Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness
Insensibility of the wicked
God has written, and spread before mankind, three large books, all of which are legible and intelligible to such as have eyes to see and a disposition of mind to read them with attention.
These are, the books of Nature, of Scripture, and of Providence. None of these books should be despised, overlooked, or neglected. To this last our attention is called by the words of the text.
I. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN LEARNING RIGHTEOUSNESS. It is true righteousness which is here meant.
1. Not hypocritical righteousness, like that of many of the Pharisees.
2. Not ceremonial righteousness, like that of most of the Jews, who confided in circumcision and other ceremonies of their law.
3. Not partial and inconstant righteousness, such as the tithing of “mint, and anise, and cummin,” and the neglecting of “the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith” (Matthew 23:23).
4. Not merely external righteousness, such as that of St. Paul before his illumination, and that of all unawakened sinners.
5. Not our own righteousness (Philippians 3:9); a righteousness proceeding from and terminating in ourselves, performed by the mere strength of nature, and in obedience to an outward law; which implies neither forgiveness of the past, nor renovation for the present, nor holiness for the future, but leaves the soul under guilt, and in its natural state of depravity and weakness.
6. True righteousness is intended: that which was possessed by “righteous Abel” and others. It is that righteousness through which “grace reigns unto eternal life” (Romans 5:21). This righteousness must be learned by experience and practice. We must be heartily convinced of our unrighteousness, humbled on that account, and brought to repentance. We must cordially embrace Christ by faith. Consider the vast importance of learning righteousness in this sense. All other learning, as of sciences, arts, gaining wealth, or power, or honour, is, compared to this, insignificant.
This is the end of all providential dispensations, and especially of God’s judgments in the earth: to teach us righteousness.
II. WHEN IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT MANKIND WILL LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS. “When Thy judgments are in the earth.” The judgments of God in Scripture often mean His ordinances, or His laws (Psalms 119:7; Ezekiel 5:6-8; Ezekiel 5:10). These, if attended to, would teach us righteousness. But, alas! they are neglected or abused. It becomes, therefore, necessary God should give us judgments of another kind, and such as are here chiefly meant, as the sword, the famine, and the pestilence (Ezekiel 7:15; Ezekiel 14:12-21). These visitations cause thoughtfulness. They cause a spirit of prayer for Divine light and grace; the rectifying of our mistaken views of God’s government of the world, and of the nature and obligation of holiness; the acknowledgment of His righteousness in thus correcting us; humiliation and contrition; hatred to sin, the evil of which we are now so severely taught; reformation of life; deadness to the world, the vanity and misery of which we now see and feel. They cause us to seek all our happiness in God, as the only certain source of felicity, and they cause subjection to His will; these judgments naturally tending to subdue us. They actually do produce this effect on the people of God, and on persons disposed to be His people (Isaiah 26:8-9). It is, moreover, highly reasonable they should have this effect. Those thus chastised may hereby see that God governs the world, and that He does not connive at sin, but severely punishes it; and that “it is an evil thing and bitter to forsake the Lord God,” whether as individuals, families, or as a nation. But it may be asked, Will not gentler methods answer the same end? To answer this inquiry brings me to show--
III. IF THEY DO NOT LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS THEN, THERE IS REASON TO FEAR THEY NEVER WILL (Isaiah 26:10). (J. Benson, D. D.)
Man’s wickedness provokes God’s wrath
I. SINNERS WALK CONTRARY TO GOD, and refuse to comply with the means used for their reformation, and to answer the intentions of them.
1. Favour is showed to them. Yet it is all in vain. They will not learn righteousness; will not be led to repentance by the goodness of God.
2. They live in a “land of uprightness,” where religion is professed and is in reputation, and the Word of God preached, and where they have many good examples set them; yet there they will deal unjustly, and go on frowardly in their evil ways. They that do wickedly deal unjustly both with God and man, and with their own souls. God’s majesty appears in all the dispensations of His providence, but they regard it not, and therefore study not to answer the ends of those dispensations.
3. God lifts up His hand to give them warning, that they may, by repentance and prayer, make their peace with Him; but they take no notice of it, are not aware that God is angry with them, or coming forth against them; “they will not see”--and none so blind as those that will not sea--who ascribe that to chance or common fate which is manifestly a Divine rebuke.
II. GOD WILL AT LENGTH BE TOO HARD FOR THEM. When He judgeth He will overcome. “They will not see, but they shall see.” They will not see the evil of sin, and particularly the sin of hating and persecuting the people of God; but they shall see, by the tokens of God’s displeasure against them for it, and the deliverances in which God will plead His people’s cause, that what is done against them He takes as done against Himself, and will reckon for it accordingly. “They shall see” that they have done God’s people a great deal of wrong, and therefore shall “be ashamed” of their enmity, and envy towards them, and then in usage of such it deserved better treatment. (Matthew Henry.)