24. Fear of the wicked. That is, the apprehension of calamity that haunts the wicked. Although many evildoers go along in their wicked pathway in apparent heedlessness of the inevitable results of their course, they are haunted, at times, by gloomy fears of the future. The fool seeks to dispel these fears and tries to make light of the prospect before him, but it is still there.
The wicked man can never have his full desire. What he wants is to go his own way and yet be happy. He wants to sow evil and yet reap good. But this can never be. It is the very nature of sin that it inevitably brings misery and death, however long the coming of the penalty may be delayed (see James 1:15).
The good man desires to be regenerated so that he may do good and be good. It is his purpose to walk in the way of life and happiness. The more he so desires, the easier it is for God to grant him his desires. Happiness is as inevitable a consequence of righteousness as sorrow is of sin (see Gal. 6:7).