Proverbs 6

Proverbs 6

Practical Warnings

1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, 2 if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, 3 then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. 4 Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; 5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

12 A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, 13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, 14 with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; 15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

16 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Warnings Against Adultery

20 My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. 21 Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. 23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, 24 to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. 25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; 26 for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life. 27 Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? 28 Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? 29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished. 30 People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, 31 but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. 32 He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. 33 He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. 34 For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. 35 He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

Devotional

Introduction

In Proverbs 5, we learnt some of Solomon's wisdom concerning adultery. And in Chapter 6, we see more of his warning against adultery in verse 20 to 35. However, whilst he does address this issue multiple times, he ultimately wishes to demonstrate the greatness of wisdom, and the wickedness of folly. Between verses 1-19, he also warns against other foolish ways: holding another's obligations, being idle, and wicked and crooked speech.

And for many with little knowledge of the book of proverbs (including myself), there is an assumption that the book is only a collection of wise sayings or wise generalisations about life and how to live it. However, it is not only that. Currently, we are exploring Solomon's warning against folly. In chapter 10, we will begin in those chips of wisdom.

So hold onto horses, because now we get to explore more warnings against folly...

Study

As I have stated above he warns against four main things in Chapter 6. The first three I will discuss in more depth that the fourth, considering we spent all of yesterday on adultery.

1)Warning against obligation (vs.1-5)

In some ways, I would rather entitle this "Solution for obligation". However, it is both a warning and a solution. This section addresses the situation where one might have taken up another's debts upon themself. My NIV study bible offers the story in Genesis 43 where Judah promises the safe return of Benjamin to his father Jacob. However, by chapter 44, he cannot keep this promise and is in turn indebted to Joseph, whom he made the promise to. Proverbs say that to have these obligations means you become "snared in the words of your mouth" (vs.2) which can end in poverty.

The warning is against becoming so indebted. But it does offer a solution:

"...go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbour" (vs.3)

It says to do so even if it means "no sleep and...slumber" (vs.4). To do such would "save yourself". To me, this situation seems oddly specific. But it goes without saying, to be indebted to someone can be very dangerous. It may not be a sin, but it is foolish.

It may even be a question of the heart: why are you doing something that makes you in debt to another? Are you taking up their obligations for their approval of you rather than God's? Are you going into their debt because you are greedy? Are you doing this out of love for them, or for your own gain? I suppose it is not a sin, but to not be wise about such matters is a part of our sinful nature, so consider carefully before you go into debt.

2) Warning against Idleness (vs.6-11)

Laziness is a temptation for us all, but it can be more of a struggle for some. So I ask the question: "Do you struggle with laziness?". In verse 6, it asks us to consider the ant. It is kind of humiliating. An ant is tinier than us, and yet it seems to be more industrious. Worse of all, whilst we might have a boss, or a parent or someone alongside us to get us to work, the ant has no one (vs.7-8) and still does it's work. That's messed up!

Mankind was created for work and vice-versa. God did not create us purposeless. It is in our nature to work, it is because of our sinful nature that we do not work. The proverb asks why we do that (vs.9), and it warns us that this sluggishness with just lead to poverty (vs.10-11). Now, there are people who work very hard and still are poor. And there are people who work very little and are very rich.

So we come to our first generalisation. Sluggishness often leads to poverty. But I think one thing we must see is that whilst poverty may be the outcome and a motivating factor, I think it is important to have in the back of our minds: "sluggishness has a consequence - poverty - but it also is not honouring to God. It is a foolish way and God hates folly". Do you see the difference? I should not be motivate to work simply to be out of poverty, but because to not work is not God-honouring. As I said, God created us for a purpose. This goes without saying for many of the proverbs.

3) Warning against a deceitful heart (vs.12-19)

In verse 12 to 14, we are given insight into the "wicked man" who uses pretty much all forms of communication in order to deceive. He uses his mouth (vs.12), eyes (vs.13), feet (vs.13). finger (vs.13) and even his heart (vs.14). Everything is "perverted" (vs.14). A wicked man's heart is so evil that it results in the whole body physically communicating his wickedness. He deceives with his whole being.

In verse 15, it says that he will face "calamity" and "will be broken beyond healing". So deception and an evil heart is no good.

Verse 16 to 19 elaborate on why he will face punishment. In short, it is because the "Lord hates [it]" (vs.16). And then it explains what he hates:

17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,  and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans,  feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies,  and one who sows discord among brothers.

I don't feel I need to explain this. God hates sin. He is right to hate sin - it is against his holy nature. The wise man is best not to stray into such foolishness. If he loves God, he will not become like the wicked man and will seek to honour God instead.

4) A warning against adultery (vs.20-35)

Because we have already studied this topic, I will not go into much detail, but will highlight a few things:

1. Verse 20 to 23 are very similar to many of the ideas presented in previous chapters. These verses could probably prelude any of the topics that Solomon wanted to talk about. He believes it is very important that his son have such wisdom and that he might allow it to be a light to him and his life. Perhaps remember these verses as you continue to study the book of Proverbs. They can be your guidance into why you want to study Proverbs.

2. There will be punishment for adultery. In verse 29, it says that "none who touches [his neighbour's wife] will go unpunished". In verse 32 that it says someone "who does it destroys himself". It even points out that doing so could provoke another man to jealousy which could be to your torment. In the last devotional I used the example from the musical Alexander Hamilton where his own affair provoked the jealousy of his mistress' husband who forced him to pay him large sums of money. Verse 26 even explains the high cost of adultery.

3. Lust is adultery as well. Verse 25 states this, and Jesus clarifies it in Matthew 5:28. I already stated this yesterday. But I want to make this understood. It is very easy to say "Well I haven't physically had sex with them." But remember, our problem is not only in what we physically do, but also in our hearts. In fact, our sinful hearts are the real problem. We desire to do these things. And that is wrong.

So, adultery is folly as well. And it is warned against just as much as any other sin.

Conclusion

"So this whole passage is just a bunch of warnings, eh? Could have read that myself!"

Au contraire!

Okay, maybe you could have read that by yourself...But it not just a bunch of meaningless warnings. And if that is your thought, it's a little problematic. These warnings are here so that not only will you see the folly, but remember the wisdom. They are not just warnings, their are guides. They are established so you might escape the darkness and see the light.

Remember verse 20-23? Wisdom is the light. It is the way of life. God has established the perfect wise order for how his earth should run. We have messed it up. And now we have a chance to honour him, and follow in his holy, wise path.

And we are going to mess it up.

And we are going to stumble.

But we continue, if we truly love the Lord with all our heart.

Remember, Jesus paid it all on the cross. He asks that we take up our own cross and follow him. And that means always denying ourselves our own foolish desires and matching our hearts instead to the wisdom of God!

Thanks for joining me on Day 6 of #31daysofproverbs and I hope to see you tomorrow!