Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Reading

Introduction

During the course of this last week, Cindy and I sat one evening and watched a documentary-style movie about the murder of a young student in Italy.

It was quite a fascinating (and perhaps disturbing) look into the lives of some young students and the kinds of activities that keep them going, and the kind complications they can end themselves up in.

To be sure, we live quite sheltered lives - and I must add, that I am thankful that for the most part I was raised in a sheltered environment, and have lived a life that has been extensively sheltered from much of the evil that is engaged in by many people.

I am thankful for that!

There are times when such confrontations with other people’s lives are helpful, so that we can a sense of appreciation, and a sense of thankfulness for the graces of God in our lives...

In this morning’s text, Solomon goes on to evaluate wicked people.

It is good that we at times consider the life of a wicked person, not for the sake of indulging in or agreeing with any of their wickedness, but for the sake of learning from the consequences of their wickedness.

This is what Solomon helps us to do in the text that we will be considering this morning.

This section continues on from the previous section, where he was speaking about submitting to those in authority, even when those in authority are conducting themselves in a seemingly unreasonable manner.

In that particular context, he was speaking about the “king” or the ruling authorities.

As we come to this week’s text, we begin by considering:

1.

The Wicked Man’s Misused Power

This follows directly on from what we looked at last week, with a person exercising authority over another in a harsh manner.

Solomon now refers again in verse 9 to the man who is harsh over someone else.

The man that Solomon has in mind “lords it over others.”

This lording over someone speaks again of the oppressive person.

It was to such people that Solomon said a person should submit, even when they are unkind or unreasonable.

What is important to note here is the hurt that is caused in such a situation.

Now some take this “hurt” to be referring to the person who is oppressed and the weight of the powerful ruler over them.

This is a very possible scenario, since Solomon is addressing those who are finding themselves under a ruler who is treating them wrongly, and telling them how to respond under such trying circumstances.

So it is almost implicit in the text that the person under such a “king” is being hurt through the conduct of the king.

But others say regarding this verse that the hurt that is being described here is the hurt that the king / ruler causes themselves as a result of their wicked and unwise conduct, and their own harsh exercise of authority.

Certainly, either of those translations are fitting and possible.

As mentioned, it is almost implicit in the text that the person who is under such a ruler suffers to some extent or another.

This is what we spent the bulk of last week considering.

But it is also most certainly true that an oppressive ruler, the one who rules harshly and doesn’t care much for his subjects under him, is himself going to suffer harm and ruin.

Now this may not be a harm and ruin that takes place very early on, and God may indeed allow a harsh ruler to continue in their evil ways for some time - many years...

(remember, the Lord works in different time scales to us.

What we think is patience from our side is completely different to what God, who stands outside of time, sees as patience).

But let there be no doubt in our minds, that the harsh ruler will suffer harm.

God will bring the due and just punishment against those who are set against Him and His people.

Those who rule harshly, would be wise to consider that the Almighty ruler sees what they are doing, and will bring them the required punishment if they fail to repent.

The Psalmist wrote:

In this Psalm, the Psalmist (David) is crying out to God as he himself pleads that God would deliver him from the deeds of evildoers and the rulers of the evildoers.

These cries of David were particularly against the surrounding nations who were set against Israel.

David was a man who was righteous, and sought to live a righteous life, as imperfect as he was.

What was interesting about David’s life was that he didn’t take matters into his own hands.

He didn’t carry out attacks on those who were over him in a position of authority - specifically, Saul.

David allowed Saul to harm him, but because Saul was over him, he refused to reach out his hand and strike Saul.

Instead, he entrusted himself into the hands of the living God, and cried out to God for God to deliver him from the hands of the enemy.

Even the Israelites themselves, at times saw the destruction of those wicked rulers around them.

The prophet Isaiah spoke concerning the relief that God would bring to the Israelites as they struggled under the oppressive reign of the king of Babylon.

Indeed, an unwise ruler will ultimately bring upon themselves the wrath of the Almighty, Holy God.

Throughout the history recorded for us in Scripture, God did this...

He was the deliverer of His people from evil and tyrannical rulers.

