Proverbs 21:15 Commentary and Bible Study

The coming of the kingdom is the great future prospect of the people of God: ‘And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night’ (Revelation 12:10). To know that Christ will take to himself his power which he has long restrained and end the dominion of Satan and his cronies in this world is a transforming hope which makes tolerable the temporary reign of evil in this world. Justice is like a spirit-level or plumb line which sets a standard which all else measures itself by. To be reminded of this standard is a joy to the righteous because justice is something greater than the individual. If justice is not in place, then the individual is faced with the impossible task of overcoming evil on his own, which is too great a task for him to carry out alone. What joy the righteous man has from the administration of just and righteous laws by a strong and wise ruler! How much greater is the joy of the people of God to know that God’s righteous kingdom will be established and all rebellion and opposition to it will be put down. God will protect them and come to their defence. He knows that they love justice in their hearts and he delights to destroy every enemy that would hurt them and cause them to trample them under their feet. The righteous also delight to do judgment themselves. While they are in the world, this is the mark of their allegiance to the kingdom of Christ and their agreement that his standards far excel the standards of corrupt human government. They love righteousness for its own sake, and they rejoice that God’s foundations will not be destroyed, else what could they do? (Psalm 11:3).But when the workers of iniquity see justice operating, they quake. How short a time they have to enjoy their evil ways! They are forced to hide in the shadows by the threat of justice and to carry out their wickedness in secret. But the righteous come out into the open and are unashamed of righteousness. They are encouraged by strong arguments against evil by those who are in power, and they are thankful that the wicked are exposed for what they are. They know the inventiveness of evil and the relentless ability of wickedness to justify itself. They are therefore thankful that the earthly ruler and God above him takes up the cause against evil to expose its weakness, its inconsistencies, and its lies. What wonderful judgments God will reveal on the Day of Judgment against all the power of darkness, both in time and in eternity.