September 9, Proverbs 5
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths. - Proverbs 5:21
I think it's probably good to deal with this from the beginning: In this chapter and the two that follow it, Solomon has a lot to say about adultery. Many people are understandably uncomfortable when they read these chapters. Some are convicted because of ongoing sin; others remember with shame past sins.
Maybe you've wondered why Solomon (who had hundreds of wives and hundreds of other women who were not his wives) should be a credible source for advice about marriage, adultery and moral purity. It's a fair question. I like to think about it in two different ways. First, if Solomon's words are inspired, the authority for these plainspoken warnings comes from a much higher source than Israel's ancient king. We should receive this wisdom and the rest of what Solomon talked about in this book as counsel from God himself. The human penman was flawed like the rest of us. But an inspired writer's words are God's words through him to us.
Also, Solomon starts all three chapters of this frank talk about adultery as a father advising his son. Fathers who love their children advise them about what they ought to do. Sometimes that verbal advice contradicts what Dad has taught by his example. It's like a character in an old Kenny Roger's song told his boy, "Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done." Dads hope their children can see that it would be better to learn from their expensive mistakes instead of repeating them to learn the painful
lesson from their own mistakes.
The warnings about the danger of illicit attraction are applicable to both sexes. Solomon was writing to his son as a man to a man, and described the danger of getting involved with women who would lead him astray. But the principles, the attraction and the danger apply to both men and women.
Although the topic in context is sexual sin, there are three principles at the end of chapter five we all need to remember about every type of
temptation and sin. Read verses 21-23 again and consider them with me, please.
We should remember that the Lord is witness to all our ways and paths. If we really believe this and behave as if we believe it, we won't act like naughty school children who behave
badly when the teacher leaves the room. God never leaves the room. Nothing is done behind his back or without his knowledge.
The situations and behaviors that lead us into sin are appealing and attractive, and may be pleasurable when we respond to the temptation
and sin. But later, what attracted and appealed to us becomes a snare that traps and entangles us, like a spider's prey caught in the web. So often, sin is not finished with us when we want to be finished with it.
The consequences of disobedience to God about moral purity or any other matter are serious. "He dies because of his lack of discipline." Death has been the posted consequence of sin since the garden of Eden. The guilty sinner is not guilty because he didn't
know better; he's guilty because he didn't restrain himself to do what he knew he should do. He is led astray because of his foolish "amnesia" about right and wrong. He conveniently forgets the consequences of doing wrong, and then suffers those consequences.
I don't want to be so brash as to blatantly disobey God, do you? I don't want to be trapped by sin that doesn't let you go when you want to get away. And I don't want to be so foolish as to be led away from the living God and to needlessly die because I wasn't willing
to listen to and heed God's wise counsel. I trust you agree. Let’s ask ourselves, “In what kind of temptation and sin in my own life do I need to remember and apply these restraining principles?”
Let’s remember this about all sin: There is no escaping the guilt of sin without Jesus and his sacrifice of himself for our sins. No sin that has ensnared us need be fatal because he died in our place. The good news of the gospel can free us from the hold of ensnaring sin. Through Christ we can be forgiven and set free. We must
never misuse God’s grace toward us to minimize or excuse sin. Our sins cost Jesus his life blood! But isn’t it great to have hope and confidence of forgiveness when we trust Jesus as our Savior and submit to him as Lord?
Copyright © 2021 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—September 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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