Six things…no, seven… huh?
The culture of the time used this phrasing to say LOOK HERE! or PAY ATTENTION! or THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT! to draw attention to the words following. In this scripture, it’s as if God is pointing out these things because it’s crucial for us to know.
In verses 12-14, the description of worthless and wicked people is given:
1.) They are liars.
2.) They signal deceit with eye, foot, and fingers.
3.) Their hearts are perverted and plot evil.
4.) They constantly stir up trouble.
Verse 15 then declares the judgment on such people: sudden destruction, a breaking beyond all hope of healing.
I believe verses 16-19 are God clarifying what was said previously. He knew that people then and people now like lists. We want to be able to quickly check off the measurement of our character. So, He gave us a list. Let’s see the correlations:
- haughty eyes (2a)
- a lying tongue (1)
- hands that kill the innocent (3a)
- a heart that plots evil (3b)
- feet that race to do wrong (2b)
- a false witness who pours out lies (1)
- a person who sows discord in a family (4)
This list isn’t here to show us how good we are when we don’t do one. It’s here to remind us how one flawed choice meets the requirement to be a lawbreaker. It’s to show us how deeply God despises sin and how ingrained in humans it is.
As followers of Jesus, we should never look down on someone as less than us nor see ourselves as better than another. We’re to always, always be honest, no matter what. Just tell the truth. We’re to protect the innocent, not kill them. Our hearts are to be chasing Him, not the ways of the darkness. We’re to race to do right, to be His hands and feet on Earth. We’re to stop rumors in their tracks, never speaking gossip about anyone, no matter how salacious.
In short, we’re to be different. Vastly different. To be the same as those that fit this description sets us for the same sudden destruction, the same breaking that puts us beyond all healing.
We get to choose which person we want to be, and we need to do that today. We need to use this checklist to measure us and when we see the area we need work in, confess that to the Lord and make the changes necessary to move into alignment with His will.
Ready? #ChooseWell
Coffee, Bible, Journal.
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