Proverbs 3:32 (God Hates Difficult People and Hides His Word from Them)

If you like this blog, then you will like Get Wisdom, Get Understanding which is Pastor Wagner's commentary series on the book of Proverbs which is available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle. Find out more here. For all the blogs in this series, click here: Proverbs Commentary. Proverbs 3:32 "For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous." (Pro 3:32)

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God hates unreasonable and difficult people, so much so that He has chosen to conceal His word from them and reveal it instead to the righteous. This is the topic which Solomon takes up in this verse. For the froward is abomination to the LORD. Frowardness is a grave sin. A man who is froward is "disposed to go counter to what is demanded or what is reasonable; perverse, difficult to deal with, hard to please; refractory, ungovernable; also, in a wider sense, bad, evilly-disposed, ‘naughty’" (OED). A froward man is an abomination to God which is "the feeling or state of mind of combined disgust and hatred; abhorrence, detestation, loathing" (OED). In other words, God hates, abhors, detests, loathes, and is disgusted with those who are ungovernable, difficult to deal with, and are disposed to go counter to what is demanded and reasonable. By way of the preposition for, which connects this verse with Pro 3:31, we see that oppressors are froward and are therefore an abomination to God. The Bible tells us that a man with frowardness in his heart "deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord" (Pro 6:14). It is little wonder then that the wisdom of God, personified in Proverbs chapter eight, says, "the froward mouth, do I hate" (Pro 8:13). Who could blame God for hating something that any decent, right-thinking man himself hates? God responds in kind to the actions of men. To those who are free from corruption and defilement, God will be kind; but to those who are stubborn and butt-headed, God will be difficult to deal with, as David said, "With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward" (Psa 18:26). The froward man therefore has a life of difficulty ahead of him, as Solomon wisely observed: "Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them" (Pro 22:5). The aforementioned are additional reasons to choose none of the ways of the oppressor (Pro 3:31). But his secret is with the righteous. A secret is something which is "kept from knowledge or observation; hidden, concealed; from public knowledge, or from the knowledge of persons specified; not allowed to be known, or only by selected persons" (OED). God has hid His wisdom from the wise and prudent and revealed it unto babes.

Mat 11:25-26 - At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.

The Lord conceals His truth from the wicked and reveals it to the righteous: "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant" (Psa 25:14). Those who fear not God have no right to know the Lord's secrets. But it's not only the wicked who are kept in the dark by God. According to His sovereign will, God kept much of the gospel secret, even from the righteous, for thousands of years until Christ came and revealed it personally during His earthly ministry and through the apostles and prophets by their preaching and written scriptures.

Mat 13:34-35 - All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Mat 13:16-17 - But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Rom 16:25-26 - Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: Eph 3:4-5 - Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

God keeps His secrets hidden from the wicked in plain sight. Jesus taught openly in public and spoke nothing in secret, but He taught by way of parables to hide the truth from the froward, hardhearted Jews, while at the same time, and by the same means, He revealed it unto His righteous, softhearted disciples.

Joh 18:20 - Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Mar 4:10-12 - And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

Another method that God uses to reveal His word to the righteous, and at the same time conceal it from the froward, is by composing it in such a manner that scripture must be compared with scripture to be understood. A particular doctrine of the Bible is not found in one chapter like it would be in books authored by men, but it is rather scattered throughout the scriptures, here a little and there a little. In order to understand the doctrine of the Bible, verses must be compared with each other to explain each other. Those who are willing to put in the effort will be rewarded by understanding the will of God; those who are not will be tripped up by the Bible and fall into error.

1Co 2:13 - Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Isa 28:9-13 - Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

While God has revealed much of Himself and His will to His obedient children, there are still some secret things that belong unto God alone and none else.

Deut 29:29 - The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Just what exactly are the secret things that belong to God? I don't know, because they are secret.