My dear readers,

Will You Not Choose Blessings?

Proverbs 10:6: “Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.”

The above question seems redundant. Why would anyone not choose blessings especially when the blessings are from God the Creator of heaven and earth?! This promise of blessings is offered only to God's children, for no one is able to receive them. God’s children are the only ones on earth who value God’s blessings and desire to receive them. Will you not choose blessings from your God then?

The literal translation is: “Blessings are upon the head of the righteous but the mouth of the wicked covers violence.” The blessings are spiritual and not material. They are eternal but all things material are temporal. If the righteous thinks that the blessings are material, then he has to reconsider his motive for believing in Christ. Christ died for our sins. If the blessings are material, God can just bless us through His omnipotence. Christ’s death on the cross would be redundant. The sinner must realize that his sins are the root of his greatest problem, for he is an enemy of God and will be punished with death and hell if he were to die in his sin. Only in Christ Jesus can he be made righteous and remain righteous forever. This is the first and greatest blessing that every righteous saint must experience, or else he is not righteous. This is by the grace and mercies of God in Christ.

“Blessings are upon the head of the righteous” means that the person is righteous and all that he does will be a blessing to himself and to others because God is with him and will bless him.

Firstly, he has a righteous mind. He thinks rightly. He desires to do righteous deeds. These are deeds that are according to Holy Scriptures, for he knows that before salvation he could do nothing good that glorifies God. Now that he is in Christ, he can when he does things according to the Bible’s teaching.

Secondly, he has a righteous heart. He stops doing what is best for himself. He is motivated by Christ’s love. His greatest desire is to please his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If he has to choose between pleasing Christ or man, he will choose Christ. This motive grows stronger with time and with the increase of his knowledge of the Word of God. The more he knows the Bible, the deeper and stronger his love for Christ will be.

Thirdly, he is righteous in his words. He is careful and mindful of what he says and writes. He used to write and speak first before thinking of the consequences. He was more retaliatory and hurtful before and desired to have the last word and the upper hand in every argument and quarrel. Now he is considerate and more temperate in his words, seeking to glorify Christ and be a blessing to others. If by keeping silent and swallowing his pride and Christ is honoured, he is more than contented to do it. He experiences and delights in the truth that a soft answer turns away wrath!

Fourthly, he finds great joy and satisfaction in his righteous deeds for Christ. He knows and grasps the reality that his once worthless life is now so full of worthiness because, by his good works, he is able to point sinners to the Saviour, and to bless Christians when they glorify God and not him. He knows that he must decrease so that Christ keeps on increasing in his life. This is the greatest blessing he enjoys, for he has experienced the greatest blessing of being born again in Christ. He can’t wait to share it with others and hopes with all his heart that the LORD will use him to bring the same great blessing to others around him.

He is eternally grateful to his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for delivering him from his past life which was a life where “violence covereth the mouth of the wicked” (Prov 10:6). When this verse is understood with “violence” as the subject of the verb, then the meaning is that the violence of the wicked is so visible and manifested that when they are charged, they have nothing to say to defend themselves. The violence of the wicked is public knowledge. Violence is their manner of life from their mind to their heart, and seen in the deeds and heard through their lips. There is no repentance from their wicked heart. They will justify their evil and sins. Their conscience is seared. They are numbed by their hardened heart and soul. They feel nothing regardless of the evil they do. Everyone can see that they are evil to the core except themselves. They would surround themselves with sinners who are just as wicked as they are.

When the subject is the “mouth of the wicked” then the meaning is a little different but the gist is the same. It describes the behaviour and heart of the wicked. In this instance, the mouth of the wicked will lie and deceive to cover their violence and the violence committed by others, especially when it benefits them. They will cover up sin in private and in public. There is no remorse when they condone and assist others in doing evil, including committing dastardly crimes. Look at the world of the 21^st century where abortions are carried out in the millions every year. “According to WHO, every year in the world there are an estimated 40-50 million abortions. This corresponds to approximately 125,000 abortions per day.” [https://www.worldometers.info/abortions/] This amounts to three infants killed every two seconds. The world is hardened to this evil. Prospective fathers and mothers have lost their natural parental affections for their own flesh and blood. They will willingly take their lives without an ounce of sadness because they tell themselves that these little ones in the wombs are not living beings.

The world of hardened hearts is revealed by the rise in crimes and sin. Fornication and homosexuality are forcing their way into daily lives as alternate life styles. Anyone who is against such evil is castigated as bigoted and unloving when actually the reverse is true! All God wants, and all believers too, is that they stop sinning and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ so that they will be saved from their sins. But they will not listen. Their mouths will cover up the violence that stems from within their soul and manifested by their words and actions.

The LORD wants to bless all peoples. But the blessings cannot be upon those who sin wilfully. To bless the wicked is to encourage more wickedness and violence just like a parent blessing a child who tells lies will encourage him to lie more. God is a God of love and holiness. He will surely bless the head of the righteous. The only righteous ones are those who have been made righteous by God through the finished work of Christ at Calvary.

Have you believed in Christ as your Lord and Saviour, dear reader? If you have, then blessings are upon your head from God. Then seek to be a blessing to others even as you have been blessed by God. Amen.