The Way of the Wicked--Proverbs series

I’m sure just about all of us have seen the movie “The Wizard of Oz.” I want you to think with me about the way that two characters in that movie are portrayed—first, Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and second, the Wicked Witch of the West. Since Glinda is supposed to represent goodness and virtue, she is portrayed as a beautiful woman who appears with a dream-like glow about her. She is also loved and revered by all of the Munchkins. On the other hand, we have the Wicked Witch of the West, who is ugly as sin. Her skin is green and looks sickly. She also has a harsh voice and a horrible cackle when she laughs.

The reason I mention these characterizations is because we have a tendency to do something very similar with our own behavior. We often make our own behavior out to look as good as it can possibly be, and then we characterize wicked behavior in such a way that no honest person could ever accuse us of acting in a wicked way. But the reality for us as Christians is that we are much more like Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde—one person with a good nature and an evil nature that are in conflict with one another.

As we take a look today at what the book of Proverbs says about the wicked person, I think it is very important that we don’t automatically assume that we could never fit this description. We might hear a word like “wicked” and think “That could never be true of me!” Let’s allow this description to challenge us in areas where our behavior might fit this description more than we would like to admit.

Let’s also make sure that we use this description as a mirror to look at ourselves rather than a window to look at others. As we go through this study, it will be far too easy for us to say, “Oh—I see this in so-and-so’s life, so he must be a wicked person!” We might be committing the same error that Job’s friends made when they accused him of being wicked. There is no reason for our thoughts to focus on anyone but ourselves this morning. So let’s deal with this question:

What are the characteristics of a wicked person?

I. He makes a sinful use of his words

This should make perfect sense when we remember that Jesus said our words simply flow out of whatever fills our hearts. So if there is wickedness in your heart, it will show up in some way in your words. Let’s look at Prov. 10:11 together [READ 10:11]. Notice the contrast in this verse between something that flows freely and something that is concealed or hidden or restricted. The words of the righteous nourish and enhance the lives of the people around them. They may be very encouraging or compassionate words that lift the spirits of others.

But in this verse the wicked person has a much different design for his words. Here the wicked person uses words that conceal his evil thoughts and intentions toward others. He seeks to harm others with his words. Prov. 12:5 suggests that this might be done by deliberately giving someone bad advice [READ 12:5]. The wicked person here is giving counsel or advice that is deceitful. Perhaps he has slanted his advice in such a way as to make things beneficial for himself. But the righteous person, on the other hand, is concerned about treating people in a manner that is fair.

So notice that in both of these verses, the wicked person’s speech would not sound wicked, but instead it was covering up wicked thoughts and intentions. Thus, even the motivation behind our speech is important to the Lord. We’ve always been told that if we can’t say something nice about someone, we shouldn’t say anything at all, but perhaps we should also consider why we can’t say anything nice about them! Why are we only focusing on negative thoughts toward that person? So when we speak, the actual words that come out may sound fine, but the thoughts behind them need to be fine as well.

II. He has no concern for the rights of the poor

Let’s look at Prov. 29:7 together [READ 29:7]. This is an interesting statement. The wicked person doesn’t understand why the righteous person would be concerned to care about the rights of poor people. This is probably because the wicked person doesn’t see any personal benefit in such a concern. How would he benefit from doing right by poor people?

This gives us an insight into how the wicked person views his interactions with other people—he is looking for what he can get out of his relationships. Thus, when he considers the poor person, he doesn’t see any benefit to befriending them or standing up for them. Poor people don’t have any wealth or high status in society, so why should he be concerned about them and their rights?

But the righteous person sees things differently; he sees things from God’s point of view. He doesn’t think of his relationships in terms of what he can get out of them. I’m reminded of the words that Jesus spoke in Luke 14:12–14: “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

The wicked person unfortunately doesn’t see things from God’s point of view. God has always had a special interest in the poor and needy, and He has always desired that His people would show the same interest. That must be our endeavor.

III. He does not know how to show true mercy

Let’s read Prov. 12:10 [READ 12:10]. Let’s think about the depth of this contrast here. The righteous person’s mercy extends even to his animals—he cares for their well-being and sees to it that they are properly cared for. But the wicked person cannot even show proper mercy to human beings. He apparently attempts to show mercy but he ends up doing it in a cruel way.

I think an example of this could be when we are “brutally honest” with each other. Sometimes we feel the need to tell people like it is—or at least the way we think it is—and we might think that we’re being helpful but in reality we’re being very hurtful.

