Sunday, March 7, 1999 This Week's Lesson:
In this week's lesson, which came from Proverbs 5:1-14, we learned about the importance of acquiring the wisdom and understanding to do the right thing in every situation, especially in those circumstances that might lead to immorality and unfaithfulness. Solomon was once again writing about the importance of gaining wisdom and understanding. In the opening chapters of the Book of Proverbs, he did not often stray from that common theme. Having stumbled a few times himself, he probably already felt very strongly about passing on to others what he had learned. Frequently, parents and teachers instruct others based on their own mistakes rather than on their having done well. Notice in these verses that Solomon once again used the expression, "My son," to show an intimacy with his audience. Notice also that he was writing to the male gender about having wisdom and understanding concerning other women rather than vice versa. He already knew that, in many regards, the man is really the weaker vessel. Men should attend to wisdom. He would probably state emphatically that men must attend unto wisdom if they are to live right. Attend comes from the Hebrew word meaning to hear, to be attentive, or to heed, and he wanted to especially encourage those of the male persuasion to zealously pursue godly wisdom.
According to I Kings 11:1-3, Solomon had had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, so he probably knew a great deal about the perils of not having sought wisdom and understanding. According to him, wisdom and understanding lead to discretion and knowledge, and discretion and knowledge will keep our lives on the straight and narrow. Solomon's real objective was to keep men and women pure. He told them to pursue wisdom and understanding so that they would not stumble into immorality. He said that the lips of a strange woman drop as honeycomb and are as smooth oil, meaning that the road to immorality is easy to walk. However, he warned that when we are deceived into committing those kinds of sins, we can suffer some very severe consequences. The end of such sins is bitterness. The wayward woman carries death in her movements. Solomon wrote that her steps take hold on hell. For sure, he was warning the young man to be careful. However, while he focused mostly on the man, he also knew that the woman could stumble, too. He understood the frailty of human beings. As Christians, we should constantly reflect on his teachings about morality and wisdom. We should frequently remind ourselves that the real key to right living is to have Christ-centered desires and goals. And we should never listen to those who would try to lead us into unrighteous paths because the ends of those kinds of wrongful behavior are bitterness and unhappiness.
Immorality leads to disgrace. Falling into the sin of fornication will rob us of our honor, cause our years to be cruel and hard, and take away our prosperity. Being unfaithful in sexual matters will consume our body and flesh and cause us great sadness as we see that we hated instruction and reproof and that we ignored the instructions of those who tried to guide us correctly. Making mistakes is easy. Therefore, as you go through the coming week, try to focus on ways to keep yourself pure in an impure world. Follow the instructions of Solomon and live in peace.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
Send email to: tlee6040@aol.com