GW, AK – Proverbs 8:20-31

20“I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,

21To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

22“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.

23“From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.

24“When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water.

25“Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth;

26While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the first dust of the world.

27“When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

28When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed,

29When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth;

30Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,

31Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.

When in the passage continuing, we see the Psalmist say “20 I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, 21 To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.” So the idea being that the way of righteousness is that of walking in the way of the Lord. As the Apostle Paul writes, “…so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…” Col. 1:10.

Moving from that we see that there is wealth of the Lord that does not equal to necessarily material wealth. As again the Apostle Paul prayed to the Philippians in 4:11-13 “¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength (NIV).”

The next brief interlude speaks to the creation of the Lord of each of His masterpieces. “22-23 The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.” Why do some Christians make such a fuss about children’s and an unborn’s rights? Because an unborn person is still a person from the moment of conception! You are not disagreeing with me alone if you believe different. You are believing a lie straight from the pit of Hell! Believe God! Believe you were formed by His specific and magnificent design! One such Scripture was written by the prophet Jeremiahs saying “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you…” (Jeremiah 1:5, NASB). This is what the Father intended and created to you be! 

Following “22-23 The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.” Now as a former horror movie fan, I knew what Hollywood saw the possession of a person by the hand of Satan to mean. To be sure, true demonic possession is even more terrifying than that! But when Jesus possesses you, He fills you with His Holy Spirit and then by this indwelling you begin to exhibit the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians and other places in the New Testament For reference the Galatians 5:22-23 passage lists “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Timeless as they are, these traits will be ever increasing in the child of God. Thus for an eternity we have nothing less than an ever increasing plentitude of the goodness in God!

Subsequently following we read “23“From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth. 24“When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water. 25“Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth; 26While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the first dust of the world.” Here we read of this creation of a trait spoken in a persona. We know from the Lord’s wisdom that He is speaking of the grace and wisdom of Jesus Christ. Yet to understand that from before time, before grace was needed for mankind, before water before air, before everything was, Jesus is (John 8:58)!

27“When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

As Jesus said to the crowds “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am” because He formed it all. He established the heavens and the earth and the depths and all else. He also created something that could be easily missed. He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep. This refers to a globe or circle on which the waters dwell. For those who are unfamiliar with the flat earth movement, this clearly refutes such nonesense without even trying!

28When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed,

In Genesis 1:7 right from the beginning of the creation of the earth we read “7God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.” In Proverbs the writer asks the reader to understand that He made the skies above firm. This speaks to the creation of an ice sphere surrounding the earth such as in intimated in the beginning parts of Genesis prior to the flood! For more on this, you can read an article from Answers in Genesis regarding the firmament “https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/cosmology/is-the-raqiya-firmament-a-solid-dome/”.

29When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth;

Do you realize that every time there is a local flood or for that matter rain, that is the design of mercy of the Lord to not flood the earth again (Genesis 9:11)? Do you realize that God marked the foundations of the earth? Do you realize that no matter how much mankind tries to destroy the earth we will not ultimately destroy the earth! God will destroy the earth and recreate it for eternity! In Revelation 21 we get a peek into eternity for the Lord speaks of the newly created earth! Why worry all that much of this earth if it is to be recreated? Simple, we are given as stewards to what we have been given! So that we will not reflect our faith in a junky cluttered Savior, let us keep the faith, keep our home, and keep reaching for the greater understanding of Him!

Finally we read “30Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, 31Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.” Do you understand this final rest? The writer states “then”. When we reach the end of our time spent on fallen earth, our brief mortal life will be over. Then our next state will be eternally better. It will be “beside Him, as a master workman…daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him…” Friend, we ought not get too caught up in the trifles and bothers of this world. Sure we have to pay rent or mortgage. Sure we have to put food on the table and perform tasks asked by our employer. Friend that is not our burden for eternity though! Our eternal state will be rejoicing and worshipping Jesus. As such, and as far as I’m concerned, I’ll practice down here to be prepared for up there! Until that time, blessings as you go!

GW, AK – Proverbs 8:10-19

10“Take my instruction and not silver,
            And knowledge rather than choicest gold.

