Proverbs 2:12: Those people always act frowardly!

“delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,”
-Proverbs 2:12

In my research of this verse, I also read the King James Version, which reads, “To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things.”

And let me add that it will be a small miracle if I can catch my spellchecker as it changes every mention of “froward” and changes it for “forward.”

Like my spellchecker, I thought for sure the online version of the KJV misspelled something there. But no; according to dictionary.com, “froward” means “willfully contrary,” amongst other things.

Either translation will due, but both together tells us something. Solomon is speaking of men who speak evil, and they are doing so willfully, or on purpose.

The wisdom and discretion that the Spirit gives us will move us not only away from evil action (the “way of evil”), but also evil speech.

That’s a profound statement. I would say that most people think they are good people, but if you sit next to them at work or at dinner, you will hear all sorts of gossip, of glee at the misfortune of others, and so forth.

You ask someone if he is a good person, and immediately he will think about those people who murder or rape or steal. We judge ourselves against the worst this world has to offer, and we decide we’re pretty good.

Except, how many times is our speech froward? How many times is the way we talk to others just wrong? How much of our lives is spent on lust, greed, selfishness, and hatred?

Paul tells us that we are all slaves. In essence, we have enslaved ourselves to something, whatever it is we obey without fail. “You are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (Romans 6:16). That’s what this verse is talking about. The Spirit frees us from that slavery to sin and brings us in line with righteousness, in action and speech.

The truth is this. Whether I have actually killed someone is beside the point, I was still a sinner. In speech, thought, and action I betrayed God and others. I lusted, hated, and sought my own gain above others. I did not love.

If I compare myself to the worst of this world, I’m okay. But God’s standard is different. If we break any part of His perfect Law, then we are guilty of the entire thing (James 2:10). I am guilty, and I deserve death.

But Jesus was not guilty. He is the Son of God, come to earth as a man to die for me. And you. Even though He is innocent, He still died, and in that death He took my sins upon the Cross and paid their price for me. Then He rose from the dead to give us His Spirit and make a place for us with God for eternity.

And all I have to do is lay those sins upon Him and follow. If you repent from your sins and believe in Him, He will do the same for you. Because He rose from the dead, we can talk with Him today. Ask Him for His Grace.