“The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity and seek to kill the upright.”
If you read two commentaries on this verse you are most likely going to find two, maybe even three, explanations for the second part. What they all do agree on though is that someone who lives with integrity so irritates the one who is committed to not living that way that it produces envy, jealousy, anger and, over time, rage. When living in the darkness the light hurts their eyes and they want to get rid of it. When possible those people try to avoid the person or people of integrity. When they work together or find themselves in other unavoidable settings they will work to destroy that bright light. The other part means that the person of integrity rises above the hatred of the persecutor and tries to bring them to Christ. As Luther says, “to enter into friendship with him” for the purpose of his lost soul being enlightened. Another interpretation we find is that the friends of the man of integrity come to his rescue and protect him from the evil person or people. Which ever it is this is a powerful truth about the difference in the heart of the people of integrity and those of the wicked. A few years ago I saw a person who had a few people attempt to destroy her career. As this plot unfolded some of her friends recognized what was happening and stepped it, created a new company and put her in charge. The first company is essentially a shell of what it was while her new company is growing so fast that they are hanging on for dear life to stay out front of it. The reality of this verse and story is that integrity always wins. Leaving the definition of a win to God, scripture clearly promotes the path of integrity, always. Today walk in God’s path of integrity. #BeTheEdge
“…my enemy does not triumph over me. Because of my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.”Psalms 41:11b-12 NIV
