and many who follow after wickedness will do this, causing their own consciences to become seared (1 Timothy 4:2) – but trouble will eventually come for him.
“If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, and if you scoff, you alone will bear it” (9:12). This reminds us of the principle of personal responsibility. When one rejects divine wisdom and acts wickedly, he will not be able to blame anyone else for his actions, or the consequences of those actions.
“When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes, and with dishonor comes scorn” (18:3). As one rejects God’s wisdom and follows after sin, he becomes known by others for his character and his actions. Though one may believe he will help himself by engaging in sin (and all sin is fundamentally rooted in selfishness), his actions will produce a reputation about him, and that reputation will result in dishonor and contempt. He will be seen as “an abomination to men” (24:8-9).
“Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps errs. The foolishness of man ruins his way, and his heart rages against the Lord” (19:2-3). Rejecting truth and wisdom is to rebel against God. This leads to ruin for the one who rejected wise counsel. This is why “it is not good for a person to be without knowledge.” Therefore, instead of hurrying to act, which often causes one to err from the truth and suffer the consequences, it is good to stop in order to listen, consider, and learn. It is the same principle that James emphasized: “Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).
“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, how much more when he brings it with evil intent!” (21:27). Besides being “an abomination to men” (24:9), the wicked man is an abomination to God. Further, his “sacrifice…is an abomination.” God will not be pleased with what he offers and will not accept him. No amount of sacrifice will please God when it comes from one who refuses to obey Him. Samuel told Saul, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). The wicked man being discussed in this verse is not penitent; he continues to rebel against God and choose his own way over the paths of wisdom. Therefore, his sacrifice is an abomination to God. Any “evil intent” in his heart only compounds the problem.
“A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him” (28:17). Time does not bring forgiveness. Unless and until one meets the divine condition for forgiveness (repentance), his sins are still held against him, no matter how much time has passed. The wise man encourages us to not support such a one who is in sin and refuses to repent. Of course, we should be ready to help turn him back to the truth if possible (11:30), but as long as he remains in his sin, he is worthy of no support.
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“Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked; for there will be no future for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked will be put out” (24:19-20).
The second peril of wickedness is a lack of hope for the future. Any “benefit” that comes from following wickedness and worldly wisdom is only temporary. The Hebrew writer talked about Moses who forsook “the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25). While sin may seem appealing, it is certainly passing. There are no long-term benefits for sin.
“He who troubles his own house will inherit wind, and the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted” (11:29). The Bible reminds us that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). The prophet Hosea said, “For they sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7). For all the effort of the wicked man, his labors are only futile and destructive. Those who are closest to him (“his own house”) will also have to suffer the consequences of his actions. The wise man then tells of the foolish serving the wise, pointing to the future exaltation of the righteous and humbling of the wicked. He says elsewhere: “The evil will bow down before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous” (14:29).
“A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead” (21:16). This verse does not address those who never learned God’s word. Instead, it is about those who are taught the truth, understand it, and then forsake it. Despite once being in the way of understanding, the one who rejects and leaves the truth has a future of damnation awaiting him if he does not return to the truth.
“He who sows iniquity will reap vanity, and the rod of his fury will perish” (22:8). We have already noticed the principle that we reap what we sow (11:29). When one sows the seeds of sin, what might we expect him to reap? There are certainly consequences in this life (13:15) and the next (Romans 6:23). But instead of focusing on these consequences, the wise man emphasizes the utter futility of sinful pursuits. The seeds of sin, when sown, will reap only that which is vain. “The rod of his fury” – his power to do evil – will perish. Anything that is of lasting value comes from one faithfully obeying God and seeking the wisdom that comes from above.
“Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked; for there will be no future for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked will be put out” (24:19-20). After noting the fact that the wicked have no future to which they can look forward, Solomon tells us not to fret (worry) over them or envy them. It can be easy to worry and envy when we are too short-sighted to look at matters that extend past this life. Even if we see the wicked prosper in this life, we should not fret over them or envy them. No amount of prosperity in this life can compare to the great worth of the reward promised to those who will be faithful to the Lord (Matthew 16:26).
“When the wicked increase, transgression increases; but the righteous will see their fall” (29:16). Wickedness tends to progress “from bad to worse” (2 Timothy 3:13). Sin leads to more sin, which leads to increasingly more difficulties and destruction. But we have a two-fold assurance at the end of this verse. First, the wicked will fall. The “benefits” they enjoy from their sins are only temporary. Second, the righteous will see the fall of the wicked, implying that the righteous will be spared and will have a future after judgment comes against those who are wicked.
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“Judgments are prepared for scoffers, and blows for the back of fools” (19:29).
The third peril of wickedness is the inevitability of judgment. Judgment comes in various forms. One can be judged through the word of God as he is reproved by it (Hebrews 4:12). One can be judged in that he suffers the physical consequences of his error. One may also be judged by civil authorities when his wickedness is manifested in his violation of a just law. Finally, one stands to face God in judgment and receive punishment if his deeds are evil.
“On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding” (10:13). The rod is a symbol of corrective discipline and is used throughout the book of Proverbs (13:24; 14:3; 22:15; 23:13-14; 26:3; 29:15). One who is discerning and displays wisdom does not need such correction. One who rejects wisdom and instruction must receive the rod in order to convince him to repent. This corrective discipline, when administered appropriately, is a sign that one has been judged as having transgressed the standard of righteousness.
“A rebellious man seeks only evil, so a cruel messenger will be sent against him” (17:11). The “cruel messenger” would be one to teach him his lesson for his rebelliousness. This could be done through corrective discipline (cf. 10:13) or through experience as he sees the negative consequences of his behavior. In either case, one who is rebellions must learn that his ways are evil. Therefore, judgments must be made against him.
“A man of great anger will bear the penalty, for if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again” (19:19). This verse warns us not to waste too much of our time helping those who demonstrate that they have no interest in following the way of truth. There are penalties to be paid for sin (in this case, the sin that is specified is “great anger”; but the principle extends to other sins as well). Each one will suffer for his own sin. If we attempt to save someone – not by turning him away from sin, but by trying to remove the negative consequences for his sin – he will continue to pursue sin and will only need to be rescued again. The judgments that come on account of sin will continue to come as long as one remains unrepentant. Besides the futility of trying to teach one who has no desire to do what is right, we must also be warned about this man’s condition. We need to recognize the hopeless and miserable position of the wicked man so that we will not be tempted to follow after him to do evil.
“Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.” “Like one who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a fool” (26:1, 8). Rather than allowing the fool to suffer the consequences of his choice to reject God and His wisdom, many try to “shield” those who act foolishly and wickedly from reality. This sometimes seems natural when one does not want to hurt someone’s feelings. But these verses describe a step that goes beyond that. More than shielding one from consequences, many try to bestow honor upon one who is a fool. Such honor is completely out of place and unhelpful. This is the point of the illustration in verse 8. The word stone signifies a “building stone.” A sling is from a word meaning “stone heap.” Thus, the idea is of taking a stone that is good and useful for construction and discarding it into a rock pile, such that it becomes covered and unable to be retrieved and used. The good building stone does not belong lodged in the rock pile. In the same way, honor does not belong with the fool. Instead, as we have noticed in this portion of our study, hardship, discipline, and judgment belong with the fool.
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Those who foolishly follow the path of wickedness will suffer for it. There will be hardships in life. They will have no hope for the future. Those who are wicked stand to face divine judgment – both in this life and beyond – for their wickedness. In the end, it is far better for one to walk in wisdom than to walk after his own way.
