Holy Boldness

“…The wicked flee when no man pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion ….” Proverbs 28:1

We are living in a day where Christian people are sorely afraid to be “Christians.” We are afraid to share our faith with others, let others know that we are Christians, who attends church regularly, or even how we give God all credit for the various accomplishments in our lives. In other ways, we are Christian who lack boldness for the development of our relationships with each other. We are afraid to be vulnerable with each other and expose areas of our lives that is rarely seen or discussed.

I believe the scriptures speak to the issue of “boldness” in many passages – in many applications and from many perspectives. The fact of the matter is: We need to be bold in our Christian living! We need to be bold in our relationships and in our interactions with each other. The Proverb writer (Solomon) speaks to this issue in a way that is righteously profound, encouraging and largely motivational.

In our text, a striking contrast is communicated with respect to boldness: The “fleeing of the wicked” and the “boldness of the righteous.” I think it is very important to understand both perspectives of this contrast to gain a larger understanding of Holy Boldness as we will discuss it in our lesson. First, deal with the first part of our contrast: The wicked.

The Hebrew word translated “wicked” is the word, Rasha` (raw-shaw) which is one (a person) who is hostile toward God and man – [“hostile” being antagonistic, unreceptive, unfriendly, harsh, insulting, and relationally unwilling]. I find it very interesting that Solomon says in the text, “…the wicked FLEE when no man pursues….” The quest becomes (at least for me), why is the wicked fleeing when no man is chasing [pursuing]? Well, the word “flee” here is the Hebrew word, Nuwc (noos) which is the seeking of an escape through anti-social aggression, and the seeking of a type of comfort by upholding [or up lifting] a sadistic standard whereby there is a flying away, hiding, disappearance, running away and departure. We need to know that this word has a Hebrew tense that indicates “reflection” and “relationship”, which essentially means that the “fleeing” is could be literal and metaphoric. For instance, a wicked may be wicked because he is seeking to hide from himself, his history, or something that has shamed his life. It could be a broken relationship with another person (as with a parent, guardian, lover or friend). WOW! Let me hasten to the second part of our contrast.

Solomon continues to say, “…the righteous are as bold as a lion….” The word “Bold” here is the word, Batach (baw-takh) which is a secure trust in attitude, action and ability – to possess confidence and safety in progress and production. Oh but this “boldness” is only the possession of “The Righteous”, which (in this passage) is the Hebrew Tsaddiyq (tsad-deek') which is one who is willingly governed to be just in conduct, in character, and in the lawful cause of their government. WOW! I wish I had more time and space to really deal with what this is saying (let the Lord speak to you concerning these). In other words, my “boldness” (as a righteous man) is based solely on the disposition of my complete personal surrender (my willing government). It is the foundation of my cognitive influence (my attitude, confidence & actions). IN other words, I’ll go where God sends me, do what God tells me, say what God gives me – nothing more and nothing less! In this my “Holy Boldness” springs forth and presents it demand upon the world around us, as well as within us… deep down on the inside of us!

Therefore, we don’t need to RUN FROM anything, but RUN TO GOD! He is our sufficiency - the source of our supply and our Righteous Governor! He knows what we need, where to send us and what we can accomplish for Him. Are you boldly moving forward or are you running away like the wicked?

“…For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed….” Isaiah 50:7

Grace & Peace,
Roc