By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
Proverbs 6:12-15
The word ‘Belial’ can be seen seventeen times in our Authorised Version of the Bible. It’s here in the Hebrew, translated ‘naughty.’
The description here is of a cocky rebel who thinks he’s cool. He is constantly shooting off his mouth in opposition to God and people. When he can’t get away with that, to quote Matthew Henry, ‘he expresses his malice when he dares not speak out.’ Hardly perceptible orders are given to his companions so that he can appear innocent. These are winks of the eye, a snap of the fingers, or such like.
It would be easy to think, ‘This does not apply to me. I’m no son or daughter of Belial. Those are really bad people.’
But the verses that follow describe seven abominations which describe the man or woman of Belial. This list of sins should describe what we abhor. It includes haughty looks, lying lips, murderous hands, dirty plots, sinful pursuits, misrepresentations of the truth, and slander that alienates friends.
Does that sound like what we see on TV?
May God help us to reflect on our lives, confess any sins of Belial, and be conformed to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the exact opposite of a man of Belial.
2 Corinthians 6:15 ‘What concord hath Christ with Belial?’ I must choose one or the other.
Father, help me hate what You hate and love what You love. Make me more like my Saviour and less like the sons of Belial. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.