Proverbs 11:5 Righteous and Wicked_
The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness. Proverbs 11:5 NASB
As I’m reading through the Proverbs, I get to this one and think, “duh!” Hasn’t this already been said in so many ways and we’re only in chapter 11 of a book with 31 chapters? And who is reading this proverb anyway? Someone who desires to know our Savior and walk in His way… dare I say, the righteous? So, maybe by repetition Solomon is reinforcing the obvious.
The righteous and the wicked again are duking it out. In Proverbs the comparison between the two is vivid. In real life, not so much. The wicked often do good things and look like any other person. And the righteous may still have wicked behaviors with habits not yet redeemed. Personally, I know I am not perfect and daily am surrendering new areas to my Father. And the wicked may have been trained and engrained in righteous ways that they still find instinctual and beneficial. Sometimes it works to their advantage to speak a kind word or be honest. So to discriminate between the two characters in real-time based on an outward observation is not as clear as this 18 word maxim makes it seem.
But the essential meaning is still solid: my righteousness, which is a gift, makes my way smooth, straight, unimpeded. It produces a path that is clear. It doesn’t mean it’s all ice cream, daisies, and 60’s peace songs, but I know which way to go. I love spending time in the woods. When I’m traveling less popular hikes, or making my own trails, I get to a point where progress is looking at an impenetrable wall of underbrush and the best path is to turn around and try a different way. And without over spiritualizing this verse, even the righteous has to work through the best route. But my Father makes it clear. He smooths it out and gives me peace with the direction I take.
The wicked on the other hand fail by their own doing. It’s incredible to think about if it weren’t so plain and simple. The very action and course they take are their destruction. And this would be me if it were not for the grace freely given by my incredible Savior. Our “best” ideas and our supremely self-serving approach doesn’t even recognize that it is not considering the longer term outcome of the bad choices I am about to make. That’s because it is laced with earth desire and motivated by gaining an advantage over another.
Being a man of earth or a man of heaven makes a difference. Our life in the little steps and incremental paths we take yields devastation or glory over a lifetime. You will know the tree by its fruit – or the travelers by their path.
When Jesus said you would know a tree by its fruit, it’s hard to find a better visual picture. Righteousness works. The good news of the kingdom works. It’s that simple.