Adult Sunday School
The Fear of the Wicked, the Hope of the Righteous
(From the Adult Sunday School class, 9/25/16)
Proverbs 10:24 - “It is the fear of a wicked person that will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.”This proverb tells us that wicked people and righteous people will not share the same fate. Because of their wickedness, wicked people are destined for something fearful. On the other hand, righteous people can expect good things. This is not simply about karma, or some impersonal mechanic that is built into the cosmos. This is not saying, “What comes around goes around.” Proverbs has some points in contact with the Hindu and Buddhist doctrine of karma, mainly that our actions are meaningful in determining our destiny. But for the Hebrews and for Christians, destiny is not something that structures our lives impersonally, like in a Greek tragedy. Nor is destiny something that we have the power to shape by our skill or virtue or work ethic. What did Proverbs 10:22 say? “It is the blessing of the LORD that makes one rich, and hard labor adds nothing to it.” Proverbs 16:9 likewise says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” For the Hebrew and the Christian, destiny is something shaped above all by God. (more…)