19 Do not fret because of evildoers
Or be envious of the wicked;
20 For there will be no [i]future for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.21 My son, [j]fear the Lord and the king;
Do not associate with those who are given to change,
22 For their calamity will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?23 These also are sayings of the wise.
To [k]show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;
25 But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He kisses the lips
Who gives [l]a right answer.
Solomon is starting to sound like a broken record, but that usually means something is pretty important. Once more, he reminds us not to envy the wicked (v. 19), with the addition that there “will be no future for the evil man…” One might say, but they live to be ninety! Sure, and then what? What kind of life do they have, and what do they have to look forward to?
For those who put their hope in God, there is no end in sight, but rather eternal life, and abundant life (John 10:10). So then, what about these wishy-washy folks in v. 21? Maybe they aren’t sold out to evil, but they also can’t seem to commit to what is good. Solomon tells us not to take our cues from them either. Instead, we build our foundation on the rock, the Chief Cornerstone that the “builders rejected”.
Paul mentioned something similar when he wrote to the Corinthian believers, “But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no.” Stop trying to balance on the fence. In fact, stay as far from the fence as possible, and let your words and deeds show Christ to those around you.
While we have plenty of wicked folks around, we are seeing even more of v. 20 and 22 lately. Folks who indulged their flesh are now being exposed and they will either look to the light, or hide in darkness while they suffer the consequences. We had a president who looked very much like v. 24, pardoning those who broke the law (over and over), while not even admitting that they had done anything wrong.
Whatever you might think of that president or our current one, many are “delighted” as the wicked get their rebuke (v. 25). The wheat will be found in the end, and the chaff blown away or burned in the fire. Don’t be a part of such things, just flowing with the current of what is popular. Stand for truth, God’s truth, not just what feels right. Get yourself grounded in His word alone, and stand firm. Be faithful to the end, and beyond!