Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Proverbs 5:1 says, My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: This is once more a call to Solomon's son to listen to what he has to say. We know this applies to all people as a call for us to listen to God with wisdom and understanding. Verse two states, That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. If we are to follow Christ, we must first hear what He has to say to us. The first thing that anyone hears from God is the call to follow Christ. We do not just find salvation on our own. God always calls us to salvation. Verse three says, For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: Matthew Henry says this could be seen as a woman leading us astray to sexual impunity, or as some seducing us with false doctrine. Though referring to a woman leading a man astray, it could just as easily apply to a man leading a woman astray. Verse four declares, But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. This is a warning of the result of allowing ourselves to be led astray by the things of this world, no matter how tempting they may be. The result of straying from God will always be bitter and destructive. Verse five says, Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Though we as followers of Christ are forever secure in our relationship to God, if we give in to the temptations of the world, we lose the joy of our salvation. We are living closer to hell than to heaven. Verse six warns, Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. We cannot find the path of life by our own ponderings, or thoughts. We can only find the path of life by listening to and heeding the call of God. Verse seven declares, Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. This is not just a call from Solomon for his children to hear Him, but is a call from God for His children to hear Him. We cannot follow God without listening to His words that direct our paths. Verse eight warns, Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: Not only are we to not listen to someone who would lead us away from God, but we are to remove ourselves far from them. The best way to avoid temptation is to not place ourselves in a position where we would be tempted. Verse nine adds, Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: If we give in to temptation, then we lose our honor with other followers of Christ. If this happens, then all we can do is ask God to forgive us and get back on the path of righteousness. Hopefully, we will find forgiveness by others then. Verse ten adds, Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; This is still in reference to giving in to the ways of the world instead of following God. Ultimately, everything we have in this world will pass to others, whether while we are alive or when we die. Verse eleven states, And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, Verse twelve continues, And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; Verse thirteen adds, And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! Then verse fourteen concludes, I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. People may mourn our death, but at the same time question how unwisely we lived our lives. Even if sin leads to all the riches of the world, at death it will all be left behind. Then, people, especially those who follow Christ, should marvel or question how anyone could waste his or her life for material things. When we are seduced by the things of this world, and refuse to follow God, then we really are most wicked, and everlasting separation from God is the result.
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