11“For wisdom is better than jewels;
            And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

12“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
            And I find knowledge and discretion.

13“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
            Pride and arrogance and the evil way
            And the perverted mouth, I hate.

14“Counsel is mine and sound wisdom;
            I am understanding, power is mine.

15“By me kings reign,
            And rulers decree justice.

16“By me princes rule, and nobles,
            All who judge rightly.

17“I love those who love me;
            And those who diligently seek me will find me.

18“Riches and honor are with me,
            Enduring wealth and righteousness.

19“My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,
            And my yield better than choicest silver.

In looking at this next section, I’m reminded how little I know of Scripture combined with how little I know of Him. Surrounded by a culture and a world who prizes getting more stuff only to often have the stuff consume you to the neglect of other people and other things. Looking at the first verse in this segment be “Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, Nor can silver be weighed as its price.” I have a picture from the apple orchard at Silvercreek my family and I went to this past weekend. Though each of us has our favorite, the fact remains, they’re all apples and all have a distinct purpose to the picker. Much like the church, we each have our own distinctive purpose in the unfolding of the plan of God. But we must be present to enjoy His use!

If I meditate even on that small verse, I immediately find that I do not treasure nor value the Scripture as I ought. If indeed I was given the choice between becoming independently wealthy or being given a steadfast promise that the Word of God would always be available, I’m not sure that at all times I would choose the Scriptures! Perhaps therein we can see our struggle unless we can see something of lesser value thrust in or visual field!

Carrying on in verse 10b I read “…And knowledge rather than choicest gold.” Now just as we had said before, knowledge is the awareness of wisdom and the context in which wisdom works. Thus, to be made aware of the wonders and greatness of God, then the knowledge of God should bring about worship of Him and an adoration for those who are His own. It is a clear and concise choice that must be made 1000 times over because our flesh and our world is literally hell-bent on choosing the temporary over the eternal. Why settle for a Twinkie when you have the eternal feast laying before you!

Next in verse 11 I find “For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.” Consider this, all desirable things leveed against every desire on earth cannot compare with wisdom. Whether you are an oil baron in the mid-west looking for oil in the hot Texas sun or a German automaker designing the next hit VW automobile, all this is commendable. But these vocations pail in the light of learning more of Who Jesus Christ is and how much He loves those for Whom He gave Himself to die.

In verse 12 we read of these virtues “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I find knowledge and discretion.” Catch the meaning, the Lord dwells with prudence. The wisdom afforded in the Lord’s counsel will by its very action and activity cause your life to be known by prudence, knowledge and discretion. How often I have prayed for knowledge and discretion. All along not realizing that to live with prudence (עָרְמָ֑ה only used 3 times in Scripture) it follows that knowledge and discretion will be found. Ah the wisdom and fear of the Lord!

Next in verse 13 we have “13“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.” The fear of the Lord is one who because of the fear and respect of Him hates evil. Note it does not say hates the individual who is sinning but rather hates the evil that is being done. In that we are all sinners, we are all in need of the forgiveness and grace of God, and we are all hell-bound apart from Him, our only hope is to return to Him!

The in verse 14 we read, “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.” To be sure I would make some of my philosophy compatriots argue, but God Himself says “counsel is mine”, “sound wisdom (is mine)”, “I am understanding”, “power is mine.” In short, if you’re looking for virtue, look to Me! Before we revile at the notion, consider that the only perfect being in the universe just effectively said, “worship Me, for I am good.” So often in Hollywood we are met with personalities who initially we admire and ever so often come to revere. Yet this Scripture in verse 14 reminds us from Jehovah God’s own lips “I am understanding.” Elsewhere with Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3:14, “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’; and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

For verses 15-16 we have a “how-do” of how the rulers of earth at that time ruled. With the Babylonian, Chaldean, Sumatran, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and all other culture from then to now, the answer is the same, apart from God. Yet also in verses 15-16 we do have the blueprint of how they should rule “By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly.” Notice, the text tells us that “all who judge rightly” which includes the pagan kings under that umbrella. This is not to say that they were righteous or God-fearing I my view. Instead it was a subtle way of stating for our day and age that regardless of the time or timbre of ethics, there is an ultimate Good, Jehovah God, and an ultimate bad, sin. Before parsing to see what side your decision will fall on, remember, you and your life must surrender to Jesus or else you are hell-bound and all decisions contained in your life are attempting to be used to run from God!