For instance, suppose that someone came to me one day and was very disappointed about something they had just been through. Let’s say that they had tried to start a small business from one of their hobbies and the thing just fell flat. Then suppose that I said, “You know, Billy Bob, the reality is that you’re just a terrible businessman, and you should have known that from the start. You’ll never amount to anything in business, and the sooner you realize that, the better!”

Now, in some strange way, I may think that I’ve been helpful to Billy Bob, but in reality I’ve been very cruel. It very well may be true that Billy Bob needs to learn some things before he tries to start another business, but with that approach I’ve offered him nothing but condemnation and rejection.

Oddly enough, we can think that we’re being merciful when we talk to people in that way, but we’re really being cruel. We do need to speak the truth, of course, but we are to speak the truth in love. We may need to be blunt at times, but we can be clear without being cruel.

IV. His life is gripped by fear and paranoia

I’m sure we’ve all had this experience after we’ve done something wrong. If you’re not willing to come clean, you live with an almost constant fear of being caught. Turn over to Prov. 28:1 [READ 28:1]. What a statement about the effects that wicked behavior can have on us! This observation is a testimony to the conscience that God has placed inside us. Romans 2:15 says that God’s law has been written on our hearts, and our conscience bears witness of it.

So when we do wrong and we know it, we tend to have that nagging feeling of guilt that leaves us unsettled and uneasy around others. We’ll always be wondering if they’re on to us and if they know our secret, and for that reason we can never totally be confident around others. This observation is a strong encouragement for us to avoid that kind of behavior. If we want to live with confidence and get rid of unnecessary fear, then we must pursue righteousness.

V. His reputation grows worse even after he is gone

Look with me at Prov. 10:7 [READ 10:7]. If you think about it, the idea that someone’s reputation would get worse after they die is a bit unusual. After someone passes away, our natural tendency is to minimize their flaws and exaggerate whatever was good about them. We tend to turn people into saints, not the other way around.

I think we’ve seen this rather clearly in the aftermath of Michael Jackson’s death in 2009. Some of the responses from various people can only be described as worship, and most people would just rather forget that he unfortunately led a deeply troubled life.

So for someone’s reputation to grow worse after they pass away is an unusual thing. The idea speaks to the powerful and long-lasting effects that wicked behavior can have. Its effects can even overcome this common tendency to downplay character flaws. So what sort of memory do you want to leave for people when you pass away? Do you want them to be blessed by your memory, or do you want them to be left with perhaps a bitterness against you that only gets worse with time? That latter option really could be a reality if we choose wicked behavior.

VI. He will be repaid in this life for his wickedness

Let’s look at Prov. 11:31 [READ 11:31]. Now don’t rush too quickly over the first part of this verse and misunderstand it. We might think that Solomon is saying that the righteous are repaid on the earth for their righteousness. That may be true, but that doesn’t seem to be what Solomon is saying here. He is using an argument from the lesser to the greater, so it seems that he is saying that the righteous will deal with bad consequences from their sins. And if that’s true for the righteous, then how much more will it be true for the wicked and the sinner! That’s the heart of the verse—if even the righteous have to deal with the consequences of their sins, then you know the wicked and the sinner will, to an even greater extent.

Now don’t let a few high-profile cases make you think that this verse isn’t true. We may look at someone like Hugh Hefner and think, “I sure don’t see how he’s being repaid on the earth!” He has produced pornography for decades, yet it may seem like God hasn’t done anything about it. But we don’t know the inside story of his life, and beyond that, his life hasn’t yet come to an end. I would like to see him place his faith in Jesus and leave all of that filth behind, but God might have some very painful consequences in store for him before he passes away.

So we shouldn’t let a few supposed exceptions to this rule make us think that we can embrace a wicked lifestyle and get away with it. That would be the wrong lesson to take away from the patience that God exercises toward all of us. God’s patience should not be mistaken for a failure of justice. He will do what is just, and we can count on that!

Need I say more about what characterizes the wicked person and what his wicked behavior will receive? This description from Proverbs is a powerful motivation for us to seek to live according to God’s standards. And we must make sure that we’re measuring our conduct by God’s standard and not another standard. This description today may have shown us some areas where we have tried to re-draw the line between right and wrong, but that in itself is wicked! Let us ask for God’s forgiveness where we are wrong and ask for His strength to help us grow. That is a prayer that He will be delighted to answer.