Good people obtain favor from the Lord,
but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.
Summary: Are you a “good person?” That question is one that we should ponder now and then. The favor of the Lord depends on the answer.
Does it seem like Solomon is saying the same thing over and over again? Yes?? Well, you’re right. He is.
Solomon really, really, really wants us to pay attention to God. (I wish he had followed his own advice!) The wisdom that God has given him is recorded here for all of us to learn from. Here, he tells us that certain people obtain favor from the Lord and others find themselves condemned.
Hmmmm…
If you don’t realize that God is real, that we are created beings, and that we have an eternal soul, then this may not seem like a big deal. If, however, you do realize these things, then there is something to be learned here.
“Good people” obtain favor from the Lord.
So what does it mean to be “good people?” We know from Jesus that, “No one is good—except God alone.” (Luke 18:19)
Like the word “righteous,” the word “good” is not being used in its absolute sense here. Solomon is talking about “good people,” not God. People who are nice. People who try to do the right thing. People who want to love God and try to do what is right by him. These are good people. They are the opposite of those who “devise wicked schemes.”
So now that we know who Solomon is talking about, what does it mean to “obtain favor from the Lord?”
I’ll be honest, the temptation for me here is to read this as “favors from the Lord.” Like things will go my way, or I’ll get a special blessing if I am “good.” But that is not what it says, although I believe God does favor his children with special blessings. The word “favor” is derived from the Hebrew word “rāṣôn.” Interestingly, one of the primary uses of this word is to denote acceptance. The good receive favor from the Lord because he accepts them.
Some may find this idea challenging. How can God accept people who do not yet know the Lord? Please keep in mind that God’s perspective on our world is very different from our own. We live in a fishbowl and some believe that the water we swim in is all there is. God built the house where the fishbowl sits on a bookcase and he sees the fishbowl and all that is in it as if looking through a microscope. Plus, the clocks in God’s housework differently than ours. He sees the entire history of our lives spread out before him like a map. He knows every life that has ever lived and his Son, Jesus, came to save us all (1 Peter 4: 6).
Application: Strive to be a good person.
Food for Thought: You have probably heard someone described as a “good person.” What is the difference between the world’s definition of “good person” and the Bible’s definition?
Only God knows a persons heart
Very true!
What is the difference between the world’s definition of “good person” and the Bible’s definition?
When I look in the scriptures at the word “good”, I see that it’s use begins in Genesis.
Genesis 1:4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
When God creates something, He looks back on His work and determines that it is good, by His standard. Its the same for our hearts. He works on our hearts and determines if the work is good. Any “good” in our hearts, and thus our actions, come from God. As people, we can be charitable and altruistic, but one has to look at the motivations behind it, way deep down at it’s basic level: does it glorify God or serve man?
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Nice work, Chris!
I like how you draw the connection between God and good.
The world’s definition of a good person shifts and changes. In fact at this moment there are several worldly definitions.
The world says, if a person gives me free stuff, they are good. If a person always agrees with me they are good. If a person takes this political stance then they are good. If they take that political stance then they aren’t good. If a person takes aggressive actions on these political issues they are good, but if they take aggressive actions on those political issues then they are evil.
But God’s definition is still the same after all these years. A good person fears God and loves Him with all their mind, soul, strength, and heart. God is Lord of their lives not just a ticket to heaven.
Well said, A. Well said!
👍
Great comments here. I don’t have much to add to it. I will only add that the good the world talks about is usually temporal, circumstantial and and comes from an origin bereft of God. God is the source of His eternal goodness which is available in good times and bad. It is also a fruit of the Spirit – He is the source.
Good God / Good Person / Good Fruit…
Good Comment! 🙂
07-01-2022, Proverbs 12:2, What is the difference between the world’s definition of “good person” and the Bible’s definition?
Very well covered already!
On earth everyone has their own definition of good which changes moment by moment depending upon the situation as well as the culture you are in. Impossible to keep up with.
God reveals good in His original creation, Jesus Christ, and our progressive conformity to the the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Good according to God is seen in those who simply live and display His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, toward all others.
Galatians 5:22–23
Ron,
You raise an important point: The world’s definition of “good” changes moment to moment. God is consistent and unchanging.
I used to work for a guy who claimed he was never wrong. He could make that claim because he believed that he could define “right” and “wrong” however he wanted. Thus he could always adjust his definitions to suit the situation at hand.
Great example, if you can’t meet the standard, change the standard. Heaven forbid we give thought to changing behavior.
Ron