Proverbs 10:24 Commentary and Bible Study

God’s warnings come in various ways. One way which is indirect but very powerful is by means of dreads and fears within. The wicked, says Solomon, have fears which reflect a well-deserved sense of foreboding. These fears often originate in the conscience, and to that extent they are justified. A man may put considerable effort into getting rid of his fears for they spoil the enjoyment of sin, but they lurk deep within him and can never be entirely erased. They are based on an awareness of God’s displeasure at the way he has lived, coupled with a realisation of God’s sovereign authority over his life. They are a presentiment of his eternal future as he peers into the unknown and considers what will come. The righteous by contrast are given to enjoy their hopes and desires. What they love now is very different to what they loved before conversion, for their hearts have been renewed by the Spirit. Now they want most what is good and what God is pleased to give them – that his kingdom should come – for he puts godly desires in the hearts of his children for the very purpose of satisfying them, that he may be the God who responds to their petitions. Above all, they desire to be with Christ and they will not be disappointed in this hope. Even in this life the proverb is fulfilled, for the Christian desires and prays for the advance of God’s kingdom and by prayer his kingdom advances. But the reverse is not true, for the desires of the wicked will evade him, and similarly the fears of the righteous will come to nothing. The believer is legitimately turned into an optimist, however pessimistic his natural constitution may be.