Proverbs 14:27-30
‘Among the righteous, is favour…. The house of the wicked, shall be overthrown; but the tent of the upright, shall flourish!… A good man, shall be satisfied…. In the fear of the Lord, is strong confidence; and His children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord, is a Fountain of life — to depart from the snares of death…. A sound heart, is the life of the flesh; but envy, the rottenness of the bones…. The wicked is driven away in his wickedness; but the righteous has hope in his death!’ Proverbs 14:9-32.
‘Among the righteous, is favour’ — the favour of God! For God certainly favours all those who by His grace observe His Law!
The house of the wicked, shall indeed be overthrown. But the tent or dwelling of the upright — of him who loves righteousness and who gladly keeps God’s Law — instead, shall flourish!
A good man shall indeed be satisfied — in, and then from, himself. Indeed, in the fear of the Lord is strong confidence.
Calvin says in his Institutes III:14:19: “When believers…feel their faith strengthened by a consciousness of integrity and entertain sentiments of exultation, it is just because the fruits of their calling convince them that the Lord has admitted them to a place among His children. Accordingly…, Solomon says: ‘In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence!’ (Proverbs 14:26).”
Too, also the children of God-fearing people, shall have a place of refuge. That is, those of their children that themselves have strong confidence in the Lord.
For the fear of the Lord, is a Fountain of life. Such as fear God, shall depart from the snares of death when they die.
A sound (or tranquil) heart, is the life of the flesh — while we are still alive. But envy (or jealousy), is the rottenness of the bones — and brings about the death and decomposition of the wicked.
For ‘the wicked is driven away in his wickedness.’ He is driven away from life, and from God — for ever. The righteous, however, ‘has hope in his death.’ Hope in his own death, and also hope that thereafter he will never again encounter the wicked.
‘The wicked is driven away in his wickedness (or calamity); but the righteous has hope (or a refuge) in his death.’ In the death of the wicked, who then gets removed from the Earth. But also in the righteous’s own death, when he too gets release from this Earth and starts on his way to a yet better New Earth still to come!
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, departing from death! Do you fear the Lord?
