The dread of the wicked, and the desires of the righteous

Charles Spurgeon, et al.

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
 

Proverbs 10:24, "What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted."

The wisdom of God in the book of Proverbs pierces through all human delusions and presents us with eternal realities. This brief verse sets before us a sharp contrast between the fate of the wicked, and the hope of the righteous. It reveals two solemn truths:
  that the inner fears of the ungodly shall be fulfilled,
  while the holy desires of the godly shall be satisfied.

"What the wicked dreads will overtake him."

The wicked may suppress the thought of judgment--but deep within, he dreads it. He fears death, he fears the exposure of his sins, and he fears divine retribution--though he may not admit it openly. His conscience, however dulled, is not silent. The fear of Hell is often buried beneath worldly distraction, yet it remains like a smoldering fire within.

This text assures us that what every wicked man dreads, will eventually come upon him. The judgment he fears, shall arrive with certainty. The wrath of God, which he hoped was fiction--will confront him as fact. This is not mere poetic justice--it is divine justice. God's holiness demands it. His warnings are not idle threats, and His justice will not sleep forever. The lost sinner's worst nightmare, shall become his eternal reality--unless he repents.

"What the righteous desire will be granted."

But in glorious contrast, the righteous--those who have been made righteous by faith in Jesus--shall have his holy desires fully granted. The desires of the righteous are not worldly ambitions or selfish cravings--but spiritual longings birthed by the Spirit of God. They desire to see God's face, to be conformed to the image of Jesus, to be delivered from sin, and to enjoy eternal fellowship with the eternal Lover of their souls. Not one holy longing shall go unfulfilled. The Lord who kindled these desires in their hearts, will satisfy them beyond all expectation. "Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4. Indeed, the righteous man may suffer now, but his end is peace. He may groan under burdens, but he shall soon rejoice in glory. God is faithful.

Let us then take to heart the sobering contrast of this verse:
  the sinner's fears will come;
  the saint's desires will be granted.

One end is dreadful certainty--the other is blessed assurance. What makes the difference? Jesus. He bore the dread of wrath on behalf of His people, so that they might inherit the joy of Heaven.

Let the wicked flee to Him, before their dread becomes their destiny.

Let the righteous wait in hope, knowing that what they long for shall be eternally realized.

"The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath." Proverbs 11:23

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