Proverbs 20:22

Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and He shall save thee.

As you read through the Book of Proverbs and compare the lessons contained therein with the rest of divinely revealed Scripture, you will soon discover that most of the basic truths of the entire Bible are contained in this book, in capsule form. This little book of wisdom could be called a “Pocket Bible” The principle contained in this verse, for example, is repeated many times throughout Scripture (reference Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30; Rev. 6:10).

Man is different from the animals in that he was created in God’s image “in righteousness.” He has a keen sense for justice, whereas dogs do not care much about injustices. Have you ever seen a dog carry a placard calling for equal pay for dogs and cats, or arguing for a political cause? Since man fell into sin, he no longer has the right standard for justice. He fights for the wrong causes, elects the wrong candidates to office, and argues passionately for the wrong positions. But he is still doing more than dogs will do. He has a commitment to righteousness and justice because he was created in the image of God.

Part of man’s commitment to justice is seen in his desire to take revenge on those who have done him wrong. Let us say that a neighbor steals Joe’s chickens. Now Joe is angry with the neighbor, but not because the man has violated one of God’s commandments. The man has violated Joe’s commandments. Therefore, Joe feels as if he must take vengeance upon this neighbor and make him pay. Joe acts out of a commitment to justice, but it is a commitment to Joe’s justice and not to God’s justice. If Joe were committed to God’s justice, he would leave the rightful punishment (or vengeance) in the hands of God.

When people want to reserve the right to hurt somebody for hurting them, they fail to see that God is the just Judge and they are not. They are trying to play the part of God. Suppose that one piece of dust fell on another piece of dust, breaking it in half. Does the damaged piece of dust have any right to revenge? I think we would readily see the absurdity of such an idea! Without God, we are all just random particles of matter falling through a universe of chance. If there is evil, it is because somebody has violated God’s law, and if somebody has violated God’s law, he must pay the God Whom he violated. Therefore, with our God-given desire for justice, let us be willing to wait upon the Lord to execute His justice in His time. Even if we are abused, tortured, or martyred for our faith, we can rest in the assurance that God will avenge every evil ever committed against us according to His timing (Luke 18:7–8). This exempts us from any inclination toward bitterness, unrest, anxiety, anger, or fear in response to the evils that men do.

But we are told in this verse to wait upon the Lord for His salvation. What does this have to do with God’s avenging justice? If God will save us, He must do something about the evil that threatens to overwhelm us both spiritually and physically in this sin-laden world.

Proverbs 20:23

Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.

God cares about accurate and honest weights in business transactions. What people perceive they are receiving for their goods and services should be, in fact, what they are receiving. If they believe that they are receiving one ounce of silver for twenty pounds of apples, then it should be one ounce of silver and not 0.95 ounces of silver. If somebody tricks them into believing that one piece of paper with somebody’s picture stamped on it is worth more than another piece of paper with somebody else’s picture stamped on it, when in truth it isn’t worth any more than a piece of paper, then we have a violation of this principle. Herein lies the danger of paper money that is not backed by some known commodity of value. God wants honesty in trade, and anything short of that is a heinous, abominable crime in His eyes.

For related commentary, reference Proverbs 20:10.

Family Discussion Questions:

1. Why is it that we do not have a right to take vengeance on those who offend us?

2. What does salvation have to do with recompensing evil (verse 22)?

3. Suppose we are selling lemonade out on the road in front of our house. How might we give customers the impression they are receiving something of higher value than what they are really getting?