Proverbs chapter 28

vs 10

Most times, I suppose wicked people leading the upright along an evil path are setting traps for them, trying to catch them out on purpose. It might not be to hurt them really, but to convince them to what they think is right. But apparently, leading someone astray makes God angry, and he'll take some umbrage at it. People who are wanting to do the right thing, though, God has something good in store for them.

vs 11

Richness doesn't equal wisdom. Although wisdom can often equal richness. People can inherit money, though, and so think they're so smart, when they really don't have a clue. Wealth does not make right, any more than might is right.

vs 12

It's not universally true, unfortunately. Sometimes people want the slightly dirty person to win, to make thier slightly dirty lives a little bit easier to live. But it doesn't last, usually. People don't always like having righteous people in power, but it is good to know that justice will be done well.

vs 13

This is the opposite of what you would think would be the case. Surely if you go around making your sin known, people will think, "Why can't he just hide it like everyone else? Now I have to acknowledge that he's sinful." But God thinks differently. He wants us to acknowledge that we're sinful, and then he'll forgive us. Can't hide it from him anyway.

vs 14

How easy it is to harden your heart to God when there's something you want that he doesn't, or when you disagree with him. It's easy to fear a king when you know he might give an order at any time to kick your ass. We never see God like that. Kind of odd.

vs 15

So it's uncontrollable and dangerous to them, I am assuming. It will destroy them. It would be awful to have that said of you.

vs 16

Not that tyrannical leaders won't have a long reign. But those who are fair will usually reign a while. People like fairness, generally. Except powerful evil people who are used to getting their own way. In fact, most people today don't care about fairness. They just want their way. There's a guy who has been sueing people and going to court for 14 years now, and who doesn't care that he might be wrong - he is so convinced that no-one but him can be right that it has eaten his whole life, and he is a joke to most of us. That's what appeals do - they make people think, "If I can't get what I want, I'll keep trying" and of course they just end up giving all their money to lawyers.

vs 17

Is this seriously saying that if someone wants to kill themselves because they killed someone, let them do it? What does that say about God and suicide? It's interesting, because the NIV and the NASB take a different line - that a killer will be a fugitive forever, till he dies, and no-one will support him. Which obviously is easier to read and accept in modern terms, but interesting that the TNIV has reverted to the KJV reading here.

vs 18

The constant references to being blameless or righteous as a walk obviously means this is a good picture. The idea of the evil falling into holes or pits or traps just keeps coming up. This is an important message, and so gets repeated, and the same picture used.