In verse 17 the author writes “I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.” Praise the Lord that His mercy endures to today. The author states that He loves those who love Him. Just as Jeremiah recorded “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart (Jer. 29:13).” Furthermore, Jesus says “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28).”

Approaching the close for today “18 Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness.” Consider the value of investing in something that lasts forever! Today a diamond is one of the most precious gifts you can give. But, this is worth more than the largest diamond in the world! God has wealth and value that we can attain in learning what it means to love Him more, love others more, and more importantly be loved by Him more! Not how to do more, act more, or discover more for Him. He knows all, sees all, is all. His desire is to be known by us for the purpose of being worshiped by us and loved by us just as He loves us!

The last verse for today “19 My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver.” Now I have a picture of the apple selection from Silver Creek Orchard in Tyro, VA. My family and I over the past few years have frequented that spot for our apple selection. This year, although the “Granny Smith” has been our family favorite, I stumbled quite literally on a new favorite the winesap. The interesting flavor of the winesap is that although it initially gives the clear, crisp, tart flavor of a granny smith, it smooths out into a sweet crisp bite of a red delicious.

What in the world has that got to do with Scripture? As I see it, the Scripture, particularly Proverbs, at times has a serious bite! There can be portions and sections that strike you more that offer an inviting texture! But in the same bite, they healing balm of the Savior Who loves you can gently correct the hurt and temporary harm done to you! Just as the Israelites who took a portion of Samaria in 2 Chronicles 28 did “14So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the officers and all the assembly. 15Then the men who were designated by name arose, took the captives, and they clothed all their naked ones from the spoil; and they gave them clothes and sandals, fed them and gave them drink, anointed them with oil, led all their feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria.”

The Lord wants to save for Himself a people from every tribe an tongue. We are told in Revelation 5:9, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Therefore, just as we here in the United States and you from where-ever you are, worship the Lord in your context and from your side of the world. We shall worship the Lord in our context until He brings us all into His marvelous presence for eternity more. Blessings as you continue, blessings as you go!

GW, AK – Proverbs 8:1-9

“Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice? On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand; Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out: “To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom. Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things. For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them. They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.”
Proverbs 8:1‭-‬9 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.8.1-9.NASB

We left chapter 7 with the hearty acknowledgement that the wiles of fortune, game, and riches for the sake of fortune, fame, and riches is a fools errand. Now in chapter 8 the author shifts to the antithesis of success by the world’s standards and looks instead to heavenly success.

Starting of we see “Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice? On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand; Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out…” Wisdom is perhaps not secret for what secret virtue cries out? That is perhaps one of the biggest “Ah hah!” moments for me today. Wisdom is there in all of your daily life. But just as the wisdom of God is there, so is sin. Just as Adam and Eve were in the garden with God, so was the tempter there in the midst corrupting and deceiving innocent Adam and Eve. Oh friend, let us not excuse our naiveite as a chance to sin to abound!

Following, the second half of the verse states “…And understanding lift up her voice?” Understand that in communion with God comes a more meticulous pace. At times it will be swift, at others is will be slow. But His walk is a steady pace to the cross. The sooner you and I understand this truth, the sooner we truly can echo “…If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me (Matt. 16:24, NASB). Understand this and we will understand our purpose, to die with Him.

Further we read “On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand; Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out: ‘To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom. Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.'” This indicates to me the place of business, outside the gates, is the point at which we should live out our faith. Not obnoxiously but faithfully.

Next we read “Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things. For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.” As the author gives the reader clear signs to notice speech that is of the Lord, he writes of noble things that lead others to the cross of Christ. Nothing could be better than the words of another testifying about how good God has been to them. Thus, for Hebrews 10:25 reading “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” in new light! We shouldn’t forsake the assembly because we may hold a testimony of God’s faithfulness that someone else needed to hear. It’s not about us it’s about Him!

