"Though his hatred covers itself with guile, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly"
This is the fifth verse that deals with those who hate others. “He who hates” is how it is described in verse 24. This is the person who really wants another person's destruction or damage. This is because that person’s loss is in some form a gain for them. This loss, damage, or destruction may be monetary; it may be vocational; it may be sexual; it may be legal; it may be prestige; it may be psychological. But in each case it is a loss for one that is a gain for another.
Now Solomon describes with incredible accuracy the fact that these people who hate will cover over the loss to make it look like a win for everybody. They will cover over the loss so that it doesn't look like a loss. They deceive the people that they are using so that they can gain the pleasure, power, riches, or whatever they want.
guile
This is the Hebrew word massaon which means guile, lead astray, seduce. This is why young people must be taught that they cannot trust everyone. They must have a level of cynic in them to keep from being used by clever fools out in the world.
It pains me to see young girls taken advantage of by men who promise them all kinds of things to get the sensual pleasure that the men want while they are deeply damaging the girls. It pains me to watch young men be conned into silly get-rich-quick schemes and shady deals which profit only the person setting up the deals.
Force yourself to ask: What do I get out of this? What do you get out of this? What is the possible win and what is the possible loss? Do not be seduced by the size of the win if it requires lying, stealing, violence, sensuality; pass up the win because a big loss is coming.
Solomon declares that the wickedness of the people who hate will be displayed in the public arena, but often this is after they have destroyed lives, fortunes, families, etc. It will come out if they conned you, but that will not take back the pain and the loss. So do not get involved with people who are deeply selfish and are okay with others taking a loss in order for them to win.
This exposure of the wicked who take advantage of people is what the public justice system is for. People should not be able to cheat, steal, destroy, or damage others without some public accountability. When a society allows the wicked to flourish because what they are doing is not seen as evil, then the society is near judgment.
Do not be fooled by God's patience. He will not suffer wicked morality forever. There will be a day of reckoning.
Solomon wants us to know that there are people like this; they profit from your loss. Solomon says that these people are haters. This seems like a harsh term, but they really enjoy their profit which requires your loss so, therefore, they are people who hate. They don't want you to benefit; they want you to lose. They hate you. Don't fall for their sugar-coated offers and false promises.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz