24 Do not be envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;
2 For their [a]minds devise violence,
And their lips talk of trouble.3 By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.5 A wise man is [b]strong,
And a man of knowledge [c]increases power.
6 For by wise guidance you will [d]wage war,
And in abundance of counselors there is victory.7 Wisdom is too exalted for a fool,
He does not open his mouth in the gate.8 One who plans to do evil,
Men will call a [e]schemer.
9 The devising of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
Once again, Solomon reminds us not to envy the wicked. He also tells us not to associate with them. When people achieve worldly success, evil or not, people flock to them. We should not, and there’s someone in particular Solomon has his eye on this time. Or a type of person rather. We have schemers, devisers of evil, and that makes sense.
We certainly shouldn’t be a part of someone’s plan to cheat the system, or oppress the poor, though in our culture, those things are often disguised as programs to benefit the very people they oppress. But as we get to verse 9, again, there is this devising of folly. But wait a second, that last bit doesn’t seem to fit, “the scoffer is an abomination to men.” What is that all about?
Well, just as it says, we shouldn’t have anything to do with folks who mock or make fun of others (even if we think it is deserved). There is no place in that arena for God’s children, and yet this has slipped into our culture and even become praised. Our news media, on every side and every angle, thrives on mocking their opponents. There are some in particular who take it to new heights.
I know I’ve heard plenty say that watching the new stresses them out, or is a downer, and it should be no surprise–though I think it has caught us off guard. Our spirit is not settled when people are mocked, or at least it shouldn’t be. And though it may be amusing and entertaining, it does our hearts and minds no good to dwell on such things.
Paul had the right idea when he said, “whatever is pure, true, lovely… or of good report, think on these things.” So guard your associates, sure. Don’t envy or desire the things that come from wicked schemes, but especially guard your heart and mind. Dwell instead on God and his ways, let Him fill your mind as you talk with him and read His Word. Think on these things indeed!