Proverbs 10:24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.
27 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
Lost people have some legitimate fears floating around in the back of their minds. God says those fears will eventually come upon them. They do not know the Lord and so they live with those fears rather than trusting in the Lord.
Rather than live with those nagging fears, the righteous person has some realistic desires and they shall be granted them. Regardless of how tough life can be for the saved person, there is always the hope of a better day after death. The righteous person knows this life is just a temporary piece of eternity. He knows that eternity is with the Lord in glory.
The lost person may wish they were going to a better place, but they have no assurance. They wish but most never turn to God to find that peace they long for.
The whirlwind appears for a few short moments. The wicked person does not have a long time. He tries hard to make a name for himself, but in a short time his life is over and forgotten. I would not trade places with Mr. Carney for a second. His end is not good. His lies are nothing to take pride in. He does not know how to speak the truth. His actions show who he truly is. He wants to take over this country. He despises Parliament. He knows nothing gets accomplished there. So he is doing everything he wants to do without parliamentary approval. A few people complain, but the majority are either asleep or supporters of his schemes. His end will come sooner than he expects. It will not be a good end for him.
The righteous is an everlasting foundation because he builds his life on the only true foundation — the Lord. The end of the righteous is heaven. There is no better place to end up. There will be no sorrow there.
Vinegar has a tendency to dry out the mouth. Smoke in the eyes burns them. It causes the tears to flow. The sluggard is the lazy person. He never accomplishes anything of value. We knew a man who was very intelligent. However, he was a very lazy man. He would sit at home and smoke and drink and wait for his welfare check. His parents were not very wise and they would give him extra money and buy things for him. If they would have loved him they would have shown him the need to make something of himself. Parents that do not want to teach their children how to work, will be burdened with having to support them all their adult life.
Verse 27 again reminds us of the importance of the fear of the LORD. When a person has a proper reverence for God, he will heed His word and he will spare himself much grief. A person who is walking in the fear of the LORD will not smoke or drink or use illicit drugs. He will not accept the lies of a government that wants to kill off certain people.
The person who knows the fear of the LORD will have eternal life because he trusts in the Lord.
The lost person will die and go to hell. Hell is not living. It is torment. It is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Who wants to do that for all eternity? Yet thousands of people will be doing just that. It is a choice a person makes. Without the LORD there is no hope for man. The wise person trusts in Him and serves Him.
Pastor Bartel