DO NOT BE WICKED!

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*DO NOT BE WICKED!*

*Scripture Treasure.*

Job 11:12 *But the witless can no more become wise than a wild donkey’s colt can be born human".*

*Insight and Highlight.*

Why would you choose to be wicked?

*Scripture Commentaries.*

One of Job's miserable friends Zophar, gives an illustration of how wicked people may remain wicked, abominable and unrepentant for as long as they live yet remain unchanged to their last breaths.

He paralleled the unchangeable wicked attitude of the wicked to an animal who can not change its wild nature as humans would.

Humans, because they are created in the image and likeness of God, can change.

Peter says in 2 Pet 1:3-4, that God by His *".....divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:*

By this divine power He has given *".....unto us exceeding great and precious promises:......"* so that by these *"......we might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."*

Animals do not have this spiritual privilege to be partakers of God's divine nature so they can not change their animalistic nature of wickedness, wildness, etc except God changes them.

No animal *"......can be born human....."*, Job 11:12. So as its nature as an animal can not be changed to a human nature so also a person who persists in wickedness may not be willing to change except God changes them.

Zophar, though right in his argument about animals, was wrongful theologically about the character of Job. Job was not going through what he went through because of any form of wickedness.

God later rebukes Zophar and his friends for their assumptions about Job's suffering, Job 42.

Human's persistent wickedness can truly be likened to a wild donkey's colt nature.

The human wicked nature has often made the bible refer to them as beasts

Ps 49:20 says *"Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.*

We can be so disconnected from God whom we are to connect with in order to gain spiritual insight. 

God's willingness to change a persistent wicked person may be why He is longsuffering enough to allow wicked people to live longer that the righteous so that they may repent, ref 2 Pet 3:9.

While God takes the righteous away so that they may not fall for evil or avoid the evil days that could make them go back, the wicked are often given longer days.

Isaiah 57:1 says *The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.*

*He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.*

Job 21:7 says *Wherefore do the wicked live, become old,* *yea, are mighty in*

*power?*

Eccl 7:15 *All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

Jer 12:1-4 says *Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously*

If the wicked is compared to an animal, then wickedness is a nature of animals and the wicked shares the same character with animals.

Why would you choose to be an animal because of wickedness rather than maintain the true image of God after whom you were created?, Gen 1:27, 5:1-2.

Change your ways.

Shun wickedness!

*Remorse Corner.*

Anyone who is wicked is a beast!

Repent today!

*Call to Word action.*

Wickedness is beastly.

Eccl 3:16-18:

*And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.*

*I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.*

*I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.*

*The Christian clarion duty.*

The wicked is wild, insensitive and in rebellion against God.

*Prayer.*

Lord help me to live and have my being in You. Let me not live and behave like an animal. Take wickedness away from me, in Jesus name.

Good morning all and have a blessed day.

God bless you.

Shalom.