How does Proverbs 28:4 connect with Psalm 1 regarding delighting in the law? Two Portraits of People and the Law • Proverbs 28:4: “Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.” • Psalm 1:1-2: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.” Both passages draw a clear line between two groups: 1. Those who abandon or ignore God’s law. 2. Those who love, keep, and meditate on it. Shared Themes • Allegiance reveals the heart. – Forsaking the law (Proverbs 28:4) aligns a person with the wicked. – Delighting in the law (Psalm 1:2) aligns a person with God’s blessing. • Relationship to the wicked. – Proverbs: The law-forsaker “praises” (endorses) the wicked. – Psalm: The blessed one refuses to “walk… stand… sit” with them. • Active opposition. – Proverbs: Law-keepers “resist” the wicked. – Psalm: Law-delighters take a counter-cultural stance by meditating on Scripture instead of absorbing worldly counsel. Delighting Is More Than Emotion • “Delight” (ḥēp̣eṣ) in Psalm 1 involves eager desire that leads to action—daily meditation and obedience. • Proverbs 28:4 shows the flip side: neglect leads to celebration of sin. Neutrality is impossible; either the law shapes us or the world does. Practical Ways to Live the Connection • Daily, intentional Scripture intake (Joshua 1:8; Colossians 3:16). • Evaluate influences: conversations, media, friendships—am I praising or resisting wickedness? • Public witness: supporting godly causes, speaking truth in love when unrighteousness is applauded (Ephesians 5:11). • Guarding personal affections: asking, “Do I genuinely enjoy God’s Word, or merely acknowledge it?” Other Biblical Echoes • Psalm 19:7-11—The law revives the soul and brings joy. • James 1:22-25—The blessed doer looks into “the perfect law that gives freedom.” • Romans 12:2—Renewing the mind resists conformity to the age. Summary Snapshot Proverbs 28:4 warns that forsaking God’s law inevitably breeds admiration for wickedness, while Psalm 1 celebrates the opposite spirit—finding true pleasure in that same law, standing firm against ungodliness, and receiving God’s blessing as a result. |
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