The Bible says in Proverbs 6:20-23, My son, keep
thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:[21]
Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.[22]
When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.[23] For the
commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are
the way of life: Verse 20 is basically a restating of one of the Ten
Commandments. Of the Ten Commandments only one of them addresses the
parent-child relationship, and it puts the responsibility on the children to
have the right attitude towards the parents. It says, Honor thy mother and thy father that thy days may be long
upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
The primary responsibility of the parent is to teach the children. That is why
it says in Ephesians 6:4, And ye fathers,
provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord. Nurture and
admonition both refer to the teaching of children. This implies that the
parents are Christian parents who are giving out good instruction, and the good
instruction involves the Word of God. But the good instruction must be received
with the proper attitude and the desire to learn. Verse 23 says, For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light. This makes it clear that the godly parents are teaching
the Word of God: in the Old Testament that was the commandments and the law.
Notice that the end of Proverbs 6:23
says reproofs of instruction are the way of life. As you
continue to take in instruction from the Word of God, it will reprove you from
time to time. That is part of the process of following Christ. No one has
arrived. Everyone needs reproof in order to know what
in their life needs correction and improvement. It says in Second Timothy
3:16-17, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:[17] That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
The Bible says in Proverbs 6:24-35, To keep thee
from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.[25]
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her
eyelids.[26] For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece
of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.[27] Can a
man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?[28] Can one
go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?[29] So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife;
whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.[30]
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;[31]
But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance
of his house.[32] But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth
his own soul.[33] A wound and dishonour shall
he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.[34] For jealousy is
the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.[35]
He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest
content, though thou givest many gifts.
The book of Proverbs spends a lot of time warning young men to not chase after
loose women. King Solomon would have understood very well the terrible outcome
that can result from adultery. Most people have heard of the unhappy outcome
when Solomons father, King David, committed adultery with Bathsheba. Verse 25
says, Lust not after her beauty in thine
heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. Yes, women are beautiful. God created the attraction of
the sexes, and God did a very good job. The billions of people in the world
bear evidence to Gods design having worked out very well. But your attraction
to the opposite sex should be a factor in leading you to the person that you
will marry, but once you are married all of your
affection and desire must be directed only to your spouse.
The Bible says in Proverbs 7:1-5, My son, keep
my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.[2] Keep my commandments,
and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.[3] Bind them upon thy
fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.[4] Say unto wisdom,
Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:[5] That they
may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. Once again
Solomon seems to be pleading with his son to please obey the fathers commands,
and to love the instructions, and to remember the instructions. If a young man finds
wisdom, there will be one very important result according to this passage: he
will avoid the loose women.
Solomon goes into a very vivid
description of what takes place when a prostitute attracts a young man to go
with her. The Bible says in Proverbs 7:6-23, For at the window of my house
I looked through my casement,[7] And beheld among the simple ones, I
discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
[8] Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to
her house,[9] In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark
night:[10] And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an
harlot, and subtil of heart.[11] (She is loud
and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:[12] Now is she without,
now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)[13] So she
caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,[14]
I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.[15]
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have
found thee.[16] I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with
carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.[17] I have perfumed my bed with
myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.[18] Come, let us take our fill of love until
the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.[19] For the goodman is
not at home, he is gone a long journey:[20] He hath taken a bag of money
with him, and will come home at the day appointed.[21] With her much
fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced
him.[22] He goeth after her straightway, as an
ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the
correction of the stocks;[23] Till a dart strike through his liver; as a
bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth
not that it is for his life. Solomon is going into great detail to describe how it works when a young man is
seduced by a beautiful but loose woman. It happens. It has happened many times.
We know what happened to Samson with Delilah, and we know how Joseph had to run
from Potiphers wife. What can help a man to not fall into the trap of running
after loose women instead of running away from them? According to the
information given here in the book of Proverbs, it is important to understand
the final outcome of someone who falls for such a
temptation: ruin, suffering, misery, sorrow, regret, trouble, and even death.
If you lose your wife, lose your family, lose your reputation, lose your
health, and lose fellowship with the Lord, then that certainly is a type of
death. As it says in verse 23, Till a dart
strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the
snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
The Bible says in Proverbs 7:24-27, Hearken unto
me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.[25]
Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.[26]
For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by
her.[27] Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of
death. Verse 26 makes it clear that many have fallen into the
temptation of immorality: many strong men
have been slain by her. Gods plan is one man
and one woman joined in marriage for life. There are very many temptations and
opportunities to go away from that plan. Do not be of the number of those who
fall. Remember the warnings: Her house is
the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. God likes faithfulness, not unfaithfulness.
The Bible says in Proverbs 8:1-9, Doth not
wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?[2] She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the
places of the paths.[3] She crieth at the
gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.[4] Unto
you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.[5] O ye simple,
understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.[6]
Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be
right things.[7] For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an
abomination to my lips.[8] All the words of my mouth are in
righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse
in them.[9] They are all plain to him that understandeth,
and right to them that find knowledge. God has made wisdom
easily accessible in the world all around us. If you are understanding what you
are seeing and what you are experiencing, then you should be learning a lot
about truth. Doth not wisdom cry? and
understanding put forth her voice? And so we see that wisdom is everywhere. You can learn spiritual
wisdom by asking God. It says in James 1:5, If
any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. That is the most important wisdom to have: spiritual
wisdom. Practical wisdom will not do you much good if you do not have spiritual
wisdom too. The verses in this passage in Proverbs are primarily dealing with
practical wisdom. God has placed that wisdom everywhere. Open your eyes and you
will see and learn.
Proverbs 8:7 says, For my mouth
shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. Truth is
associated with goodness. The more that you understand truth, the more that you
will want to do good, and the more that you will do good.
The Bible says in Proverbs 8:10-12, Receive my
instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
[11] For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be
desired are not to be compared to it. [11] I wisdom dwell with prudence,
and find out knowledge of witty inventions. These verses talk
about the value of wisdom. Wisdom is more valuable than riches and gold. If
someone really values wisdom from God, then they will seek it.
The Bible says in Proverbs 8:13, The fear of
the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. God hates evil. If
you seek God, then you will hate evil also. Evil here is defined as pride,
arrogance, the evil way, and the forward mouth. Pride and arrogance keep people
from God. Isnt it strange how a mere mortal man can think that he or she has all
the understanding that they need and that they do not need God? They will think
otherwise when they are on their knees shivering before the Judge. The evil way
is the way that some people choose when they do not choose the good way. Jesus
said in Matthew 7:13-14, Enter ye in at the
strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:[14]
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and
few there be that find it. If the heart is
not right, then the mouth will not be right either. You can recognize those
who have rejected God by the way they speak.
The Bible says in Proverbs 8:14-17, Counsel is
mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.[15] By me
kings reign, and princes decree justice.[16] By me princes
rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.[17] I love them that
love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
First of all, God points out that the most powerful
people on the earth, the leaders of countries, get their power and exercise
their power because of wisdom from God. If they do not have wisdom, they will not
be in power very long.
God makes an important statement in
Proverbs 7:17, I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall
find me. God is love. When you love someone, you want them to love you back. It will not go well with those who reject Gods
love that is demonstrated through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. And if
you love someone, you seek them out. Jesus said, Seek and ye
shall find. Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and seek Him while there is time.
Jesus will save you.
___________________________________________________
Copyright; 2017 by Charles
F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved