Nope, He Won’t Learn Righteousness
Published on Facebook, July 15, 2011
By Bud Powell
I can't [won't]
7
The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of
the just.
8
Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire
of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
9
With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me
will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the
inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
10
Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the
land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of
the LORD.
11
LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be
ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall
devour them. --Isaiah 26
Isaiah
is emphasizing a theme that runs through the Bible. The wicked has no
heart for righteousness or for the things of God. His eyes are blind, his
will is bound with fetters of sin, his mind is corrupt, and his ears are deaf
to the things of God
But
God is none of these things. He is not blind; He does all His will which
is good and wise; He wisdom is unsearchable, and He hears the cries of His
people. The righteous know this and cast their care upon Him and find
peace.
No
amount of favor showed to the wicked will change him. His problem is not
that he hasn't been loved enough. God is good to all, but the wicked are
not changed by that love. He sends rain and sun, day and night; He causes
men to recover from sicknesses; He gives them babies and food and drink.
In all this they are not thankful and worship false gods or nothing at
all. The wicked man is, after all, wicked. He is not above blaming
God and good people for not showing him enough favor and love. This is
one of the marks of his wickedness.
No
amount of affliction will cause the wicked to change: Pr 27:22
"Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle,
yet will not his foolishness depart from him." 2Pe 2:22 "But it
is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his
own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the
mire."
Things
and people are always true to their own natures. The wicked are wise in
their own conceits, and can develop a masterful apologetic to excuse their bad
behavior. Isa 44:20 "He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath
turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie
in my right hand?"
Even
though he cannot say it, the lie in his hand says it for him, for the lie is
always true to its nature, too, and cries out, "I'm a lie, I'm a lie, I'm
a lie!"
Where,
then, is hope? It is in God alone. Isa 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake
his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD,
and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly
pardon." Just as Christ commanded the man to stretch forth his
withered hand, Lazarus to come forth from the tomb, the crippled man to rise,
take up his bed and walk, so the command of Christ to the elect comes as a
command to do what they cannot do, but the command carries the life, the vigor,
the healing, and those that hear shall live.
Eph.
2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Php
1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good
work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ..."
Whosoever
will may come; whosever won't, won't. If he won't come, he remains bound
in his sins; if he does come, he comes in the liberty of the Spirit and Gospel
of Christ.
