We appreciate the break given to us in Proverbs 10:22. Now, we dive back into Proverbs 10:23-25 compares, once again, the wicked from the Godly.

To start, in Proverbs 10:23, the one who is a fool does have a sport. When we think of sporting, we often think of sports such as baseball, basketball, hockey, etc. This is not the sport of a fool. The sport for the fool is doing evil. To them it is a game. They tally the amount of evil they do, and they make the "game plan" for what evil they can do next. The concept is not just to do evil, but it also has the idea of devising evil. The Hebrew word is in stark contrast, between the devising and to be discerning. This fool has mischievous purpose in this evil, and therefore, this becomes their sport. This mischief is up to and including such sins as adultery, sexual immorality, incest, etc. The depth of this evil is not simply a smirkish grin at wrong. It is truly as the Bible says, evil. Part of this evil and devising includes mocking. They mock at sin (Proverbs 14:9), and shows a lack of discernment (Proverbs 15:21). This is a dangerous place to be and to mock at sin and make it a sport, fun, a joke, and game. For this individual, the things that are good, holy, right, and pure becomes rejected. The Bible though, tells us about this mocking. It is God who sets up the standard and God who demands the moral code in each of our life, and to mock at the sin and make a game of it, is to mock God who forbids the evil. The Bible tells us the danger of this position in Galatians 6:7. To mock God will bring the judgment of God against the individual.

But there is a second side. The man of understanding has wisdom. Understanding is a word we have covered in Proverbs 2:2-3, 6; 2:11; 3:13, etc. We have seen this word, already in Proverbs, some 9 times. So we will not walk too much on this word. I would encourage going back and reading those posts. Then we have the word wisdom which we have also covered several times in text such as Proverbs 1:2, 7; 2:2, 6, 10; 3:13, etc. Therefore, I, again, recommend going back to read these posts. Once again, the challenge for all of us is to figure where we stand. Do we want to be in the foolish side, or the wise side? We can make that choice.

We now go to Proverbs 10:24 and in connection to the wicked from Proverbs 10:23, the fear of the wicked pours out on this individual. Unlike what was expected with the pleasures of sin, all they end with is fear. It is a fear of being found out and being caught in the consequences of those sins (for example, the one who has a pregnancy from an adulterous one night stand, or having a sexual transmitted disease that is then passed on to others, etc.). The joy and pleasure of sin will finally bring the individual to devastation. This is a place of utter desolation that bring shame and destruction upon the life. This is different from the righteous one.

The one who is righteous will receive the desire of their heart. To start with the word righteous, we do not have to go really deep into this word as we have covered it before, Proverbs 2:20; 3:33; 4:18, etc. The righteous is the one who follows God, and wants to please God. We have spoken about the importance of righteousness and being in righteousness with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the only way to have righteousness, but the result of such a position brings with it a change of heart, and, yes, desires. The desires are not our desires that we wish to use for ourselves (James 4:1-3). A desire that is born out of righteousness is a desire that wants to be in line with God's will, seeking what will please and honor Jesus Christ, and will elevate Him, and not our own status or position. From that angle, the desires of the individual, when brought into line with God's will itself, will be answered because it will be in line with what God wants. Instead of arriving to a place of fear, we will see our prayers being answered and we will see Jesus working in and through us, and by our life He will be glorified. Our faith is strengthened through Jesus' answer to our prayers and seeking of for our desires, which are His to begin with. This of course, provides for a stability of Proverbs 10:25. But we must ask the question, where do we go with this? Dear reader, my prayer is that you find yourself in a place of seeing God's answer to your prayers and granting you the desires that are in line with His heart. If you find yourself in the area of fear, there is peace for you. You can find hope and rest from that. Please know that peace, rest, and hope can only be found in Jesus Christ. His love and salvation is open to all who come to Him. Please repent of your sins, confess them to the Lord. Accept His sacrifice on the cross, and believe He was raised from the dead, and you will find that peace and hope.

So why is the foundation so important? Proverbs 10:25 tells us. There is the whirlwind that comes through. What is this whirlwind? The Bible uses the whirlwind in a strong way. It is used as the concept of being consumed. It is used as a picture of God's judgment (Psalm 73:19; Jeremiah 8:13; Amos 3:15). It is the ending of all things (Isaiah 66:17; Zephaniah 1:2), etc. Therefore, when God's judgment comes, there are two results depending on where you, dear reader, will find yourself in relation to the last two verses. For the wicked who enjoys evil and plans it and lives in it, will be caught in fear, and finally, this judgment and ending comes upon them and they will be no more. They are gone, lost, and destroyed. Such a sad commentary to a life that was created by God for a purpose and plan.

The other side of this, as equally sad for the wicked, is gloriously joyous for the righteous. When the whirlwind passes, the righteous have a foundation! God's wrath has no place and focus on the righteous. We see this throughout Scripture with such teaching that in Jesus there is no more wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9), and the believer has a foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11, 15). This is the picture given in Exodus with the 10th plague with the lamb's blood providing the protection for those who are in the home.

Not only will those who are righteous have understanding, the will have wisdom and understanding, their desires will be granted, but they will last. Not just last, but thrive! For how long? The answer is in Proverbs 10:25. It is everlasting. It is hard for us to understand that concept of everlasting. We live in a state where time plays the boundaries for our life.

Dear reader, which place would you like to be? The righteous position can be found by grace through Jesus Christ. He came to this earth, and lived a perfect, sinless life. He took our sin upon Himself, and was the perfect sacrifice, being the perfect Lamb of God. Then, He rose from the dead, showing that He is in control of death and life, and it is only through Him we can come to life! As such, He died and rose for all who are reading this, and for all in this world! It is each individual's choice to accept that truth or not.

Dear reader, what will you do? I pray you chose Jesus and His sacrifice. Here are some Scriptures that will help you see the truth and way for Salvation: Matthew 10:32-33; 1 John 4:2-3; Romans 10:9, etc. Dear reader, if you do not know Jesus, please know that Jesus loves you. He wants you to come to Him. But you must humble yourself and come to Jesus. He will in no way cast you aside. Then you will find truth and righteousness.