Proverbs 19:28 Commentary and Bible Study

To the amazement of the godly, there are those who care nothing for judgment, and are attracted to a world in which truth is dethroned and falsehood put in its place. They are comfortable with injustice because they think they can gain its favour and take advantage of it to get away with the evil they desire to do. They believe they can take control of the process of departing from the truth and limit it to what favours them without being hurt themselves as the whole order collapses into chaos. Here is one who is quite prepared to lie publicly, to give birth to a lie and present his offspring to the world. He knows there is such a thing as justice and judgment, but to him they are enemies, for he knows he will never find favour with them, and they are never going to be his allies.The two parts of the proverb reinforce each other. The mouth of the wicked man devours iniquity because he has a strong appetite for it. In his efforts to fill his life with it he throws off everything that would inhibit his appetite. The putting together of these two aspects of human behaviour tells us that so often there is a deliberate departure from the truth because a man or woman is planning ahead and thinking of the evil that want to do. In preparation for that they must abandon the truth lest it bite them badly when they are in mid flow in the river of sin. Conscience must be numbed before it feels too much pain. The refusal to receive judgment is the same as a refusal to receive correction. The heart is being hardened and barricades are being erected between the soul and God. God has made it impossible for a person to abandon themselves to sin and at the same time retain a commitment to truth and integrity and true judgment.