Topical Bible: The Law of God: The Wicked: Despise

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The Law of God, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, serves as a divine standard of righteousness and moral conduct. It is a reflection of God's holy character and His will for humanity. However, throughout the biblical narrative, there is a recurring theme of the wicked despising this divine law. This entry explores the biblical portrayal of the wicked's disdain for God's law, drawing from various passages in the Berean Standard Bible .

Biblical Descriptions of the Wicked's Disdain

1. Rejection of Divine Authority: The wicked are often characterized by their rejection of God's authority and commandments. In the Psalms, this attitude is vividly depicted: "The wicked boast in their soul’s desires; they bless the greedy and revile the LORD" (Psalm 10:3). This verse highlights the arrogance and self-centeredness of the wicked, who prioritize their desires over God's commands.

2. Disregard for God's Word: The wicked not only reject God's authority but also dismiss His Word. Proverbs 1:7 states, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline" . Here, the term "fools" is often synonymous with the wicked, indicating their contempt for divine wisdom and instruction.

3. Active Rebellion: The wicked are not merely passive in their disregard for God's law; they actively rebel against it. In Isaiah 5:20, the prophet warns, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter" . This verse underscores the wicked's deliberate inversion of moral order, a direct affront to God's law.

4. Consequences of Despising the Law: The Scriptures are clear about the consequences faced by those who despise God's law. Proverbs 13:13 warns, "He who despises instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded" . The wicked's disdain leads to their downfall, as they ultimately face divine judgment.

5. Contrast with the Righteous: The wicked's disdain for God's law is often contrasted with the righteous, who delight in and uphold it. Psalm 1:1-2 describes the blessed man: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked... But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night" . This contrast serves to highlight the folly of the wicked and the wisdom of adhering to God's law.

Theological Implications

The wicked's despising of God's law is not merely a matter of moral failure but a theological issue that reflects a deeper spiritual rebellion. It is indicative of a heart that is hardened against God, unwilling to submit to His sovereign rule. This rebellion is rooted in pride and self-sufficiency, leading to a life that is in opposition to God's purposes.

Throughout the Bible, the call to repentance and submission to God's law is extended to all, including the wicked. The Scriptures affirm that God's law is not burdensome but is given for the well-being and flourishing of humanity. The wicked's rejection of this law is ultimately a rejection of the life and blessing that God desires to bestow upon His creation.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Amos 2:4
Thus said the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

"The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not Subject to ...
... a man may attain to this, to despise these lower ... holy and jealous, and ye are not
only weak, but wicked. ... a natural man, it is not subject to God's law, and it ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxi the carnal mind.htm

The Wicked Servant
... that in a very terrible way:- 'Thou wicked servant, unworthy ... shalt feel another and
an equally universal law of mine ... Let us pray, I say, that God would make us ...
/.../the water of life and other sermons/sermon xviii the wicked servant.htm

That the Law of Moses must be Spiritually Understood to Preclude ...
... of me." [1469] For by receiving the law carnally without ... to say, "It is vain to serve
God; and what ... announce the last judgment, in which the wicked shall not ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 28 that the law of.htm

Moreover, we are to Despise Ingratiating Ourselves with Kings or ...
... we do nothing which is contrary to the law and word ... agreed, we do not swear by that
as God which has ... we must die sooner than swear by a wicked and treacherous ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lxv moreover we are.htm

Of the Soul and Body, and of Providence.
... a reward for the good, and punishment for the wicked. ... and at the same time neither
worships God nor has ... impunity, because, though he has obeyed the law of God ...
/.../chap xix of the soul and.htm

The Heresy of Carpocrates; Wicked Doctrines Concerning Jesus ...
... Chapter XX."The Heresy of Carpocrates; Wicked Doctrines Concerning ... in all, again
ascended [881] to God (Himself ... of Jesus, (though,) according to law, it was ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xx the heresy of carpocrates.htm

"Who Will Rise up with Me against the Wicked?"
... of some to "rise up against the wicked," and join ... is given to every offender before
the law is put ... gentleness, long-suffering." You have faith in God, and in ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 52 who will rise.htm

Of Circumcision and the Supercession of the Old Law.
... people, and founded, as it were, a law for keeping ... For God, foreseeing that He was
about to give this ... sinful nation; a people full of sins; wicked sons; ye ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter iii of circumcision and the.htm

"For what the Law could not Do, in that it was Weak Though the ...
... 3.--- "For what the law could not do, in that ... draw such an answer from him, O wicked
and adulterous ... that great manifestation of God's love, "God manifested in ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xii for what the.htm

Evidences of Regeneration.
... and consequently they abandon them for a time, in obedience, not to the law of God
or of ... of, and delight in good men, when, as I have said, wicked men are ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxix evidences of regeneration.htm