The LORD’S Countenance Beholds The Upright

In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain?”  For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
The LORD is in His holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men.
The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth. Upon the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.  For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; His countenance doth behold the upright.

Psalm 11:1-7

There is none who are righteous, so there is none who are upright;  except One.

That One is the ever living Son of God who paid the price for our sin.  The costs of our sin is death, and in the death of Jesus Christ the Righteous One, He became sin for us; He became our unrighteousness, so that we  might become the righteousness of God.

How can that be?  The holy, righteous, sinless, Son of God was born as a babe in a manger, so that He became flesh, like we are, yet without sin; because He was God Incarnated and cannot sin. Yet, when He was nailed to that cross He was everything that God hated, and the Father poured out all His wrath on our sin, the wrath that should have been mine and yours.

We are saved by grace through faith in the gift of the cross, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  So we must call on His name by faith in Him, confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believing that Jesus was raised from the dead we will be saved.  Being made the righteousness of God, we shall see the countenance or the face of God.

The Wicked and the Upright

An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.
When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

Proverbs 11:9-11

Encouragement For The LORD’S Righteous

The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth.
Upon the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: the portion of their cup.
For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; His countenance doth behold the upright.
Psalm 11:5-7

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.  For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
Proverbs 3:25-26

The Rejoicing and Exalted City

“When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.”  Proverbs 11:10-11  (KJB)

The Poor, The Law and The Upright

“He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. 

He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. 

Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.”  Proverbs 28:8-10 (KJB)

Thoughts Of The Righteous; Words Of The Wicked

“The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.”  Proverbs 12:5-6  (KJB)

Keep The Paths Of The Righteous

“…None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.”  Proverbs 2:19-22  (KJB)

The Directed Way; and The Fall

“The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.”  Proverbs 11:5-6  (KJB)

Foundations of the Righteous

“In the LORD put I my trust. How say you to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain?’ For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:1-3 (KJB)

The Treasure of Wisdom

Wisdom’s Gold,  and a Honeycomb – Proverbs 16:16-24

Verse 16 –  The worth of wisdom and understanding compared to gold and/or silver.  What, if anything, is lost by having one without the other?  Prov. 3:13

Verse 17 – 19 —   Life is sometimes compared to a road.  Is that a good comparison?  Why?  How would you describe the “Highway of the upright?”  Think about what it means to stay on (“Keepeth his way”) that highway.
In what way does pride lead to destruction?  Is “Pride” some of the time, or all the time related to refusing to see and acknowledge there is a problem?  Jeremiah 49:16
The “Humble spirit” needs no spoils.  For verse 19 reference see Psalm 84:10.

Verse 20 – 24 —

“Prov. 16:20–24  These verses commend the speech characteristic of the wise of heart (vv. 21a, 23a): the wise consider their words carefully (vv. 20a, 23a) so that their words are both persuasive (vv. 21b, 23b) and good for body and soul (v. 24);  they exhibit faithfulness to God (v. 20b) and are considered discerning by others (v. 21a).  Such wisdom is a fountain of life, and foolish speech is empty of any such benefits (v. 22).”  Note from the ESV Study Bible

Pleasant and precious words are sweet and comes from hearts of wisdom of understanding (verses 16 and 24).

-Tim A. Blankenship