And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
This verse transcends its particular historical situation1 and applies to every generation. While its provenance is interesting and instructive, let us focus on its sense as a general axiom for life in this world.
The form is antithetical poetic parallelism; noting this is a key to sound interpretation. The conjunction “but” is a word of contrast between the thoughts in line one and line two. Note two basic ideas: 1) “Such as do wickedly against the covenant” are contrasted with “the people that do know their God.” 2) Being “corrupted by flatteries” is contrasted with “knowing their God, being strong, and doing exploits.”
I. Two Kinds of People
Fundamentally, the text categorizes everyone morally into one of two classes: “such as do wickedly” and “the people that do know their God.” The “general import” of the text is explained this way: “The ungodly shall become heathen, i.e., shall wholly apostatize from the true God; but, on the other hand, the pious shall be strengthened in their confidence in the Lord.”2 This is wholly consistent with the biblical worldview. The sinners and the saints, the unrighteous and the righteous, the ungodly and the godly, the perishing and the persevering, the lost and the saved, the unbelievers and the believers, the unconverted and the Christians, the hell-bound and the heaven-bound—as much as such discrimination makes us squirm, it is inescapably scriptural.
“Those acting wickedly against the covenant”3 identifies the wicked by their unfaithfulness to God. OT Israel was outwardly and formally in covenant with the LORD. They were “covenant people,” and this distinguished them from the pagan idolaters, the uncircumcised Gentiles without the covenant sign. Sadly, not all the Jews were faithful in their hearts to the LORD. They did not love Him supremely; they did not keep His commandments except, at best, in some formal and external manner. They were guilty of spiritual infidelity, a gross breach of their covenant obligations. We may infer from the contrast in line two that they did not truly know God.
All the righteous are characterized by their knowing God, not just knowing about God (John 17.3). J. I. Packer summarizes its essence:
Knowing God involves, first, listening to God’s Word and receiving it as the Holy Spirit interprets it, in application to oneself; second, noting God’s nature and character, as His Word and works reveal it; third, accepting His invitations and doing what He commands; fourth, recognizing and rejoicing in the love that He has shown in thus approaching you and drawing you into this divine fellowship.4
What is your fundamental character and identity, then? What kind of person are you, really? “Know thyself” is still good advice (2 Cor 13.5).
II. Two Kinds of Behavior
The conduct of the wicked is described in the active and passive voice. First, they “do wickedly” (1 Sam 24.13). They are free moral agents responsible for their own acts. But they are also influenced by evil from without. “He” here is the tempter who “corrupts [the wicked] by flatteries.” “He shall seduce with flattery” (ESV). The proud inevitably follow the flatterer into ruin (Prov 26.28). Without an intimate and saving knowledge of God, they are easy prey for the devil and his infernal agents.
The righteous, knowing God, are “strong and do exploits,” or, “stand firm and take action” (ESV). Exploits is a terrific word in this passage, meaning, “bold and daring feats” (SOED), “notable and heroic acts” (MWCD). God strengthens His people to do right no matter what! John Gill commented,
Such who knew the Lord God of Israel to be the true God, and owned and acknowledged Him as such; and not only professed Him, but served and worshipped Him, having a spiritual knowledge of Him, and communion with Him; and therefore could not be drawn off from Him and His worship by flatteries or frowns, by promises or menaces: these were strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might; they held fast their religion, and the profession of it, and were proof [impervious] against all allurements or threatenings, and endured racks and tortures, all sorts of punishment, and death in every shape, with the greatest constancy and courage.5
There is no more difficult or painful calling than following Christ crucified, the self-denying, gratification-delaying, true-to-God-at-all-costs and always-put-others-first Son of God. In ourselves, we lack the spiritual resources even to begin in His courageous footsteps. But we can “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Eph 6.10; cf. Phil 4.13). And we shall be, by His grace, as the people who know their God. “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Prov 28.1). Courage, my brethren! Courage! Ω
Notes:
1 The great persecution of Jews under Antiochus Epiphanes in the second century BC. Any good commentary explains the broad historical context.
2 Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996). Commentary on the Old Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.
3 Young, R. (1997). Young’s Literal Translation. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
4 Packer, J. I. (1973). Knowing God (electronic ed.). Downers Grove: InterVarsity, ch. 3.
5 In loc.