10.8 Right and wrong

When Scripture judges a person, it often names the heart. The heart is upright or crooked, pure or deceitful, whole or double, proud or humble. God "weighs the heart" (Proverbs 21:2). The soul is the one who answers for what is done: "the soul who sins shall die". The spirit is judged too: haughty or lowly, crushed or contrite. Chapter 12 takes this further.

Thoughts are part of this. They are judged: "the word of God … discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). They also do some of the judging themselves: "their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them" (Romans 2:15). And what I reckon to be wrong binds my conscience (Romans 14:14; Chapter 8).

Anger is one of the ways the inner being responds to wrong. Indignation states a norm: "he had done an outrageous thing in Israel … for such a thing must not be done" (Genesis 34:7). Nehemiah's anger moved first through counsel with himself, then into a charge: "I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles" (Nehemiah 5:7). But indignation can also defend a norm against a good act. The ruler of the synagogue, angry that Jesus healed on the Sabbath, says, "There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed" (Luke 13:14). Jesus answers by reframing the norm: "ought not this woman … be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" (13:16).

Fear leads into wrong, and Scripture says so in the wrongdoer's own words. "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice" (1 Samuel 15:24). Fear can be planted for that purpose: "he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin" (Nehemiah 6:13).

The fear of the Lord is joined with turning from evil.

Job "was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil" (Job 1:1).
"Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil" (Proverbs 3:7).
"By the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil" (Proverbs 16:6).
"The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil" (Proverbs 8:13).
"He who reveres the commandment will be rewarded" (Proverbs 13:13).

Hearing of a judgment is to bring fear, and an end to the wrong. "The rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you" (Deuteronomy 19:20; also 13:11; 17:13; 21:21).

The absence of fear is named alongside the wrong.

Of Pharaoh: "I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God" (Exodus 9:30).
"They do not say in their hearts, 'Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season'" (Jeremiah 5:24).
David to the Amalekite: "How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?" (2 Samuel 1:14).
God to Aaron and Miriam: "Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" (Numbers 12:8).
The wicked shoot "from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear" (Psalm 64:4).

Wrong done to the weak draws God's anger as surely as idols do (Exodus 22:23–24; Micah 6:8; Chapter 13).

Connections: with feeling (10.1), since indignation is the feeling of right and wrong, and fear can lead into wrong; with God (10.9), whose fear is joined with turning from evil; with thinking (10.4); with conscience (Chapter 8); into what goes wrong (Chapter 12).