At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Ps. 16: 11)
“When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: But the righteous shall see their fall” (Prov. 29:16).
When people give up on righteousness, it is because righteousness (in this fallen world) is hard. But when people give up on wickedness, it is because everything has collapsed. Righteousness is like climbing a steep hill, while wickedness is like falling off a steep cliff.
When you go off a cliff, particularly if you do so in the grip of a delusion, the entire first part is easy. It can feel like you are flying. No exertion whatever is required. We sin, as we sin, by the pull of gravity. The difficulties come when we reach the rocks at the bottom. The righteous watch all this from the top of the cliff, and then they resume their difficult and arduous climb.
This proverb teaches us that wickedness can flourish for a time—for a very short time. The wicked multiply, and the transgressions they bring with them are greatly increased. But if we might borrow some terminology from the environmentalists, this strategy is not at all sustainable. In the long run, taking the long view, stupidity never works. This would include every form of moral stupidity.
As the righteous watch the wicked in their multiplying stage, they do not panic. They have seen this before. Short cuts, including ethical short cuts, rarely fulfill their promises. They are liars, and so why should they fulfill anything? And so the old saying comes to fulfillment . . . if you don’t have time to do it right, where will you find time to do it over?
This proverb encourages the righteous to cultivate the virtues of faith and patience. We have the Word of God, and so we that the grasping approach that promises results quickly is a snare and a delusion. One of the things that the righteous must learn how to do is wait. Wait and watch.
