Proverbs 12: 2 (NKJV) God’s Favor or condemnation?

Today’s verse speaks of obtaining God’s favor or His condemnation. This is OUR choice. We can choose which way we will be… either good, or wicked.

Proverbs 12: 2
2 A good man obtains favor from the LORD, But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.

Here are the definitions of the main words from this verse:

good: 1. Worthy of respect; honorable. 2. Reliable; sure 3. Valid or true 4. Genuine; real 5. Of moral excellence; upright 6. Benevolent; kind 7. Loyal; staunch 8. Well-behaved; obedient
obtains: To succeed in gaining possession of as the result of planning or endeavor
favor: Friendly or favorable regard; approval or support, Something given as a token of love, affection
wicked: 1. Evil by nature and in practice 2. Highly offensive; obnoxious
intentions: A course of action that one intends to follow
condemn: 1. To express strong disapproval of 2. To pronounce judgment against; sentence

Using these definitions, we see that a person that lives a lifestyle that is worthy of the respect of others because they are reliable, truthful, upright, kind, loyal, obedient, and real or honest in their dealings is someone that gains the approval or support of a God that loves them.

God loves us anyway, but, as a good parent does with their children, they discipline them if they aren’t living in a good way, so that they will change FOR THEIR OWN GOOD!

Once a person does live in a "good" way, then God is faithful and will help, or bless, them in the things that they do. God also tells us that WE can never be truly "good" enough, by ourselves, to be able to go to heaven because our sin has tainted us, but through repentance of our sins and acceptance of Jesus free gift of life, then God can see us as "good" and will help us to change into that image...


In contrast, those that intend to live in a way that shows they are evil by nature and show this by doing offensive and obnoxious things to others, will find that God will strongly disapprove of them, and will end up, since He is a “Just” God, pronouncing judgment against them. According to His Word, He could, eventually, even have to sentence them to hell.

Psalm 37:20

But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.

God does not WANT to have to pronounce this sentence on anyone as we see from the following passages in His word:

Ezekiel 33:11

Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die…

Ezekiel 33:18-20 (NKJV)

18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. 19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. 20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”

As is indicated in today’s verse, God’s favor or His condemnation is MY CHOICE! I need to remember this each day and stay on God's Path to goodness.

Proverbs 11: 27 Favor or Trouble...

What you seek determines what you will find…

Proverbs 11: 27 (NKJV)

27 He who earnestly seeks good finds favor,
But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.

All definitions are found on http://www.thefreedictionary.com

earnestly: 1. With a purposefully or sincere intent 2. Seriously; determined

seek: 1. To try to locate or discover; search for. 2. To endeavor to obtain or reach

favor: 1. To perform a kindness or service for 2. To treat or regard with friendship, approval, or support 3. To be or tend to be in support of 4. To make easier or more possible; facilitate 5. To treat with care; be gentle with:

trouble: 1. A state of distress, affliction, difficulty, or need 2. A distressing or difficult circumstance or situation 3. A condition of pain, disease, or malfunction:

evil: 1. Morally bad or wrong; wicked 2. Causing ruin, injury, or pain; harmful 3. Characterized by or indicating future misfortune; ominous 4. Bad or blameworthy by report; infamous 5. Characterized by anger or spite; malicious

Using these definitions, we can see that the first part of verse 27 tells us that a person who is seriously determined or has the sincere intent to locate and obtain the virtue of “goodness,” will find the friendship, approval, and/or support of God and/or those men that work or live around them.

The second part of this verse goes on to contrast what the person that is determined to be wicked, harmful, spiteful, or malicious will find. They will find distress, affliction, difficulty, need, pain, disease and/or other malfunctions in their lives.

Many of these things come to those that ignore God and His ways, as we have seen before, but they also come to those that DO follow His ways, at times, through the problems that sin in this world has caused. The difference is that God will take you around or through the problems that arise if you are truly seeking “good” or His ways.

This was the whole point of the book of Job. That book shows us things about problems from a heavenly point of view. Horrible things come to wonderfully good people for reasons that we don’t understand and that others might believe are some kind of “judgment” on us, but God has His own reasons for the things that He allows: Isaiah 55:8 (NKJV) “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.

Job also tells us that after God’s point was proven to Satan, then He “restored” him:

Job 42:10-17 (NKJV)

10 And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. … 12 Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17 So Job died, old and full of days.

Proverbs 11: 4 Riches vs Righteousness

The verse we are studying today, warns us not to put our trust in riches, but in being right with God. We will use verses from the Bible with God’s definitions of the major ideas from today’s verse.

Proverbs 11: 4 (NKJV)

4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.


God is a God of Love, and as such, He must judge evil. There is coming, a “Day of Wrath,” when God WILL pour out His judgment on those that refuse to accept Him as their Lord and Jesus as their savior! He gave up His son to save us and there is nothing further He can do. We don’t have to face this… It is our choice. Here is what God has to say about the “Day of Wrath” in Isaiah 13:9-13 (NKJV)


9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes,
Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
To lay the land desolate;
And He will destroy its sinners from it.

10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations

Will not give their light;

The sun will be darkened in its going forth,

And the moon will not cause its light to shine.

11 “ I will punish the world for its evil,

And the wicked for their iniquity;

I will halt the arrogance of the proud,

And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold,

A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.

13 Therefore I will shake the heavens,

And the earth will move out of her place,
In the wrath of the LORD of hosts

And in the day of His fierce anger.

Psalms 49: 16-20 (NIV) warns us not to be overawed with “riches,” because riches, in themselves, will not bring life.

16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,

when the splendor of his house increases;
17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies,

his splendor will not descend with him.
18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—

and men praise you when you prosper-

19 he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of life .
20 A man who has riches without understanding

is like the beasts that perish.

NOTE: It is the man that has "riches WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING" that will perish. It isn't the riches that bring about condemnation, it is putting them before God that does.

Psalms 15: 1 – 5 gives us a definition from the Bible, of the person that God feels is “righteous,” and who will end up in Heaven…

1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless

and who does what is righteous,

who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue,

who does his neighbor no wrong

and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man

but honors those who fear the LORD,

who keeps his oath

even when it hurts,
5 who lends his money without usury

and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things

will never be shaken.

Now, let's read, again our verse from today: Proverbs 11: 4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. After reading God’s definitions, I found this verse to be much more meaningful and significant in it’s meaning for me… I hope that you did too!