TODAY’S READING: PROVERBS 5-8
OVERVIEW:
The pitfalls of immorality, the father’s counsel to his son; the wiles of the strange woman; the blessing of wisdom; understanding and truth.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
These four vital chapters in today’s reading reveal how God has provided wisdom and understanding to preserve the purity of a person’s God-given sexual desires. God shows us that these desires are reserved to be fulfilled in the chamber of a covenant marriage bed that is undefiled (Heb. 13:4).
God also reveals the attempt of the enemy of all righteousness, who tempts us through the invitations of the opposite sex to satisfy these desires in the heat of passionate compromise, with the ultimate goal to destroy personal purity, contaminate a church or community, and condemn a country, thus aborting potential for successful leadership, from the lack of a pure heart and clear conscience.
The person who is pre-disposed to do the right thing is one who has predetermined to guard (“keep”) his heart, so as not to be lured away from his surrender to Christ’s Lordship. Understanding the benefits of wisdom is a major part of that process, as we learned in chapter four. We must first hear the father’s instruction attentively so we can understand his doctrine (teaching), and purpose not to forsake what we have been taught.
Chapter five opens with PAY ATTENTION to my wisdom, to my understanding so you will not fall for the invitation of the strange woman. Her alluring words are sweet, her smooth seductive mouth will be inviting, (vs. 3), but she will become bitter, calloused, and fickle in her ways.
RUN! Is the father’s advice, before you pay the price.
- Giving your honor to others. (vs. 9)
- Your years to cruel habits. (vs. 9)
- Strangers controlling your money. (vs. 10)
- You will work as a laborer. (vs. 10)
- You will lose your health. (vs. 11)
- You will experience cycles of regret and depression. (vs. 12-14)
- You will miss God’s plan of experiencing the pure love of your life mate. (vs. 15-19)
- You will develop addictions to your sin tendency. (vs. 22)
- You will experience an early death from ignoring instructions. (vs. 23)
All these losses lead progressively to the warning of idleness and deceit, in chapter six, (often referred to as the devil’s workshop). The culminating sum of ignorance in these warnings is sudden calamity and brokenness that is irreparable (vs. 15), which is often caused by the sowing of discord among the brethren (vs. 19). This person is characterized by the following six things that the Lord hates, seventh actually being an abomination to Him:
- A proud look. (vs. 17a)
- A lying tongue. (vs. 17b)
- Hands that shed innocent blood. (vs. 17c)
- A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations. (vs.18a)
- Feet that are swift to run into mischief. (vs. 18b)
- A false witness that speaketh lies. (vs. 19a)
- Sowing discord among the brethren. (vs. 19b)
Obey your mother and father (vs. 20-24, c.f. Eph. 6:1-2) is still the best advice for young men to avoid the dangers of the strange woman. The strong warning is in vs. 25, lusting in the heart, which is adultery (Matt.5:28).
Chapter seven opens with the admonition to keep the father’s words and commandments to guard against the lure of sensual involvement so prevalent in every generation. The young man void of understanding (“simple” – vs. 7), is easy prey for the strange woman, especially when his curiosity lures him to her neighborhood (vs. 8), i.e. “curiosity killed the cat,” and it will kill this cool cat also! Being cool is often being stupid. This woman should have been easily recognized by the way she was dressed, or by the way she was undressed, but there are three unmistakable characteristics given in vs. 11: She is LOUD, she is STUBBORN, she does not like to STAY HOME. (CAUTION). This is a temptation for teenage girls to act this way for acceptance with her peers. The precious life is sought after even by the adulteress woman in chapter 6 and verse 26, but they hunt in all the wrong ways, and in all the wrong places. (i.e. “I’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places” – Country music’s, Waylon Jennings.)
Ironically, what this woman does beginning in verses 15-18, would be totally appropriate if this preparation was done in anticipation of spending this time presenting herself to her husband. It would fit very nicely in the context of the Song of Solomon.
The opening theme in chapter eight is three-fold: wisdom, understanding, and truth. This three-fold theme carries with it the following promises:
- By me kings reign.
- By me princes decree justice.
- By me princes rule.
- By me nobles rule.
- By me all the judges of the earth rule.
- All riches and honor are with me.
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As the CREATOR WHO prepared the heavens – Prov. 8:27-31 (Hebrews1:10; John 1:3).