Proverbs 11:4–8
Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivers from death.
The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
When a wicked man dies, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perishes.
The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked comes in his stead.
What a severe contrast is drawn here between riches and righteousness! Which of these would be of the most use for one who is about to die? Which would be of the greater value when the defendant stands before the bar of God at the final judgment? How much money would it take to dismiss the case against us on that day? All the riches in the world would be of no use in the day of God’s wrath.
“The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.” What of this righteousness that delivers from death? Without question this is God’s righteousness imputed and imparted to us, because we have no righteousness of our own that could possibly commend us to God. Only by Christ’s righteousness are we declared righteous in the sight of God. We hunger and thirst after His righteousness. We seek His kingdom and His righteousness. We trust in Christ who “bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live unto righteousness” (1 Pet. 2:24). We are “filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:11). Our own righteousness cannot work because it is not righteous. God’s righteousness is that which yields real life, which is why the Proverbs puts it this way: “Righteousness delivers from death.” The righteousness of Christ put to our account (by faith) also delivers us from the sentence of death. This then speaks to justification — a judicial release from death. But, this must also include sanctification, in that righteousness for the believer will “direct his way.” This is a lived-out righteousness in the way of life. The Apostle puts it this way in Romans 5:
“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17)
Righteousness reigns in the life of the believer as a gift of God, and according to Romans 8, this is fulfillment of the righteousness of the law in those who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. These two forms of righteousness must not be separated in the life of the believer. Both justification and sanctification are indispensable elements of God’s salvation package.
“But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.” The heart desires of wicked persons will inevitably entrap them. Their pride, lust, materialism, self-worship, and idolatry will constitute their downfall. Try as they might to avoid the curses of sexual infidelity or addictions to opiates, their idolatrous hearts will lead them like lambs to the slaughter. Worship God and we will be safe. If we worship ourselves or any other false god, they will beat us to death.
Meanwhile, the righteous, that is those justified and sanctified by God’s grace, are delivered out of the inevitable trials that come with living in a sinful world. As they are rescued out of the swirling whirlpool of sin, the wicked are pulled further into it to their final destruction.
*For related commentary on verse four, reference Proverbs 10:2.
*For related commentary on verse seven, reference Proverbs 10:24.
1. Are we walking in the way of righteousness? Why is God’s righteousness better than ours? What is justification and sanctification? How are they different?
2. What are the desires of our own hearts?