As it had been already laid down that the fear of Jehovah is the beginning and the discipline of wisdom, so does it prolong days, whereas the years of the wicked shall be shortened. Here we have more said of its virtue.
“The fear of Jehovah [tendeth] to life; and he shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
A sluggard burieth his hand in the dish, and will not even bring it to his mouth again.
Smite a scorner, and the simple will become prudent; and reprove the intelligent, he will understand knowledge.
He that ruineth a father [and] chaseth away a mother is a son that causeth shame and bringeth reproach.
Cease, my son, to hear instruction [causing] to err from the words of knowledge.
A witness of Belial scorneth judgment, and the mouth of the wicked swalloweth iniquity.
Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of the foolish” (vers. 23-29).
Now that we know the manifestation of life eternal in Christ and its gift to the believer, how greatly is the maxim enhanced! What satisfaction can there be outside Him? “He that hath the Son hath life “; and Christ is the food of that life, both as the true bread out of heaven, giving life to the world, and not to Israel only, by faith, and in raising up at the last day. But there is the further privilege since His death, even to eat His flesh and drink His blood, and thus to dwell in Him, as He dwells in the Christian. He is the Deliverer; what shall man or Satan do to hurt? How shall not God also with Him freely give us all things?
The faith that fears Jehovah is earnest. The sluggard on the contrary is so besotted to self as to bury his hand in the dish, and will not so much as raise it to his mouth again. So he lives, dies, and perishes.
To smite a scorner may and will be lost on him; but the simple take heed, gather profit, and become prudent. The man of intelligence lays admonition to heart, and apprehends a knowledge before unknown. Thus simple and wise are gainers.
As a scorner is worse than a sluggard, more guilty still is the son that plunders a father and chaseth away a mother and her loving appeals. What shame and dishonor he brings!
In such a world of sin the enemy finds no lack of mischievous men and women, who not only stray away from the words of knowledge but take pleasure to misguide the unwary. Cease, my son, to hear such fatal instruction.
Still more daring a witness of Belial is he that mocks at judgment; and the mouth of the wicked drinks down iniquity. But soon or late God is not mocked, if man is deceived; for whatsoever a man shall sow, that also shall he reap.
Therefore is it true that “judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of the foolish.” It is not that God desires any man to be reprobate; but what if He, willing to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction? They gave themselves up to their own will, which is nothing but sin, and had a ready helper in the arch enemy who makes them his slaves. But that God might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, He in His grace prepared them before for glory. All the sin is in and of the creature; all the good is of God. This is the truth as to both God and man, whose only resource is by grace in Christ.