And so too, in our day, God will ultimately bring his judgment and wrath to bear upon those who rule in this kind of oppressive manner.

2. The Wicked Man’s Misinterpreted Praises

But notice secondly concerning the wicked, this morning, “The Wicked Man’s Mis....

Well there we have it… the wicked are finally buried.

Even the very ruler that was considered in the previous verse may be in view here.

But suddenly, Solomon’s mind is turned to consider that fateful outcome of the wicked ruler.

In fact, these words are not necessarily limited to that ruler.

The application is broader - to those who are wicked, and have lived the wicked life, but their life now having come to an end.

Those who were evil within their hearts, and whose hearts had turned away from the living God, could not escape the claws of death - they went to the grave, and they would there face God.

But notice what he says about them - and we would do very well to carefully consider these words ourselves.

He describes these wicked people that have been buried as “those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this.”

It is evident that the person who Solomon is describing here is someone who has gone through the motions of serving God.

They would come and go to the holy place, and they would worship God and sing His praise.

They would offer up sacrifices to God along with all the other people that would go up to the holy places, and would present themselves along with others as a worshiper of God.

It may very well be that this even refers to the religious leaders, who could freely come and go in the temple grounds, but who themselves were corrupt.

But certainly, the words are applicable to anyone who goes up to the place of worship, but who is wicked in their conduct towards others.

Friends, we must apply this directly to our own lives in this day, and ask ourselves to what extent, if any, we tend to go up to worship God without ensuring that our heart is right with God?

There is no stopping any wicked person from going through the motions of worshiping God - people have done that for centuries, since the days of Solomon, at least....!!

These are those who honour God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him (Matt 15:8)

We must remember that what comes out of us, is what defiles us.

This ruler that was harsh over those he ruled may have gone through the motions of worship, but Solomon knew that the man was a wicked man - someone far from God.

And we need to be cautious in our lives that our hearts are alive to Christ.

Do we have a deep passion for Christ?

Are our hearts warmed by the thought of living for Christ, and sacrificing for Christ, and pursuing obedience to Christ?

Are we committed to the life that Christ has called us to? a life in community, and a life that is growing in holiness?

Is this where we are?

We must ask these questions, even of ourselves.

What a shame it would be if we went through our lives thinking that we were great people - even fantastic rulers or leaders, only to find that our hearts were far from Christ, and all we were doing was feeding our own self-exalting pursuits.

I want to ask you this morning, are you close to Christ.

Are you close to Him?

Are you filled with His word, and is that word impacting your heart and your life and your thinking and your emotion?

Your whole being as a person?

So many people today are going through the motions… we must get away from that!

3. The Wicked Man’s Delayed Punishment

Thirdly, Solomon considers the wicked man’s ....

Solomon now moves his attention onto the effects of the wicked person’s conduct to society around him when there is not swift sentence for a crime committed.

If a wicked person commits a crime or does wrong;

...when they go against the laws that are in place...

...if that crime or wrongdoing is not swiftly punished with an appropriate sentence, then the hearts of other people will be filled with schemes to do wrong.

Solomon speaks here of a singular crime.

“…the sentence of an evil deed is not executed speedily.

But how often does this not begin with one evil deed, which is not punished, which then emboldens the individual further and leads to another evil deed and so on...

Psalm 36 speaks of such an evil man who does not flee away from evil, and does not consider evil to just what it is.... evil!

This person is a sinner, and devises evil plans in his heart.

In Psalm 10, the Psalmist speaks of such an evil man in these words:

In such a man, there is no fear of the Lord and of His ways.

He loves the paths of wickedness, and with great arrogance laughs off any possible threat, saying that he will always be happy.

Why?

Because punishment and proper retribution fails to be carried out.

But the consequences that come about from the single person’s act, perhaps even a single act of evil, do not stop only at this wicked man whose heart is wicked.

As this man engages in his acts of evil, others around him are witnesses.

Perhaps they witness the incident directly, or they may simply be aware of the person’s planned course of action, and know that it was carried out.

Others become aware as they come to hear of what the person did through others who were witnesses.