Different Rewards for the Righteous and the Wicked

Proverbs 10:6

Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

Some people will read this and immediately recognize how blessed they are.  Some will read it and complain that they have lived a righteous life, but have not been blessed.  Still others will read it and pretend that it doesn't apply to them.

The reality is that this Proverb applies to everyone.  Everybody falls on one side or the other.  There are only two types of people in the world:  righteous or wicked, saved or damned.  You can't be somewhere in the middle.  You are either one or the other.  With God there is no neutral or "undeclared".  You are either a child of Christ, or you are a child of Satan.  Where do you stand?

If that is true, then how can Solomon say, "Blessings crown the head of the righteous."?  We see righteous people being persecuted everyday because of their faith in Jesus.  We see Christians having to hide their beliefs at work because if they don't they could lose their job.  Christians are being martyred everyday in Muslim and Hindu countries all around the world.  Christians, and Christianity, are being constantly attacked in the mainstream media.  The public school system (elementary, middle/high school, and university) is constantly assaulting our Christian children, working hard to destroy the faith of these children and young adults.

How can Solomon make the audacious assertion that he does to start Proverbs 10:6?  Simple:  JESUS!

Because of Jesus, and everything that He has done for us, we are truly blessed.  We may not have all the material trappings of the world, but we always have everything we need.  Stop reading this for a minute and took a look around you. 

Do you have clothes to protect you from the elements?

Do you have food to eat every day?

Do you have a spouse and children that truly love you?

Do you have shelter that protects you from the weather and provides a safe place for you to live?

Do you have a Bible, God's Holy Word?

Do you have life-giving faith that allows you to believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

If you answered yes to any of these, especially the last two, then blessings crown your head! 

Then what about the other side of this equation?  Why does Solomon talk about the speech of the wicked? 

This is actually pretty obvious when you stop and think about it.  Wicked people are always miserable.  They might put on a good front to disguise their misery, but their mouths betray them constantly.  Do you know people who's speech is violent?

• Every other word is an "F" bomb.
• All of their speech is polluted with cursing and vulgarity.
• They constantly complain- about anything and everything.
• They gossip.
• They start and spread rumors (lies).
• They constantly misuse the name of the Lord.
• They shout and belittle people.

This is just a short list, but I think you get the point.  There is a reason Solomon says, "...but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked."  That word "overwhelms" is a very strong word.  Do you want to be someone who is described as "being overwhelmed with violence"?  That's not a compliment.  That is a strong, and telling, attribute of wicked people.  This is a very dark contrast to how Solomon described the righteous.  

So, if earthly blessings and eternal life in heaven are the rewards for the righteous, what do the wicked get?  What promises do they have?

To answer those questions we will finish with a parable of Jesus that defines the eternal reward for both, the righteous and the wicked.

Matthew 25:31-46 

     "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.

     "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance , the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

     "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?  When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You?  When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?'

     "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me.'

    "Then He will say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite Me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.'

     "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help You?'

     "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.'

     "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

God bless

Jason Fredrick