Text: Proverbs 28:1 (ESV)

1 The wicked flee when no one pursues,

but the righteous are bold as a lion.

THE RIGHTEOUS IS AS BOLD AS A LION

A coward is defensive. To be defensive even without an accusation is a sign of a guilty conscience, is it not? A person who feels guilty for something—or believes as much—may become excessive in attempts to clear their name. Their excessive claims of innocence seem insincere and overdone, to the point of suggesting guilt, instead.

Here, it depicts the morally guilty persons as paranoid, because of their bothered conscience. They act silly like the little boy who is afraid of his own shadow. They are haunted, leading them to assume that consequences are always just around the corner. In this torturous imagery, they are like criminals who are running away from law officers even when they are not aware of any crime has happened.

In the eyes of God, this attempt to "flee" from accountability is a common human response to God. Take for example the life of Jonah. When he refused to obey God, he boarded a ship that was bound for Tarshish, a destination as far from Nineveh as possible (Jon 1:1–3). During God’s judgment in the future, God will rain down wrath on the wicked, and the world leaders will try to hide from God. They will wish for landslides to cover them from His anger (Rev 6:15 –17).

By contrast, those with a clear conscience have no such fears.[ (Acts 24:16 , Heb 13:18 ] Lions are fearless by nature. They have no fear towards any predators or hostile enemies. They proceed with confidence and assurance, lacking fear, that is, they are "bold." The person who does right can be more courageous than a lion. They can rest assured that God will vindicate them in the end (1 Pet 3:16 . They have peace with God. And this peace is a genuine benefit of personal integrity (Psa 4:8; Prov 10:9).

Today, thank God that we can face boldly before God because of the righteousness of Christ [2Cor 5:21 ]. When we sin and we are bothered, let’s thank the Lord for it prompts us to seek for His forgiveness. Otherwise, we will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

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