Proverbs 12:2
“A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.”
Good: #2896-Bountiful, cheerful, at ease, gracious, kind, loving, merry, pleasant, prosperous, wealthy
Compare to the only one that is good-God- in Matthew 19:17-#18 which means “benefit”
Condemn: #7561- to declare wrong
What this verse is not saying is that if a person has wicked intent then God will send them to Hell. No, this verse is more loving, more personal than it may appear. A good man is a man who is bountiful, cheerful, at ease, gracious, kind, loving, merry, pleasant, and wealthy. Now we know that there are many people on this earth who meet some of those criteria, but the only man who is able to display all of them is a man who has been blessed by God and who is aware of it. Thus we gain perspective on the statement of our Lord Jesus when He said that there is only one who is good and that is God. The word “good” there is a Greek word that means to benefit. Jesus made clear in no uncertain terms that all benefit comes from God because it is His nature. Period. It is not the nature of any man. Period. When a man receives correction, and instruction, he is a humble man. When he believes what God has said about him and goes about his life in a manner that honors the Holy One, then the favor of God is poured out upon him. The notion of the pouring out of favor is expressed many ways in scripture but in practical real life, it appears in only one way. The good man receives favor from the Lord in the form of other humans. The favor is expressed in the way the good man is treated. He may receive financial blessing or provision, freedom and consideration where others may not, etc. This is the favor of God in manifestation.
Most importantly, it is to be understood that the “good” man is NOT a “good” man based on his self-righteous, pious, religious activity. He is a “good” man because he fully receives what God has called him and given him. In other words, his righteous is not his own lest he should boast.
Furthermore, the above verse from Proverbs intimately reveals the true heart of the wicked. More often than not, each one will declare his own goodness, but God will examine the heart and when He finds in a man wicked intent, He will declare that man wrong regardless of his piety. This is loving correction and if it is received, it will lead the man away from his bonds. If not received, it will bind him further. In this way, God offers freedom, love, favor, and salvation to all mankind.
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