Judgment is simply carrying out that which is legally or morally right. To those who are striving to live just lives, it is a joy when that which is right and lawful is held as the standard of common practice. However, for those who are seeking to live outside of the law, the execution of judgment condemns them, and brings destruction as its consequence. It is important to understand that this passage is not contrasting the just with those who are completely debauched and given over to iniquity. I had a conversation with an individual who related a story concerning a friend who had just run onto some legal trouble. The man we were speaking about was described as a good guy, a family man who was well liked in the community and had a good reputation. However, somewhere along the way in his career, he became carried away with making illegal profits through backroom deals that were being covered up. I’m sure the first few made him nervous, but after a while I imagine it was old hat. By the time judgment caught up with this man, he was charged with 150 different accounts of legal violations. Were he to serve his full sentence, he would spend 600 years in prison. While this story and stories like it are sobering to hear, they illustrate the point that Solomon is making very clearly. The fear of the Lord begins with believing God when He speaks. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10).