Evil Starts With Rebellion Toward God – (Proverbs 28:12)

Daily Bible Study
This verse combines practical advice and Biblical truth as well as something for philosophical thought. As we have seen in the Bible with David's rule of Israel or Solomon's rule when he was young, righteous leaders bring glory, honor and good to a country. The people of that country prosper and grow. In addition, the country itself rises in international esteem and influence. However, when evil rises to power countries are destroyed from the inside out. When evil rises to power society suffers and is destroyed. Violence prospers and peoples lives are negatively affected in a dramatic way. As a result, that country looses influence and credibility in the international arena as the world watches that country destroy themselves. We have seen this play out time and time again in the history of the world and in our own lives when cities, towns, municipalities and even businesses ruled by evil or wicked people are destroyed from the inside out. God has made the destruction brought about by the wicked evident in the affairs of men.

All can see the destruction brought about by wickedness and evil. This same destruction goes on in the souls of men who rebel against God and deny Christ. Moreover, it's in the hearts of men, where wickedness and destruction starts. It's in the hearts of those who are in rebellion against God. And because of their rebellion, they hate the Lord, they hate the things of God and they hate anything that is good and not evil. Their desire is in chaos and destruction in order to feed the dark desires of their heart. And the reality is this proverb could never play out in real life if men's hearts were not first turned away from God. God understands the hearts of fallen humanity, living in a fallen world. That is why the Bible speaks so accurately about our human condition. However, we are not without hope, because we have Christ. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we die to self, we die to sin because our sin nature was crucified with Christ and we are born a new creation. With our salvation, it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. And through the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people, a nation becomes righteous in the eyes of God, and therefore becomes a light of hope in a dark world.