What’s more, in verse 6, it states “And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.” The “reveal” is implied in the text. Yet the meaning is still there! The idea that a teacher has within their mind the words to speak in the event that a student does not understand is given here. Thus, the revelation of the Lord is waiting for those who ask. Please also understand, this is not a new revelation but rather a direct application of the already given revelation of the Scriptures and Christ to your direct context. The Lord is waiting to reveal things to you regarding your life that you will not know prior. Yet the revelation of these applications will not occur unless you and I are willing to submit to His learning and instruction!

As the teacher continues, “For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.” And let us not forget, the flow of the text was not per verse or word but teaching. Thus the teacher states they will utter truth, with wickedness being an abomination. So the teacher we would presume is Godly. In fact, so far as the Teacher, the Word of God illumined by the Holy Spirit is the very same teacher we have the opportunity to sit under today! Each time you open the Word of God you are opening the very same opportunity to hear from the mouth of the Lord the writings and teachings that the ears heard of those thousands of years ago! How high and lofty a role of proclaiming the Word of God to those who listen! It is a noble and holy task to prepare the Word of the Lord for the ears of those who would listen. Yet it is not without reward as the proclaimer of the gospel is rewarded by learning more of His ways and His love for us!

In verse 8 the text continues, “All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.” To be sure, we are full of folly and mistruth. This is why we must offer no import to our own life and lifestyle but rather we must cast the eyes of the hearer to the heavens! Friend, “all the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness…” we are told because the author is speaking from the Lord! Instead, I offer foolishness and waywardness often! Perhaps the best restitution between the two ought to be a striving in Him to speak less and in conjunction with the arrangement of my face, listen more! A colloquialism that stuck from I believe Fred Penner or Mr. Rogers is basically, “you have two ears and one mouth, therefore you should listen twice as much as you talk.” I’ll never forget that!

And in closing, verse 9 states “They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.” This is the vantage point the reader who understands the Word of God starts from. In this world, there are very few times we can say with absolute certainty that we know 100% of what we will read or learn will be correct. Not to cast doubt in the minds of the reader, but any honest teacher, preacher, instructor, or professional will tell you they don’t know it all. They also will tell you that they probably know more than you in the specific field they apply themselves to so you listen! As the writer says the words are right to those who “find knowledge.” In other words, if you learn the truth of the subject, then the application of the subject in a variety of contexts may be possible! Knowledge yields that to the wise!

For a New Testament application of the principle, look to the meat sacrificed to idols discussion in 1 Corinthians 8, the Apostle Paul hit the nail on the head when he stated “1Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.” For the 1st century, eating meat used in pagan worship was a real quandary. As a new convert to Christianity, could one eat meat formerly sacrificed to pagan idols? It was this issue that led the Apostle Paul to write in verse 4 “Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.” However in that same chapter Paul also wrote in verse 13 “Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.” The point being that knowledge of the Lord and His ways does not grant unlimited freedom in the light of the needs of others. Take care to be aware of those in need! Thus to return to Proverbs 8 and close the post, “They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.” Or more contemporarily spoken, “its all good for those in Christ” (paul mcmonagle’s redneckly poor translation).

Blessings as you continue, blessings as you go!

GW, AK – Proverbs proverbs 6:11-27

11She is boisterous and rebellious,
            Her feet do not remain at home;

12She is now in the streets, now in the squares,
            And lurks by every corner.

13So she seizes him and kisses him
            And with a brazen face she says to him:

14“I was due to offer peace offerings;
            Today I have paid my vows.

15“Therefore I have come out to meet you,
            To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.

16“I have spread my couch with coverings,
            With colored linens of Egypt.

17“I have sprinkled my bed
            With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

18“Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning;
            Let us delight ourselves with caresses.

19“For my husband is not at home,
            He has gone on a long journey;

20He has taken a bag of money with him,
            At the full moon he will come home.”

21With her many persuasions she entices him;
            With her flattering lips she seduces him.

22Suddenly he follows her
            As an ox goes to the slaughter,
            Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool,

23Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
            As a bird hastens to the snare,
            So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

24Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
            And pay attention to the words of my mouth.

25Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
            Do not stray into her paths.

26For many are the victims she has cast down,
            And numerous are all her slain.

27Her house is the way to Sheol,
            Descending to the chambers of death.

