The maxims here brought together fitly follow up the fear of Jehovah as the discipline of wisdom, and the path of humility before honor. Heart and ways are alike affected thereby.
“The preparations (or plans) of the heart [are] of man, but the answer of the tongue [is] from Jehovah.
All the ways of a man [are] clean in his own eyes; but Jehovah weigheth the spirits.
Commit thy works to Jehovah, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Jehovah hath wrought everything for his (or, its) own end; yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Every proud heart [is] an abomination to Jehovah; hand in (or, for) hand (or, certainly) he shall not be held innocent (or, go unpunished).
By mercy and truth iniquity is purged; and by the fear of Jehovah they depart from evil.
When a man's ways please Jehovah, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Better [is] a little with righteousness than great revenues without righteousness” (vers. 1-8).
Too well we know how readily the heart devises this way or that, and how constantly this fails to meet the difficulty. Happy he that waits on Him Who sees the end from the beginning, and deigns to guide aright when the need arises. Then one can speak the right words in peace, and humbly: but the answer of the tongue is from Jehovah.
The same reference to Him delivers from the bias that regards all the ways of a man as clean in his own eyes. Jehovah weighs the spirit: who but He? Dependence on Him and confidence in Him are indispensable to judge, as for all else.
What a comfort that it is He who bids one to commit his works to Himself (literally, roll them upon Him), “and thy thoughts (not merely thy works) shall be established” His goodness answers to our trusting Him with what is outward, and graciously establishes our “thoughts,” so apt to vacillate and pass away. How slow are even His own to learn the loving interest He takes in those that confide in Him!
Next is set before us the solemn truth, easily overlooked in the busy world of man, that Jehovah has wrought everything for His, or its, own end. Yet is anything more certain? It is not His reign, for evil abounds and the righteous suffer. Still His moral government is unfailing, whatever appearance may promise for awhile. The day will declare all. This is so true that He can add, “yea even the wicked for the day of evil.” How manifest all this will be in the coming judgment!
But even now He would have His people feel how offensive “every proud heart” is to Him; “an abomination,” and nothing less, to Jehovah.
Yet how common pride is, and how little do men believe that God hates it, and will judge accordingly? The Highest despises not any. Hence, whatever the seeming support or the delay, beyond doubt one who so lives shall not be held innocent.
The next word is striking as only to be understood aright when a brighter light shone. Even before then no believer would have allowed that the mercy and truth were on man's part to atone for his sins. It is in Christ and especially in His cross that they meet for the purging of the guilty and defiled. Anywhere else they are irreconcilable. Men plead “mercy” to escape the condemnation of “truth"; but if truth pronounce the just judgment of the wicked, what can mercy do to arrest the execution? The Lord Jesus alone bore the curse in all its truth, that the iniquities might be blotted out in the richest mercy. The grace of God appeared in Christ that His merciful remission of our sins might be His righteousness now manifested in the gospel. Truly by the fear of Him is departure from evil.
This it is which, by a new nature as well as redemption, teaches those who believe to walk so as to please God, worthily of His calling and kingdom. In spite of natural enmity, the fruit of righteousness tells on conscience, so that even adversaries are made to be at peace with them.
Plain it is then that even here “better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.” Much more when the veil was lifted by Christ to let in the light of the eternal day on the present scene of flesh and world, alike enmity against God.