THEOSISGregory the Great
Why do you now proclaim, "Let us pursue him and seek a basis for accusation against him"? Therefore, flee from the presence of the sword, for it serves as the enforcer of wickedness, and I know that there is judgment (Job 19:28-29). In the initial phrase, he condemned the deeds of the wicked, and in the subsequent thought, he illuminated the punishments that arise from Divine judgment. He asks, "Why do you now say, Let us persecute him and seek a basis for accusation against him?" Those who commit evil, having a distorted understanding of righteousness, present slanders and attempt to uncover fault in the words of the righteous, seeking to “find a basis for accusation against him” from which they might launch their disparagement, further spreading the branches of slanderous gossip.
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However, when a righteous individual encounters such behavior from the wicked, his response is not to retaliate but to grieve for them, denouncing the corruption that nourishes their hearts and urging them to avoid it. He implores, “Flee from the face of the sword, for it is the avenger of wickedness, and I know that there is judgment.” Those who persist in wrongdoing reveal their apathy towards fear, almost as if they are unaware that God’s judgment awaits. If they truly understood what they should dread, they would never engage in actions that lead to their punishment. Indeed, many acknowledge the reality of a final judgment in word, yet their lawless behavior betrays that they do not genuinely comprehend it. A lack of true fear indicates ignorance of the terror that such judgment entails; one who recognizes the gravity of it genuinely fears whether they will find mercy on the day of wrath.
To "flee from the face of the sword" means to seek to appease the severe judgment before it is enacted. The final judgment cannot be evaded by salvation post-factum; it is not manifest at present but can be appeased through prayers. However, when He presides over that terrifying judgment, He will be evident and no longer placated; for the injustices suffered in silence from the wicked will be repaid with wrath. Therefore, it is essential to revere the Judge now while the judgment is still unexecuted and while He remains patient, enduring the evil before His eyes. Once He extends His hand in retribution, His response at the judgment will be all the more severe for the time He has waited.