Proverbs 28:5 Commentary and Bible Study

Two things are connected in this proverb which an unbelieving world is reluctant to put together. ‘What does discernment, the ability to make wise judgment, have to do with conduct, with the direction of a man’s life?’ the evil man asks. ‘Why should a God-fearer know any more about judgment than I know?’ he protests. In his view, a man who does not believe in God, who does not follow his ways, who does not seek him, can be just as wise in making judgments and just as astute about what is right and what is wrong as a Christian. Indeed, it is possible to construct an entire moral framework and a just society, even if God is left completely out of the picture. Morality does not come only from religion, and the secular man knows just as much about right and wrong as the believer, if not more. Religion has a distorting effect on morality and introduces all sorts of extreme sentiments that oppose liberal, humanistic values. Such is his conclusion. But Solomon says this thinking is wrong, and that the one who seeks God has access to wisdom and discernment that the evil man is excluded from. How so? Because judgment comes from the Lord. Christ will judge the world on the last day and justice originates in his being, his character. It is the Lord that teaches man justice and it is he who puts a keen sense of justice in every child, especially with regard to themselves. He goes on teaching his people profound truths about justice all their lives. If we do not love the Lord and come to learn of him, it is impossible that we can love justice. We cannot hold onto it in a vacuum, divorced from its source. How can we love justice when we do not love the one who is the perfect embodiment of justice, and if we do not love justice how can we understand it or exercise it in our lives? Justice needs to be loved in order to be followed, for the path of life constantly offers us alternatives which tempt us away from the paths of justice. Unless we love judgment, how can we hope to know how to apply judgment to the lives of others? It is remarkable to see how God instructs his own children and never stops right up to the end of their lives. Righteousness is learned by the righteous, ‘even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil’ (Hebrews 5:14).