“Like a muddied spring

          or a polluted well

     is a righteous man who gives way

           to the wicked.”

 

At the outset, my kids knew what to do.  After the prayer, declarations, and intro., they did their best to explain the seed of wisdom in this Proverb.  They did it so well, I found myself nodding in agreement as each offered another insight.  A fresh spring would normally be an answered prayer to the thirsty.  A muddied spring would only hold frustration.  My kids knew who to trust and who was not trustworthy.  Who gives way to the wicked?  Even my Bible in its notes pointed out why – bribery.  This would then make the righteous man willing to trade his righteousness if the price was right.  We talked about the saying, “Everyone has a price,” and explained it like on a set of scales.  Righteousness doesn’t make money in this world.  It is of a different currency whose cashed-in reward comes from God alone.  However, there is another who would trade your righteousness for the coin of this world.  It is all he can offer, and it was enough for Judas, Matthew 26:15.

 

This brought us to my favorite part, answering the question, “How did Jesus fulfill this proverb to make us into new creations?”  Again, this proverb points out the loss.  The righteous man is no longer trustworthy who accepts a bribe.  Jesus, before He was betrayed, prayed, “Not my will but Yours be done.” Luke 22:42.  This was the opening of a greater way than of yielding to the wickedness of the wicked that the bribe purchased which parted the righteous from their righteousness.  This was the opening of the Way, the Truth and the Life, John 14:6, purchased by His Blood shed for us which paid our price, 1 Corinthians 6:20.  For as Paul said in Romans 3:23-24, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” so a way had to have been opened for us.  It was through Jesus, the Righteous One, 1 Peter 2:22, that such a Way was made, Isaiah 43:19.  One that would part the wicked from their wickedness and be made new restoring hope for the lost, Luke  15:5.  One that made our muddied spring into one of Living Water, John 7:37-39.