Proverbs 10:7
‘Righteousness, delivers from death! The Lord will not permit the soul of the righteous to famish; but He casts away the substance of the wicked!… But the hand of the diligent, (He) makes rich…. Blessings are on the head of the (righteous) just!… The memory of the just, is blessed; but the name of the wicked, shall rot!’ Proverbs 10:2-7.
No man in himself is righteous! Yet righteousness in necessary, in order to deliver man from death. Not our own righteousness, but Christ’s perfect righteousness — graciously imputed to us. Then, and only then, His ‘righteousness delivers from death’ (Proverbs 10:2).
Once we have been clothed with Christ’s own righteousness,’ the Lord will not permit the soul of the righteous to famish’ (Proverbs 10:3). For Christ’s righteousness alone is the pathway to everlasting life — as God lays the foundation of our acceptance deeply and closely on the imputed righteousness of Christ. Christ’s imputed righteousness then satisfies both God and us. Then, our rectified soul will never famish!
On the other hand, the Lord ‘casts away the substance of the wicked..’ For in God’s eyes, the wicked really have no substance! On the other hand, after being clothed with Christ’s righteousness, the believer is made diligent and rich by God — and then, also ‘the hand of the diligent makes rich.’ For then, he himself diligently makes himself richer and richer — finally in the eyes of the wicked; and immediately in the eyes of God!
Then, and only then, ‘blessings are on the head of the just’ who have been made righteous (Proverbs 10:6). For the believers, then made righteous and just by Christ’s imputed righteousness and justness, are then blessed by God.
And when the righteous die, their justness is commemorated. For ‘the memory of the just, is blessed’ (Proverbs 10:7). Blessings both temporal and spiritual are then heaped upon them — by both man and God (Proverbs 16:7 and Psalm 5:12). The then-commemorated memory of the righteous, is a blessing both to his family and to the Church (Psalm 112:6-9).
On the other hand, especially after death, ‘the memory of…the wicked shall rot!’ They shall not only rot, but also be cursed for ever. Rot immediately in Hell, as they await their final day of retribution (Romans 3:19). And then, keep on rotting for ever thereafter — in the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:12-14).
Calvin says in his Institutes II:18:10: “Believers…, looking to Heaven…, saw that the period during which the Lord afflicted His saints was but a moment — and that the mercies with which He gathers them, are everlasting…. ‘The memory of the just is blessed; but the name of the wicked shall rot’ (Proverbs 10:7)” – for ever and ever!
The memory of the just, is blessed — while that of the wicked, rots! Which shall yours be?
