What is the meaning of Proverbs 10:24? Setting in Proverbs - Proverbs 10 begins the classic two-line contrasts that run through chapters 10–15, showing side-by-side pictures of wickedness and righteousness. - This verse sits in a stream of statements where God assures us that He actively governs outcomes (Proverbs 10:22, 10:25). “What the wicked man dreads” - The wicked live with inner fear—fear of exposure, judgment, loss, death (Job 15:20–24; Psalm 112:10). - Because they suppress truth (Romans 1:18), dread becomes a constant companion. - Scripture shows that sin never delivers the security it promises; instead it multiplies anxiety (Isaiah 57:20–21). “will overtake him” - The very calamities the ungodly try to evade eventually catch them (Numbers 32:23; Galatians 6:7–8). - God’s justice operates both now and eternally: immediate consequences (Proverbs 5:22) and final judgment (Revelation 20:12). - This overturns the illusion that evil “gets away with it.” “but the desire” - In Hebrew parallelism, “desire” mirrors “dread,” yet carries hope rather than fear (Psalm 37:4). - Righteous desire aligns with God’s revealed will, not selfish craving (Matthew 6:33; 1 John 5:14). “of the righteous” - Righteousness here is practical, lived-out faith that trusts God and obeys His commands (Genesis 15:6; James 2:22). - Such people walk in integrity, generosity, and reverence (Proverbs 10:2–3, 9). “will be granted” - God personally brings righteous longings to fruition (Psalm 145:18–19; John 15:7). - This granting may be immediate, progressive, or culminate in eternity, but it is certain because it rests on His covenant faithfulness (2 Corinthians 1:20). - The promise encourages patient endurance when fulfillment seems delayed (Habakkuk 2:3). Living the contrast today - Trust the Lord to deal with wrongs rather than harboring revenge; He will see that wicked dread is fulfilled (Romans 12:19). - Cultivate desires shaped by Scripture; God delights to answer them. - Replace anxiety with confidence by remembering the sure outcome God declares in this proverb. summary Proverbs 10:24 delivers a simple, sweeping truth: fear rules the wicked and ends in the very harm they fear, while godly desires rooted in righteousness receive God’s sure “yes.” The verse presses us to abandon sin’s false security, cling to Christ’s righteousness, and rest in the Father’s promise that every holy longing will, in His timing, be graciously granted. |
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