Devotions: The Way of Violence

 

Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.
For the devious are an abomination to the Lord;
But He is intimate with the upright.

Proverbs 3:31-32 New American Standard Bible 1995

 

I used to think that this verse referred only to armed robbers and serial killers. Why would we ever envy them? However, yesterday at church it hit me in a completely new way even though I’ve read it dozens of times. Last week I had confessed to my husband that I wished I were more like the women in action movies who were tougher than men and knew all kinds of cool moves. Being a pretty sensitive person, maybe I felt like I would be more accepted or respected if I were tougher, or that my husband would be more attracted to me. I wanted to ask if he wished I were like that, but I knew the answer would be no. He’d say if he wanted someone like that he would have married someone like that. I realized yesterday that I envied the “women of violence” because I wanted to be like them. I’ve never had any desire to commit crime, but I have wanted to “prove” myself by being able to take out bad guys. Thankfully, I have never been put in one of those situations, or I may have chosen the ways of violence. The reality is, that while I desired to have those skills and thought my husband may have been attracted to that appearance, I was only looking at the outside of the package. Inwardly, people of violence are very different from me. Women like that may be sexy and cool and unhurtable, but they are also likely not tender, loving or godly. Looking only at outward appearance is a dangerous thing. The word devious is literally translated “turn away or departed.” This connects the violent with all who are opposed to God. They have turned away from His truth, departed from His ways and have become twisted and perverse in their hearts. That state of being is an abomination to God. That is a strong word, but strong feelings demand strong descriptions. This does not mean that God hates those people or that they could never be saved, but that God hates the way they live and the sin in which they revel. As much as God is opposed to and separated from those people, He is close to the righteous. This is not talking about people who have attained a righteousness of their own, but those who have been covered with the righteous blood of Jesus through faith in His sacrifice. Nothing we do could make us righteous in any way. It is only by surrendering our lives to Him that we can have that status, and while we live we strive to be like Him out of love. God is intimate with those who seek Him, but those who have rejected His ways and truth are separated from Him and under His wrath. That sounds harsh, but that is the reality of sin. We all deserve His wrath, but Jesus satisfied God’s wrath by dieing for our sins. However, we have to choose His righteousness. If we reject His sacrifice we are placing ourselves under His wrathful judgment. If sin did not incur God’s wrath, if it were not an abomination to Him, Jesus would not have had to die. His sacrifice would be pointless. It is only in realizing the gravity of our sin that we can fully appreciate the beauty and value of His love and righteousness. Unfortunately in our world, the unrighteous seem to win and have all one could want, but that is looking only at the outward appearance. We should not envy what they appear to have. Instead, we should desire the intimacy and righteousness of Christ.

Whom do you envy? Do you wish that you were different? What do you value most? Ask God to help you see the reality of your desires and values. Ask Him to align your heart with His. If you have not accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for your sins, will you now? Will you ask Him to forgive you for rejecting His ways and give your life to Him? Will you allow His righteous blood to cover your sin and make you clean?

 

 

 

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Translations of Greek and Hebrew words taken from blueletterbible.org