October 7, 2023 -- Proverbs 1-15 -- You are always preparing: either against or for evil

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My son, keep my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you;
2 keep my commandments and live;
    keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3 bind them on your fingers;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
    and call insight your intimate friend,
5 to keep you from the forbidden woman,
    from the adulteress with her smooth words.

6 For at the window of my house
    I have looked out through my lattice,
7 and I have seen among the simple,
    I have perceived among the youths,
    a young man lacking sense,
8 passing along the street near her corner,
    taking the road to her house
9 in the twilight, in the evening,
    at the time of night and darkness.

10 And behold, the woman meets him,
    dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.
11 She is loud and wayward;
    her feet do not stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the market,
    and at every corner she lies in wait.
13 She seizes him and kisses him,
    and with bold face she says to him,
14 “I had to offer sacrifices,
    and today I have paid my vows;
15 so now I have come out to meet you,
    to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.

Proverbs 7:1-15 ESV

A few of the Bible teachings I’ve been listening to recently noted that it seems so few Christians weep over their sins or lament the struggles of the flesh. Only those who know the temptations of the flesh and the misalignment of the heart which so easily leads believers to cross purposes with what is laid out as the clear path of the LORD weep and cry out to God for help.

First our passage shows the instruction of wisdom. The man who does not treasure up the commandments of the LORD will have no anchor to keep him tethered to the strength of Jesus when wave after wave of temptation batters him. The Wisdom and Insight of the LORD are to be intimate friends who keep his soul satiated in fellowship with God. The commandments of God, heard, treasured up and written on the heart guard the student of God's wisdom as surely as a man guards his eye from any potential poking, or sand or branch.

Now see the persistence of sin. Sin and temptation are pictured as a sexy woman who wants to seduce a man. She is seductively dressed and knows how weak-kneed he will become. Sin is bold. For some the seductress approaches as pornography. For others she approaches as a cornucopia of Thanksgiving treats and desserts and leads the unguarded to gluttony. Maybe the wily woman is gambling. Or alcoholism. Whatever is your particular weak-point against temptation, notice how persistent temptation is. Later in this same chapter wisdom says “all at once he follows he” (verse 22). In fact, it has been 11 verses of constant temptation. This chapter gives insight into the preparations of evil, the unpreparedness and unwillingness of the tempted one to resist temptation. It is worth noting that Wisdom instructs as a father or mother, but the foolish lack of a faith community to draw the man back from the brink of self-destructive sin.

Beloved, tomorrow is Sunday. Get to church. Find a church with two worship services, morning and evening. Take every opportunity to get fed with the Word. Long to have His commandments written on your heart. Rejoice in the fact that you have the opportunity to get close to the LORD and to delight in His commandments. Know that God is not trying to destroy your fun; His teaching keeps you from the way of snares and the grave and death. Embrace true Christians community, where brothers and sisters in Christ will be brave enough to call you out when you are straying, they won’t just watch and let you get entangled and drown in sin. Rouse yourself and help a fellow Christian whose way is at cross purposes with God’s. Help this friend keep his commitment to our King.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory,
now and forever. Amen.

https://youtu.be/zzM9P_Gqw-s?si=YoJPsmgtxvD2OVIX “Holy, Holy, Holy!”

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