How are Your Choices Covering You? Proverbs 10:6

Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Proverbs 10:6

Proverbs often compares the righteous and the wicked.  Here is no exception.  This passage speaks of what covers the righteous man and what covers the wicked as well.  Whereas we read that blessings are on the righteous man's head - the wicked have something far different covering them. 

The head of the righteous receives blessings.  Why the head?  The Hebrew culture viewed the head as the most important part of a person.  Cut off the head and the body is dead.  The head is also considered the leader.  It represents what truly is leading us in our lives.  So, when we read here that the "head of the righteous" has blessings poured out upon it, we see that when what leads us - what drives us in life is geared toward righteousness (just think simply - doing what is right in God's sight - doing what pleases Him).  There is wonderful blessing when we choose God's way.  We need to know this.  When our "chooser" (yes I know that this is not a word - but it works here) functions according to God's way and God's direction - blessings ensue!  Make your choices according to his Word and according to His ways.  You will never regret it - especially in light of the fact that these choices go beyond the grave - while others only last in this life (unless you consider punishment and hell for those who reject Christ altogether).  But there is actually even more to this.  There is blessings not just in eternity - there are blessings here and now.  The way of God may be difficult at times - but it is also filled with joy and peace.  The Scriptures warn us that it is the way of the transgressor that is hard.  Remember this when you get ready to set a direction with your head - with your "chooser." 

The second part of this proverb is a little more difficult to understand because it involves a hebraism - a saying that makes perfect sense to a Jewish person - but does not exactly transfer with words alone.  It is like us saying, "a stitch in time saves nine."  That won't make sense to most people unless they know something about sewing.  This hebraism says, "the mouth of the wicked conceals violence."  The meaning here has the idea of covering something or someone.  The words of the wicked - what comes out of his mouth - is both covered in violence - and due to what he says makes it inevitable that he himself will be covered in violence as well.  The simplest way to grasp what this means is when someone speaks violently to another with their words.  Not only are they speaking violence - but whan the other person responds, they are pretty much going to guarantee violence as a return for their violent words.

The wicked, due to their ungodly choices and ways, are using violent words - and in the process are guaranteeing a culture of violence that will surround them.  Take a look at our society for a moment or two.  I'll use two examples to explain this.  First is the abortion industry.  They use extreme violence to end the life of an innocent child.  They choose to execute the baby - who has done nothing wrong.  Those in the industry say that they are preventing child abuse by those who don't want an unexpected child (Interesting to me that they don't get that sex produces pregnancy - which by the way - makes a child - guess what they were expecting was sex without consequences and without the biological process of reproduction being a result - hmmm).  The fact though is that since we've begun throwing away children in this way - child abuse has risen exponentially.  Kind of looks like the violence with which they cover themselves with their words and actions - is now covering them too - just like God said.  The second example is the way that violence is glorified by our culture.  We see it everywhere.  The most obvious example is in television, movies, and the video game culture.  We are encouraged to deal with our problems with violence.  We've actually gotten to the point where we see violence and violent acts as a form of entertainment.  There seems to be no limit to how graphic and how grotesque we will get when it comes to these things.  The result of our violence?  We have watched an explosion of violence consume our culture and our relationships in society - just like God said.

Wisdom tells us very plainly here that what abounds in our words and with our choices is what is coming back upon us.  It is almost like God is saying here in the Old Testament what He says in the New Testament.  What a man sows, that he will also reap.  Sow righteousness - sow doing what is right in God's eyes - you receive blessings here - and even greater blessings in eternity.  Sow violence now - you will reap an ever increasing harvest of violence as well.  May God give us true wisdom that does not embrace the fullness of our culture - but the harvest of righteousness and blessing that comes from choosing His way at every turn.