Carrying on through the text, we’re met with the wiles of the wicked woman. The list of sorts isn’t the only markings of a wiley woman, but rather the attitude of the heart that shows a leaning and leading toward the world rather than the things of God. In verse 11 we see “She is boisterous and rebellious, Her feet do not remain at home…” Does this mean that a woman is to be silent and quiet, only speak when she’s spoken to and never leave home? CERTAINLY NOT! As a husband and father, I would never suggest these positions of artificial homebodies be employed! Rather, the converse of a boisterous (literally “הֹמִיָּ֣ה – loud) and rebelious (וְסֹרָ֑רֶת – rebellious) woman is a quiet and reverent. My wife and my children and I are all at times loud, but not obnoxious by nature. We are a loud family but not offensively noisy.

Following, “her feet do not remain at home…” would indicate that the type of woman mentioned here is one who’s heart and thus her feet are not set steadfast with her home. I would say that this could likewise apply to the husband as well. Men, set your feet and heart on home! Where your feet are directed toward (Christ) and your heart is set on (Christ) is where your mind will be directed! Guard your heart! After we read “12She is now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner. 13So she seizes him and kisses him And with a brazen face she says to him: 14“I was due to offer peace offerings; Today I have paid my vows. 15“Therefore I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.” Do you see what the progression is? She is in the streets because that is often where the temptation of infidelity lay! Whether the overnight trip out of town or the late night work during the crunch time at the company, men/women guard your marriage and your heart! And let us not forget, the woman in the text was one who was of the congregation as she says “I was due to offer peace offerings; today I have paid my vows”! Oh friend, don’t mistake rote religious duty for a relationship with the King of kings! Follow the Lord away from sin! In the text we read 15-17 “Therefore I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you. “I have spread my couch with coverings, With colored linens of Egypt. “I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.” A few items of note. First, the woman speaks as one who has come out to meet another. As the woman in this Israel was often a homebody, to be one who instead seeks out another speaks to the inability to rest her heart and personage on one person even less the Savior of the world! She entices the infidelity with the lure of foreign goods from Egypt linens. She lures him with spices and the scents of that day. Oh friend, don’t get caught up in the lures of the moment over the trustworthiness of your pledge for life! After we read “18-20 Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with caresses. ‘For my husband is not at home, He has gone on a long journey; He has taken a bag of money with him, At the full moon he will come home.” Here we read the lure of a trip and an absent partner. Whether meant literal or figurative, friend if one member of the marriage relationship is distant, don’t assume the worst but as a partner in marriage pursue the best! Follow the Lord! As the Lord wants for marriage to be a picture of Christ and the Church, follow the leading of the Savior and see your marriage possibly saved! “21With her many persuasions she entices him; With her flattering lips she seduces him. 22Suddenly he follows her as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool, 23Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hastens to the snare, So he does not know that it will cost him his life.” Again we are not specifically dealing with one type of infidelity but rather the enticement of sin and therefor the allurement of a new relationship under the guise of concealment from a spouse. The sheer debased, carnal nature of sin is so obvious. But when we are in the temptation, all but this is the case! How often have we seen leaders, loved ones, coworkers, and others fall from their positions because of the enticement of sin which led a leader into sin! Moreover, perhaps you were the one who thought nothing of the casual affair. You should know, your cavalier attitude to cause another to sin demands death just as all sin! Be forgiven, be forthright, and be forgiven! 24Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth. 25Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths. Again, we read a father writing to his sons to “…pay attention to the words of my mouth.” It is almost as if he is saying to his sons, “read my lips!” And consider, if they are the father’s sons, might it not be that one or more of these sons is by a different mother! Consider the implications of sin! Just as verse 25 states “do not let your heart turn aside to her ways…” This is so that your heart, which is wicked and deceitful above all things, rather than leading you can instead be led by you by following the Savior! 26For many are the victims she has cast down, And numerous are all her slain. The lasting repercussions cannot be overstated. If the result of your infidelity is the life of a child, the child is not to blame, you are! But rather than see him or her this way, perhaps try another view. Although that child was conceived out of the relationship God intended, the child needs a father. The child needs a mother. Verse 26 gives the reader a brief picture of the aftermath of sin. But rather than falling as another victim of the lures of sin, slay yourself daily! Just as the Apostle Paul writes to the Galatians “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Gal. 2:20, NASB).

