A man will not be established by wickedness,
But the root of the righteous will not be moved…
12 The wicked man desires the booty of evil men,
But the root of the righteous yields fruit, (12:3, 12).
It’s important to recognize what this passage does not proclaim. We are not established in and of ourselves. We do not bear fruit in and of ourselves. Only in Jesus, the Root of the Righteous, will there be anything of endurance or value.
Consider Him, the Root of the Righteous
When God spoke through the prophets, He promised His Messiah would come through the line of David, the Root Who would keep His covenant commandments in perfect Righteousness.
The Lord has sworn to David
A truth from which He will not turn back:
“Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.
12 “If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I will teach them,
Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forever,” (Psalm 132:11-12).
Throughout God’s Word, we see Jesus as the Root of the Righteous in prophecy foretold, prophecy fulfilled, and prophecy yet to be fulfilled.
Prophecy Foretold:
Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor,
And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth;
And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins,
And faithfulness the belt about His waist, (Isaiah 11:1-5).
Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him, (Isaiah 53:1-3).
Prophecy Fulfilled:
For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, 9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,
“Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles,
And I will sing to Your name.”
10 Again he says,
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”
11 And again,
“Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,
And let all the peoples praise Him.”
12 Again Isaiah says,
“There shall come the root of Jesse,
And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles,
In Him shall the Gentiles hope.” (Romans 15:8-12).
Prophecy yet to be Fulfilled:
Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; 5 and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals,” (Revelation 5:5).
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star,” (Revelation 22:16).
Scripture is clear; Jesus Christ is the Root of the Righteous, and if we are Rooted in Him, we will bear the fruit of His Righteousness. Consider the fruit conveyed throughout Proverbs 12:
self-controlled (vs 1), favored (vs 2), established (vs 3), healthy relationships (vs 4), just and right thinking (vs 5), life-giving words (vs 6), stability (vs 7), honorable reputation (vs 8), humility (vs 9), mercy (vs 10), devoted (vs 11), fruitful (vs 12), safe (vs 13), satisfied (vs 14), fulfilled (vs 14), teachable (vs 15), prudent (vs 16), truthful (vs 17), discerning (vs 18), peace and joy (vs 20), faithfulness (vs 22), discretion (vs 23), perseverance (vs 24), serenity (vs 25), wisdom (vs 26), possessing diligence (vs 27), life (vs 28).
How do we respond to Him, the Root of the Righteous?
Oh, how very much we have to be grateful for. How amazing it is that He has given us so much; and every bit of it is all from Him.
Oh, that we would overflow with continual joy, prayer and thanksgiving as we learn to walk by faith, rooted in Him, the Root of the Righteous.
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude, (Colossians 2:6-7).
Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus, (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Let us ask Him to strengthen us in our inner man, to grow us in our understanding of all that we have in Him, the Root of the Righteous, that we would be so rooted in His love that we would in turn demonstrate His love to others.
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God, (Ephesians 3:16-19).
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God, (1 John 4:7).
Lord, more than anything we desire Your blessing and favor, that we would bear fruit for Your kingdom. Lord, please grow our desire for Your Word, that we may daily find our delight in Your Truth and live our life rooted only in You, the Root of the Righteous.
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers, (Psalm1:3).
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me, (Galatians 2:20).