Once again, we have a contrast between the righteous and the wicked. This seems to be a favorite topic of the author of Proverbs.
I can’t blame him. It’s a fascinating topic.
But what does he mean when he says,
The plans of the righteous are just, but the counsel of the wicked leads to deceit?
The natural tendency is to think that he’s praising those who do good. The do-gooders of life. There’s just one problem. There is none righteous, not even one.
That pretty much rules us all out then, doesn’t it?
Who Is Righteous?
Not so fast. There is ONE who is righteous. But I confess, it isn’t me.
The Apostle Paul, who wrote the book of Romans, was quoting from the Old Testament when he penned Romans 3:10. Specifically, he quoted from Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1. In those days, there literally was no one righteous. Everyone had strayed from God and gone their own way. But that all changed when Jesus of Nazareth, the promised Messiah, entered the scene. He was the Righteous One.
He had to be, because God’s law required a sacrifice for sins and that sacrifice had to be an unblemished lamb. That lamb was Christ.
And when Proverbs 12:5 says the plans of the righteous are just, it’s not just talking about a daily plan or lifelong ambition. It’s talking about the eternal purpose of God. That purpose was established before the foundation of the world and, yes, it is just. What that means is that God himself and the purpose that he established in Christ Jesus before the first act of creation ensures that all creatures receive their fair rewards. In Christ, we can be confident that God’s favor on us is just because, and for no other reason, of our faith in His beloved son.
Hallelujah!
Wicked Counsel Leads to Deceit
Here’s a conundrum. If no one is righteous but Christ and His righteousness becomes the only reason we have access to the eternals, where then does that leave those without faith?
Answer: Deceived.
All they have is wicked counsel that consists of themselves, the media they consume, and the ideas they borrow from others. Most of which is untrue, downright false, or, at best, only partially true.
The nature of deceit is that it borrows from truth to establish credibility then veers down a path that is destructive but unrecognizable to anyone but the most discerning. And the result is that anyone not grounded in and feeding on Christ ends up in a ditch.
Scripture doesn’t promise that all who believe will never suffer the consequences of bad decisions. In fact, all will reap what they sow. Therefore, even believers can be deceived if they get their counsel from the wrong places.
Are you careful where you get your counsel?
Greetings! I have subscribed to you as I believe we have a common interest. I would be grateful if you returned the favor. A cord of many strands is not easily broken. Jim https://jrichardson.substack.com/