In conclusion for today, verse 27 says “Her house is the way to Sheol, Descending to the chambers of death.” Just as the “….wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23) so we have a choice. And note, its not a one time decision. In Proverbs 6, we are met with the wiles of the adulterous woman, daily we are met with the wiles of a wicked world. We have two destinations for eternity. If you wish to live for yourself, believe in whatever guru or philosophy of the day will make your life better, feel free! But when you breath your last and wake up in the eternal punishment of hellfire for all of eternity, wouldn’t it have behooved you to consider the alternative? Friend, turn to Jesus Christ and in the turning, gaze upon the fields white unto harvest! Blessings as you go!

GW, AK – Proverbs 6:30-35

“Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry; But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house. The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it. Wounds and disgrace he will find, And his reproach will not be blotted out. For jealousy enrages a man, And he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not accept any ransom, Nor will he be satisfied though you give many gifts.”
Proverbs 6:30‭-‬35 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.6.30-35.NASB

We begin with “Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry; But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold;”. This speaks to the general opinion of the wealthy as to the general opinion of the needy. I have been on the scale of the world stage “wealthy” all my life. I have yet to “beg bread” as it says elsewhere in Scripture. This is not to say I won’t, but we must recall the opine of the Apostle Paul who said to the Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” Thus to synthesize, to be content is to delight yourself in Christ and the pieces and parts you lack find joy in the missing parts till they are full of Him.

We hear of a legal ramification of theft in Solomon’s day to repay 7 fold. Whether this was literal, the consequences were not removed! Elsewhere Scripture states more broadly in Galayion 6:7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” So there are consequences on this side of life for our sin. But just as the Prison Fellowship of the 1970s was created by a convicted felon, so ought we not see our consequences as our fate! If you are drawing air in your lungs, God is using you as a part of His plan for redemption!

“The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense;” This is bare and clear. If you or I commit adultery we are not thinking straight! What happens when she finds out? What happens if the kids find out? What happens when our employer finds out? What happens when God, Who knows our heart, knows we have selected to move forward in sin? Oh friend guard your heart. Pray for that hedge of protection to entangle those devious thoughts and deeds that we do not become ensnared in sin! Israel and Judah would be a united kingdom still I’d King David had not lain with Uriah’s wife!

Following that line of thinking the text says “He who would destroy himself does it. Wounds and disgrace he will find, And his reproach will not be blotted out.” Do you understand the implications? The writer was speaking looking at what he had done. He had torn a kingdom (Israel and Judah), torn a family(the empire of Judah and Irael) apart., and torn a relationship (David/Solomon, David/Michai, David/Ahinoam, David/Abigail, David/Maacah, David/Haggith, David/Abital, David/Eglah, and Bath-sheba. What would have been if mankind did not pounce on his proclivity for sin?

Next we read “For jealousy enrages a man, And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.” I am a happily married man. My quiver is full of the joys, duties, and obligations of married life. I take out the trash, I bathe the dog, I pick up dog waste in the yard. I do this not because I like doing them but because I have a God-given grace to carry that out as a sign and show of service to the ones I love. For one to forsake tier duty and instead run to the bed of another not only is treacherous, it also is cowardice. It is forsaking the God-ordained duty for some lesser promise. Just like David retreating to the arms of another maiden, don’t run to another set of arms but run to the “…wife of your youth.”

Finally, “And his reproach will not be blotted out. For jealousy enrages a man, And he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not accept any ransom, Nor will he be satisfied though you give many gifts.” Do you see the lasting effects of sin? We can be forgiven just as David was for our transgression. But if a child was conceived in the womb of another, that life should stand and stay. That individual, regardless of their means of conception, is still a child of God! And friend that is perhaps the best news of all. Though the child conceived in the womb of another mother can be a painful reminder of infidelity, it also can be a sign of hope for us. For Solomon, a child conceived out of wedlock, went on to be the wisest man who ever lived short of Christ! Blessings as you go!