"For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence"
Solomon continues with his descriptors of those who walk about in the wrong path.
wickedness
This is the Hebrew word reshawhich means wickedness, evil, ill-gotten. The boundaries of wickedness are the Ten Commandments. The person who begins breaking the Ten Commandments to get what they want and no longer even feels the guilt or shame or wrong of it, is wicked.
Many young people learn the power of lying, the power of stealing, the power of sex outside of marriage, the power of violence and intimidation, and they like how powerful they feel as teens and young adults. What they seldom figure out is that they are letting what they could become slip away while they feel powerful. Being great in high school only lasts four years and then you have to go on and make something of yourself. I have watched as men and women are still living for high school 20 years later.
violence
This is the Hebrew word chamaswhich means violence, wrong. No amount of force is too great if it gets them what they want. It is not that they are necessarily prone to violence; it is just that they will not rule it out. If it gets them what they want, then they are more than happy to use violence, force, and intimidation.
Do you know people who get their way through physical intimidation or actual physical violence? Begin moving away from that kind of person if it is at all possible. They are participating in wickedness rather than righteous dialogue. It is only a matter of time before their intimidation and violent ways are turned against you.
I have seen the tragedy of this in so many boyfriend and girlfriend relationships. The fellow is all cool and tough and strong. The young lady thinks that this is great because he is the meanest and most respected. But eventually he will turn his intimidating ways on her and it will no longer be cool.
Notice that Solomon sees this as the wine of violence. They become drunk on the power of violence to get what they want. It becomes so intoxicating that they act this way all the time.
Recognize the signals of undesirable people no matter what they tell you about themselves or who recommends them. If they have these characteristics, then get away from them.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz