Proverbs 10 begins by giving us a list of antithetical statements and that theme of do this and suffer wrath or do this and receive reward continues throughout the chapter. Giving us comparisons to choosing good vs. evil is a very effective method of teaching. We are told again about wisdom vs. folly, work vs. laziness and hatred vs. love. V12 is one of my favorites: Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. It is easy to see how hatred can stir up strife, but how in the world does love cover all offenses?
Think for a moment of the cross of Jesus. Now think of sunlight shining upon that cross and the shadow painted on the earth by the passing sun. Now think about all of the sins of the world being on the ground beneath that cross and as the shadow lengthens they are covered by the love of Jesus. There is no good in hate and no matter what reason you think you have for holding hate in your heart toward anyone, it will not stand up in the light of the cross. If Jesus, while suffering upon the cross, could ask God to forgive both those who nailed Him to the cross as well as all of us who would at some point turn our backs upon Him, then can we not forgive any abuse we have received?
People wonder how and why Israel has remained a viable nation for 60 years when that small strip of land is in the middle of much more powerful nations who seek to kill her. Prov 10:29-30 says: the way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright, but destruction for evildoers. The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not remain in the land.
You might wonder how God can consider Israel upright when she has disappointed Him so often. I believe it is because our uprightness and our righteousness has never depended upon us, because, as Isaiah told us, our righteousness is as filthy rags. Our right standing with God comes only through our relationship with God. For Gentiles, it is our relationship with Jesus Christ. For Israel, it is the covenant relationship with God that still is valid after 5000 years, and will ultimately end with the Jewish nation looking upon the one whom they pierced and recognizing that Jesus is, indeed, the Messiah. (Zech 12:10)
There will always be good and there will always be evil–as Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9 there is nothing new under the sun. Choose good, choose life, choose God.
