Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
Despising God’s word brings destruction, while reverently fearing and obeying His commandment brings reward, joining warning and promise in the book’s teaching that God punishes evil and rewards piety. His word is truth carrying the message of life and eternal salvation, so to reject it is to reject the life it offers. The destruction appointed for the wicked who despise Him is utter ruin and complete annihilation, proving they are consumed and do not suffer endlessly in unending fire. In the time of the end His word includes the first angel’s announcement of the judgment and the third angel’s warning against worshiping the beast and receiving its mark, so to despise those messages is to despise His word and be destroyed, while the faithful heed His commandments and hold to the faith of Jesus. Despising the word also means admitting past truths such as the Flood, the overthrow of Sodom, and the first advent of the Saviour, yet disregarding what the Bible teaches about the future, including that the heavens shall pass away, that Jesus shall come in glory, that the dead know not anything, and that the soul that sinneth shall die.
Word and Reward
Proverbs presents God as one who rewards piety and punishes evil, and this saying belongs to that teaching by joining a warning with a promise. Despising God's word brings destruction, while reverently obeying and fearing his commandment brings reward, so contempt marks the appointed end of the wicked who despise him and reverence secures the reward of the obedient. The word carries the message of life and eternal salvation, so to reject it is to reject the very life it offers. God's word is truth.
Destruction of the Wicked
Destruction is the appointed end for the wicked who despise God, while reverence for the commandment brings reward. Those who despise God's word will be destroyed, and their punishment is utter ruin and complete destruction. That destruction means utter ruin and annihilation as the punishment of the wicked. The verse is an example of the Bible using destruction to describe the punishment of the wicked. It proves that the wicked are consumed and do not suffer eternally in an unending fire.
Contempt for the word belongs to man by nature. The natural man despises the word as one who hates God, does not know Him, has no thought of Him, and will not seek the Lord. He is stout-hearted and void of faith, and wanders helpless, blind, and darkened in heart and mind in the way that leads to death. The result is that he is condemned to endless death.
Despising Present Truth
In the time of the end God's word includes the first angel's message announcing the judgment and the third angel's warning against worshiping the beast and receiving its mark, and despising these messages is despising God's word and leads to destruction, while the faithful heed God's commandments and hold to the faith of Jesus. Despising the word means casting reflections on the Bible and disregarding what it teaches about the future while admitting past truths such as the destruction of the antediluvian world by water, the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the first advent, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Saviour. The despised future truths, believed by very few, are that the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, that Jesus shall come in the glory of his Father, that the dead know not anything, and that the soul that sinneth shall die. The fulfillment of prophecy in the first advent proves the prophecy of the second advent true, as it was in the days of Noah when they knew not until the flood took them away, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.
The unsupported position that the Sabbath was made for the Jews alone will collapse in the coming time of trouble, and many will perish. Pharaoh's refusal to obey fully, despite repeated warnings and mercy, illustrates the danger of rejecting God's commands, for despising God's word brings destruction while revering his command brings reward.
Religious scoffing that mocks Christianity with scorn and derision is despising God's word and brings destruction and severe punishment. Such scoffers are the least to be envied of all sinners, receive the poorest wages as followers of Satan, and will be punished more severely than any other transgressor against God.
Despising God’s word brings destruction, while reverently fearing and obeying His commandment brings reward, joining warning and promise in the book’s teaching that God punishes evil and rewards piety. His word is truth carrying the message of life and eternal salvation, so to reject it is to reject the life it offers. The destruction appointed for the wicked who despise Him is utter ruin and complete annihilation, proving they are consumed and do not suffer endlessly in unending fire. In the time of the end His word includes the first angel’s announcement of the judgment and the third angel’s warning against worshiping the beast and receiving its mark, so to despise those messages is to despise His word and be destroyed, while the faithful heed His commandments and hold to the faith of Jesus. Despising the word also means admitting past truths such as the Flood, the overthrow of Sodom, and the first advent of the Saviour, yet disregarding what the Bible teaches about the future, including that the heavens shall pass away, that Jesus shall come in glory, that the dead know not anything, and that the soul that sinneth shall die.
Word and Reward
Proverbs presents God as one who rewards piety and punishes evil, and this saying belongs to that teaching by joining a warning with a promise. Despising God's word brings destruction, while reverently obeying and fearing his commandment brings reward, so contempt marks the appointed end of the wicked who despise him and reverence secures the reward of the obedient. The word carries the message of life and eternal salvation, so to reject it is to reject the very life it offers. God's word is truth.
Destruction of the Wicked
Destruction is the appointed end for the wicked who despise God, while reverence for the commandment brings reward. Those who despise God's word will be destroyed, and their punishment is utter ruin and complete destruction. That destruction means utter ruin and annihilation as the punishment of the wicked. The verse is an example of the Bible using destruction to describe the punishment of the wicked. It proves that the wicked are consumed and do not suffer eternally in an unending fire.
Contempt for the word belongs to man by nature. The natural man despises the word as one who hates God, does not know Him, has no thought of Him, and will not seek the Lord. He is stout-hearted and void of faith, and wanders helpless, blind, and darkened in heart and mind in the way that leads to death. The result is that he is condemned to endless death.
Despising Present Truth
In the time of the end God's word includes the first angel's message announcing the judgment and the third angel's warning against worshiping the beast and receiving its mark, and despising these messages is despising God's word and leads to destruction, while the faithful heed God's commandments and hold to the faith of Jesus. Despising the word means casting reflections on the Bible and disregarding what it teaches about the future while admitting past truths such as the destruction of the antediluvian world by water, the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the first advent, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Saviour. The despised future truths, believed by very few, are that the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, that Jesus shall come in the glory of his Father, that the dead know not anything, and that the soul that sinneth shall die. The fulfillment of prophecy in the first advent proves the prophecy of the second advent true, as it was in the days of Noah when they knew not until the flood took them away, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.
The unsupported position that the Sabbath was made for the Jews alone will collapse in the coming time of trouble, and many will perish. Pharaoh's refusal to obey fully, despite repeated warnings and mercy, illustrates the danger of rejecting God's commands, for despising God's word brings destruction while revering his command brings reward.
Religious scoffing that mocks Christianity with scorn and derision is despising God's word and brings destruction and severe punishment. Such scoffers are the least to be envied of all sinners, receive the poorest wages as followers of Satan, and will be punished more severely than any other transgressor against God.