Only God Can Recompense Evil Perfectly – (Proverbs 20:22)

Daily Bible Study
While man can make laws based on God's word to govern people, we cannot perfectly recompense or avenge evil. This is because of our limited understanding of God and our imperfection due to our fallen nature. As we read these verses we must understand these refer to each of us individually. God is telling us that we are not to take matters into our own hands to avenge a wrong that was committed. Instead, we are to bring the issue before the Lord and wait on His timing, obeying the laws of the land. So it's important we understand these verses are not speaking against a government making laws to govern society. Rather, this passage is speaking against people taking matters into their own hands, because of their emotions.

This passage is speaking about personal anger and rage. About a person having a heart set on revenge and using justice as an excuse to carry out retaliation. This means as a society we can and should confront evil and stop it from happening, but only God can avenge evil perfectly, not us individually. Only God can do that and we as Christians must commit our cause to God, relying on His sovereignty and obeying the laws of the land, why? Because God has put into place governments and rulers to maintain our protection and civil order and to follow His will. It's God, whose vengeance is certain and perfectly just because only God truly knows the heart of a man. "Vengeance is mine", says the Lord, and only the Lord knows the state of a man's heart and his relationship with Jesus. Therefore we are waiting on God for His judgment.