Proverbs 11:6
"The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the treacherous will be caught by their own greed"
This is another in this series of proverbs that reminds us what righteousness fully-embraced in a person's life is able to do.
Notice that Solomon separates righteousness from the person who acts righteously. He acts as though it is a separate entity. It is your righteousness that will speak to you. It will deliver you. It will smooth your way.
Basically he is saying that righteousness – when embraced as a lifestyle – does generate its own power in your life. It steers you around many problems and protects you from those that come to destroy you.
It is actually extremely realistic in its portrayal of problems coming to the righteous person. Too many other religious epics seem to suggest that the truly righteous person is excused of all problems. Notice that God gives it to the believer straight: You will have problems – even if you are righteous – but you will be shown a way out of the problem. It is the process of agonizing for a solution that is guaranteed. God will send, through righteousness, a solution to the dilemma.
Now, it is often thought that it is outside of strict righteousness that deliverance is to be found. But this is not so. When a person asks themselves what is the truly God-honoring right thing to do, they come up with a way that will deliver themselves from unseen troubles and a proper solution.
but the treacherous will be caught by their own greed
It is the desire more for selfish gain that does not allow the treacherous person to escape from the scam. The con man always gets the sucker to make a little illegal money before he moves for the big score. It is the greed of the person that draws them into the trap.
Be careful and do not be sucked into something that is just a little on the sly or just barely illegal. If the product or service does not really help people or it is illegal to do it, then one should move away from it no matter how lucrative it is.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz